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4--CLINTON NEWS-RECORD, THURSDAY, NNE 7, 1073
Editorial comment
Good to the last drop
The Huron Central Agricultural ,
Society and all the volunteers who
helped out at the Clinton Spring Fair and
Trade Show last weekend deserve a big
thank you for putting on one of the best
shows in these parts in some time,
Despite conditions that were more
conducive to a mud bath than a fair, the
organizers never-the-less provided what
has to be one of the best fairs ever.
A sudden thunderstorm cut into Friday
night's attendance and it looked like the
midway would be washed away.
The weatherman co-operated on
Saturday, however, and sunny skies and
warm temperatures combined with an
excellent program, lured 5,000 to the
Fair.
The Agricultural's gamble to bring in
the Allan Sisters, who are big time
talent, paid off as over 1,500 persons
crowded into the grandstand and the
track to see the show, We hope they will
try it again next year.
One of the biggest thrills of the Satur-
day evening program was the double
horse hitch which attracted 14 teams of
heavy horse s with a total of 56 of some
of the best heavy horses in, North
America. it is beleived to be the largest
gathering of such kind in Ontario 'in
some years, and that includes the CNE
and the Royal Winter Fair, It's a credit to
Clinton. Fair that so many horse
exhibitors would travel to Clinton to
show their horses,
Although a continuous rain on Sunday
soared off all but about 500 people, the
horses show went on 'rain or shine and
proves the dedication of both the par-
ticipants and the judges and timers. It's
no easy task riding or judging in a down-
pour,
The Kinsmen too, deserve praise for
the wonderful job they did with the Beer
Garden. Police report that there wasn't
one .single incident resulting from the
Garden, and yet, everyone seemed 'to be
enjoying themselves.
The Optimists brought bingo to the
Fair for the first time and reported that it
was a success. We hope that they will
have it Sunday as well next year,
About the only fault. that one can find
with this year's Fair was there was too
much rain. After the shower Friday night,
it became obvious that the midway area
is poorly drained. And after Sunday's
storm, the place resembled a quagmire.
Clinton council has already discussed
the necessity of putting drains in the
area and the problem will hopefully be
alleviated by next year.
They're off and betting
"At least I don't have to worry abou t my conversations being bugged —
I never get to use the phone."
The exploitation project
It's difficult, today, to think of a more
misleading word than "development".
One of the most monumental examples
of its mis-use must be in "James Bay
Development Project", hereafter called
James 'Bay Exploitation Project.
Over 12 years at a cost of $6-billion,
the James Bay Exploitation Project
would turn nearly one-fifth of Quebec
(an area 11 /2 times the size of the United
Kingdom) into a hYdrd'-electric
Five thousand square ,ITlif9s of, land, op=',!'"
cupied by some of Canada's most in-
dependent Indians and Eskimos, would
be flooded by four giant dams.
The explditation project was announ-
ced by Quebec Premier Robert Bourassa
at a political rally last year. Not until six
months later did he agree to meet for 15
minutes with representatives of the 5,000
Cree Indians and others who live in the
affected area. No publicity available
cost-benefit study of the project has
been carried out. A tiny ($30,000) study
of the project's effect on nature was
rushed through long after the project
was anounced.
Much of the power would be guaran-
teed to the Americans. Almost all of the
profitable heavy construCti§beqOrrOn
would be manufactured in., the USA,
making jobs there.
Bourassa wants to ram into reality an
ill-based election promise of 100,000
jobs, regardless of any other values. The
James Bay Exploitation Project should
be halted until comprehensive studies of
its total impact are carried out and fully
debated. (contributed)
rs
It takes a Watergate to clear the air
first time. Her very first hunch
selection romped home
obediently. It paid the princely
sum of $3.80, two dollars of it,
of course, being her own money.
"No respectable gambler would
consider this a reasonable bet,"
she said evenly and could not
be persuaded to return,
This may be one explanation
for the ladies' reluctance to
slavishly follow the form and to
adopt the more zestful ap-
proach of intuition, osmosis
and the occasional ouija board.
One authority estimates that
• fully two out of three of the
ladies in attendance on a given
day will be wagering purely on
the basis of the color of the
horse (women have such a
predeliction for gray horses
that someone has suggested it
is a father complex) or the
cuteness of the jockey or for
some more mysterious reason
known only to God.
What particularly distresses
the true horseman about this is
the astonishing frequency with
which it turns out to be just
what the doctor ordered.
Most of the track observers
are agreed that women have
more fun at the races than men,
that they're more grateful win-
ners and more philosophic
losers, as cautious with their
bets as they are incautious
about their selections.
