The spotlight centred on the Okanagan this week as the fruit probe opened.
WILL FARMERS STICK. TOGETHER?

They must if they are to win
air prices, says this writer

2 Le letter outlining some of the problems facing farmers in this province and detailing some
of the efforts being made to organise farmers for protection of their interests, was written

by a Fraser Valley reader who is himself. a farmer.

of other readers on this topic.
HE saying, “Farmers won’t
T stick together,’ has been
used so much that a good many
have come to accept it as
fact. Never has it been more
necessary for farmers to dem-
onstrate the fallacy of this say-
ing than in the chaotic condi-
tions’ of agriculture today.
Farmers at the present time
are being ruthlessly exploited
with no protection against in-
discriminate imports and
dumping of surpluses; no par-
ity and no equality, The net
income of farmers has fallen
to an all-time low, but.the
consumers buying their pro-
duce would never know it
from the retail price asked.
All too often our own Cana-
dian product is being dumped
and rendered useless while
huge quantities of fruits and
vegetables are being imported.
When a farmer makes an at-
tempt to get his product off
his hands the full force of the
law is applied to put him where
he belongs. He pays for his
supplies. and what equipment
he needs aft the rate he is ask-
ed to pay. When he sells his
product, some one else has set
the price for him.
Agricultural producers are
in relatively the same position
as labor 20 or 35 years ago, and
completely in the power of
packers, milling companies
and farm implement concerns,
all of which enjoy full protec-
tion through legislation.
Tariff regulations are in a
great: many cases unfair to
producer and consumer alike.
A great many items of tools
and implements for produc:
tion are on the list as dutiable
goods.

The family farm is on the
way out unless some measure
of relief is applied immedi-
ately.

* * *

There is room for optimism,
however. Farmers are organ-
izing at a good pace and mak-
ing an attempt to protect
themselves. There can be no
doubt but that the organization
of workers and the gains they
have made provided inspira-
tion to agricultural produc-
ers,

The Canadian Farm Union
movement has a good starting
point in its thoroughly demo-
cratic constitution. This, coupl-
ed with the setting up of a
Farmer - Labor Economic
Council for unity with labor,
and the drive for uniting all
farm groups into a solid agri-
cultural bloc goes a long way
toward achieving the aims for
which the agrarian section of
our -population’ have been
fighting since 1876.

Webster’s Corners Local No.
406 of the Farmer Union of
B.C. is becoming one of the
most successful locals in the
provincial organization. It was
established in June 1956 and a
month later commenced ship-
ping in feed grain from the
Peace River area. To date
about 75 tons of grain have
been distributed to farmers at
a saving of around $20 per
ton,

While this is an important
valuable service to farmers, it
is only one of the many issues
on the agenda — the fight for
parity and equality and for
protection against dumping.

Also under consideration are
plans for a- cooperative mar-
keting scheme something like

The Pacific Triburie invites the opinions

those in operation in Britain,
Sweden, Denmark, the Neth-
erlands and Germany which
have given producers better
prices, more control over dis-
tribution and facilities for pur-
chasing their farm machinery
and equipment at reduced
prices.

Considerable successes have
been achieved through repre-
sentations made to government
at all levels. One of perhaps
major importance is the $31
million allowed from the fed-
eral government to pay for
grain storage.

Another outstanding success

was the stopping both of the
20 percent increase in freight
rates and the 10 percent in-
crease which had already been
granted. This. represented a
saving of about $1,170,000 a
year to farmers.
. Increases in grain handling
charges have again been kept
down to the level of recent
years.

Farm Union members may
now buy and ship feed grain
from the prairie provinces at
a saving of $18 per ton.

These concessions are the
achievements of the past six
years and indicate what can
be done through organization
and united effort.

