HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1956-07-12, Page 1THE EXETER TIMES-ADVOCATE, JULY it ,195$
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INSPECT COACH PRODUCT—A number of the visitors who inspected the new ad
dition to General Coach Works of Canada Ltd., Hensall, are shown here” viewing the
•interior of one of the coaches, with Manager William Smith.' Left to right, are Mrs.
William Sillery, Mrs. Albert Keyes, Mrs. George Armstrong, Manager Smith, and
George Armstrong. " —T-A Photo
Coach Opens Addition,
Plans More Expansion
While the public inspected its
recently-completed $80,poo addi
tion Saturday, officials of-Gen
eral Coach Works of Canada Ltdti
Hensall, announced further, plans
for expansion; to cope with a
zooming demand for ■ mobile
homes .across "the couritry.
, I Manager William Smith, under
whose hand the. plant has trebled^
its, production since 1954, told-
The Times-Advocate ‘that within
the next year the company hopes
tb enclose a U shaped section on
the north side Of the plant to pro
vide more rodm for its- wood
working sectiori. • T>
;The spectacular expansion of
the .young factory indicates the
American firm’s faith in the fu
ture* of the mobile home industry
in Canada and its- determination
td meet the eyer-mounting de-'
■njand for its product.
“The demand which has made
our expansion necessary shows
the increasing acceptance of mo
bile homes, by Canadians,”, said
Manager Smithy’-‘-’Last year, the
industry began hitting the poten
tial market "in this country; this
year will strengthen that market’
and next Year will'be even bet
ter.”
Outsell Imported Models
Growth of the mobile home in
dustry in Canada is ’illustrated
by recent, statistics which reveal
that more Canadian-made homes
.are being sold here now than im
ported models. Three years ago,
almost‘all of the, mobile homes
purchased in Canada were ini-
ported from the United States.,
.'Leader in the Canadian indus
try, .General. Coach is pioneering
in sales promotion throughout
the- country. The Hensall com
pany, through advertising in
Canadian periodicals and tele
vision, is attempting to create
a greater .consumer demand for
nfobile hoines/ Growth of ac
ceptance here fob mobile homes
is far behind that of the United
States but General Coach be
lieves this mode of living will
become .much more popular than
it is today.
“The industry will be healthy
fob a long, long time to come,”
Manager Smith predicts.
Since the American firm pur-
ehas'ed -the plant from Norman
St.” Cyr in 1950, it has produced
close to l;5’00 coaches ranging in
eizb from 18 Iq 51 feet in length.
One;hundred* and’ eighty-five men
are now employed by the com-
’Althdugh General Coach has
made four, additions since it pur
chased the plant,.it Still has had
difficulty^ keeping up to .the de
mand.’With its uhits" sold Well
In-, advance of production, the
plant has had to turn down a
number of quantity orders which
itMgopes to get how with its
larger facilities. ■
tea New Assembly Line
. .Visitors to the Hensall plant
Saturday saw how: the firm has
pxtehded its production line the
eritfre length and width of its
enlarged' factory, now the largest
in Canada.
Assembly starts at the south
east corner of the building,
travels along the south wall to
the West side and out the north
doori
The new line now handles 16
imits compared to the former
liries’s' seven and will produce
up to eight units a day when it
gets, into full swing.
Feature of the 130x110 addition,
which doubles production capa-
-City of the plant, is its new fin-
ishing section, ’ which „ handles
four units at a time, instead of
one. This section, n'ow employs a
hot-paint finishing .system, most
modern of its kind in Canada.
The new process allows fa'ster
painting, application" of a more
even finish which dries quicker
and a 20 percent saving in
material. Paint *is heated by hot
water' tubes strapped alongside
the spray pipes.
A'24x40 section is being added
to the north side of the‘factory
for new offices and a furnace
room will also" be added. The
firm has purchased a parking lot
at the rear of its building.
Another feature of the new ad
dition is the versatility it will
•offer- in production. Special
US Steel Strike
May Stop Coach
Possibility that a ‘ steel
strike in the United States
may halt production at Gene- .
,ral Coach Works of Canada,
Ltd., Hensall, Was revealed.,
last week by Manager Wil-
- liam Smith. - .
> The company imports,
wheels and axles for / its
trailers from the U.S.
• Mi/ ‘Smith^said' the ’com
pany is attempting to stock-
, pile material in view of the
strike but if mills are shut
down for -a long period of
time, this supply could be
exhausted.
coaches can be started to one
side-of the main assembly line
apd fed into the production
stream later on.
