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Page 2 Friday, March 10, 1978 CASTOR REVIEW CASTOR COMMENT Rehabilitating the Nation Rehabilitating the Nation River is one of the most important steps for any Ontario Government to undertake at this time. Premier Davis and his advisers should not be mistaken about the political viability of this project; nor should they allow it to be fumbled by normal bureau- cratic inertia. Scarcely anything that the Government could undertake in Eastern Ontario - short of cutting Hydro rates - could be more productive of support for the Government or party responsible. The Nation drains, waters and beautifies the area from Brockville across to the Ottawa River, a pie-shaped piece of territory of tremendous strategic and economic importance in the ecology of Eastern Ontario. It could play the same important role in helping to elect or defeat the minority Davis Government. Each year, within the memory of living men and women, the Nation has gone on a rampage, flooding vast areas of farm land and depriving the economy of the full value of the territory in question. In mid-summer, the Nation dwindles to an unattractive stream, meandering its listless way across the countryside. Bringing the Nation under control with a series of dams and holding basins would mean that the flooded lands in the Plantagenet and Brinston areas could become economically productive. It would mean also, because of the presence of a good head of water all summer long, that the Nation's recreational potential would be greatly enhanced. We note that the Nation River rehabilitation scheme has gone back to the drafting board for more precise cost figures in relation to each of the proposed control dams. This is legitimate and appears to indicate that someone in the Davis Government jumped the gun in inserting the project in the Throne Speech in the first place. That slip can be forgiven if it is an indication of the Government's intention to get on with the job of bringing the Nation to full potential, a promise that has been hanging fire since most of us can remember. At the time we take occasion to call the attention of the Ontario Government and the planning authorities at the South Nation Conservation Authority to the existence of an important body of water known as the Castor River, a tributary of the Nation. Important because it waters an extent of country from well above Highway 31 as far east as Casselman where it runs into the Nation; and important because it has exactly the same recreational potential in this area as the Nation has to the south. We hope that when the question of control dams for the Nation is being considered at Cabinety level that the claims of the Castor will receive equal consideration, representing as it does the most forward- looking and potentially developable area in Eastern Ontario. We trust that the Cabinet and the Conservation Authority will treat the Castor as an integral part of the Nation system and will take the position that the rehabilitation and upgrading of the Nation would be incomplete without extending the same policies and projects to the Castor. Anything less would display marked lack of understanding of the topographical and economic realities of Eastern Ontario. Correspondence Gentlemen and Others, One is at a loss, sometimes, how to address a wandering beaver. Is it 'Fur goodness sakes, pay attention' or does one doff the hat and pat the water for attention? The new newspaper of the Russell area is well worth twice the former price of a pelt. Find $3 enclosed. Back when trappers were common, the undersigned had some small public prominence in Chesterville. Sadly though, it never entitled us to mailing privileges. Mr. Editor, you will have to use the mail service, such as it is, to reach us with your excellent publication. We lost our pelt years ago in the trade; but it was an exciting 25 years; The Review fills a need in the Russell district. P.S.: Tell Citizen Mark beavers leave stumps alone; only the trunk and branches need attent- (Mary Rowsell photo) Crumbling Barn ion. Best of luck, Join Hands Prescott-Russell is one of the more economically depressed areas of Ontario and for years leaders have been trying to dream up a major tourist attraction to help offset this deplorable condition. Many sug- gestions have been considered and been considered and aban- doned as un feasible. Now, the Prescott-Russell Association for the Mentally Retarded has come up with the concept of a counties festival with the theme "On se donne la main-- Let's join hands". Backed by a hard-work- H. Keith Graham, Chesterville. Editor's note The Castor Review would like to thank St. Mary's ing organizing committee which included Russell Deputy Reeve Albert Bourdeau, the festival is starting to pick up momentum. It's scheduled to run from June 22 to July 3, and if successful, will link Prescott-Russell communit- Anglican Church Women ies in one celebration. Who knows for their generous $15 at this stage what potential the donation. While the paper festival might have; the Quebec is now privately owned it City Winter Carnival started on a does not yet earn enough to small scale too. What's needed cover expenses. All staff now is a surge of support from the are volunteers and _ all area service clubs. So come on, money coming in is used to "Jet's join hands". ae the monthly printing ill. The plight of the dairy farmer The great spy plot Governments have generally been noted throughout history for the fulsome manner in which they pay tribute to farmers and the equally extravagent way in which they sacrifice