Clinton News-Record, 1972-03-16, Page 44—Clinton News-Record, Thursday, March 16, 1972
Editorial comment
Champion of the little guy
Harold Ballard certainly has to be
the most unlikely champion of the
"little guy" thi s country has seen in a
long time,
Mr. Ballard made headlines in the
last couple of weeks, by booting the
CBC out of Maple Leaf Gardens ,and
offering CTV the privilege of covering
Maple Leaf hockey games. His excuse
was that the little man was tired of
missing his hockey games because of
the rotating strikes by CBC
technicians.
This is the same Harold Ballard
who presently is facing charges from
the Treasury Department for tax
evasion to the tune of hundreds of
Thousands of dol tars. This is the same
Harold eal lard who has presided over
the raising of ticket prices, the
cramming of the Gardens with seats in
every available square inch, and who
narrowed the seats so he could
squeeze more people in.
He is the same man who has sold
nearly every ticket in the place to
large companies who hand them out to
their patrons, And he i s the same man
who last week quietly announced that
the price of tickets for Maple Leafs
games will increase by 50 cents next
year, about the third year in a row they
have gone up.
Concern for the little man? Heck
Harold, the only little man you think
about is yourself,
What's all the fuss about?
Al I the fuss about the TIP (Turn In a
Pusher) program seems to have
gotten a little out of hand.
The program was started in London
as an attempt to halt drug abuse. In the
beginning, many influential residents
of the city (people such as, former
premier John Robarts) supported the
program, but as the furor mounted the
supporters dropped away I ike flies in
DDT.
Opponents of the program
screamed that it was promoting a
situation similar to that of Germany
under Hitler when members of
fami I i es were encouraged to turn one
another in to the secret pot ice for anti-
Nazi leanings.
Oh come on now!
It seems any time one wants to
discredit something they say it's like
the Nazis or the Communist and
immediately everyone turns against
the project.
The TIP program works under the
law to turn in people who are
recognized as criminals and
dangerous to society. These are
criminal acts, not political, and our
courts are honest enough that few
innocent people are ever punished for
something they have not done. More
often, criminals get away with things
they have done because they cannot be
proven guilty in courts.
Those who say TIP is dangerous
forget that it is not the police who
operate the program (it was not even
inspired by the pol ice); it is ordinary
citizens who organized the program.
With the foolishness in criticism of
this program, it is difficult to figure
out which is more dangerous, the
persons who want to give police full
power to arrest anyone they feel is a
danger to society or those who see
every law as an attempt by police to
substitute a police state.
Quebec needs a strong leader
What Quebec is looking for at this
mthrient -in *history is a 'strong
authoritative leader.
The. people of Quebec have been
pleading for such leadership in
various oblique ways—by supporting
the War Measures Act during the FLQ
crisis, by being greatly in favour of
identity cards, and by applauding the
stance of Prime Minister Pierre
Trudeau, about as authoritative a
leader as Canada has ever seen.
But they find little strength in
Premier Robert Bourassa. As one
Montreal columnist neatly assessed
Bourassa recently—"first he shook
their hands and then upon mounting the
rostrum, he proceeded to shake their
confidence."
After last year's union
demonstrations in Montreal, which
ended in riot, not one prominent
Quebec politician from established
parties uttered a word against the
fracas'.
It fell to Rene Levesque, leader of
the Parti Quebecois, to express the
dismay felt by many Quebec
residents. Lashing out against the
union leaders, Levesque said he would
rather live in a banana republic than in
a Quebec run to the dictates of Quebec
trade union leaders.
He warned young Quebecois that
they are being misled—"They are
wasting their time and their future by
lack of faith in democratic institutions
to achieve political ends. Those who
are inciting youngsters to behave
violently have a great load on their
consciences."
No matter what the rest of Canada
may think of Levesque's Parti
Quebecois, which is committed to lead
Quebec out of Confederation—he is a
strong man, unafraid, and he speaks
the language of the people, often
expressing their hopes and fears.—
contributed.
