Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1969-02-20, Page 4class Comtntinity flC For the first time in several months, taxpayers in Huron County have something to cheer about where the board of education is concerned. At Monday evening's meeting in Goderich a young Clinton area farmer combined backbone and eloquence to stave off an expenditure of about $10,000 per annum for the provision of office space. No one is at all certain at this juncture if Robert Elliott's suggestion to use available space in Central Huron Secondary School for board of education offices will become reality. It is a good feeling nevertheless to have concrete assurance that at least some members of the new county board of education are concerned for the pocketbooks of Huron taxpayers. There has been little indication of this in recent weeks. To date five men have been hired to handle the education affairs of this county. Their salaries total $109,000 per year. Another 12 positions will likely be filled before the staff comes to full strength in time for fall classes. Salaries for these persons will undoubtedly be more in line with average Huron wage scales. Even that could represent an additional expenditure of about .$50,000 per annum. Coming on the heels of extensive school building programs throughout the county as well as increasing demands by teachers for salary hikes, ratepayers in Huron have been hard hit. Needless to say, they have not become too sympathetic toward the efforts of the Ontario Department of Education and the Huron County Board of Education to provide a "computer-space age education" for their young people. Some persons may argue that Elliott saw an opportunity to draw attention back to the "Hub of Huron County" when the bid to locate the board of education offices in the former Clinton Hospital nurses' residence seemed lost. Even if the scheme was a last-ditch effort to put Clinton in a favorable light, the idea has merit simply because it is a sensible solution to spiralling costs which continue to infuriate the average taxpayer. The board owns the Clinton school not now fully utilized because projected figures showed enrolment of 1400 when in fact, only about 1000 students attend classes at CHSS. The board heats the premises, pays the light bills and raises the cost of maintenance whether the building is occupied or not. A Clinton site would, by the admission of education director John D. Cochrane, be the most central to all the schools in the county and all the present board members. We understand the board's reluctance to locate the board of education offices within the walls of any school in Huron County. However we laud Mr. Elliott's common sense action on an idea first conceived by businessman and board chairman John Lavis, Clinton. We welcome this kind of constructive thinking and we praise the board members who agreed to "take another look" at a costly situation which seemed settled. We urge Huron ratepayers in this part of the county to make their opinions in this matter known to the board members who represent them. There should be no apathy now. Pay more for postal services The recent increase in post office box rentals has resulted in no general criticism from local residents, although there is basis for noting that the increase appears unfair. It may be that people are becoming so accustomed to increased prices for all services and goods that even a doubling of the box rental rate is accepted without complaint. However, it must be noted that those persons who rent boxes at the post offices in the area are actually doing the department a favor. Imagine the congestion that would arise if all residents in any community decided to get their mail each day at the general delivery wickets! It would create a bottle-neck that would tax the patience of all customers and no doubt would tax the efficiency of the staff as well. The department may argue that boxholders receive added benefits in the fact they have access for longer hours, but they must admit that the vast majority of people pick up their mail at the same time each day — regardless of whether this is done from a box or at the wicket. The announcement that the box lobby will be open around the clock for seven days is really not much of a benefit for most people either, unless the department plans to inaugurate around-the-clock mail delivery and sorting. The argument against increased post office boxes perhaps is strongest from the fact that a large portion of Canadians don't have to pay for such things and still receive better service than most of us. In cities and a large number of towns across this country, people have their mail delivered right to their door each day. Rural customers still have to walk to the end of their laneway to get their mail, but in most cases this is still more of an advantage than what their counterparts in Exeter enjoy. For many people this is not a major problem, but it does emphasize the point that people in small towns and villages are being asked to pay more for their mail service while in fact they do not enjoy equal benefits with people who pay nothing at all for having mail delivered right to their door. How come? February is sadness when the bottle cracks and the milk leaks all over the Refrigidairy. Sorry, chaps, but I've been conducting poetry-writing classes this week. And at the same time wading through drifts, trying to get my car started in the good old sub-zero, battling my way through 40-mile-per- hour blizzards, and helping bury an old mate. Not conducive to a lyric column about the longest-shortest month in the year? Right. As you can see from the above, the poetry classes have ruddy mess been going very badly. Imagine having a teacher who writes such garbage trying to breathe Life, Imagination, Experience into your creative poetic soul. It's enough to turn a kid off poetry for life. Normally, February is a month in which nobody in his right mind can he found north of the 49th parallel. Unless he hasn't the money to escape. That's why there are so many of us lurching through snow-banks, noses dripping, eyes watering, coughs racking. We're either out of our minds, or poor. And in many cases, both. And if we're not out of our —Please turn to page 5 February! I find you very Hairy, Not to mention Contrary, Weather-wise. Driving is scarey In February. One must be wary Even more than in January. Milk in bottles From the dairy Freezes on the porch In February, And it's not A very merry Business Cleaning up the ZA,001.