Friday, March .8» 1968

cultural production. Now I don’t think this is the problem in Canada at

time. We got 400,000 here we are going to bring back, but our problem tigenldteifigi: we need more land—that’s not our problem in Canada—it is not that we need more production, that’s not our problem in Canada we simply have no markets, we simply have no markets. There are millions of people dying with starvation and I suggest that even if a part of this money that is now going to clear this land to bring back into agricultural production was spent on finding a way and means of getting this food to the people who need it we would be doing something. (Applause) That is what we want to do, we don’t need greater production, but’we need more dollars profit. That’s what is wrong with the farming industry at the present time it has not sufficient dollars profit and something should be done about marketing. Any government policy which makes available more cheap land, as in Manitoba and New Brunsw1ck. prowdcs only more production and adversely effects the farmer that he Will have less profit. No other way it can be summed up. I see all about the ex- ploitation of the farmer, it is all around us, and I am not blaming anyone, not even this government for that except that they should provide a means whereby the farmers can organize and co-operate in what they should do and provide some manner of allowmg them a more business approach to marketing. This is what we need in this Province. A more business approach to marketing of all agricultural products. No other place in the world more suited of establishing another marketing or trading centre for agricultural or all products than in this Island Province, than here in Prince Edward Island. It is an ideal place to have it.

Some protection must be provided for our producers on which the very exis— tence of our Island economy depends. Unfortunately, we find all too often influen- tial powers gambling away the primary producer’s products and the hard-earned products of the farmer and the primary producer. Of course it is not an unusual thing in this business world—everyone for himself—but what is most unusual is the fact that while this goes on. the government of this province, including the Minister of Agriculture, refuses to give leadership and help and this of course is borne out by the fact that they voted down and stood where they stood on the Resolution that was introduced here the other night. They didn’t go along with the Resolution. (Applause) And of course if it would have been carried out they would have been asked to determine the will of the people on this all important matter and this is the important thing. Democracy should be the predominant thing in this province, so even the primary producer may have a say in the marketing of his products.

We are experiencing changing times now and there are a lot of changes. Changes in the way of life, our mode of living is different, our methods of produc- tion are different, and new scientific and technical world is unfolding every day about us. All about us too, there is evidence of the decay of the farmer’s way of life. The family farm is disappearing, so serene to our memory is disappearing from the rural scene and does cause some concern. This new way, of course, to many of us, is perplexing and confusing and most of the time most frustrating. We know what way to turn and as a result of this all there is disparity, economic disparity in this Atlantic region.

As has already been pointed out, we have little in this Island, but yet we have intelligent people, we have resourceful people, we have energetic groups of people who are willing and ambitious. Why then, do we find this economic disparity existing? I suggest a cause for the problem: it arises out of our geographic posi- tion, our geographic situation, and this no human can ever change. As a result of our geographic situation we have extra and higher freight costs, freight rates, trans— portation costs, hence I believe, it is the reason for our economic disparity.

We deduct the freight rates from our selling price on all commodities we sell outside the Province in order to compete with a supplier who may be situated close to the market and we add the freight costs to all the commodities that we buy from Central Canada, Ontario and Quebec, which is often called the “Belly of Can- ada”, and mind you, it consumes a lot.

I venture to say that if we had not to bear this cost, extra cost of transpor— tation in this Province to and from Central Canada we could have done without, we could have done without all the special grants that Ottawa is now giving this Prov- ince. All the welfare grants, all the grants in every respect that are not applicable to the rest of Canada. I mean these special grants. When we were more self-sustain-

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