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Clinton News-Record, 1964-12-03, Page 4Kudos For The Conformist Editorials • Confidence Engendered Paw; •4-,a-cliattoa News-Recor Thursilay Dec, .3, 1964 ur Early Files A large notice was placed in the last issue of the News-Record by Canada Packers. It advised readers that a few tins of the company's products con- tained meat which could have been irn- properly prepared, The notice 'listed the serial'numbers of the cans involved and explained they should be returned to grocers from whom they were bought. The notice explained a small por- tion of its pack of the brand-name pro- duet had slipped past with inadequate preservatives. The notice also stated there was absolutely no certainty the meat was bad. But Canada Packers took no chanc- es. Advertisements were placed in all With Clinton's municipal elections only a few days away, we have done a great deal of soul-searching in an effort to decide whether it would be a good policy to make editorial comment on the various candidates in the political race. Whether it be the best decision, or not, we have decided it would not be fair to encourage support for one candi- date over another, or to discourage sup- port for another. We do have our pre- ' ferences, but they have been formed in a brief six-month residency here. We would suggest only that voters do their own soul-searching before they set out for the polls on Dec. 7. They should vote—not for an old friend, a regular guy or a relative—but for the man who has shown by his previous actions his ability to think and act for the betterment of Clinton. For in the end, it is this man and his associates who will control the des- tiny of Clinton. We all profess to be fond of our town—home town for some, and just plain home for others. We owe it to the old town to do well by her next Monday. There folloWs a list of guide lines recently offered by the Rev. Ray Hord, secretary of the Board of Evangelism and Social Service of the United Church of Canada. They can, of course, have no hid-• den suggestions which could apply loc- ally. In the interests of the impending municipal election in Clinton, they fol- low: (An editorial in the Fall Issue of the Ontario Fish and Wildlife Review Published by the Depart- ment of Lands and Forests.) We are continually amazed that hunters, both individuals as well as organizations of hunters, continue to allow themselves to be maligned by the non-hunting public, the press and their fellow hunters when it comes to van- dalism. Hunters are hunters and van- dals are vandals, and seldom the twain shall meet. When a man is hunting he is not doing "wilful damage"; nor is he "de- facing public or private property in a manner which spoils the appearance" or "is offensive to the common public". When he is hunting, he is preoccupied with an interesting, healthful and excit- ing recreation, and his wilful purpose is to apply his knowledge, senses and abilities to it. A hunter is a hunter when afield. He is physically active covering the territory, climbing hills, stepping over logs and roclos, pushing through brush or hurdling fences. His eyes are on the cover, scanning the fencerow—or the horizon, watching his direction — or looking for game food or shelter or watching for tracks, animal runways, signs of feeding or animal droppings. His ears are tuned in to hear the almost imperceptible sounds of his quarry; the squeaks, rustles of leaves, pawing, snorts or cackles that mean "heads up"! His nostrils do not twitch like his dog's, but he is always aware of the aromas of the field and forest, and he often imbibes the sweet perfumes of the out-of.ddors. Throw a dog in for good Measure, and a hunter has all he can handle. No hunter is going to shoot at a sign, a wire insulator, a cow, a horse or car when he is that busy. Why waste tHE CLINtON NEW Est. 1865 1,468 • .0 44, I. O N Attliorlsost as sato StlatekleflO newspapers, and radio and television time was made available to warn the Public of a possible danger. As a result of the publicity all the cans in question have been rounded up and pit out of circulation. The expense to Canada Packers must have been tre- mendous, But the company wanted to do everything it could to warn its con- sumers — even though the publicity could cost the firm a certain amount of business. It is to be hoped the public confi- dence engendered by the full-scale ad- mission of an error in the interests of the public will be more than repaid in renewed and new business. • Consider the candidate's ability. A basic priority in