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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1966-04-14, Page 4The most importan knowledge Its a state of mind 50 YEARS AGO No choice for council up to a basic standard. And that is what council is trying to do. And if it means a raise in taxes, then we will have to pay it. There have been complaints of broken sidewalks or places where there is no sidewalk. Last year there was no sidewalk reconstruction carried out at all. This year. there must be. Good sidewalks are as important as good roads. There can be little argument as to the need of both storm and sanitary sewers. This is much too expensive to carry out all at once but a continuing program over a number of years will gradually see most of the problems solved. There are many other areas where tax dollars must go and council has little choice but to spend them. We do not like increased taxes any more than other people but we do un- derstand the need for these and sup- port the decision of council. It is the only way in which the town can main- tain the standard of services most resi- dents demand. There can be little quarrel with the recent decision of council to raise the local tax rate by eight mills. While it will be a hardship on some residents with fixed incomes, it was "unavoid- able" and implemented only after seri- ous consideration by council. Most of us abhor taxes but real- ize they are necessary if our way of life is to be continued in the manner which we would like. This is true at all levels of government and although we complain at times, we do under- stand. And so it is on the local level. There will be complaints about the in- crease this year but we can think of no real justification for these. We are sure there would be just as many com- plaints, or more, if necessary work was not carried out. This spring there have been nu- merous complaints about poor roads, pot holes, mud holes, and roads that were impassable. We suggest the only way to alleviate this condition is a planned program of reconstruction which will eventually bring all roads Controversial pay raise We can well understand the mixed reactions which greeted the announce- ment of higher salaries for pilots in the RCAF and other services. In some cases there was resentment because only one small section of service per- sonnel was singled out for an increase. Most feel that a raise for all serv- ice personnel is long overdue and feel this is a case where, "the wheel that squeaks the loudest gets the most grease". But there is brighter news for the future. There is a hint that the old system of equal pay for equal ranks will be abandoned and other special- ists in the forces will receive pay in- creases more in keeping with what in- dustry is offering. This would appear to be a com- mon sense approach to a difficult prob- lem. There is little sense in spending great quantities of taxpayers' money to train skilled workers, only to have By Val Baltkalns SaPtda at 91r4asfe Veare them lured away by industry when the training is completed. Skilled tradesmen are in great de- mand and it would only seem logical that the government should offer these men some incentive to remain in the services. The pay raise for pilots will cer- tainly have repercussions, as in most areas, people resent change. There could well be an unfortunate strain be- tween other aircrew and pilots which could certainly affect the efficiency and productivity of these men. We hope other increases will be announced in the near future and that the abandon- ing of the old policy of "equal pay for equal ranks" does nothing to harm the working relationship between these groups. This is one area where close co-operation and harmony are neces- sary. Municipal government *slipping? I've probably seen more houses and cottages in Peterborough and area than many of the residents who have lived there all their lives. The reason for this is be- cause of June's parents. Their favorite past time is house hunt- ing in the winter and fall and cottage hunting in the spring and summer. It seems that every time we go home we are off on an afternoon looking for cottages or houses. Not that I mind as it is educa- tional as well as giving us a darn good excuse for going for a drive and getting fresh air when we might be tempted to sit around the living room with our feet up waiting for the last meal to wear off before it's time to eat again. It all started shortly after I met June and even before we got married. Her folks had a beauti- ful home with a king size lot but the work of keeping this up was getting them down. Having to mow all that grass when they could be golfing or having to shovel all that snow when they could be curling was just too much so they moved into one of the new apartment building s or Being which Is beyond and for which my name is God". We also have the experience of how we ought to live. We know we ought to live better lives than we do, As one man said: "If I know anything at all I know that I ought to be gentle not cruel; that I ought to be patient not ir- ritable; that I ought to have good- will and not malice or hatred towards others. If anywhere we have assurance, knowledge and certitude it is here". Inspite of all the bleating to the contrary I believe it is still possible to know God. I believe it is still the most important knowledge we can ever gain. Part of our problem is that we spend 99.9% of our time amassing other kinds of know- ledge which we consider more important. By the way we use our time and plan our school curriculums It is obvious we don't take these words from Jere- miah very seriously: "Thus saith the Lord. Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches, but let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord". Our standards of value do not appear to give top priority to understanding and knowing God. We do not appear to see that our walk with God is the most sig- nificant element in our life. The Easter event should have reminded us that Jesus Christ is still present to renew, to help, to forgive and to strengthen. Just as He healed the Samaritan woman with the shady past so He still frees many from the tyranny of their past mistakes. Just as He transformed an avaricious, unscrupulous, dishonest Zacch- eus so He still overcomes cove- tousness and inspires honesty and self-giving. Just as He took a Peter who was capable of lying, cowardice, and desertion and made him a great leader so He still brings strength into weak- ness. Easter reminds us that the Cross didn't snuff out this unique activity. It was no dead corpse which changed Paul from a mur- derer to an apostle of love. It was no corpse which changed Augus- tine from a wine, woman, and song type into a great leader. Cen- turies after the Cross a foul- mouthed John Bunyan experienc- ed the Presence of Christ and be- came the author of Pilgrim's Progress. A dissolute Frances Thompson came back from a skid row existence to write "The Hound of Heaven". So He still helps and heals and in so doing He still makes Him- self known. The most important knowledge in the world — that God loves us and accepts us — is still ours. Nearly 100 years ago the great British politician Gladstone made the following statement: "I am convinced that the welfare of mankind does not depend on the state or the world of politics. The real battle is being fought in the world of thought, where a deadly attack is made, with great tenacity of purpose, and over a wide field, upon the great- est treasure of mankind, the be- lief in God and the gospel of Christ". The battle is even more fierce in our time. There is a tremend- ous emphasis upon the acquisition of knowledge in our way of life — this is as it should be. Yet at the same time the knowledge of God is played down by some and viciously attacked by others. There are those who tell us that it is impossible to know God — after all He doesn't exist — all that is left to we simpletons who still believe is a hodgepodge of our own projections and perhaps a call to meet human needs. I am sympathetic to the attempt to experience God in every day life. I even find many positive things in the process of secular- ization, However, I share David Read's concern when he says, "When we are told that accepting the secular means abolishing the holy, rejecting the supernatural, eliminating all thought of a dimension that is not accessible to the instruments of the physic- al, psychological or social sciences then the time has come to show a bright red light. It is one thing to say we must find the holy — the other — God in our secular world. It is quite another thing to say there is no dimension beyond the human dimension and no world beyond the natural world", I believe that there are still a variety of ways in which God can be known. I believe that we meet Him in responding to human need. We meet Him when we encounter love, compassion, kindness, con- cern and caring in other people. But I believe further that God is still known apart from these experiences too. As one man put it: "Fish are furnished with fins because there is an ocean for their swimming, birds have de- veloped wings because there is air in which to fly. So it would be strange and paradoxical if there were nothing, nothing at all, to answer the vision or cor- respond with the yearnings of the poets, artists, seers and proph- ets of mankind". He is saying that in great art or literature or music or a renewed social conscience we encounter some- thing of God. I agree. We can also experience God when we appreciate beauty. As another person put it: "The de- light, the wonder, the thankful- ness with which I look at a sun- set is my response to that Power which are gaining in popularity in the city. I thought they were perfectly settled with a set-up where you drive into the garage, step into the elevator and arrive at the door of the apartment which has as much floor area as a normal house. And they were for a while until the cottage bug struck them. They convinced themselves they just had to own a cottage and proceeded to go out and look at every cottage advertised for sale in the Kawartha lakes area. And believe me that's a lot of cottages. I know because we were living a little closer to home then and used to visit once a month or oftener and I got to see quite a few of them myself. It would be impossible to guess how many hundreds of miles we tra- velled looking at cottages priced from $5,000 to $25,000. And that is no joke. The real estate boys down there can say $25,000 with- out a trace of a smile when talk- ing about a new cottage on a fifty foot lot. After tramping around in- numerable properties, getting scratched and, mosquito bitten, the Ontario Municipal Board, the Health Board and other provincial gov- ernment agencies. At the same time there is no need for drastic changes in the local gov- ernment structure, and should regional units be formed, County Councils can well provide the basic framework for areas where it is believed regional units are more satisfactory. We do think the municipal struc- ture does need a bit of reinforcing, and would welcome a look into the powers held by non-elected boards