HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1967-03-23, Page 4COMFEUMOON
Those swaggering
Canadian Cobras
`fie txeferZimes-Akwocafe
SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND
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Publishers: J. M. Southcott, R. M. Southcott
Editor: Bill Batten
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Phone 235.1331
ONE OF A SERIES
OF CENTENIAL REPORTS
Small, but
vibrant
That's fair enough By REV. JOHN BOYNE
The 'attitude of the directors of
the Exeter Agricultural Society regard-
ing their proposed invelvement with
the local rodeo is understandable in
view of the opinion most of them hold
that they have 'in the past been short-
changed on some verbal agreements
regarding the use of the Exeter Com-
munity Park.
Their desire to avoid any recur-
rence of such problems is warranted
and in no way should lead people to
suspect they are not enthusiastic about
the project which others feel will be
of great benefit to the area.
As the news story stated, the di-
rectors of the fair were in favor of un-
dertaking the project to enable the
rodeo supporters to receive grant mon-
ey, but they would only do so after
'delving into all of the legal aspects to
determine their future involvement, In
addition they also wanted written agree-
ments as to their present and future
involvement.
That's fair enough, and in fact the
only way that the project should be
undertaken. That is, all parties in-
volved should have a complete under-
standing of their responsibilities and
those should be detailed in written
form.
Winston Shapton of the agricul-
tural society wisely counselled that
there's never any problems with events
that make a profit—the problems arise
when debts start to incur.
In this particular case there should
be some consideration given to both
aspects, and presumably the only way
it can be supported by RAP and the
Agricultural Society is to have it spon-
sored by an organization whose prof-
its—or losses—would be the direct re-
sponsibility of that group.
The rodeo in the past three years
has been a spectacular event and those
who point out that 'it could become a
major attraction are justified in that
opinion.
The needed facilities will also pro-
vide benefits for the annual fall fair
and the Saddle Club.
However, it is 'a venture that re-
quires a sizeable cash investment and
there should be a complete understand-
ing in determining the responsibility
for this money and the future upkeep
of the facilities. Stephen Horner, R.R. 1 Dashwood T-A photo
,of gax Aeet Eadeeit 4ftfteed
Odds are piling up
One of the favorite games among
cynics these days is to make prophecies
on how man eventually will destroy
himself.
There are those who predict that
human beings will burn themselves out
of existence with nuclear bombs. Oth-
ers say over population will lead to
world-wide famine, starvation and even-
tually to extinction. In recent months,
the theory that mankind in time will
choke to death by breathing only pol-
luted and poisoned air has been gain-
ing favor.
In addition to all these, experts
have now pointed out that the im-
proper use of pesticides and fertilizers
may well do the job, and a warning
of this nature was handed out to farm-
ers attending last week's agricultural
conference in Clinton.
Water management specialist
Verne Spencer explained that in some
areas, nitrogen in soil is building up
to dangerous levels and farmers have
been cautioned to use this material
properly. It has already polluted some
farm wells and streams to the extent
that the water is not 'safe for human
consumption.
tion was not strong numerically
-- and never has been but then,
as now, they worked together to
meet the crisis.
The minister at the time, W.
M. Martin, declared, "I would
rather meet disaster with a hand-
ful of devoted men and women
than a thousand lukewarm ones".
In that statement he summed up
the attitude and experience of
most of the ministers who have
served here. It seems almost
unnecessary to add that t h e
Church was quickly rebuilt in its
present form at a cost of $2,000
and the indebtedness was met al-
most immediately.
The present pipe organ, one of
the finest in the area, was in-
stalled in 1911, the gift of Miss
Fanny Bawden. It has had a great
deal done to it over the years
but it continues to add to the
beauty of our worship.
No look at our history, how-
ever brief, would be complete
without quoting the point made
by Bill Young at the congrega-
tion's Centennial in 1961: "No
one can measure in terms of dol-
lars and cents the far reaching
contribution Caven has made to
this country over the past cen-
tury".
Yes, the Church is people —
the number may not be too im-
portant — what is important is
the quality of their life and the
contribution they make in the
society in which they live.
From this group came, Hon.
W. M. Martin, a chief justice
in Saskatchewan; Judge J. G. S.
