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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1964-03-12, Page 11Wingham Advance -Times, Thurs. , March 12, 19Q4 -- Page 3 GAUNT DEBATES FOR LIBERALS Blames Government Planning f Farmers' Inadequate Incomes By Murray Gaunt M.P.P. Huron -Bruce Hon. W. A. Stewart, Min- ister of Agriculture, stated in his estimates that the total food needs in Canada are expected to rise by 70% in the next 20 years. In 1962 the farmers of the province paid more than $50,000,000 in real estate tax- es and paid out more than $650 million for their operating goods and services. This makes them one of the largest consumer BELL LINES by J. M. Goodwin your telephone manager Pricing The Telephone How much does YOUR home telephone cost you a day? 10c? 15e? 20c? I'll let you in on a secret: It's considerably less than the price of a small pack of cigarettes, less than the price of most magazines, less than the price of a fancy soda. In fact, when you consider all that the telephone does for you, you realize that the small monthly chargq cannot fairly be said to represent the VALUE of your ser. vice. That cannot he measured until someone can put a price on calls that say, "It's a girl," "The job is yours," or, "Come quickly, doctor." And that cannot be done until our hearts are made of stone. M Room -to -Room Travel Almost any homemaker around town will tell you one of the most tiring parts of running a home is "running" from room to room. "Room -to -room" travel is the way one good lady described it the other day. I'm no adviser on home economics, but was able to tell her a good way to save steps: Have additional telephones installed where they are most needed, like the kitchen, bedroom and den. I pointed out how the smart decorator colours would blend, contrast or harmonize with her own colour schemes. If YOU need additional phones, just call our Business Office and place your order. They cost so little — less than a nickel a day, plus a one-time charge for colour and in- stallation. * a Seems a shame, but the last of the bonafide smoke signallers has apparently crossed into the happy Hunting Grounds. An advertising man discovered this after being hired to find an Indian to send smoke signals to promote a new product. He toured reservation after reservation, but couldn't locate a smoke signaller. Exasperated, he finally approached an old Indian sitting before .L campfire. "Tell me," be said, "what do you do when you want to send a message to someone on the next reservation?" The Indian regarded him coldly: "I use the telephone. What do you do?" groups in Ontario. The lack of adequate in- come in the farming industry today is due to a large extent to the government's lack of long- term planning in the agricultur- al field. The farmers, up to this point, have not been in any way involved in the planning and execution of the ARDA plan and this is causing some concern. The Minister has made a promise that this sys- tem will be adjusted. The Dairy Industry and the Meat Inspection Act is also the concern of my Party. Of course, it is understood that un- der the Meat Inspection Act, the consumer must be protect- ed. Also that the small oper- ator must be able to stay in business if'he produces a high quality product. The Federation of Agricul- ture has important influence to assure that Ontario farmers un- derstand the concept of rural development and do nor see the ARDA programme as merely a government programme to as- sist one particular segment of the rural community to solve the problem. The concept of ARDA is for rural people with technical, professional and fi- nancial assistance, to examine the total resource assets of a rural community so that pro- grammes can be developed that serve the needs of all the rural people. ARDA will only be successful and meaningful in this province to the extent that rural people see this as a means of helping them 'o help them- selves. The public relations of the Farmers Object to Paying for Frills Farmers object to paying a high price for "frills" added to the food they buy. On two re- cent Farm Forum programs, consumer and farmer spokes- men discussed whether added services are really demanded by the consumer, as merchants contend. Of some two hundred groups, about one-half objected strong- ly to such "extra services" as trading stamps, premiums, loss - leaders and other gimmicks de- signed to attract buyers. In gen- eral, they charged, such ser- vices are not required to sell a large volume of farm products; they serve only to widen the spread between farm and con- sumer prices. A number of groups had dif- ficulty deciding