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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1966-04-21, Page 4Whether lights are needed at the ball diamond in Exeter or not does not appear to be the most important ques- tion at .this time. There are other qttes- tions which should be asked first. Among these should be — How much use will there be for these lights? Are there enough interested people on hand Who will donate the money and are there enough interested people who will accept the responsibility and raise the necessary money for this project? There are many improvements all of us would like to see in Exeter. We would like to see a new roof on the arena, better roads, an expanded sewer program, new sidewalks and better pay for municipal employees. And we will get these things but they all take time. A meeting this week should an- swer a few of the above questions, A meeting has been scheduled to discuss the proposed lights and we hope a few answers will come from this. If there are people interested in having lights for the ball diamond, we expect to see them at this meeting, And more than this we expect to see them stand up and volunteer to help raise the money and guarantee the cost until such time as this money is collected. This may be somewhat difficult. There are still a few men who believed a swimming pool was necessary and signed for the responsibility for this cost. While most of this obligation has now been met it has been a long hard struggle and we could not blame these people too much if they stood back and allowed someone else to take the re- sponsibility for the new project. We will support a project to in- stall lights at the ball diamond, only if the people concerned are willing to donate the work, effort and money to make the project a reality. There has been a great deal of talk in regards to this project. This week there will be an opportunity for the interested peo- ple to stand up and be counted. Please people! It is difficult to understand the mentality of people who use the edge of township roads as a dump. Now that the snow has melted a drive down nearly any township road will reveal where parcels and boxes of garbage have been tossed into the ditch rather than the owner taking the trouble of driving a little further and arriving at a legitimate dump. There are few things more annoy- ing, especially in the early spring be- fore road crews have had a chance to clean up, than seeing the collection of trash which lazy, inconsiderate people have left along the roads during the winter. There are laws against this illegal dumping but unfortunately they are By 'Val BaltkaIns 9i,t4e 0,4101,9 Aevtaccia difficult to enforce. Like a thief in the night, these people wait until the road is clear of traffic before hastily tossing their packages into the ditches and speeding on. We are inclined to believe coun- cillor Ted Wright had a good sugges- tion a few weeks ago when he sug- gested our laws in this regards are not strict enough. Fines for the same of- fence in the United States are much higher and have resulted in a great re- duction in the number of litter bugs. Stronger action is needed now before our roadsides are turned into a com- mon dump and our scenery begins to look like a pigsty because of the ac- tions of a few pigs who bear the super- ficial appearance of humans. An "R.S.V.P. your transportation tickets in your city." A fair number of Canada's week- lies, this newspaper included, have been highly critical of the astronomical sums of public funds that have been, and are being, poured down the drain in connection with Expo. We have been particularly critical of the extensive amounts being spent on so called 'free publicity' emanating from Expo offices. We believe a lot less money could be laid out in advertising which would provide more mileage for tax dollars and greater returns in terms of gate receipts when the show opens. As we see it, the all-expense guid- ed tour bit is just one more instance of wasteful spending by people who seem to feel money is going out of style. We have declined the invitation emphatically and we trust our col- leagues will adopt a similar stand. (Midland Free Press-Herald) as their own, For example "among the DAILY items the Detroit river is supposed to ab- sorb and carry out of sight are 19,000 gallons of oil, more than 200,000 pounds of acid, 2 million pounds of chemical salts and 100,000 pounds of iron. These are all in addition to the sketchily treated human wastes from a populatioa of several million. The Detroit river is only one of many similar polluted streams debauching Lake Erie." Yet little is done in the U.S. and I assume the figures for Canada are even worse, It is estimated that the cost of a wholesale clean up in the U.S. would be $40 billion dollars. The U.S. is spending $750 mil- lion a year. As John Bird puts it, "At this rate the 21st cent- ury will be well under way be, fore we are ready to cope with 20th century pollution. We may choke on our own filth by then." Why are all levels of govern- ment so slow to act? For ex- ample, Germany has discovered a means of making detergents less harmful and have outlawed the old type. We persist in doing nothing. John Bird's r e as o n makes sense: "This type of work brings no profits. It is not po- litically expedient." The problem, as always, is that private industry only acts in the public interest when forced to do so. As one water quality expert put it, "Most industries haven't lifted a finger to stop pollution unless the government forced them to." And there's the rub, We always howl about govern- ment interference and praise free enterprise. But free enterprise has a horrible record for con- serving natural resources. I believe that it is high time the government stepped into this problem area with the