HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1953-01-15, Page 2THE TIMES-ADVOCATE, EXETER, ONTARIO, THURSDAY MORNINC?, JANUARY 15, 1953^
This journal shall always fight
for progress, reform and public
welfare, never be afraid to at
tack wrong, never belong to any
political party, never be satisfied
with merely printing news,
THURSDAY MORNING, JANUARY 15, 1953
Which Is Better?
New School In West Ward
Or Addition To Building?
Question of the hour for Exeter tax
payers is the construction of additional
public school facilities.
The need for more accommodation is
made obvious by the following facts:
Present accommodation is taxed by the
enrolment of 390, (Actual attendance is
355, since each of the 69 kindergarten
pupils attend school only one-half of each
day.) These pupils are distributed in the
10 classrooms at the school, making an
average, of 35 per room, which is considered
about maximum.
In the 1953-’54 term, there will be 75
pupils starting school, while only 25 grad
uate, indicating an increase of 50. In the
succeeding terms, figures supplied by the
assessment roll indicate there will be. ap
proximate increases of 30 to 40 pupils in
, each of ’54-’55, and ’56-’57. During
each of these terms, an additional class
room will be necessary,
There are two proposals being enter
tained by the school board to provide this
increased accommodation.
1. Addition of an east wing to the
present building to provide four classrooms
and two rest rooms. Estimated cost —
$92,000.
2. Construction of a new school in the
west ward to provide four classrooms and
a playroom (a possible fifth classroom)
and two rest rooms. Estimated cost—$112,-
000.
Some of the different advantages of
these two proposals are as follows:
New School
1. New school can be constructed close
to wartime housing area where many child
ren live. These pupils will not have to
cross main highway.
2. The new school can be constructed
of cheaper materials. Building materials
used in the addition must be the same as
those of the present school (e.g. terraza
floor, red brick, etc.). These materials have
risen in cost 25 percent since school was
built. New school can be constructed of
cheaper, but satisfactory, materials (rub
ber or linoleum floor tile, wood structure,
etc.).
3. If still another addition is neces
sary, it can be built on new school with
the same savings in cost mentioned in (2).
4. If population decreases, new school
can be easily disposed of; the addition
could not be sold.
5. Administration of two schools would
be more efficient. If addition is built, one
principal must administer 14 rooms. If new
school is built, one principal would ad
minister’ 10 rooms, the other’ four. The
smaller the number, the closer contact can
be maintained and closer cooperation
achieved. This, of course, becomes much
more vitally important if still another ad
dition is needed in future years. If 16
rooms become necessary, the administra
tion and overall operation of all these
rooms in one building becomes bulky and
unwieldy. If it is then decided to build an
other school, this would result in a 14-
room school on one side of town, and a
two-room school on the other — an un
balanced situation. However, if new school
is built now, this would mean 10-room and
-six-room schools, a more even distribution.
Addition To Present School
1. Heating, drainage and other facil
ities have already been installed and are
capable of handling increased space. The
present school was built with a view to
making an economical addition. New school
would require a duplication of most of
these essentials, as well as janitorial help
and equipment.
2. Contained in one building, the
town’s public school facilities can be ad
ministered under one Organization, although
administrative duties would increase. It
would tend to consolidate teaching meth
ods, standards of advancement, etc.
3. With all the pupils under one roof,
there is no possibility of friction over ad
vantages one pupil in one school might
have ovei- one in another. For example, if
there were two schools, pupils of the west
school might complain that those students
in the present building have the advantage
of easy access to the race track, arena,
playground, shop and home economics fac
ilities in the high school, etc. It is possible
that this friction, carried to parents, might
divide the town, result in bickerings among
the people and on the board.
Future Population
One of the most important points in
this public school problem is the question
of future population of children in the
town. Will it increase or decrease ?
The school population can be estimat
ed fairly accurately for the next four years
by the use of figures supplied by the as
sessment roll. That is assuming the child
ren now one year old will be here four
years from now when they reach kinder
garten age.
These assessment figures show, as
pointed out earlier, that the increase will
necessitate the addition of four rooms to
the present school facilities in the next
four years. There will be approximately 75
pupils entering the school in each of those
years, while about half that number grad
uates, necessitating an extra room each
year.
If, after that four years, the incoming
enrolment remains about 75, or about two
classrooms per year, it is easily seen that
17 rooms will be necessary. That is, two
classrooms for each of the eight grades in
public school plus one classroom for the
kindergarten pupils (who attend only half
of the day). In this case, those who con
tend a 14-classroom school is the limit will
wish to see another school being built now.