and com- missions to see if they should be cur- tailed. Citizens should have the right to appeal from decisions made by non- elected boards and officials. (Stouffville Tribune) ."" We note that Ontario's one-man Commission on Civil Rights, James C. McCruer has stated that he is taking a searching look at whether the wide powers held by non-elective government boards and commissions should be cur- tailed. In many places those responsible for the issuing of various licenses are not elected. There are also secondary school boards and planning boards. The former mayor of Ottawa, Char- lotte Whitton says something is wrong with democracy at the local level in Ontario. She says that all the pith and strength have gone out of municipal government. It is a fact that today much of the government of local communities is subject to the over-riding authority of What price success? For years when the New York Yankees dominated the American League, their critics were numerous. Many wanted the team broken up, to level out the league. As winners, they were hated, a not unusual thing when someone displays excellence in any field. In the past year their fortunes fell the other way, and they did not even manage a first division finish. Now the same critics are writing them off as contenders for this year. They may be right. But it seems an odd outlook, when a truly great team shows some- thing less than its customary success. Perhaps, when the pundits are fin- ished, the players will have something to say as they give their best to win. A team does not stop being a great team, or a good team, because it stops winning for a while. We have swallowed the doctrine of success to such an ex- tent that we have forgotten that old philosophy about the game being the thing. (The Trentonian) 15 YEARS AGO Huron's original old time fid- dlers' contest sponsored by Hen- sall Chamber of Commerce drew a packed hall Friday night. Three hundred were turned away. Prize winner in the 75 to 100 class was William Hyde, Hensall. Mr V. M. Pyette was presented with a table lamp by the staff of the Bank of Montreal prior to his leaving for the Westport branch. Grand Bend property owners will vote May 16 to determine whether their village will be in- corporated in Lambton or Huron. London Free Press columnist Fred Arnott blasted the novel floor markings in the kinder- garten of Exeter Public School Tuesday. "He has attacked the machine without knowing its op- eration." Times Established 1873 Advocate Established 1881 Amalgamated 1924 Thursday evening Exeter curlers recognized the worth of their president, Mr. H. J. White, who has since moved from Exeter, by presenting him with a fine pipe. Mr. and Mrs Sherman Willis left Monday for Grand View,Man. where Mr Willis is engaged in farming, He took a car of settlers effects with him. Lieut. Beattie Martin, after a month's illness from rheumatic fever at the front, is again on duty as medical officer of the Nortumberland Fusiliers says a cable to his father, Rev. W. M. Martin of London, formerly of Exeter. Erwin-Davis: At Trivia Memo- rial Church, Exeter April 12 by Rev. D. W. Collins of Windsor, Franklin H. Erwin of Ingersoll to Miss Mary Grant, daughter of Mr and Mrs Dan Davis. 10 YEARS AGO late ereferZiniesabuocafe SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND Member: C.W.N.A., 0.W.N.A., CLASS A and ABC Publishers: J. M. Southcott, R. M. Southcoff Editor: Kenneth Kerr Advertising Manager: Val Baltkalns Phone 235-1331 they finally bought a little place because they liked the looks of the lot and thought they could renovate the cottage to their own tastes. This lasted for a couple of weeks until they took a second look at their project and then it was back to cottage hunt- ing again. They sold the cottage without ever having slept a night in it and we ended up spending our vacation in a cottage rented for a couple of weeks. After living in the apartment for a couple of years the cottage dream has faded into obscurity and it is now house hunting time again. All the advantages of the electrically heated apartment are forgotten and we hear a few of the faults. All the disadvantages of owning a home are forgotten and all we hear are the advantages, as they have re-convinced them- selves that having their own house is the only way to live. We looked at houses all over Peterborough and Lakefield area this weekend and they'll probably still be look- ing when the golfing season ar- rives in another month or so. They may find a house they like but I am sure they are like a lot of us. There is a lot more fun in looking and thinking about something than there is in the actual realization of a dream. I'd venture to say there are a lot of men who would agree with this theory when looking for a wife but I haven't the nerve. It's an interesting thought though, but I can't admit I subscribe to the idea. After all, I do like the comforts of married life and I'm afraid I might lose some of these if I made a comment like that. And as you may have guessed by now, I have spring fever. And I don't blame the folks a bit for being restless and searching for change. This eternal hunting is a good excuse to get outside mov- ing around, which reminds me, it's time to dig out the barbecue and tools and clean them up. I don't work Sunday afternoons during the spring, summer and fall. If anyone wanted to find me they could look at the beach, or a park, or nearly any shady spot away from civilization. Our Sun- day afternoon barbecue is our excuse to get out of the house, away from the telephone and all the pressures of the job. It's a good