big stick and stopped pussyfooting around. As one U.S. leader told indus- trialists: "No one has the right to use America's rivers as a sew- er. You must accept the fact that the cost of pollution control from now on is a part of the cost of doing business." One angry young man has said: "People seemed to accept pollu- tion as a way of life. Our public officials were apathetic. Some of our major industries were nega- tive and condescending while wantonly infecting our water." As a young father with two children, John Bird's crushing conclusion makes challenging sense to me: "If we continue to blunder along, setting our sights too low, worrying more about im- mediate costs than the future of our natural resources may not much of our countryside be a dis- aster area? Must our children accept a dcspoiled land in which once pleasant streams are open sewers, lakes and bays are cess- pools and beaches are places of peril instead of joy? The key question still is 'Can we save our waters?' And as of now the ans- wer at best, is only rmaybe'." What has your M.P. or M.P.P. done about this problem lately? If you have seen the detergent suds lapping against our beaches; if you have come in from a swim in Lake Huron looking as if you'd just walked across a freshly oiled road you know something is wrong with the Great Lakes. If you stand at Niagara Falls and inhale deeply as I did a couple of weeks ago you know there's something to this tale about a dying or dead Lake Erie. The Saturday Evening Post of April 23, carried an excellent article by John Bird called "Our Dying Waters". In introducing the study the Post says there is an "angry new public determination to save our natural heritage from recklessness and greed." The odds, however, from all the evid- ence are not very encouraging. The article confines itself to the pollution of water in the U.S. but since much of that water touches Canada also it applies to us too, What has happened in the U.S. is also happening here and even less is being done about it in Canada. The Canadian ac- tion on Lake Erie is almost ex- clusively confined to finding out how bad the situation is when any- body's eyes and nose will tell them how bad it is! Very little pressure is being applied by any level of government to clean up the mess in a hurry. With reference to the U.S. scene John Bird writes: "With destructive ignorance and van- dalistic abandon we have clogged the capillaries and arteries of our land with filth. Perhaps we were dulled in the early days by the reassuring platitude that 'running water purifies itself'. Perhaps we simply didn't care. In any case we have used our creeks, rivers and lakes as handy, cheap sewers to carry away every imagineable kind of waste." "We have filled our streams with raw excrement and garbage, laden with disease. We have stained them with oil, coal dust, tar, dyes and chemical liquors discharged by industries. We have burned them with powerful acids which destroy all aquatic life except algae. We have turned them grey and murky with silt and sludge. We have used them to dispose of residues containing long lasting poisons. And as though to show our contempt for the natural scene we have dumped billions of tons of trash in our lovely waters: beer cans, worn out tires, old mattresses, rusty oil drums, broken glass, dead animals and junked automo- biles." "Our surface waters are in horrible shape. Long ago the immense load of filth and poisons we dump in our streams over- whelmed their natural ability to purify themselves. At the same time the volume of wastes dis- charged by our cities and fac- tories is steadily increasing." Surely it's time the Canadian government and people complain- ed long and hard about Detroit and other large American cities which pollute our water as well At risk of being dubbed an un- grateful so-and-so, we find a letter for- warded to this office by an official of Expo '67 little short of a further ef- fort to bribe us with our own and other taxpayer's money. The letter apparently has been sent to a goodly number, if not all, of Canada's weekly newspaper editors in- viting them to be guests of Expo offi- cials at a "special briefing to be held at the 1967 World Exhibition headquar- ters in Montreal April 20." We were advised that it is expect- ed "a large group of Canadian weekly newspaper editors and publishers" will be attending the event, which includes a guided tour of the site. The letter continues: "We will pro- vide transportation via Toronto to Mon- treal and return, as well as your meals and accommodation for two nights at the Windsor Hotel. You will be notified by Air Canada when you may pick up I cannot make myself believe that picketing as it is carried on today is of benefit to the economy of the workers or to the economy of the country. Never having marched on a picket line, I cannot give any impressions as to what workers feel like but having ob- served many of these, and studied the outcome of some events which have been picketed I have come to believe that a change has oc- curred and these no longer serve the purpose for which they were first intended. Picketing today is far removed from the original purpose which Stimulated this. It is no longer a case of workers receiving a sub- standard wage pointing out to the world that they are being treated less than fairly. Today picketing appears to be changing into a means of threatening or black- mail of which any group can at- tempt to influence or embarrass either a private company or a government. When unions were first formed and the first strikes occurred there were many people who felt a sense of responsibility and who supported these acts. I sincerely doubt whether these same people could have sympathy for the ma- jority of strikes as they are held today, or for the reasons for which they