There are those, however, who believe
that the next four years will be peak years
as far as school population is concerned.
They argue there will be no increase in
population, but rather a decrease after that
time because:
(a) The sudden increase of families and
children, due to the return of servicemen
after World War II, is over and there is
no similar expansion in sight.
(b) There seems little likelihood of
an increase of R.C.A.F. families in the
town.
(c) The building boom will soon be
over at RCAF Station Centralia and con
sequently there will be fewer families in
town "who stay here because of construction
at the airport.
(d) There is little hope for industry,
since the town has no sewerage disposal
system.
(e) Not much expansion in existing
business is foreseen, because the trend is
downward in rural population, thus requir
ing fewer rqtail outlets.
There are several replies to these
arguments. One is that while the popula
tion may not increase, there is some doubt
as to whether it will decrease since there
will probably be more families at the air
port (because of the expansion). All the
homes constructed at the R.C.A.F. housing
site have been occupied, so that any in
crease will probably come to Exeter and
the surrounding villages.
Then, of course, there is the optimistic
note that Canada is not experiencing a
boom but it actually undergoing a genuine
over-all expansion, affecting this area as
well as any other.
It’s Your Problem
This discussion of the public school
problem is presented by The Timcs-Advo-
cate with the hope that taxpayers will con
sider the alternatives and judge their
merits. Whatever is decided now will prob
ably set the course of school building in
this town for decades to come. This deci
sion may save us thousands of dollars or
we may lose similar amounts,
While it is true the public school
board has started preliminary negotiations
for the addition, this does not mean the
decision cannot be changed. The board it
self has indicated they will still consider
the new school if this construction is more
desireable. It has asked for public opinion
on the question and hopes that taxpayers
will express their views.
You are invited to state your opinion,
either in writing to this newspaper or by
speaking personally to members of the
board. .
50 YEARS AGO
Molson’s bank opened in their
new premises near the post
office after serving Exeter for
the past 29 years.
Municipal election results, for
reeve, T. B. Carling; councillors,
Thomas Hawkins, John Cobble
dick, John Gillespie and John
Manning.
25 YEARS AGO
Reeve. C. B. Snell and coun
cillors H. Bierlmg, E. J. Christie,
B. M. Francis and H. C, Rivers
subscribed to the oath of office
at the town hall.
Mr. Gordon D. Cudmore and
Miss E. Marie Dick were mar
ried by the Rev. Arthur Sinclair,
in Hensail, January 5.
Miss Mary Ann I-Iodgert, resi
dent of Exeter for 38 years,
died at the home of her brother-
in-law, Mr. J. Bell.
15 YEARS AGO
George Anderson retired after
Jottings By J.M.S,
Recalls Former Newspaper Day
Circumstances continually arise
to impress upon ipe the fact
that I am getting elder. Satur
day afternoon I attended a meet
ing of the publishers of Huron
County at the office of the
Clinton News-Record for the pur
pose of re-organizing an associa
tion that had died out a number
of years ago. I was asked to
preside at the -meeting because
I was the oldest member pre
sent. Absent were the men of
former years to whom I owe a
debt of gratitude.
When I entered the Exeter
Times fifty-one years ago as an
apprentice I had no background
of newspaper work and had quit
school after having passed my
entrance to high school examina
tion. As I assumed more and
more responsibility as a news-
I attended every
convention that was
order that I might
knowledge and I
to return home en-
Exeter <imes=^bbocate
Times Established 1873 Amalgamated 1024 Advocate Established 1881
Published Each Thursday Morning afc Exeter, Ontario
An Independent Newspaper Devoted to the Interests of the Town of Exeter ftnd 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 OWNA
Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation
Paid-in-Advance Circulation as of March, 1952 — 2,534
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
Canada, in advance, $3.00 ft year Baited States, in advance, $4.00 a year
Single Copies 7f Each
J. Melvin Southcott * Publishers - Robert Southcott
43 years on the fire department
during most of which he was
secretary-treasurer.
A new sound system is being
installed in the arena by W. J.
Beer. It will provide music for
skating and amplifiers are being
placed in the gymnasium.
The first hockey game of the
season was played this week be
tween Crediton and Ilderton.
IO YEARS AGO
Reeve B. W. Tuckey, coun
cillors H. Bierling, E. M. Dig
nan, W. Hern and H. O. South-
cott subscribed to the oath of
office at the town hall.
The first weekly half holiday
was observed in Exeter last
week. The new by-law requires
all retail stores to close at noon
on Wednesday.
