HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1970-11-19, Page 4OUR POINT OF VIEW
Could be Interesting
Indications are fairly strong that an
unusually large number of vacancies will
be evident at the municipal level when
area communities stage their nomination
Meetings next week.
Three senior officials reported last
week they would be stepping down and
three more suggested they would step
aside for incumbent members of their
councils.
This will naturally create major
changes, and while there are good
candidates available for the senior
positions being vacated, it does indicate
that ratepayers will have to exercise
More care and consideration in filling the
vacant spots on councils.
A new reeve or deputy will have his
hands full in filling the shoes of some of
those retiring without having the added
problem of seeing vacancies on his
council filled with persons not qualified
for the positions.
This is something ratepayers will
have to keep in mind and failure to
nominate good candidates for vacancies
could create serious problems for their
municipal councils over the next two
years.
Once again, there appear to be few
issues at stake at the municipal level in
the area, although anyone who has
bothered to keep abreast of events
during the past two years could probably
build a fairly good platform on which to
stand against sitting members,
Former Grand Bend clerk Murray
Desjardins has already indicated that
he'll be questioning the high rates of pay
members of council at the resort have
been paying themselves.
No doubt the council members will
be gathering information and opinions to
combat any such attack and so ratepayers
in Grand Bend should look forward to a
lively nomination meeting.
Ratepayers in Exeter may have
several questions to ask council members
here in view of the recent drain study.
That report still hasn't been
released to the public at time of writing,
but we hope to have parts of it included
in, this issue before it goes to. press.
There's no indication of the report
becoming an election issue, but we
imagine a few ratepayers will be on hand
to ask some provocative questions that
Should make the Exeter meeting a bit
more interesting than usual.
Up in Hensall, council's delay in
getting a sewer project underway could
become a point, particularly in view of
the fact their neighbors in Zurich are
now in a position to move ahead with a
sewer project if the ratepayers so wish.
There doesn't appear to be any
issue involved for the area township
councils, although the Stephen meeting
will afford some ratepayers an
opportunity to discuss the proposed
water system for the west end of the
municipality.
As we stated last week, nomination
meetings afford an excellent opportunity
for council members and ratepayers alike
to discuss topics regarding their future
rather than listening to dull reports of
what has already transpired during the
past couple of years.
Municipal dumps should be
mentioned at most meetings, because all
ratepayers appear to be in a position of
facing high costs in this regard as the
battle against pollution reaches the
district.
Certainly, ratepayers in Hay and
Stephen have situations which must be
corrected,
Any spark at the Usborne meeting
could arise in a fight to succeed reeve
Roy Westcott who is retiring after a year
as warden of the county.
All in all, this could be one of the
most interesting years in some time for
politics at the local level, and certainly
the election of school board members
should fall into that category as well in
view of the many complaints which have
been registered over the past two years
regarding this business which consumes a
large portion of everyone's taxes.
So, if you're planning to attend the
nomination meetings in your
community—and everyone should--come
early and get a good seat.
Rubber stamp realities
We are tired of hearing local
politicians complain of a province
stripping them of power, when we see
how incompetently those same
politicians govern, how carelessly they
do their homework, how suddenly they
shout for provincial grants and legislative
assistance.
We abhor the growing intervention
in local government as we do the
increasing involvement in business
decisions, but both came about because
we didn't care enough to do the job
ourselves.
Big Brother government is a cloak
for a host of bureaucrats. When we call
for help they diplomatically await the
crescendo of the clamor and then, Like a
helpful Big Brother, they move to aid,
Municipal associations produce
resolutions by the bookfull and most of
them are aimed at higher governments.
What we need are local politicians
of resolution who can administer
efficiently; but the mounting
frustrations are already there from
higher levels and it may take a strong
man or woman to face the ignoble
rubber stamp realities.
Perhaps it's already too late to
rescue local government, If regional
government provides a new opportunity,
it is to be hoped electors and elected
may be equal to the task.
Milton Canadian Champion
Ranee/eget de 604?
Centennial events featured practically every month in 1967 and winter activities were popular. At the
Hensall winter carnival, Reeve Minnie Noakes challenged area civic leaders to a snowshoe race and then beat
her only two challengers, M ayor Jack Delbridge of Exeter, on the left, and Reeve Jack Corbett, Hay.