Stanbury, a member of the On-
tario Supreme Court; Thomas
Pryde, a Huron M.P.P.; Hon.
Donald Fleming, a federal min-
ister of finance and many more,
A Presbyterian congregation
depends a great deal on all of
its lay people — especially its
elders. The first laymen to serve
as elders were, John Anderson,
William Logie and John Strang.
It should be noted that there
has always been a Strang on the
Caven Session.
The present Session is com-
posed of Harry Strang, Jack
Pryde, Dr. John Corbett, Wil-
liam Sillery, Carman Cann, Nor-
man Stanlake, George Tinney,
Mrs. Elizabeth Moore, Clifford
Ersman, George Shaw. Mr. R.
G. Seldon served for many years
as an elder on this Session.
It has been a real pleasure for
me as a young minister to work
with this small but vibrantly
alive congregation in this town.
Our roots are sound and healthy
and this congregation looks for-
ward to another century of ser-
vice in this community and na-
tion.
Caven Presbyterian Church
was organized in 1861 by Rev,
John Logie. It is interesting to
note that he was then minister of
Warrensville and Thames Road.
The Warrensville congrega-
tion, later called Rogerville, was
the forerunner of our present
congregation in Hensall, which
has its roots in this period.
There is obviously strong his-
torical justification for linking
these two congregations together.
They were together in the be-
ginning!
In the same period there was
also a flourishing Presbyterian
work in the Cromarty area. To-
day the Presbyterian Church is
represented in each of these
areas with congregations in Hen-
sall, Cromarty and Exeter with
a combined membership of well
over 500 adult communicants.
The area is now served by
only one Presbyterian minister
with student assistance for six
months. At the time of original
organization there were at least
four Presbyterian ministers in
the area. The distance factor is
no longer a key matter as it was
then when people often walked
to church.
The reason given in the early
records for the Exeter organiza-
tion was that, "owing to the dist-
ance from a Presbyterian place
of worship it is thought expedient
to form a congregation in Fran-
cistown", (now Exeter north).
The local congregation first
met in a brick store at the north
end of town — shades of the pre-
sent store-front churches in the
inner city today perhaps. At the
first communion there were 17
members. The first C h u r c h
building was built in 1863 on the
north bank of the river on the
west side of Main St. By 1875
there were 51 communicants in
Exeter.
The present brick structure
was built south of the river in
1877. Shortly after the new
Church opened Dr. Caven, prin-
cipal of Knox College, Toronto,
preached here and the Church
took its name from him — as
does the largest Protestant theo-
logical library in Canada—Caven
library in Knox College, Toronto.
The first manse, the large
brick home just north of the
Church now owned by John Burke,
was built in 1885 at a cost of
$2,314.96. I would gladly pay
John that amount now as a Cen-
tennial project!
One incident before the turn of
the century indicates the staying
power of this congregation. In
April 1893 a windstorm blew the
roof off the church and wrecked
the building badly. The congrega-
Shouldn't be quickly dismissed
One of the oddities of the situa-
tion is that officials keep changing the
degree of what is considered danger-
ous. In Canada the figure is 10 times
lower than that in the U.S.A., as our
friends across the border keep increas-
ing the figure of what is tolerable to
match the extent of the pollution.
That situation makes little sense
and it is hoped Canada does not fol-
low this lead, Surely there must be
some set degree of what is not safe
and when this figure has been reached,
people should be advised that it has
reached contamination proportions.
This attitude of turning our backs
on various forms of pollution is almost
insane and government at all levels in
North America is moving at a snail's
pace in coming to grips with the prob-
lem.
Most of the pessimistic assessments
of humanity's future as set out in the
beginning 'of this editorial may be high-
ly far-fetched, but we keep adding so
many new possibilities to the list that
'it does make one wonder if we're real-
ly stacking the odds against us to the
point of being unable to escape one
of the listed fates.
While residents here may have
heard of farmers planning to
dump milk in an effort to get
prices up, they have already
started to do so in Michigan.
The supply of cow juice has
already started to dwindle and
our host had to almost sign his
life away in convincing one near-
by outlet that the milk was re-
quired for a couple of youngsters.
We trust the problem never
reaches here, but it well could
if farmers go ahead with their
threat.
