HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1952-02-21, Page 2Page 2 THE TIMES-ADVOCATE, EXETER, ONTARIO, THURSDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 21, 1952
Exeter <ime$=&tibocate
Ttaies Established 1373 Amalgamated 1024 Advocate Established 1881
Published Each Thursday Morning at Exeter, Ontario
An Independent Newspaper Devoted to the Interests of the Town of Exeter and District
Authorized as Second Class Mail, Post Office Department, Ottawa
Member of the Canadian Weekly Newspaper Association
Member of the Ontario-Quebec Division of the CWNA
Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation
Paid-in-Advance Circulation as of September 30, 1951 — 2,493
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J, Melvin Southcott - Publishers * Robert Southcott
THURSDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY 21, 1952
Guide-Scout Week
This is Girl Guide-Bov Scout week, In
Exeter there are a troup of over 20 Girl
Guides, a pack of close to the same num
ber of Brownies and some 35 Cubs. Can
you see what’s missing-?
The Guides have been through a pretty
tough struggle for survival and it wasn't
until a few responsible girls grew up into
patrol leaders that their one leader had
any help with the troup at all.
The Brownies have a similar problem
and the Cubs’ foui* leaders began in the.
fall, inexperienced, with some 40 boys to
look after. Some of the boys are now too
old for Cubs and their interest is fast go
ing. Their work has apparently been wast
ed because there are no Scouts in Exeter.
Is Scouting really that important?
Let’s look at some of the less obvious facts.
First of all, the Scout and Guide organiza
tion has membership in most countries of
the world. If there are any old Scouts left
in Communist-dominated countries, they
probably aren’t too popular with their home
government—because they were taught to
be free-minded citizens.
And you may be sure that an old Scout
is a good citizen. It takes lots of character
for a person to stick to a group through
its worst days to its best.
With a few exceptions, it lias been found
that those who drop such a group do so
through an inability in their character to
keep up the pace demanded, take the
knocks along with the good and stand up
for their rights. In any group there will be
things not suited to every individual.
There will be injustices as there are
everywhere in the adult world. And what
better training for a future citizen than to
learn to make the best of such situations in |
an organization such as Guides or Scouts ?
There had been talk in the town of I
forming clubs for boys and girls which {
would be equipped to give them every op- I
portunity in recreation. It may be safely >
said that equipment will never take the
place of good solid down-to-earth leader
ship—the kind that reaches the heart of
the boy or girl.
And where there is that leadership,
fancy equipment is nothing but an incum
brance to the development of strong ima
gination and ingenuity., independence and
strength of character.
Granted such recreation is a fine plan
and it would include those of the town who
might not stand up to Scouts but it is not
the basic need of a town. That should only
come if it has been proven that the young
citizens of the town are not good enough
stuff to hold their own in Scouting. And
that hasn't as yet been fairly tried.
What is needed for a new beginning?
Scouts need a dry, -warm place for their
meetings and a few leaders who can stick
with it. The rest they build, whether it be
equipment or character. The best Scout
earns the money for his own uniform and
is more proud to wear it. He builds as
much equipment as he can and he is auto
matically responsible for it.
A Scout troop is just a hope as yet,
but the other three groups—Guides, Brown
ies and Cubs—are becoming more actively
prominent by the day. What can you do
for them ? They don’t need a great deal of
financial aid but they need encouragement
and interest. That goes a long way when
shown toward youngsters.
•x- * * *
Encouraging
It’s encouraging to see that officials
of the Exeter Agricultural Society are
planning an early and ambitious start on
the Fall Fair.
One of the biggest fairs in the county
at the present time, Exeter has the oppor
tunity of working into one of thb biggest
rural fairs in Western Ontario, following
the CNE and Western Fair.
Although the crowd was one of the
largest to ever attend here, the exhibits de
clined slightly from the year before. How
ever, the fair board is taking steps to en
sure that there’ll be more and better at
tractions in 1952..
Here’s wishing them success.