choosing a man for any office is that he can handle the job creatively and effectively. A blustering politician may not be able to "deliver the goods." Experience helps but a well-qualified newcomer should be given serious consideration. • The candidate must have absolute integrity. The first law that a politician should learn is to avoid a bribe or tainted money like the plague. Our whole public life would disintegrate if we could not trust our officials. • An incumbent who has been found guilty of "conflict of interest" should be defeated. A municipal official should not get involved in questionable real estate deals. Public leaders should not use personal influence in the buying and selling of insurance. • The candidate's political philosophy and social concern should be assessed by a study of his past voting record or through questioning at a public forum. In an urbanized, industrialized society, public leaders should actively support subsidized low-cost housing for needy families and the elderly; slum clearance; urban renewal and redevelopment; the provision for adequate parklands and youth recreation programs; and the support of cultural, interests, • A candidate should be concerned about the education of our youth. He should work not only for the provision of adequate classroom facilities, but also high standards of teaching and the dis- semination of Judeo-Christian ethics through our school system. a shot? Why startle the game? We don't say that there are no vandals who own guns. They own pen- cils, knives and cars too, and most can throw stones. Vandals are found in cities, towns and villages and on farms. They break windows, pad/it on signs, tear down posters and write dirty words on toilet house walls. In public parks, they like to deface signs on nature trails and hack up picnic benches or young trees. When a man with a gun shoots a cow, he isn't a hunter, he's a rustler, especially if he steals it, too. How many cows, reported "killed by hunters" are really shot in retaliation for something the owner has done? Breaking down fences is blamed on hunters; some of the critics have never heard of rust or rotted-out posts. One also gets the impression that all hunters carry wire cutters to make fence-climbing easy for both man and dog. Conservation officers check many thousands of hunters in a year, and we cannot substantiate this impression. Let us not make saints of the whole hunting fraternity, though. There are a few malicious, careless, thoughtless and rebellious hunters who do wilful damage to public and private property just the same as there are such people who never owned a gun. Let Us stop indicting "hunters" by inference, Let us stop campaigns which tell hunters not to do damage. Such pleadings are not heeded by the vandal- bus few who they are aimed at, and they connect "hunters" with "vandals" in the public mind. Hunters themselves often perpetuate this connection by joining in these pleading refrains. Let's call a spade —a spade; a van- dal—a vandal; a rustler—a rustler, and a sign shooter—an immature person, A. hunter is a hunter. Winter's First Layer (News-Record Photo By John Visser) FOR DEPUTY-REEVE Dear Editor, and readers: On Monday, Dec. 7, you will be voting for your 1965 coun- di which will govern the affairs of your town and mine, Clin- ton. On the merits of my past record I have let my name. stand for the position of Deputy- reeve. Because of a time limit on candidates' nomination speech- es—where a person cannot pos- sibly outline his intentions thoroughly—I wish to take .this opportunity to let you, Mr, and Mrs. Clinton, Ontario, know my plans for 1965 if elected to the position of deputy-reeve. ' Policing: Although we have • a good police force and sonic new equipment, I see a need for further equipment, namely radar and a new cruiser, be- cause of the condition of the present one. Also, better wag- es, uniforming and a closer lie- son with the elected Police Committee is necessary, I also advocate a wage increase for members of the Clinton Volun- teer Fire Department. The traffic situation has been dras- tically improved since last sum- mer with the addition of a fourth policeman and the mo- bile radio which was emphatic- ally advocated by me more than two years ago This was absolutely necessary and I think most citizens are quite happy with the results. Our police force, too, is .doing a great job. Arena, and Community Centre: This subject needs no introduc- THE "DANGEROUS THIRD" of the year, motor-travelwise is just around the corner. December, January, Febru- ary and March are the