what a "frill" was. Is a plastic wrapper nec- essary? Is it a frill? If it is used to mislead the buyer, as wrap- pers on bacon are said to do, is it a frill? No decision was reached, but it was generally agreed that good packaging, division of bilk goods into smaller packages, good mer- chandising techniques and pro- per advertising are required to sell a large volume of farm pro- ducts. However, the groups felt that children are often influenced by misleading advertising, gaudy wrappers and other "frills" which add to the cost but not the value of food. In answer to the question: how can farmers increase their share of the consumer food dol- lar, groups suggested close at- tention to quality, farmer -own- ed processing plants, the cre- ation of strong marketing boards and stepped-up advertising and promotion of basic farm pro- ducts. To bring both consumers and farmers to an improved under- standing of the needs of each other, meetings of their organ- izations, television and radio programs aimed at presenting the farmer realistically, ex- panded public relations and in- formation programs in farm or- ganizations, and improved la- belling of products, were sug- gested. WROXETER Mrs. Jas. Sanderson, Mrs. George Gibson, Miss Gertrude Bush, Mrs. Archie Miller, Mrs. Wm, McLean, Mrs. RaeLouttit and Mrs. harry Adams assisted the Gorrie ladies at a quilting for a bale, at Gorrie United Church one day last week. Misses Helen McGee, Dawn Lue Clark and Elaine Sanderson of Waterloo and Mr. John Mc- Gee of London spent the week- end at their respective homes. Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Bert Pocaluyko, who were married Saturday. Mr. and Mn'. Chas. McKay, Danny and Billie, visited Sun- day evening with Mr. and Mrs. George McKay, Jamestown. Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Hart accompanied Mr. and Mrs. Ed- ward Newton to Oshawa, where they spent the week -end with Mr. and Mrs. I,i11 Hart. We are sorry to hear Mr. Jack Griffith is confined to Winghani and District Hospital with pneumonia, but wish him a speedy recovery. farming community and the job that we have done, is related to the Department of the hon. Minister and I think his De- partment must assume a cer- tain amount of responsibility for it. The areas in which we have failed, and failed miserably, is in the field of public rela- tions. Had we been doing a job for our industry and our people, there would not have been the tirades and disparag- ing articles that have appeared in the press, nor would there be a distorted image of the farmer in the minds of so many people. It is important that The De- partment of Agriculture have a responsibility to help and work with other groups to improve the farming industry's public relations and public image in general. The government's figures are more or less design - ,ed for political advantage. This is to the detriment of the farming community and to far- mers in general and this has re- sulted in the bad public rela- tions which we now have, The Hon. Minister should not miss any opportunity to tell the far- mers, and to tell the people of this province in general, some of the pertinent facts about agri- culture. The hon. Minister should consider amendments to the Farm Products Marketing Act which would require that the marketing plan, after it has been implimented and brought into operation, be given at least two years of operation before 't is passed to the producers, in order that they could vote on it, to either give their approval or rejection. W. R. HAMILTON 7?"7,7'1"- OPTOMETRIST Now a whole new golden world of SIGHT and SOUND. See our HEARING - AID GLASSES, lightest in weight. DIAL 357-1361 FOR APPOINTMENT GOOD FARM MACHINERY PAYS YOU DIVIDENDS /Nlf TIME SAVED IN THE FIELD IS MONEY IN YOUR POCKET When spring rolls around, you ill want farm equip- ment that will be ready to go without costly delays. Be smart this year and buy a good piece of machinery, whether it be new or used. From the beginning it will save you money. Come in soon and let us show you what we can offer. CHAS, HODGI NS MASSEY-FERGUSON SALES & SERVICE WINGHAM PHONE 357-1440 WHO CAN 00 IT BETTER? WHO CAN PRODUCE MILK BETTER THAN A COW? The answer is obvious . . No one. Now apply that to building. Who can figure your building needs better than the people in the building business? The answer is the same. Loose Housing More and more outstanding dairy farmers are turning to the ease and the economy of loose housing. See us about planning a pole building ... the right size and the right cost for your operation. HODGINSMcDONALD LUMBER AND BUILDING SUPPLIES NORTH ST., WINGHAM PH. 357-3650