T-A photo
Reactions vary.with age
Tinley Ettablished 1873
Advocate Established 1881
Amalgamated 1924
Inte tocekrZimesabuocafe
SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND
C.W.N.A., O.W.N.A., CLASS 'A' and ABC
Editor Bill Batten — Advertising Manager
Phone 235.1331
Published Each Thursday Morning
,4100:"111:214111r, at Exeter, OnfatiO
Second Class Man .
Registration Number 0386
Paid in Atlitance Circulation,
$epfember 30, IVO, 4,675
SlingtRIPtION RATES: Canada $6,00 Per Year; USA
Some rain ... and some sun
It's one of those gloomy
November days, with the
overcast so low that even the
birds are walking.
I have a month's
correspondence to catch up on,
three weeks of essays to read,
and a week's leaf-raking lying in
the back yard.
My wife has pains in her belly
and is going to have the
living-room redecorated. I don't
know which alarms me more.
My daughter is in the next
room, writing an essay on
Nietsche, an appalling prospect,
Asked her how it was going and
she said pretty well, but that she
had an idea what she was writing
was a lot of crap.
Two of my colleagues lost
their fathers unexpectedly on
the week-end. Another is in
hospital having X-rays on his
stomach and hoping it's "only"
an ulcer,
Outside my little world lies a
Canada deeply troubled by
pollution, an unemployment
figure that is alarming, and the
freedom of the individual under
the new government legislation
for the prevention of violence.
And outside that world again
is the big one, a seemingly
hopeless mess of population
explosion, food shortages, wars,
suspicion, despair and poverty.
Oh well, what the hell. You
only go through the course once.
It's the only life we have, and
however bleak it seems, there are
always a few rays of sunshine.
Looking on the positive side,
it's not so bad. The
correspondence, essays and
leaves will eventually be dealt
with. The living-room will be
decorated, which will cure my
wife's pains in the belly, My
daughter will get a C-minus on
her essay and blame me for it,
but it won't kill her.
We all have to lose our fathers
sometime, and maybe it will be
only an ulcer, which is
practically the trademark of a
sensitive person these days.
There's not much I can do
about pollution except bagging
my leaves instead of burning
them, and continuing my refusal
to use throw-away bottles, I
can't do a darn thing about
The first snowfall of the
season should indicate that
winter weather is well on its
way.
However, it has been a
comparatively enjoyable fall and
a drive through the area
indicates that most farmers have
their work completed, although
a few persons in addition to the
writer usually require that first
bit of snow to spur them on to
the final preparations for the
coming winter months.
With the popularity of the
snowmobile, more adults join
the youngsters in shouts of glee
when the first snow does arrive.
Our three sons spent
Saturday night running from one
window to another to watch the
white stuff come down and our
four-year-old finally couldn't
hide his excitement any longer.
He jumped onto our lap and
with a big smile said, "Merry
Christmas, dad".
The following morning, the
old man was rudely awakened
from his sleep around 7:30 a.m.
with the announcement from
three wide-eyed characters that
it was time to get up and have
breakfast so they could get out
and play in the snow,
We certainly didn't want to
dull their enthusiasm for winter,
but we trust they will remember
how much they welcomed the
arrival of the season when they
face some of the hardships such
as getting hit with a snowball,
getting their mitts soaking wet,
or having the frost tingle their
toes and nose beyond their
Perhaps then they'll know the
reason why grandma didn't smile
too much when she saw the
snow outside her window
Sunday morning.
Revenue Minister John White
pointed out last week that some
smaller municipalities are not
giving welfare recipients their
full benefits.
He didn't outline the names
of the communities, but area
residents can rest assured that
welfare recipients aren't being
cheated in this district,
according to stories we hear
from those in the know.
Most welfare recipients are
more fully informed as to their
benefits than some of the
officials, and when they arrive to
seek assistance they know the
unemployment except get a kid
to rake my lawn, and I've tried,
and they aren't interested. And
there's little I can do about
individual freedom except
demand it in this column, which
I shall continue to do, and the
government had better not start
monkeying around trying to
censor me.
