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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1985-07-10, Page 240661sitor* SINCE 1860, SERVING THE COMMUNITY FIRST SUSAN WHITE, General Manager HEATHER McILWRAITH, Editor The Expositor is brought to you each week by the efforts of: Pat Armes, Bessie Broome, Marlene Charters,,, Joan Guichelaar, Anne Huff, Joanne Jewitt, Dianne McGrath, Heather mcilwraith, Lois McLlwain, cob McMillan , Cathy Malady, Todd Mowatt, Larry Till and SteN;e Walters.. Member Canadian Community Newspaper Assoc. Ontario Community Newspaper Association Ontario Press Council Commonwealth Press Union international Press Institute Subscription rates: Canada $18.75 a year (th advance)' Outside Canada $55.00 a year (in advance) Single Copies-50 cents each SEAFORTH,. ONTARIO, WEDNESDAY, 'JULY 10, 1985 Second classmall registration Number 0696 incorporating BruseisPost 10 Main Street 527-0240 Published in SEAFORTH, ONTARIO Every Wednesday morning CIS RUE 111121130N AWARE 1983 4101:31ieezztatia,_ ' • Advertising Is accepted on the condition that In the event of a typographical error the advertising space , occupied by the erroneous item, together with reasonable allowance for signature, will, not be charged for but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. While every effort will be made to Insurp they are handled with tale, the publishers cannot be responsible for the return of 'unsolicited manuscripts or photos, Pride shines A week or so has passed since Tuckersmith Township rounded up its Sesquicentennial celebration. And although the celebration is officially over it will be some time before people forget the past six months and the activities that have distinguished the year of Tuckersmith's 150th birthday. • Without question the township can be • proud of the way ,it has marked its birthday,. And certainly the events of the past are ones the township itself, as vietkas the neighboring towns and townships, are not going to forget in a long time. "Revive, Came Alive in 1985" Is a slogan, which not only has become closely linked with the name Tuckersmith Township, but one which anyone who has been in the area recently knows .has proven itself true. Perhaps most noticeable about the Tuckersmith birthday was the pride and efficiency With which its inhabitants went about preparing for the Sesquicentennial. Both were evident in the final outcome, but also throughout the events leading to the final celebration. The entire area exuded a feeling of pride - pride in the fact the township they grew up in, or at least close to, was celebrating 150 years of being; 32 more than the country of Canada itself. That pride was evident in every event that had the name Tuckersmith attached to it. The township also proved just how much could be accomplished by a community when it worked together. It showed it was a township that cared about its history, its people, past and present. And it proved that it could take the small town(ship) feeling of community spirit, number one, and make it produce big city results. From all accounts the Tuckersmith celebration, specifically over Cahada Day weekend, was a big success. And even had it rained more on Saturday it is doubtful it would have had an , adverse affect on the weekend festivities. For the people of Tuckersmith, and those that came out to celebrate with them, proved that sunshine isn't necessarily a celestial thing, but that it can be exuded from the hearts and attitudes of the people on earth. One thing is sure, had those frontiersmen who founded Tuckersmith back in 1835 been around in 1985, they would have been proud of the township that made such a big showing of its 150th birthday, and such a proud exhibition of its heritage. — No deterrent Local politicians 'in' trouble Two more Canadian police officers have fallen in the line of duty. The sympathy of the entire country goes out to the families of the officers gunned down in cold blood in Quebec City last week. Every police officer who is killed on the job reminds us of the frail grip they hold on life. Any time they enter a new or unusual situation they put their lives on the line. In the past couple of years, the outcome has been tragic with alarming frequency. Unfortunately, as with most police killings, these two have caused a re-newed cry fOr the death penalty. It is unfortunate because those calling for it the most loudly are sadly misguided. The most frequently heard "rationale" is one of deterrence. Let potential killers know their actions could cost them their own lives and most of them will think twice, the theory goes. But the theory doesn't work. There's no evidence to back it up. In fact, there are at least two bits of information which refute it. One is the recidivism rate. Recidivism means the likelihood of repeating an action, particularly a criminal action: The rate for murderers is less than one per cent. That oceans better than 99 per cent of all murderers never commit a second killtnb. The other fact is something like 75 or 80 per cent of all murders take place in the heat of pastion, mpst often between people who knew each other fairly well before. Although this type of statistic is difficult to measure accurately, the,75 t080 per cent range represents mpst experts' best guesstimate. Especially in the second instance, how could deterrence possibly work? a If two people are involved in a heated exchange, and one of them breaks out a gun, does it really make sense to expect that person to sit 'down and ponder the consequences of his actions? One of the bitter ironies of the whole situation, in the US at least, is many of the people clamoring for the reinstatement of the death penalty are also the strongest advocates of the so-called "gun lobby." Thankfully, 'Canadian police have more sense in that respect than their American counterparts. They are always fighting for tougher gun control laws. That looks good on them. BLit the fact remains: Most of the people Who justify their call for the noose as a deterrent want no part of deterrence at all. Deep down, th4y want revenge. They have lost a loved one, and want to see "justice" done to the perpetrator. The wheels of justice may grind slowly, and at times