One group of housewives,
members of a curling club, who
appear from time to time,
bearing sugar-bowl loot
judiciously filched from Daddy,
would in fact seem to have en-
tirely removed the well-known
anxiety from the sport.
In syndicate-style they pool
their ill-gotten change and bet
every horse in a race, a notion
that would simply never occur
to a caucus of unimaginative"
men.
The ladies not only have the
pleasure of a certain winner,
but they know that their regrets
will be minimal and, of course,
there's always that long shot
that comes from nowhere, so of-
ten a gray horse named Sweet
Sue.
Come to think of it, that
might be a very nice way to go
to the races, to just stand there
at the rail, full of well-being,
hollering: "Come on,
everybody!"
As I write, the Watergate
hearings are in progress and
that word is entering the
language as a synonym for
scandal and skullduggery.
Canadians are having a
whale of a time doing what
they like very much, — looking
down their spotless noses at the
Yanks.
I guess we've forgotten our
great home-grown scandals in-
volving Canadian governments,
both provincial and federal.
Some of the fantastic rip-offs
made by such outfits as our
railways and the Hudson Bay
Company make the Watergate
look like peanuts.
And then there was the
Beauharnois affair, a piece of
piracy that made many a
Canadian politician feel like
looking for a hole to crawl into.
And let's net forget the
Duplessis era in Quebec, where
votes were bought and sold like
potatoes, ballot boxes stuffed,
and strong-arm tactics used at
election time.
Nope , We can't afford to
look down our noses at
anybody. All we can or should
do is shake our heads and
remember, "There, but for the
grace of God
Of course, Watergate is *
sotnewhat different in that it's
involved the use of police state
tactics in pursuit of unbridled
political power, That
distinguishes it from
traditional political cortup-
tien which has usually been
motivated by a love of "booze,
broads and bucks",
Perhaps the saddest aspect of
the Watergate affair is that
nobody IS spilling the beans
because Of conscience or lofty
principles,
They are telling all because
they are on the hot seat. Ws 4
every man for himself es those
involved try to save their own
necks. A bunch of finks scram-
bling for safety.
At the same time, one must
admire the U.S. , process of
probing for the truth, regar-
dless of who gets hurt. I
wouldn't want to be up in front
of those tough senators for
anything more serious than
spitting on the sidewalk.
How would Canada handle
such a situation? Well, first the
government would appoint a
Royal Commission, which
would investigate in near-
secrecy. The Commission would
require three years to complete
its job, by which time nobody
would be interested. It would
then publish its report, which
would be almost unreadable.
A few weary editorials would
be written, a few professors
who could wade through the
Commission Report would
make speeches and the whole
thing would then be buried.
As a good many observers
have pointed out, the
Watergate airing of soiled linen
may be the best thing that has
happened to the U.S.
democratic system in
generations.
When you are constipated,
you take a purge. When you've
swallowed poison and want to
throw up, you take an emetic.
Perhaps the Watergate will
serve as both.
Regardless of how many
heads Will get the chop, and to
whom those heads belong, it is
comforting to know that our
great neighbour will heal it-
self, spew out the poison or cut
out the cancer, and get back to
work.
And it will., It has survived
Senator Joe McCarthy's witch-
hunts, the lying about spying
on Russia, the bay of Pigs
fiasco, and many another, not
to mention a disgusting and
disastrous war in Asia.
It is also comforting to know
that there are still countries in
the world where powerful
public figures can be brought to
account. It couldn't happen in
Russia or China. And it
wouldn't happen in many a so-
called democracy,
On the other hand, the
average Joe in the States must
be becoming a little sceptical,
to say the least. He has been
lied to and lied to. He must be
wondering whether he can
believe anybody any more, I
know I would be.
There's nothing new in
powerful leaders lying to the
people they are leading. Hitler
lied to the Germans, Mussolini
to the Italians, Stalin to the
Russians.
Unfortunately , their lies
were not discovered by their
peoples until the damage had
been done and the world was
staggering back from the
holocaust they unleashed.
This time the truth is coming
out, haltingly, so • that the
damage to a nation and a
nation's pride may be halted
before it becomes irreparable.
Let's hope so.
And let's hope the Americans
come out of the sordid little
mess, smelling of violets and
ready to get back to the real
problems they must solve: in.
Elation, pollution, integration,
They're great solvers of
problems, and they have great
problems to solve,
In the meantime, it behooves
us in Canada not to sneer and
point the finger,
Let's pretend our neighbours
are having a domestic quarrel
which is none of our business.
Let's cultivate our own garden,
It needs it,
Well, they're off and running,
as the saying goes, at all the
race tracks of the land and, as
is my want, I have been out to
my own favorite roundabout to
say a genial word to the
sterling beasts who will deter-
mine my fortunes in the months
to come.
