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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1960-10-06, Page 11Huron Looks f�rYec, r -End Sur In a one -day meeting Monday of last week, Huron County Council: 1. Approved the sale of Sky har- bor Airport for $25,000 to Keith Hopkinson, who submitted the only tender. 2. Established a reserve fund for hospital building purposes. 3. Heard Clerk -Treasurer John G. Berry predict the county would end its inancial year with an an- ticipate surplus of $26,051.00. 4. Endorsed 19 to 15 a resolu- tion from St. Catharines seeking a distinctive Canadian flag. 5. Endorsed by 20-14, a West Huron W.I. resolution seeking abolition of daylight saving time. 6. Concurred in a Perth County resolution calling on the Provin- cial and Federal Governments to reinstate indemnity payments for stock lost by rabies. Reports of committee as consid- ered by council are as follows: COUNTY HOME COMMITTEE Your County Home Committee have met regularly since the June session and wish to report as fol- lows: As all of you are aware, we recently lost Mr. Bob MacTavish, the associate architect, who had been in hospital for almost two months. This has meant that Mr. Bridgman has been obliged to put other architects on the job and the work is now proceeding under the direction of Nolan and Glover, of London, who in turn are Work- ing under the direction of Mr. Bridgman. Your building program has been proceeding as scheduled; however, we, have run into various problems which were unforeseen at the time of planning the building and these items will tend to increase the ac- tual cost of the job. One major problem was in connection with the weeping tile around the foot- ings of the existing building. At the time of preparing this report, we have not received a price on the cost of the actual work involv- ed. We have been advised by the architects that the tile for two rooms was overlooked in the speci- fications, and that this will cost additional money to have the work completed; we have a price of $687.90. We have also run into the -prob- lem of the .design of the stairways. According to the specifications, there was to be a space left be- tween the end of the stairs and the wall. The committee investi- gated this matter and it was felt that when the stairs were being cleaned, that dirt and water would hit against the walls and would run down from one floor to the next; therefore, the architects were instructed to contact•Toron- to regarding having this design changed, and Toronto has approv- ed of the change, but we have not received a price for the cost of same. We have now submitted our first claim to Toronto in connection 'withgrant building gra t availabie. The first claim amounts to $54,- 365.16, and -we anticipate that this money will be received in the im- mediate future. There is to be no actual corner- stone for this addition•; however, there will be a date -stone in the entrance hall and this will be used in connection with a proposed cere- mony at a later date. County council will be advised In due course ,of the date of the proposed ceremony. As far as the general operations •of the Home are concerned, we wish to report as follows: We were instructed by the De- partment of Welfare that unless a registered.nurse was hired immed- iately, that our subsidy would be terminated until we had made the necessary arrangements for a reg- 'istered nurse; therefore, your.com- mittee were requested to ascertain whether any nursing help was available in their own area and advise the chairman accordingly. Your committee met to review the situation and the only person available at the time was Mrs. Jean Jacobs, R.N., of Clinton, and therefore your committee author- ized that Mrs. Jacobs be hired at a salary of $3,300.00 per annum, commencing July 29. Miss Parke, who has. been the head nurse, has not .her R.N. and under the cir- cumstances we had no alternative but to comply -with the Depart- ment's instructions. Further, un- der the circumstances, Miss Parke has been doing ordinary nursing work since Mrs. Jacobs took over and therefore her salary .was re- duced to 0,16o.00 per annum from $3,300.00. Applications were received in connection with the positions for stationary engineers. At the pres- ent time we require a -staff of three, with the possibility of one extra for the winter months. In addtiion to Mr. J. Anstay, our chief engineer, we have hired Mr. William Thuell, of Blyth, who has his third class papers, and Mr. W. E. Young, of Goderich, who has fourth class papers, both at a salary of $3,000.00 per annum.Wm. Morritt, Chairman. • HISTORIC COMMITTEE The Historic Committee were re- quested