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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1972-11-02, Page 4In one week, nominations open for municipal, Public Utilities Commission and school board positions. Over the past month, this newspaper has been attempting to keep area ratepayers abreast of the drastic changes which have been made in nomination procedures as well as informing people what vacancies may exist. Local government is important, and while present officials may complain about the erosion of their responsibilities by the two senior 'governments, the grassroots job still requires the most capable people available. An example is Exeter. The present council is deliberating over the expen: ditures of hundreds of thousands of dollars relating to the completion of the sewer system, the construction of new town hall facilities; etc. Other communities face similar major projects, indicating beyond any doubt that these decisions can be left in the hands of people who do not have the abilities to cope with them. Ratepayers have two prime jobs in the next 10 days. First of all, they must assess the present members who represent them. Are they capable and sincere? If not, alter- nate representatives must be considered. The second chore is to encourage qualified people to fill the vacancies which have already been announced, or will be in the next week. For instance, Exeter is losing a very valuable council member in the person of Mery Cudmore, He's not one of the more verbose members but on many major issues he sits patiently digesting the con- versation and then presents a view which in many cases leads to the decision which council makes. He leaves big shoes to fill and council would be weakened if the proper successor is not picked carefully. In past years, there have been oc- casions when the electors could go to the polls to weed out candidates who were undesirable for one reason or another. The former method of nomination also made it possible for ratepayers to ensure that elec- tions were forced to give the ratepayers that advantage. The new system changes all that, un- less people keep well abreast of the situa- tion and make periodic checks at the office of the clerk in their municipality to see who has been nominated. But don't wait until the last minute when it may be too late. It is imperative that ratepayers look carefully for candidates and urge those people to stand. That is not one of the tasks they should expect the present officials to undertake. The job is yours. Futile argument The argument over whether violence in movies and the media promotes violence - or merely reflects it - is futile. Violence is a human condition as predictable as life, death, and taxes. The trick is not to cultivate ground where violence flourishes. A society which teaches its young to aggressively 'kill' the competition shouldn't squawk too loudly about where it finds violence. People who think this is a 'dog eat dog' world where people must be pitted against each other instead of being valued for their own worth - promote violence. Violence is taught, not only by movies or TV, but by parents too wrapped up in businesedi 'personttf' worries to find time for concern, tenderness and caring. It is taught by those who can't show love; it is • taught by people who can't even discipline themselves, let alone guide others. And all these people are helplessly entangled in a system of violence to their own personalities which tells them to deliver or die. They stand to lose their income, house, car, prestige, their very reason for living. Violence flows from a way of living which no longer finds dignity in people, but through acquisition and possessions - making slaves of us all. There are no Pollyanna solutions. It would be nice to begin by repairing relations between English and French Canadians on a large scale or between labor and management. But people must ,begin in their own families - giving them the gift of time, care and love. - Contributed acaiaiiMMMaiaXdfti How the election was won 0 5 years, savings a loan corporation P.O. BOX .147, 88 DUNLOP ST. EAST BARRIE, ONTARIO (705) ?26-7200 Member: Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation available in this area through Hodgson Insurance Debenture I nvestment Certificates the municipal WILSON'S JEWELLERY KEVERE4MINNWASEINEM: Tittles Established 1873 Advocate 'Established 1881 Amalgamated 1924 toteterZinies-Ahuocate SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND C.W.N.A., 0.W.N.A., CLASS 'A' and ABC Editor — Bill Batten Advertising Manager Assistant Editor — Ross Haugh Women's Editor — Gwyn Whilsmith Phone 235.1331 SUBSCRIPTION Published Each Thursday Morning at Exeter, Ontario Second Class Mail Registration Number 0386 Paid in Advance Circulation, March 31, 1972, 5,037 RATES: Canada $8.00 Per Year; USA $10.00 •:•••:•:•:••••••:•:•:" The senior Trmt Company devoted entirely to serving the people of Ontario. TRUST COMPANY SINCE 1889 •••••••••....' Boost The job is yours How I learned about myself A couple of weeks ago, while I was writing down the date on my attendance pad, I got a bit of a shock. It was October 13th. Then I realized it was Friday. Hey, my anniversary! On a gloomy Friday the 13th of October, 1944, I was shot down over Holland by German flak, crash-landed in a plowed field and was taken prisoner, I've been a little leery of Friday the 13th ever since, but When it also falls in October, as this year, I feel a distinct chill and my first thought is that I should have stayed in bed all day, with the covers pulled over my head, to be safe from the searching finger of fate. It'sridiculous, of course, Idon't believe