may not work that well at all. But it's better to have a murderer sitting on the witness stand than an innocent .person, mistakenly convicted, swinging from the gallows. L.T. What's this? For anybody, who took. a year-long tour of the world or got lost on a Disney world ride and are just getting back from their Florida vacation, the strain might ' be too much when they come home to Huron County and find we're suddenly represented by members of the governmeht both at the federal and provincial level. Rip Van Winkle mustn't have been any more shocked at the changes when h?. woke up from a 20-year-sleep, How can this be? Not only that, but in the new provincial governmentHuron County has two members of the cabinet! Huron County has been "out" so long it's hard to know how to react being "in." Sometimes it seemed we just wanted to express; pur contrariness by being different than the test of the country or the province. I mean I stilt get a shodcwhen I look at an old picture in a paper that shows Pierre Trudeau being mobbed on the main street of Clinton at the height of Trudeaumania in 1968. But, even then' the Liberals couldn't elect a member in Huron County. As for the Conservatives provincially, they were last seen when Charlie MacNaughton retired, and have been an extinct species since. But knowing the personality of the Huron The agricultural industry is in serious trouble. A record number of farm failures: have occurred and we can expect many more in the near future. The farmer, who is traditionalLy non political is becoming more vulnerable to and dependent upon the actions of politicians. Today's farmer can either speak up or be forgotten. Many segments of agriculture are suffer- ing severe financial problems. These problems are often a direct result of the policies of various governments. Livestock production is complicated by a multitude of restrictions, tariffs, and selective subsidies. Cash crop operators watch with confusion as the price of their commodities is being manipulated by the American government. Farm operators; are increasingly becoming dependent upon government subsidies. These subsidies cause a distortion in the agricultural marketplace. Governments in some area favor their farmersaln other areas the farmers are ignored. Raising a specific urop or producing livestock can he profitable in one location and yet in another only a few miles away, but over a provincial or international boundary, a similar operation will be losing money and in danger of failure. Production restrictions or quotas in some types of agriculture can allow selected farmers to become wealthy and to eventually absorb the farms of neighbors who are not allowed to compete with them. The restrictions which were originally imple- mented in order to save the quota holding farmer from business failure, have suddenly becomevpftlable assets. It is now the farmers i non controlled commoities who are in 1 uble r These problems will continue and will get worse, unless the farmers demand action. The farmer who waits for fair treatment is in for a surprise if will not happen. unless he Now I think I know how a fighter feels when he gets not one, but two punches below the belt. A couple of fouls. 0 First, I got word that my kid brother had been delivered his death sentence, at the age of 62. He has' anywhere between three Months arid a year to live. He had retired to Florida. But not in the usual way, sitting aroundot the silty, malting to get old. He still, acted like a whirling dervish, as was his wont, when I visited him two winters ago, even though his health was not great But his heart was not really in Florida, though he'd gone there in disgust with Canadian politics and Canadian winters. He had been through about four winters in northern Quebec, enough to curdle one's blood for a few years. • • In fact, when he received his sentence, he was in the process of moving back to Canada. He had bought some property not far from the old home town. Florida in- summer is as bad as northern Quebec in winter. When I talked to him on the phone recently, I was astonished at his stoicism. No whining. No "W by me?" He was as brisk and lively as ever, making, plans to sell his property, get his affairs in order, and organize what remains of his life. He even said he might take me on in a golf game one of these days. There was only one slight falter, when he said, "It seems a little unfair, though,- and explained why. He had done two tours of operations on fighter planes in WWR, had been in numerous dogfights, had been shot' down and spent a couple of days and nights in a dinghy in the English Channel, blinded from the cordite of 'a cannon shell that had gone through his canopy, had survived about a dozen crash landings, had come through,a couple of hairy operations (surgical), and now this, 'Me rotten little worm in the guts.. County voter, if L were Murray Cardiff, Murray Elston or Jack Riddell I'd be worried for the first time in my political career, We dislike government so much we may turn against these guys just for spite even though we've been giving them ridiculously easy wins for years. Their futures may be saved however by a failure of their governments. In Ottawa, Brian Mulroney seems to be out to confound the experts who- predicted his huge victory meant the Conservatives would control federal politics until the turn of the century. From patronage to bonehead remarks by cabinet ministers to stepping on the fingers of senior citizens who were hanging on finantiaily by their fingernails, Mulroney's people have seemed bent on committing political suicide. In Toronto, the "honeymoon" for the new David Peterson government lasted about 26 hours before the press began laying traps. makes it happen. The political manipulations of their marketplace are being done by people who react to public prmure. The farmer must make the public aware of and sympathetic to his plight. Only then can he expect to be treated on a fair and equitable basis. Pork producers who want equali withIly..11,1 their subsidy rich neighbors i 0 er provinces roust either speak out or move o t. Corn grov "is who are selling their crops for less than it costs to produce them must become more organized and