The Goderich Signal-Star, 1979-05-03, Page 32PAGE 10A—GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, MAY 3 , 1979
It's bard not to think of -The Bay when it cones to
corporate boardroom battles.
Some .people in this society believe mankind is
finally too wise to engage in another great war and
that the battles for control of the world are being
fought in boardrooms. Wars are fought today on Bay
Street or Wall Street instead of on muddy battlefields.
I'm not convinced of this. I think man has a long way
- to go before war will be outlawed.
I cannot help but agree, though that some of the
greatest news stories in modern history are found on
the business pages.
The big get bigger.
I have been gently chastized by businessmen over
the years for writing in a derogatory manner about the
concentration of power in the hands of a few. Peter
Newman has made a living by writing about it.
The bigger the corporation, the more power that
corporation has in the market place. The tentacles of
say, the Argus Corporation or George Weston Ltd.,
stretch all along the food chain from the time the
product leaves the farm gate until it gets to the con-
sumer. Various probes over the years seem to indicate
that little manipulation is done in the food chain. What
does happen is that the corporate pockets get a piece
of any increase.
But the farmer gets only one kick at the can. He gets
his slice only once. The corporaTions get a kick in
shipping, packaging, processing, wholesaling and
retailing. I am in no position to say whether
manipulation is done but the fact still remains it can
be done and I don't care how many Royal Com-
missions are set up to continue to prove the chains are
clean.
Even if the present investigation into kickbacks and
discounts means chain stores are clean, the idea of the
commi,ssion — and that another one could come along
any time — is enough to help keep the corporations
clean.
If vertical integration in this province continues to
flourish to the point where family farms disappear
and the multi -national corporations take over growing
the products, then we are really in trouble. Power
Letters are app'ec,a1e0 by Bot Trotrer Eidare Rd Eirmra ant N3B 2C 7 0
tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts absolutely,
as Lord Acton said so many years ago.
When the entire food chain is the hands of a few, the
consumer will be nothing but a pawn. We will pay
exactly what the corporate boardrooms tell us to pay
for our food.
Canadians, whether they believe it or not, pay less
for food than any other nation in the entire world with
the possible exception of the U.S.A. And recent
statistics indicate that food is cheaper here than
across the
I know. I
It doesn't seem that way when you come home from
your weekly shopping trip. Everything in the place
seems to cost more this week than it did last week. A
family of four or five cannot remain healthy on a food
budget of $50 or $60 a week. It takes $90 or $100 —
perhaps more, if you don't want to dispense with some
of the luxuries — to keep a family eating today.
I like to remind people, too, that a good check on
your food basket will give some indication that not
everything spent in the supermarket should be
classified as food. Kleenex, napkins, dog food, toilet
paper, houseplants, hardware, magazines, soap,
shampoo, soft drinks and any one of the hundreds
more items picked up on the weekly shopping trip,
cannot be classified as food for the table.
Pull the non-essential items and the non-food items
out and you will get a better idea of how much you
spend on food.
Which is not to indicate that the price of food has not
gone up. It has gone up and will continue to go up. I'
may be crazy but I'm not that crazy. But it hasn't gone
up as much as most of us think.
Another queer quirk, too: When the price of beef or
pork goes up, everybody screams like a wounded
warthog.
But I didn't hear too many consumers organizing
great protests when the price of a bottle of 'whiskey
soared a couple of weeks ago.
Somehow, many -of us have our priorities a little
messed up, I think.
County Honours certificates were presented, to these
4-H homemakers for completing six club projects at.
the Dungannon area achievement night at Brookside
School on April 25. Left to right are Elizabeth
Wilkins, Cathy Van Diepen, Anne Alton, Connie
Willis and Joanne Culbert. (Photo by Sharon Dietz)
These four girls completed 18 4-H homemaking night at Brookside School, April 25. From the left are
projects to receive their Advanced Honours cer- . Elaine Stewart, Nancy Brindley, Wilma Blake, and
tificates at the Dungannon area 4-H achievement Betty Culbert. (Photo by Sharon Dietz)
The streets are for
the people.
Exercise your rights.
Walk a block a dad.
