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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1978-05-11, Page 28PAGE 6A—GODERICH SuIGNAL-S TAR, THURSDAY, MAY 11, 1978 Huron F of A opposes farm tax reform By Keith Roulston Despite emotional appeals that the Huron County Federation of Agriculture support the Ontario Federation's stand on land tax reform, members voted strongly against the OFA proposal for farm tax reform Thursday night. ' About 50 attended the meeting in Belgrave, many saying they had come to the monthly meeting of the Federation only because they had heard a vote would be taken on the proposal. They wanted , no part of OFA's proposal that food producing land be tax exempt and farmers only pad+ taxes on their farm ho es and a minimal acreagd around the house. Speaker after speaker doubted the government's motives in the proposal to ease the burden on land tax by paying the taxes for far- mers on all but their homes. In supporting the motion against the policy of OFA and the proposal of the provincial government, Jim McIntosh, director for east central Huron said that a large majority of farmers in Huron are not willing to have the government pay tax on all but the farm house. There is nothingw wrong with the market value assessment which the province will be adopting, he said, if all properties are justly assessed. As a former clerk -treasurer for Tuckersmith township, he said, he didn't like the farm tax proposal. He said the OFA s ould stick to its original proposal of people taxes paying for service to people and property taxes paying for services to property. Debate stopped at this point when Merle Gunby, vice- president of the Huron Federation and director from north west Huron to OFA moved a tabling motion which was defeated. Mr. Gunby claimed that the time for opposition to the OFA policy was earlier and that now that the policy had been accepted by OFA, the county should stand behind the provincial decision. After the ,tabling motion's defeat, Jim Armstrong of Wingham said he felt that the government's proposal was part of the government's cheap food policy. He noted a meeting of consumer groups and labour unions some time ago in which both groups called for public ownership of food producing land as away of keeping food prices down. He wondered what would happen if he didn't pay the taxes on his house for three years therefore making it liable for tax sale. Who would then get the land on the farm, he wondered. Land taxes make up only about one per cent of input costs, he said, and weren't that serious a problem for farmers. Maurice Bean, director for central west Huron defended the OFA policy. He said that farmers seemed to be happy with the 50'per cent rebate on taxes that the OFA won to offset education taxes so what was the fuss over 100 per cent. If farmers feel so strongly 'about paying their share of taxes, he said, then why did farmers want exemptions from sales tax on items they buy? George Underwood of Wingham said that he was concerned that many of the OFA directors from across the province who approved the policy don't really know what',s going on. He said that at an information meeting held earlier in Clinton the OFA executive didn't seem to get the message that farmers didn't like the policy. Maybe now they'd listen, he said. Ernie Ackert, a visiting member _ of the Bruce Federation, related the story of a number of lakes on farms in Bruce county where, during the depression the owners had asked that they be reliev„ed of paying taxes on the water portion of the lake since it was non-productive farmland. Later these owners discovered that they had lost ownership of the lake portions of their farm on their deeds and the lakes were now owned by the government. Paul Ross, a Clinton lawyer, said that before coming to Clinton he felt that the ministry of revenue themselves didn't seem to know where they were going with land tax reform. "Why take chances with your own land?” he wondered. Gordon Hill, past president of OFA came to the defence of the OFA policy saying he believed the government was sincere in its proposal. As far back as 1998, he said, the Federation had been asking for tax relief. Under a great deal of stress, the govern- ment did come up with the education tax rebate in 1970, he said. He said the gover- nment's task in reform was complicated by the pledge of former agriculture minister Bill Stewart that any new taxation system would not be harder on the farmer than the old system. With the education tax rebat'and the fact that the whole tax assessment could be claimed as an expense it meant that farmers were only paying about 10 per cent of their assessed taxes, he said. As for the OFA policy of people taxes for people services and land taxes for land services, he said, the problem was just what were the services to land. The land itself didn't need any services if there weren't any people around. Without tax reform, he said, how could Ontario farmers comte with far - Jim Hallahan, RR 3, Blyth termed Mr. Hill's arguments "a lot of bull". He said he had recently taken part in a survey of farmers in East Wawanosh township and many were irate about the OFA policy. He said that if OFA went through with the policy it would lose half its membership in Huron county. Frank Wall of the OFA executive was present at the meeting and said that the report of the committee studying land ,,tax reform recognizes the rights of the farmer to his land even if he doesn't pay taxes on the land. Others supporting •the OFA policy said that the ownership of the land depends not on who' pays the taxes, but on who owns the deed. But Mr. Ross argued that just because you have the deed to property doesn't mean you own it. Another speaker warned that if the government is looking ahead with this policy, it's looking ahead to a cheap food policy. The policy will be a great incentive to farmers to buy up more farms, wipe out the farm houses to keep down the taxes and just work the land. It will make the countryside look barren, he argued. Mr. Gunby then returned with an