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Times-Advocate, 1981-02-18, Page 30Page 16A Times -Advocate, February 18, 1981 t A HUMAN TOBOGGAN --- Wayne Chappell is utilized as a human toboggan by Judy, Juanita and Darryl Chappell at Morrison Dam, Sunday. Photo by Terry Schwartzentruber. Claims for spouses This sear. for the first deduct wages paid to their time. Canadian farmers can spouse as an expense on f St. John Ambulance Course Huron Park Anyone interested please phone 235-1101 i &raler eat 4 eounlry e1u6 NOW ACCEPTING BOOKINGS FOR THE 1981 SEASON • Wedding Receptions • Special Parties • Wedding Anniversaries • Tournaments Phone 235-0990 JESUS :S COYwG 500•- •.r1 'CANADA LQE rOu READ, - LIFTING JESUS UP TRANSOENOMINATIONALLY - - A MINI JESUS EVENT — GORDON WILLIAMS 100 HUNTLEY St. si CENTENNIAL SCHOOL RRUCErIFLD FEBRUARY 27 & 28 PROGRAM - LIVING IN THE SPIRIT SEMINAP -- cRIDAV :F9Rti ARI!'.A SATURDA' rT3IJAP"2A,, i - SATURDAY rER0:. Ar:. ;p . F • .. SPECIAL MUSIC - CHOIRS - KEN FREEBARIN their Income tax returns. In a Ways and Means mo- tion made on April 21, 1980, it was proposed that all small indepepndent businessmen. including farmers. be allowed to claim a deduction for wages paid to their spouse effective January 1. 1980. Although the bill to enact this change has not yet been passed by Parliament, Revenue Canada Taxation has advised taxpayers that in light of the anticipated legislation. they may claim the deduction on their 1980 tax returns. In the past, farmers could not claim wages paid to their spouse. As a result, farm wives who worked full-time or part-time in the farm operation could not file a tax return ona share of the farm income or make con- tributions to the Canada Pension Plan. Their husbands paid taxes on the total farm income. Now. farmers may pay a salary or wages to their spouse and deduct this from their gross farm income. The spouse must file a separate income tax return by April 30 and report the wages received. Farmers who paid their spouse in 1980 should follow these steps to take advan- tage of the tax deduction. If you do not already have one. obtain an employer number from any District Taxation Office. Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and in- come tax tables are also available there. According to the spouse's earnings from on-farm work. c'alc'ulate the CPP payments to be made retroactive to January 1, 1980 Any amount withheld for ('PP purposes must be matched by the employer. •I'he total amount should then be forwarded to Revenue Canada Taxation through any bank (cheques payable to the Receiver General of Canada). Withhold the proper tax from spouse's earnings and file a T4 information slip reporting the tax and. CCP payments to the tax depart- ment Farmers who (lid not pay wages to their spouse during 1980 are not eligible for this tax deduction — YOU ARE WELCOME — The rules of success will not work unless you do. JIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIIIIIIIII III I I I I I II I II I I I I I Il llllllllllllllllllllll llllllllllllllllllllllltllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll I II I II Illllllllllllllllltllllll III IIIIIIIIIIII I IIII IL DANCEfeaturing aquc South Huron Rec Centre Saturday, March 7, 1981 8:30 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. $10.00 per couple Lunch provided Tickets available at Jerry Maclean Automotive, Anstett Jeweller's, from Louis Mitchell or a Mohawk team member. Sponsored by the Exeter Mohawks g IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIininIIIininIItII111111111111111111111111111111inni11111111111nIII11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111tI11111111111nnA EE P. 1 Farmers should support preservation of land By ALICE GIBE George Klosler, chairman of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture's (OFA) en- vironment committee warned 40 area farmers "if farmers of all people can't support the preservation of good agricultural land, who can." The Oxford county farmer was addressing Huron County Federation of Agriculture members in Brucefield Thursday night as part of the OFA's push for new legislation to protect the farming community from urban encroachment. The chairman said his committee concluded "the thrust of the policy must be the preservation of good agricultural land." He said unfortunately there's division within the farming community - some farmers feel the provincial govern- ment won't accept a strong land use policy, and many farmers want farm severances and the option of selling their land for non- farm uses. He pointed out fulltime farmers are now in the minority among those who farm and have been replaced by part-time farmers, hobby farmers, corporate farmers and speculative investors buying up farmland. He advised farmers to start selling the need for protection of farmland on an economic basis. He said agriculture must be a per- manent, secure and economically viable industry since Ontario's farmers "have a responsibility, not just to Canadians, but to millions of people less for- tunate than us." That responsibility, according to Klosler, is to grow food for world markets. He warned one of Canada's natural resources, good agricultural land, is getting scarcer. He added, in solving world problems, "I would rather see the use of food power than bullet power." The environment com- mittee chairman warned the audience problems between farmers and their urban, industrialized neighbours won't diminish in the future, and that peaceful co- existence between the two groups must be established He said the province's five- year old agricultural code of practice has failed to come to grips with the clash bet- ween farmers and their urban neighbours. For example, he said, many applications to expand existing farm livestock operations are denied, if non- farm residents are living nearby. When problems arise, Mr. Kloster said, the onus is always on the farmer to change his practises, rather than urban neigh- bours to accept the noise and odours which inevitably result from farm operations. Mr. Kloster said tougher land use guidelines to