them to politically powerful consumer groups or financially powerful industry. What has happened in the case of the dairy farmers appears to be the result of an attempt by federal and provincial bureau- crats to solve the woes of the industry by controlling the prim- ary producers. In the Soviet system the farmers are controlled by taking away their lands but we limit the amount they can produce, thus reducing the farmer's income while holding over him the lash of forfeiture and bankruptcy. The problem in the dairy CASTOR industry is not one of supply, nor is it one of over-production. It is simply that consumers cannot afford at present end-prices to absorb current production in milk, butter and other products. At the same time, the price span between farm gate and super- market shelf is better than 100 per cent. Of course there are shipping, processing and labour costs in between. The fact remains that a reduction in the end price of, say, 20 per cent with no decrease in the farm gate price, would result in substantial betterment of the farmers' financial position. Cutting back production and penalizing the farmer for going over quotas simply keeps prices up at the consumer end and effects an artificial embargo on consumption. Consumption of dairy products REVIEW "One Canada" Box 359, Russell, Ont. Editor: 445-2080. Reporters: Karen Bowley, 445-2051; Joyce' O'Reilly, 445- 2008; Suzanne Schroeter, 445- 5709. Sports: Jack MacLaren, 445- 2131, Peter Van Dusen, 445-5770. Photographs: Mary Rowsell, 445-5244. Advertising: Theresa Griffith, 445-2820; Joan Van Dusen, 445- 2080. Layout: Stuart Walker, 445- 5707. Out of Town Mailings: Nylene McNeill, 445-2018. Mark Van_ Dusen, Submissions, preferably typed, double-spaced are welcomed, publishable at the discretion of the editor. Published by Castor Publish- ing, Russell, Ontario. President: Thomas W. Van Dusen. Printed at Eastern Ontario Graphics Ltd., Chesterville, Ont. NEXT DEADLINE March 31 NEXT ISSUE April 7 Second Class Mail Registration No. 4218 is also suffering because of the cholesterol scare which is now dropping back to more sensible porportions as medical science is finally beginning to admit that the real problem is more than one of simply absorbing cholesterol; it is also and perhaps' more importantly, a question of failure to burn up by exercise the amount of animal fats taken into the body. Farmers have also been badly hurt by the action of politicians in allowing butter substitutes, such as margarin to be marketed all over the country, dressed up and packaged to look as much like butter as possible. Correction of some of these abuses, coupled with more real- istic pricing policies would go a long way toward relieving the intolerable burdens now driving farmers to the wall. At the core Baird McNeill's suggestion that the cores of Russell and Embrun be revitalized is certain- ly worth exploring. The councill- or would like to see the township acquire some of the more delapitated central buildings that go up for sale, level them, and offer the land to commercial developers. The provincial gov- ernment has a subsidy program for that type of project and it's possible the township could be eligible. One thing must be kept in mind: commercial develop- ment in village cores should be forced to blend and not allowed to clash with established communit- ies. "Government kicks out fourteen Russians for spying" Newspaper headline 'Vladimir, Igor, Alexei, all of you, get in the Volkswagon."' 'All fourteen of us?"' 'Do your best. Anything for the Fatherland. We must follow this miserable Mountie into the Gatineau hills?" 'Where is the rendez-vous?" 'Do you dare ask such a question, you fool? Have you no awareness of security?"' '"'But comrade, how can I drive the car if I don't know where we are going?"' "That is a typical capitalist inversion of reality. Drive. I will tell you where to go." "Here we are in the Gatineau hills, comrade. Where do we go from here?"' 'Don't ask questions, you dolt. Stop when you see a pile of orange peels in the roadway." "'But they don't grow oranges in this country, comrade, especially not in winter." (Groans from the back seat). "Comrade director, we are getting squashed back here. Popoff has ceased to move on the floor. He may have expired. Boris has fainted and Ogoronovich is turning green."' "That is an improvement over his ordinary colour. Remember, Brothers, while you may be uncomfortable, at least you are alive. It is better than Gulag." "Comrade, director, I see the accursed Mountie standing by the road." "Stop the car. Everybody pile out. Fan out in the underbrush. I will deal with the Mountie."' "Good morning, It is always darkest before the dawn."' "What's that?" "It is always darkest before the dawn." "Oh. The password. How about, The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over the Lazy Dog." "'That is correct. You must be the Mountie. Why did you not bring your horse. 'We don't bring our horses on security missions." "A likely story. 1am empowered to offer you fifty million roubles for a complete map of the skidoo routes in Gatineau Park." "How much is fifty million roubles?" "Twelve and a half cents." "You realize this information is top secret?" "Of course. Why is this person approaching us with a camera?" "'He's an official R.C.M.P. photographer. He wants a picture of the two of us together." "How ducky. Wait until I comb my hair." "Who are these chaps coming out of the woods?"' 'Permit me to present my colleagues from the MVD. They wish to be in the picture, too." 'All thirteen of them? We'll have to crowd in. Smile, gentlemen, please."