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Village Squire, 1978-05, Page 22PROFILE Gordon Hill This time a year ago Gordon rim was out pounding the pavement drumming up votes in his campaign to be the M.P.P. for Middlesex. This time two years ago he was spending most of his time in Toronto as head of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture, the largest farm organization in the province. This year he's back home in Huron county putting in the crops. The farmer -activist is just an active farmer again. And, according to an interview given a few months back, he intends to stay down on the farm. After years of public service he's happy just to stay home and mind the shop and let somebody else do the serving. During the late 1960's and early 1970's Gordon Hill was one of the most familiar spokesman for the farm cause in the province. He had a long background of farm service. He had been a leader of the National Farmers Union but in the late 1960's championed the cause of the General Farm Organization vote. The referendum among farmers would have decided if there was to be one over-all farm organization instead of smaller organiza- tions. The Federation of Agriculture supported the vote. The Farmers Union was against it. The GFO vote was lost meaning the status quo held sway and for a short time there was bitter emnity between the OFA and the NFU in Ontario. The OFA however was in trouble. It's old system where all farmers belonged to the Federation if their municipality paid a small grant or levy for each farmer in the township, had proved inadequate. A new system had to be worked out. It would take tough new leadership and Gordon Hill took on the job. During the next several years the whole organization was rebuilt from top to bottom and often there was unhappiness from long-time supporters of the Federation who didn't like to see the changes. Individual Service Memberships were sold at $25 each meaning that farmers had a direct membership in the provincial organization, not just a tenuous control through the tangled web of township Federations which elected to county Federations which in turn elected to the provincial organization. The individual members now elected regional directors who travel to Toronto monthly to make decisions on the OFA's policy on various issues. Individual members can forward resolutions to the OFA to try to'get action on issues of their concerns. A strong field staff was set up in each area to solve problems of the Federation members. At the same time the Federation became, if not militant, at least active in its campaigns for farmers. It fought against education taxes being assessed against property and called for a government taxation policy that would have property taxes pay for services to property and people taxes pay for services to people. They didn't win the battle but they did get a government concession that sees a 50 per cent rebate to farmers on their property taxes, approximately the portion of their taxes that would normally go to pay education taxes. The 1970's were a period of growing consumerism which led to complaints about the high cost of food and efforts to find culprits. Gordon Hill in his position as a leader of a major farm organization naturally became a spokesman for the farmers' side of the argument. Time and again he tried to explain the situation to urban audiences. that if farmers don't make enough money they go broke which means food shortages and even higher prices. This fight to make people understand the basic situation still concerns him. One of the things that bothers him. he says, is that we've gotten to be a nation of \bitchers, and he lays part of the blame on the news media. The competition for attention t f the viewer or reader is so strong. he says. that you get constant stories about complainers. Today, he says. everybody wants more money for less effort when the economy needs just the opposite. So many people today are earning big money. he says. People see their neighbour earning a big wage and think they have a right to live the same way. What the country needs is restraint, but no one wants to be the first one to do without. He admits he gets depressed at the state of affairs in the country. Canada. he says. For over forty years Welcome Wagon hostesses have been making calls on newcomers - whether they be within our own nation or in a foreign country. If you are a newcomer. know of one, or are a businessman desiring representation in the newcomer's home, call your local representative listed below for WELCOME WAGON LIMITED. II to r 9/(Frg54, LTD Call your Welcome Wagon Hostess now. WINGHAM 357-3349 EXETER 235-2870 MITCHELL 348-8925 GODERICH 524-6654 STRATFORD 271-5856 PG. 20. VILLAGE SQUIRE/MAY 1978.