Exeter Flyers head the O.H.A.
Intermediate hockey league.
Farm Forums were organized
in Stephen township and in
Shipka.
News From Our
NEIGHBORS
Wins Second Prize
Ruth Keyes, a Stratford Nor
mal School student, representing
Huron County, placed second in
the finals of the Ontario Junior
Farmer public speaking competi
tion, held in Toronto on Tuesday,
as part of the program of the
.Junior Farmer annual conven
tion.
She is the daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Wilbur Keyes, of R.R. 3,
Seaforth, and a graduate of Sea
forth District High School. Miss
Keyes’ subject was, "Building a
Better World.”
Twenty-four county champions
were entered in the finals held
at Toronto. Five were chosen on
the basis of afternoon and eve
ning competitions, and the five
finalists competed again in the
evening. (Huron Expositor)
Risky Skating
Some people never seem to
learn. Despite the fact that
there has been one drowning
fatality in town recently caused
by thin ice on the Tront Creek
and Thames River surfaces,
youngster s and some grownups
have been observed walling and
skating on the treacherously thin
ice for the past few days. Police
have been watching the situa
tion but despite this these fool
hardy folks will risk their lives
and that of others in this way.
(St. Marys Journal-Argus)
Zurich Baby First
On New Year's Day, at seven
o’clock in the evening, a daugh-
ter was bom in Clinton Public
Hospital, to Mr. and Mrs. An
thony Rau, Zuric h. Th? wee girl
weighed seven pounds, four
ounces, which bids fair for a
good start in life.
Although the ancient poet who
predicted the future of all
babies, has predicted for this
youngster hard work for a liv
ing, we venture to say that for
a few years at least she will not
have a great deal to do in that
matter.
We offer our congratulations
to Miss Rau’s parents, and wish
them aiid their daughter a Happy
New Year.
(Clinton News-Record)
St. Joseph Celebrates
In this little French Parish,
isolated . from all others, it has
been customary to celebrate New
Years.’ This is an old heritage
from our foreparents, and on
that day they made resolutions,
and would also make up for any
past grioveahces they may have
had With their fellow TnemberS;
children who by their Children’s
ptahks, had offended tlieir play
mates In the past, by order of
their parents, they Would on
New Year's Day make advance
ment and apologize for their
wrong doings. As we see it there
is nothing wrong for a commun
ity to gather together on such
occasions, make merry, forget
ting the past, and make the day
a model for the coming year.
Commenting on this past New
Year, the most agreeable part of
it all is that this community can
boast of saying that they have
averted highway or other acci
dents. This in itself is some
thing for us to be proud of, and
can be a guide for us to keep in
the safe pathway throughout the
whole year. ’(Zurich Herald)
Hearing Postponed
The hearing on the question
whether the Parkhill •School
Board is legally constituted has
been postponed from this Wed
nesday until Saturday afternoon
at 2:30, due to the illness of
Judge Ian MacRae.
(ParkhiU Gazette)
The Reader
Comments
Letters to tile editor published
hereunder represent the views
of individual persons, \Ve invite
our readers to make use of this
column.
Exeter, Ontario
To The Editor,
The Exeter Times-Advocate
In the December 11 issue of
your valuable paper on the edit
orial page under the heading
"No Need to Shop Out of Town”,
you printed a good article on
how to help the town you live
in by being loyal to it and pat
ronizing your home town stores.
I Wonder if our local store
keepers realize this applies to
them aS well. If so, what is the
Answer to this: For the last two
years, the members of our local
bowling league have at the close
Of the bowling season had a
banquet, Did they patronize our
local restaurants? Oh, ho, they
went to the Knotty Pine Inn,
And who are the members of
this league? A large percentage
of them are oiir businessmen,
their assistants and their wives.
This hardly Seems like a fair
deal, does it?
Tolu's,
A Home ToWh Fan*
*Name Available nd request
paper man,
meeting or
possible in
gain more
never failed
couraged and inspired by meet
ing with fellow publishers.
The next thing to remind me
of old age creeping on is the
forming of The Times-Advocate
into a private joint stock com
pany which we have just com
pleted. Robert and Don have
been taken into the company on
a partnership basis. They have
already been in practical opera
tion of both the newspaper and
the job printing plant. The im
portant office of exalted high
chief potentate,
dent, has
Donald is
company
surer.
