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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1970-06-11, Page 4OUR POINT OF VIEW Facts not enough Huron board of education director D. J. Cochrane lashed out last week at those who have been subjecting the board "to a considerable amount of invective!" Municipal 0 fficials and county newspapers were included in the list of those criticising the board. Mr. Cochrane was in particular replying to a recent editorial in a county weekly which made reference to "an already top-heavy administration" in the county education system, and he set about to set the record straight with what he termed "some interesting FACTS". He went on to list the ratio between head office staff and students, showing that Huron's ratio was much lower than the average revealed in a survey of 10 boards in Western Ontario. His interesting facts brought to mind an editorial "Hurray! Ratio lowered" which appeared in this newspaper on January 29 of this year. He commented as follows: A press release from the Middlesex County Board of Education points out that the board was told at a recent meeting that it is understaffed in its supervisory department. One would expect this revelation to come about after a careful study of the situation and a lengthy discussion as to the exact requirements of supervisory personnel for the efficient operation of education in the county. However, information contained in the press release indicates that this was not entirely the case. The board started figuring things out and learned they had a ratio of one supervisor to every 2,061 pupils. At the same time, two other school boards in the area have a ratio of one to 948 and one to 1,179. The situation was easily corrected. The board authorized the hiring of five more supervisory personnel and this will bring the Middlesex ratio of pupils to supervisory staff to one staff member for every 1,202 pupils. Now parents in the county can rest easy. That important ratio has been brought into line with other county boards. Next year, the board may even decide to hire another five supervisory personnel and Middlesex can take the lead in that apparently important ratio race with other boards. The only problem may be that sooner or later someone may ask if the supervisory personnel being hired are really needed, or whether they are just being added to keep that ratio low, It's the answer to that question that would prove most interesting. The figures from Mr. Cochrane's survey show the average number of pupils per head office employee is now 499.2 while in Huron the number is 898.6. We trust the survey is based on different personnel than that researched by the Middlesex board. In it, the ratio was for supervisory personnel, while Mr, Cochrane's figures relate to head office staff, Presumably, he is talking about clerical staff, and perhaps the janitor as well, while the Middlesex figures may relate only to education supervisors. Regardless of what personnel are involved in the surveys, the fact of the matter is that the FACTS contained in the surveys don't mean a thing. The point, as we indicated on January 29, is whether the personnel being hired for the county board of education are really needed, or whether they are just being added to keep some inconsequental ratio low. Similarly, Mr. Cochrane's figures relating to the ratio between teachers and head office staff and the cost per pupil day for head office staff mean nothing. Conceivably, nine of the 10 boards included in the survey could point to the fact that their ratio was higher than the average and therefore could apparently justify the addition of more head office staff or supervisory personnel. Instead of taking surveys, education officials could make much better use of their time by sitting down and detailing REASONS for employing the number of people they do. When the reasons are outlined to the taxpayers, municipal officials and county newspapers, then Mr. Cochrane may bring an abrupt halt to such criticism as having a top-heavy administration. Mr. Cochrane indicates that the statistics revealed by the survey constitutes "the first of a series of reports aimed at clearing away some misconceptions about the operations of the Huron County Board of Education". The preceding has not been written in any attempt to discourage him from that course of action. We sincerely welcome his articles and agree there is a need to clear away some misconceptions. However, FACTS alone do not always serve that purpose. It is necessary to give some of the reasons behind the course of action taken, not just detailing FACTS about the course of action. The jobs are there! Restemeet tie 60'd,? Many buildings were erected in the past decade throughout the area, but this one was a puzzler for these Hensall area youngsters, It was described in the issue of July 12, 1962 as a sheet-metal monitoring station, built near the CNR station. It was one of three erected in Huron whose