'Dirty players get the laurels
"It's people like yon who make medicare such an expense!"
Clinton News-Record
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KEITH W. ROULSTON — Editor
J. HOWARD AITKEN — General Manager
Published every Thursday at
the heart of Huron County'
Clinton, Ontario
Population 3,475
TIlE HOME
oi' RADA1
IN CANADA
Watching our high school
hockey team in action the other
day, I could not refrain from
brooding about how the game has
changed.
If what I was watching was
"sport", and "school-boy" sport
at that, I guess it's time I was put
out to pasture.
Oh, it was exciting, all right.
That is, if you like to watch
teenage boys trying to tear each
others' arms off with deliberate
hooks, remove each others' teeth
with high sticks, and smash each
others' brains out against the
hosrds.
Throw in , some deliberate
slashing, tripping, kneeing, butt-
ending and a couple of fights, and
you have the picture of young
Canada playing its national game,
Admittedly, the game is faster
and more furious than ever. But
furious is a word that does not
belong in sport, unless you think
professional boxing is a sport,
which it is not, in my opinion.
In vain do the Coaches of high
school teams tell their charges to
play hard but clean. The kids have
watched too much pro hockey,
where most of the fans, like
Spectators in a Roman arena,
want blood, and the pros oblige.
The only thing that redeems the
spectacle—and it is a spectacle,
bet a game—is the fact that there
are usually one or two players on
each team who still believe in
skill rather than violence and who
use their heads for something
besides butting.
These are the players who
emerge as the team leaders, even
though some of the "wild men"
may have more natural ability.
These are the players who almost
never get a penalty, who walk
away from a stupid fight rather
than look for one, who put some
spark into the team when it is
behind. A pleasure to watch.
And then there are the tithe'
Kids who are pleasant and v all-
mannered off die ice, but go
berserk the minute the first
whistle blov'
One of t In expressed his
philosophy to me: "Yah. Yer
sposeta drop yer stick when a
fight starts, but yuh don't drop it
till the other guy drops his." And,
of course, if the other guy is
following the same principle,
there Could be stick-swinging
match.
Put four feet of hardwood in the
hands of two young huskies, let
them start swinging their clubs,
and you have a situation more
deadly than many of the duels of
history, fought with lethal
weapons.
It's about as quick a wa)ras any
to wind up with a smashed nose, a
permanent scar, a concussion, a
skull fracture, or one eye.
In my opinion, a great deal of
the blame for the situation lies
with the referees. They seem to
be brainwashed into letting
anything go, short of chopping a
head off with a stick. The game is
faster and more "colourful" that
way, And the colour is that of
blood.
The goalie used to be protected
by a sort of mutual consent. He
was slower and more vulnerable
because of his heavy padding, You
took your shot, and if he stopped
it, skated around him. Now, he
comes out to stop a shot and is
quite likely to get a mouthful of
high stick. Result? The goalie
starts playing dirty, to protect
himself.
Maybe I'm just old-fashioned,
But when I played team sports
football, hockey, baseball- there
Were one or two ''dirty'' players
On each team. Catiglif In the art,
they were penalized and
()strati sod
Nowadays, you have to look
hard to find one or two "clean"
players on each tea in And I I 'n tin'
"dirty" player's who gel the eon en
from theceow(I, This In faet, and
it's fact that in liabOring,
saddening mid niekerilng,
Mad affair
The sophistication of the very
young in their approach to
romance continously astonishes.
Me.
Seems to me everywhere I go I
see youths of the peach-fuzz
vintage and girls who are just out
of pigtails boy-and-girling,
enjoying an easy, natural, well-
adjusted relationship that makes
me wonder if my own boyhood
years weren't blighted. -
As I recall it now, my attitude to
the female sex was conditioned
entirely by proximity.