They—the people that
is—were talking out there
about the growing influence of
the woman bettor, one of the
more recent imponderables in a
sport that already has more
than its share. Seems that bet-
ter than a third of race-goers
ltre-, now of the fair sex, a
pherionierien that's introduced
a new' eldrnent of chance into
the whole chancy affair.
The housewife turned han-
dicapper, it appears, is almost
always an unpredictable,
emotional selector with a fine
scorn for form.
This is not necessarily
displeasing to the orthodox,,
male bettor since it tends to
sweeten the odds on the
favored steeds. But it can be
most upsetting to a serious im-
prover of the breed who, with a
cry of "Eureka!", has come up
10 YEARS AGO
June 6, 1963
There may be forms of life
with shorter memories than
humans, but it is very doubtful.
About three weeks ago (at the
latest) many people were com-
plaining about the miserable
weather we were having ... And
now that summer has finally
'arrived with its blistering sun,
sweat and sticky clothes, we
find that many of those same
persons are complaining, which
proves once again that we are
an impossible lot to satisfy.
Backed by sunny skies and
temperatures hovering near the
80 degree mark and a total of
111 exhibitors, the 109th an-
nual Clinton Spring Fair,
Saturday, was described by of-
ficials as one of the more suc-
cessful staged in recent years.
Antoine "Red" Caron, the
man mostly responsible for the
formation of a new Clinton and
District Chamber of Commerce,
was elected president of the
group at an organizational
meeting, Thursday. Duff Thom-
pson was elected vice-president
and second vice-president is Al
Galbraith. Secretary is Jim
Lait treasurer, Bill Cook;
directors, Ken Plett, Clayt
Dixon, Hec Kingswell, Elliott
Bartliff, L,G. "Skip" Winters
and Charles Brandon.
15 YEARS AGO
June 5, 1958
Members of the council of the
Township of Goderich, are con-
sidering the advantages of
having all schools in the area
belonging to the Township
School Area. At the present
there are only six of the ten
schools belonging.
Miss Pauline Jervis,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Robert Jervis, a graduate of
graduated from Stria.
ford General Hospital School of
nursing on Saturday, May 31,
with a long shot on which he
expects to make the bundle,
only to see it leave the post at
two-to-one because several
hundred ladies have admired
the jockey's colors or the
horse's adorable mane.
It is one.,44 the few predic-
table factors of thoroughbred
racing, I'm told, that a horse,
called Sweet Sue or Nice Nellie
or any other conducive to name
association will immediately
earn the loyalty of vast num-
bers of the ladies, regardless of
past performances.
A seller friend of mine recalls
that whenever a horse named
Ball and Chain appeared
among the entries the girls
would stampede the wickets,
giggling like mad. Ball and
Chain did all right, too.
The fact is, of course, that,
for all th:s, women are a good
deal more level-headed than
the male species, hardly ever
venturing beyond the two-
dollar window and rarely, if
ever, plunging recklessly.
In this connection, I recall
the realistic attitude of my
mother, one of the world's
great poker players, when I
took her to the races for the
She received the Dr. Lorne
Robertson Scholarship for
proficiency in theory and prac-
tise. On September 1 she will
begin work in Clinton Public
Hospital.
The annual Spring Blossom
Tea and Bazaar held at St.
Paul's Anglican Church Parish
Hall, Saturday afternoon under
the auspices of the Friendship
Club was an outstanding suc-
cess. The tea was officially
opened by Rev. C.S. Inder and
president, .Mrs. H. Thompson
and vice-president, Mrs. G.
Herman received guests at the
door.
25 YEARS AGO
Juno 3, 1048
A large group of Hollanders
who will work farms in the
area of London, Chatham,
Woodstock, Aylmer, Norwich,
Clinton and Sarnia, is expected
to arrive in the district next
weekend. The immigrant ship
"Tabinta" is scheduled to dock
at Quebec City.
A frame barn, owned by Clif-
ford Keys, Varna, was
destroyed by fire about mid-
night Sunday, The barn is on
the Robert Elliott place three
miles south of Varna.
Among the fine horses
exhibited at Clinton Spring
Show on Tuesday and again at
Perth County Horse Show at
Stratford Wednesday was the
Percheron gelding owned by
Leonard Hunter, Clinton.
40 YEARS AGO
June 8, 1933
Two Goderich Township
young men, King Harris and
William Pearson, lost their
lives in one of the most terrible
accidents in the history of the
township. Death was caused by
gas which had formed in a well
into which the young men
descended, It is said that old
well diggers have often had to
do with gas and are wary of it,
It is similar in its effects to that
caused by gasoline, as the
deadly fumes from the exhaust
pipe of an automobile, and ex-
perienced men are on, the
lookout for it.
