Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1966-04-28, Page 4Face doubt head on By Val Baltkalns Pick your execution A wise decision In this day of socialism and hand- outs it is encouraging to see a little positive thinking by our provincial gov- ernment in allowing people to help themselves rather than handing out grants whenever there is a problem. We refer, of course, to the recent an- nouncement by the Department of Ag- riculture in regards to interest-free loans for farmers who suffered crop losses last fall. While many area farmers will not qualify for the loan, it is designed to assist the people who need a little help. There are those who, because of weather conditions, suffered severe crop losses last fall. These farmers have been in difficulty this spring at- tempting to raise the necessary money for seed and fertilizer, The action by the Ontario Government will allow these people to proceed with plans for another crop without fear of having to pay exhorbitant interest costs. There is a great difference be- tween assistance and charity but many people apparently cannot see this. The rabble rousers who cry for grants are not in the majority, fortunately, and we are sure this program as outlined by the Minister will meet with accept- ance. The majority of farmers realize that there is a risk in farming, that they may not be able to harvest their crops, and plan accordingly. When ad- verse weather occurs they do not ask for charity but rather a planned pro- gram of assistance which will allow them to carry on with their work. We like letters The Exeter Times-Advocate is fa- vored with a fair flow of letters from its readers. Newspapers like to publish letters, even when they disagree with editorial views. That's because people find letters interesting and read them. The editorial page has as its purpose the stimulation of thought, as well as the advocation of the newspaper's own opinion. Letters provoke thinking — and they are evidence of readers' interest. When you get the urge to write, here are a few tips to keep in mind: Keep it short and interesting, Let- ters to the editorget high readership because people are interested in other people. But they don't want to wade through long epistles. Use short sentences, and keep paragraphs short. This makes your writing interesting too. Use a new sentence for each idea. Write like you talk. Don't try to write like a college professor. Avoid sarcasm. This is very hard Veil a eee.te? to handle, even for accomplished re- porters. You make a bad impression if you start out to hurt somebody's feel- ings. Don't be cute. These attempts usually don't come off as the writer intends. Make your first shot the most tell- ing. Begin with your strongest argu- ment—or a strike at the other sides' weakest argument. Sign your name and list your ad- dress. Otherwise your letter won't even be considered. You may request that your name be withheld, in which case the editor will honor your request or not use the letter at all. Don't lay down an unconditional "no editing" rule. This usually results in rejection of the letter. Don't be hesitant to write when you feel strongly on a public issue. You would be surprised to know how much influence a citizen's letter in a news- paper has. Keep it short. Still school boards a-plenty There was a considerable outcry a few years ago when the number of school boards in Ontario was reduced, and many small rural boards went out of existence. However it is interesting to note that at that time there were 3,676 boards in the province and these were only reduced to 1,674. This was considered by many at the time to be a severe reduction, but actually there is still a long way to go. The Deputy Minister of Education, Dr. Phimister has announced that a further reduction is to be made. Some may question the necessity for going further but a look at reductions made in some other locations should be noted. In Scotland, for instance, where they had 947 school boards, a reduc- tion has been made to 35, and this The book "Come Out of the Wilderness" gives us a vivid picture of the battle being fought by the Christian church in East Harlem against drug addiction. A procession to the civic centre was planned to proclaim that the fatalistic attitude to drug addiction is wrong -- they want- ed to underline that something could be done. A man who had been an addict walked down the procession and placed a white carnation in the button holes of 15 men who had been addicts but who had overcome. They Were living examples of God's power in our day. It would be possible to quote thousands of examples of the same experi- ence within Alcoholic's Anony- mous. Those who seek to destroy the good news of faith always like to get famous people to attack the faith. The Society of Atheists once tried to get George Bern- ard Shaw to become their presi- dent. They found out that however critical Shaw might be of ortho- dox religion he was even more critical of atheism. Shaw him- self responded this way: "I am religious enough to have spent a great part of my life trying to clean up the heavily barnacled creeds and make them credible believing as I do that society cannot be held together without religion." He went on to say in his reply to the Society of Athe- ists that he regarded the Trinity as an entirely reasonable union of Father, Son and Holy Spirit and added that there was no need to deem the Immaculate concep- tion absurd. He added with relish, "This froze the marrow in the atheists' bones." Dick Van Dyke recently struck back at those who call him a square