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Eight NFU districts
accept resolution
to circulate petition
Robert King of Rodney,
Ontario, Chairman of the
National Farmers Union
Corn Marketing Com-
mittee, said recently that
all eight NFU 'districts
have accepted a
resolution to circulate a
petition to corn growers
calling for a vote for an
Ontario Corn Com-
mission as proposed by
the NFU.
The final district
convention of the NFU
was held at Walkerton on
Saturday, April 21, when
a progress report on the
Commission concept was
outlined.
Mr. King said a study of
traditional marketing
concepts under the
Ontario Farm Products
Marketing Act, such as
elected producers beim
charged with respon-
sibility of administration
while government
exercises, the power,
indicates a much needed
change.
"Having the power and
responsibility in a
government appointed
commission negotiating
with farmers through
their general farm
organizations would be a
much needed change," he
said.
As an ultimate goal, the
NFU grains policy calls
for expansion of the
Canadian Wheat Board
into a Canada Grains
Board which would
market all grains and oil
seeds in Canada. Mr.
King said that
Name pair
BY
JOYCE DOUGHERTY
Bill Armstrong,
President of the Huron
County Junior Farmers,
opened the meeting on
April 18 with the song.
Sharon Colclough gave
the secretary's report
and Lart+y Plaetzer gave
the treasurer's report,
Wayne Shapton, a
member of the- South
Huron Junior Farmers,
gave the financial report
of the semi -formal at
Exeter.
The new 1979 King and
Queen of Huron County
Junior Farmers are
Sharon Colclough and
Murray ^ Irwin. Jean
Calf Club
meetings set -°°
BY
KEVIN SMITH
On April 17 a meeting
was held for the officers
of .the Dungannon 4-H
Calf . Club at Chester
Hackett's. •
At. this meeting
members decided who
would conduct what
monthly. meetings. The
meetings will be held
every third Thursday of
the month. Brent Van
Osch is in charge of the
May meeting, Kevin
Smith for June, Kevin
Clarke for July, Carol
Ann Smythe for August
and Greg Hackett is in
charge of Fun Night.
Jamie and Ian Hackett
are in charge of the
display at the Seaforth
Fair. The judging
competition in Seaforth is
scheduled to take place
May 26.
Antone Van Osch's
farm will be the place for
the Twilight meeting.
This meeting will be held
some time in July.
The banquet is set for
November 10 at the
Dungannon Agricultural
Hall.
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Siertsema, co-ordinator
of the King and Queen
contest, was thanked for
fler program
management.
Brian Miller then gave
a report on his trip to
Paris, France for the
second annu°al world
convention.
The Huron County
Junior Farmers will be
participating in a mixed
soccer tournament at
Wasaga on July 27 and 28.
The County Field Day
is July 7 at Blyth with a
dance to follow. •
On August 25 there ^will
be a 30th reunion for
Huron County Junior
Farmers at the Clinton
Arena. There will be an
hour ofsocial meeting
with a dance later. All
past and present Junior
'Farmer members are
invited to attend.
The next meeting of the
Huron County Junior
Farmers is May 16 at the
Clinton O.M.A.F. office.
recognizing certain
marketing powers under
the B.N.A. Act. are
delegated to provincial
jurisdictions., the first
step appeared to be
special legislation, if
existing provincial
legislation was not
-adequate. However,
examination of the Farm
Product Marketing Act
indicates a Corn Com-
mission seems possible
under current legislation
if the Ontario Minister of
Agriculture can be
convinced to proceed to
such a commission.
"Control of our imports
and exports is possible if
the goodwill of provincial
and federal governments
can be secured," he said.
The principles of a corn
marketing plan drawn up
by the Committee have
three basic requirements
if an orderly marketing
system is to have any real
benefits, they are: one
desk selling by an ap-
pointed Commission;
pooling of returns to
producers; and power of
pricing.
The Commission must
negotiate with
representatives of
general farm
organizations the terms
and conditions under
which grain corn would
be marketed. Because of
the easy availability of
corn from the U.S. Mr.
King said his committee
is . soliciting support to
have authority . of corn
imports transferred from
the federal department of
Industry, Trade and
Commerce to the
Canadian Wheat Board
which now has control
over imports of wheat,
oats and barley.
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