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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1943-01-28, Page 34 THE EXETER TIMES-ADVQCATE, THURSDAY MORNING, JANUARY 28th, M® County Council i(CpntinuecL from Page Two) Jn his address, pstipiatp4 that costs for maintenance of the county roads in 1943 Will he $74,037.87; for construction, $[9,567.08; overhead, $8,389.11; machinery operations cost, $62,723.63; earnings, $89,- 229.07; machinery shop capital, $551.42; operations, $6,915)86; earpings, $6,723.52; spreader, $825; stock, receipts, $19,738.46; deliv­ eries, $16,204.55; new machinery, truck, $1,400. The subsidy on the expenditure after allowance for receipts should be about $45,000, Mr. Patterson es­ timated. Most of the construction costs are for items carried out in 1941 before the rubber crisis, and the 1942 construction items are of very small amount. Miscellaneous sales and machin­ ery rentals for the past year to­ talled $34,010.27, which indicated the volume of work done by the county road forces apart from the roads, and accounts partly for the improved financial condition Of the roads department. (The machinery was loaned for work at the air­ ports.) Mr. Patterson continued: "Much bituminous surfacing need­ ed last year was not completed, ow­ ing to scarcity of material. Consider­ ably more should be done this year, but there is no certainty that as­ phalt can be obtained. However, the limited amount of this work done last year has confirmed our practice in this regard, and itr can be expected that future work will be economically carried out." "It is customary that emergency jobs show up throughout the year that must be done. However, un­ der present conditions no work is being planned that can be econom­ ically avoided. Post-War Improvements "The Department of Highways has requested that a plan of road improvements be prepared for post­ war purposes. This county has had for a number of years a plan of road improvement which it was endeavoring to follow, but which was interrupted by the war. Re­ cently it has been felt expedient to add to that program the recon­ struction of certain bridges so that the presentation of a road-improve­ ment program will not be difficult. However, the Department of High­ ways makes no mention of the man­ ner in which costs are to be met. It is not indicated whether any or all of this proposed program is to be paid for by the county. Intelligent preparation of such a road program requires enlightenment in this re­ gard. "It is encouraging, however, that post-war conditions are receiving at­ tention. However it may be expect­ ed that when post-war plans are being carried out, the county of Hur­ on will be ready -to cooperate in all reasonable proposals. The year 19 42 has shown that this council is conscious of .the problem of civil re-establishment of soldiers and of carrying out postponed public works. A continuation of the 1942 policy will possibly place this county in a better position than any other muni­ cipality in the province. "I am grateful for the helpful cooperation received from the mem­ bers of the council, the county road commission and county officials. All concerned have had but one concern, the best interests of the county of Huron. Sessional Pay and Salaries Increased At the Friday afternoon session the council authorized that the ses­ sional pay of the members be in­ creased from $25 to $30 and to $6 a day for committee meetings. The warden’s salary was increased from $125 to $175 and the clerk and treasurer are to be given cost-of- living bonuses of 10 per cent of their salaries. Grants were authorized as recom­ mended by the executive 'commit­ tee to the following: Children’s War Memorial Hospital, $25; Goderich, Clinton, Seaforth and Wingham hospitals, each $700; Canadian Na­ tional Institute for the Blind, $200; Huron,, County Library Association, $30,0’; Salvation Army Home Front, $30*0; Ontario Conservation and Re­ forestation Association, $25; Blue ’Water Highway Association, $200; * agricultural representative’s office, z $500; Junior Extension Fund, $300; ' each library in the county, $25; Lucknow Library, $15; each spring fair, $100; County Plowmen’s As­ sociations, north and south, $85 each, providing a match is held; Hen­ sail seed fair, $35; school fairs, if held, $25 each; district Woman’s In­ stitute branches, $25 each; Hospital for Sick Children, $25. $2,000 to Russian Relief Council endorsed the