The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1969-05-08, Page 4Who'll foot the bill ?
Huron County Board of Education
approved a budget at Monday evening's
meeting in Goderich for $9,378,037. It
is our understanding that the budget
committee was urged to pare expenses
and the board seems satisfied the budget
is fair,
Taxpayers in Huron were anxiously
waiting the education budget. No matter
how the budget was scaled down, the
initial presentation of it will
undoubtedly stagger most ratepayers
who have never before had to think of
education in countywide terms.
It is conceivable school taxes will be
up, not necessarily in all townships
across Huron but certainly in some
districts where elementary school
education has been provided in the past
at a very reasonable rate because of
cautious spending.
Just how hard Huron municipalities
will be hit remains to be seen, probably
at the second May meeting. The board is
predicting savings in certain budget
areas.
In the meantime we can take some
comfort in the Hon. William G. Davis'
announcement that special grants will be
provided for boards to limit the increases
in mill rate on Provincial equalized
assessment in any municipality having a
population of less than 60,000 to one
mill of Provincial equalized assessment
for elementary school purposes and to
one mill of Provincial equalized
assessment for secondary school
purposes over the greater of the 1967
and 1968 mill rates.
Such political gobbly-gook is
somewhat difficult for the average
ratepayer to decipher so the education
minister goes on to explain in more
detail: "While the effect of limiting the
increase to one mill of Provincial
equalized assessment will vary from
municipality to municipality in terms of
local mill rates, on the average the
increase in local mill rates will probably
vary from approximately two to five
mills. The result then will be that the
Department of Education will pay a
subsidy to the Board for the portion of
the levy in the municipality above the
one mill of Provincial equalized
assessment. or, as I have indicated, above
the average of three to five mills on local
assessment."
And if this is not clear enough the
Minister adds: "It should be emphasized
that I have used averages here in terms of
translating Provincial equalized
assessment into local assessment and that
in some cases at the extremities the
variations may be less or greater than the
average depending on the equalizing
factors."
But no matter how you say it, the
education bill will have to be paid by
Ontario folks. Huron County could
qualify for a 'break' on the 1969 tax
account but any subsidy to Huron's
educational system will have to be
financed some way — a great portion of
it out of Huron County pockets with
funds not specifically earmarked for
education taxes.
More important than donuts
Ann Jarvis had a great idea when
she decided in 1907 that there should be
a special day set aside to pay tribute to
mothers.
From a modest beginning in her
own church in Philadelphia when
everyone showed up wearing a flower,
the observance of the day is now
world-wide.
The best friend ever through all the
trials of growing up, a mother plays an
unending role which has inspired songs
of praise.
Unfortunately, they often go
without the recognition and honor due
them. Just think, everything from
donuts to wild geese have a Whole week
set aside in their honor and mothers get
only one day.
We have nothing against donuts or
geese, but in comparison to mothers,
they just don't rate. A mother is
homemaker and hostess, helpmate and
playmate, chef and cheerleader,
confidante and nurse, audience and
entertainer.
Most of all she's a friend — always
there when you need her.
While we suggest she deserves
recognition every day, make it special on
Sunday.
• • • Messer's not for me but •
Beauty right around home
MRS. CAL WEIN AND DAUGHTER BRENNA
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It's not that I particularly
enjoy fighting for lost causes. I
lost the flag fight, and look at
the rag we got. I know I can't
beat non-disposable bottles,
soaring taxes, and my wife. But
somebody, some voice in the
wilderness of the twentieth
century must keep the banners
flying, the flame burning.
That's why I think the CBC
should not have cancelled that
hardy annual, the Don Messer
Show, regardless of those
purveyors to the puerility of the
public, the "ratings."
Personally, I wouldn't watch
the Don Messer Show with a
ten-foot telescope. Its mixture
of emasculated barn-dance and
ineffable bathos are not my bag.
But I know a great many
middle-aged and older people
who look forward to it weekly
and enjoy it thoroughly. Their
toes tap to the sprightly fiddling
and their eyes grow wet over the
sentimental songs of yesteryear.
And what's wrong with that?
It may be corny, but it's
Canadian, right out of the
Maritimes. And however bad its
ratings are, it couldn't be worse
than some of that crud the CBC
buys from the States and forces
on us, willy-nilly.
Most of its fans like it
because it's clean and
comfortable. The show, to them,
is like an old friend with whom
they can relax, safe in the
knowledge that for half an hour,
Times Established 1873
once a week, they won't be
subjected to the perversion,
violence and viciousness that
characterize a good deal of the
other garbage on the box.