because of his way of life; "I want to speak out about something that turns up in a lot of stories about me. Sometimes they hint at it and sometimes they come right out and say it: Dick Van Dyke is a square. They explain this state of affairs by pointing out that I'm still mar- ried to my first wife after 18 years, have four children, go to church regularly and spend my spare time with the family. And you know what? I admit it and don't mind it. Square now has a nicer meaning than it used to have. It used to mean someone who didn't know what was going on around him. Today it means a person who lives by the rules. I've never found a certain stand- ard of conduct any handicap." This young man is an elder in his congregation actively involv- ed in regular discussion groups. We need more people who will speak out and give a reason for the hope that is in them. The church doesn't need to go on the defensive — there is still no bet- ter defence than a good offence — when in doubt attack and all that. An elderly minister who had spent 65 years in the ministry was once asked to explain the greatest difference between the attitude of people 65 years ago and the attitude today. He an- swered this way; "In any con- gregation, normal or otherwise, 65 years ago you could count on a general sense of guilt. Now the only thing you can count on is a general sense of doubt." The church must learn to face this fact head on. The story is told of an old cowboy who spent his life working on the cattle breeding ranches of the U.S. northwest. Here winter storms often took terrible tolls on herds. Freezing rain would come howl- ing across the prairie: then howl- ing winds piled snow into enor- mous drifts. The temperature would quickly drop to below zero. In this type of storm many cattle would often turn their backs to the icy blasts and would slowly drift downwind mile after mile. Finally they would come up to a boundary fence and the way would be barred. There they would pile up against the fence and die by the hundreds. The cowboy observed that Herefords often reacted differently. They would head into the wind and slowly work their way forward against it until they came to a fence at the wind- ward edge of the range. There they would stand shoulder to shoulder facing the storm. As the old cowboy concluded: "We al- ways found those cattle that faced the wind alive and well. That's the greatest lesson I ever learned on the prairie." The church needs to learn that lesson. We can't evade the fact that this is an age of doubt. We need to remember that Jesus did not ridicule the doubt of Thomas. He met it head on and showed him otherwise. lie didn't withhold His help from the man who s aid, "Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief." It is a hard fact today that if the church seeks to evade contro- versial issues; if it refuses to allow people to express their doubts in open discussion and debate we're in real trouble. Escapism killed the cattle and it could kill the church too. I believe that as individuals and within the Christian church in general we have nothing to fear from an honest facing up to the doubts of our time. We need not fear any clash with the winds of change. I believe that there should be no fear of debate; no fear of honest questioning within the church. I believe there is a growing openness in every branch of the church that can and will face anything head on and ul- timately win. I believe further that there is nothing square or sick about real faith. I believe that all the gates of hell cannot and will not prevail against what God has done and is doing in Jesus Christ. bility and it is unfortunate that it is very difficult to do anything about it. During the last week and a half several dogs have been dropped off in Stephen Township and it is the taxpayers of that Township that have to bear the cost of hav- ing these animals destroyed. Most country home owners have their own dog and have no choice when a stray shows up other than taking it to the vetinarian and having it destroyed. This might come as a shock to some people who justify their actions by saying the animal will be given a good home by some farmer. It might make the wife or kids feel a little better to be- lieve this but it is straying a long way from the truth. In one case recently a german shepherd bitch, with pups due at any time, was dropped off. Ap- parently someone did not want the expense of looking after the mother and pups and decided to take it for "a ride in the country". In another case a dog appeared at a rural home and appeared very friendly. The only time it was not friendly was when any attempt was made to put it in a car. The fear which the animal exhibited would suggest it had been thrown from a moving ve- hicle and didn't want a second occurrence of this. And dogs are smart and realize much more than some of their owners give them credit for. And there is the same prob- The old saying that it takes all kinds to make a world is not exactly true but the fact that these people exist is true. Wheth- er they are necessary or not is a debatable question. It is strange what acts humans will do, especially when they think no-one is watching or knows what they are doing. We refer to an annual problem, or per- haps a year-round one, that of dropping off unwanted dogs and cats along country roads. I have been aware of this prob- lem for many years but I didn't realize how serious this was until I received two or three phone calls and started to ask a few questions. Apparently there are a great number of people who feel they can