HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1954-04-22, Page 2THE TIMES-ADVOCATE, EXETER, ONTARIO, THURSDAY MORNING, APRIL 22, 1954Page 2
This journal shall always fight for
progress, reform and public welfare,
never be afraid to attack wrong, never belong to any political party,
never be satisfied with merely print
ing; news.
THURSDAY MORNING, APRIL 22, 1954
Arbitrary
Party
Need Democracy
Rewarding
Huron Music Festival and its official-. dur
ing last week’s performance are well de
served.
Members of the Huronia Male Chorus
and its director, Airs. H. L. Sturgis, worked
many hour-. in preparation for the event.
The efficient manner in which the festival
was conducted was evidence of the planning,
co-operation and effort which had been
made.
The music teachers of the schools, the
contestants and their parents also deserve
the community’s commendation.
We are sure, that those who have worked
so hard to make the festival a success are
rewarded by the increase in quantity and
the improvement in quality of the contest
ants.
Problem
When next year’s term starts at the Ex
eter Public School, approximately one-half
of the staff will be new. There will be a
new principal and at least six new teachers.
Five of these changes are due to resigna
tions, two to additions.
This considerable turnover in personnel
is most unfortunate since it can only have
an adverse affect on the pupils of the school.
This is not because the new teachers may be
less effective than the present ones but be
cause there will be so many of them to in
itiate to the teaching methods, customs and
spirit of the school as well as the individual
pupils.
Surely a change of this magnitude is
not necessary.
While not all the resignations came as
a result of the salary question, it is evident
that this dispute is behind some of the ob
vious discontent.
The teachers originally asked for a
combined annual increase of $1,350 for next
year’s term. The board offered a combined
increase of $550.
No taxpayer wants to pay any more
than necessary for the operation of schools
but we are sure that the majority of tax
payers would consider it necessary to have
an adequate, contented staff. There is little
sense in constructing beautiful buildings for
our children to study in if we are not going
to pay the salaries required to properly in
struct them.
In this salary question, we have several
observations we should like to make here.
Teachers’ salaries cannot be determined
by the ability of the town to pay, as one
spokesman for the board has suggested. This
is obviously impossible because how is any
man to decide exactly what any community
of 2,600 souls can afford to pay? It is not
feasible to suggest that teafihers should re
ceive the same amount as the average tax
payer earns because (a) there is no way of
determining the earning power of the aver
age taxpayer and (b) the comparison be
tween the value of the school teacher and
the value of the average taxpayer is im
possible.
The law of supply and demand, not the
ability of the town to pay, governs the wage
of teachers. It would be quite foolish, as
seme have suggested, to band school boards
together to keep wages of teachers down.
This would only discourage men and women
from entering the teaching profession and
decrease the supply of teachers to an even
more disastrous point than it is now.
Generally speaking, the school boards
of the country will have to continue to in
crease wages until, they attract enough re
cruits into the profession to fill the need.
Those schools who do not increase wages
with the general trend will receive the less-
desirable teachers.
Salary schedules appear to us to be a
good and desirable thing for the majority
of teachers but we do feel the board should
have enough control that if any members of
the staff obviously fails to merit the auto
matic increase provided by the schedule the
board can take proper action.
With the increase of teachers’ salaries
toward a professional level, the public
should be able to expect improvement in
instruction from the teachers. A better know
ledge of psychological problems and solu
tions, more capable individual attention, and
Political organizations in this area don’t
i Lave much faith in democracy. At least they
1 appear reluctant to conduct their operations
i by democratic methods.
j * Neither the Liberal or the Conservative
j association of this riding has an open meet-
! ing except when an election rolls around,
! which means once in every two or three
i j ears. When these meetings are held the so-
j called executive is usually “elected” by the
subtle technique of nominating a hand-picked
slate and then closing the nominations.
Most recent display of the arbitrary
tactics of the associations was the selection
of delegates for recent conventions.