job, according to Emergency Measures Organization co-ordinator Murray MacDonald, was to take readings of radioactivity in the atmosphere in the event of nuclear attack. Fortunately, it has never been used. During the same year, a few fall-out shelters appeared around the countryside too. Father's Day 21 JUNE We Will Be "LOADED" For Father's Day ... That is with the Selection of Gifts HE WOULD LIKE WELCOME to Exeter CAMPERS' The people in this store like to meet people, We invite you to visit us this weekend. You will be made welcome whether you buy or not. Boys' and Men's SUITS We Specialize In This Department Thanks For Shopping At McKnights Len McKnight & Sons Main St. MEN'S WEAR Exeter The Style Centre PROMPT SERVICE ON ALTERATIONS BY EXPERT TAILORING STAFF ,;; rga,fi: cam. ?; ":e0.1UW:'3'M'AVI4M5W,A.:Oes'A%V., • Times Established 1873 Advocate Established 1881 Amalgamated 1924 SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND C.W.N.A., 0.W.N.A6, CLASS 'A' and ABC Editor — Bill Batten — Advertising Manager Phone 235-1331 Published Each Thursday Morning at Exeter, Ontario Second Class Mail Registration Number 0386 Paid in Advance Circulation, September 30, 1969, 4,751 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada $6.00 Per Year; USA $8.00 That house you hesitate to buy today because of the cost of a mortgage ... what will it be worth in ten years or longer? Just look everywhere at the record of increased real estate values over the years! So come in and discuss a mortgage loan to help you enjoy that dream home right now ... and own it while its long term value rises. Borrow today at Victoria and Grey. VG The senior Trust Contpatv devoted entirely to serving the people of Ontario. TICTORM and GREY TRUST COMPANY SINCE 1889 425 Main St. Exeter 235-0530 Low Price Photo Finishing Plan Kodacolor Prints (at time of developing) 210 each Negative Kodacolor Reprints 290 each Black & White Prints 100 each No Free Film at Above Prices FILM SPECIALS POLAROID SWI NGER $2.65 POLAROID TYPE 107 $3.25 POLAROID TYPE 108 $6.45 KODAK CX127 $1.56 KODAK CX126 (for Instamatics) $1.72 LOOK AT THIS BUY! Big Swinger $995 FORMERLY Polaroid Camera . . . $29,95 HUNTLEY'S DRUGS Exeter 235-1070 It was most enlightening Don't let lack of cash hinder a bargain buy! This year again, there is a terrible panic about students not being able to get summer jobs. It is amplified by the facts that general unemployment is steadily increasing, that a fairly heavy recession seems on the books, and that many companies are losing money or going broke. My heart does not bleed for the stockbrokers and the financial wheeler-dealers. But the facts speak for themselves. The construction industry is in the doldrums. The Prairie wheat farmers are in bad shape. These two big sources of labor and income can knock our economy cockeyed, temporarily. But to get back to the students and their lack of jobs. Much of this wailing is pure hokum. I feel genuinely sorry for the student who has tried earnestly to get a job, and failed. However, for most of the others, I couldn't squeeze a single tear. There is a job for 95 per cent of them, if they want one. But they want THE job. They want one like the old man has: Five days a week, coffee breaks, nothing demeaning, and good a p They don't want a job, they want a sinecure: Something where they can put in so many hours and collect so much loot, whether they're any use or not; something where they can treat the job as an unfortunate interruption of their fun time; and something that is not "beneath" them. This is not a blanket condemnation. I know a lot of kids who slug it out in dirty, tough jobs all through the hot summer months, while their more discriminating contemporaries lounge at the beach, hang around the streets, taunt the fuzz, and whine about a system which hasn't provided a ready-made job for them. This, by the way, is the same system which they constantly attack for being competitive. Afraid I haven't much patience with this large group. How many of the girls slouching around in jeans, or dazzling mankind with their bikinis, have tried to get a job as domestic help? All over the country women who can pay for it are scrambling for baby-sitters, floor-scrubbers, human dishwashers and ironers. These kids could make about $1.50 an hour, with coffee breaks, a free lunch, and weekends off. But this is below their dignity. They didn't go to Grade 12, or to university, to do housework. How many boys apply for menial tasks, even though they often pay well? Short-order cook; scrubbing floors in office buildings; tending gardens, mowing lawns, clipping hedges. Not many. The hours are too long, or the work is too hard, or the sun is too hot. I know. Recently, I wanted some kids to rake my lawn because I didn't have time to do it myself. I offered the job to four of my classes, 60 per cent of them boys. Pay, $1.25 an hour. They laughed at me. Heartily, but without malice. Know what I woundup with? Two