Worthy of consideration
Saddest story of the month is
surely involving Pipe Major Ian
McLeod of the Edinburgh City
Police Pipers Band,
Having recorded four distinct
bagpipe tunes on tape, he sent
this on to London where a rec-
ord company produced 'and dis-
tributed 1,000 long-playing rec-
ords, 400 of which were sold.
On playing the record for him-
self, alas, the gallant man suffer-
ed instant humiliation. Reason: it
had been recorded backwards —
and not one of the 400 English
buyers had complained.
And those Englishmen have the
audacity to wonder at the rising
popularity of Scottish national-
ism...!
* * * *
Don't forget that this Saturday
is the date of the annual Easter
Parade sponsored by the Exeter
Teen Town. This community
should feel proud in having one
of the most energetic groups of
youngsters to be found anywhere,
and they really take an active
part in community events.
It is to be hoped the community
gives them the support for the
parade that they deserve.
The Town of St. Marys has now
joined several other Ontario communi-
ties in implementing procedures to
have ratepayers pay their taxes in four
instalments instead of the twice-a-year
payments previously in vogue.
A news item in The Journal-Argus
reports that the clerk was asked to in-
vestigate this possibility several weeks
ago and apparently his findings showed
the procedure to be so advantageous
that it was quickly put into practice.
There are two main advantages to
the four instalments, and the first and
foremost is a large saving on interest
payments on bank loans municipalities
must take to meet expenditures which
incur before taxes are collected.
The City 'of Barrie claims to have
saved some $14,000 yearly on this
method even after allowing extra costs
of administration for the extra two col-
lection periods.
It is easy to see where this saving
should be considered by area munici-
palities as most of them now find it
necessary to have loans in the neigh-
After the performance we
dropped in to the arena to see
the last four minutes of a midget
hockey game with the locals do-
ing battle with a London suburb
entry.
It took them almost 15 min-
utes to play those final few min-
utes in one of the most disgust-
ing exhibitions of brawling and
arguing we have witnessed for
some time.
It is bad enough to see pro-
fessional hockey players behav-
ing at times like undisciplined
jungle fighters, but it is worse
when this tendency to excuse
riot under the guise of sport
gets into the ranks of minor
hockey.
Sports Editor Ross Haugh has
commented on this topic several
times this season already and it
is becoming apparent that only
the strongest disciplinary action
by league officials can call a
halt to such riotous actions. They
are no help to hockey, or sport,
or the development of the char-
acters of boys involved.
If sport is to help create good
citizens, it must contain some
elements of self restraint, and
respect for law and order. That
should be as important on the
ice as off it.
Players who persist in un-
sportsmanlike conduct should be
kept off the ice.
* * * *
While on a weekend trip to
Detroit, we enjoyed dinner at one
of the popular eating spots in the
Motor City and found that turtle
soup was the specialty of the
house.
After lengthy deliberation, we
managed enough courage to try
the dish and found it most de-
licious, and would certainly
recommend it for any f ello w
gourmets.
It is not our intention to re-
hash the circumstances involved
in the resignation last week of
SHDHS principal Douglas Palm-
er, but by the same token it
would be a mistake if the experi-
ences of the past months were
quickly dismissed by all who
were involved.
While the main task is now to
get on with the job of bringing
the present school year to a suc-
cessful close as acting principal
Joe Wooden has suggested, it is
important that there be some
soul-searching to ensure that
such problems do not arise again.
The problems relating to the
high school in the past months
have not been created entirely by
any one person or group. Involved
were students, parents, teachers,
board members, area ratepayers
and school administrators.
The degree of involvement does
not matter now, as long as all
will admit to their involvement
and pledge themselves to making
certain they do not allow it to
arise again.
* * * *
Judging from reports, those
who missed last week's centen-
nial program at Exeter Public
School just happened to miss one
of the most entertaining and
colorful programs presented in
this community for some time.
We spent most of the night
flitting about taking pictures so
we can't vouch for the comments,
but we can honestly report that
the costumes were superb.
What makes that point note-
worthy is the fact most of the
costumes were prepared by the
children themselves; and in fact
most of the program was pre-
pared by tne youngsters. Some
classes wrote their own skits,
provided their own costumes and
makeup, and pupils carried out
most of the backstage duties
required for the mammoth show.
