The Rural Voice, 1982-07, Page 15KEITH ROULSTON
A 20% return for farmers
It was interesting recently to hear the Canadian Consumers'
Association pleading the case of the banks before those hearings
in Ottawa into bank profits.
Can this be the same Consumers' Association that is constantly
complaining about the excessive profits farmers under marketing
boards are making?
But it was. There was the CCA talking in worried tones about
the future of the banking system if banks weren't allowed to make
large enough profits. The inquiry, you'll recall, was called
because of the huge profits the banks were reporting last year. But
when the sessions opened, one witness after another was talking
about what a hard time the banks were having. True, banking
profits are down this year after the record profit levels of last year
but can they really be in that much trouble?
Funny isn't it that the CCA can get worried about potential
trouble for the banks before it even comes but they aren't worried
about trouble on the farm when its already here and has been for
years. It isn't just the CCA, it's government, the media and many
other sectors who seem very concerned about everybody but the
farmer. When the oil companies were jockeying for position with
governments over the oil sands projects they said they wanted a
guarantee of 20 per cent on their investment or they wouldn't go
ahead. They didn't get everything they wanted but they got the
government doing a lot of bending before the world oil glut killed
the whole thing.
When the government decided it was time to do something
about the Crowsnest Pass freight rates they were responding to a
call from the railways that they need a 20 per cent return on their
investment to move grain, not the measly rate the old rates had
set.
Can you imagine what would happen if farmers demanded a 20
per cent return on their investment before they would produce
food? Can you imagine farmers striking a deal that would see the
price of food triple over, say, five years to get them up to that kind
of investment return?
The screams of the CCA and the media and the Economic
Council of Canada we now hear about food prices being inflated
by marketing boards would be deafening. The problem is that our
society has come to take some of its most precious things for
granted. We can see how society was in such a hurry to get plastics
and paper products and other "necessities" that it completely
forgot about things like clean air and clean water, things we'd
always had and figured we always would. Today clean air and
water have become something of a luxury. Many people claim we
can't afford to clean up our air and water because of the high cost
of reclaiming the damage we've done.
Food has been taken for granted too. It is a God-given right
these days, not something that is life itself as it was for our
forefathers. It is supposed to take up a very small part of our
income so we can spend the rest on more important things.
We're worried about having enough oil, enough banks but
nobody worries about having enough food.
A 20 per cent return on investment for farmers? Ridiculous!
Preposterous. You won't see the day... unless we get to the
point where 10 major companies control the production of food.
Which, if the CCA, the media and many politicians have their way
just might happen. Then that 20 per cent return might seem small.
FARMERS
We are ready to handle your 1982
Wheat
Barley Corn
Fast efficient service
Truck hoist
Bu y,sell store or custom dry
Trucking available
J. DITSCH
FARMS LTD.
R R 3 Brussels
ATWOOD 356-2292
Brussels
Listowel
Newry
RESIDENCE , R.R. 2, WROXETER
335-6457
THE RURAL VOICE/JULY 1982 PG. 15