HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1954-10-21, Page 1Eighty-Second Year EXETER, ONTARIO, THURSDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 21, 1954 Price Per Copy 7£* • 1
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St C See Oil And Gas Prospects;
Will Keep Drilling-Imperial
HEAR OIL SPEAKER—Huron county officials, meeting in Exeter Wednesday, heard an
Imperial Oil Limited representative state that his company would continue to drill for oil irp
Huron because the area was “prospective oil and gas country," The firm has been working
in the county for four years but has not struck black gold yet. It has dug two natural gas
holes at Zurich. Clerk Jim Paterson, Hensall; Councillor Gordon Rutz, of Stephen, and Coun
cillor Delbert Geiger, of Hay, discuss municipal problems at the meeting. —Jack Doerr
Board Receives $1,500
To Clean Up Old Debts
■CHURCH ADDITION GOES UP—New Sunday School addition to James Street United
Church is scheduled to be completed early in 1955. The $50,000 building will house ladies
parlours and new kitchen besides accomodation for the expanding Sunday School. Helge
Jensen is in charge of construction. Mervyn Cudmore is chairman of building committee
of the church. T-A Photo
■
■Ml
At
WATER HITS HAIG FARM—.Damage was estimated at well over $100,000 from the week
end flood at the Haig Farm, south of Grand Bend. Some 1J200 acres of soya beans' were
covered with water which poured down the Ausablc and spread across the low farm. Dr. L. C.
Haigmier, owner of the farm, says he intends to activate lawsuit for drainage damages
against neighboring townships. See story Page 5, T-A Photo
Life, Property Loss 'Terrible'
In Flood At Toronto; Official
“Thank goodness the damage
£rOm hurricane Hazel is not as
great as pictured by the papers”
said Deputy-Minister W. A. Orr,
of the department of municipal
affairs, at a meeting of Huron
County Municipal Officers Asso
ciation in the Exeter Town Hall
Wednesday.
Mr. Orr before coming to Exe
ter had just completed a survey
of the damage created by the
storm. “The loss of life and pro
perty was terrible and distressing.
It was tragic to the poor people
Who lived in the low-lying areas,
Two Local Banks
Take Flood Gifts
An Ontario Hurricane Relief
Fund, in aid of the victims of
Hurricane Hazel in Ontario was
organized in Toronto this week.
Funds collected Will be used to
compensate those who have suf
fered personal property loss.
The Exeter branches of the
Rank of Montreal and Bank of
Nova Scotia are prepared to ac
cept donations from residents and
organizations in this community,
Finance Minister Harris has
assured the executive committee
that donations will be deductable
from income tax,
who had lost their all but the
damage to municipal services
was comparatively small. Not all
bridges had been washed out, on
ly the approaches and these were
being rapidly repaired and traffic
restored.”
Welcomed By Mayor
Almost one hundred officials
and members of council in Huron
were welcomed to Exeter by May
or W. G.‘ Cochrane, of town, and
Reeve Verne Pincombe, of Us-
borne, the two municipalities be
ing joint hosts for the gathering
and for the noon banquet in the
Legion Hall served by the mem
bers of the Ladies Auxiliary.
Warden Win. Dale introduced
A. K. JViair, of the Municipal
World, who reviewed the Child
Welfare Act of 1954 as it affect
ed the municipalities. The act is
a consolidation of several acts and
clearly defines a municipality’s
responsibilities in the protection
and care of neglected children.
Mr. Orr followed Mr, Mair and
after speaking on the recent flood
conditions Mr. Orr was bombard
ed with questions on municipal
affairs, the collection of taxes,
collection of telephone tolls, etc.
Mr. Orr pointed out that all
tolls in connection with a muni
cipal telephone system was collectable with the municipal taxes.
It was the obligation of the clerk
and collector to make the col
lections, the municipal councils
having no control. In default of
payment tolls should be »added
along with the taxes when pro
perty is put up for sale.
The question of the collection
of tolls under the Veteran’s Land
Act, where property is in the
name of the Crown, came in for
considerable discusssion,
Mr. Peter Patterson, county
engineer, spoke on the condition
of the roads in Huron county,
the high cost of up-keep, revenues
derived from the gasoline tax,
and comparable
tenance and of
building.
At the noon
ings were extended by Wai'den
Jos. Stevens, of Perth and War
den Fred Dobbs, of Middlesex,
Other speakers were A. Y. Mc
Lean, of Seaforth and Harvey
Erskine, of Goderich, who Was
referred to as the father of
association.
costs of
permanent
luncheon
main-
road
greet-
the
Celebrate Silver Wedding
Mr. and Mrs. William Fawcett,
the former Reta Pollen, of Mit
chell, celebrated their silver wed
ding Anniversary on Tuesday, Oc
tober 19.
