The Rural Voice, 1982-02, Page 14GUEST COLUMN
The C.A1C. acts as a watchdog
by Mary Wicks
What is the Consumers Association of Canada (C.A.C.) It is
organized consumerism!
We must look back to understand the situation that gave birth to
consumerism. Modern products are wonderful indeed - when they
work! Inflation has eroded the value of the dollar; and the short
life -expectancy of many modern products has made consumers
much more conscious of `How much" or "how little" they get for
their dollars. Advanced technology and advertising have
increased many thousand - fold the sales of products, both new
and old, good and bad, essential, and frivolous.
This ever increasing supply of products, and services created a
need for consumer organizations, hence C.A.C. was born.
The C.A.C. has done impressive work in product testing e.g.
cars, refrigerators, vacuums etc. They have intervened
successfully in communications and transportation. They have
succeeded in standardizing medical equipment. These are but a
few examples of worthwhile projects they have undertaken.
The public identifies with their reports because everyone is a
consumer and everyone wants both quality and performance, at
the best value in everything they buy. However consumers have
no idea of what lies behind the products on the grocery shelves or
the department store counters. They have little knowledge of how
prices are set. They seem to be unaware of the quality measures
now used by manufacturers. Everyone has been frustrated by
false advertising shady workmanship, obsolesence, etc. With
such a wide -spread base, is it any wonder CAC has engendered
the support it has?
Naturally, the media likes to headline and sensationalize
reports, to catch the reader's attention.
Therefore when C.A.C. criticizes the marketing boards, i.e.
the price of eggs or quotas. the general public devours their
headlines as gospel. They disregard the fact that in this country
we have the cheapest and most abundant food supply in the entire
world. The production of food is a multi-million dollar business.
Any business, to operate successfully, must realize a profit after
the cost of production is met, and must have the assurance of a
continuing market. In simplest terms a quota is just a guaranteed
share of the market. And, of course, a continuing obligation to fill
that market. Quotas effectively eliminate surpluses and
shortages. In the long run supply -management marketing boards
enchance more efficient production by stabilizing the industry, by
discouraging the in and outers, thereby producing a more
economic product.
Society needs a watchdog, and industry deserves CAC criticism
at times. The Consumer should educate himself to become well
informed about foods, and their costs. C.A.C. does little research
on farm production, Canada has the lowest food prices in the
world. After all food, housing, and raiment are definite needs for
everybody. Cheap food is no asset if the producer goes bankrupt.
People need food next year and the year after and so on in every
increasing amounts.
Mary Wicks is on the executive of the Ontario Federation of
Agriculture and is also a dairy farmer.
GUEST COLUMN
Stress
and the farmer
by Dr. Terry Burrows
B.Sc.M.D.
Stress has been defined as the response
of the organism to any demand placed
upon it. This means that your stress
response is the response on your mind and
body to the everyday demands, pressures
and opportunities of your life. We all have
demands placed upon us. They are an
inevitable part of being alive. These
demands include the professional and
occupational ones- all of the concerns of
running a successful farming operation,
especially in today's uncertain economic
environment. They include our family and
social demands- the vital necessity we
have of communicating, getting along
with and co-operating with other people.
In addition, they include personal de-
mands- the necessity to understand and
PG. 12 THE RURAL VOICE/FEBRUARY 1982
come to terms with ourselves and our
needs, and to successfully become the
kind of person it is our desire or destiny to
be. We all have to learn to cope with our
external and internal pressures and bring
them together in a productive way in order
to live our lives in a healthy and
harmonious fashion.
But any over stimulation of any part of
our mind or body, due to external or
internal pressures, can put us out of
balance. Such pressures can come from
the demands that are made upon us by our
jobs, by other people or, even more
importantly, from the demands that we
make upon ouselves.
The state of imbalance that any
excessive pressure can cause may make
us, or those around us, uncomforable,
anxious, depressed or sick. Overstress or
bad stress can lead to the excessive
arousal, and then the exhaustion of our
abilities to cope with life, both in mind and
in body. And more and more people now
days are experiencine and complaining of
fatigue. irritability, restlessness, exces-