in black cats, walking under ladders, broken mirrors, the number 13, and all those old- wives'symbols of bad luck. Even so, I know some of my students wondered why I taught all day, that day, with both hands behind my back. What theydidn't know was that I had my fingers crossed, both hands. Well, now that a reasonable time has passed and the sky hasn't fallen in,l can look back on that day in 1944 with no more reaction than sangfroid, which, as any Englishman knows, means bloody cold, and I' have one of those, so everything is fine. In retrospect, that day was not an unlucky, but a lucky one. At the time I didn'tthink so. I had a date that night with a smashing blonde in Antwerp, and I was justly annoyed that the stupid war had interfered with my social life. But looking back, it was one of the luckiest days in my life. I still had a miserable , often wretched experience to go through. However, it was one of the most interesting in my life, and I made some fine friends and saw a lot of strange things. Also, my wing was losing from five to a dozen pilots a week. My own squadron of eighteen pilots had lost Dave Backhouse, Johnny Rook, "Taffy" Price, "Dingle" Bell, and a week before I got it, one of my tent-mates, Freddy Wakeman, was killed (A week after I got it, my other tent-mate went down in flames.) I had landed once with a bomb dangling, another time with no flaps, no brakes and thirty-six holes in my aircraft. So it was just a matter of time. I wonder how many of you have had the same experience: believing that the fates had singled you out- for special punishment, and discovering, ••,_ much later, that what seemed at the time a black cloud was really a silver lining in disguise. Of course, the opposite can happen. Ask some of my friends who thought it was the luckiest day in their lives when they stood in front of the preacher with that gentle, sweet, understanding and voluptuous young creature, and found themselves twenty-five years later manacled to a fat, nagging shrew. (I know, girls, it works both ways. Don't tell me that that handsome, charming young Adonis you stood up with is really the same person as that pot- bellied, bald bore you're living with now, whose idea of a good chat is to rattle his paper at you and grunt.) But on the whole, life, except for those few unfortunates, the born losers, seems to even things out fairly. Twenty-eight years ago tonight I was pretty blue and miserable. After the most inept escape attempt in the annals of escape, I had been given a thorough going over and was lying in a box-car, tied up, aching in every muscle and a number of bones, including my nose bone, and shivering like a dog evacuating razor blades. For some reason, the Third We've never thought of our eldest son as being exceptionally brilliant in the field of economics. After all, any kid who races to the nearest confectionary counter to blow his four bit allowance in one fell swoop can not be considered too seriously as an expert on budgets and other financial responsiblities. Ile lives only for today. So, it was with some amuse- ment that the recent election campaign saw him advising pop on how to cast his ballot, based on his economic assessment of the campaign. Because of the influence of one of his friends who walked around with Stanfield buttons pasted on his shirt, our son had come to the conclusion that there was no other way to vote. Never one to miss the op- portunity for an argument, we hinted that we would vote for Mr. Trudeau. "You should vote for Mr. Stan- field," he quickly pointed out emphatically. "Why?" "Well, you don'twant prices to go any higher, do you," he muttered in a tone of some general disgust. Leads one to wonder whether the PC stalwarts in the area were ' advising kids their allowances wouldn't go as far unless they were swept into power in the hope that some youthful persua- sion would be taken home to convince parents of how to cast their ballots. Probably missed a golden op- portunity to get even by suggesting to the boys they would have to wear long underwear if Mr. Stanfield was elected Prime Minister. That would have set them to thinking! •From time to time there are those who complain about there not being anything to do in the area. That's a complaint that will carry no weight now with Ex- eter's RAP committee following their sparse response to a questionnaire in this newspaper asking people to outline their wishes for various activities. We agree with RAP members who suggest it is a worthwhile policy to follow each fall because it at least allows local residents an opportunity to outline areas in which they are interested. From year to year those interests do change. Unfortunately, some of those Reich had neglected to install a heating system, blankets and mattresses. The only way I could recreate the experience tonight would be to go out and try to sleep on the floor of my garage, which is of the wooden variety, With plenty of Ventilation. Equally faulty was the catering system. There was nothing wrong with the waiters, except that they carried guns and wore big boots. But they were the soul of courtesy, untying my hands at each meal. It was the menu that was lacking. Not much variety. One item, and at some meals,not even one. The washroom facilities were rather inadequate, too, But how many of you have ever been tenderly helped down onto a cinder embankment by a paratrooper, his arm around your waist, yours around his shoulders, to go to the bathroom'? I was dragging one leg. It was good experience. I learned to love black bread, wurst and cabbage soup. I dis• covered that a single boiled potato, right out of the pot, was a dish for the gods. I learned how