As for the world, it's always
been a mess. Human beings seem
to enjoy living in messes of their
own making unlike other
animals. Perhaps that's why so
many kids are on drugs today. If
we tried to force drugs on them,
they'd rebel violently.
And those rays of sunshine
do appear. The other night at a
party, a lady friend Was being
embraced rather amorously by a
middle-aged gentleman who had
been into the grape. She
appealed to me, wide-eyed, over
his shoulder. As smoothly as a
fight referee, I broke up the
clutch and simultaneottsly
prevented the gentleman's wife
from punching him on the nose,
The first lady later told my
wife that I had the polish and
poise of a European man. My
wife thought it was a
compliment, Considering some
of the European males I have
known in thy life, I thought it an
insult. However, a ray of
Sunshine, though rather Murky,
I got another one this week,
Please turn to page 6
full amount to which they are
entitled.
In fact, if some of those on
welfare showed as much
determination in getting and
holding jobs as they display in
getting assistance, few of them
would find it necessary to live
off their neighbors,
Last week a special Ontario
Legislature committee proposed
to cut the number of
committees in half because a
computer proved the present
system does not work.
According to one member, the
present system of too many
committees and not enough time
cannot be repaired.
Knowing that members of all
parties have complained that too
many committees are trying to
schedule too many meetings, the
problem was taken to a
computer.
The computer was fed the
number of members available for
committees, the number of
members on each committee,
the number of committees and
the number of committee
meetings needed and the number
of hours available.
Seem complicated? The
computer thought the same way
and said that the present system
is "completely unworkable". As
a result a new system for
committee business is being
planned.
50 YEARS AGO
At the Remembrance Day
services at Hurondale held
previous to the Exeter Service,
Reeve George Westcott of
Usbome was chairman and Mrs.
Henry Strang deposited a wreath
at the memorial for the
provincial government.
Ruth Love, daughter of Mr, &
Mrs. William Love, Grand Bend,
was awarded the intercounty
public speaking championship.
She will be eligible for the
provincial championship contest
at Easter.
Miss Alma Ratz entertained
her pupils at Shipka on Saturday
afternoon by attending the
Chatauqua at Crediton.
Miss Laura Jeckell left this
week for Toronto where she will
be joined by Miss Helen Brown
on a motor bus trip to Florida,
Mr. W.D.Sariders left Tuesday
evening for East Elgin where he
will address the electors of that
riding in the interest of Mr.
McDerm arid, the farmer
candidate,
25 YEARS AGO
A choir of sixty voices from
Talbot St., Baptist Church,
London, under the direction of
W.R, Goulding, former organist
and leader of James St. Choir,
presented a musical
entertainment in that church on
Friday evening.
A number of German
prisoners of war who have been
located in a camp at Eden are to
be allowed their parole for the
winter and will be employed by
some farmers,
Major PA Milner, who has
been with the Canadian Army
Medical Corps has decided to
locate in Exeter.
For the second time in a few
weeks the fire brigade was called
to a fire at the turnip Waxing
plant on James Street about nine
o'clock in the evening, Fire
started on the roof from Sparks
that. fell from the chimney. The
fire was brought under control
before much damage was done.
However, assuming each
member was pulling his weight
and doing an equal amount of
work in comparison to his
cohorts, we fail to see how any
work load will be reduced just
by cutting down on the number
of committees.
It will probably see fewer
committees, but no doubt the
number and length of their
meetings will be lengthened to
the point where little advantage
will result.
We've been hearing much
about Information Canada, the
government's new department
which will apparently churn out
lots .of information to let
Canadians know what's going on
in this great nation.
The news media has been
critical of the plan, primarily
because they fear more managed
news being presented.
The Financial Post last week
also took a verbal swipe at the
situation in noting that the
government had evidently
decided it was time to "reveal"
its new logo.
And who do you suppose
wrote the press release? Why, a
private, Montreal-based public
relations firms.
No doubt the prolific writers
at Information Canada were too
busy to handle the assignment.
15 YEARS AGO
Construction has started on
an $80,000 cement-block
addition to the fast-growing
Hensall plant of General Coach
Works of Canada Ltd.
Leaders for Exeter Scouts
and Cubs were installed at a
meeting of the Group
Committee Wednesday night.