Within a radius of 10 or 12 feet I
was struck dumb or given to
extravagant demonstrations of
casualness, such as yawning. At
longer range I was wildly
exhibitionistic and once, for the
benefit of a girl named Marie
Trail, went into a giant swing on
the high bar at the Kiwanis
playground, catapulting myself
cleanly up against a heavy wire
fence.
I have never quite recovered
from the memory of lying there
like a crippled bird, trying to
pretend it was all part of my
gymnastic act, and hearing her
melodic, malevolent laughter.
There was a girl by the name of
Doris Murray for whom I carried
a secret passion fully a year until
75 YEARS AGO
March 19, 1897
The Clinton and Goderich
hockey teams played on the rink
here on Tuesday evening, the
score standing 3 to 3. The
Seaforth and Clinton clubs were
booked to play on the rink here
last night. This game will
probably wrap up the weekend.
For some time Mr. Doherty has
been intending to pull clown the
large smoke stacks on his
factory, and replace them with
new ones and has been wondering
what would be the easiest way to
get them down. The heavy wind of
Friday came to his assistance and
blew the stacks over.
The Seaforth Junior Band led by
Doctor Toll provided a variety
program on Sunday afternoon in
the auditorium. Doug Hooper as
Master of Ceremonies for the
program, introduced the numbers
which included several selections
by the band, a trombone duet, Don
Bepeivis, Glen Stewart, guitar
duet Albert Sisters, vocal duet
Rose Sisters, tap dancing Rose
Marie Kelly and pianist Mrs.
Rose. The residents are looking
forward to a return visit from this
band sometime during the
minim or.
The first company Girl Guides
of liensall visited the home on
Tuesday evening and presented
Miss Ida Cunningham with an
afghan that had been knit by the
girls as ono of their craft
peoleets. Mists Cunningham has
the tuMMIP of being the first lady
resident of Ile eonview. The Guide
leader, Mrs, Couper, who
ITIVItil`ffilY is an experienced
weaver in starling her group to
work with hand looms that were
mule by some of tin' Male
reeldents of Iluronview.
one day I could no longer contain
myself. I had to speak of my love
or kill myself. I rode up behind
her on my bicycle as she walked
home from school and, standing
up, pumping furiously, looking
straight ahead, I cried out,
"You're keen, Doris, you're
keen!" I never looked back, not to
this day.
I have absolutely total recall of
my first, formal date. Her' name
was Yvonne, She sat across from
me in class. I yawned nervously
all through Grade Eight.
As it happened, we were
selected to put out the school
newspaper and, emboldened by
sharing the literary life, 1 asked
her to go to -a stidw..I felt illicit
about it, as if I'd asked her 'to
spend a weekend at my hunting
lodge. There was simply nothing
in the Frank Merriwell books as a
guide to this sort of thing.
Although I wasn't expected to
call until after dinner I went
directly home from school, had a
bath and got dressed in my suit,
which was a grey herring-bone.
All the while I was bathing and
dressing I was engaged in a
montage of vivid fantasies,
pleasurable and agonizing. I saw
myself alternately transfixing the
55 YEARS AGO
Thursday, March 15, 1917
The members of the Women's
Patriotic Society will meet for
work on Friday afternoon and it is
requeste that all finished work
be returned so that it may be got
ready for shipment.
Don't forget the St. Patrick's
supper in the basement of St.
Joseph's church on Monday
evening next.
The Women's Institute meets
next Thursday afternoon at the
home of Mrs. Fairfull. Good
program and tea will be served. A
Collection will be taken to buy
yarn for socks for soldiers,
A full length movie "Jaunty
Jalope" was shown on Thursday
family night. Percy Brown of
Clinton was in charge of the
projector assisted by Albert
Colombe.
The Old Tyme Dance club of
Clinton are planning a visit on
Friday 17th (St. Patrieks) in the
evening from 8 to 9.