Another severe storm visited
this section yesterday forenoon,
the sun being so completely ob-
scured as the storm approached
that it looked like gathering
night. The wind was not so
severe as in the last storm but
the rain fell in torrents, inter-
spersed with hail the size of
cherries.
55 YEARS AGO
June 6,- 1918
"The Governor-General and
his party, it is announced, will
tour Ontario and visit even in-
significant places like Owen
Sound and Stratford, Can it be
possible that the Duke has
never heard of Greater
Goderich?"-Goderich Signal.
Yes, indeed, and Clinton, The
Hub of Huron, right in the line
of march. Somebody ought to
do something about it.
Should the war continue for
another year, food cards and a
rationing system may have to
be instituted. These conditions
point to the necessity of
Canada knowing the exact
capabilities of her men and
women at home.
75 YEARS AGO
June 3, 1898
Bower Bros. are making a
good job in painting the house
of Mrs. Andrews. Dr. Shaw
has improved his property by
removing his fence. John
Tedford and A, McRae are
laying down new sidewalks.
Mr. Searle has built a conser-
vatory; Miss Bay is improviu
her property, and the house of
Mrs. Townsend, Queen St, is
undergoing change. Several
fences have been removed, and
more ought to be. Several of the
streets have been graded by the
machine, that to the freight
shed being particularly well
done; Joe Wheatley knows how
to handle the grader, and
deserves commendation for his
work; the Organ Factory Street
was graded yesterday. If the
Council and citizens could but
work together we would have
an orderly town; see how well
it worked "an the 23rd of May,
when the business men lent a
hand to clean up. If the Council
had had the trees pruned up
years ago by one person - say by
Mr. Searle - one system would
have been universal; as it is
now, the few who do any
pruning do so on different
plans,
Recreation
Dear Editor;
This summer the Lake Huron
Zone Recreation Directore
Association have employed two
Zone Co-ordinators to promote
activities on a zone wide basis,
with emphasis on communities
not having full time recreation
directors,
One of the main projects for
the caroming summer will be a
leadership training program to
be held in Clinton at ,,the
Vanastra development site.
This program is designed to
help the summer program
leaders be more effective in
their individual communities,
The content of the course will
cover such areas as, crafts, ac-
tive games, quiet games, special
events, group work, first aid,
program planning and public
relations. The course leaders
will be directors of recreation
and specialized people from
within the Zone.
Registration and further
camp information is available
by contacting K. Rigg. Deadline
for applications is June 11 and
the first day of camp is Mon.
18.
Other upcoming _ zone
events are competitive swim-
ming, track and field and
playday. As soon as infor-
mation is available it will be
sent along to you.
If you are interested in any
further information you can
write me and I will comment
on your questions,
Yours Truly
Kevin Rigg
Zone Co-ordinator,
Box 533
Port Elgin, Ont.
up op" r Op
Dear Editor:
The, atteched ppy of a, clip;
, ping from your fine paper dated
April 19, 1973 mentions our
product "Coke" but in 'down
style'.
We greatly appreciate the
publicity, but unfortunately,
lower casing or other usage
which can be construed as
generic can be actually
damaging to our registered
trade mark "Coke".
"Coke" distinguishes and
identifies only the product of
this Company and we must of
necessity be diligent in
safeguarding it against im-
proper use lest inadvertently it
loses its distinctiveness and
significance.
For that reason, we will be
very grateful if you will remind
the members of your staff (or
possibly the proof-readers) that
both "Coke" and "Coca-Cola"
are registered trade marks in
Canada which identify only the
product of this Company and
are, therefore, entitled to the
same typographic treatment as
a proper name.
Yours very truly,
Donald A. Burwash
COCA-COLA LTD.
(Editor's note: Next time we'll
say "soft drink")
Op in jolts
n order that
News—Record readers might
express their opinions on any
topic of public interest,
Letters To The Editor are
always welcome for
publication.
But the writers of such
letters, as well as all readers,
are reminded that the
opinions expressed in letters
published are not necessarily
the opinions held liv The
News—Record.
second class mail •
registration number — 0817
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' JAMES E. PITZGERAL0.4-Editor
.1, HOWARD AITKEN General Manager
THE 'CLINTON NEW ERA
Amalgamated
THE HURON NEWS-RECORD
Established 1865. 1924
Established 1881
Clinton News-Record
A member of the Canadian Weekly Newspaper Association,
Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association and the Audit Bureau
of Circulation (ABC)
Published every Thursday at
the heart of Huron county.
Minton, Ontario
Population 3,05
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