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Wednesday's Letters: What on earth is happening to dairy prices?
I DESPAIR when I read about what is taking place in the county's dairy farming industry. What exactly is going on? Surely we are entitled to know.
The other day, I saw two litres of milk being sold at 85p in a farm shop within a garden centre. I doubt that this was being sold as a "loss leader", so what sort of profit is being made when a major supermarket is selling the same quantity of milk at 1.40?
The situation was brought home to me when, on television, I saw the receiver at accountancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, who is administering the collapse of Dairy Farmers of Britain, state, showing obvious amazement: "Why are we importing milk?"
One thing I do suspect is that the dairy farmers of those continental countries that are exporting milk to this country, reported to be in the region of a million litres a day, eg, the Belgians and the Dutch, will be rubbing their hands at the plight of British dairy farmers, and will just be waiting for the time when there is no dairy industry at all in this country.
One comment that I often see quoted is that we dictate the price of milk. It's what we are prepared to pay. Not true – I suspect that most people are prepared to pay a fair price to ensure that the industry survives in a healthy state.
Retail Price Maintenance was abolished in this country many years ago, and a good thing, too, but there may just be a case for its re-introduction in the case of milk in order to protect an industry that is so vital to us.
What amazes me is the way the Government appears totally oblivious to what is actually going on. Or, for that matter, care. "Market forces" must always be allowed to operate.
Finally, have your readers noticed that when it comes to the price of petrol, "market forces" are definitely not allowed to apply?
The price of a litre of petrol varies by only two or three pence regardless of where you buy it, whereas a litre of milk can vary by as much as 30p. Why? Does that forbidden word "cartel" spring to mind?
From: David T Craggs, Tunstall, East Yorkshire.
Warning from past on MPs is still true
From: Keith Johnston, Eaton Hill, Baslow, Bakewell, Derbyshire.
THIS MPs' expenses scandal has shown up a disgraceful attitude to spending taxpayers' money. The risk of something like this happening has always been there but until now has been avoided by good leadership.
I have a newspaper cutting dated April 5, 1970, headed: "Enoch on the Hand in the Till." It starts: "Mr Enoch Powell yesterday warned MPs not to abuse their unique power to raid the public till for benefits for themselves."
A clear warning against what has been happening recently and he describes it as not so much distasteful as perilous for the authority of Parliament. And he warns against "sheltering behind boards and committees and judicial inquiries of their own creation," which is now being done.
We need a new Parliament. A General Election must be held in the next few months. We should not carry on much longer with this one.
A necessary wind farm
From: Mark Gregory, Leeds Road, Rothwell, Leeds.
CLIMATE change is now predicted to be worse than previously expected. This was outlined last week in a new Government report – UK Climate Projections 2009 report.
Also, last month, a report by the Global Humanitarian Forum, the think-tank chaired by former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan, said that climate change is already responsible for 300,000 deaths per year.
We need to tackle climate change individually, locally, regionally, nationally and internationally as soon as possible. This means that we need to reduce our fossil fuel consumption. In part, this will involve moving to electricity generation from renewable sources like wind power, wave power, solar power and tidal power.
Next month, Leeds City Council has the opportunity to take a step in this direction when its planning committee meets to decide whether or not to approve the Hook Moor wind farm, near Micklefield. This wind farm would power thousands of homes with clean, green renewable energy and is part of the solution, in a small way, to tackling climate change.
The science of man-made climate change is proven. These new reports just map out more of the detail. We need to act. It's as simple as that.
Leeds City Council needs to approve this wind farm.
Give the city what it wants
From: Bob Watson, Springfield Road, Baildon, Shipley.
IT was interesting to read in the Business Section (Yorkshire Post, June 18) that Yorkshire Forward is considering whether it should back plans for the City Centre Park in Bradford, presumably with the input of substantial funds.
However, when one bears in mind the flawed public consultation that attempted to justify the massive spend required, and the widespread local opposition to that spend, one wonders just when will Yorkshire Forward actually invest in something that Bradfordians actually want?
Now that the city has been awarded the prestigious City of Film accolade, surely it is the right time to look again at the Odeon cinema
building and join with the Bradford Odeon Rescue Group in moving forward their impressive and popular plan for the building.
A redeveloped Odeon would, along with the adjacent Alhambra Theatre, provide a superb backdrop to the National Media Museum, and give excellent additional facilities in connection with the City of Film award.
It really is about time that such unelected quangos listened to the people who pay their wages and then provide what local ratepayers actually want, instead of ploughing ahead regardless with their own agendas.