•x- * * #n
Better Representation
The annual report of the Children’s
Aid Society of Huron County shows that
of its 21 directors, I (J come from Goderich
five from other parts of the county, includ-
ing two from South Huron,
While we do not wish to suggest that
there is any minority clique in control of
the organization (perhaps no others in the
I county have shown willingness to under
take the responsibility) nor that the Gode
rich directors are not capable (the Society
is doing an excellent job—a tribute both
i to workers and directors), nevertheless this
’ board should be more representative of the
county it serves. Only five municipalities
of the 24 in the county are represented in
the group.
| We do not know how these directors
are appointed but we do feel that citizens
> from other parts of the county should be
I on the board, if only to make the work of
| the Society more familial* to all those who
help pay for these necessary services.
J * -x-
I Pra ises Canucks
i (Goderich Signal-Star)
I An American (U.S.) newspaperman,
I according to a press despatch, has said
j that the Canadian brigade in Europe is
I ’The most cheering sight in the otherwise
drab picture of Western defence along the
I Rhine-Alps line”. Despite the fact that
j most of the Canadians had no more than
!• six months’ training before going to Ger
many, ‘‘they handled themselves like vet
erans”, and looked ready for a fight.
s The U.S. writer continued: “Every-
; body in the brigade is a volunteer, with
1 full understanding of why he is here and
; how long he will stay in Germany. Finally,
all hands in the brigade are well clothed,
well fed and well paid.”
w * * -K-
Ontario’s Weak Labor Laws
(Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville)
When a railroad strike paralysed Can
ada, the federal government called a spe
cial session of parliament to bring about a
settlement.
The transportation strike which ended
recently did not paralyse Ontario, nor even
the city .itself, but it did create great hard
ship, resulted in tremendous Joss of revenue
and employment to many besides the TTC
and the tram and bus operators. The loss
was not confined to Toronto, so this be
came an Ontario problem.
There seems to be more than enough
justification for Premier Leslie Frost to
call a special session of the provincial legis
lature.
In our opinion, it should have been
called long before the strike became ser
ious—not with the idea of settling the
strike by capitulation to the men’s de
mands, but to pass new and tougher regu
lations to correct Ontario’s weak labor
laws.
No one will- deny that all workers
have the right to strike. As long as this is
a free country they will, and should, retain
that right.
Workers in factories injure no one but
themselves and their employers when they
use labor’s ultimate weapon. The men or
women pay the price for their action in
lost wages, sometimes in lost jobs and lost
homes- when payments cannot be made.
That is their right, just as it is their
right to strike.
But men and women who serve the
public injure all within a city or within a
province when they halt a public service
such as transportation, light, power or
heat.
These workers still should have the
right to strike, but the penalties paid for
that right should be stiffer than they are,
for no group of workers has the right to
make their neighbors suffer.
There is a law in the State of Michi
gan which appears to be what the Province
of Ontario needs now.
It provides that transportation or other
public utility workers may strike if they
please. But, if they do, they lose all senior
ity rights, all pension rights. Their employ
ment with the utility is considered at an
end.
After the strike, workers may be re
hired. But they return as new employees,
on two years’ probation. After a given per
iod of years they may again start to build
up their retirement pensions.
A. law drafted along such lines is what
Premier Frost’s government should meet to
pass ... and NOW!
•x -x- * *
Campaigns for charity causes are be--
coming more and more popular. Perhaps
we should organize a Community Chest to
make a thorough campaign for everything
at one time.
As the----------
"TIMES" Go By
50 YEARS AGO
Mr. D. Wynn has disposed of
bis fifty-acre farm in Usborne to
Mr. Frank Brock for the sum of
$3500.
HENS ALL—Mr. William Bell,
who has been the faithful and
efficient treasurer of Carmel con
gregation for twenty years was
made the recipient of a liand-
som gold headed chain.
Pupils attaining the highest
marks at S.S. No. 1 Stephen in
January 1902 were Gifford Ho
garth, Joseph White, Harold
Duplan, Verne Sheardown, Elix-
worth Ridley, Charley Grafton.