It will undoubtedly be an event
they will long remember and it
is encouraging to see children
taking such an enthusiastic ap-
proach in our centennial cele-
brations.
borhood of $100,000 to meet expendi-
tures prior to tax collection time.
School boards and county council are
in the same position, as they require
huge loans to pay bills until they re-
ceive their share of taxes from munici-
palities.
The second advantage to the sys-
tem is the fact that many residents
find it easier to meet more frequent
payments of smaller amounts.
While they end up paying the
same amount during the year, some
people find it most difficult to save
enough to meet the twice-a-year pay-
ments, and with taxes spiralling each
year, this continues to be an increas-
ingly difficult task.
There may be some disadvantages
to the system not listed in the report
from St, Marys, but it is rather obvi-
ous that any system than can result in
lower taxes, and in addition can make
it easier for some ratepayers to pay,
should be seriously considered by area
councils.
LETTERS ME EDITOR
Times Established 1873 Advocate Established 1881 Amalgamated 1924
50 YEARS AGO
Mr. Fred Preeter, Dashwood,
has purchased a seven-passen-
ger car from Mr. Wes Snell of
Exeter.
Miss Mabel Cudmore, nurse,
who has been in New York re-
cently, was home last week for
a few days before accepting a
commission to go overseas. She
is the third nurse to go from
Hensall.
Now since Dashwood and
Zurich are putting in hydro what
is wrong with our people getting
together and asking for an esti-
mate of the cost of the village
Crediton news
Mr. Thos. Willis, Centralia,
has purchased a new motor truck
to use in connection with his
creamery business.
Published Each Thursday Morning at Exeter, Ont.
1115.7raltillitkAuthorized as Second Class Mail, Post Office Dept, Ottawa,
and for Payment of Postage in Cash
opuhompi
Paid in Advance Circulation, September 30, 1966, 4,427
Dear Mr. Batten:
Re: Cigarettes and Disease
I enclose a copy of a short
article I have written on the
above subject as part of my
endeavour to acquaint the county
population fully of the dangers
associated with the use of tobac-
co, in particular, cigarettes,
I would be most grateful for
your co-operation in ensuring
that the information has the wid-
est coverage by publishing it in
your paper as it stands, rather
than in report form. I put my
request in this manner as each
of the three sections is related
to and depends on the Others.
Yours sincerely,
(Dr.) G. P. A. Evans,
Director & Medical
Officer of Health,
Huron County Health
Health Unit.
CIGARETTES AND DISEASE
"These people are liars; they
want your money and they don't
mind if you die". This quote is
taken from an article by a highly
reputable British journalist,
Wayland Young, writing in one
of Britain's top two quality daily
newspapers, The Guardian, early
in 1964.
He was advising parents to
say this to their children from
time to time as the nauseatingly
Please turn to page 5
SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada $5.00 Per Year; USA $1.00
25 YEARS AGO
The property of the 1 at e
Thomas Beaman, one-half mile
south of Exeter, comprising a
frame house, small barn and
brick workshop was purchased
by Norman Norry for $900,
Rev. Ernest Turkheim died
suddenly at his residence in
Zurich early Sunday of a heart
attack in his 52nd year.
Munitions Minister Howe an-
nounced a 40-mile-an-hour speed
limit would become general
throughout Canada to Conserve
gasoline and rubber.
On Easter Sunday in Elimville
United Church a new honor roll
was unveiled by FIG Thomas
Pryde with a good number of
the Legion being present, "))", 070? 7/
15 YEARS AGO
The Exeter and Grand Bend
Lions are proposing to erect
a summer cottage at Grand Bend
for which plans have been drawn
up by A. J. Sweitzer. They hope
to raise at least $10,000 for
South Huron Hospital.
A Centralia instructor air-
led two NATO pilots to safety
early Wednesday morning after
one crashed and died when an un-
expected snow shower hit the
district. All three trainees were
on their first solo flight.
Exeter Chapter OES last week
made a donation of $600 to South
Huron Hospital Association to
furnish a bedroom at the hospital
Jim Carter, Grade 8, won top
honors at the Usborne schools
public speaking finals held at
Thames Road Friday night.