Can you imagine Charlie
Chamberlain kicking someone in
the groin, or D on Messer
chopping somebody across the
throat with a karate blow, or
Marg Osburne wriggling through
a double-entendre (dirty) song?
Well, maybe. But not on the
show.
Every year, the CBC comes
up with a few brand new shows.
And every year, with the
inevitability of death and taxes,
they flop. Can you name one
(there may be one, but can you
name it?) that lasts two seasons.
But I doubt it. This includes the
high-priced, wonder-boy,
Sunday night sensational,
controversial shows, like Seven
Days. They're a six-months'
flash and then everyone goes
back to the Beverly Hillbillies or
some other cultural importation.
In contrast, the Messer show
has been running for a decade. It
still stands at a healthy 22nd out
of 59 series surveyed on the
latest Nielsen ratings. That
means a lot of people watch it.
It would be interesting to
know just how the ratings are
done. The show appears on a
Friday night, at 8:30. Most
people under 40 are either
getting ready to go out, have
gone, or are having people in, at
that hour on that day.
A sampling in Toronto, where
viewers can get several stations,
might show that two and a half
people were watching Don
Messer. But a sampling from the
hundreds of Canadian towns
with only one station available
might show that 50 percent were
mesmerized by Messer.
That incestuous little empire
known as the CBC does some
very good things. And it also
does a good many fourth-rate
things.
The hockey fan gets his
hockey, and I don't begrudge it
to him. But 10-0 for Boston.
This is NHL hockey?
The avant-garde drama
hounds get their drama on
Festival. Some of it is excellent;
some lousy.
The intellectual gets his talk
programs. Again, a few are first
rate; many would shame a high
school panel discussion.
And we all get the CBC news,
a stale re-hash of news stories
from the dailies, and wire, service
stories with a few film clips of
the same stale commentators
saying the same stale things in
that same stale fashion.
To each his own, and I would
defend with equal passion the
right of each of these categories
to watch his own thing.
Why not, then, let the folk
who watch Don Messer — and
they are legion — continue to do
so for a measly half-hour a
week?
In Thursday night's showing
of the Stanley cup contest, the
TV cameras swung around to
show a portion of the St. Louis
arena high above the ice surface.
Seeing this on his monitor,
commentator Danny Gallivan
casually emarked to the TV
audience that they were seeing
some of the fans at the game.
However, he then realized
they were actually showing his
broadcast location.
It's a fact of life that many of
us often fail to recognize scenes
which should be quite familiar
to us.
People who show pictures to
groups and friends never have
any trouble identifying all the
places they have visited, and
often there are others in the
audience who quickly recognize
locations which they have also
visited during long journeys.
We can recall such an
occasion when someone flashed
an interesting and picturesque
scene on the screen and asked
the audience to identify it,
Many assumed it was just
another of the scenes taken by
the traveller on his journey and
no one could identify the
location. As it turned out, the
picture had actually been taken
in this area and most of those in
attendance had driven past it
numerous times.
Perhaps it was the fact the
scene was so beautiful that it
escaped recognition. Many
people arrive home from travels
extolling the merits of places
they have visited, often failing to
realize that scenes at home are
equally stirring
Last weekend we enjoyed a
couple of hikes through the area
at the Morrison dam, once in
pursuit of the elusive trout
supposed to be inhabiting the
waters of the reservoir, and
another time in company with
our two eldest sons who wanted
to see where their father had
been.
The early morning (it was for
us) trip along the banks of the
reservior and the stream to the
east was most enjoyable despite
the lack of fishing action.
About tyvo dozen wood
ducks were out for a morning
swim, a few frogs were echoing
greetings from around the shores
and a muskrat was going busily
about its morning chores.
Adding to the forest
symphony were numerous birds
and the sound of cool, clear
waters tumbling over the rocks in
the narrows.
The afternoon trip took on
different noises. There was the
splash as stones hit the waters
after the erratic heaves from our
youngsters,
Kids across the stream
shouted in glee as they landed
shiners, not really caring that no
trout were biting.
"X won't be needing you to
clean the house today, Nellie.
itify husband IS home with tt
cold."
There was the shout of "look,
Dad" as Scott spotted a
swimming spider and later when
he launched a branch that
careened crazily down the
swift-moving waters to an
unknown destination.