Fred Conway, Gordon Wilson,
Mai van Calif as, John Dempsey,
John White, Lillian Robinson,
Vervin Elston, Elymer Wilson,
Margery Hepburn, Archie Robin
son, Austin Duplan, Maxwell
Baynham, Fred Fairball.
Messrs. Oscar Gilbert and Er
nest Harris are busily cutting ice
for Mr. Wiliam Pierce at Brins
ley.
Historical Item: On the 29th
day of May, 1851, Phillip An
drew had the misfortune to
break his leg and neighbours
with an ox team attached to a
bush bob started through the
bush to take him to a doctor
miles away; but they went some
distance along th% front road,
now No. 4 highway and reached
the first hotel or stopping place.
They told them a young doctor
had come in on the stage the
evening before and so he got his
first patient. Dr. Hyndman got
an axe and prepared splints for
the break but found he had pre
pared for the other leg so he
had to hew out a fresh set. So
began his medical practice in the
vicinity of Exeter, then only in
the embryo stage.
Winners of the Times-Advo-
cate draw were George Sanders,
Alfred Hicks, Chas. Godbolt,
Bruce Cooper, Sani’l Sweet, F.
W. Clark, Mrs. S. Lamport, C,
Schroeder, Robert Kydd, T.
Fletcher and Earl Dick.
Canada Drifts Toward
A One-Party State
(An editorial in The Montreal Gazette)
25 YEARS AGO
Messrs. James Weekes and
Wilbert Martin were again ap
pointed to the Exeter Cemetery
Board.
Mr. S. Stanlake, Mrs. Gould
and Mr. Hilton Ford won the af
firmative side of the debate on
“Resolved that the automobile
has done more harm than good”
against Miss Forrest and Mrs. C.
Prouty in Sodom School.
Lee Hedden, Miss M- McDon
nell, M. McDonnell, Claude Blow-
es and Harvey Hudgson were
prize winners at a Hensail skat
ing party.
Mr. R. A. Walter, teller of the
Canadian Bank of Commerce, is
relieving for a few weeks at
Seaforth. His place on the cash
is being taken by Mr. J. Batson.
15 YEARS AGO
The Exeter Arena was opened
to the public for skating for the
first time Tuesday evening.
IO YEARS AGO
Exeter lost one of its oldest
and very highly esteemed resi
dents on Monday afternoon in
the person of Mr. Benson S.
Phillips, who passed away at
his home on William Street in
his ninety-sixth year.
Arvo-Anson bombers are sche
duled to arrive at the new Cen
tralia airport within the next
few days.
Winners at* the Kirkton carni
val were R. Switzer, Jean Morley,
Jean Humphreys, Ray Morri-r
son, N. Marshall, Don Cluff, "Rev.
Morrison, Marion Copeland, J
Elson, and Don Brock.
Congratulations to Mr. and
Mrs. Eli King, of Crediton, who
celerated their golden wedding
anniversary at Mrs. E. Jory’s on
Tuesday.
Mr. Cyril Strange, son of Mr.
and Mrs. John Strange, of Exe
ter, has secured a position as
announcer over CKGB, Timmins,
Ontario,
... Neighboring News ...
Plan Opening
Tentative plans for the dedi
cation and official opening of
the Mitchell and District Arena
were formulated at a meeting of
the committee held in the coun
cil chambers Monday night with
A. D. Jordan, convener of the
chairman committee, requested
to act as master of ceremonies
Serving with him in arranging
the big program for the event
will be A. W. Blowes and O. Ro
gers. (Mitchell Advocate)
Meter Dispute
Over forty representatives of
St. Marys retail stores were pre
sent at a meeting in the Council
Chambers of the Town Hall,
Monday evening to discuss the
matter of the Town Council’s in
tention of having parking meters
placed on the down-town streets
of St. Marys on a trial basis.