-:,"*Ver4ree, Times Established 1873 Advocate Established 1881 Amalgamated 1924 IritetnierZimes-Almocafe SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND C.W.N.A., O.W.N.A., CLASS 'A' and ABC Publishers: J. M, Southcott, R. M. Southcott Editor — Bill Batten—Advertising Manager Phone 235-1331 Published Each Thursday Morning at Exeter, Ontario Authorised as Second Class Mail, Post Office Dept, Ottawa, and for Payment of Postage in Ceiii Paid in Advance Circulation, September 30, 1968, 4;520 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada $5.00 Per Year; USA $7.00 osikelAN w1,4 r WILSON'S JEWELLERY AND GIFTS -MAIN ST, EXETER ENICAR WATCHES Beautiful Time Pieces SOLD THE WORLD OVER Pleasing You Pleases Us SHOP AT HOME 0 9 O, ; :a veMilk.;;;A 4V:41 . • ,... , p ''-. V r' tAAa 02A4ir 1 4•4 t4 • 6 0 .4 ;.).4-44 f 1 sr . . At. . •:•44 By Canadian Wallpaper Manufacturers 41. WE CARRY A COMPLETE SELECTION and STOCK Pre-Pasted Vinyl Coated WE NOW HAVE VINYL WALL COVERINGS AS LOW AS $3.98 A SINGLE ROLL GOULD & JORY Dial 235-0270 Exeter 0 0 ar BELL LINES by W.W. Haysom your telephone manager Have you ever stopped to think how many times you use your phone during the course of a day, a week, a year? Probably not. Well, whether it's to order a for- gotten item from the store, arrange for a baby sitter, change an appointment, check on the car or chat with a friend, there's a good chance you make more calls in a year than your counterparts elsewhere in the world. According to the latest figures, Canadians are still the most talkative people in the world when it comes to telephones. Mind you, Americans are running a close sec- ond. In 1967, Canadians averaged 667.7 calls per person; that's .7 more than our friends south of the border. Mum's the word in Burma, however; citizens there made the least number of calls — an average .7 each in 1967. Of the 222 million telephones in the world in that year, more than 103 million were located in the United States. Canada was in sixth place with 8.4 million phones in service — that's 40.65 telephones for every 100 people. The average for the world is 6.4 phones for every 100 per- sons. The statistics are compiled annually by the Ameri- can Telephone and Telegraph Company and are one year behind because it takes close to 12 months to gather figures from all parts of the world. With all those calls — almost 3,000 for a family of four — you might wonder if you'll soon wear the markings right off your telephone dial. It isn't likely, because they aren't painted on the surface. They're molded right into the dial in a two-step operation. First, a plastic plate is formed with spaces left in the shape of the numbers, let- ters and dots. Then the spaces are filled with a contrasting shade of plastic. So dial away. It will take a great many fingers dialing a great many calls before the markings on your dial begin to wear away. If I were to ask where to find the noisiest place in the world, I bet I'd get as many different answers as there are readers of this column. But I'm not going to ask be- cause, if there is one thing that's easy to find these days, it's noise. Quiet? Now that's another story. Still there are a few remaining havens where quiet reigns supreme and one of them is the anechoic chamber or "Dead Room" at Northern Electric's Research and Development Labs in Ottawa, The room is shielded from 99 per cent of noise by thick masonry walls, isolation from the building in which it is housed and elaborate acoustical filters lining the room and ventilation system. The Dead Room is used for precise measurements of speech and hearing, and for work on re- ceiving, producing and transmitting sound. No time for apathy Need for brotherhood increases "Do you have one for Brotherhood Week?': This is Brotherhood Week and we'd like to be able to set down in type some easy solution to making this area, province, country and world a better place in which to live. However, even for the most optimistic, that's a tough chore. Brotherhood implies peace and understanding, and where do you find these amid war or threats of war all over the globe; and at home angry threats, protest marches, sit-ins, rock-throwing and bombs? The observance of a week for brotherhood has changed drastically over the years. There was a time when what happened in distant continents was of little interest to' us. However, along came a couple of world wars and we quickly learned that what happens abroad is of prime importance to us and the world continues to grow "smaller" all the time and it becomes imperative that we think of brotherhood in terms of all our fellow humans on this universe. And as our ability to communicate grows, we learn of new areas of concern. The plight of Canada's Indians and Eskimos have been presented to us, and while once we thought color, creed and race differences were problems mainly for our neighbors to the south, we now realize we have many steps to take in this matter also. The relationship between English and French speaking persons in this country has also become a situation that warrants action if Canada is to continue as the nation we now know. In short, the need for "brotherhood" has been impressed 'upon us very clearly in recent years. * The need for brotherhood and understanding has increased many fold in recent years. What have we been doing to find the solutions? Answered honestly, most of those reading this would have to admit that as individuals they have done very little. Many still hold the opinion it is a matter of concern only for "others" and there is little they can do to solve some of the problems confronting people everywhere. But it is a local problem and during any week in this area, one hears of stories that indicate that some of our fellow citizens carry prejudices relating to racial, religious and ethnic backgrounds. Some are prejudiced towards their neighbors or someone in the