by the Depa•trrlent of Travel and Publicity to arrange for the unveiling of ,a plaque to be erected by the Department to the memory of the late `Tiger': Dunlop. This matter had been discussed a year ago, but had been delayed in view of the proposed new highway being built near the site of the tomb. After the com- mittee learned definitely whore the road would be located and being assured that no approach could be made from the new Toad to the site, they decided they -should pro- ceed to have the plaquc erected and the ceremony carried out. Your committee, however, did re- quest that the Clerk contact the Department of Travel and Public- ity requesting assistance in build- ing steps from the parking area to the site of the tomb: The Depart- ment of Travel and Publicity in turn, referred the matter to the Department of Public Works, who agreed to build tip steps to the site. This work was carried out at no cost to the County, with the exception of weather -proofing the steps which amounted to approxi- mately $58.00. When the steps were completed and your committee visited the site, they felt then that further work was necessary if the general public were to visit the area. It was, therefore agreed that a new stone should be purchased and that the area be cleaned up. This work has been completed; the stone costing $650.00, and the "'actual maintenance work was done by the Highways Department. The ceremony was carried out on September 15 and at that time many of the menibers of County Council were present. Your com- mittee are very pleased with the results of the work and wish to thank all those who assisted in any way to restore this historical site to its proper standards. The workt the -Museum has been progres ing nicely, and we understand that Mr. Neill, the curator, is very pleased with the attendance for the year 1960. In connection with "The. History of Huron County", we have had a meeting with Professor Scott and he advises that the' manuscript will be ready by the end of the year. In the meantime, we are contacting certain parties within the county and beyond, asking that, they consider,reading the manu- script before iis forwarded to the publishers. Once it is in the hands of the publishers, then we can get down to the actual cost of the book. The publisher will be able to guide us in the proper method of preparing the book. and the ,pro - • Y PARTICIPATE FOR OUR PROTECTION 11 N WEEK CTOBER 8 to 16 . . . • defective electric wiring • • How many times have you noticed the above reported as the cause of serious fires? Have you ever given any thought as to safety of your own wiring -in your home, your office, or your factory? 11 Electricity is Safe and Reliable! When Proper Observance is Given to These Simple Rules: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. PREVENT FIRES! ....• don't overload your wiring system! SP.ARKY SAYS' DON'T GIVE FIRE A PLACE TO START See that all wiring extensions are carried out by qualified and contractors. This insures final check-up by the Wiring Inspect Electric Power Commission of Ontario. Never use fuses larger than 15 amperes on branch circuits in you Don't "plug" fuses by inserting coins behind them. The fuse sery the safety valve of a boiler. Make frequent inspection of flexible cords. Don't hang any electric wire on nails. Don't tack extension cords or walls. Keep electrical heating devices away from combustibles. Keep lamps away from clothing, papers, etc. Never use iron, toaster or•+lamps as bed warmers. Install cdnvenience outlets to avoid excessive lengths of extension cords. NEVER USE GASOLINE IN YOUR ELECTRIC WASHER. experienced wiring or of .the Hydro - r home. es similarly to to baseboards Violation of These Rules, Resulting in Fire, May Invalidate Fire Insurance Policy. We welcome this opportunity of co-operating in the observ- ance of Fire Prevention Week SEAFORTH PUBLIC - UTILITY COMMISSION our per form in which it should be sold. We refer particularly to pic- tures, illustrations, maps etc., and of course the type of paper and the quality of the cover. This will all have a bearing on the cost and, of course, on the selling price. Beyond this point we cannot ad- vise you any further at the pres- ent time, and we feel that it would be late this year or early next year before we can actually give any; definite costs of the project. -D. Beuermann, Chairman. PROPERTY COMMITTEE Your Property Committee have held several meetings since the last session of County Council and wish to report as follows: The air-conditioning system has now been repaired satisfactorily with the purchase of one large motor and 'the rewinding of a small motor. Mr. Scotchmer, of