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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1977-03-03, Page 33• t't:t...oilt • (1 Have you read the big foofaraw in the morning daily paper out of Tranna about how the Ontario Farm. Products Market- ing Board is making earth -shattering decisions and not tell- ing anybody? • Ross Henderson.. writing in the Globe and Mail; maintains. that the Ontario board makes decisions critical to farmers. processors and dealers without announcing its rulings or the reasoning behind those decisions to the public. Reporter Henderson has a good point. The. Ontario Farm Products 'Marketing Board does make some important decisions and many of them have an effect on almost every consumer yet the board sees no reason to enlighten the public as to why those decisions were made, This corner has been harping on the same questions for years. 1 believe farmers and farm organizations should be open and above board in everything they do. Consumers have a perfect right to know why these decisions are made and what prompted them. • In the past, farm organizations have come off looking pretty damned good when investigations into their opera-. lions have been 'carried out. Farmers have nothing to fear and neither should the Ontario board. The analysis in the Globe got some response. too. Ontario's .Minister of Agriculture and Food William Newman promis- ed that the actions of the board will be open to wider --- but not complete — public scrutiny. Mr. Newman told the Globe in a subsecluent article that he had not realized the implica- tions of the secrecy practiced by the board. From now on, Mr. Newman said. the board will be told to post notices of appeals it will hear and to publish orders it makes. 1 don't know what's news to you Mr. Newman told the Globe. Were not trying to hide anything." . And that's the -kind of candor needed in agricultural circles. these days. Mr. Newman recognized the problem when it was brought to his attention and made an immediate deci- sion to do something about it. Too many times. agricultural decisions are made which could have a bearing on all"sec- -tors,of the economy but nobody hears enough about them. Letters are appreclaled by Bob Trotter Eldale Rd . Elmo. Ont N38 2C7 Again. farm organizations have.conne off looking pretty lily-white when their motives and their decisions have been questioned. Certainly, the consumers association has had to retire to lick its wounds on a couple of occasions when mar-. keting boards and quota systems have been questioned. Marketing boards have not won every round against the consumers association and that's the way it should be. a little perturbed. though, that Mr. Newman rejected the idea of requiring the board to open its regular business meetings to the public or the press. He maintains the board often has access to intimate financial affairs of farmers, processors and dealers which are simply not for the general public to peruse. If some.of these intimate details were re- vealed, they could cause hardship to individuals and/or companies. The idea of asking the board to give advance notice of all meetings was also rejected and 1 can readily see Mr. New - man's point: Sometimes board meetings are called on short notice to deal with urgent problems, such as the marketing of Niagara fruit which might spoil if quick action is not taken An appointed board in the field of agriculture which is called on to make decisions in .a hurry should -not be stymied by protocol and red tape. But I suggest that such cases hap- pen so rarely that any board would be excused when quick rulings are needed it' that board was unable to inform every one through the proper channels. have &solution to the problem. though, and 1 can give it without charge. What the farm products'narleting board needs is an ex- perienced journalist who is familiar with farmers and farm problems to act as a media relations officer for the board. At the salaries being paid to the chairman -- up to $40.000 a year 'in the advertisement — surely. the board can afford a good PR man with plenty of experience and pay him or her say, $35.000 a -year. • I happen to know just the right person for the job. He writes a weekly farm column airy farmers to get increase io dairy farmers are ive a price increase of cent for the milk they • for table use, ef- April 1. nouncing the increase, airman of the Ontario -Marketing Board, G. McKinnon, stated r several years the has determined the to its producers by economic formula as e. "The formula", he ore than justifies this cent increase. increase in the,„ er price is in com- pliance with theAnti- Inflation Board guidelines. Mr. McKinnon pointed out that the low level of increase was only possible because of the good job that producers were doing in managing their farms. The members of the Ontario Milk Marketing Board felt that this modest increase is badly needed by the dairy producers in the Province. - As there is no government regulation in Ontario con- trolling the level of the •COOsumer„price foz.milk, the total amount of the increase, in addition to the producer position, is dependent on the forces of competition. "For this reason," Mr. McKinnon concluded, "we do not know what the final consumer price increase will be." The five per cent increase, in producer terms, amounts to 60 cents per hun- dredweight, therefore the farm price for raw milk in Southern Ontario will be raised from $12.01 per hun- dredweight to 12.61 per hundfodweiilh't and. --in. -Nor- them) Ontario from $12•:58 per ?,47 hundredweight to $13.18 per hundredweight. For comparative purposes, producer prices per hun- dredweight for raw milk destined for table use, in Ontario and other provinces in January, 1977, were as follows: Prince Edward Island $12.45; Nova Scotia $13.46; New Brunswick $13.26; Quebec $12.75; Ontario $)2.01; Manitoba $12.30; Saskatchewan $11.70; Alberta $12.97 and British Columbia $14.80. 