community merely because that person lives differently or thinks differently. Based on the knowledge that these small differences create prejudices and distrust, it becomes easy to see how prejudices can grow in communities where there are in fact many people of different colors and creeds. If these minor differences in a small community can not be solved. how then can we chastise those in other areas who are in fact faced with larger problems? Brotherhood Week provides an opportunity for all to confront our problems, examine our differences, and then attempt to live together so that each of us can make our highest and best contribution to our community and our society, Brotherhood begins with YOU, and there's no better time than the present to reaffirm your dedication to the basic ideals of respect for human life and human rights. Rising costs on all fronts make it difficult to joke about such matters, but this interesting comment came along last week to indicate that at least someone hasn't forgotten how to laugh at his situation. His comment was this: "This is the darndest depression I've ever seen. Everybody working and everybody's broke. At least we didn't have to work in the last depression." * Anyone who doubted the need for reconstructing Exeter's Main St. hasn't driven north of Gidley St. in the past couple of weeks. Pot holes along the road are enough to jar out your false teeth and we wonder if we'll have to put up with that situation until work begins again this spring. The bumps serve one purpose though. Those big chunks of snow and ice that are welded onto your car with salt usually go flying somewhere along the route. * * * An article in the Clinton News-Record -of last week 50 YEARS AGO The scholars in Exeter High School held their annual at home in the school Friday evening of Valentine Day. The program included a reading by Miss Verna Walker, vocal duet by Misses Mae and Thelma Ford, solo by Miss Margaret Moodie and instrumental by Stuart Stanbury followed by several promenades. Sir Wilfrid Laurier, former Prime Minister of Canada and Leader of the Liberal Party died Monday afternoon and public recognition of his long continued services to his country will be given at a state funeral. William Melville Martin, premier of Saskatchewan and son of Rev, and Mrs. W.M. Martin of London, is being mentioned as the one on whom will fall the mantle of Sir Wilfrid Laurier as leader of the Opposition. Sgt. Lloyd Rivers has received word since arriving home from overseas that he has been awarded the Military Medal for gallant work performed at the battle of Bourlon Wood September 27. 25 YEARS AGO The burning of the mortgage and liquidation of debt on the splendidly furnished and equipped home of the Exeter-Hensall Branch of the Canadian Legion was the occasion for a banquet and the entertainment of the ladies in the Legion rooms Monday evening. Zurich suffered a serious fire last Wednesday evening when the large Kalbfleisch planing mill was entirely wiped out and large piles of lumber were destroyed. Two Centralia farmers, Mr. E. Dixon and Mr. J.L. Hotson, were awarded British Empire medals at No. 9 SF T S, Centralia on Saturday for their heroic action in September 1942 in rescuing a student pilot from a burning plane which crashed on a nearby farm. Mr. Carey Joynt of Hensall, former student of Exeter High School, was the winner of first prize as a baritone soloist at the Kiwanis Musical Festival held in Massey Hall, Toronto, Monday. indicates some members of that town's council don't think too much about county council. Main complaint is the fact the county built a building for which they had use for only one half, and have now offered the other half to the new county board of education. Members of Clinton council, of course, think the board should pick an office site in Clinton, noting that putting it at Goderich is the same as erecting it on a dead-end street. We sympathize with Clinton councillors. We held the same views towards decentralization when the debate was ensuing about additional facilities for Huron's senior citizens. Clinton councillors didn't share our opinions at that time and the added facilities were tacked on to Huronview, just outside Clinton. Guess one's attitude about decentralization depends entirely on whether his community stands to win or lose by such a move. 15 YEARS AGO Contract for construction work of the Thames Road or Highway 83 including grading and construction of culverts preparatory to paving on the road six miles east of Exeter has been let to a Kitchener firm. A new river rampaged through the heart of Exeter Tuesday morning when melting snow and a freak thunderstorm saturated the area with water. The raging stream, flooding to 300 feet wide, sent tons of water from Usborne township across the town to Stephen. The flood is' the worst in the town's history. Friday night was a highlight in the life of Kathryn Hunter, RR 3 Exeter, when she was elected queen of the annual at home dance and crowned by last year's queen, Beth Taylor. J.B. Creech, school teacher in this district for over 16 years, has been appointed principal of Kingsville District High School. Now completing his sixth year at SHDHS Mr. Creech was principal of Exeter Public School eight years. 10 YEARS AGO Rev. Harold J. Snell, who has served the longest pastorate of 12 years in the history of James Street United Church, has accepted a call to Oakridge Acres U C, London. Jane Horton, Hensall, a grade 12 SHDHS student, who has already copped a host of awards in every field, was crowned Queen at the school at home Friday night. She received her crown from last year's queen Helen Down. Mr. and Mrs. Hilton Ford, RR 1 Hay, celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary with a family dinner Monday evening and an open house for friends Tuesday afternoon and evening. Two South Huron candidates will battle it out for the Huron seat hi the coming provincial election, Strang, Usborne township clerk and prominent farmer, was named by the Liberal organization Wednesday afternoon to oppose Charles MacNaughton, who held the seat for the Conservatives in last year's by-election. • • • 0 • • Vlsom•••••••••ilororisimeanromiiimosmi