Catalogue of blunders
From: John Abbott, Newland Avenue, Hull.
MICHAEL Meadowcroft (Yorkshire Post, June 18) thinks Gordon Brown's appointment of Sir Alan Sugar to a government post is a good illustration of the Prime Minister's lack of judgment.
Maybe so, but there are plenty more where that came from.
Appointing those two towering geniuses Messrs Draper and McBride who cooked up the filthy smears for the blog that thankfully never was; going into the Euro Elections knowing New Labour hadn't kept the long-standing promise for an EU referendum and getting the inevitable kicking; diving hastily on to YouTube with a policy on expenses cooked up on the hoof without telling anyone; actually backing "Gorbals Mick" Martin in the expenses fiasco as long as he could – all these suggest a Prime Minister who doesn't know what judgment is, let alone exercise any.
How standards have changed over grammar
From: Betty Marsden, Keeling Street, North Somercotes, Louth, Lincs.
WELL said, JW Smith (Yorkshire Post, June 5) regarding bad pronunciation, spelling and grammar from people who should know better. These are my pet hates, too.
In general, standards are low, but to hear and read it on the BBC TV and radio is inexcusable. There was a time when the BBC could be relied upon for correct English.
I have written to the Yorkshire Post about this before and had replies from other readers, who were annoyed about it. It annoys me intensely to hear presenters, news readers and journalists saying: withdrawral; thawring out; raw reggs; saw rit; law rand order, etc. They pronounce the letter R, where none exists. Wherever a W is followed by a vowel, they insert the letter R. Can they spell?
Yet, other words, including the letter R, they omit – libry, Febuary etc. I hear, too, Wensday, haitch for aitch and almost unbelievable, "eligible to apply" pronounced as "illegible" by a news reader.
Also, why do we have so much American spelling and pronunciation creeping in everywhere? Silly expressions increase in use; credit crunch; a level playing field; at this moment in time; all things being equal. In the written word, apostrophes appear like confetti. Do schools teach grammar these days?
I have written to the BBC Pronunciation Department about these poor standards. The reply from them was an apology for any irritation caused, but pressure of work, with many hours of speech broadcast every day, it was inevitable that occasional mistakes would occur. The BBC said every effort is made to keep errors to a minimum. They said perhaps it was colloquial speech? I disagree. I think it is lazy speech.
I was thanked for my comments, which were noted.
In my day, at grammar school in Wakefield, a matriculation certificate was not awarded unless a pass in English Language was obtained. One girl in my year gained nine distinctions, but no pass in English Language, so she was not awarded a certificate. How standards
have changed.
True tribute to Jane's grit
From: Karen Thrippleton, Woodlands Park Road, Pudsey, Leeds.
I WOULD like to say a big thanks to the Tomlinson family and to all the organisers, runners and volunteers for the Leeds 10K on Sunday.
What a brilliant day it was. This is an event that just gets better every year.
Mike, Rebecca, Suzanne and Steven were all amazing, cheering and encouraging everybody on what must be both a happy and sad event for them all. I, for one, will be taking part in this event for many years to come.
Days like these show the true Yorkshire spirit, grit and determination that Jane inspired in everyone.
Let's handcuff fiddling MPs
From: Dai Woosnam, Woodrow Park, Scartho, Grimsby.
I HAVE just seen television news footage of an American inadequate, dressing as his dead mother in order to pull off a tiny fraud against US social security.
My jaw is still open from my shock at seeing this fellow handcuffed with his arms behind his back.
Why my surprise? Well, because here in the UK, we the British public, are longing to see our much bigger thieves get the same treatment. By my reckoning, at least 400 MPs will get away with it because of our spineless Crown Prosecution Service.
Brown's task
From: SR Clark, Coronation Avenue, Misson, near Doncaster.
SINCE Gordon Brown's dreadful results at the polls, he seems to dwell largely on cleaning up politics.
He needs a sharp axe and perhaps he could start with slippery, foolish, loose cannon, Lord Mandelson, with his Euro clap-trap.
Surely crime and the sloppy way in which it is being dealt with in the UK should also be at the forefront of any agenda.
Lessons of vote
From: Michael Swaby, Hainton Avenue, Grimsby.
BRIAN Hardy asserts that Richard Corbett's defeat is a result of his pro-European views being both misguided and unpopular with voters (Yorkshire Post, June 17). If Mr Hardy's explanation is correct, then presumably he will be celebrating the election of the fiercely anti-European BNP candidate Andrew Brons.
Regrettably, he fails to suggest how this outcome will benefit voters in our region.
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Sunday 12 February 2012
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