emotional speech in mers in Alberta or New support of the OFA policy, Brunswick who don't have to -4,- refuting -many of the earlier arguments against the policy. He claimed that a move by Huron county to oppose an OFA policy would weaken the position of OFA and make it look ridiculous. He said that the new proposal wouldn't mean that farmers weren't paying their fair share of taxes because it likely wouldn't mean any difference in the amount of tax they. paid. He said that if the government really did want pay property tax? He said the new policy for farm tax reform was. a good one because he thought the government was going to raise a lot more money from land taxes in the future than they had in the past. The OFA had two options, he said. It could continue, to say it would go along with the old policy, or it could say "we've tried, but now it's time to make a deal." SALTFORD VALLEY HAIL Rabies onirise Rabies are on the increase in Huron County and already this year a record number of people have had to receive rabies shots. For the first four months of the year, there have been 15 cases of rabies diagnosed in animals. Ten people who have come in contact with these animals are undergoing treatment, a series of 14 shots in the abdomen. The incidents are unusual. Five cattle have come in contact with the rabies virus, nine foxes and one horse. Seven of the ten people in- volved with the cases came in contact with the horse. Rabies is a virus that must get into the blood stream in order to take effect. Any open wound or cut when exposed to saliva from a., rabid animal can become infected and the virus can take from days to months before symptoms appear. The Huron County Health Unit is encouraging owners to keep a careful watch on their pets and to keep them con- fined. Signs to watch for in a rabid animal are hard to pin down. Dr. Bill Thompson, of Health of Animals, Seaforth, reported that if specific symptoms are listed and a pet owner doesn't recognize the symptoms or if the animal does not react in the prescribed manner then 'the owner feels that his pet does not have the disease. If the animal% acts out of the or- dinary a vet should be con- sulted. The areas with the most recorded -cases are East Wawanosh, West Wawanosh and Ashfield townships although other "cases have been reported throughout the county. The scheduling of a rabies clinic in Huron., County is decided by Health of Animals, the Huron County Health Unit and the number of enquiries about having a clinic, plus the number of diagnosed rabies cases. The cost of having a clinic is high and the immunity gained from these im- munization shots lasts for dogs, between three and four years. In cats, the immunity does not last as long. The only sure way to diagnose a rabies case is to send the head of the animal in question to the lab in Ottawa through Health of animals in Seaforth and have it tested. Health of animals officer Dr. Thompson pointed out that "It is too risky with humans involved to go by diagnosis without a lab result". FOR RENT 524-9366 1+ Secretary Secretariat of State d'Etat CANADIAN CITIZENSHIP APPLICATIONS DATE: TUESDAY, MAY16th PLACE: TOWN HALL KINCARDINE TIME: 9:00 A.M.-4:00 P.M. REQUIREMENTS: FEE 115.00 Per Application YOUR PASSPORT (Landing Card) 2 PICTURES (13/4" x 11/4" plus Signature Strip) • FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Phone London 679-4334 MONDAY to FRIDAY 8:30 A.M. - 4:30 P.M. 1 to get control of farmland then it could find much easier ways than under the new tax proposals. He argued that farmers shouldn't be against seeking a better break for themselves because industry is always taking government tax concessions. Mr. Gunby said that he hadn't seen the figures of what market value assessment would mean to tax bills in Huron, but in Halton region it would mean an increase of four times the present taxes and farmers couldn't afford a bill like that. He said the OFA stand was approved by about 90 per cent of the directors from across the province at the March meeting in Toronto. A procedural hassle then arose since the meeting had run past the 11 p.m. deadline set by the Federation for completion of the 'monthly meeting. Several people insisted that a vote be taken on the motion. Mr. Gunby; tried to block the vote by moving another motion to table because he said the motion was not properly directed as to who it should be referred to. This was shouted down. Finally, Gordon Hill suggested the motion be sent to the OFA as the policy of the Huron Federation. The . vote was taken and showed strongly in favour of the motion, opposing OFA policy. Mr. Gunby said he could not argue in favour of the motion in Toronto and offered his resignation. Mr. Hill said that wasn't necessary saying the motion can simply be stated as policy of the Huron group without having to be supported by Mr. Gunby or any of the other Huron directors. CLINTON CHSTRICT YOUNG PLAYERS present a musical fable of Broadway ,based an a story and characters of Damon Runyon G u ys and DOLLs music , lyrics by Frank Loesser book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows Bpm , May 11,12 13. at CRSS adult $3, student $2 ehild$J 1 Tickets Available at: ANDERSON'S BOOK STORE FINCHER'S sponsored by Clinton Lions Club The Sub Shop: 74 HAMILTON STREET Call ahead if you wish 524'2482 STORE HOURS Mon., Tues., Wed. - 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. 4:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Thursday - 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. 4:30.p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Fri. and Sat. (EXCEPT MAY 6, 13) Sundays - 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. 4:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. - Closed Selection Of Meats INCLUDES • Beef • Ham • Salami • Kalbossa • Turkey • Delicatessan Ham • Summer Sausage SUB SHOP: SPECIAL Saturday, May 6 YOUR CHOICE OF ANY 3 MEATS ON A Three Meat SUB 111 WITH PURCHASE OF SUB Your Choice Of AND 13 OPEN ALL DAY FOR THIS SPECIAL 10 oz. 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