drop an un- wanted animal off in the country and it will be taken in by the nearest residence and given a good home. If this is not the case then they must feel the animals are capable of looking after them- selves in the wild after a life- time of being sheltered in the home. But I doubt this. I think these people are moral cowards and cheapskates to boot. In some cases it could be argued that the people involved could not af- ford the expense of having the animal disposed of in a proper and humane manner, but not in the majority. It is simply a matter of some people avoiding their responsi- change was made away back in 1918 with no apparent suffering. Quebec is down to 55. This might suggest that we are a long way yet from anything drastic. Certainly there would be savings, and anything along this line would be wel- comed today. Most school boards trus- tees are now being paid, and with few- er members, a more reasonable remu- neration could be given the reduced number. The whole plan is for more region- al boards. The Deputy Minister has re- cently approved of the amalgamation of boards in Dundalk, Flesherton and Markdale and this gives some idea of what the department would like to see happen all over the province. (Stouffville Tribune) lem with cats. They multiply quite quickly and many owners take the offspring to a country road and toss them off rather than doing what they should have in the first place and that is, having them desexed. There is a problem with rabies in Ontario although fortunately this is not serious. It affects tame animals as well as wild and some of the carriers of this are the animals which were drop- ped off along a country road and didn't find that "nice farm home". Whether these words will be a deterrent to the people who act in this manner or not is uncertain. I have the feeling that the major- ity of people who do acts such as this, do it only once or twice. But there seems to be a lot of them. It would be much more humane to have the animal taken to a vetinarian and disposed of pro- perly but it is expecting too much to believe that human nature will change. Unfortunately most of the peo- ple these words are directed at are not the type of people who are likely to take the time to read their weekly paper. They are the headline readers and the ones who glance at the pictures and feel they are up to date. I don't know how you reach people like this other than catching them in the act and talking to them but we keep trying. Sometimes we are forced to ask ourselves, "is any- one listenine?" Check those $20 bills Last week, we handed a local mer- chant a $20 bill, but instead of accept- ing it with some sign of appreciation, he held it like his thumb had just been caught in a mousetrap. We weren't surprised, but instead, rather pleased. It was a perfectly legiti- mate bill, but some have been located in this area that were not. For a store- keeper to receive one or two of the bogus kind, would constitute a big drop in the week's profits. It is only good business to check and check closely. Last year alone, Canadians were defrauded of $300,000 in phony bills cording to Erwin Scott, in charge of the campaign. A T-A survey shows that Ex- eter and surrounding villages will change their clocks together. Promptly at midnight Sunday, April 29 clocks will move ahead one hour in Exeter, Hensall, Zur- ich, Grand Bend, Crediton and C entralia. Mr. Truman Mills will replace the late Bruce Field as agent at Centralia station. For a number of years Truman has been sta- tioned in Sarnia. Grand Bend property owners made it very plain Wednesday they wanted to become residents of Laxnbton county they voted 271-91 to leave Huron. passed out and police in all parts of the country seized some $400,000 more before they had been distributed. The police say that the fake $20s have improved with every reprinting. In an attempt to aid the general public in detecting the fake currency, the RCMP is busy working on a pamphlet for wholesale distribution. Meanwhile they say, the best way to tell a counter- feit from a good bill is to examine the Queen's portrait. A rather messy hair- do is a sure sign that the bill is bad. But here again, how many men would know the difference. (Stouffville Tribune) 50 YEARS AGO Mr. and Mrs. Owen Atkinson returned last week from a honey- moon trip to Hespeler. Enlistments at Exeter this week were L. V. Hogarth, Wil- liam J. Veal and Walter C. Cut- bush. The Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, whose chimes have sounded Em- pire unity to millions, and West- minster Hall were hit during Saturday night's terrific raid on London. Mr. John Scott, who has been conducting the creamery here for a number of years, last week sold the business to W. G. Medd who conducts the Winchelsea cream- ery. Berlin people have voted to change the name of the city to Kitchener. Times Established 1873 AdVocate Established 1881 Amalgamated 1924 VteereferZinteet-Usoate 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 235-1331 25 YEARS AGO Speculation is again to the fore as to whether or not the location between Centralia and Crediton is to be selected for the new Air Force gunnery and bombing school, Saturday, May 3, is Canada's big day for collecting paper, metal, hones and rags. Exeter High School, working under the special war regulations of the Department of Education, has examined 40 candidates who wished to leave at Easter or later to do farm or munition work. Last year ten acres of aspara- gus was set out by the Exeter branch of the Canadian Canners Limited. This year three