Many of the delegates expressed
themselves in no uncertain terms
in opposition to the meters*
while a minority argued foi’ the
devices.
(St. Marys Journal-Argus)
T.O.A. Pilot
Mr. and Mrs. George Racey
and Barbara spent Saturday
with Mr. and Mrs. M. J. Racey.
George left by T.C.A. on Sunday
for Montreal where he begihs a
course as pilot With Trans-Cana-
da Airlines.
Parkhill Gazette;
(kilts Win
Clinton Colts defeated Cen
tralia RCAF Flyers 6-2 in the
first game of 0HA intermediate
“B” group semifinals in Gode
rich Memorial Arena Monday
night. This was Centralia’s home
game; second game is scheduled
for Clinton Lions Afena tonight.
The Colts went three goals up
in the first period, and added
two more in the second before
the Flyers could beat young Bill
Tideswell in the Clinton net. He
played his best game of the sea
son to date.
(Clinton News-Record)
Name Sanatoria
After Aberhart'
Named after the late William
Aberhart, former Premier of Al
berta, and former well-known
district resident, the Alberta
Government has just completed
one of the world’s best equipped
and most luxurious tuberculosis
sanatoria at a cost of $3,000,-
000—or $10,000 for each of the
300 beds.
The sanatorium is named af
ter tlieTate William Aberhart, the
first Social Credit Premier of Al
berta who initiated province
wide free TB treatment soon af
ter he came to power in 1935.
The late Mr. Aberhart was a
brothei’ of- Louis Aberhart, Sea
forth, and of Charles Aberhart,
formerly of Seafotli, but now of
London. (Huron Expositor)
Father And Son Banquet
Mac Ferguson, known a s
“Rawhide” of CBL, Toronto,
was guest speaker at a Father
and Son Banquet of the Men’s
Club of First Presbyterian
Church Tuesday evening with
130 present to enjoy a turkey
dinner catered to by the Ladies’
Aid of the church.
(Seaforth News)
Anne: “What makes people
walk in their sleep?”
Nan: “Two things. Insomnia
and twin beds.”
Nobody who sets any value on
freedom really believes that a
one-party state—ia a good thing.
But Canadians who do not like a
one-party state would do well to
have a look at what is happening
to their own Country. «
Since the year 1935—that is
to say, for 17 years—one Party
has been in power. It is inevit
able that some of the features of
a one-party State have been de
veloping out of this abnormal
want of balance. But, human na
ture being what it certainly is.
some of the traits and character
istics of absolutism are bound to
appear.
A party long in power does not
(despite the old saying) “grow
tired.” On the contrary, it may
grow fat. It may attach its hold
upon the country every year, as
it enlarges its patronage and in
fluence, and increases the num
ber of persons with reasons of
their own for not wanting to
change, or to annoy those in au
thority.
The biggest vested interest
any country can ever know is
that which arises from vested
political authority. A govern
ment over-long in office does not
simply cling to power; it de
velops, year by year, the capa
city to cling. The advice is pass-;
ed around To those who wish to
be smartly wise: “Don’t buck the
machine,”
Bucking the machine may be
all very well for those who want)
to be Don Quixotes, or leaders of
forlorn causes. But for anyone
who wants to get along in this
very practical world, it is just as<
well to know on which side of
the bread lies the butter.
It becomes just as well to
keep in with—or at least not to
get on the “outs” with—those
who have so strong and so long
a hold on power. But the longer
the machine goes “unbucked,”
the harder it becomes ever to
buck it.
As the years have gone by, all
the appropriate checks and bal
ances of the Canadian system of
Government have been gradually
melting away. The Senate of Can
ada, for instance, was created to
act as a moderating influence
upon the House of Commons. But
the time is in view when the
Senate will be a one-party body.
Then there was the Bench—
of the great guarantees of im
partiality in the land. For year
after year appointments to the
Bench have been made too often
from among those who have'
served well the party in power,
but who have come to the time
foi’ political retirement and re
ward.