are supposedly called. The recent teamsters' strike is an example of what lengths unions will go in order to gain their demands, whether right or wrong. Some interesting thoughts on this matter are included in the 'Clip- Sheet' by C. J. Harris. It is in the public interest that in today's complex industrial society, no one group is permitted absolute power. Compromise is essen- tial—compromise which acknow- ledges that the worker has rights, the employer has rights, the customer has rights, and society at large has rights. It is the pur- pose of the law and the obligation of the authority of the state to maintain that balance-of-power by dispassionately protecting the rights of each of these groups. Of all those who should acknow- ledge and uphold this principle, first in line should be organized labor. But at least some union leaders think not. They act on the principle that might makes right, that if their group can muster the power, they may ride roughshod over the rights of all others. Since the teamsters' strike a- gainst public commercial car- riers had paralized deliveries, a Toronto refrigeration company had sent its own small truck to pick up a 96 pound box of parts at a Hamilton freight depot. The two pickets on duty permitted the truck's entry, then phoned their Free ride should end If you want a la ugh • The Aylmer Express thinks that a bad precedent was set by members of government who started, a number of years ago, paying themselves a salary which contains a large portion of ex- pense account which is free from in- come tax. Says the Express editorially:— "If there is one development that should be arrested promptly in this country it is the increasing tendency of elected of- ficials to think that for some peculiar reason they should be excused from in- come taxes and allowed rather to live on expense accounts. We understand that Finance Min- ister Sharp is now studying a request from the Ontario Municipal Association asking for increased tax exemptions on municipal councillors' salaries. As a member of Parliament, Mr. Sharp is in a weak position to resist because MPs and Senators already of- ficially regard a large part of their pay as expense money. The same is true among members of the Ontario legis- lature. In other words, the senior levels of government have set such a wonder- ful example of assigning themselves arbitrary expense accounts that they can hardly blame their contemporaries at junior levels from wanting to get on the gravy train. "What faith, however, can the peo- ple have in lawmakers whose para- mount concern seems to be to exempt themselves from the impact of the taxes they levy?" concludes the Ex- press. (Blenheim News-Tribune) 50 YEARS AGO The roads throughout this dist- rict are drying up fine and the autos are out. Mr. L. H. Dickson of the law firm of Dickson & Carling, has been appointed judge of Huron County to fill the vacancy caused by the retirement of His Honor Judge Doyle. Mr. A. J, Heywood, a divinity student at Toronto University, who has been visiting his par- ents Mr. and Mrs. C. Heywood, left this week for Alberta where he will take care of a circuit for the summer. The assessor, Mr. Rd. Hunter, has completed his rounds and the roll has been handed in. Times Established 1873 Advocate Established lam Amalgamated 1924 exeferZintes-Afitorafe nearby strike headquarters. Within minutes a group of more than 40 union members had as- sembled to block the truck's exit. When police reinforcements ar- rived and an inspector warned that any attempt to impede the truck would result in arrests, a group of teamsters, led by local president Raymond Taggert stag- ed a roadway sit-down that was broken up only by the arrest of eight of the teamsters. "What really burns us," Mr. Taggert told the press after he had been charged with obstructing the police and released on bail, "is that these scab trucks can come and go as they please, given full protection by the police. They can cross our picket lines or do anything they want and they have the police to get them through." The attitude is that only the union has rights, and that it has any rights it can enforce. The recent march on Queen's Park by Ontario farmers was not an event that too many farmers should be proud of. Estimates given are that some 1,300 people were involved in this little black- mail attempt. Of these it is safe to bet that in some cases two to three persons may have come from the same farm and a safe estimate would be that some 500 farmers were involved in the incident. That is a paltry number compared to the number of farm- ers we have in Ontario but the rabble rousers Were given their headlines as they intimated they might block roads with tractors, much the same as was tried in Quebec. Actions such as this may raise sympathy in some quarters and especially with opposition parties in government but they cannot be condoned as anything but a form of blackmail, It would appear that the Farmer's Union, or some of its members, is attempting to emulate the actions of strong trade union tactics. It is a very poor project for a group which indicated not too long ago that it would like to improve the image of the farmer. I doubt whether there are very many farmers who would suggest these actions have advanced their image to any great degree. SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND Member: C.W.N.A., 0.W.N.A., CLASS A and ABC Publishers: J. M. Southcott, R, M. Southcott Editor: Kenneth Kerr Advertising Manager: Val Baltkalns Phone 2351331 15 YEARS AGO Close to 7,000 chicks were smothered to death in a fire at the newly built hatchery of Fred W. Bray, Gidley St., Saturday afternoon. Development of Rock Glen, a parklike area near Arkona with a 30-foot waterfall and a pictures- que gorge strewn with fossils, is finally becoming a reality. The