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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1974-06-06, Page 4Why court reports? Several weeks ago this part of Ontario was subjected to severe flooding and the St. Marys region had a good share of it. The Thames River and Trout Creek gave us all some concern for awhile; but the place where the real disaster was taking place was out in the rural area. Several decades ago a water run-off of this nature would not have been as serious, but today, as the result of high land prices and high food prices, nearly all of the productive land in our surrounding townships is cultivated. We have to grow food in plenty for the cattle and hogs on the farm, but we cannot afford to give them large grassy grazing areas as was allowed them years ago. In short the "grassed waterways" which help prevent the soil rrn-off a few years ago are few and, far between now. The disaster could be seen by looking from the pools of water in the flooded fields to the intensely muddy waters of nearby From time to time this newspaper is questioned about its policy to carry reports from the local court sittings, The questions usually come from those who have just appeared in court and they point out that Many area newspapers do not carry this type of news. That argument has been diluted to an extent as we note that the Seaforth Ex- positor has now started the practice of carrying court reports and the following ex- planation of their reasons is akin to those with which we subscribe. We reprint their comments: In last week's issue, for the first time in recent months, the Huron Expositor carried the details of the magistrate's court which is held monthly in Seaforth. There are some readers who do not like to see the names of those who have been in court printed in the newspaper and there are other readers who tell us we are failing in our responsibility to the area we serve by not covering police court, Our coverage of the Seaforth court is not meant to either gratify or offend anyone. The news items arising from court sessions are being printed because they are news. Few citizens of Seaforth have the time or the interest to sit in court in order to find out what happens there every month. It is the function of a newspaper to be the people's representative and to report this How many times? creeks and then getting a view of the river as it transported hundreds of tons of good top soil down to the lake. Of course this disaster will not likely occur every year in such a severe way, but over the next several decades it may happen enough times to do irreparable damage to our agricultural lands. It may be truly a "disaster" by the end of this century when the technology of present day agriculture has brought certain ruin to our fertile land area the same as has occurred in many other parts of the world over past centuries. We do not pretend to be an agriculture expert and have a very limited knowledge of the subject. However, it takes no expert to see what may be in store for this part of Western Ontario in future years if steps are not taken to prevent disastrous loss of top soil such as has occurred this past month. St. Marys Journal - Argus information back to them, In the absence of factual newspaper reports about such things as court cases all sorts of rumours circulate which usually paint a picture much worse than the facts as presented in court. Frequently much vicious gossip gets started in the absence of hard facts, available to all who can read, in the paper. Through the more than 100 years in which the Expositor has served the area, police court reports have been carried on many occasions. In recent years, however, because of staff shortages and the fact court sits on Wednesday, our busiest day, it has not been possible to cover the proceedings. We have been encouraged in the carry- ing of police news by Seaforth council and by the police committee who perhaps feel that the publication of results of in- vestigations can't help but make the police job more effective. Perhaps the knowledge that appearances in court will be publicized will have a certain deterrent effect and result in tire squealers and dangerous drivers in our midst having second thoughts. There is an old adage that says something like "Justice must not only be done; it must be seen to be done." Police Court reports give the community the op- portunity to see that justice is done and how it is done in Seaforth. I A few Sundays ago at our church we held a service of song during which we sang several new hymns, and some old-time favorites, too. The new ones have a joyousness about them that lifts the soul but it's the old ones that stir memories. `Shall We Gather at the River' was one we sang. You won't find it in too many hymn-books anymore; most modern congregations would discard it for being too fanciful or poetic to have much meaning. But it was popular with our forebearers who derived great comfort from it after it was published around 1864. It was written by Dr. Robert Lowry while an epidemic was raging in Brooklyn. His mind was 'much on death as many of his friends and relatives had been suddenly called from their homes and loved ones. Amidst that scene of sorrow, the words and music were composed as an expression from his heart. To me this hymn recalls an incident from my early childhood on an isolated Saskatchewan farm. At that time there were no hospitals within miles and sick people were treated