A grant of $1,500 — small
enough to keep the council from
showing a deficit but large
enough to pay off the outstand
ing debts of the Community
Centres Board — was authorized
by council Monday night.
The donation to the board,
which has been in debt for two
years, was $500 less than the
amount requested by Chairman
Ed Brady but, in compromising,
he sai dhe thought it would be
enough to clean up old debts
and start the arena off with a
clean slate for this winter.
In order to cut the grant down,
officials decided to
meat of a $1,400
fire insurance, due
until the new year
this could be paid out of operat
ing revenues.
Eugene Beaver, treasurer of
postpone pay
premium for
in December, in hope that
Top Talent
Fair Concert
All community organizations
are pitching in to provide an out
standing program for the “Save-
The-Fair” • Benefit Variety Show
on Friday, November 5 th.
Comical skits by prominent
businessmen, a male chorus line,
fashion show, Senior Citizens’
square dance and top musical
talent are some of the features
of the tentative program.
Heading the list of talent will
be Michael Farrow, piano virtuo
so, and Mrs. Robt. Reilly, featur
ed soloist
Chorus.
Among
are being
the Legion, Lions, Kinsmen, Re
bekahs, Junior Farmers, Beta
Sigma Phi, O.E.S., South Huron
District High School and Senior
Citizens.
Mayor W. G. Cochrane will be
master of ceremonies for r
show and Mrs. H. L. Sturgis
assisting in the production.
witli the Huronia Male
tlie organizations which
asked to take part are
the
> is
List Champs
At PS Meet
; .Tim Tomlinson and Donna
Wells were proclaimed the senior
champions at the Exeter Public
School track and field meet held
Wednesday afternoon.
Runners-up in the senior class
es were Ron Crawford and Audrey
Beavers.
Intermediate champions were
Ron Douglas and Louise Hockey,
with Doug Jermyn and Shirley
Wurm in second place.
Dale Turvey and Judy Snel
grove captured the junior titles.
Wes Sims and Veronice Francois
were runners-up.
In the pee wee division Fred
die Wells and Bonnie Turvey
took top honors. Jens Andreson
and Marion Walker were second.
Centralia Children
Aid Unfortunates
An enthusiastic group of boys
and girls staged a successful
cookie and candy sale Saturday
afternoon. There was a knock on
your door, two boys entered.
■Caps were doffed, and you were
politely invited to inspect their
wares. (No doubt the girls’ ap
proach to their customers would
be equal to that of the boys.)
Cookies and candy, neatly
packaged in plastic bags, were
arranged in a basket. In the
centre of each basket was a bot
tle with a slot in the top, serving
as a money bank, for convenience
in paying.
Young feet travel fast and all
too soon the sale was over. The
proceeds, amounting to over $28,
will help to make Christmas
happy for the children under the
care of Huron County Children’s
Aid Society.
To Sponsor Sale
For Flood Relief
The Ladies Auxiliary to South
Huron Hospital held a successful
rummage sale which netted $280
last Saturday at the Auxiliary
room of the Hospital.
The committee decided to con
tinue the sale this Saturday and
send all the proceeds of that day’s
sale to the flood relief fund.
The decision to continue the
sale next Saturday was made
when the committeo learned some
articles had not been sent in be
cause of ths Wet weather. Quite
a number of articles
were hot sold.
A suggestidn was
these articles be §bnt _____
for distribution to the flood vic
tims.
of clothing
made that
to Toronto
the board, announced at council
meeting that $1,650 of the
board’s outstanding accounts had
been collected, including $69 5
brought in by Rec Director Doug
Smith for sign rentals. Meanwhile
the arena’s debts had risen to
$2,9 64 and additional expenses
will be incurred by the construc
tion of a new drain around the
building.
The new drain was started this
week by town employees. It will
carry away water from around
the building in order to prevent
it from getting under the con
crete floor.
Put Board In Black
Chairman Brady said he
pected the $1,500, coupled with
the revenue which the arena will
be getting from season’s tickets
and other resources, would make
the board solvent for the start of
the season. The centres board
head has maintained during the
arena-debt discussion that, if the
board could start a season with
out a load of debts, it could pay
its own way without trouble.
The board claims that expenses
of repairs and construction on the
16-yenr-old building since the in
stallation of artificial ice has put
it in the hole and that from an
operational standpoint, it has
been showing a profit.
Council suggested to the Arena
Board that it should cut down
expenses as much as possible dur
ing the coming season.
Deputy-Reeve William McKen
zie suggested that volunteer labor
from organizations in town would
save money for the board. Mayor
W. G. Cochrane wondered if it
might be possible for service club
members to assist in
bar.
The town’s
worked better
for some time
Friday night’s
ing to Councillor R.
chairman of the drain committee.