Bayfield, did the actual repairs to the refrigeration system and his services were very satisfactory..' Tenders for the purchase of fuel oil for the Court House and Reg- istry Office were reviewed and the tender of Ross Scott, of Bruce- feld, at 14.5 cents per gallon was accepted. Your Committee authorized the purchase of a mailing scale for the Clerk -Treasurer's office from" Pitney -Bowes of Canada; the pur- chase of this scale amounted to $135.00. The scale is used by the various offices within the Court House and is proving very satis- factory and considerable money will be saved over a period of• time. At the present time we have un- der discussion the possibility of having to have repair work done to .the oil burner at• the Registry Office, or, if it cannot be repaired satisfactorily, a new burner will have to be installed. At the time of preparing this report, we have not received all the details neces- sary; however we will advise council of our action when fur- ther details are available. We had a complaint from • the Town of Goderich in connection with the drain located outside the women's public washroom. This drain is for the purpose of run- ning off water and snow and has been plugged solid. Upon investi- gation, it was found that there was no allowance for the water to run off as the drain had been im- bedded in cement. The drain was ordered repaired by your Property Committee. • Prices were received in connec- tion with repair work for the jail walls and the committee agreed to authorize the spending of between five and six hundred dollars on the work. The job is to be carried out by, Stewart Webb and Sons, Limit- ed. The committee have noticed that in most new Court Houses,' some type of reception area is available for guests and visitors who may come to the Court House from time to time. We do not have such a . roam _in.- our building, nor is there a room available for same; therefore, we have considered the possibility of improving the furn- ishings in the Clerk's office to al- low for such an area. We have considered the following items and would recommend to County Coun- cil that they approve of the work thus far: 1. That drapes be purchased for the one wall of the Clerk's office; the said drapes to carry the Coun- ty Crest, the total cost to be ap- proximately $438.00, of which $175 is for the actual screen for the. crest. This screen is ' purchased outright by us and can be used in the Court House, County Home, or wherever we should desire it at a later date. 2. That three small tables be purchased for the Clerk's office and these would be placed in the area whey a the Board table is at the presedt time, . and that we should digitise of the Board table or use it in some other way in the building. We might consider further im- provements at a later date, but do not wish_ to... be -involved- in -too large an expenditure at the pres- ent time, but, on the other hand, feel that the above-mentioned it- ems would be worthy of considera- tion. -Art Gibson. Chairman. AIRPORT COMMITTEE Your Airport Committee, acting on instructions of County Council with reference to the sale of the balance of the" property at Sky Harbour Airport! did call for ten- ders enders in connection therewith. A tender was received, from Mr. Keith Hopkinson, Goderich, `being in the amount of $25,000.00 for the said property. A certified cheque for $6,250.00 accompanied the ten- der, as required. The tender also stated that 90 days would be al- lowed from the day of accepting the said offer for completion of the transaction. The tender from Mr. Hopkinson was the only one received. The following requirements have been agreed to by Mr. Hopkinson: -1.. That he will take over the water agreement with Goderich Manufacturing Co. Limited. 2. That he will take over the agreement with the Canadian Pa- cific Railway regarding sewage disposal system. 3. That he agrees to have a cov- enant added to the deed in lieu of a performance bond and this cov-• enant would stipulate that he agrees to operate the airport for 25 years, as required by the De- partment of Transport. Mr. Hopkinson meets all other requirements, such as holding a proper lieense, etc., and therefore we would recommend to County Coundil that the tender from Mr. Keith Hopkinson for the purchase of the balance of Sky Harbour, in the amount of $25 000.00, be ac- cepted and that County Council give the Airport Committee auth- ority to complete the transaction. -Ralph Jewell, Chairman. WARDEN'S COMMITTEE Your Warden's Committee have held one meeting since the last session of Council and have dis, write .several items: In ceniseC- W tion with certain policies which pertain to County