! Huron Conservatives who represented
the riding at the party’s federal convention
were either hand-picked or chosen by an un
publicized executive meeting. A couple of
men from the riding represented the Huron
Young Progressive-Conservative Association,
a group that has never met for at least six
years.
The delegates from the Huron South
Liberal Association for the recent provincial
convention were selected at a meeting of
the “executive”, according to a press release..
It’s evident that rank and file members
of the parties have little to say about re
presentation at conventions, approval or sug
gestion of policy or the operation of the
local groups. It appears that the only time
the ordinary members are wanted is when
there’s an election with lots of work to do.
The rest of the time the “executive” handles
all the business.
j This may be the quick and easy way to
I conduct riding politics but it’s far from be-
■ ing a healthy way. It certainly doesn’t create
i much respect for politics nor does it stir up
any much-needed interest in our parties.
Political organizations are vital com
ponents of democratic government. They
must be active, honest and open-faced to be
worthy of public trust. They must have their
roots in the common people, not the “execu
tives”.
Political organizations of Huron riding
should meet more often, should hear more
speakers, should have more discussions,
should interest more people in political af
fairs. And they should conduct themselves
more democratically.
Let s Be Famous
The Wingham Advance-Times supports
a councillor’s suggestion that flower-pots be
placed on lamp posts in that town. The
newspaper says editorially that Wingham
“could well become famous as ‘the town
with the flower-pots’.” This would distin
guish it from hundreds of other small towns
in the country, the newspaper says.
While we’re not advocating any lamp
post flower-pots for Exeter, we’re behind
the idea of creating something different
which might distinguish our town from the
mass of little dots on the map.
One distinctive development this town
is fortunate enough to have the potential for
is a beautiful highway park. If we put a lit
tle more time, energy and money to the Au-
sable river area every year we could have a
spot that would delight the tourists.
Somewhere in our connection with our
namesake in England there might be an idea
which could develop into a distinctive char
acteristic. Exeter, Eng., is famous for its
cathedral, for its park and its Guild Hall,
among other things. Perhaps we could pro
duce replicas of these landmarks which
would gain us fame.
NOTE AND COMMENT
Exeter’s tax rate of 60 mills appears to
be somewhere near the average, according
to this list of rates from other towns in
Western Ontario: Goderich 57, Clinton 74,
Kincardine 56, Walkerton 48, Meaford 83,
Chesley 69, Mitchell 53, Hanover 74, Water
loo 72, St. Marys 60.3.
* * «- *
Have you given your community a
boost lately? Have you boasted of the
schools, the hospital, the arena, parks and
other advantages ? Make a point to advertise
your town wherever you go. You never know
when an industrial prospect is listening.
a higher standard of teaching should result.
This will not do the country harm.
Times Established 1873 Amalgamated 1924 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 Ontatlo-Quebec Division of the CWNA
Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation
Paid-in-Advance Circulation as of September 30, 1953 «» 2,474
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
Canada (in advance) $8.00 per year —• U.S.A. (in advance) $4.00 per year
Published by The Exeter Times-Advocate Limited
TIMES
Go By
Jottings By J.M.S
Wolves, Bears And Wild Birds
50 YEARS AGO
Russell Frayne left for Brant
ford this week where he has ac
cepted .a position in the office
of the Verity Plow Co.
Following close upon the snow
storm last week, came a genuine
blinding blizzard of snow ac
companied by extreme cold wea
ther. That counts five months of
snow with four months of good
sleighing, a winter unparalleled
in the memory of the oldest in
habitant.
Mr. Albert Andrews, who re
cently sold his farm at Elimville,
has taken up residence in Mr.
Bissett’s cottage on Gidley St.
and we trust they will decide to
remain in our midst.
Dr. Percy T. Tom,, son of I.P.S.
John Elgin Tom, was united in
marriage to Miss Margaret Giunn
of London.
Mr. Hardy, of Dashwood, who
has purchased the butcher busi
ness of Wood and Fuke, has pur
chased Mr. J. T, Manning's
house.