following grants, as recommended by >the war­ den’s committee: Navy League of Canada, $2,000; Chinese War Relief Fund, $1,000; 'Canadian (Aid to Rus­ sia Fund, $2,000; Salvation Afihy Red Shield, $3,000. X C. Shearer, agricultural repre­ sentative, tdld the council in an ad­ dress that Since 1939 the farmers Of Canada have contributed 200,000 men to the armed forces and to in­ dustry. The labo.r situation was the ihain problem confronting tne farmers, who have been asked by the government to increase produc­ tion aJJ along the line. He did hot think any relief would come to mix­ ed farmers, and offered various sug­ gestions—to yse Italian prisoners, colored people from the West In­ dies, internees. These, he said, Would probably be sent to cash crop areas, and the mixed farmers of Huron and elsewhere would again haye to depend on their women and children and assistance from ur­ ban areas. Mr. Shearei’ compared the prices of farm produce today -with ?5 years ago, During the last war they were trebled and quadrupled. Wheat then was $2.10 a bushel; beans, then $8.25 a bushel, today $1,40. Rutter shows 4he only com­ parable price at 38 cents a pound. Sheep flocks have been increas­ ed to an extent of 25 per cent and this will be required this year. Hog production in the county had in­ creased by 20 per cent, The soya bean crop was greatly increased. Earlier seeds will be available this year, and the use of these was urg­ ed; and he stressed the value Of in­ struction in the care of farm mach­ inery. School Inspectors Report E. H. McKone, Inspector of Pub­ lic Schools for South Huron, told the council that there are 86 schools, 81 being rural and five urban. Of the 81, five are closed. In these days of scarcity of teachers, schools With low attendance could alleviate the situation if their children were sent to other schools. The total number of teachers last year was 122, this year, 118. The minimum salary is $800, the highest in the rural district, $1,175. Many school boards are improv­ ing the appearance of their school grounds. One school jn Usborne, dating well back into' the 19 th cen­ tury, is making the old school a thing of beauty. "It has been said that England’s victories were first achieved on the playgrounds of .the schools. Surely as much attention should be given to the care of cemeteries." Nearly every school has a flag­ pole. In Huron South every school but one is taking part in the sale of War Stamps; and the Navy Lea­ gue collection amounted to $23 0.83, the largest amount ever collected for this purpose in the inspectorate. Health Education Stressed Mr. McKone stressed the impor­ tance of health education, and paid a fine tribute to his predecessor, E. C. Beacom. J. H. Kinkead, Inspector for North Huron, also emphasized the impor­ tance of health education in the schools. Half a million people in Canada, according to government reports, were undernourished. There was a decrease in enroll­ ments in the rural schools which with the teacher shortage, is pre­ senting a problem. The union of some school sections is bound to come, and should be done before July. Fewer teachers will mean few­ er schools. He urged the value of cooperation rather than competi­ tion. H. Edwards, superintendent of the Children’s Aid Society, report­ ed that 41 cases assigned by the Dependents’ Board of Trustees, had been investigated. There are 31 cases in child protection work. There are 35 wards, four other societies’ wards, and 11 non-wards under su­ pervision. Unmarried parents’ cas­ es increased from 31 at the beginn­ ing of November to 35 at the close of December. Mrs. M. Chafee, social service worker with the Children’s Aid So­ ciety, also addressed the council briefly. The roads committee recommend­ ed that a program of post-war con­ struction be prepared. County road expenditures for 1943 of $150,000 were authorized. Less than $10,000 of this is for new construction. A clause in the report fixing the rate for labor on county roads at 35 cents an hour "if help is avail­ able at that rate” was challenged by Reeve Turner and Deputy Reeve Baker, both of Goderich, and an amendments to raise the county rate to 40 cents was introduced but was lost by an overwhelming majority. Deputy Reeve Baker made a strong plea that the man who is engaged in “hard, sluggish work", criticizing the 35 cent rate as unfair and in­ sufficient to properly maintain a household, but only five members of the 27 supported