1 iscover k.,. Ian ing • . 11 its best.s i R�a1 N th Roy -al Certified Service its elem.eptary. • . y' ' he moment you pick up a Royal Certified Service •Speedy cheque cashing—coast-to-coast PDlication form, you're hot on the trail of bettbr banking. ' •A certificate towards the rental of a Safe Deposit Box or 'oYal Certified Service entitles you to all the banking rvices you're likely to need,In one convenient package. It Safekeeping Services . r , lirninates service chargts on chequing, makes it easy for . ' • No service charge on „bill payments , Doto cash -your R.C.S. cheque quickly at any Royal Bank • No -charge money orders ,, ROYAL .' / ' 38Ch in Canada, and gives you other cost-saving benefits • Reduction on Termplan Loan Rate CERTIFIED lifOr one monthly fee. SoUhd simple? The evidence is • Royal Bank Chargex " erWhelming. re are our 12 exhibits ', Unlitriited chequing .*Oveidraft protection ." Per • - sonalized cheques e"Fay Yourself" savings - 1 SERVICE •No commission on travellers cheques • R.C.S. Card , .:4f140144btf',611';"'414'.. ROYAL BANK, ,the helpful bank t`!;•,t' 16Xfk 11 • • • • v,? 744 ;.?`,.; • A • .1. VAIrtifiteg • The annual meeting of the Huron County Wheat Producers last Thursday, elected its executive for the coming year. Front row, 1 to r: Bev Hill, Varna, secretary -treasurer, John Beane, Clinton, president, committee man and provincial director, Bob Henry, Blyth; Back row: Don Dodds, Seaforth, committeeman, Russell Rogers, Provincial director and Russell Bolton, committeeman. (News -Record photo) The weather can be beaten Everybody you meet is talking about the weather - probably agrologists are no exception. Daily extremes and severe weather cause problems for everyone. Will we face even more extreme weather in the future? What are the long- term trends and predictions? Will agricultural production strategies need to be shifted to cope with changing weather patterns? WesternBranch, Ontario Institute o'f Agrologists, is hosting an open meeting for agrologists, farmers and the general public to provide some answers to these questions. Dr. Terry Gillespie, agrimeterologist from the University of Gueph will discuss long-term weather trends and the type of climate we are likely to have over the, next several decades. A panel discussion on "Crop production strategy for a changing climate" will be chaired by Roy Jewell, P. Ag., of CFPL - radio, TV, London. Other panel mem- bers include Pat Lynch, soils and crops specialist,Strat- ford ; Hugh Scott, P. Ag., cash crop farmer from Staffa, as well as Dr. Gillespie. Farmers and the general public are invited to attend this meeting on Tuesday, March 15th starting at 8 p.m. The location is Ontario Hydro, Building, 1075 Wellington Rd. S., London, Ontario. • WATER WELL DRILLING 1111 "76 YEARS EXPERIENCE" 4,1 Fr(11 ; :Jill, 4 r- ?!4:i''!I- &,:,• .--i----- l'. 4111 ):11 I ii 1 iili 0 SIN 2 :: .< • ' ' , • DAVIDSON4 Rotary and Percussion Drills PHONE 357-1960 WELL DRILLING LIMITED WINGHAM Collect Calls Accepted "ONTARIO'S FINEST WATER WELLS SINCE 1900" 77, • FARM • SUBURBAN • INDUSTRIAL • MUNICIPAL e • FREE ESTIMATES • GUARANTEED WELLS •` FAST MODERN EQUIPMENT • 4 ROTARY & PERCUSSION DRILLS "OUR EXPERIENCE ASSURES LOWER COST WATER WELLS" WANTED TO RENT— 45 -50 acres drained land for Cash Crop (cereal grain). Reply to • Drawer 61, Signal -Star Publishing, Box • 220, Goderich, Ontario.-9,10,11,12nc D. Livestock ONE PUREBRED, half French Charolais bull. Also one 34 Charolais polled bull. For further information call H.O. Jerry at 524-9671 or 524- 9300. —7tfar CLAY — Silo Unloaders Feeders Cleaners Stabling Leg Elevators Liquid Manure Equipment Hog Equipment BUTLER — Silo Unloaders Feeders Conveyors FARMATIC — Mills Augers, etc. ACORN — Cleaners Heated Waterers ZERO — ‘ Bulk Tanks Pipeline & Equipment Parlour W ESTEEL-ROSCO - Granaries B & L - Hog Panelling LOWRY FARM SYSTEMS RR 1, Kincardine, Ontario Phone 395-5286 IN •••001.01•14 TO TWO WONLO Corn and Planter, Information Clinic INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER *Film Presentation *What's new in corn planters and maintenance. FUNK SEEDS OF CANADA LTD. *Funk's insuring a profitable planting *Ciba-Geigy corn and Chemicals in 1977 See what's new in '77 • March 8 at 7:45 P.M. Door prizes, refreshments • Come to di C. A. BECKER giro Equipment Ltd.- , One mile south of Lucknow Phone 529-7993 111 :#45 •' • • 4"; ° !g• 14: j r • 417 . , • .77 1774.