15 YEARS AGO
Mrs. J. C. Gardiner, mother of
the Minister of Agriculture, Hon.
James Gardiner, will be present
ed to the King and Queen at the
State dinner at Government
House, Ottawa, on May 18.
A banquet was tendered the
Exeter hockey club at Bossen-
berry’s hotel, sponsored by the
Exeter Arena Committee.
At this time last year, seeding
was underway, but recent snow
falls and rains have made the
land soggy and it will take seve
ral days under the most favor
able conditions before spring
■work, begins.
The purple martins, true to
instinct, arrived in Exeter April
18 and the annual battle with the
sparrows for possession of their
homes took place. The two prev
ious
and
years they arrived April 16
17.
it
nur-
Wil-
25 YEARS AGO
Mr. Ed Lindenfield has
chased the residence of Mr.
liam Kernick on Andrew St.
Mrs. M. G. Graham was guest
of honor at the monthly meeting
of the Home and School Club
and was presented with a port
folio before leaving for her new
home in Formosa.
The Library Board met and
made plans to fix up the library
grounds and open up the base
ment as a reading room.
At the annual banquet and
business meeting of University
of Western Ontario “Little The
atre” orchestra-, Mr. Kenneth
Stanbury was elected leader and
Miss Margaret Gladman, former
ly of Exeter, will continue as
pianist.
Mrs. Thomas Brock, of Zion,
was struck by a car while cross
ing Exeter’s Main. St. and was
removed to Dr. Fletcher's hos
pital.
IO YEARS AGO
At council meeting this week
was disclosed that the house
and property of the late Harry
Gidley becomes the property of
the village of Exeter providing
■the corporation undertakes the
establishment and maintenance
of a hospital upon the site. The
matter was laid over for further
consideration.
Proceeds of a box social and
dance sponsored by the Red
Cross Unit of S.S. No. 2 Hay,
amounted to $147.
Mr. R. G. Seldon, who under
went an operation at Mayo Bros.
Clinic, is getting along nicely.
Grass fires which burned be
yond control took the fire de
partment to Silas Stanlake’s and
Miss Laura Elliott’s.
Mrs. C. L. Robertson’s hand
was badly lacerated when it came
in contact with an electric ex
haust fan in the kitchen of her
home.
Mr. Lloyd Fraser has handed
me a clipping from a daily paper
dated September 3, 1927, which
gives an account of the early days
of his grandparents, Jas. Fraser
and Jeau Kinnlough. who came
to this country in a sailing ves
sel and settled in the Township
of Biddulph. They were six long
weeks in
For a
relatives
N.Y., and
Township
farm under the hardest -’Condi
tion, with practically no tools
but an axe.
Mr. Norman Fraser, uncle of
Lloyd and William Fraser, of
town, in relating the experiences
of the family told in detail of
the awful Donnelly tragedy
which terrified the community
for years and he could recall the
silent streets and the drawn
blinds, for the people were afraid
to wander out after dark.
Biddulph was then almost a
solid wilderness, only marks were
visible where the government had
planned roads.
Many were the hardships en
dured by the early pioneers. Mr.
Fraser said it was a common
thing to hear the wolves howl
ing around the place and often
they climbed on the roofs of the
humble log houses. When on the
way to get the cows one day he
asked his mother why some of
the cows had tails and the others
did not. She explained how the
wolves ate them off.
Women Worked In Fields
The women worked out almost
all day and his mother would
fell trees, while the father was
getting in the necessary crop. A
flint and punk constituted the
the only matches. The oxen
would draw logs to a certain
place for burning and many use
ful -oak and maple trees went up
in smoke. There was no glass
for windows, few dishes and he
can remember eating from spoons
made from cow horns. Beds were
woven from a kind of bark, and
for covers there were canvasses,
which also entered into the manu
facture of clothing. It was some
times stained with butternut juice
for dye.