months when the motorist must amend his summer driving habits if he would side-step the hazards which abound on snow-covered thoroughfares. Dominion Automobile Associa- tion, whose interest in accident-free driving on winter-glazed roads is under- standable, through Mr. W. S. Chalmers, Manager, Members' Services Division, • Dominion Automobile Association, of- fers below a time-proven set of rules which will, if adhered to, help guide the motorist through the winter months without mishap, Check your own driv- ing habits with the suggestions contain- ed in this decalog, and if necessary, re- vise your methods to conform. • START GENTLY: To overcome rear wheel sloughing in snow, Start slowly. Second gear, or even high gear, will fre- quently get a car moving, when the usual low gear start only spins the wheels. • SEE AND 8t SEEN: Don't drive with a befogged or snow-covered wind- shield and windows. Don't start to roll Until you can See around yotir full circle of visibility. Let others see YOU, by turning on your headlights in the late afternoon, even if it isn't dark. • GET THE "FEEL" OF THE ROAD: Check the braking efficiency of the ex isting road surface with a light test pressure on the brake, If you slide, re- duce speed accordingly. • DON'T "TAILGATE"' The gener- ally accepted "Car length' for each 10 . . River Near Varna m.p.h." doesn't apply at this time of year. It takes from 3 to 12 times the bare road factor to stop ,your car on ice and snow, Set up your following distance with this in mind. • BRAKE BEFORE TURNS: Antici- pate a reduction in speed and let your engine help you brake for a turn. A fast, right-handed turn on snow can throw you into an "about-face" skid! • "PUMP" BRAKES WHEN SLOW- ING: Don't risk a dangerous skid by sustained brake pressure when slowing or stopping. Apply brake in gentle in- termittent pressures. • CARRY ALONG SOME TRACTION- MAKERS; Always carry a shovel, some sand, and tire chains (if you don't have snow tires) in your trunk. Try putting the sand in cardboard milk containers for easy spreading under wheels. • DON'T TAKE YOUR CAR MUF- FLERS FOR GRANTED: A leaky muf- fler or exhaust pipe can spell "cur- tains" for You under winter conditiOns. Have the boys at the filling station check 'these parts every time your car is on the grease rack. • DON'T TRY TO PUSH YOUR STAL- LED CAR, OUT OF A SNOWBANK: Especially if you are over forty! A severe strain on a faulty heart can re- sult from unaccustomed pushing of a car out of a snowbank, Better to call a tow truck than an ambulance, • USE YOUR SEAT BELTS AT ALL TIMES: Seat belts are pa,riettlariy valu- able in winter type skidding mishaps. Don't drive ANYWHERE without therm in place. There's a great hoo-haw these days about conformity, which has become a dirty word. Edu- cationists and editors, social workers and sob sisters warn us that one of 'the great threats tolreedom in the modern world is conformity. These Cassandras claim that we're 'turning into a nation, a world, of conformists. They threaten that •the golden age of the real individuM, the rebel, the non-conformist, is, nearing an end, and that very soon we shall all be slaves, eating what everybody else is eating, wear- ing what .everybodys else is wearing, doing what everybody else is doing, and thinking what everybody else is thinking. I find myself remarkably calm in the face of these pro- phecies. In fact, I think they are pure poppycock, In the first place, I see noth- ing wrong with Conformity. It in c'r e ly means, "compliance with established forms". In short the individual accepts the responsibilities and the res. traints Which society imposes on him. The vast majority of people have always been conformists. If you happened to be a canni- bal, and the piece de resistance was roast missionary, you sat down With 'the rest of the boys and enjoyed the preacher, You didn't say, "Gee, I don't knoW, fellas. Maybe we're making a mistake. Maybe we shoulda boiled hini," No, Sir._ You Con- formed. You went along with the crowd. If you happened to be a Ro- man legionary, happily hacking up Gauls and ancient Britons, you didn't stop in the middle of the orgy and ask yourself, "Is this the real me, or am / just doing this because' everybody else is ?" If you did, you were a dead non-conformist. Equally, if you happen to be a Modern marl, and your kids and wife are putting you over the ittrnps, you conforni. You don't take a twcebY-lottr and pound your kids into submis- sion,, You threaten to cut off their .allowance. In the second place, the deli- berate, or concious, non-con- formist