Build Mobile Switchboard*
One special coach recently con
structed by ‘the ‘company i§ a
mobile* - telephone switchboard
which now handles 40.0 to 500
phones in the Elliot .Lake, dis
trict.. The Bell Telephone Com
pany recently ordered .a second
unit. _ „ ;
General Coach has emphasized
quality manufacture in its suc
cessful bid for leadership in the
industry in Canada. Manager
Smith says the Canadian plant
actually produces a better pro
duct than, its parent company
in Michigan, which has been
forced to build a cheaper .home
to compete in the more popular
range m the United States.
General’s -mobile homes lack
nothing in home comforts.- The
units come equipped with the
latest. model appliances, in
cluding . refrigerators, stoves,
automatic washing machines, and
. even air conditioners in special
models.
’All of the-woodwork which goes
into, coaches is done iji< the
Hensall plant. The proposed new
additioh on the north side of the
plant will provide more roprn
for the woodworking section and
allow wood to. be processed in a
feeder assembly line which Will"
take rough lumber from the north
side through its' various, stages
of manufacture .to meet the main
assembly line on the south’side.,
Appoint New Minister
For Marketing Crisis?
Eij|hty-S«con<l Y««r
Higher Township Tax Rates
Reveal School, County Costs
Oppose PS,
Two Hensall councillors, m a
letter to The Times-Advocate
this week, said they think the
extra expense of putting in drain
age, sidewalks and roads would
make cost prohibitive for the
proposed public school on a new
site in Hensall.
Councillors Harry Hoy and Jim
Sangster, noting the school
board’s move in purchasing pro
perty on the south side of the
village-for the new school, said
they want the issue to go to a
vote so that ratepayers can make
the final decision.
School board actually reques
ted the vote after council refused
to* give final reading to a by
law providing for a -debenture
issue. of ‘ $120,000 for the new
school, Council did not approve
the new site.
Public School Inspector John
Goman,, in a letter to council
last week, pointed out that the
selection 4 of a site is the sole
responsibility of the school
board. He advised the board to
get architect’s sketches and
costs .on the new building .before
the vote is taken.
The councillors’ letter appears
on page two.
Cancer Drive
Best In Huron
Cancer ’ campaign in South
Huron topped its objective of,
$3,000, Campaign Chairman
R. E. Pooley announced this •
week.
’ Final figures -for the fund-
raising project reveal, a total
of $3,088,48, the largest a-
mount raised .by a chapter in
Huron. County. It was the
first time the local organiza
tion made an appeal fo?
funds.,
Treasurer for the,campaign,, was H, ’W.'Kelsoij, Exeter’/
Presideht of the Ideal chapter
is Fred Dobbs." ,
STEEL MAY HOLD UP POST OFFICE—Delay in delivery of, steel for the addition to
Exeter Post Office may hold up construction, contractor G- A. McDowell, Centralia,
said Wednesday. Brickwork for the 15-foot addition is nearly completed hut steel
will be necessary before the roof can be started. Alterations to the existing building
will decrease the size- of the main lobby but-add a separate room to the north to
provide for 30 feet of lock boxes, about three time's • more then are available at
present. . *. . ' . ■ . T-A Photo
US Convention
Provides ’Loot'
Lions District Governor A. _.
/Sweitzer and Mrs. Sweitzer re-
‘■turned Sunday from a two-week
trip to Miami, Florida, where
they attended the international
convention of the service club.
The Sweitzers brought home a
utiitcase Alli of Souvenirs pro
vided by Lions from nearly every
state in America and South
American and European coun
tries. Ovet, 43,000 attended the
convention. . ■
U.S. Vice-President Richard
B. Nixon and. Henry Cabot
Lodge, permanent U.S. delegate
to’ ‘ the U.N. were among the
before returning, the Sweitzers
visited Mr-, and Mrs. George
Wright and family al Panellas
J.
The controversial question of
marketing legislation may force
the Ontario government. to -ap
point a new minister of agricul
ture fo replace Hon. Fletcher’ S.
•Thomas, who is in Toronto hospi
tal following a collapse in Win
nipeg last week.
The Toronto Star said Monday
that the appointment of ’Hon. W.
A. Goodfellow to „ the portfolio is
expected to, take place this.w,eek.
The, Star said: “Certainly that
the ill health of the present min
ister is now so serious he • will
no longer be able to administer
this senior post in the govern
ment at a time - when the whole
marketing legislation may have
to be overhauled is forcing Pre
mier Frost to make thp change
at once,
Agriculture Minister Thomas,
will remain in Toronto General
Hospital for at least two weeks
for study, and observation. Dr,
K. G. McKenzie, a Toronto brain
specialist,, said Wednesday Mr.
