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PAGE 4, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1 8,19 80, WHITBY FREE PRESS ~~WhitbY Voice of the County Town Michael Ian Burgess, The only Wbitby newspaper independently owned and operated by WhiI F 1ubllshett every Wednesday f by M.B.M. Publishing * and Photography Ime. à Ph one 669~-61 Il The F'ree Iress Buildin, Publisher - Managing Editor I1 3! Brock Street North, by residents for Whitby residents. P.O. Box 206. WhitbN', 0) Community EdItar Miii iCn.I Production Manager .Marl Surgeaa Advertising Manager1 Ma4loi, PtlNo 460~ ig, ,nt. He lr Bit-au of( oloo Report from Queen ' s Park By GEORGE ASHE, MPP (PC-DURHAM WEST) Buy Ontarlo agriculture a larger factor in farm expenses, with a corresponding impact on the cost of farm produets. In 1976, fuel oil alone used in the agricultural industry cost $152 million, with by far the greatest proportion being for the purchase of gasoline and diesel fuel; it goes without saying that this figure is significantly higher now. This committee, which is expected to report in six months, wilI identify and recommend appropriate policies and programs to deal wlth the problems and opportunities that energy represents in the agricultural community. The security of our future generations will depend on the agricultural management of today, and we as food consumers should remember to help ourselves. Look for the "Foodiand Ontario" label on the produce you buy. Every $1,00 worth of imported food replaced with Ontario food means $3.50 in extra Ontario economie activity. As we enter the 80s, the continued production of high quality food wilI be one of the most important challenges our country will face. today, Ontario is the main agricuitural province in Canada, and there certainly can be no doubt as to the con- tribution of agriculture to our economy. The Government of Ontario is committed to increasing agriculutral productivity. During the next decade, we will continue to assist farmers with programs geared to the changing times. Here are but a few of the new initiatives the province is providing for farmers. First is the monitoring of foreign ownership. Good agricultural land is crucial to productivity. In order to proteet this valuable resource, the province believes that an up-to- date inventory of land ownership must be maintained at al trnes. During this session of legislature, legislation providing for the monitoring of foreign ownership 0f agricultural land wilI be introduced. Next cornes farîners rights. New provisions to protect agricultural lands have been intioduced through amendinents to The Trespass to Property Act and The Occupiers Liability Act. This legisiationis designed to strengthen the property rights and privacy of landowners and at the saine time en- courage compatible recreational activities, without fear of liability of the landiord. Third is the tule drainage program. Over the last ten years, Ontario farîners have installed improved drainage on 1.3 million acres of their land. They have spent $134 million of their own money, and have borrowed another $111 million through the provincial drainage program. This tile drainage program opens up more land for agricultural uses, and allows for a higher yield to existing agricultural land. And finally, a committee has been established just this week to examine the energy problems and opportunîties which wîll be faced by the agricultural community over the next twenty years or so. One of the issues the comrnittee will consider is the trend towards mechanization in farming, which has brought about 300 per cent increase in energy consumption by farmers since 1960. While this mechanization has contributed to increasing Ontario's agricultural production per acre, the cost of energy to operate modern farming systems has become PraiseforJ..ud EDITORS'S NOTE: The following is a letter to John Kunetsky, the administrator of Whit- by's J.O.Ruddy generaly Hospital. It is almost pointless to say that the writer is pleased with the ser- vices provided by the hospital. Dear Mr. Kunetsky: Over the past nine weeks, I have had oc- casion to be a patient at the J.O. Ruddy Hospital. I arn writing this letter so that you wiIl know how much I appreciated the care, consideration and the facilities that I ex- perienced during this period. During this time I was transfered, for a short stay, to a Toronto hospital for specialized treatment, and without wishing to make comparisons, I must say that the staff and facilities at J.O. Ruddy were much superior. From am- bulance crew to nur- sing, mnedical, therapy, and general staf f, Whitby stands out tops., I wonder If the poepie of Whitby realîze what they have& It wouldbe a pity if we were ever to lose this facility. Yours sincereîy, E.G.Brudge French s ho uld not get sp ecial deal1 DearSir: If our biased gover- nni:nt insists that the Frer 'iare special and not just ordinary Canadianis lke the rest of us - how can we ex- pect a fair deal? Under the circum- stances our provir'-iaI premiers should m '-t and agree among themselves on what is right in the constitution and then telil Ottawa. If Quebec's attempt to leave confederation is not treason then the other provinces meeting in consort would be in the best of good taste. Tell your provincial premier, give him sup- port. Si ncerely, A.H. Bell Brockville, Ontario OR a 1