He and Councillor Andrew
Snelgrove, a member of the com
mittee, inspected the drains Fri
day night and found most of
them working at capacity. “The
tiles were taking every drop of
water possible,” Councillor Din-
ney said.
Most of the drains which have
been repaired and cleaned out
this summer gave much better
service during Friday’s test. In
some areas where householder's
cellars had been flooded in prev
ious downpours, very little water
seeped in.
There were many wet cellars,
however, resulting in damage to
furnaces and other equipment.
A number of floor furnace pits
—Please Turn to Page 12
HURON MUNICIPAL OFFICERS MEET — II. H. G. Strang,
clerk of Usborne Township, presided over the annual meeting
of Huron County Municipal Officers Association in Exeter
Town Hall Wednesday afternoon, He is shown, left, talking
over the program with Jack Morrissey, reeve of Stephen
Township. Over 100 officials from the county attended the
meeting. —Jack Doerr
the snack
of drains
they have
system
than
under pressure of
torrents, accord-
C. Dinnev,
School Safety Patrol
Backed By Meeting
October Rain
New Record
The weather forecaster at RC-
AF Station Centralia predicts that
October will set a record for rain
fall for any month. A total of 8.12
inches has fallen in the first 20
days of the month. In a 28-day
period ending October 17, 11.21
inches of rain was recorded.
On Friday, October 15, when
the effects of the hurricane were
felt in this district, 1.35 inches of
rain fell in a six-hour period.
Total rainfall on that day was
2.43. From October 10 to 17, a
total of 5.73 inches of rain fell.
The record rainfall for any 24
hour period was on October 11,
1949, when 2,90 inches
Maximum temperature
past week was 74.S on
14 and the minimum was
the night of October IS.
fell.
for the
October
32.5 on
“It’s simple and it saves lives.” . Kelson. His lieutenants are
That is the description Don S. dra Walper, Robin Smith
Mackay, special representative of Doug Jermyn, the Ontario Safety League, gavel
to the safety program for child- ‘
ren which he outlined to officials
of town organizations at a meet
ing in the public school Tuesday
night.
The program presented by Mr.
Mackay and endorsed by the
meeting includes a patrol system
with a "junior police force”. This
force not only conducts children
safely across busy intersections,
but it watches safety habits of the
students at all times. Offenders
are charged before a student
court and sentences for infrac
tions of the safety rules are met
ed out by a school judge.
The Safety League representa
tive, who with Police Chief Reg
Taylor made a survey of the
school traffic situation in town
Tuesday, stayed in Exeter Wed
nesday to lay the groundwork for
the patrol. He presented safety
education to children at the pub
lic school in the morning and
taught patrol work to a selected
group in the afternoon.
Tuesday night’s meeting not
only endorsed the Safety League
program but it guaranteed that
the $100 necessary for the uni
forms would be forthcoming. On
this promise, the equipment was
ordered.
Legion President Andrew Bier-
ling, who attended along with two
Legion vice-presidents, Max Har
ness and Reg McDonald, said he
would ask his organization to pay
for the equipment.
School children were chosen
for patrol duty Wednesday but
they will not begin .their safety
work until equipment arrives.
After that there will be a period
of instruction given by Chief R.
Taylor before the children actu
ally conduct the patrols.
Captain of the patrol is Bob
San-
and
Members of the patrol include
Eunice Ward, Elaine Hoggarth,
Jim Tomlinson, Ron Douglas, Bil-
ly Van der Warp, Martha Coch
rane, Barbara Hodgson, Phyllis
Merkley, Jim McDonald, Betty
Dixon, Fred Ward, Sandra Snider
Lea Cozyen, Carol Hogarth and
Doug Braithwaite.
The system contains three pa
trols, each under the supervision
of a lieutenant. One will operate
in the morning, the other in the
afternoon and the third will act
as a spare. They will alternate
on a regular schedule.
Patrols will operate at the
corners of Victoria and Main St.
and at Gidley and Main, and all
children who must cross the road
to go to school will be asked to
cross at either of these two corn
ers.
The unique court system of the
patrol is a feature of the safety
education program. Each of the
members of the patrol may lay
charges against other pupils who
break safety rules. These charges
are brought before a court, pre
sided over by a teacher, and if
convicted, the offender
a warning or sentenced
safety poems which he
cite before the class.
—Please Turn to
Although results of its drilling
have not been too encouraging,
Imperial Oil Limited intends to
keep exploring for oil in Huron
county, J. R. Hamlin, company
representative, told Huron Coun
ty Municipal Officers Association
Wednesday afternoon.
“From the amount of activity
presently taking place in Huron
County,” Mr. Hamlin said, “it
can be assumed that the parties
carrying on such work feel that
it is prospective oil and gas
country, and that by intensive
and continued efforts new infor
mation and knowledge will be
obtained which will, eventually,
result in successful commercial
discoveries being made.