Thomas underwent an explora
tory ■ operation this • morning.
He said it will be at least 10
or. 12 days before attending sur
geons know exactly the cause
of the minister’s illness. Hospi
tal officials’ said today Mr.
Thomas is in good condition and
resting easily after his operation.
Hurl- In St. Thomas
Mr. Thomas collapsed in Win
nipeg last week while attending
an agricultural conference. He
was reported responding to treat
ment there, but was transfer
red to Toronto for examination
by brain specialists. * ’
He has been in poor health for
some time; He also suffered head
.injuries in a car accident, near
his home in St, Thomas six
months ago. ‘ ’
Mr. Goodfellow Is equally at
home on the farm and in muni
cipal affairs. A. farmer at
Codrington in Northumberland
county, he was first elected to
municipal council at the age of
22, and suCcetedingly to the posts
of deputy reeve, reeve and clerk
and treasurer of Cramake town-
- «.....ki.i.r ■ii.-i-'..*- >.. i i>
Mrs. W. J. Carling
Marks 95 Years
Mrs. W, J,'Carling celebrated
her 95th birthday on Sunday,
July 8, quietly.
She was, remembered* with
cards, calls and gifts.
She is in excellent health,
leeks after her home and goes
up the street frequently walking .UUririUtHW...... ..... ..... ........
ship. Last August‘hq was trans
ferred in a cabinet shuffle from
the portfolio of welfare -he had
held from 1946, to minister of
municipal affairs. . ' ,
SHDHS Board
Gets. New Bids
South Huron District High
School board will meet in. special
session Thursday night to - con
sider revised tenders for con
struction of a five-room. addi
tion.
/Tenders have been received
from G. A- McDowell Construc
tion Co., Centralia,' and McKay,
Cocker Co. Ltd.,, London.
Original tenders were called
for the classrooms and- a cafe
teria but the board considered
the bids too high. -New .tenders
are for the classrooms only. •
Hensall Buys
Site
Hensall council completed pur
chase- of a dump ground in Us-
borne .township at its meeting
last week. v
The land; on concession three,
was bought from Archie Ether-
ington for $4,000 It-measures 50
acres. • >
.Although council does' not in
tend to establish - a' municipal
garbage collection,, it will make
the land available to a private
contractor who has expressed an
interest in providing a garbage
pickup service in the village.
Under this plan, the household
ers would make payment direct
;to the contractor.
In connection with the limbs
and trees which Were blown down
during, a recent storm, G. Beer
appeared -and offered to draw
away the wood for the use of.it
and to haul out the limbs at the
rate of $3.50 an hour. His offer
was accepted.
W. Forrest appeared concern
ing the drain in front of his
property and it was explained
to him that it was pot a public
drain xbut that the firemen would
try to flush it out at their next
practice.
E. R. Davis reported on the
patching of the streets. He was
instructed to have a mower at
tached to the tractor.
• Exeter council’s long-held plan
-to use storm drains as sanitary
sewers will. have to be aban
doned, according to the town’s
engineer, R.Vf Anderson, of To
ronto.
In a . recent letter to council,
the consulting engineer said that
a£-a result of recent amendments
to the Public Health Act, “it
would be rather dangerous to
openly" permit the connection of
sanitary drains to the William
Street sewer.”
This latest report confirms an
earlier opinion expressed by An-,
derson last year when he dis
cussed’ the town’s sewage pro
blem informally at' a council
meeting. That was when council
(first learned officially that its
'plan might be thrown out. -
During the past decade, the
town ha,s replaced main' drains
with storm sewers under the im
pression that‘they- would form
part of the sewage System when
it'was built. When the plan was
adopted, on the advice Of en
gineers, council had expected the
combination system would save
considerable cost when sewage
installation became necessary.
Consider Problem Next Week
Council is expected to consider
the sewage problem at its meet
ing next Monday night. In his let
ter to council; Mr. Anderson said
he would have a complete report
on the sewage question^ .ready
“for the early part of July.”
The issue arose last year when
a cattle beast died in Stephen
township after ,, drinking water
from the river downstream from
towh. A post mortem on the ahi-’
mal revealed it died. from bac
teria of raw .sewage, As a; re
sult of this incident,’ council
authorized Andersdn: to prepare
a report on the sewage-problem.
Since theM cost;of, ;a* complete
separate system of sanitary sew
ers for the town • appears prqhi-.
bitiVe, Engineer Anderson * has
Officials Agree
On Hay Dump
Mayor R. E. Pooley an
nounced Tuesday that. an
agreement had been reached
with Hay council for the use
of the new dump ground the
town recently bought in the
township.