him. The County Home Committee re­ ported “no action” on the request of Scott Memorial .Hospital, Sea­ forth, asking that the County Home for the Aged be enlarged so as to acocmmodate sane types of aged people now confined to hospitals. The request of the County Fed­ eration of Agriculture for support of propped enabling legislation to make a levy on farms, .the pro­ ceeds to be used to finance the fed­ eration; Was voted down after a short but lively debate. The sug­ gested levy it was explained, would ohly be imposed on farms whose owners consented. Nearly all members departed on the aftei’fidhii trains £dr stations nearest their farm homes to make the journey from there as best they could. Only No. 8 highway to Strat­ ford was dpen. Black—So your Son had to leave college on account of poor eyesight? —Yes, he mistook the Dean of wom­ en for a co-ed. Civilian Industry Too, Aids Mightily Canada’s War Effort B- $ / ;$•lllllpg '.T< W B'S III OS •$: ||| MiM ■■fi it ■ STOP;__ E s I ,, , lit* * 1 t ^>7 •s • . ;T >'4 & li % J.<>: Bl * J J A NEW CLASS OF ARMY MECHANICS .. arrives for a course of prac- tical instruction in the Army Mechanics Trade School, car­ ried on by John Labatt Limited since 1941 as a contribution to the war effort. MAKING THE TOOLS . . . that will finish the job. Employees of John Labatt Limited turn out parts for weapons of war. The “non-war” industries of Canada today are making a very definite contribution, in many different ways, to the successful prosecution of the war. Not the least of this extra help for the war effort comes from the breweries of Canada, which, apart from their intrinsic value in help­ ing to maintain the morale of civilians and fighting men alike, are making noteworthy direct contributions as well. Here, for example, are some of the things one Canadian brewery is doing to help win the war: At John Labatt Limited, century-old brewing concern of London, Canada, all the usual ways of helping the war effort—Victory Bond and War Savings subscriptions, “backing” for the men in uniform, advertising in aid of war pro­ jects, and so on—were cheerfully undertaken by both management and employees . . . then they looked around for other ways to help. TRAIN ARMY MECHANICS In days of peace, a welcome sight to many a motorist in distress were the huge streamlined transports of Labatt’s, which never failed to offer practical help to a car in trouble. Behind these trucks was a highly efficient maintenance service and it was this service which suggested an important part of Labatt’s extra war effort. Back in 1941, arrangements were completed with the military authorities to operate in the Company garage a trade school for army motor mechanics, utilizing the facilities of the'garage and the services of the Company’s expert mechanics, as instructors. Since then, seven classes of skilled mechanics have graduated from this school, and a great deal of mechan­ ized equipment for the Army has been repaired and overhauled by the student mechanics. MACHINE SHOP INSTALLED Then Canada’s “bits and pieces" programme offered an opportunity for a further contribu­ tion. Equipment for a complete machine shop was purchased and installed in the Company’s garage. Employees of the Company’s Hotel Service Division, released from their regular duties through restrictions on services, under­ took an intensive course of machine shop training. Machines and men are now engaged in turning out a steady stream of materials for weapons of war. CONSERVE RUBBER AND GAS Months before restrictions were imposed on the use of trucks, Labatt’s began transferring the bulk of its shipping from road to rail and, even now, are far ahead of the regulations in this respects The mileage covered in the past six months is less than one-third of that covered in the same period of last year, and represents a saving of almost 9,000,000 tire miles. ESSENTIAL INDUSTRY The management and workers of this Company know that the present British Government, remembering the experience of Britain during the last war, regards brewing as an essential industry. Munitions production, it has been proved, is damaged if the working man is de­ prived of a reasonable supply of his beer. THEN AND NOW One of Labatt’s famous stream­ liners in all her glory and another on the blocks in the garage. Labatt’s wholesale con­ version from road to rail has saved something like 9 million tire miles in six months. $ :.W; :R"> J J V i LONDON • CANADA