Council. We would like to submit the fol- lowing recommendations for your consideration: Convention Uxpenses: We dis- cussed this matter at great length and gave careful consideration to all matters in connection there- with, and now wish to recommend that a by-law be prepared under section 386, sub -sections 8 and 9 of the Municipal Act, as follows; 1: (a) Transportation: The fol- lowing mileage allowance will be made in connection with trips to and from conventions. The first 100 miles would be at the rate of .10c per mile; the next 400 miles atthe rate of .08c per mile; the balance of the trip at the rate of .04c per mile. It more than one delegate trav- els in the same car, he shall re- ceive no mileage, but he will be allowed expenses as indicated in items 2-5 inclusive. (b) By train: First class train fare and bedroom. (c) by plane: First class plane fare. - 2. Accommodation: Actual' cost of meals and accommodation while travelling to conventions and ac- tual meals and hotel accommoda- tion while attending' the said con- vention. 3 . Miscellaneous : Registration fee's; tips (maximum of 10 per cent of meals and hotel); taxi and parking fees while at convention. 4. Committee Pay: Regular com- mittee pay will be allowed for the number of days attending the said convention. 5. Wives' Expenses: No expens- es are permitted,. but delegates can charge full single rate on shar- ed hotel accommodation. 6. Approval: All expense ac- counts are to be submitted to the Clerk for approval by -the Warden or. Chairman of the committee concerned. Officials will separate convention. ,.expenses from routine'' county business' and submit report as indicatedl. March Session: There was a certain amount of discussion in connection with the length of time necessary for the March session of County Council. It would appear that the March session of County Council will be; in future, one of the heavier •sessions since at that time the various budgets are pre- sented and the mill rate is tenta- tively, approved. However, it was felt that this situation could be left to the discretion of the War- den. and Clerk to act according to the amount of business to be trans- acted at that time. Sending of Flowers: In order to avoid misunderstanding, we would recommend the following policy be used in connection with sending flowers. In the event of -the death of a member of County Council or county official or of his `family, flowers be sent in all cases; but, when it involves an ex -member of County Council or an ex -county of- ficial, flowers be sent only in the event of his death and not upon the death of a member of his fam- ily. Hospital Account: The Clerk ad- vised that there was some $6,800 owing to the county in connection with a hospital account from an estate. The county solicitor had recommended •that we take court action' to collect this money, and under thecircumstances, your committee recommends that nec- essary action be taken immediate- ly to protect the county. -Frank Walkom, Chairman. CLERK -TREASURER The general financial status of the County is very good, based upon the first six months of op- erations for the year 1960. In addition to the actual revenue and expenditure for this period, I have prepared a revised esti- mate forthe year 1960 showing an anticipated surplus of $26,051.00, after making an allowance of $40,- 000.00 for a reserve fund for hos- pital building purposes. There are certain of the attach- ed reports which need further ex- planation in connection therewith, and they are, as follows: 1. HIGHWAYS: As you can see, the highways operations for the first six months have created a deficit of $28,546.52 but as shown in the' estimates, this deficit will be offset in the follow- ing six months to create a bal- anced budget; it simply indicates larger expenditures in the first six months, against the actual rev- enue available. 2. HEALTH UNIT: You will note from the Health Unit statement that our budget is balanced to the end of June. I would like to point out, however, that financing of the Health Unit is one of the more difficult prob- lems which we have. No allow- ance is made in the Health Unit for any unforeseen expenditures and I would ask that when the budget for the year 1961 is set, that consideration be given to making a slight allowance over and above the actual expenditures necessary. In municipal financing we are not allowed to create a surplus and this makes the year to year op- erations much more difficult, es- pecially when you run into unfore- seen expenditures. This is a mat- ter, however, which can be given further consideration in the year 1961. 