is a simple pain in the arm. He is the type who thinks he can't be a painter unless he has a beard, who thinks he can't be a poet unless he needs a haircut badly. Perhaps the greatest confor- mists in the world todhy are teenagers, In -their desperate attempt to avoid conformity, they become the most rigid con- formists in our society. They dress alike, de their hair alike, eat the same food, listen to the same music, All this, in an ef- fort to revolt against society, to be non-conformists! Not that theme haven't been great non-conformists. Beethov- en, Tolstoy, Gauguin come to mind. But they were great, not because they were non-confor- mists, but in spite of it, They had talent, Mac. On the other hand Bach was a church organ- ist, music teacher and had chil- dren, Shakespeare worked atro- cious hours, lived an exemplary life, and never missed getting his hair cat regularly. Alexander- the Great, Napo- leon, -the Marquis de Sade, Hi- tler and. Lee- Oswald were non- conforMists. You know what they contributed to the world. Does this mean every non- conformist is a nut? Not neces- sarily, though probably, Ile is usually an unhappy chap who, for seine deep-buried reason, must attract attention. Trouble is, the people who constantly warn us of the dan- gers of conformity have con- fused the non-conformist and the individual, The former is to be pitied. He is seeking firm ground in a quagmire. The lat- ter is to be envied. He has found a prune (himself), in the Pot" ridge of society, and he chews happily ever after, Perhaps old Polonius put it best in. Hamlet, His son is going away to college. The dad gives him a lot of advice about con- forming. Then, in an unexpected and untypical flash, he adds, "This above all. To thine oWn self he true; thott catest not then be false to any man," Think First; Then-Vote A Hunter Is A Hunter Clinton News-Record Anialgaated ERA ni 1924 THE CLINTON. NEWS-8ECORD Published every Thursday at the Est 1881 Heart of HtirOn. couaty Clinton, Ontario POPOlatiOn 3,369 DAVID E. SCOTT, Editor. A. L. OOLOUHOUN 0 Publitiher eaatriinilian* In Wit' dO N. R. open onk al Oa *Mimi onlyi loll do •ficii hitasSoitille sitaikai *h. alsoisit o1 iti• asionnatioe. hd dens than, Pail bllka papatliinint, Otia4m, and tar al Sidifitio Oavabla Cute $4.65 a year; Wiled 0044 fed ifookieit 0.93t• C.Mi Letters To The Editor 50 years old that should have been replaced long ago — a ;building where human lives gather to watch and take part in various activities. But do we the People, we the council, we the youngsters, think of the appalling tragedy that could take place with the sudden col- lapse of this building while filled with people? It happen- ed only a short time ago with loss of lives, injuries and sor- row, and it happened in a small town where the arena was in better condition than is our own, We must have a new arena, Roads and Sidewalks: There is need of immediate action by cur 1965 Road Committee, The sidewalk situation in Clinton is dePlorable.. Some sections of town have sidewalks which are no better than they were in frontier days, They had dirt roads and no sidewalks away back when, so what else is new? tion at all. We have a building (Continued on Page Eleven) Additional Letters To The Editor Which Could Nat Be Accommodated On This Page Will Be Found On Page 11 FOR COUNCILLOR To the Clinton Voters: Last Friday. evening, Nov. 27th, I was one of a goodly number of citizens of this town who took in the nomination meeting at the Town Hall. While there I was asked if I Would consider running for Council and told (unofficially, of course) that I could run for this office. I had always been under the impression that I did not qualify because I was an employee of the Public Utili- ties. This was only a supposi- tion, not a known fact. Opin- ion around me seemed to be divided, but a number were sure that I could run, and so I was nominated. I was sure that if I was not eligible our Town Clerk, Mr. John Livermore, would so inform my mover and seconder, He said nothing, and quite rightly so, although at the time this seemed like proof that a member of the PUC could in all honesty run for Council, As usual, all nominees have until 9:00 p.m. the following evening to either qualify or fail to stand. If you wish to qualify you sign .a proper legal docu- ment containing, among other facts, a statement to the effect that you are not disqualified under section 35 of the Munici- pal Act. I believe that the pro- per place to get an interpreta- tion of the Municipal Act is from the Department of Muni- cipal. Affairs in