Woman Killed Bear
Women rocked their babies in
sap troughs and he recalled a
neighbor’s experience while bak
ing in the
she turned
peeking -in
once caught
struck’ him over the back of the
neck. Three such blows sent him
to the mud floor dead.
His mother, he said, often
walked to London, over 20 miles,
with butter and eggs which she
traded at the only general store.
There was then no bridge over
the Thames river,- only a log
structure. Returning, she braved
the dangers of the dense forest
where wolves prowled and In
dians peeked from behind trees.
One day she -saw an Indian run
like a deer when he saw her with
a tub of butter on her head. A
few cold potatoes would be the
only lunch for the long journey.
Wild Pigeons
He recalled the clouds of wild
pigeons which at times would
literally darken the sun. They
would sometimes light on the
trees above huge bonfires and
the people would take large poles
and poke them from the limbs
to the fire, then they would kill
them and divide the birds among
the neighbors and a feast was
assured for the next week for
there was little variety from the
making the trip,
while they lived with
in Cattaragus County,
then came to Biddulph
where they cleared the
big fireplace where
■to see a big bear
the cradle. She at
up the fire iron and
Smiles $
i
cornmeal mush and bread.
Deer were often seen in the
pastures with the cows and were
sometimes tamed. He remember
ed liis fattier trading one for a
sheep. The deer was brought and
strapped op a sort of stone boat,
but the moment he was liber
in the barn he sprang to the
of the hayloft. The boys had
of fun hitching him
crude sleds.
Mr. Fraser’s mother
the age of 1’04 and was
to
ated
top
lots
heir
died at
buried in
Mooresville cemetery.
Mr. Norman Fraser, who lived
at Wyoming, was a blacksmith
for over 70 years and in recall
ing the days of
also painted
old school
taught more
from books,
thrown over
sturdy boy and then flogged by
the teacher. Many times lie ran
home to a sympathetic granny
and escaped the rod.
his parents he
pictures of the
when teachers
birch rods than
He said boys were
the shoulders of a
vivid
exclusives
Famous "Magic" Margin.
Only Royal has it, the
easiest known method th
set margins.
Plus New Flberglas Car
rying Case. Lightest,
strongest and smartest
case available!
it's HERE! the
qua/ROYAL portable
New & Sensational
Speed Selector. Now
every member of the
family can adjust speed
of the typewriter to his
individual skill.
New Line Meter-tells at
a glance the number of
typewritten lines left to
go on a page.
'Magic1' and "Touch Confrol" are registered T.M. of Royal Typewriter Co., Ltd,
Times
Advocate
Business Directory
BELL & LAUGHTON
BARRISTERS, SOLICITORS &
NOTARIES PUBLIC
ELMER D. BELL, Q.C.
C. V. LAUGHTON, L.L.B.
Zurich office Wednesday
afternoon
EXETER PHONE 4
DR. J. W. CORBETT
L.D.S., D.D.S. '
DENTAL SURGEON
814 Main Street South
Phone 273 Exeter
N, L. MARTIN
OPTOMETRIST
Main Street, Exeter
Open Every Week-Day
Except Wednesday
For Appointments Phone 355-J
DR. H. H. COWEN
L.D.S., D.D.S.
DENTAL SURGEON
Main Street, Exeter
Closed Wednesday Afternoon
Bus* 30-W - Phone - Res. 36-J
R. F. REILLY, D.C.*
*Doctor of Chiropractic
MAIN STREET, EXETER
Open Each Week-Day
Except Wednesday
For Appointment - Phone 606
Plumber arriving three hours
after the call: “How’s things,
Mr. Brown?”
The .happy Mr. Brown: “Not
so bad. While we were waiting I
taught the maid how to swim.”* * *
Lady golfer. “You’ll drive me
out of my mind.”
Caddy: “That wouldn’t be a
drive, lady, that’s a putt.”* * * *
Inspector: “So he got away.
Did you guard all the exits?”