Mr. Hamlin stated that the ex
ploration and search for oil and
gas is a risky and speculaive
business. While the results in
Huron County to date have not
been sufficiently encouraging to
make any glowing forecast for the
future, yet we intend to keep
working, exploring and searching
in this area in the hope that
finally our efforts will prove to
be justified.
Two Wells At Zurich
Approximately 26 wells have
been drilled in the county,” Mr.
; Hamlin continued, “and of this
number Imperial Oil Limited
has drilled 17 and participated
in one. Practically all the dril
ling has taken place in the past
four years.”
At Zurich two gas wells have
recently been brought in at a
depth of from 180 0 to 1900 feet.
Speaking before some 100 offi
cials in Exeter Town Hall, Mr.
Hamlin explained the plan of
exploration. At the start geolo
gical studies are carried out, in
struments such as seismograph
and gravity meter are employed
but primarily leases of oil and
gas rights must be obtained.
Without leases there would, be no
sense of spending o lot of money
looking for oil.
In answer to a question from
Middlesex Warden Fred Dobbs
the speaker stated that there was
no standard scale for oil leases.
Some properties have better pros
pects than others and there was
intimation that some farmers are
better bargainers than others.
Delving into the history of dril
ling in the county, Mr, Hamlin
said “the
oil and
Goderich
covery of
of the drilling parties and
tablished the salt industry in
that town.”
first well exploring for
gas was drilled near
in 1866, but the dis-
salt changed the plans
es-
is given
to learn
must re-
Page 12
PUC Drills
For Water
Exeter Public Utilities
mission is drilling test holes
HEAVY LOSS—-Floods in the celery gardens near Port Pranks
wrought untold damage to the vegetable crops there. Waler
lay like small crocks between the rows of celery and other
crops. Some farmers waded in the muck to try to save the
vegetables but most gave the crop up as a complete loss,
Com-
north
of Exeter in an attempt to find
another water well to augment
town supply.
l’UC Manager Ken Lampman
said the commission hoped to find
a well which would produce from
400 to 500 gallons per minute.
This would be larger than any of
the three now being used in the
system.
“Consumption is increasing all
the time,” Mr. Lampman said.
“People are using more water
than ever before and more houses
and commericial buildings have
been erected which required a
larger supply.”
During the past summer con
sumption rose to 600,000 gallons
a day and the commission was
forced to ask citizens to stop
watering lawns because the sup
ply was dangerously low.
The main supply of the system
is from the Moody well which will
give up to 325 gallons a minute.
Two smaller wells average about
60 gallons each.
International Water Supply is
sinking the test boles for the
commission.
Drunk In Auto,
Gets $50 Fine
Nelson Bedard, of St. Joseph,
charged with driving while under
the influence of intoxicating
liquor, was convicted and fined.
$50 in Magistrate’s Court, Tues
day.
Bedard was taken to Goderich
when he was found asleep in his
car on the highway near St. Jo
seph by P. C. Cecil Gibbons early
in the morning of October 10.
Graham Shamley, of Goderich,
driver of a Motorways bus, who
was charged with driving without
due care and attention on the
main street of Hensail on Septem
ber 25 was not convicted. The
bus collided with a car driven by
Laird Mickle as he turned into his
driveway.
Only the left hand tail light
was working on the Mickle car
and it -was mistaken for a direc
tional light by the bus driver. •
Mr. Mickle, who pleaded guilty
to making a right-hand turn
without giving a signal, was fined
$2 and costs.
Harold Weber, Dashwood con
tractor, was fined $100 and costs
and Mrs. Helge Jensen, Exeter,
$25 and costs for failure to file
income tax returns.
Second Gas Well
Struck At Zurich
A second natural gas well has
been struck near Zurich this
week.
Reports of the yield indicate it
has a much larger supply of gas
than the first one.
The new well is on the farm
of Carl Heideman, northwest of
Zurich, about one-quarter mile
from the original one on Bob
Clausius’ farm.
Stubble and Stubble, contrac
tors from Merlin, Ont., drilled the
well foi’ Imperial Oil, Ltd.
|J, G. Gardiner
Serve Nearly 400
Caven Congregational
sponsored an anniversary
supper iri the Sunday
room of Caven Presbyteriaii
Church on Tuesday night.
Nearly 400 were served in
throe sittings from 5:30 to
p.m. The project was a social and
financial success.
Circle
turkey
School
Speaks Here
Rt, Hou. James G. GkMiner1
will be the special speaker at the
annual meeting of the Usborne-
Hibbert Mutual Fire Insurance
Company at Thames Road United
Church on Thursday.
Mr. Gardiner’s grandfather was
the first president of the ’tlsborna*
Hibbert Mutual in 1876,