way of life, you should try it. Published Each Thursday Morning at Exeter, Ont. Authorized as Second Class Mail, Post Office Dept, Ottawa, and for Payment of Postage in Cash 25 YEARS AGO Agnes MacPhail, former mem- ber of Parliament for Grey - Bruce . . . and one of Canada's best informed authorities on agri- cultural problems . . is now writing exclusive articles for the Globe and Mail. Floody Lindenfield -- At James Street Church Thursday, April 10, Miss Lulu Pearl, daughter of Mr and Mrs E. Lindenfield, to Norman Floody, only son of Mr and Mrs David Floody, Blyth, by Rev. Arthur Page. Skinner-Ryckman -- At Main street United Church ) EXeter ) on Saturday, April 12, Miss Gladys Viola, second daughter of Mr and MrS Archie Ryckman, to Gerald Franklin Skiriner, youngest son of Mrs Skinner and the late Skin Skinner by Rev, N. J. Wood. Paid in Advance Circulation, September 30, 1965, 4,208 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada $4.00 Per Year; USA $5.00 ADVERTISERS, PLEASE NOTE Taking the time to reach small town weeklies is worth the effort according to a man Who is re- ported by a daily paper to be one of the best political executive assistants in Canada, He is Clare Westeott, a member of the staff Of Ontario's minister of educa- tion. "Get to the weeklies and you get to the province. Their read- ers remember what they have read." 4 Something of very real im- portance to Western 0 n t ar i o started on its course -- the Ontario Water Resources Com- mission has been formed. A water pipeline north of Grand Bend to supply water from Lake Huron to areas needing water has been suggested. Construction of the $80,000 addition to General Coach Works, Hensall, is progressing rapidly and officials expect the build- ing will be completed in six Weeks. This new 100' x 230' wing will double production space of the factory. The property Of the late Wil- liam Musser was purchased by Miss Della. Peart for $5,050 at the auction sale Saturday. Zurich is well on its way with its centennial preparations for Celebrations to be held from Jtily 1 to 4. Spring is not a season. It's a state of mind. To Browning, writing in Italy, it was, "Oh, To Be In England, Now That April's There." To Botticelli, it was delicate, long-legged ladies in nightgowns, scattering petals as they danced. To Beethoven, it was lambs gamboling to the notes of the shepherd's pipe. But in these parts, it's a time of agony and ecstasy, depending on what age you are, and what you are up to. Ecstasy for little kids. Off with the snowboots, and snow- suits hurled into a corner. Out into the wonderful world, from so long ago they can scarcely re- member: wading puddles, build- ing sinky rafts, shooting marbles; skipping; picking pussywillows. And lovely, brown, soft, silky, sludgy, slimey mud everywhere. Heaven. It's ecstasy for the young in love. For the first time in five months they can hold hands, bare- handed, on the way home from school. They can hang around the girl's back door, or the corner, for an hour, talking inanities, joyous in the certainty they won't freeze to death. Could anyone be happier, and cockier, than the young mothers in spring? Trim girls last fall, they wheel their prams down the street on the first sunny day, three abreast, pushing honest taxpayers into the gutter, as they display with utmost pride those miracles they produced during the winter. They are women this spring. For our senior citizens, spring brings another kind of happiness, a quiet, deep one, They have been dicing with death all winter. They have suffered loneliness and pain and despair, That first balmy day of spring warms their old hearts and their old bones. It's a promise of life, renewed, which they need badly. I think farmers and sailors are happy in the Spring. For the former, it means another eight Months of back-breaking labor with small return. For the latter, it means back to work often dull, often dirty, and the loneliness of absence from families. But both are ready for it, after being underfoot all winter. It restores purpose to life. A man who isn't working is only half a man. For the housewife, spring is combination of the agony and the ecstasy. There's the agony of choosing the right paint and wall- paper, the ecstasy of attacking the house like the Assyrian coming down on the fold. Gardeners are happy. Gloves on, they go out in the back yard and joyously muck about. They squall over the first crocus, inhale with delight the rotting stench of long-buried earth, plan glorious gardens in the mind's eye. Golfers are giddy with glad- ness. The last streaks of snow are still under the pines. The course is muddy, the wind chill- ing. But the first day the flags are up, they're out there. You see, this is the year when they will slice not, nor will they hook. They feel it in their bones. Anglers are snooping the countryside, looking for new beaver dams, checking last year's choice spots. Opening day is still not here, but they're dreaming of that first speckled beauty, caught on the first cast. Merchants are optimistic. Peo- ple are Coming Into the store for something besides keeping warm. Building booms, and the carpen- ter, electrician, plumber, brick- layer, feel a surge of hope after a slow winter. Where's the agony) then, if everybody is so happy about spring? We've run almost the whole gamut, and nobody is suf- fering. What about the university stu- dent? There are hundreds of thousands of them, They are chewing their nails, pulling out their beautiful hair in handfuls, sweating Cold with fear, Outside beckon the sun and soft wind. Please turn to page 5