It is . with feelings of
and satisfaction that they
decided to follow in my
steps and take over
sponsibilities and the work that
I have enjoyed for so many
years. I doubt if there is any
trade or profession that requires
more hours of work than is re
quired of a weekly newspaper
editor. Yet I have said many
that is presi-
been awarded to me.
secretary of the new
and Robert is trea-
pride
have
foot-
tli e re-
Agricultural Conference
times that I wouldn’t trade my
job for any other job I knew
of.
In almost every other job you
can make a mistake and get
away with it, but not so with
the newspaper. My wife says that
any Wednesday, after having
seen the paper off the press, I
have stated that I would be glad
to sell out for a nickle. The
first few times the telephone
would ring after the paper was
printed I would say ".Well,
what’s wrong now?” On one
occasion Mr, John McLaughlin,
who always liked a joke, came
into the office and told me that
a certain man with his wife and
family had gone west on a visit.
When it came out in. print he
came back laughing stating that
they had no family, Some of the
things that stand out most iu
my memory are the bold, bad
mistakes that I have made.
Imagine my chagrin when on
one occasion some of our lead
ing citizens had carried off a
bowling trophy and the caption
under the picture which appear
ed in the paper referred to them
as "trophy hunters”.
I can tell a secret now that
I have never mentioned before,
and the secret is this, that I de
cided to learn the printing be
cause at that time there were
more newspaper men as mem
bers of parliament and holding
political office than any other
group, and I had ambitions of
becoming a member of parlia
ment. However, as I grew older
any ambition I had in that
direction faded away,
When I entered the office I
stood on a box about eight
inches high to set type by hand.
Day in and day out we stood or
sat on a high stool to pick the
type from a case, (There was
one stool for several of us.)
Every letter was picked out by
hand and had to he set in what
we called a stick. Every line
had to be spaced tight to keep
the type from falling out. As
ftOW?”
soon
press
back
were
That of distributing the type and set!
ting up so much type by the end
of the week. When the type was
set we could take the rest of
the week off. No kidding, we
worked like mad. If we were
held up for copy it was just too
had and I well remember that
it was no easy matter some
weeks to keep us in copy, At
times would come along some
piece of reprint that would con
tain a lot of figures, as we used
to think to hold us back a
little. Those stints made us fast
typesetters, If we got off an hour
or two ahead of time we were
delighted. Once we got off a
whole half day but that didn’t
last long. We had more work to
do the next time.
There was no electric light or
motor power in those days, coal
oil lamps were used for lighting
during the short days when
darkness settled in early. A wood
stove furnished the heat -and the
"devil” had the job of looking
after it.
A gasoline engine was used
for powei’ for running the
newspaper press. There were
times when the engine balked
and the press had to be turned
by hand. During the early years
of the paper it was always turn
ed by hand and someone was
hired to come in and do the
work. I recall one time when the
engine balked and I was sent
out to get some gasoline for it.
We cranked and cranked. I took
my turn working my head off
but when the engine refused to
function I was accused of put
ting water in the gasoline.
Tricks, of course, were not un
known in those idays. However,
that
than
went
with tears on my cheeks de
manded an apology.
as the paper was offw
the type had tP be w
again into the cases. 1 given stints in those da’
is, three of us had the j
accusation
anything
into the
hit me harder
I remember. I
office later and
Farm Prospects Bright For 1953
At the Federal-Provincial Ag
ricultural Conference held in Ot
tawa, early in December, papers
were presented reviewing the
probable prospects for agricul
ture in 1953. The following is a
digest of the papers.
International And Domestic
International and domestic
world production in 1953 is like
ly to be somewhat higher than
during the past year, largely be
cause of the extension of the per
iod through which defence pro
duction will be undertaken and
the recovery in sales and output
of consumer goods. Rearmament
production will continue to have
an important influence on eco
nomic conditions and world em
ployment and income will re
main buoyant for some time to
come.
The volume of world trade in
1953 may continue at near 1952
levels. Although balance of pay
ments difficulties caused some
restriction of imports from the
dollar to the sterling area in
195 2, the overall impact on
world trade was relatively light.
Declines in prices of many basic
commodities from the inflated
post-Korean levels, further libe
ralization of trade among Euro
pean countries and generally high'
levels of employment and wages
in many countries should result
in a strong international market
for basic commodities. Trade in
some products may be affected
by a shortage of dollar exchange.
As a result, the United States
will again be the most important
single foreign market for Can
adian farm products in 1953.
High levels of employment and
incomes together with the re
moval of restrictions to trade in
livestock and meat, should re
sult in some increase from last
year in exports to that country,
Exports to other countries, al
though usually smaller than to
the United States, are much less
certain.