Scoutmaster is Harold Hooke,
with assistants, Terry Lawrence
and Peter Sims. Bob Luxton and
Bob Slater are Cub leaders.
The Lucan Anglican Church
Women decided at their meeting
this week, to adopt a western
minister and his family and get a
parcel off to them before
Christmas if possible,
Mrs. Fred Dobbs, president of
Exeter and District branch of
the Canadian Cancer Society,
Rev, N. Knox and Mrs. Foley of
Centralia attended the annual
conference of the Perth-Huron
unit in Goderich, Saturday,
Robert Cochrane, a native of
the Kippen area, and now of
Grand Prairie, Alberta, was
chosen wheat king of the world.
He was chosen timothy king a
few years ago, at the World's
Fair in Chicago.
10 YEARS AGO
Members of the Exeter
Curling Club took to the ice
lanes Tuesday to start play in
their new curling rink. Although
the ice was still a bit sticky it
didn't stop the ardent curlers
from having several very close
games,
A $19,700 contract has been
awarded by the Department of
Public Works to John 13. Erb of
Wellesley for the construction of
a post office building at Zurich.
Lightning Tuesday morning
caused about $300. damage
when it set fire to the roof of
Hensall District Co-op's new
fertiliser building at the east end
of York St.
Gerald Tootik, 19, R.R. 3,
lippen, is recuperating in South
Huron Hospital from injuries
received Sunday When he was
attacked from behind by a boat
which inflicted deep teeth
wounds to his thigh,
4 , —,inomm••••••••••••••••
NOVEMBER
SALE
,r1ci$_ November 21
""l11117
A D'
thIL,A. 1
Contac C
Cold Capsules Reg, $1,49 89
Automatic
Electric Vaporizer $09.e9g5 $4,99
Crest Toothpaste Re,g, $1.19 11"7
Gillette Plus
Razor
Sylvani a
Blades , Reg. 82e 67
Flash Cubes Rpg. $1.75 $1.44
Christmas Cards 50 Cos 99e
VO 5 Hair Spray Reg. $2.68 $ 1.99
Right Guard
• • Reg. t 1 .17
Antl'PerSPIrant S1 A9 •F
HUNTLEY'S DRUG STORE
EXETER 235.1070
-THE
P
DIFFERENcto // /
Pork Chops quarter loin 9 - 11 chops lb. .694
Chops Center cut lb. 79
Tenderloin End Pork roasts lb. 754
Country Style Ribs lb. 694
Pork Sausage Schneider's small link lb. 6111
Pot Roasts Boneless lb. 594
Bologna Schneider's P l iebce 400 sliced 59t
Bologna Rings Schneider's lb. 594
Rindless Bacon Epicure lb. 690
Maple Leaf i ,to Orange Crystals
LARD 2 lb. 4U'' TANG 3,/2 O. foil pack 5 Pl"
Swift Beef or Irish Phillips 40 - 60 - 100 „ /..„
STEW 24 oz. tin 49' LIGHT BULBS L 1 41"
Liquid (7c off label) plastic jug California large
JAVEX BLEACH 64 oz. 45' CELERY STALKS 2149`
10c off 64 oz.int Canada No. 1 Sand
FLEECY fabric softener iU POTATOES 10 lb. bag 39'
GLIDE Sprm Starch U.S. No. 1 red Emporer
18c off label) 14 oz. 55' GRAPES 2 lb. 49 t
Chiquita
Bananas 2 lb. 1 9°
Open Friday Until 9:00 p.m. Closed Saturday at 7 :00 p.m.
WALLY'S MARKET
Main St. 238-2512 Grand Bend
• ,'
, , INVEST
8 v 2
NOW
A
on Guaranteed Investment Certificates.
Also "CASHABLE AT ANY TIME"
Guaranteed Savings Certificates.
For further information
contact your financial adviser or write
STANDARD TRUST
214 Bay Street, Toronto 1
A FEDERALLY CHARtERED COMPANY
MEMBER CANADA DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION
CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE' THROUGH
Hodgson Limited
2352420 eXETER
Wm. J. Amos Insuionce
LUCAN AND PARKHILL
John R. Consitt •
2ukICH BOX 130 235-4332