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Zurich Citizens News, 1959-03-04, Page 11' iEDNESDAY, ivosacH 4, 1959 2:f7RfI .Citizens NEWS Continued From Lost Week— Chas. M'acNaughtou's Initial Speech To Legislature Promotes County Recognition of the advantages of Seaforth has been recently man- , ifested in the completion of the new modern plant of Seaforth Shoes Limited which substantially increases their production capa- city. The decision to expand in this location was in a large meas- ure due to the foresight and co- operation of the council and people of this thriving Huron Community. Industrial expansion in Exeter has been marked recently, by the location of a new modern plant and warehouse for the Canadian branch. of one of the leading man- ufacturers of poultry and animal feed additives and medicines and is adjoined by the new modern premises of what is acknowledged to fie Ontario's largest Turkey Hatchery. Clinton and Exeter have long benefitted culturally and commer- cially from the proximity of RCAF stations. During and since the sec- ond World War many thousands of airmen and their families have made their homes among us. At- testing to Huron's hospitality, is the fact that many have, upon re- tirement, remained in our various communities. The village of Hensall, by virtue of its particularly efficient hand- ling facifities, has long been known as the bean capital of Canada. It is a matter of fact and record, that more white beans clear the elevators of this prosperous vill- age than any other village, town or city in Canada. Hensall also is the home of General Coach Works, manufacturers of mobile homes who recently transported by air, a prefabricated trailer home, to- gether with a crew of workmen, to Goose Bay, Labrador. The home was delivered, assembled and the workmen returned home, in a mat- ter of a few hours. Bayfield is known throughout Southwestern Ontario and beyond, as a friendly summer resort. In addition, it is home to one of the oldest, most efficient fishing fleets in Lake Huron. Zurich, a few miles •east,is an important and enter- prising marketing centre. This then, Mr. Speaker, is a brief summary of the history and the economy of Huron and I should now like to comment on certain matters referred to by the Hon. Leader of the Opposition, with respectto unemployment, particu- larly as they relate to Huron. In discussing unemployment, may I remind the Hon. Member for Waterloo North that his count- erpart in the Federal field, at- tempted to draw the monstrous red herring of unemployment ac- ross the path of the last Federal election with dire consequences. This is not to say that I do not recognize the seriousness of the unemployment situation, but I con- fess I was disappointed and I am confident the people of Ontario were disappointed, at the almost complete lack of positive sugges- tions from him as to methods of correcting it. It is all very well for him to tell this house that we are in the midst of a technological revolution, but I frankly. doubt whether this disclosure will pro- vide unemployed men and women with any marked degree of com- fort. His assertion, Mr. Speaker, that this Government and the Federal - Provincial partnership has done nothing effectiveabout it is sub- sequently incorrect, at least as far as Huron • is concerned, as I now propose to describe to him and to all Hon. Members. Firstly, let me say that I obtained my in- formation from the manager of the National Employment Service in Goderich on Wednesday, Feb- ruary 14 last, who reported to me as' follows: (a) That the number of claims in the Goderich Office as at January 31, 1958, or a year. ago, was 1,122. (b) That the number of claims. in the Goderich, Office as at January 31, 1959, or today, was 746 or 376 less than they were a year ago. I further asked him whether or not this decrease could be largely attributed to the programs of both federal and provincial governments to provide for winter employment. His answer was an unqualified Yes! I was further informed that the RCAF Station at Clinton, win- ter employment had been made a- vailable for 25 painters, 8 carp- enters, 5 laborers, 2 electricians and 2 plumbers, and that this work program would not normally have been undertaken at this time. The office of the Hon. Minister of Planning and Development has informed me that a winter work project has been underway for several months on the Aux Sau- b1e _Cpnservation Authority emp- loying 28 men. This project will continue for several months more. Last winter the figure employed by this Authority was nil. A program of winter work is being carried on by the Depart- ment of the Hon. Minister of Pub- lic Works on the site of the pro- posed new Hospital for Retarded Children near Goderich, employing 20 men. This program was- in- stituted . for the specific purpose of providing winter work immed- iately the suggestion was proposed. Through the prompt action of the Minister of Planning and De - WATER in your BASEMENT r? PUMPS AND SUPPLIES For Every Need SUMP PUMP SPECIAL. Reg. Value 49.95 For Only $39.00 Why Put Up With All That Mess! BUY NOW—while the supply lasts ch•i SERWC S•AL' - � ' 34' 4-ouipmene velopment, two low rental hous- ing projects obtained speedy ap- proval and, as a result, construc- tion of 14 rental homes will com- mence at once in Goderich and, as soon as a site is approved, con- struction of 12 will be underway in Clinton. In Seaforth, to enable tie town to take advantage of winter em- loyment assistance, speedy appro- val was granted . by the Ontario Water Resources Commission for a $400,000.00 sewage system. In fact, Mr. Speaker, the Hon. Mr. John Roberts, together with the Commission, arranged for aproval in a matter of days . after the re- quest and application was made. Both the Hon. Leader of the Opposition and Hon. Member for York South have criticised the Government for taking no effec- tive steps to relieve the unemploy- ment situation. We, in Huron, cannot agree with them, for rea- sons which I have just supported with facts and figures. Mr. Speaker, I know the people of Huron would wish me to refer to the Hospital -School for Retard- ed Children to be erected on the shore of Lake Huron, off the fam- ed "Blue Water Highway", about three miles south of Goderich. When completed it will mark the fulfillment of the late Tom Pryde's dream and legacy for Huron and also portray the keen interest of the Government in this important field of humanitarian service. To Huron it will be the first Provin- cial institution within its bound- aries and will provide employment and expanded markets for the goods and services of our agricul- tural, commercial and professional people. May I direct a word of apprec- iation to the Hon. Minister of Highways. I am sure all Hon. Members from rural ridings will agree with me when I say, that we probably come in contact with the Highways Department more frequently than most, if not all, others. The co-operation extended