Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - January 12, 1994, Winnipeg, Manitoba Inside Story Winnipeg free press january Wendell free press wheat expert Blair Rutter says system distorts boxcars take Scenic route critics Point to waste of time by Larry Kusch staff reporter at a time when the Grain Industry is Short of rail train loads of Oats and other crops from As far away As Alberta Are taking the Scenic route to the United Industry officials because of a quirk in the Way Federal freight rate subsidies Are Prairie shippers of Grain can save Money by sending their product to Thunder Bay and Back As far As Winnipeg before sending it South of the Canadian wheat exports including durum to Brazil United states european Community China South Korea Japan tonnes tonnes tonnes tonnes tonnes tonnes total All countries tonnes source Canadian Grain commission subsidy lengthens a1 such a roundabout route can be cheaper than transporting Prairie Grain straight South because Ottawa Doest subsidize direct rail shipments to the United critics Call it a ridiculous use of scarce its United Grain growers president Ted Allen you can imagine in a time of car shortages How much this helps the rail car shortages were so acute last fall that Ottawa temporarily subsidized trucking of Grain to Thunder Dwayne who Heads the Grain transportation committee for Keystone agricultural said he want aware that Grain was being rerouted such Large distances to collect the Federal i think that a Little bit of common sense should maybe be used in How this subsidy is he under the Western Grain transportation Prairie Grain that is shipped by rail to a port position such As Thunder Vancouver and Churchill qualifies for subsidies of about 57 per the subsidies Are paid to the which in turn charge Farmers a lower government set critics of the payt Herail Way policy say there be any gain in sending Grain hundreds of Kilometres out of its Way if the transportation subsidy were paid directly to Blair a policy analyst with the Western Canadian wheat growers said the problem with the subsidy payment system is that it masks economic what we have to do is remove these distortions and allow the marketplace to determine what routes Grain traffic should for that to he Farmers should receive the subsidy the Grain transportation a Federal regulatory has been studying Winnipeg free press file photo ways to make the Grain handling system More and a report on its findings will soon be made to agriculture minister Ralph Peter the Agency said in an interview that rerouting of Grain Long distances to Thunder Bay to obtain subsidy payments is clearly a waste of time and motive Power and car you can assume be making representations on this matter either in the report or otherwise to the he Canadas competitors big wheat customers by Larry Kusch staff reporter Canada is Selling wheat to the United states at a record the Canadian wheat Board confirmed through the first four months of the Canadian crop which be Gan the wheat Board sold tonnes of wheat including durum South of the those sales make the the second biggest foreign Market for Canadian wheat so far this Only at has bought the irony of the High american sales is that the United states is worlds largest wheat exporter and Canadas biggest competitor in International it makes a lot of Doest it said Canadian wheat Board spokesman Brian Stacey with a chuckle Stacey said american farm pro Grams Are partly responsible for the increased sales to the the United states government has used subsidies so aggressively to sell its Grain abroad that it has left its own Millers Short of certain types of such As Sta Cey Blair policy analyst with the Western Canadian wheat growers said Ameri can and european Export subsidies have so lowered offshore Grain prices that the has become one of the most attractive markets for Canadian they pay Cash and they like our Grain he we have higher Quality especially do also ironic is the fact that the european Community now ranks third among buyers of Canadian in recent the dec has challenged Canada for second place among world wheat but through it had bought tonnes from the Canadian Grain commission re last the United states ranked seventh and Brazil sixth among Canadian wheat one reason Treyve moved up in importance is the conspicuous absence of Russia As a Long Canadas major wheat Cus Russia is now proposal would put More officers on Street police unions Knock plan to change Force police reporter along awaited plan to reorganize the Winnipeg police department was slammed yesterday by critics who say the plan is misguided in principle and Given the current fiscal and representatives of both police unions said yesterday that they have serious concerns about the de tails of the which would see senior positions Cut or re classified in order to free officers to get Back on the Jack president of the Union representing about Rankan file said the plan to put More officers Back on the streets would change the Job descriptions outlined in the unions collective agreement with the Ken head of these Nior officers said his group also has difficulties with the plan and is expecting a meeting soon with the Williams refused to detail the unions concerns but the plan Calls this is the if we dont we risk dying on the Vine City councillor Amaro Silva plan bombs with rank and a1 for the elimination of at least four of 35 senior officer positions and a shakeup that would result in six inspectors doing basically the same jobs that Are currently being done by higher paid while the departments executive which prepared the reorganization plan boasts it would bring Community based policing to the entire Haas Eek said the approach is halfhearted and will have Little effect on the Way the depart ment delivers its while the department would re Duce the number of districts from six to two and introduce Cal screen Haas Eek noted the plan would still see police operations centralized at the Public safety building and its six District stations instead of storefront operations As most advocates of Community based policing have called Haas Eek Points out that the department drafted the plan on the basis of having its full authorized complement of members about 40 More than it has now and about 100 More than it will have by the end of the year if expected retirements Amaro chairman of the Parks and culture said he was disappointed the two unions were unwilling to discuss the reorganization plan because in the they will Only be threatening their own this is the not the said we Are in very difficult times and we want our employees to participate in finding but if we dont we risk dying on the imagine this youre invited to participate in the most innovative sales promotion Ever you could save up to 75 off your next and and a Chance to win a 1000 lines phone 6977150 fax 6977370 Winnipeg free press ;