Monday the residents were
once again treated to an old tylne
music session by Norman Speir
and Mrs. Mary Taylor, This
week's program, however,
featured Mrs. MeReal and Mr.
and Mrs, Bert Finlay of GoderiCh
who played the piano and violins
respectively. The special
attraction was a variety violin:
numbers played by Reward
Turner. The size of the crowd and
the applause which they gave
Minted that the unique get.
together was a success lb every
way. The volunteer group from
Goderich which offered their help
with all phases of the activity did
an excellent job and their'time and
effort was sincerely appreciated.
girl with my wit and erudition and
hopelessly tongue-tied.
One minute I was feverishly
impatient for the hour of meeting
(we had to be in before eight or it
would cost me 20 cents more) and
the next I was thinking of the most
implausible excuses for not going
at all. I could break my leg, I
thought, and thus escape with
honor.
Yvonne's house was four blocks
away. I gave myself an hour to get
there and sat on the curb around
the corner for 45 minutes,
repeatedly consulting my wrist
watch. I walked up the broad steps
to her door like an innocent man
mounting the gallows.
My total recall does not include
the motion picture. I don't know
,
now because I didn't know it then. I
sat stiffly beside Yvonne, my head
cocked slightly to one side to
indicate complete absorption in
the film while my eyes saw only
shadows.
For the first half of the show I
was in an agony of conflict about
whether or not I was expected to
hold Yvonne's hand. Finally, as if
it were an accident, I made
contact, causing 29,000 volts of
electricity to be released. It was
if everything had suddenly gone
into a nightmare focus.
40 YEARS AGO
Thursday, March 17, 1932
The Clinton Boy Scout Troup
will have an investiture meeting
in the downstairs hall of Wesley-
Willis church on Friday evening
of this week, commencing at half-
past seven. Mr. Edgar T. Jones of
Toronto will be present to conduct
the ceremony.
About half the students and
some of the teachers of Clinton
schools are laid up this week with
colds or influenza.
A meeting of all committees in
connection with the Chautauqua
will be held at eight o'clock on
Friday evening at the Clinton Inn,
Albert Street,
25 YEARS AGO
March 20, 1947
The draft constitution and
bylaws of Clinton and District
Chamber of Commerce were
adopted at a general meeting of
the Chamber held in the Town
Council Chamber Monday
evening. President G. Ralph
Foster presided, and there was a
good attendance present.
The County Home Committee of
Huron County Council has
authorized the purchase of a block
of lots in Clinton Cemetery as a
burial place for residents at the
THE CLINTON NEW ERA
Established 1865
Everything in the darkened
theatre had been reduced to the
size of pinheads except two hot
hands which filled the entire
auditorium.
For the second half of the
picture I was in agony about how to
get my hand away. The
temperature and adhesiveness of
my palm was increasing so
alarmingly that there seemed an
imminent possibility of our being
grafted together.
Finally, I could bear it no
longer. I leaned close to Yvonne
and hoarsely whispered, "I've got
to go to the bathroom," and
crawled across the laps of our
row to freedom.
The"-evening had' seemed 'a
pretty dismal failure to me when
the door closed on Yvonne and her
protests that it had been keen,
keen. But as I walked down the
steps I found myself strangely
exhilarated.
I made my way home like a
crazy person. I walked comically
with one foot on the curb and the
other in the gutter. I swung from
the branches of the boulevard
trees. I leaped four-foot hedges. I
laughed, whistled, sang.
I had survived.
Home who have no relatives nor
designated place.
15 YEARS AGO
Thursday, March 21, 1957
The Junior Farmers choir of
over 40 voices, provided the
music last Sunday at the Junior
Farmers Conference church
service held in Guelph in
connection with their annual
meeting.
The Huron County choir, which
is inits second year, has for two
years in succession led in the
music 'at the Guelph church
service. Their leader is Mrs.
Carl Douglas, Belmore, and the
young members of the choir come
from all parts of the county.