by the Hon. Minister and his staff has been most helpful. May I also say to him that we in Huron are grateful for the work which has been commenced on the de- velopment road along the north boundary of the riding, the re- surfacing of ^the "Blue Water Highway" from Goderich to Grand Bend and the projected bridge over the Maitland river at Saltford north of Goderich. Also, Mr. Speaker, I have a word of commendation for the Hon. Minister of Public Welfare and his capable Deputy Minister and staff. The manner in which the welfare work of this province is carried out can only be regard- ed as outstanding in terms of ef- ficiency. May I also commend the Hon. Minister of Public Welfare for taking a forward step in the dir- ection of long-term improvement of the unemployment situation. His recent memorandum to insti- tutions under the direction of his department, urging them to "Buy Canadian Goods" at every possible opportunity was no more than sound recognition of the principle that "charity begins at home". I urge the Government to insti- tute, as soon as possible, policy which would require all depart- ments of Government, all agencies and institutions that are under the direction of Government or who are receiving financial assis- tance in the form of grants from the Government to give a price preference to goods of Canadian manufacture or which are fabri- cated largely from Canadian mat- erials. To give you, Mr. Speaker, and the Hon. Members of this House an idea of what a policy of the kind would mean in terms of em- ployment, let me relate to you some information provided by a firm in my riding, which manu- factures a line of equipment used extensively by the Department of Highways. I am referring to road grading, road maintenance and ill 84trnat FOR DEPENDABLE HEAT All Winter Long Call LARNE E. HAY Locker Service—Roe Feeds Phone 10 (Collect) Hensoll AGE ELEVEN snow removal equipment. I am informed by thegeneral manager •of this firm, that it re- quires about 1200 hours of pro- ductive labour for the manufac- ture of one heavy duty grader. An additional 400 hours of super- visory and administrative labour per machine is required. Add to this a further 400 hours of pro- ductive administration and ;super- visory labour and '"you, will . see that 2,000 Canadian man hours go into the production of every heavy duty road grader made by this firm. Or to reduce this to even more effective terms, em- ployment for 1 month for eleven men. The foregoing acn be related in varying terms to everything the government and many institutions either directly or indirectly under their control require to buy and, while I am not suggesting that a sizeable proportion of the goods and services they require are not now being bought in Canada, I am suggesting that there is still a rather broad list of items which are from time to time bought from other countries, that could and should be bought in Canada and Ontario. Mr. Speaker, I am not in a position to describe the advant- ages which would accrue beyond the more or less specific terms I have used in these remarks. Nevertheless, all Hon. Members will be aware that there are many associated benefits the added in- come would inject into the econ- omy of our cities, towns and vil- lages. May I also point out, Mr. Sp- eaker, that under their "Buy Am- erica Act" our friends and neigh- bours to the south will not even consider the purchase by Govern- ment, or Government agencies, of foreign goods unless they are at least 20 per cent cheaper than they could be obtained on the home market. I am also informed that the various States give ad- ditional preference to local sup- pliers versus out-of-state manu- facturers. Full implementation of such a program in Ontario is not only warranted but, in my opinion, lack of such a policy is irreconcilable with present employment condi- tions. Before concluding my observa- tions, Mr. Speaker, I would like to say, it is my opinion that, with the tabling of the report of the Select Committee on Labour Relations by the •Hon. Minister of Mines, this Government took the greatest single step forward since the Labour Relations Act was first placed on the statute books of this Province. Why, Mr. Speaker? Because this report and its recommendations are evidence of recognition, on the part of the large and respon- sible elements of labour and other branches of our Canadian society, that the tactics of the irrespon- sible segments of labour must be oaes1.— checked. Recognition that the steadily; increasing pattern of str- ikes and the subsequnt higher cost of labour have been he principal factor contributing to the mount- ing costs of consumer goods and the inflationary tendencies that threaten our economy, resulting in loss of export business largely be- cause; we are priced out of the market. Another serious aspect of this whole situation, Mr. Speaker, is that there are many branches of our society, who do not possess the counterpart of the strike wea- pon with which to retaliate. In the rural areas of the Province, the farmer finds himself faced with costs of the goods and ser- vices he must buy, increasing at a considerably faster pace than the price obtainable for what he pro- duces for sale. Whether compul- sory marketing plans will effect- ively provide the answer to this serious situation is, to a very con- siderable extent, yet to be seen. Neverthless, it must be admitted that the farmer is faced with the necessity of developing some me- ans of combating matters collect- ively over which individually he has little or no control. However, there is another br- anch of society that suffers even more. I refer to the hundreds of thousands of people on fixed incomes. This group finds itself in the middle of the squeeze, en- tirely helpless to do anything a- bout it. People relying on incomes which, at the time of retriement were adequate to meet their needs now find the value of their dol- lars shrinking day by day. Pen- sioners are in virtually the same position. Mr. Speaker. I would say to those who would criticise 'the detail of this report and its recommendations, that they con- sider carefully and objectively the matters I have refered to in the foregoing remarks. Some praise for the spirit, if not the letter, of the recommendations seems to me no more than warranted, as well as the fact that unanimity was reached by members of the Committee on most of what the report recommends. I am con- fident, Mr. Speaker, that the many branches of labour, who recognize a full sense of responsibility to all of our Canadian society, will endorse the report in spirit and lend their wholehearted assistance toward its eventual implementa- tion. Mr. Speaker, I thank you and the Hon. Members for allowing me to dicuss a favorite subject, the Riding of Huron and also pre- sent certain views, which in my opinion, have an important bear- ing on the problems which con- front us in Ontario today. 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