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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2014-03-19, Page 5Wednesday, March 19, 2014 • Huron Expositor 5 www.seaforthhuronexpositorcom letters to the editor Conservatives seem to have forgotten their base Dear Editor: For a number of years true conservatives have been disap- pointed with the government of Stephen Harper. While claiming to be conservative, Harper has repeatedly betrayed his base. Economically, Harper has expanded the size and cost of the federal government 40 per cent. He and his Finance Minister, Jim Flaherty, raided income trusts which many seniors had invested in and which Harper had prom- ised never to do. As an economist Harper knows that stimu- lus spending does not create long-term employment. Yet he not only engaged in massive stimulus spending, but long after the recession was declared over, he continues the spending, so much so that one commentator declared it to be the new normal. As a result, on the federal level Canadi- ans are now in debt $700 billion and counting. Politically, Harper has dramatically increased the size of the federal civil service, and he has not reformed the Senate or the Supreme Court. For years, Harper and his people have sneered at social conservatives as "having missed the bus:' Harper has not closed down the Canadian Human Rights Commission, he has not defended traditional marriage and has openly sought to preserve the status quo with regard to abortion. And on his watch the RCMP have become a rogue agency, which seeks at every turn to persecute law-abiding firearms owners. Last year in High River, Alberta, the RCMP broke down the doors of 1900 homes and confiscated legally possessed firearms which their owners are still trying to get back. The average damage to the affected homes was approximately $3000 and not only did the Commissioner of the RCMP not fire the officer in charge of the operation, he promoted him. Just recently, the Commissioner of the RCMP reclassified two families of previously legal, non -re- stricted rifles to prohibited status. Anyone who now pos- sesses one of these rifles, even though the rifle was bought legally must turn the rifle in to be destroyed without finan- cial compensation [And the cost of the one rifle, imported from Switzerland, is about $3000 per rifle.]. Anyone who fails to turn in this legally obtained firearm is now a criminal sub- ject to ten years imprisonment, a lifetime ban on owning firearms and fines. Child molesters and rapists are rarely treated this harshly. Yet neither Harper, the Justice Minister, Peter McKay, nor the Public Safety Minister have disciplined the RCMP Commissioner or rescinded the order prohibiting these firearms. Indeed, the Minister of Public Safety signed off on the order. I am tired of the phony conservatism of Stephen Harper and his party. Harper would do well to remember what hap- pened to the Tories under Brian Mulroney and Kim Camp- bell when they betrayed the conservative base. True con- servatives simply stayed home and the Brian Mulroney -Campbell Tories were sent out into the political wilderness for years. Dave Joslin, Brussels, ON IN THE YEARS AGONE Town pays tribute to late mayor March 15,1889 • Messrs. Charles Frazer and William Egbert, of Blyth, write to us saying they are prepared to challenge the Tuckersmith wood sawyers or any others to a match for the champion- ship of Huron and a $20 a side. The match to take place half- way and the size of log to be from 20 to 22 inches through. Who will tread on the tail of the Blyth boys? • Since the formation of the new salt combination, the price of salt has gone up to $1.25 per barrel, the manufacturers receiving 85 cents for it. • At a meeting of the town council on Monday evening it was resolved to submit a bylaw to the ratepayers for the purpose of raising $6,000 to provide the plant and co. for the lighting of the town by electricity. It was also decided to spend $500 this summer in macadamizing a portion of Main Street. • The Salvation Army had a "big go," on Tuesday night last. Major Morris and other officers from a distance were present. The hall was crowded and the proceedings were quite interesting. Thirteen new soldiers were enrolled. The torchlight parade on the street looked very pretty and there was an unusually large number in the procession. March 13, 1914 • Mr. Robert Scott, one of Hullett's most progressive farmers, disposed of about 70 tons of hay in town this season, and this while many farmers are buyers of hay. It was all sold for $15 per ton. I The fire alarm was sounded about 8:30 p.m. on Friday, and the firemen turnout out. Fortunately their services were not required. It seems a pile of cuttings were ignited by a hot iron in the clothing factory, but the fire was discovered before it advanced far and was extinguished by a few buck- ets of water. • At a recent meeting of the Lucicnow council there were three applications for pool room licenses. The matter created a considerable interest in the town and there was a large attendance of ratepayers at the meeting. After a full discus- sion of the subject the council decided unanimously not to grant any pool room licenses. • One of the Hydro -electric men had a close call the other day. He was working at the time about four miles from town. While on a pole, his head cam in contact with a live wire, burning it severely and rendering him unconscious. He was rescued by some of his fellows and taken to the Royal Hotel, where he received medical attention and is now able to be about again. • Ugoigo club gave a jolly little St. Patrick's dance in Case's Hall. • An exciting hockey match was played in the rink here on Thursday evening of last week, between the Tuckersmith seven and a team composed of members of the town band. The farm boys were too fast for the musicians as they won out by the good score of 8-3. March 17,1939 • Police and officers of the Fire Marshall's Department, who have been probing recent Hensall fires, have concluded their investigation, but have issues no report. A number of witnesses were examined. Citizens, while regretting that nothing definite was found by the investigation, are confi- dent that the activity will discourage any further work by the firebug, who is believed responsible for the fires. • Flu continues to take its toll in Seaforth and surrounding communities. Schools particularly, are feeling the strength of the epidemic, many pupils being absent from each class- room. At the Collegiate, Principal G.A. Ballantyne has been absent for some days, confined to his home with the flu. • Advisability of installing a police signal light, or lights, on Main Street was discussed by council at its March meeting. The signal system would include one or more lights which would show red upon a all being phoned for police. The lights would remain on until police answered the call. March 12,1964 • Representatives of government and business mingled wit Seaforth citizens Monday in St. Thomas' Anglican Church to pay tribute to Mayor Earl Dinsmore. Mr. Dinsmore died late Wednesday night while vacationing at Winter Haven, Florida. He was 54. • Seaforth councilors, at a special meeting Wednesday night, chose councillor Angus MacLean as mayor to fill the vacany resulting from the death of Mayor Dinsmore. He becomes the 36th person to hold the office. • Provisioin of a park and picnic area at Grieve's Bridge in McKillop is mooted in brief forwarded this week to Hon. Charles McNaughton, Minister of Highways. Presented by Local 284 of the Farmer's Union, the brief urges action to establish a park in the area abutting the Maitland River and the new county road. March 15,1989 • The Seaforth Community Hospital has negotiated 24-hour medical coverage for weekends. This coverage, offered by a group of 30 doctors out of London and organized by Dr. Greg Chernoff, will result in a doctor locating in town and being on call. • The lockout has ended, a collective agreement has been negotiated, and employees of Hensall's General Coach plant were back to work Wednesday, March 8. The collec- tive agreement, which was finally ratified, is of a two year duration and gives each employee an approximate 4.5 per cent wage increase over the next two years. • Huron County residents will pay almost 20 per cent more taxes to the county this year, largely toward the proposed rebuilding of Clinton's Huronview Home for the Aged and a waste management study. The $22.4 million budget approved by county council Thursday includes a 4.28 per cent increase in the operating budget, just less than the expected ride in the cost of living. • Media attention has shifted away from the Lord's Prayer issue and the topic of opening exercises in schools, while provincial and local educators examine this controversial issue. But at the March meeting of the Huron County Board of Education a delegation of parents from Howick Town- ship show this issue has not lost public attention.