3. COUNTY fiOME: The Huron County Home account as at June 30 shows expenditures over revenue by some $5,000.00. I would like to point out, how- ever, that we are operating in this manner on purpose as we have funds in the bank which cannot be shown as revenue for the current year but, since these funds are available, we have not required as much money from the County gen- eral account as had been antici- pated. Therefore, we are retain- ing the money in the general ac- count of the corporation to avoid any unnecessary borrowing and at the same time still have funds available in the bank •account for the Home, although a deficit is shown for the first six months. lie the County Von* iieCGtiitit we do receive from time to time monies owing against estates and as a result of this more money is accumulated . in the bank and therefore your grant from 'the county can be reduced according- ly. 4. HURON CO, HOME BUILD- ING ACCOUNT: Financing of the building pro- gram at the County Home has been operating in a satisfactory manner and as at June 30, 1960, we had $12,873.90 in the bank. To date we have received no money from the Province of Ontario; however, we do anticipate receiv- ing various grants in the near fu- ture. If -these grants are made available to us in the immediate future, we will be able to carry on for some time without borrow- ing any money from the bank, As at June 30, we had earned interest in the amount of $10,157.63 as we have reinvested the deben- ture money not required when the construction program got under way. 5. GENERAL COMMENTS: In general, revenue and expen- ditures have been as anticipated with the exception of the Provin- cial grant for hospital indigents. This grant being some $29,000.00 was not anticipated at the begin- ning of the year and we are un- able to ascertain- whether or not it will be made each year or whe- ther it will be discontinued after 1960. Therefore, it would appear an opportune time to create a re- serve fund for hospital building program . since we have some lig. mum rl`y�R'. 1•I4,1 SgactAttit on, r x Ociviolia .Y„ -U funds av'ai'lablea.'t .this tilde, tea additioa 't9 thesa funds, any mon- ies derived from 'the „sate •ef the. airporproperty will; also •be a OM. plusfunds for the year 'apt r when the sale is completed; this money could also be used for the psoesu•ed oned above if coun- cilWe have made a slight increase in toe expenditures in connection with the Historic Committee, in w a;E t' a fait that it raa, air opportwm ,0410 far P&P Certain. : expenditui ea at . Pa loo's 4'41341t;. the., fletaila^ pl w4e ` ' be; Wit,,. -O ported py the Iiistorie C9mlgaittee< Agaut, .tliani�ing W the iden ait4 i ieinljer of Cottna.ell r 'Men!' ca+. operation and trusting tltec forego!1 ing report will bring the members; PP to date 0*i the actual fi.Raneing of the County. YOU. ( Per.fh, Clerk-Treaslu'er. During the illness of- E. fE. H. (Shorty) Monroe his insurance business will be carried on by Mrs. Munroe New insurance may be -arranged, policies may be renewed and accounts owing may be paid at the Office: _ GODERICH STREET WEST, SEAFOgTH E. H. (Shorty) MUNROE INSURANCE Phone 394 - Seaforth URBAN HOME - or RURAL BARN yours could be next ! PROTECT with FIRE INSURANCE Most fires can be prevented by practicing caution . . . but not all. Play it safe . . . be sure you have adequate fire insurance tb cover everything you own. See us today ! YOU, COULD BE NEXT! Every week across Canada fire strikes at more than 1,000 homes, turning a family sanctuary into a shapeless ruin: < Last year such fires cost hundreds of lives throughout the nation. Check YOUR home regularly for fire hazards, or ask the Fire- Department to look things over for you. Fire prevention is simple . . . and it's part of good citizenship. Few fires start by chance. Most fires are caused by ignorance or carelessness. A fire -informed family is familiar with fire -its uses and benefits, as well as its dangers. Parents should make sure their children's fire education is not left to chance. SOME GOOD RULES TO KEEP IN MIND ARE:, • Don't smoke in bed, • Use only non -inflammable cleaning fluids. • Don't use frayed electric cords. • Keel matches away from young children. • Clean out junk from attic and basement. • Make sure Your electric wiring is not overloaded. • Don't use ordinary extension cords on heaters or irons. • Be careful ,with lighted cigarettes. • Make sure you know how to operate your oil stove. • Watch out for sparking chimneys. JOHN A. CARDN:O INSURANCE General Insurance Phone 214 GERALD K. HOLLAND General Insurance Phone Dublin 3 E. H. (Shorty) MUNROE General Insurance Phone 394 W. C. OKE General Insurance Phone 458 W. E. SOUTHGATE General Insurance Phone 344