The Rural Voice, 1979-11, Page 17Keith Roulston
Do consumer leaders
really represent consumers?
Recent years have seen a growing gap
between the views of farmers and the
views of consumer organizations. Some
have blamed the problem on the aggres-
siveness of former Agriculture Minister
Eugene Whelan saying that his loud
assertion that farmers needed a better deal
and the consumers were just going to have
to accept it. Whatever the reason there's
been a growing sense of antagonism
between farmers and consumers.
Or maybe that should be between
farmers and consumer organization lead-
ers. I have begun to wonder how much the
consumer leaders really represent indiv-
idual consumers. As a consumer myself 1
certainly don't want some of the more
strident consumer advocates being my
spokespersons. Consumer groups are
forever wanting investigations into this or
that. I think it's about time we had some
kind of investigation into the consumer
groups.
The consumer movement is supposed to
protect the consumer from being unfairly
treated in the marketplace. In its early
years the movement was headed by people
such as Ralph Nader who took on the giants
like General Motors to get a better product
for consumers. He did what the individual
consumer couldn't do, building an organi-
zation powerful enough that individual
consumers could get action from the huge
companies. Strength in numbers gave
consumers power in the same way unions
were once necessary to give workers a
decent break against all-powerful com-
panies.
Today the consumer leaders however
seemyat least in the food businessto be
siding with the giants against the little
guys, the farmers.
A consumer spokesman during the
investigation into discounts in the food
industry, for instance, sided with the food
retail giants against the farmers who were
claiming the discounts were unfair to
suppliers. If the discounts were not
allowed, he said, the cost of food would
have to go up to the detriment of
consumers.
Consumer leaders today seem so totally
absorbed by whether something might
drive the cost of food up two cents today so
that they can't see what might happen a
year or so down the road. Thus they decry
marketing boards that raise the price of
food today even though by bringing
stability to the market the boards may save
the consumer tomorrow. Likewise, the
consumer spokesmen make the super-
market chains the heroes of the food
industry because they shave a few cents off
the cost of food while they ignore the fact
that the few cents are used to cut the price
out from under independent grocers thus
increasing their own domination of food
retailing. The large chains may save today
but once they achieve total domination will
they be so ready to give the consumer a
break?
Likewise is the position of the consumers
on imports. They seem all in favour of any
import that will cut the cost of food today,
little regarding the fact that dependence on
imports may put us in trouble down the
line.
Surely we should be able to get some
consumer leaders with the wisdom to see
that the long run is more important than
the short. Surely we need people who can
see that sometimes it's better to pay a few
cents more today in order to gain greater
benefits, greater employment, stable
prices and assured supplies.
But, like many union leaders consumer
leaders seem to be more comfortable with
the situation where they are an important
cog in the dealing with big companies,
rather than have new rules for the games.
The same attitude is seen right now among
union leaders who are deathly afraid of
such revolutionary concepts as industrial
democracy where workers are able to help
run the company or even own the company.
In their opposition the leaders are actually
promoting big business because they like
the old adversary system.
Consumer leaders are promoting big-
ness. They want to see the handful of
companies dominate the food industry.
They want to see fewer and fewer farm
units doing more and more business. They
must, because they oppose all the methods
proposed to protect the family farm.
Frankly, I don't think that's what the
ordinary consumer wants at all. I think
Canadian consumers realize that we have
to pay a price for our way of life. They are
already willing to pay that price in many
things to remain an independent country.
They will also, if given the true facts, be
willing to pay the price of a few cents more
on their grocery bills today in order to have
a fairer food system tomorrow. The
problem is the consumer leaders don't
want to give them those facts. Are the
consumer leaders really so stupid they
can't see those facts themselves? Or do
they really not want people to know the
truth? As a consumer, I'd like someone to
tell it like it is.
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THE RURAL VOICE/NOVEM BER 1979 PG. 15