little Grade 13 girls, about five-feet-nothing. They wanted the money to buy clothes and worked like twin beavers. Did a better job than any boy I've ever hired. Blistered all hands. Right into the thickets to get the leaves. Filled 48 of the big plastic garbage bags. Any enterprising youth could make a killing cutting lawns on a contract basis. Capital expenditure would be about $75. He could make $15 a day without pushing himself. But that isn't very glamorous. When I think of my first job, cleaning latrines, scrubbing floors and polishing brass, 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, $30 a month, you can understand my lack of sympathy. Y. The mention of "drugs" is enough to make most parents shudder, as this is obviously one of the mast pressing problems facing today's society. While it's a subject on which many words and opinions have been written, it is still a source of much controversy and misunderstanding. There appear to be no true experts on the subject, although many classify themselves in that category. However, there are almost as many theories as experts and many are quite contradictory. Last week, we spent a most interesting two hours talking to a couple of area young people who claim that about 25 students at SHDHS are frequent users of drugs. Some credibility must be given to this estimation in that the two people with whom we talked were among the 25. Theyindicated the number of users had increased in the last few months, and they predicted it would continue to increase. The two noted that youth in rural Ontario are turning to drugs on a greater scale than their city counterparts, and this fact was mentioned .by other knowledgeable experts last week. One of the reasons is the fact that young people in rural Ontario have less activities to which they can turn than those in the city, and therefore they start experimenting with drugs "as something to do". We were told that a youth centre would be a welcome addition to the facilities for area young people, when they could congregate to exchange ideas and "do their own thing" such as painting, etc. The mention of a youth drop-in centre no doubt will make a number of people in this community cringe, particularly in view of the unfortunate situation which came out of a similar centre in Mitchell. -However, the young people indicated they would be prepared to "police" their activities to ensure, as far as possible that drugs would not become one of the activities to be carried out in such a centre. Obviously, complete control would be impossible for any group, but if area young people are turning to drugs in greater numbers, any steps taken to provide them with alternate activities should be conscientiously considered. There are a number of homes and vacant buildings in this community which could be used as a drop-in centre on a trial basis, and perhaps there are enough interested citizens or groups who would at least sit down with some of the youth in the district to get a better understanding of the needs cited by them to see if such a facility would be practical. * * * At the same time, we think parents of area teenagers should take a look at their responsibilities in this regard, and ascertain whether they are providing their offspring with opportunities to bring their friends into their homes to enjoy discussions and activities. If, in fact, lack of activities is forcing young people to find other forms of entertainment. parents should obviously be vitally concerned, While some parents may be worried about the activities which would take place in their recreation rooms, it would probably be no worse than that young people would be doing standing idly on street corners or driving around in cars. * * Another reason cited for the increase in drug use is the law regarding underage drinking, Our two sources of information indicated many young people are switching to drugs due to stiff penalties for drinking — particularly in Grand Bend, where a teenager is fined $100 for having or consuming alcohol. This may be difficult for some to understand, in view of the fact that the use of drugs is a criminal •offence and therefore subject to even greater penalties than illegal booze habits. However, the big difference comes in the enforcement. It is much easier to detect and prove that someone has been using alcohol than it is some drugs. And, it is much easier to dispose of drugs than alcohol when the law officers show up. Drug users do not carry large amounts of the stuff with them, and disposal can be easily enacted by consuming that which they may have with them. * * * While the reasons for drug use may be comparatively easy to list, the consequences of drug use provide the most controversial argument and obviously the reason for the greatest concern. Again the opinions vary. Drug users can easily point to those in their ranks who are unaffected by drug use, and in fact our discussion revealed a Change for the better in the personality, behaviour