Perhaps the greatest ob-

‘stacle to organizing in this:

province is the lack of finances
for this purpose. Organiza-
tional work as of now rests on
the shoulders of individual
members and is carried on by
word of mouth from neighbor
to neighbor. While this is per-
haps a haphazard: method at
times, it can be most- effec-
tive if all farmers who recog-
nize the need for doing some-
thing in a united way will be-
gin now to do it.-

There is a market

WOODWORKER, Vancou-

ver,. B.C.:—L.L.G._ Bentley,
past president of the B.C. Lum-
ber Manufacturers and vice-
president of Canadian Forest
Products, issued a propagan-
da statement to the press on
January 5

He claimed: “The lumber sit-
uation is so perilous today

-that everyone concerned

should concentrate his efforts
on keeping it operating in
1957.” :

He foresaw mass layoffs un-
less labor gave up any “crazy
ideas” about a wage increase,
and this is what he said: “I
favor paying the highest
wages possible, but let’s not
kid ourselves; the industry
can’t pay more this year.”

Ten days later MacMillan
Bloedel issued its 1956 finan-
cial statement. All that this
operator could report was a
mere $18,685,615 in profits and
$5,265,470 in dividends.

These are record figures. A
substantial wage — increase
could be paid from the $5 mil-
liéns dished out to the coupon
clippers without even affecting
profits.

Both Bentley and MacMillan
were crying the blues about a
loss of overseas markets. But
neither of these hard-headed
business men mentioned Chi-
na, potentially the largest
market in the world.

Even the truck loggers at
their recent convention could
see the vast possibilities in
China. Elmore Philpott, who is
no stranger to MacMillan and
Bentley, reported to the truck
loggers about China’s willing-
hess to buy and their ability
to pay.

So, let’s not kid ourselves
indeed! The lumber industry
is in good shape; the biggest
market in the world is there;
and there’s nothing crazy about
a substantial wage increase to

meet the skyrocketing cost of
living.

U.S. scene: dim view

P. NUT, Vancouver, B.C.:
I don’t know whether this dog-
gerel is worth printing, but I
think it. contains more truth
than poetry about that govern-
ment below the 49th parallel:

We’re Uncle Psalm; in: God
we trust,

And in the land-the dollar-
built.

Prizewinning letters

Each week the Paci-
’ fic Tribune will present
a book to the writer of
the most interesting, en-
tertaining and — topical
letter published on this
page. Contributors are
urged to keep their let-
ters to a reasonable
length.
The prize-winning let-
ter in our last issue was °
written by B.C., Vancou-

OPEN FORUM

ver, B.C. .

Our leadership, it is @
,We'll advertise it wit

“Non-conformists are 1
Our way-of-life’s the omy
And we shall let the

through
Any guys that say us 2%)

At Fort Knox we haw
gold, fl
On Wall Street, our ™
aires; a
We can afford a progra®
To dominate the world®
fairs. ;

Liberty’s statue lis at ouk®
All Latin America our ™

The communists we cal”

tain,
Our nuclear bases ring 7]
round. y
With NATO and with ”
Spain a
To keep disaffection wi
ground. )
On the demestic scen®
FBI, (
J. Edgar Hoover and Br
ell, j
Freedom to think they }
deny J
And “fellow-travellers’ ©
hell, :

:
Our smug judiciary seit!
well, : f
They know which side
bread is buttered;
So adept is this cliente!)
They stifle treason ef
uttered. i

So, Banzai! for free entelf
Our profit system cat”
beaten. Fi
With divers intrigues a?
We proffer Reds the 5%
greetin’. '

:
Live and let live |

LIVE AND LET Live
couver, B.C.: May we &)
a deep hurt concernifey

low-paid, low-salaried ¢
who get into heavy debly

sickness, lack of work, 8!
pills, back rents and 10a”

In Manitoba and A
courts such people cant
the bills, summons, etc. ©
courts and between thé
the court they set a m?
rate of payment. The i
writes each debtor and #
to accept it and this savV
man or woman debtor
court. action. or garnis
wages. which usually i
them ‘lose: their jobs. —

So many people at thé
-ent time are unaware th?)
$120 is allowed them
court, even in B.C., fot
cost of living. After ;
amount the rest can ")
tached for bills; etc.

Now whether you're 4
Credit, Liberal, CCF &@
let’s all fight for the 10%
people and give them 8
ing chance for a living:

FEBRUARY 1, 1957 — PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PAG