more militant. They cannot operate their farms at a loss indefinitely. Agriculture is a necessary industry It can become healthy again if we cut through the mass of political manipulations. It is necessary to ensure that today's farmer has a reasonable expectation of a profit. We do not have to guarantee the profit, just make It possible for a good manager to earn one. The farmers of today are more efficient and more productive than ever before in the history of this country. Unfortunately they are also more likely to go bankrupt. Each modern farmer produces enough to feed 80 people. This allows those 80 people to work in other productive areas and to improve the living standards for all of us. The modem farmer and his family look in envy at the life styles of the people that he feeds. They do not have the opportunity for the income or the living standards enjoyed by their urban neighbors The time has come for that farmer to make a choice He can either quit farming and go A little unfair. indeed nay I have his attitude when my days are numbered, as. of course, they are for all of us. But, as he said. he'd had a good life. done most of the things he wanted to do. and accepted the hand he'd now been dealt, without rancour ' He's of(to England. to spend the rest of his time with his family and see more of his grandchildren. I hope to see him, there this summer, if my own grandchildren don't get me hopelessly bogged down. If not, a belated Salute to my little brothel, Colonel Blake Smiley, D.F.C.I know he always wanted me to salute him, Another kick in the groin came recently with a message from Port Perry. Ont., that my old friend of many years. Pete Hvidsten, had died. Though he was not an airfotee buddy, he had been in the Norwegian Air Force during the war, had come to Canada to train, married a Canadian girl and gone into the weekly newspaper business after the war. That's where I first ' met him, at a newspaper convention. Per, his Norwegian first name, or Pete, the English equivalent, was a Orince of a good fellow, and we got on together from our first encounter. He was a man of many parts, though he didn't flaunt them. He could operate a linotype, play the flute, keep people 'happy just by his presence, and cope with difficulties by staying calm and reasonable Per was an intelligent talker, a good listener, and a loyal friend when you needed one (as I know from personal experience) He Jack Riddell was jumped on for his remark about the people in rural areas of the province who wouldn't likely vote for a Jewish political leader (which is, unfortunately, all too true). C.B.C. tried to heat up the separate school funding issue by saying the Liberals were thinking of postponing implementing the program for a year in one of those "refused to deny the possibility" stories. Everyday since then there have been stories about the Liberals "backtracking on election promises" because they haven't managed to accomplish everything in' their election platform in time for a report on the six o'clock news, So hold on folks. Let's not panic yet. Just because MesSrs, Riddell, Elston and Cardiff are in with the wrong crowd now doesn't mean they won't be back where we're more comfortable, on the opposition side of the house, before too long. get a job in a factory or he can right for his rights. The first option has some short term political advantages. W e could add the farmer to the industrial work force and use his skills in manufacturing. Our province would then live on subsidized agricultural products from other provinces and other countries. We would have to expect and depend upon the charitable impulses of those govern- ments to continue to feed Ontario at their own expense. They would. at least until they realized the degree of control they had over us. Remember how the Arabs reacted when they had control of oil the western world desperately needed The province of Ontario needs a healthy ilcultural Homy It is just as important to our consummd s as it is to our farmers. To ensure this happens, it is essential our 'farmers become as involved in the politics of this province as they are in the management of their farms. It is time for action. The farmers must ask and even demand that they are protected from the consequences of political actions by governments Outside the province. Farmers trust start writing letters to newspapers and to politicians. They should be involved in peaceful dernonstrations. They must he telling the public and the government abotit the dangers of the current situation If they are not prepared to work and to earn their rights in the political arena. farmers had better start looking for those factory jobs had manners that could charm the ladies tighrout of their shoes, an excellent sense of hum'or, and both feet on the ground Over the years, though we met only at conventions, we became closer Even our kids got 'to know each other. He brought his family to the city frit a concert my son Hugh was presenting. on a winter night with the temperature 30 below, and that wasn't Celsius. I watched his daughter grow from a terrible teenage brat to a lovely and charming young woman, His son from a teenage goof to a responsible, likeable young man With our wives, and another charming eccentric, Gene Macdonald of Alexandria. the Man from Glengarry, we sat up all one lovely summer night in the bow of a steamer going up the St. Lawrence, exhausted after a conventiort at Murray Bay, watching the lights of shore and passing steamers An enchanted evening. Pete and Inlayed eighteen holes of golf one day. after getting to bed about 4 a m As we struggled up to the last tee. we were both ready for an ambulance, but he was out in front by 20 feet. a little purple but not yielding an inch. , • Last time I saw him was in Halifax, at another convention. He took me in hand, . made me walk-half around the city, then led me,.on foot, up Citadel Hill. By the time we got to the top, I could neither see nor walk, as he amiably pointed out interesting things His passing doses off another of the happy trails of my life BEHIND THE SCENES. by Keith Roulston Speak out or get out COUNTRY CORNER by Larry Dillon Life deals two low blows SUGAR AND SPICE by Bill Smiley MAI