It may be said that a career in
politics may not affect judicial
impartiality. But it may also be
said that impartiality is not ne
cessarily guaranteed by making
judicial appointments exclusively
from one Party.
Then there is the question of
Rideau Hall. The seriousness of
the appointment just made does
not really centre around the
question of whether or not the
Governor-General should be a
Canadian. The question is whe
ther Rideau Hall should be add
ed to the list for party patron
age.
It is very true that the first
appointment is an admirable
Canadian. But it s only pertin
ent to note that lie was once a
member of a Liberal Cabinet and
was once the president of the LU
beral Federation of Canada. Fu
ture appointments may become
even more frankly political. And.
this would mean that even the
prestige of the Crown—insofar
as it is reflected upon the King’s
representative—will become a
one-party perquisite.
There is, of course, the House
of Commons. But perhaps there,
as anywhere, the Government
shows its extreme sensitiveness
to criticism. Anyone who has lis
tened for long to the debates in
the Commons must notice 'this.
Any probing or questioning by
any Member of any party to the
left of the Speaker is likely to be
regarded as a joke or an impertinence.
The critic may be met by such
summary exclamations as “Don’t
take yourself too seriously,” or
“Sit down, my boy.” Or the cri’
tic may be met by an imperious
impatience, as though he had
been guilty of a really unpardon
able breach of good manners. As
for information, the techniques
of “withholding” have become;
highly developed.
More than this, the House ofi
Commons as an institution, has
been declining. The power of
Government has been passing in
to the Cabinet and its chosen
advisers, whose influence is very
high. The situation has been
well put by one observer in these
words: “The Cabinent is the mo
dern Crown. And it is rapidly as
suming a more powerful place
than the Stuarts ever had, and
also a more intrinsically irre
sponsible one.”
There have been Liberals, put
ting principals above politics,
who have protested against the
drift towards absolutism. One of
the most audacious, of course,
was the Hon. C. G. Power, a
former member of a Liberal
Cabinet and the senior Member
of the House of Commons.
In fighting these trends, he
declared in 1948: “I may be
leading a forlorn hope, but I am
leading it right up to the very
battlements of autocracy, com
placency and inertia.” But as a
very prominent Liberal has since-
admitted, Mr. Power was “writ
ten off as a dreamer, or as a
trator to the politicians’ guild.”
“Autocracy, complacency, and
inertia”—• the words are well
chosen. I3ut they are only the
natural battlements behind which
all one-party power tends always
to fortify itself. It could scarcely
be otherwise.
WINCHELSEA
Mr. and Mrs. Garnet Johns at
tended a family gathering at. the
home of Mr. and Mrs. Melvin
Gardiner of Thames Road on
Thursday evening last.
Mr. and Mrs. Newman Baker
of Wellburn and Mr. and Mrs.
W. Dickey and family of Wood
ham visited on Sunday with Mr.
and Mrs. Harry Ford.
Miss June Walters of London
and Miss Betty Bailey of Exeter
spent the week-end at their par
ents homes.
Mr. and Mrs. Cliff Carty, of
London, spent the week-end with
Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Prance.
Several school children and
some adults are confined to their
homes with an attack of mumps.
Mr. and Mrs. Sherwood Brock,
Mr. and Mrs. Ted Pooley of Exe
ter and Mr. Clinton Addison of
London visited Sunday after
noon with Mr. and Mrs. Wib
Batten.
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Batten,
Joan and Bill of Exeter called
on Mr. and Mrs. Emerson Pen-
hale and Mr. and Mrs. John Bat
ten on Friday afternoon.
Mr. and Mrs. Tlios. Stevens
and family spent the week-end
with the former’s parents at
Glencairn.
Mr. Newton Clarke spent a
few days this past week attend
ing the Good Roads convention
in. Toronto.
Tenant: “Why r^ise my rent
when my room is all the way up
in the miserable attic?”
Landlord: “You use more
stairs than anybody else.”
LAFF OF THE WEEK