Domestic demand in Canada
will be strong with both.employ
ment and incomes slightly above
those oi last year. The generally
prosperous economic conditions
which prevailed in 19 52 are ex
pected to continue in 1953 al
though there will be individual
fields which are less prosperous.
Agricutural output will be down
from the record levels of> last
year if only average grain yields
are obtained. Non-agricultural
output, may increase moderately
because resource development,
defence production, and capital
expenditure are likely to be at
Or above 1952 levels.
Farm income for Canada as a
Whole in 1953 may be less than
in 1952. Some easing of livestock
prices is expected and even
though marketings may increase,
total returns from the sale of
livestock may not be as high as
in 1952. if only average yields of
grain are obtained ih 1953, re
turns from the sale of this small
er crop will be less thah in 1952.
Total farm operating costs are
not expected to change signifi
cantly during the coming year.
The farm labor situation is
expected to be at least as tight
in 1953 as It was in 1952. It
will be necessary to make the
most efficient use of existing
domestic supplies of labPr, Sup
plemented by immigration.
With most farm supplies be
coming more plentiful, prices in
general are not expected to in
crease in 1953. Trices of pesti
cides may be slightly lower.
Little change Is expected in
prices of farm machinery and fertilizers.
Grains And Feeds
Although world production of
wheat in 1952-53 is forecast at
record levels, import require
ments remain high and a strong
market is in prospect.
If current estimates are rea
lized, Canada will have some 740
million bushels of wheat avail
able for export and K carryover.
Large quantities will be exported
in addition to the International
Wheat Agreement quota of 235
million bushels. The main factor
limiting exports is transportation
and handling facilities.
Supplies of feed grains are at
record levels. As in the case of
w-lieat, transportation and hand
ling facilities rather than lack
of markets may he the main
limiting factor in both the ex
port and domestic movement of
coarse grains. Prices ofujats and
barley will likely hold ^relatively
firm at least until the opening
of lake navigation in the spring
of 1953.
Livestock
Increased marketings of live
stock and a further easing of
prices in the United States dur
ing 1953 will probably be re
flected in a decline of Canadian
prices from the levels of this
past year. This decline is likely
to be more pronounced iu the
case of prices for cattle and
calves than for hogs. The least
change will probably occur in
the prices of sheep and lambs.
Marketings of hogs will pro
bably continue at recent high
levels through the first half of
1953 with the total volume for
the marketing year, October 1,
1952, to September 30, 1953,
about the same as for the pre
ceding marketing year. Market
ings of other classes of Jivestock
during the 1952-53 marketing
year are likely to be somewhat
higher than in 1951-52.
A continuing high level of con
sumers’ incomes during the next
year and lower prices for meat
should encourage a higher total
consumption of meat. Since the
decline in beef prices may be
greater than the decline in pork
prices, it is likely that the do
mestic consumption of beef will
increase more than that of pork.
Small increases in the domestic
consumption of lamb and veal
will probably result from an
easing of prices of these meats.
Milk production in 1953 may
rise to about 17 billion pounds,
only a slight increase over the
1952 output. During the year
more milk will be used as fluid
milk and ice cream, mainly as a
result of a larger population.
Production of butter, cheese and
concentrated products may in
crease slightly in 1953 but .rela
tive changes in output- of these
products will be influenced
strongly by the condition of ex
port markets. Foreign demand
for concentrated milk products
will probably be at least as
strong in 1953 as it was in 1952.
Domestic demand for all dairy
products in 1953 will be as great
as, or slightly greater than it
was in 195 2. There is not likely
to be any material change in the
overall price position for dairy
products during 1953.
Eggs And Poultry
Fewer laying hens, lower egg
production and somewhat higher
egg prices are expected during
the first half of 1953. Market
ings of farm chicken in 1953
are likely to be about the same
as in 19 52 but broiler produc
tion may increase slightly. Prices
for poultry meat will probably
remain close to the 1952 level.
The lower turkey prices which
have prevailed throughout the
19 52 marketing season will pro
bably result in some reduction
in production in 1953.
Prices for eggs during the fall
of 19 53 are not likely to be
much different from those of the
fall of 195 2.
Fruits And Vegetables
The 1952 apple crop is esti
mated at 11.8 million bushels
and is somewhat less than last
year's crop. The decline in pro
duction is mainly in Ontario and
Quebec. Apple prices are expect
ed to remain firm throughout
the 1952-53 marketing season.
The 1952 production of soft tree
fruits was larger than in 1951
and is likely to increase again
—Please turn to Page 3
MERRY MENAGERIE By Walt Disney