Officials ofy both municip
alities met at the ground last-
week to look over the1 100-
acre farm which the town
has purchased for dumping.'
The land .is on No. 83 high
way, about three miles west
of Exeter.
. Mayor Pooley said Hay
officials intimated they
would assist with the de
velopment of the township
road which goes by the farm
and that an arrangement
may be made whereby Hay
residents can use the ground.
suggested the construction of a
chlorine contact chamber at the
end of the William Street sewer
to chlorinate the flow during the
summer months.
In his letter to council, Mr.
Anderson said:
“The Department of Health,
under Dr. .Berry’s chairmanship,
called a meeting recently in To
ronto of all consulting engineers
in the sanitary field to explain
the amendments to the Public
Health Act.Jnsofar as legal re
sponsibilities of a municipality
are concerned. We will include
this interpretation in our report.
“Our own conclusion from this
meeting, based on the discussion
concerning combined sewers and
the possible ' nuisance resulting
thereby by allowing sanitary
sewage to enter the storm sew
ers is that in the Case of Exeter,
it would be rather dangerous
to openly permit the connection
of sanitary drains to the William
Street sewer.
{Levies Jump
[Three Mills
Increased school and county
costs were reflected in district
township tax rates which were
! set by councils this week. .
Usborne's levy was set -Mon*
day night at 36 and one-half
I mills, three and one-half more
j than in 1955.The new Stephen rate is 36
| mills, an increase of three,
; Biggest jump comes from
1 South Huron District High School
‘ Board, which raised its • levy
•; from five to seven ‘mills this,
[ spring. Another one-mill increase
; came from the , county, which
moved its rate from 11 to 12 . at
the June session.
I Although Hay township’s rate
hasn’t been set.yet, Clerk H. W.
Brokenshire, Zurich, -said there
is little ’doubt it would be up in
view of the increases outside .its
control. Clerk Brokenshire said,
the council will probably held a
special meeting this mopth to
set its levy.
School Area Rate
Up’ For Usborne .•
Usborne township held . its
general levy to 7.9 mills, .the
same as in 1955, at its meeting
Monday night. The general
school rate remains at. 2.1 mills.
Township school area, levy in
creased half a mill to 7.5. Other
levies bn the township are coun
ty, 12 mills; SHDHS, seven
mills; making a total of-361/^. •
Council approved an increase
of $3,000 in its appropriation for
the bridge section of the’Morri
son • dam project on concession
two and three. This brings the total allotment for .the bridge
to $18,000.
The $3,000 increase is subject
to the approval of Department
of Highways, which pays 80 per
cent of the cost. . ’. '
The committee appointed to in
terview Sherwood Brock on the
purchase of gravel reported ./hat
the agreement could not be com
pleted at the- present'time but
could be held over until a later
date. . ,
The compensation insurance,
held ’with the General Accident
Insurance Co. through W. H.
Hodgson, Exeter, was renewed at*
a premium of $151.87 for roads
and bridges and $22.50 for gener
al purposes.
Council agreed to apply for-a
grant under the Warble Fly Con
trol Act in the amount Of $361.27.
Acting on .a letter frbm Engi
neer C. P. Corbett .who. outlined
the unsatisfactory condition, of
Anderson Drain extension • work,
council instructed that the con
tractor be notified and asked to
bring the work up to the engi
neer’s .specifications;
Council will meet again Mon
day everfing, August 13.
Set General Rate
Same In Stephen
Stephen set-its general town
ship rate at seven mills, same
as in 1955, at its meeting Wed*
nesday,-July 4.
Other levies affecting the town
ship are: county, 12 mills;, SH
DHS, seven mills; general school
rate, three mills; .School area
levy, seven mills.
Council approved a by-law re
questing a quieting order con
cerning thet dispute ' ov.er the
ship and Grand -Bend. Stephen is
“The ' much-to-be , preferred
course of action would be,to in
still a complete separate system
of’sanitary sewers with its own
sewage treatment plant and
keep all storm water out of this
system’. ‘ .
'■* ‘The - cost of such an under
taking, of course, > appears pro
hibitive, at. the present time but
we will .deal with it on the basis
of present- prices in our. report.
“A temporary - expedient to
overcome' the present, difficulty
and prevent legal action from
owners of property downstream
from the present sewer . outlet
would be to build a chlorine con
tact chamber - at the end of the
William Street sewer and chlori
nate the dry weather flow from
this area during’ the summer
months.