Much I could take, And I learned to he thankful for exceedingly small mercies. Well worth it, replying to the poll will be unable to follow the pursuit in which they did express an interest. There just weren'tenough others interested to cover the cost of instruction, Basically, this area has never suffered from lack of activities. The high school provides a deverse assortment of night school classes and the public and private activities are generally well looked after. In fact, most people in the area often come to the conclusion they are much too busy. * Readers may recall in the last provincial election, there was considerable criticism over the fact many people did not know where they were to vote. Federal campaign organizers in the Huron riding were ap- parently aware of the criticism and took steps to overcome the problem. In fact, it almost reached the stages of an "over kill," -Seems we were diluged with people, post cards and adver- tisements advising where our particular polling spot was located. However, the parties expended a great deal of time and money on informing the public and leads us to question the advisability of having more permanent polling places. Under the present situation, many of these polling stations are moved around with all three 50 Years Ago The Huron Choral Society was at Seaforth on Friday evening last putting on Handel's "Messiah." The Society was well received. Messrs. Well Johns, Rd. Welsh, S. Fitton and D. Russell are off to the Hay swamp on their annual shooting outing.. The Hoffman brothers, Clayton and Clarence of Zurich who- played hockey with the 'Exeter- Zurich team last winter will play hockey with Galt this coming winter. The Methodist people of Crediton served a fowl supper to about 1,000 people in the church last Thursday evening. After the supper, many went to the town hall where Mr. •Yager of Dashwood conducted a radio con- cert. The Hydro Office has been moved to the building they recently purchased from Mr. P. Frayne, Mr. W. Sims has rented the building vacated by the Hydro Commission and is moving the express office there. 25 Years Ago The Hon. Farquhar Oliver, leader of the Liberal party in the provincial parliament was guest of honor at a dinner meeting in the Central Hotel at noon last Friday. Mr. Harry Pdrsons, who has been an employee of the Exeter Times-Advocate for several years, leaves this week for A mherstburg. A Rerhembrance Day service coupled with the unveiling and dedication of a Memorial Plaque at the Exeter War Memorial was held on Sunday, The 37th annual convention of the Exeter, Stephen and Usborne Ontario Religious ,Education Council was held in James Street United Church on Friday. Anna. Brock won the speaking contest at the South Huron Junior Farmers meeting on Wednesday evening. She spoke on "This Canada of Ours", levels of government and it does become quite confusing. Certainly. some consideration should be given to establishing permanent places so people would know from one election to the next where their ballot was to be cast. It would also eliminate the party partisanship involved in choosing the polling places, which appears to be about as low as you can go with party favoritism anyway. * Readers may recall that about a year ago the Batten family pooch gave birth to a litter of nine pups. The gals in the front office couldn't understand how we would allow our dog to take up with just any critter that came calling. One found it particularly dif- ficult to comprehend that we weren'teven too certain who the proud father really was. However, the same gal finally boXeci to our coaxing ,,and took odd of the female offspring off our hands. Now, guess whose dog just had a litter of pups last week? And, guess who isn't too sure who the father is? And guess who thinks the editor should repay a past kindness and take a couple of pups off her hands? And, guess - who isn't going to get talked into that? 15 Years Ago Elizabeth and Mary Knox, twin daughters of Rev, and Mrs. N.D.Knox won first prize by sub- mitting the best essay on "The Queen and I" in a competition sponsored by a Toronto daily newspaper. They won a desk set containing a scarlet and gold licence plate used on a car in the royal procession. Their essay was the top in Canada. With ice in at Exeter Arena, winter activities are getting into full swing. Exeter Mohawks will be a homebrew club this year and many local players are aspiring for positions on the club. Exeter branch of the Canadian Legion will hold its annual Poppy Day in this district on Saturday, assisted by members of the Legion Auxiliary, with past president Mrs. Gerald Lawson and president Mrs. Eugene Beaver. 10 Years Ago Members of all the Women's Institutes in South Huron had a small glimpse of the past when they attended a special meeting hosted by the Hurondale WI at the Exeter Legion Hall Tuesday. One member from each of the visiting groups was dressed in clothes from "grandmother's time" and the stage was suitably set off with antique chairs, lamps, pictures and even a baby buggy. Huron MPP Charles MacNaughton has received many congratulatory messages following his appointment last week as Ontario Minister of Highways, This came just four years after he was elected to the legislature in a by-election of 1958. Miss A. Claypole, Mrs. M. Learn, Mrs. Don Graham, Mrs. J,G. Dunlop and Mrs, R.C. Dinney left Sunday to attend the Hospital Convention'at the Royal York, Toronto this week. The Concert Musicale in Hen- sail United Church Sunday evening was presented by three choirs to a packed church under the directions of Mrs, Robert Pryde, choir leader and organist. 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