10 YEARS AGO
Thursday, 15,
Mayor W. T, Miller hopes to
have a proper resolution
prepared for next council
meeting, April 9 on the request
for mail carrier delivery in small
towns.
Clinton girl, Linda Spano of
A.V.M. Hugh Campbell Public
School, RCAF Station, Clinton,
took first place at the provincial
public speaking contest held at
Clinton Public School auditorium
Wednesday afternoon.
Letters
The EditOr,
1 have just read of your recent
Ontario Weekly Newspapers.
Association Award,
Congratulations.
It is certainly a feather in your
editorial cap to win this Editorial
Page Award in competition with
the many Ontario weeklies.
Yours truly,
R.M.L. powdery,
Information Services Branch,
Ontario Department
of Trade and Development.
Shirley J. Keller
c.o, Clinton News-Record
Clinton, Ontario
Dear Mrs. Keller,
First of all, I would commend
you for your expression of
disapproval regarding the
standard of literature to which
our children are being exposed in
the schools. But could the decline
in morals not be somewhat the
result of the adoption of the "new
morality" by religion?
For years, people have been let
believe that "taking God's name
in vain" was using it in profanity,
That evidently is the way it is used
in the "book" to which you
referred.
However, there is a much more
significant way in which the name
of God can be "taken in vain" . For
instance, the people of
Christendom profess to be
worshippers of the God revealed
in the Holy Scriptures. Am I
correct?
If I am correct, the God
revealed in the Bible is the One
"whose name alone is Jehovah"
(Psalm 83:18 Authorized King
James version). The American
Standard version was copyrighted
in 1929 by the International
Council of Religious Education
(made up of the Protestant
religions of the United States and
Canada), and in it God's name
appears 6,823 times.
This is the same God of whom
Jesus said to Mary: "I ascend
unto my Father and your Father
and MY GOD and your God." (John
20:17) of Jesus we read at
Hebrews 13:8, 15: "Jesus Christ
is the same yesterday and today,
yea and forever". "Through him
then let us offer up a sacrifice of
praise to God continually, that is,
the fruit of lips which make
confessionto his (God's) name.!.'
A woman married to a man who
refuses to 'confess to'
(acknowledge; according to the
Revised Standard version) her
husband's frame, has "taken her
husband's name in vain".
Likewise, would it not be that
theseWho profess to worship'the
God of the Bible but who refuse to
'confess to' (acknowledge) God's
name, are "taking God's name in
vain?
The Revised Standard Bible
was copyrighted by the "Division
of Christian Education of the
National Council of Churches of
Christ in the United States of
America, and it says: (in its
preface) "The use of any prope'r
name for the one and only God...is
entirely inappropriate for the
universal faith of the Christian
Church."
Maybe we have been looking in
the wrong direction for the cause
of the present (using your own
words) "rotting moral fibre of
this nation."
C. F. Barney
hat's new at Hurouview? March
Amalgamated
1924 Established 1881
The Editor:
I am writing you to fill the
parents in, about why there has
been no activity at CHSS.
Last December we had a dance,
where a clock and ashtray were
stolen. Mr. Homuth, the
principal, blamed the students.
Yet when the band returned these
Rene, there was no apology to the
student body for such an
accusation that was made.
Thence forth our dances have
been banned. The teachers and
Mr. Homuth tell us we have no
school spirit. How can we when
every request for student activity
has been denied'?
As most of you will remember,
last year the school board advised
1962 us -to pay off our debt of the
bleachers in the auditorium.
How are we to do this if we can
have no money raising activities
in which to pay this off? Last year
we had a most successful dance
with "Lighthouse"—yet we had
no praise—we had a storm over
one minor detail.
I hope that the parents, the
taxpayers, now realize what is
going on and will help us—the
student body—to put it right.
A Pleading Student
'N.Imsomftglonlin•Nomegnonew•AmkeolimanW'
THE HURON NEWS-RECORD