and outlook on life of one of the area users. Those who oppose drug use, can just as easily point to the number among the ranks who end up in muddled conditions and those whose minds have been `completely wrecked. The latter situation of course leads to strong arguments against any type of drug use. Here, the major conflict in our society occurs. Parents point out that the use of drugs can lead to wrecked lives through addiction, while the young people quickly reply that the same exists with alcohol and its addiction, and yet most adults partake in the consumption of alcoholic beverages, Herein comes the big hang-up! * * * One of the areas in which we 50 YEARS AGO Mr. William Mitchell has been renovating the interior of the Metropolitan Hotel by redecorating. He is opening up an ice cream parlor. Wilson & Sims, A. Moore, Harvey & Harvey and W. J. Statham close Wednesday afternoon till 6 p.m. The literary event of the season will be the lecture of Prof. John Duxbury of Manchester University in James Street Methodist Church, June 22 with admission 25 cents. Mr. A. Hicks, MPP of Centralia is building an addition to his barn. Mr. & Mrs. F. W. Gladman accompanied by Rev. W. M. and Mrs. Martin of London motored to Kitchener on Saturday to spend the day with the latter's son, J. A. Martin, who is now the manager of the Dominion Tire Co. 25 YEARS AGO The Exeter War Time Committee last week mailed 145 parcels to boys overseas at a cost of $427.25. The opening of the new Massey-Harris showroom by B. Williams and son, Friday evening, drew a crowd that packed the large building with an overflow almost as large. Mr. Alvin Fawcett, a former teacher at Exeter High School, who has been teaching at Orangeville, has accepted a position at head of the mathematical department in Chatham Collegiate Institute. The Zwicker home on Main Street, Credi ton, has been demolished and preparations are being made by Gerald Zwicker to build a new one. have the most concern is that of drug pushers, and so we spent a considerable amount of time discussing this matter with the two teenagers. We were relieved to hear that, to their knowledge, there is no one in this area "pushing" drugs to the point where they are attempting to entice young people into its use. They indicated the users of some of the soft drugs such as marijuana and hashish are not likely to become involved in this type of activity, although naturally those without ready cash wishing to use drugs themselves are always susceptible to undertaking sales to provide them with enough profit to purchase their own. However, those on some of the hard drugs are more apt to become pushers, and as it was explained, the trip back from some of the hard drugs is so tortureous that many continue to make repeated use so they never do come back from a trip for periods of several weeks. These people then require large amounts of drugs, and therefore are more likely to turn to pushing it to make their required cash. These people are often unscrupulous and are, generally speaking, those who try to push it to youngsters in elementary schools. We put a direct question to one of the two youths with whom we spoke. What would he do if he knew of such a pusher in this area who was in fact trying to pass it off to sub-teens? His answer was that he would notify the police. In fact, he explained, many of the arrests made by police concerning drug pushers, come from drug users who do not agree with the practice of pushing it onto sub-teens, or from drug users who may have been given some sub-standard drugs. Needless to say, our chat with — Please turn to page 5 15 YEARS AGO Tom Pryde, Exeter Progressive Conservative, won his fourth provincial election Thursday with the largest majority in his career. He defeated James R. Scott, Seaforth by a 1,504 margin. The Rangers under the leadership of Miss Isabel Ganton, captain and Miss Anne Kartushyn, lieutenant, held a mother and daughter banquet at the Dominion Hotel, Zurich, on Wednesday evening. Mr. and Mrs. Gord Cudmo re have returned after a week's motor trip in the United States. Owing to the rainy weather the attendance at the Love-Forrest reunion held at Turnbull's Grove on Saturday was not as large as usual. 10 YEARS AGO Miss Sally Acheson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Acheson, town, won the supervisory staff award for bedside nursing, intermediate year at the Sarnia General Hospital school of nursing, Saturday. Mr. and Mrs. J. Hubert Jones, left Monday on a conducted tour of the West going as far as Vancouver, W. Joseph Hogan, son of Mr. and Mrs. Wilfred Hogan, RR 8 Parkhill received his B.A. degree at UWO convocation, Saturday. Kozy Korner restaurant has been purchased by Mrs, Alice Lockie t Zurich, it was announced this week by John Burke, Exeter realtor. Mrs. David Millar, town, Mrs. J. P. Williams of Cumberland, Maryland and Mrs. David Henry of Clandeboye attended a reunion of registered nurses in Stratford last Sunday.