CWB pests
To the Editor:
The war of the anti-Wheat Board people continues. How long can they suffer like this without suffering permanent trauma? Boardophobia? Or is it Bordermania?
There seems to be no point in trying to reason with these self-made lawbreakers. We cannot bury greed. Greed is here to stay.
If it was not for “dictating” to people, how safe would our highways be? Or our work places? Remember Westray? Or Banff train crash? Rules of conduct are very necessary, don’t you think? Without laws, how safe would our food be? It’s even safe for lawbreakers. Darn it!
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The idea that everyone is intelligent enough to market his own grain is a double lie. Anyone with intelligence knows the strength of numbers and the value of co-operation.
So all you pugnacious, grain-running boardophobiacs, go fight someone your own size. That way maybe we’ll at least get rid of some of these pesky mosquitoes!
– Merlin P. Wozniak,
Wanham, Alta.
CWB rules
To the Editor:
I read a letter by Axten of Minton sometime ago. Kind of raised my ire. I farmed for 50 years, some good and some not so good, but I tried to live by the law. What kind of a country it would be if there were no laws.
I’ve had speeding, seat belt tickets, etc. and I’ve paid the price. I say break the law, pay the price. He calls Mr. Goodale a socialist, that’s the first time I heard him called that. Too bad there were not more socialists.
Tommy Douglas was a true socialist. He did more for this province and Canada than any one I know. I don’t expect Mr. Axten would accept Medicare, it’s a socialist idea. CWB is also a good idea. If people want to go on their own I say don’t come back to the CWB when things get tough.
I know it’s tempting for farmers who live along the U.S. line, but move 400 miles north and it’s a bit different. That’s why the Wheat Board is so good. Treats everyone the same. He says we socialists will go the way of the dinosaur. Thanks, Mr. Axten. I wish him all the best, but hope he will not consider the rest of us all stupid.
Proud to be a socialist,
– T. R. Jones,
Watrous, Sask.
CWB Stalinists
To the Editor:
Recently Barry Wilson said that Goodale found few allies in defending the Wheat Board. He must have reached the depths of despair when Garry Fairbairn weighed in with his support.
In his usual superficial manner, Fairbairn attempted to discredit the Alberta plebiscite with an analysis of the voter turnout in it and the advisory committee elections. Let’s take a closer look at them. A quick calculation shows that 39 percent of the eligible voters cast a vote. Voting meant that a farmer had to drive to a Department of Agriculture office to pick up his ballot, mark it and then mail it in.
By contrast only eight percent of eligible farmers across the west bothered to fill in their CWB ballots even though the ballots were mailed directly to their home. A minuscule turnout in an election that requires no effort on the part of the voter is nothing to crow about.
Now let’s turn to the CWB telephone survey and its loaded question. Why do I call it loaded? Because there is no evidence that the CWB could not operate in a dual-market environment. … It amazes me that the Board released this information. After 53 years of being the “farmer’s partner” a third of its “partners” don’t care whether it lives or dies!
I found it sad that in a world in which many risk their lives and liberty for the kind of freedom we have, there is Garry Fairbairn who finds the word freedom to be a comical concept and shows his contempt by putting quotation marks around it.
Mr. Fairbairn must feel that he was born in the wrong time and place. He sounds like he would have been much more comfortable in Stalinist Russia.
– Russell Larson,
Outlook, Sask.
Silent majority
To the Editor:
After reading Barry Wilson’s column in June 6 issue, I would hasten to assure him and Mr. Goodale that there is indeed strong support for the Board and for Mr. Goodale’s actions of support. We have become known as the silent majority, perhaps a little more silent of late due to pressure of farm work and just maybe somewhat scornful of the statements and actions of our opponents.
As usual the noisy opponents of Board marketing seem to get most of the headlines and interviews. At the Sawatsky trial, the CBC reporter seemed to make a point of interviewing anti-board people. The Farmers for Justice have a well orchestrated program. Border infractions, interviews are well timed to catch the headlines.
Individuals … send out threatening letters to the country weekly papers.
It is ironical to hear Board opponents prating about democracy and loss of freedom.
They certainly do not seem to embody the democratic process in their statements and actions.
Mr. Jake Hoeppner, MP, is carrying on a belligerent campaign raising the issue of high wages and pensions as a big drain on the farmers’ income.
I would say Board officials are paid what they can get in similar offices elsewhere.
Did he ever concern himself enough to try and find out what officials in Cargill or other corporations might be paid?
At least we know by the annual financial statement that our total expenses come to less than five cents a bushel. …
I am confident a big majority of farmers will stand behind single-desk selling.
A minority have been carried away with the thoughts of temporary high prices across the border regardless of how it might affect their neighbors.
Trust in each other and a system which benefits all by pooling is not to be treated lightly and destroyed just for temporary benefit if any. If the border was opened the high prices would disappear tomorrow.
Much has been made of a loss in sales to the Japanese barley market.
To a large extent those who broke their contracts with the Board were to blame for that situation.
In all due respect to Mr. Ken Beswick and his ability while a commissioner, his idea of putting barley sales on a cash basis would have destroyed the fundamental principle of pooling.
Contrary to what opponents say, that governments are imposing a marketing system on farmers, the facts are otherwise.
The Canadian Wheat Board was set up by an act of Parliament in 1945 and endorsed by a referendum in the West in 1945 and 1946 adding barley and oats.
I have great faith in our marketing system and I know many American farmers would like to have a similar system.
Mr. Goodale can feel quite confident that the big silent majority is out there and would resist any attempt to destroy what it took years to build.
– William Sloane,
Pilot Mound, Man.