A us abl e River Authority plans to buy it from private own- ers and make it a public park. Thera. Rev. G. N. Luxton, Bishop of Huron, was present in Grand Bend to confirm the first class of candidates to be pre- sented in the new Anglican Church of St. John's-by-the-lake. "To carry off five WOSSA championships in two years is something of a record which the teachers and student8 of the Ex- eter High School district might well be proud" said Bob Phibbs at a banquet to the players of the three teams that carried off the honors thiS year in London. Published Each Thursday Morning at Exeter, Ont. Authorized as Second Class Mail, Post Offite Depit, Ottawa, and for Payment of Postage in Cash Paid in Advance irculation, September 30, 1965, 4408 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada $4.00 Per Year; USA OM 25 YEARS AGO The battle of the Atlantic is the knitters' opportunity. Turtle neck, sleeved Sweaters and 26- inch seaboot stockings are urg- ently needed by the navy. The result of the protection of the Canada Wild Goose is now being seen in this district. The honk of the wild goose as it passes overhead bound for the north, has been more prevalent this season than for many a year. Exeter's problem No. 1, the town dump on the Lake Road, has the prospects of being cleaned up. A Toronto firm has purchas- ed from the town council for $25 all the old tin cans and scrap metal that is there now and all that will 'be dumped there this summer. The Buren County centennial celebration scheduled for June 25 which was to have marked the incorporation of Huron County, has been postponed, ow- ing to the Serious war situation, ,,, Nicer To Stay In Bed Some psychologist, a preacher for the advancement of individ, uals in their life and work, has stated that every person should dO one necessary but unpleasant thing every day. Most people already do at least one, so perhaps the psychologist should make it two. The firstun- pleasant act is to get out of bed. It Was the late Josh Billings, one of the doted New England humorists, Who said that he left his bed in the Morning not be. cause he was dissatisfied with the bed but because It would be inconvenient to carry it around with hirri all day. 10 YEARS AGO Greene's Variety Store plans to open its doors Friday after extensive renovations to its building on Main St. It is the former George Wright store. Sixteen Grade 12 and 13 SIIDHS students toured science Tabora- tortes at University of Western Ontario, Saturday, Carol Brown of Hensall and Lynda Tiernan of Dashwooci tied for the highest marks in the piano Section at the fifth annual South Buren Music Festival held at SHDHS and Exeter Public School, Over 70 yoUngplanistS competed. For teachers on the verge of suicide, puzzled parents, and anyone else who, worn by winter, needs an injection of warmth and humor, I have a spring tonic. Buy a copy of "Up The Down Staircase", paperback 95 cents, and read it. I came across it on the weekend and changed my mind about quitting the teaching pro- fession. It's called a novel, but isn't. It's a record of the first term of a young, pretty high school teach- er in a huge New York secondary school. It's tender and touching and utterly hilarious. And beneath the fun is a shocked and often bitter indictment of what the educational system is doing, or failing to do, for the vast mass of teenagers. As educators and other s have pointed out, the cream of the crop will rise to the top. The bottom ten percent is having millions of dollars spent to help them. It's the great mob in the middle that gets the dirty end of the stick. ConditionS in the school de- scribed are much worse than those in the average Canadian high school, but the parallels are there. Avalanches of paper, most of it unnecessary. Crowded condi- tions everywhere. The administ- ration thinks discipline more im- portant than learning. The lib- rarian doesn't like the library used because the kids don't put the books back on the shelves Straight, The nurse isn't allowed to dispense even an aspirin. Arid the counsellor tries to analyse all the kids with phony Fretid. And the teachers are there: the VfOrkberSeS, the whiners, the beaten, those who don't like kids, and those who, in spite of it all, know they're doing the Most im- portant job in the world, i3ut it is not basically a. bitter book. And most of the humor comes from those fascinating animals, the kids themselves. The teacher asks the kids to tell briefly why we study an- cient myths and the Odyssey. One answer: "I'm sure there are many reasons why we study these things, but I missed it due to absence." Another; "Because everybody in high school at one time or another had to read it, and now it's our turn." Another; "We read it because it's a classicle." The young teacher has a "sug- gestion box" where her students were allowed to drop ideas, anonymously. Some were scur- rilous, some threatening, some funny. Samples. "My mother has been living with me for 16 years but she still insists on cross-ex- amining me." "Don't worry, we're behind you 85 percent." "Get lost and stay there. Sing- ed, Poisen." "Haying sprained my ankle, the nurse gave me a cup of tea. Is that supposed to help my ankle. Athalete." "This is the first class I enjoy- ed failing because of looking at you." What emerges from the book? Several things. First and most important, the yearning of the young for Some contact with some one who respects them as people. This is the age-old individual demand for respect and human dignity, Second, the requisites of a good teacher: physiCal tough- neSs; Understanding; mental. and emotional Vitality; a genuine lik- ing for fellow humans, especially kids; and, of dourSe, something to teach; you can't fool kids with games and gimmicks. --Please Writ to page 5 Do you want lights? Something smells!