Toronto. But since they are not open on Saturdays, I made quite a num- (Continued on'Page Eleven) The Other 10 Commandments 40 Years Ag-o pemopr 4, 1.951 Mr., J. W, .Moore,. who lives in Goderich, but who '1.s. an old employee of the Doherty people was taken with a 'little soizure. just .after his arrival at the factory on Saturday morning and, after a doctor was called, he was driven home, He Wa's. all right in a few hours and has been driving bade and forth every day since, Mr,. John Aitken of the Hun, COI Casting Company had a ra- ther -bad accident While driving on the highway between •Tharn. esville and bonaon on Saturday week. It was raining and the road, which Iva:s being repaired, Was not very good, It was slippery and his car skidded into the ditch and turned over) pinning him beneath. Mrs, Warrener of Mary Street will celebrate her • 87th birthday on Tuesday next, Dec. 9th, The lady keeps house for herself and her son and enjoys excellent health. The choir of Wesley church had, a duck supper in Wesley Han on Friday evening last. A good attendance gathered in the council 'chamber on Thursday evening at the ad- journed meeting to consider the bolding of a reunion next sum- mer. November 30, 1939 Last Friday Clinton's stock yards were very busy and Dav- id ,Cantelon sent away two of the biggest loads of hogs he has consigned 'to the packers for some time. Hurled from his biCycle by a oar on Friday evening, Russel Currie, aged 56 years, received Severe head injuries and passed away one hour later in Clin- ton Hospital. During the past week work- men commenced excavating on the let fronting on Mary Street, behind Hanly's Garage. It is reported the lot has been sold to a Goderich man who intends building a chopping Mill there. Mr. and Mrs. Ir. LiVeritore announced the engagement of their youngest daughter, Bessie Marguerite, to Robert Donald Bissett, son of Mr, and Mrs. C. E. I3issett, Goderich. One of the liveliest nomina- tion meetings held here for many years took place in the council chambers on Friday night and was attended by an overflowing crowd. The council chamber was filled and some found it necessary to seat them, selves 'in the board room. It ap- peared from the list of names selected 'that a keen contest for every office was assured. (There were five candidates for mayor; two for reeve and 13 for council.) 25 / ears Ago 15 Years. Ago Peeember 19491, "I don't know what happen, ed ., 1 guess they must have slugged me and thrown nee from the truck;" Fred Howard, trucker„, 462 Grey Stroet, Len- dola, said Saturday, Howard was slugged and robbed of his panel truck early Friday even- ing . and Onmped. in, a ditch north of Clinton, During the early hours of Tuesday morning, two local places of business were entered end robbed of small amounts of money from the cash regis- ters. Stanley Brothers Modern Meat Market lost about $10 from the cash register, ditelad, Mg $7 in wrapped one-cent pieees. Murphy Brothers • Gar- age, Huron and Orange Streets was entered during the night by means of opening a Window in the back of the garage. The sum of about $17 was taken from the cash register and a drawer in the desk. This district will witness a unique auction sale at the Fair Barns in Community Park, Clin- ton, Tuesday afternoon next when a draft sale will be held of Scotch Sh.ortho.rn cattle from the herds of John Patron, Varna; C. H. Heys and Sons, Varna; R. M, Peck and Sons, Hippen; McKinley Farms and Hatchery, Zurich; and Roy F. Pepper and. Son, Seaforth. 10 Years Ago December 2, 1954. Vigilance on the part of Constable Richard Timleck dis- turbed would-be-thieves from the premises of the Oscar Swit- zer gas station: on Victoria St., Clinton, early Saturday morn- ing. According to the clerk-trea- surer of Clinton, Douglas Hol- land, total 'taxes currently re- ceived are $124,529,96, Released on Monday from Huron County Jail at Goderich, on a $1,000 property bail, Alvin. Fowler, 21, appeared before Magistrate n , B. Holmes in Clinton WednesclaY to face charge of assault occasioning bodily harm to Eldon Glidden, presently in Clinton Public Hospital. Public School Board memb- ers George Lavis, Clayton Dix- on and Royce Macaulay will re- turn to the job for another two year term, taking with them K. W. Colquitoun to represent Ward 2. Fashioned of Canadian mat- erials, by the New Canadians who will worship Within its • walls, the new Christian Refor- med Church stands completed at 'the east end of Princess Street, ready for the official., opening to be celebrated on Fri- day by the members of the con- , gregation.