Policeman: “Yes sir. We think
he must have left by one of the
entrances.”♦ ♦ ♦ *
Father to son: “Never go to
a burlesque show. You may see
something you shouldn’t.”
The little boy sneaked off one
night to see a burlesque, so he
told his father.
The father said: “Did you see
anything you shouldn’t?”
Boy: “Yes, father, I saw you.”
**
TUEfWWE
COMPANY
I
Something else Wl
that "makes
the man"
(and does even
more for him!)a
I
:W
“Clothes make the man”, says the old adage. But today more
and more men are learning that they can also enhance their
standing with certain people by owning life insurance.
Take employers, for instance. To them, a man’s ownership
of life insurance suggests that he is foresighted, thrifty,
realistic. Above all, it reflects willingness to accept re
sponsibility — an attitude that impresses every employer.
In fact, anyone who learns that a man owns life insurance
regards him with added respect. They know that it repre
sents one of the most important assets any man can have.
Yet perhaps the most important effect of owning life insur
ance is on the policyholder himself. It gives him a sense of
achievement. For in no other way can he create such a
valuable estate for so little in so short a time.
So life insurance can do wore than provide financial
security for your family and yourself itt later years. It also
influences people in ways that help win success!
THE LIFE INSURANCE COMPANIES IN CANADA
Comprising more than 56 Canadian, British and United States Companies
operating in CandUa
"tt IS.GOOD CITIZENSHIP TO OWN LIFE INSURANCE'1
DR. B. EICKMEIER
L.D.S., D.D.S.
DENTAL SURGEON
910 Main Street South
PHONE 669 EXETER
W. G. COCHRANE, B.A.
BARRISTER & SOLICITOR
EXETER, ONTARIO
At Hensall, Friday, 2 to 5 P.M.
J. NORMAN COWAN
BOOKKEEPING
Systems, Service, etc.
INCOME TAX RETURNS
Dashwood 40-r-13
Sarepta Hay Post Office
ARTHUR FRASER
INCOME TAX REPORTS
BOOKKEEPING SERVICE, ETC. £
Ann St., Exeter Phone 504
A. M. HARPER
chartered accountant
55 South St. Telephone
Goderich 343
Licensed Municipal Auditor
D. J. McKELVIE, D.V.M.
VETERINARY SURGEON
Phone 99
Hensall - Ontario
PERCY C. WRIGHT
LICENCED auctioneer
Cromarty, Ontario
Purebred, Farm, and Household
Sales a Specialty
For a Better Auction Sale
Call the “Wright” Auctioneer
Phone Hensall 690-r-22 Collect
USBORNE & HIBBERT
MUTUAL FIRE
INSURANCE COMPANY
Head Office:- Exeter, Ontario
' President
Wm. A. Hamilton Cromarty
Vice-President
Martin'Feeney R.R. 2 Dublin
Directors
Harry Coates Centralia
E. Clayton Colquhoun R.R. 1
Science Hill
Milton McCurdy R.R. 1 Kirkton
Alex. J. Rohde R.R. 3 Mitchell
Ageiite
Thos. G* Ballantyhe R.R. 1
Woodham
Clayton Harris R.R. 1, Mitchell
E» Ross Houghton Cromarty
Solicitor
W. G. Cochrane Exeter
Secretary-Treasurer
Arthur Fraset Exeter
E. F. CORBETT
LICENCED AUCTIONEER
Terms Reasonable
Satisfaction Guaranteed
EXETER, R.R. 1
Telephone Zurich 92-r-7
ALVIN WALPER
LICENCED AUCTIONEER
For Huron, Lambton
Perth and Middlesex
For your sale, large or small,
courteous and efficient service
at all times
“Service that Satisfies”
PHONE 57-r-2 DASHWOOD
WM. H. SMITH
Licenced auctioneer
For Huron and Middlesex
(Special training assures you of
your property’s true value on
•sale day)
Graduate of
American Auction College
Terms Reasonable and
Satisfaction Guaranteed
OREDITON P.O. or PHONE 43-3