preserve farmland would remove the existing problem of land use guidelines being policed by urban -oriented municipal councils and give farmers more input into planning decisions. Some of the solutions the environmental committee recommended to the OFA were improved and uniform agricultural land zoning, distinctions between agricultural land and buffer areas, adequate com- pensation when a farmer is refused permission to ex- pand and thus zoned out of business and planning guidelines which allow farmers to plan for their operations on a long term basis. Also, Mr. Kloster said, "a farmer must be able to keep any kind and quantity of livestock he wants in an agriculturally -zoned area" He told the audience his committee recommended it was high time the govern- ment defined what con- stituted a farm, • the im- plementation of a Farmer's Bill of Rights, written guidelines for siting, renovation and expansion of farm buildings and a far- mers' committee which could deal with harassment of farmers and complaints from non-farm en- croachment into agricultural areas. He said his committee's recommendations were replaced by the Agricultural Development and Protection Act, drawn up by an OFA staff member. Mr. Kloster said, "to me, that document leaves a lot to be desired." He said farmers, in campaigning for better land use guidelines, must capitalize on their economic position. Also, he warned, "the big argument is going to be amongst us, since we are so different." He said OFA must come out with a strong land use policy to present to the provincial government. Farmers can get interest rebates Farm operators who borrowed money for food production purposes at high interest rates last year can apply now for refund assistance. The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food is providing a refund of up to three per cent on loans from banks, credit unions, or trust companies with interest rates that exceeded 12 per cent during April through December. This refund is available for loans of $75,000 or less. To be elegible for assistance under this program, applicants are required ,to have a gross farm income of at least $8000 in 1980 and own less than 75 per cent of all assets. The amount of financial assistance is based on the amount of money borrowed for operating and short-term purposes. Eligible purchases include food -producing items such as seed, feed, fertilizer, fuel, sprays, twine, feeder cattle, feeder pigs, machinery repairs and hired labor. Money borrowed for non- food producing purposes and capital items is not eligible under this program. These costs would include money for growing sod, tobacco, flowers and mink, and for buying farm machinery and equipment. Certification and ap= plication forms and in- formation leaflets are available from local offices of the ministry. Completed applications should be forwarded by Mrach 31, 1981 to the Rural Development Branch, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Legislative Buildings, Queen's Park. Toronto, M7A 1A5. In the discussion following Klosler's speech, Lucknow-area farmer Tony McQuail asked how a farmer could be defined. The speaker said the problem is the Ontario Municipal Board has its idea of what a farmer is, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture has another, the Ministry of Housing yet another and "well, the tax people, they're off by themselves when it comes to what a farmer is." Mr. McQuail replied it was his suspicion it is easier to "say we need a definition of a farmer than to have one." Mr. Kloster responded his environment committee felt "we need a uniform definition (of a farmer)" which could be used by all gq ernment ministries. Adrian Vos of Blyth asked if the environment com- mittee had givenany thought to the rights of animals in drawing up guidelines for a Farmer's Bill of Rights. Mr. Kloster said there's no question farmers today are getting criticized for their livestock practices. He said the technology of the livestock industry is "put- ting animals under tremendous pressure to get production out of them" Before discussion on the OFA's working paper con- cluded, Mr. Kloster again recommended working with the government and their Strategy for the Preser- vation of Agricultural Land paper - "take what we already have in existance, take the government's commitment." He told Huron federation members he sees a long time refinement period before the federation's working paper is ready to be presented to to provincial governement. Following the discussion on the paper, a Hullett Township farmer, Larry 1:. START HER UP Sunday. 1. -- Andrea Jaques is ready to start her toy snowmobile at Morrison Dam, Photo by Terry Schwartzentruber Dillon raised the issue of fire insurance for farm buildings. Mr. Dillon said he believes farmers are presently being discouraged from safe management practices to avoid barn fires by insurance companies. He said in the Western provinces, insurance companies offer lower rates for farm buildings which are less likely to burn, a policy that doesn't seem to be followed here. The farmer said he has approached insurance companies about the matter as an individual, but felt perhaps the federation would like to investigate the matter. On the suggestion of John Van Beers, who was chairing the meeting, - Larry .Dillon agreed to meet with John Nesbitt and his insurance committee to investigate the matter of fire insurance further and draw up a resolution for presentation at a future meeting. Federation members were informed the members of parliament dinner, scheduled for February 21 in Clinton, will be re -scheduled for a date following the March 19 provincial election. QUEEN'S HOTEL SEAFORTH • Thurs.. Fri., Sat. 'Bully . .. .. .: . . .. „...,... . .• .. " ... -.k:s.v..iit f ;s} • EVERYTHING HERE SELLS SWELL gar r Want Ads } t. DOWN WE GO -- Jamie Howlett is shown sliding down a steep bank at Morrison Dam, Sunday afternoon. Photo by Terry Schwartienfruber. One of the largest classified sections of any newspaper in Western Ontario xy < 235-1331 •K �?::ti^K:1 i ;irw;•{.. �. Classified Deadline 4:00 p.m. Monday 1