in their homes by thier families and a dedicated young doctor who covered the vast territory by touring-car when possible, or by horse where necessary. One spring evening a call came to our home for my parents to go to a neighbor's place where a young farmer lay dying. They hurried away and I remember waking late in the night to hear them returning bringing with them the man's youthful widow and tiny daughter. It was my first brush with death and I recall the anguish I felt hearing the soft sobbing of the woman as my parents tried to comfort her. Listening to their whispered words, the event was so vividly etched in my mind that I have never forgotten it. Apparently, just minutes before he passed away this young man wakened from a coma and sang in his once strong baritone voice the words of `Shall We Gather at the River' from beginning to end. Not pie in the sky A genius at not saving Consideration for planners Well, were you alert enough to fill your gas tank and pick up half a dozen five-gallon jerrycans of the stuff before the price soared? Were you smart enough to have your furnace-oil tank filled before the stuff turned to black gold? That's funny.Neither was I. In fact, my wife informed me, the day after gasoline prices headed for the moon, that we were riding on a pint and a prayer. "Dummy!", I stated. "Dummy yourself," she retorted. "Why didn't you tell me the price was going up?" "Twice-dummy," I responded coolly, "Why don't you read the ruddy newspapers?" "Thrice-dummy," was her unoriginal answer. "Because you're always hogging them, and you never talk to me, and I'm alone all day and never see anyone, and you come home and bury your big fat nose in the newspapers, and I'm sick and tired of it." "Bull-oneyl" I snorted and we were off on one of those half- hour deals so popular with married couples, and from which I always emerge looking like Archie Bunker. And there wasn't a bit of truth in her tirade. I don't hog the papers. I let her have the classified ads section and the sports section, when I've finished with it. She's not home alone all day. She has the cats. She sees people — the postman and the garbage men — when they're not on strike. And I don't have a big, fat nose. It's just big. I'm digressing. But I often do that when I get talking about my helpmeet, my other half, my chicadee, my lambie, the Joan to my Darby, that broad who is driving me squirrely with talk about spring cleaning. What I really began to discuss was my native ability, born knack, or sheer genius at missing chances to save money. There aren't many such chances, in these parlous times, but every time there is one, I seem to be out to lunch, Show me a hydro bill, and I'll show you that it's four days past the deadline for the discount, By the way, that's one sweet racket. Hydro sends you a bill, with a certain "discount" if it is paid within a certain date. That means that Hydro can get along quite nicely if everyone pays on time. Right? Therefore, the "discount" is no such thing. It's a penalty. Robbers, Show me an income tax return and I'll show you that I should have been paying, and have not been, quarterly in advance. So I'm penalized. Show me a full-page ad- vertisement featuring a big sale, 50 percent off everything, and I'll show you that the paper is ten days old, and the sale ended last Saturday. Show me a big jump in the price of beef or lettuce, and I'll show you a craving for red meat and salad. And my wife is just the same. Show her six books of wallpaper, samples — all good, sturdy, durable, colorful stuff, and she will unerringly pick the one that's twice the price of all the others. My swim suit invariably springs a leak in July, before the August sales begin. My winter boots spring the same thing in January, before the sales begin. If I plunge for five shares of a sure-thing stock, a war starts or Nixon says something stupid again, and there's a stock market slump. I don't consider this to be a About one month ago this column mentioned the fact that the average price of houses in Exeter had jumped considerably in the past 10 years. Well, judging from the present market, the increase in those entire 10 years may be almost duplicated in 1974 alone. Some phenominal prices are being paid for some area homes, and it may well be that Exeter is following closely behind Toronto and other large centres in the increase in housing costs. Where it will all end is anyone's guess, but with the current high prices for mortgages coupled with the increased cost of homes, the family home may soon become available only to those in the higher income bracket. As this situation looms more menacingly on the horizon, it becomes more urgent for area councils to consider approval for mobile and modular homes because they are about the only units within the pride range of young married couples. Hopefully, the need for more areas in which this type of housing will be permitted will gain major consideration from those engaged in the redrafting of Exeter's official plan and zoning bylaws. + + + The local Anglican and Catholic parishes are to be commended for their decision to share the Trivitt Memorial Church for worship services. The move will be a boost for both groups; providing some extra revenue for the Anglicans and saving the Catholics the expense of building their own facility or continuing their ser- vices in the cramped quarters at Precious Blood Separate School. There was a time, of course, when such a venture