addi- tional acres have been added, also 1,000 pear trees of the Keef- er variety. Published Each Thursday Morning at Exeter, Ont. Authorized as Second Class Mail, Post Office Dept, Ottawa, and for Payment of Postage in Cash 10 YEARS AGO The musical McC utcheons from Centralia had a heyday at the SHDHS festival last week. The four children of Mr. and Mrs. Fred McCutcheon captured a total of 20 prizes — 13 first, five sec- onds and two thirds. South Huron Music Festival, although only five years old, ri- vals some of the best musical competitions in Ontario. Adjudi- cator Lloyd Queen of London said. Twenty two Girl Guides from Exeter, Hensall, RCAF Centralia and Clinton planted trees in Hay Township Saturday morning und- er the supervision of Hal Hooke, Exeter. Each girl was required to plant 20 trees to earn her woodman's badge. Besides delaying seeding and damaging crops already Seeded, heavy thunderstorms inflicted serious erosion on farm lands in the district. SIIDHS teacher Andrew Dixon, a member of the AUSable river Conservation Au- thority, estimated the river was Carrying more than 350,000 tons of top soil. Paid in Advance Circulation, September 30, 1965, 4,208 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada $4.00 Per Year; USA $5.00 Not a single M.P. suggested another way of dealing with mur- derers. There are dozens. But I believe the most sporting way, for the culprits, and the least lacera- ting way, for a touchy society, would be to throw all the varieties of execution into a hat and let the prospective departude take his pick. It would add a certain "Jenny-Say Kwoy" to the whole thing, which, in these troubled days, might keep Quebec within the fold. Throw them all in a hat. There's something for every- body. For the softies; slashing of wrists and gentle expiration in the bathtub, or an overdose of sleeping pills. For the hards; el- ectrocution; gas; diving into an empty (concrete-bottom) swim- ming pool; bul16. through the head. For the exotic; the guillotine; the executioner's axe; impale- ment on a sharp stake; being torn to pieces by four wild horses; being lowered into a pit of vipers. Of course, you have to take what you get. Just because you're a flamboyant type doesn't mean that you're going to pick the ballot saying you'll be burned at the stake. You might get the one saying death by strangling. Tough. But at least there'd be some imagination in the whole thing. And this could be spread through the whole penal system. Shop- lifters could be deported to the U.S. Kids who stole apples would be branded on the forehead with T for Thief. Income-tax-cheaters and peo- ple who were tricky with their expense accounts would be sent to the tundra with four dollars, a fishing line, and all three of their wiVes. This would fill up Our great northern spaces smartly. There are great possibilities Pass along your snggestions, and I'll paSe there along to Par- liament. In its wisdom, the Canadian Parliament has decided that the death penalty should not be abol- ished, that capital punishment should be preserved. I agree. Completely. In my youthful, idealistic days, I had a crazy idea that the cold, deliber- ate taking of a human life by a civilized society was wrong. But I'm becoming blunted in a world where young men who never did a nasty thing are killed daily, and women and children are bombed and burned daily, all in the name of peace. In the face of this, who can worry about a handful of hoodlums about to be hanged? If there's the odd one who wasn't guilty, tough! There are a lot of other non- guilty people dying these days, and always have been. Without a trial and jury. What I can't understand is the Canadian Parliament's lack of follow-through, It's pretty disap- pointing to one who has upheld this nation against its petty at- tackers for years. But we get this again and again. Take the Gerda Munsinger case. A few red faces, a few TV tears, and it's all over, In the capital punishmentcase, our Canadian politicians had a chance to set the world on fire. Did they do it? Not they. They cast their votes and went home for the holidays. Not an iota of imagination in the whole hang-dog group. This was their chance to give Canada a penal system unequalled in the world. I don't, for one instant, think all those chaps who Voted "Nay" are in favor of hanging. It's a pretty crude busineSs. After all, sometimes the rope Is too loose, or the head is too loose, and the girl reporters puke. I think some- thing could be done about this. Paper bags, perhaps. Ain't it the truth? Three monkeys sat in a Coconut tree Discussing things as they're said to be. Said one to the other; "Now listen you two, There's a certain rumor that can't be true. That man descended from our noble race — The very idea! It's a dire dis- grace. No monkey ever deserted his wife, Starved her baby and ruined her life. And you've never heard of a mother monk Leaving her baby with others to bunk, Or pass them on from one to another 'Til they hardly know who is their mother. And another thing! You will never see A monk build a fence 'round a coconut tree And let the coconuts go to waste, Forbidding all other monks to taste. Why if I put a fence around this tree Starvation would force you to steal from me. Here's another thing a monk won't do, Go out at night and get on a stew, Or use a gun or club or knife TO take some other monkey's life. Yes! Man descended, the ornery cuss, But brother, he didn't descend from us." A14014 15 YEARS AGO Total contributions in Lucan's drive to install artificial ice have surpassed the $10,000 mark, aa- • ••