10 YEARS AGO
Plans for a new wing and nurses
residence for South Huron Hos-
pital were announced at the annual
meeting Wednesday night.
Margaret Sanders became the
fourth Exeter Girl Guide to win
her gold cord, the highest award
of the organization.
J. Hubert Jones has confirmed
the sale of his business presently
conducted as "J. H. Jones Gro-
ceries" to two of his employ-
ees, Andrew Bierling and Howard
Holtzman,
Jack Doerr, Exeter photogra-
pher, has received two merit
awards for prints which were
hung in the International Photog-
raphic Exposition in Washington
DC last week.
The United States is angry
with it for its crushing taxes
on the two-thirds of the country
owned by U.S. corporations. The
United States is also disgusted
with it for its vacillating foreign
policy.
A dim picture. Yes, but there
is one flaming torch in the heart
of this darkness. That is Uni-
force.
It's the only thing in the country
that Canadians are proud of. It is
a crack force in every sense.
Every one of the 100,000 men is
handpicked. They are the physical
and mental elite of the generation.
Their pay equals that of the
average university professor.
Their equipment is the best in
the world. Their esprit de
corps is superb.
And they've earned the right
to swagger a bit, and push civ-
ilians off the sidewalk and openly
pinch the bottoms of young ma-
trons. In the Lower Frombosia
incident, they proved themselves
a tough, efficient and ruthless
fighting machine. In the Upper
Cambodia affair, they stamped
out communism, socialism, de-
mocracy and the entire native
population in two weeks. Time
Magazine nick-named them the
Canadian Cobras.
And the creator of this mag-
nificent fighting force, envied
by the whole world? Two-fisted,
jut-jawed Joe Garibaldi, the ag-
gressive young Defence Minister,
the only man in the cabinet who
got things done. And people done
in.
Before entering politics, the
Honorable Joe, as the papers
called him fondly, had fought
his way to the top in the trade
unions, thus learning what de-
mocracy was all about. His tough,
no-nonsense treatment of creep-
ing socialism in union ranks
made him feared and respected.
He ruled the unions fairly,
with an iron hand, As Presi-
dent of the Canadian Destruc-
tion Workers Union, he once
Shouted from the platform,to
wild applause,"If you Can't beat
ern in the uion hall, beat 'em
In the alley!"
Oh dear. We've run out of
Space. But all will be revealed
in next week's column. In the
meantime, don't rush but and
buy a shotgun, or start form-ing a resistance movement.
Is Defence Minister Hellyer,
as he presses relentlessly for
unification of Canada's armed
forces, marching them straight
into the twenty-first century, or
straight into an abyss?
It depends on whom you listen
to, these days, as one admiral
after another goes down with
all guns blazing. But I don't
like the idea myself.
What will happen, for example,
to the old, friendly give-and-take
atmosphere that was prevalent
among the services in World
War II? You remember. When
our air force used to bomb and
strafe its own troops and ships.
And the army and navy regularly
took pot-shots at their own air-
craft. All this jovial camaraderie
will be lost.
Another thing. Who will the
new forces fight when they go
ashore on leave? If there are
no soldiers, sailors or airmen
to tangle with, they'll have to
fight among themselves or beat
u p civilians. A bad show, either
way.
But these are minor things,
which could probably be ironed
out in about 80 years. There is
another, and more frightening
prospect implicit in the forma-
tion of a single force. Dictator-
ship.
"Oh, come now", you say.
"Don't be ridiculous. It could
never happen here. This is a
democracy. Canadians would
never put up with it."
Don't kid yourself, Canadians
who will put up with the kind
of government, taxes and weather
we have now would put up with
anything. And the whole business
would be as painless as kicking off
your old galoshes and putting on
a new pair of rubbers.
Let's project a little, Say 20
years into the future. Here's the
picture. We have a doddering,
fumbling, inefficient government.
So what's new, you ask.
Don't interrupt. The only
reason this government is in is
that the opposition is even more
hopeless.
Hy its tax policies, this feeble
federal government has alienated
both rich and poor, and has in-
furiated the middle-class. The
provinces thumb their noses at
it, Quebec treats it with Gallia
ScOrn o while bleeding it to death
with blackmail.