Keeping track of two kids on
the treacherous footing provided
by the rocks is no small chore
and it was only with constant
commands and a few tugs at
coat collars that we managed to
prevent their first swim of the
season.
However, as fate would have
it, it was dad who ended up with
the only wet foot of the day,
accomplished in hoisting one of
the boys safely over a small
inlet.
We actually doubted that it
required the detailed description
of the antics for the better half,
but kids have a way of
remembering the things you
would prefer they forget.
However, the day provided a
vivid reminder that scenic
pleasures and family fun abound
at our doorstep.
That crusade to have Don
Messer continued on CBC TV is
taking on new shape and we
note this week that fellow
columnist Bill Smiley even gives
a bit of support.
We trust the fellows who
50 YEARS AGO
Surveyors have been engaged
during the week taking levels of
Main Street, preparatory to
securing an estimate of the cost of
a permanent road for the town.
The Times-Advocate
narrowly escaped destruction
last Wednesday afternoon when
the window sill of the rear
windows got on fire from an
unknown cause. The window
sash was destroyed but the fire
was soon extinguished by
chemicals and water.
Mr. Fred Wells, late from
overseas, has been engaged as
caretaker of the bowling green.
Mr. Leon Treble has accepted
a position in London with
Lawson & Jones, printers and
lithographers.
25 YEARS AGO
Mr. nd Mrs. W. A. Beaman
and young daughter Carol of
Columbia, South America,
arrived in town this week for a
three-month vacation with Mrs.
Reaman's parents, Mr. and Mrs.
W. G. Medd,
Richard Stanbury, son of
Judge and. Mrs. J. G. Stanbury of
St. Catharines, formerly of
Exeter, has been awarded his
arts degree in the Department of
Economics and Political Science
at the University of. Western
Ontario.
Mr. John T. McKnight of
Clinton has purchased from Mr.
F. J. Wickwire the White
property on Main Street and is
making some improvements
before moving in.
The new school orchestra
made their first appearance at
the Exeter High School
Commencement exercises in the
arena last Wednesday evening.
The members are Bob Davis,
Bob Gladman, Don Southcott,
Douglas Fletcher, Jack
11 en n es se y and Dawson
Goulding.
make the final decision will take
the strong appeal being heard
across the land into full
consideration.
After all, the CBC costs
Canadian taxpayers a whopping
big pile of cash every year, and
it's about time the listeners and
those who foot the bills have
something to say if they are so
inclined.
Some of our faith in the
bureaucracy may be restored if
Don and his cohorts from down
east reappear on the screen next
fall,
Fishermen and vacationers
who plan to head into any of the
Ontario fire districts should
leave their smoking materials
behind.
Under the new Forest Fire
Prevention Act anyone caught
smoking in these designated
areas is liable to a fine of $1,000
and three months in jail.
That includes smoking a pipe,
cigar or cigarette.
We don't know where all
these areas are, but anyone
striking off into the hinterland
had better check to ascertain if
he falls under the new
jurisdiction.
Smoking itself is expensive
enough, without adding that
kind of penalty to it.
15 YEARS AGO
The Rev. Norman D. Knox
was formally inducted as rector
of Trivitt Memorial Church
Sunday. The church was filled
and the key of the Exeter parish
was presented to the rector by
Warden William Middleton.
Saturday's balmy weather of
78.3 degrees made local
residents sure that at last spring
had arrived. But by Monday
night the temperature had
dropped to a chilly 41 degrees
and on Tuesday (May 4)
snowflakes fell.
Mayor W. G. Cochrane and
Mrs. Cochrane of Exeter were
guests of Dashwood WI and the
former gave a talk on their trip
to the Coronation and the
continent, also showing slides,
Silver cups were awarded to
Sandra Walper and Shirley Irvine
at the final public speaking
contest sponsored by the Home
and School Association at the
Exeter Public School Tuesday
night.
10 YEARS AGO
Misses Marie Hodgson and
Joan Thomson are visiting at
their respective homes in town
following the completion of
their course at Macdonald Hall,
Guelph. They will attend
graduation exercises at Guelph
May 15.
The Dashwood EUB church
has just completed an
improvement project costing
well over $4,000. The dedication
for these renovations was
conducted Sunday.
Both Huron riding
candidates welcomed the
election announcement this
week by Premier Frost that
Ontario will go to the polls
Thursday, June 11. Huron MLA
C. S. MacNaughton PC and his
Liberal opponent H. 11. 0.
Strang both said they were
"ready for the fight."
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