would never have been considered, let alone attempted. But the world is getting smaller from the standpoint of respecting another man's religion and realizing that he is worshipping the same God, but only in a dif- ferent manner. The local venture is not an ecumenical amalgamation, but a practical move that can only be made through understanding and common sense. Those who have been engaged in the deliberations and the final approval should be well satisfied with their accomplishment. + + + Early indications are that there will be a fair bit of "mud slinging" in the election cam- paign preceding the July 8 vote. Dr. Mark MacGuigan, speaker at the Liberal nomination for Huron-Middlesex riding, spent 99 percent of his speaking time blasting the NDP and the Con- servatives. Most of his attack was on the person of Robert Stanfield. The NDP followed suit the following evening with attacks against both parties as well, while the Conservatives were not to be outdone and returned the barrage at their nomination session two nights later. Policies being presented by the three parties were secondary. Such campaign tactics provide interesting news stories, but they do little to educate the public on the important issues facing the nation. Hopefully, the strategy and emphasis will be changed in the final few weeks of the campaign. Early indications are that none of the parties is worth voting for because of their childish bleatings about the deficiencies of the others. Let's get down to the issues, ladies and gentlemen. + + + Turning our attention to provincial affairs, we had an interesting telephone call from the office of the Ontario Attorney General this week. The caller was one of the many public relations officers em- ployed by the government and he was apparently calling to advise us of a public hearing scheduled for London on June 18. The same morning we had received a press release in- forming of us that very thing and we were further advised on the telephone that another press release would be coming in a day or two. 50 Years Ago The Central Hotel for the past 35 years owned and conducted by W. T. Acheson was last Friday sold to Mrs. Chester Lee of Paisley. Mrs, W. J. Heaman, Mrs. Skelton, Mrs. J. A. Stewart, Mr. and Mrs. R. N. Creech and J. M. Southcott left here on Monday evening for a two month's trip to Belgium, France and the United Kingdom. "Happy John" the corn and rheumatic cure vendor, held forth north of Jones and May's store Saturday night and did a land-office business, Easton-Webster at the Trivitt Memorial Church on June 9 by Rev. A, A. Trumper, Mr. Andrew Easton to Miss Mary Louise Webster, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Webster, of Exeter North. 25 Years Ago Mrs. Pearl Cochrane sold Leavitt's Theatre last week to G. D. Thompson of St. Mary's. The sale marked the end of 37 years of entertainment service to the people of the district by the Leavitt family. Exeter was honored by a visit from the Prime Minister of Canada, Rt. Hon. Louis St. Laurent, Friday afternoon, W. W. Taman, who has been in the gents' furnishings business for the past 48 years, has sold to Len McKnight and Norman Walper, Norman Amos has purchased the veterinary practice of Dr, Jose of Kirkton. 15 Years Ago Members of SHDHS Board decided Tuesday night to ask seven municipalities in the district to approve a proposed $160,000 addition to include two classrooms, one laboratory, one Naturally, the writer advised the telephone caller that we would welcome an advertisement so our readers would be informed of the nature of the hearing. The reply was that the department ran on a "very tight budget" and there was no money for advertising. There's apparently no shortage of public relations officers available. Telephone calls are fired off without hesitation and the cost of churning out press releases is never considered, In that regard, the budget is far from tight. Odd thing is, very few of the newspapers receiving the press releases will use them (there are just too darn many) so all the effort and expenditure is totally wasted and the public is, un- fortunately, uninformed. But don't laugh too loudly. We taxpayers are footing the bills. + + + Speaking of footing the bills, an area farmer wondered this week if we would care to join him in the bean business. He proceeded to point to 11 or 12 bags of bean seed nestled in the back of his pickup truck and advised us the investment in- volved in that small load was around $800. Our farm friend went on to note that if it rained too much after he put the beans in the ground, he'd have to go through the whole procedure again. We'll wish him good luck and hope he drops in next fall to tell us how much revenue that bean seed produced. shop and one cafeteria. Existing cafeteria will be made into two classrooms. A new record of thunder in May was established last month when it occurred on nine days during the month. The previous record was seven in 1956. The Sarepta Hotel, one mile east of Dashwood, which was purchased by the Department of Highways has been bought by Andrew Hamilton for $450 in public auction. New site for Darling's IGA market now undergoing ex- tensive renovations will open next weekend. The former Simmons implement building on the corner of Main and Sanders street has been completely revamped to provide 3,000 square feet for the market. 10 Years Ago Sharon Fletcher, RR 1, Woodham, was judged this year's SHDHS "Posture Queen", She won the G. A. