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/ / / Editor and Publisher 4 3 FE - th ay ARE Sp 2 / SAMUEL FARMER, = APRIL 2 22nd, "> PORT PERRY STAR PORT PERRY, ONTARIO, THURSDAY, 1943 ad $1 Watch your label; it tells when your Subscription expires. . . . .50 per year in advance. 5 cents a single copy EDITORIAL oa g " Buch is the patriot's boast, where'er we roam, Ris first, best country ever is at home.--Goldsmith. Ri ol & LABOR WANTS CHEA® FOOD . base of the problem of the relative rewards re- Ho eeived by the farmer andthe industrial worker, A For every blessing enjoyed by humanity some- and it points the way to the solution of farming : Qe has 2 bey the price. © We 'seldom earn all difficulties, 3 We enjoy. © . The granting of subsidies (such as the milk To-day the demand is for cheap food, and the iiss is no cure for farm problems in finance. farnter pays the price. In all the struggle by That kind of thing will come to be looked upon the farmer to gain a greater reward for his un- as a "handout", and is liable to be discontinued at stinting labor, he must face the age-long demand any time . for cheap food. Labor heads the army that car- But a system of easy credit for the purchase ries on this unceasing campaign for easily se- of essential farm machinery will point the way to cured food. The farmer must remember that he, the production of cheap food--at a profit to the too, buys as cheaply as he can. farmer. That being the case, the farmer, can expect no Most large business. is carried on successfully help from organized labor in his struggle for because of enormous turnout at very low. cost greater profits. of production per unit. The interests of the farmer and the laborer are If you go into a 5c. to $1.00 store, you will be opposed to each other. In the same manner the amazed at the low cost of individual articles. -- interests of the farmer and the consumer are Your constant exclamation will be--~T don't sce diametrically opposed. ~ how they do it." Mass production at low over- Added to these opposing interests, the farmer head per unit is the answer. faces many other obstacles, the greatest of which is disunion among the men of his class. * Two factors are beginning to remove this lack Something of this principle must be applied to of co-operation: ) farming operations. Agriculture is a big indus- a 1. The increasing cost of food production in the try--one of the biggest in Canada. But it pro- face of great shortage of farm labor. duces under the handicap of insuflicient mechan- "2. The realization that other industries are ical appliances. And it lacks these because it is capable of providing a good living as the reward hampered by insufficient capital. of much oe did oF labor Ly the worker, than The cure is to bring Government assistance in. that required. of the farmer. the shape of low-interest credit for the purchase The standard of living fas risen greatly in of necessary equipment that. shall make farm * farming circles since pioneer days. The farmer, labor profitable. who, in spite of all the difficulties which he meets, Denmark became a leading satis iiral country cannot reach the pioneer standard of living, is wider. this wolle looked upon as a .very-poor farmer indeed. i" : BD Jey. sy : Frequently the farmer cinpint to hi The agricultural objective should be--not high- a BB i § compiaint ay 10 vs er prices--but how to produce cheap food at a findasy of living 4 a matter of comparison with profit. Such an objective should receive the sup- : i Bt Sioa 5 bo pel workers. The farmer port of. organized labor .and farmers everywhere mows no eight hour BY, neither does his wife. because efficient mechanical equipment and skilled Am to-day when labor is scarce, neither do his workmen have built prosperity and a high stand- \ children. On the other hand, he nor his family ard of living in industrial circles. J i 8 | § | § 2 Port Perry attended the Annual Ban- the executive when it came to the ~#%>Preaident. know no scarcity of food. Nor expensive habits demanded by social groups in town life. It takes some backbone -on the part do they face the of the industrial worker not to endeavour to "keep up with the Joneses." Mo the standard of life. Not_how spent to attain comfort in body «+ 0 Big wages are not paid to unskilled labor, but to labor plus machinery. Men cannot earn seventy-five by use of their hands alone. \ many times seventy-five cents operating modern machinery. "much one earns is the deciding factor, but how much must be But they can earn This_fact is at the ney is really not and mind. will have to be cents per hour when they are by organization demand can such Merely to know these facts Farmers will have to be vocal and insistent that low-interest credit should be made aviilable to them under proper restrictions. they promote this main purpose. the most industrious section-of Canadiin citizens be given assistance equivalent to that enjoyed by manufacturing industry under high tariff. Only Co-operation and suitable equipment can solve most of the farm problems. * * * is not enough. Party polities forgotten exeept-in so far as It is time that and persistent propaganda and an objective be attained. 3 Annual Meeting of Port Perry Business Men' s Association Rohs fifty of the business men of quet of their Association, and enjoyed the social gathering at the well spread table at the Sebert House, on Friday night of last week. Mr. A, Li; McDermott presided, and "called upon the various officials to re- port upon the activities in their re- lations during the past year. All these reports showed the Association to be in a satisfactory condition financially. The annual sports day for 1942 was carried out succdssfully,' And some $286 was forwarded to the British War Victims' Fund, Some fifty dollars was added to the receipts of the Asso- ciation, and some new equipment was purchased. Upon this occasion the refreshment booth was operated by the 1.0.D.E. War Service Committee at a profit to them of over one hundred dollars. The Santa Claus gifts to the chil- dren of the community were received by about five hundred youngsters, This work was carried on in conjune- tion with the Lions Club and the former Christmas Fair Board, aug- mented by donations from various sources. A considerable change was made in election of officers. Mr. McDermott felt that the honours and the, work shouldbe" passed around, and he re- tired. 'This had been his second year Mr. V, P. Stouffer, who has been 1st Vice President, declined advancement, and Mr. W. E. Mac- Gregor was chosen as President. Mr, Stouffer retains his position as 1st Vice President, with Mr. Harry Peel as 2nd Vice President, and Mr, Sam Griffen (a new man) as 8rd Vice, Mr. Percy Densham, the former secretary, having left Port Perry, his! . duties were put in the hands of Mr.. R. B. Smallman, Mr, Lawrence, for, various business reasons, declined the! office of Troasmer, and his duties will now be taken over by Mr. E. Bottrell, manager of the local Dominion' Stores, Those who have followed the work of the Executive of the Association, were- sincere in their praise of the faithfulness and efficiency-shown. To put on a Sports Day, or carry through any similar project, requires much hard and efficient work. i This work has been simplified and the unity of the town's activities has been enhanced by the three way split re expenses by the Association, the Fair- Board and the Council, Town Improvement Suggestions At the conclusion of the business session, the meeting was thrown open for the reception of suggestions for town improvement. Foremost among the suggestions made was the: demand for some shel- ter to be erected for the horses of those from the surrounding country who come to town to do business. The former shelters such as the church sheds, etc, have been torn down, and conditions for the horses in bad weather have often been de- plorable, + There is every evidence that this condition will now be re- medied in the near future, The water front, particularly the town garbage dump, canie in for iderable "di The meeting was assured by Reeve Letcher and the Councillors present that definite steps will be taken this year to re- move this eyesore by covering up the refuse now at the water front, and choosing a new site for the town dump, A good deal of the unsightliness of the present dump has been caused by irresponsible persons who have scat- tered their garbage wherever the dumping was easiest, often scattering it along the roadside right up to the Curts' corner, Drastic steps will be taken to prevent a continuance of this abuse. ~ 1 fon Mr. Beritley introduced the idea of levelling the boulevards in front of the residences of the householders, thus permitting the mowing of the grass (and weeds) right out to the roadside. Such a movement would greatly add to the trim 'apearance of the town. Mr. Brooks, who is in charge of the streets and sidewalks, promised co-operation to such of the householders as requested that this levelling be done in front of their premises, ; Mr. Mansell Gerrow advocated a picture show of the better sort to be operated once or 'twice a week. Ne- cessarily this suggestion was not dis- cussed in detail; but it was pointed out that with the shortage of gas and tires, something should be done to establish such a picture house for those who cannot go elsewhere. In any case, the suggestion was made that the money and the people would be better kept at hgme- People who go away from home, buy away from home. These, and-some other suggestions, were left in the hands of the Execcu- tive for consideration, with instrue- tions to bring in a report at the next meeting of the Asociation. Regular meetings every two months A very important decision was reached when it was decided that the Association should. hold a _ business meeting every two months, The first of these meetings will be held on the evening of the third Friday in June, _It has long been felt that the work of the Association could not be car- ried on effectively with but one gene- yal meeting in the year. From the many suggestions for town improvement that are made, it is evident that careful consideration must be given to each project, and such consideration is not possible with only one crowded meéting in the year, Such a policy of regular meetings every two months should make the '| There are not enough workers--only | staff of the Fourth Victory Loan, 'need for the greatest financial effort "Friends: The fourth Victory Loan will open with a bang when Big Ben booms the hour of midnight on Easter Sunday. Be I have again accepted the office of Chairman of this zone in Ontario County, which is composed of Reach and Scugog Townships and the Village of Port Perry, and will be supported by the same loyal staff of salesmen, viz, ~Messes, RJ. Lee and Blake Cragg, and 1 bespea ag servants of the Crown, to solicit raised 349 over the last loan, and we look to you, the buying public, purchase, BACK THE ATTACK Buy Victory Bonds Harper, A. C. generous response when they call on you, not as bond salesmen-but - "provide funds for the purpose of procuring the sinews of war. I may say we face a very heavy task as our objective has been let us down yet and you have full knowledge of the importance of the appeal and know the unquestioned value of the security your dollars will The term will be 14 years, the rate 39. on the installment plan if you desire Heayn, Robert Tetlow, Lloyd k for them a cordial reception and your support of this vital loan to now stands at $167,000. However, with confidence as you have never You may purchase H. G. HUTCHESON, Zone Chairman. Federation. Annual Meeting of South Ontario County Federation of Agriculture The annual meeting of the local Federation of Agriculture was held at Manchester on Wednesday" even- ing of last week. The meeting, which was presided over by Mr. Byron Hill, was not largely attended. This was unfortunate for there was much of interest and information in the even- ing's proceedings. Mr Hill gave a brief outline of the work of the Federation which has been maintained financially by a grant of $600.00 from the County Council. There is still work to be done, and the organization is gradually growing in strength. The speaker of the evening was Mr. M. N. Robinson, of Burlington, He gave one of the best addresses heard in this district for many years. The Federation of Agriculture is an all Canadian body. Its branches are scattered over the Dominion from coast to-coast. There are some thirty Federations in the Province of On- tario. But as yet, effective work has been hindered by shortage of funds, six or seven speakers like himself to carry the load. His annual tally has been eighty speaking engagements. - This shows the inability of the Head Oftice to get information to the far- mers on the back concession. Natural- ly there is little interest in the move- ment where no information is avail- able concerning its work. In some Counties, the work is sup- ported by personal fees. Some County Councils give grants as, ; igh as $6000 annually, Voluntary Levy on Assessment Within the past few weeks, a law has . been placed on the Provincial statutes which enables the Federation to collect through taxation at the rate of" one-fifth of a mill on the assessment, providing-- 1. That twenty-five ratepayers ina rural municipality ask that the law be put into operation by the Council. Federation of Agriculture Annual Meeting One-Fifth of a Mill on Assessment May Now be Collected for Support of Voluntary Move. \ tax. for showing the pictures. They cer- tainly brought their message home. the Clerk of the municipality at any time to discontinue collection of such iat the lev vy will continue so long as no objection is raised. This law, if widely enforced, will provide ample funds to carry on its work, as the levy will average $1.00 per farmer. complish what is impossible, the ugh individual action, The farmers of Britain have realized this fact, and they pay a fee of 3d per acre, or $6.00 per annum on a farm of 100 acres. Union and industrial fees paid to their organizations are much higher than the proposed agricultural levy. One dollar per month and three dol- lars for initiation - is quite common among union workers. "Entrance fees nly the large industrial organizations are somelimes very high. The war chest is ample for effective work. Farm Problems are many farm problems, and they seem to be coming to a head, Government" officials are constantly harried by organizations of all sorts. And they have come to look upon the demands of agriculture as just ano- ther demand, without suflicient justi- fication, The result is that farm sub- sidies aré not likely to be increased in any direction. They have reached the limit, some authorities declare. The matter of trucking under the 35 mile limit has worked out badly in the shipment of livestock, and other farm products. The Federation is striving to obtain some easement in this matter. ' A Food Ministry? Representations by the Federation were made to the Government, point- ing out the need of a Food Ministry. This was not granted, but a Food Control Board was formed, of which Mr. Robinson is a member. | This Board, of twelve members, acts in an advisory capacity to the War- time Prices and Control Board. There 2. That agreements be signed hy the assessed that the tax rate of one fifth of a mill be collected with the' regular taxes from the ratepayer. 3. That the mohey may not be col- lected without the consent of the ratepayer. Organized Effort is organized. Group action can ac- 4. That the ratepayer may notify Port Perry Business Men's Associa- tion a' very effective organization. " Realistic War Pictures Mr. McLaren, of the organizing showed two realistic films, empha- sizing the need for more and more money to carry on the war to a successful conclusion. The tragic sufferings of the conquered; the tre- mendous cost of war equipment and ammunition; and the vastness of what is at stake in the freedom and happi- ness of humanity, afl point to the of which we are capable. Mr. McLaren was warmly thanked strength of agricultural interest to Practically every trade and industry | Many problems cannot be dealt with effectively by commodity groups. Some matters require the full gain any modification in such matters as the Income Tax. In this matter the Federation deserves credit for con- sideration of incqualities of taxation. Food Distribution Canada used to have a great_sur- plus of food, In pre-war yeirs, the headache was how to sell. "Now it is how to produce enough :to meet the greatly increased demand. We are now facing a" food shortage, because the officials did not realize the impact of war on foodstuffs, The speaker was a member of the army of occupation in the Rhine Val- ley affer the signing of the Armistice in 1018. "There he saw how great was the scarcity of food among a people who LI To the Home Folks Away from Home. Charley McCarthy advises us to quit raising objections and raise vege- tables. That's a good idea. Mortimer when asked what he was going to plant said "seeds." That's a good idea, too; so we are beginning to get busy hereabouts. The garden is the next item of interest, and it's going to be the main interest outside regular business with many of us this year. The ice hasn't gone out yet; hut it will probably be gone next week. Here's hoping. With very little frost in the ground, the roads are holding up very well, so far. Well, folks, Aunt Tillie is still "go- ing to Sea". Last week, she and her troupe embarked (via army truck) for the Internment Camp at Bowmanville. The trip down and back in the truck apparently wasn't so bad because they all seemed to enjoy it immensely, and we do hear they made an awful lot of noise with their singing and laughter. Of course, the trip in the army turck could have accounted for the stiff muscles of some of the troupe for several days afterwards. They arrived at Camp around eight o'clock and were taken immediately tg the recreation hall after they were duly counted. Furniture was brought in and soon the stage "Wiis in readi- ness. They tell me it-was a very at- tractive stage, too. The audience was the men of the Veterans' Guard sta- tioned there and although they kept coming in and going out (as they came off or had to go on duty) there must have been arourtd -- well, I guess | Letter to Those on Active Service % can't tell you how many. Mr. Censor might be looking over your shoulder when you read this After the performance and clothes had been packed up in readiness for the homeward trip, an officer escorted the troupe to the Officers' Mess where they were seryed sandwiches and tea by the officers themselves. The mem- bers of the cast felt. as though they were indeed very prominent people be- cause the gentlemen were so attentive and the Orderly Officer turned the. whole place over to them to do as they pleased. Some of the boys played ping pong, while the rest sat or stood around talking and listening to the radio. The lounge was a very cheery room, most comfortably furnished, but as one of the officers remarked that when you are in.one place for months, you get to the stage where you can't appre- ciate it: "One of the officers enter- tained by playing the piano and ended up by everyone gathering around him singing. After thanks had been tendered to the gentlemen, the troupe made ready to come home and found that, while they had been worried slightly (jok- ingly) on the way in, they had no ditliculty getting outside the gate after they had again been counted. The only disappointment was the fact that no prisoners had been seen and everyone had been hoping they would sce nt least one. 1 Yours truly, THE EDITOR. Premier Gordon Premier Conant at the dinner meet- ing of Victory Loan workers, in Osha- wa on Monday night, outlined the ut- titude of the Province of Ontario to- ward the present Vietory Loan cam- paign. The period of isolation of the Pro- vince of Ontario_is_ended. Those in authority realize that the whole fin- ancial structure of all the Provinces is based upon a sound Federal policy of finance. Fully 75% of Provincial revenue is derived from the Dominion. With this fact in view thorough co- operation between Governments of the Province of Ontario and the Dominion of Canada is imperative. Conant Outlines The Broader Provincial Outlook Fully understanding this situation the Province of Ontario will subscribe $5,000,000, from {ts Sinking Fund, to the Fourth Victory Loan. Moreover, legislation is being passed to permit the Hydro-Electric Power Commission to invest its surplus funds in Victory Bonds. This changed attitude toward the Dominion Government on the part of the Province of Ontario, was heartily applauded by the gathering. Mayor Gifford, presided, thanked the Premier for his brief but important address, and remarked that he "liked the tone of it." who BLOOD DONOR Application Forms can be obtained at the STAR Office of the farmer to produce foodstuffs. Yet the demand is mountings Ac- cording to the National Geographic it takes the product of 3814 farms to complete the cargo of a single food transport. More than that, the people who in depression days were glad to eat lard on their bread, now demand butter, + The Remedy To meet these mounting difficulties, the speaker said that there should be two actions taken by the Government: 1. To establish a floor price on food- stuffs; 2. To, continue necessary subsidies for the duration and for two years after the war ends, These remediés would not be costly; but, would have a steady and inspiring effect upon the farmer in his struggle to meet production demands, The probability is that the day is not far distant when the farmer will be told what he is to grow. Left to themselves, it would be casy for the farmers to "have a glut of some foods, and a shortage of others. For instance, the speaker, who has a farm near Burlington, grows melons and new potatoes, He is well aware that we can get along without melons, had been at war for four years. You can't mobilize a nation for war; turn the men who used to be pro-| ducers into consumers; take the men) from the farms into munition fae} tories; without reducing the ability and the tendency will be to switch the whole acreage to new potatoes. Should 'the whole district be of the same mind, | there might easily be a glut of new potatoes, and a consequent drop in price which would render potato grow- ing unprofitable. The same idea is possible with the growing of soy beans, which the Gov- erfiment needs badly. But the market for white beans has risen and is more profitable than it is for soy beans. In sugar beets only 3800 acres have been contracted for by the factories, and two of the beet root sugar fac- tories are closed at a time when there is a sugar shortage. Labor Shortage Continues So great are 'the demands of the army and the munition plants that there is little chance of relief in the' matter of farm labor. Farmers will have to get along with the old men and the children. This would not be too bad, if the incentive of profit were maintained for all the hard work .in- volved. Conditions might be Worse We do not form long queues at the food stores as they are doing in tho United States. We. are not like the people of Denmark where the food list includes jdogs, cats, squirrels, and skunks. ~~ We can still reduce our standard of living without suffering. Cheap Food The farmer must face the fact that labor is interested only in "cheap ° food." Organized labor and farmers will not work for the same ends. Labor demands cheap food. need higher prices. The officers of the Federation were re-elected" Farmers SW Con YT LAA ap. PRIA