Built On* In Milton
“We have designed such a
structure for the town of Milton
where they are forced to resort
to heavy chlorination of the sew
age treatment plant effluent dhe
to overloading of the existing
treatment plant. When the new
extension to this plant is com
pleted next year, the concrete
chlorine contact plant will form
part of this new plant. drawings
and cost of this arrangement will
be included in our report and this
™°™ent w?V1.d>?fP®aV tOi cermng met dispute'ov.er me
be the best proceduie to recom-■ boundary line between the town
mend for Exeter until a com-. s^jp anj (jrand -Bend. Stephen is
plete treatment plant, and syS- j appeaiing to the municipal board
tern of connection i sewers could ‘tovrsettIe a three-year-old con*
oe installed. t troversy over 100 acres on the
Town council will also considerj east boundary of the summer re-
the-controversial closing-hour by- sort, which is claimed by Grand
law for service stations Monday j Bend.
night, At its meeting last council; Road payments included $8,-
postponed passing of the lOgis- -• - — - -
lation until it received legal ad
vice on its validity. '
Eight operators have signed
the agreement to close nights
and holidays while two stations
are opposed to the regulations.
7 c ..
;590.80 to R. H. Jennison, for
-crushing and hauling gravel;
1 $1,886.60 to Gerald Prout for
' gravel and $1,933.67 to Pollard
Bros, for liquid calcium.
The next meeting will be held
on Tuesday, August 7.
ATTEND CONFERENCE—Poultry raisers from Huron County were among several
hundred who visited the Ontario Agricultural College recently for the Annual- Poul
try Conference. The conference was climaxed by a chicken barbecue hold on the
campus near Graham Hall, the poultry science building. Left to right: Art Bolton,
Assistant Agricultural Representative Huron County; A. W. Kerslake, Hensail; Prof,
J. R. Cavers, Head of the Poultry Department, O.A.C.; X L. Webb, Goderich, and
G. W...Mant.garrkrr.v....Agririilfiiral
Horse Falls,
Rid^r Hurt
A 28-yealYold car salesman
from Woodstock was injured at
Grand Bend Sunday when the
horse he was riding fell on tuj*
of him.,
Morns Graham Muhroe and
three friends Were riding horses,
from a renting stable when Mun
roe’s horse suddenly reared. The
rider pulled on the reigns ahd
the animal fell over backwards
on him.
Ho suffered an injured pelvis,
internal injuries ahd a fractured
right arni. He was taken by the
T. Harry Hoffman Ambulance,
DashWood, to South-Huron Hos-
Believe Youths Stole
To Pay Off Car Debt
Police believe. _two’ teen-age held at Goderich. .
ate "fchafged with a number of j battery were taken from cars on
over the weekend, planned to ana was taken front a tractor
on a car? ' . hiient; arid a spotlight and mir*
-rors were taken front cars at
! Pearson Motor Sales’ lot at the
1 north end of town.
From the Bruceiicld stand, car*
tons of cigarettes, chewing gum»
chocolate bars and a sum of mon*
ey wore taken.
OPP Constable George Mitch
ell, Exeter, is.in charge of the
investigation.
! Truck, Car Col lid#
A truck and a car collided Al
Sarepta, one mile east of Dash*
wood, ■ Thursday night, 'causing,
i $350 damage.
| Truck, driven by Wesley Ra*
dor, is, of R.R. 3 Zurich, made ft
loft hand tum in front of the car, driven by William J, G1H*
etfe. 30, of Clauseti, Mich,,
OPP Constable GOotge Mil*
chriL....who inyqstigatedjj....said
youths from RCAF Clinton, who - Two spare wheels, tires and a
are charged with a number ofbattery were taken from cars on
thefts in Exeter and Bayfield Larry Snider Motor’s lot; gasol-
ovot the weekend, plaiiined to ano was taken from a tractor
sell the goods to meet payment | owhed by Exeter Farm Equip-,
on a car. » "■”* “
The youths are in Goderich
jail awaiting a hearing of charges
in court there Tuesday,"
They told police they commit
ted the thefts because their radio
course at RCAF Station Clinton
was so tough they needed to
do something for excitement.
■ Murray Coulter, 17, arid Ger
rard Lucien Chicoine, 1$, were ar
rested Monday and charged with
thefts at Larry Snider Motors,
Exeter Farm Equipment and
Peatson Motor Safes. They are
also charged with breaking and
entering Elliott’s ice cream stand
at Rtuccfiold.
. • Provincial Constables John
Forde, Exeter, and Jack Parkin
sori, Goderich, made the arrests
after finding a car at RCAF
Station Clinton which contained,
loot from thejnighl**, escapade.,.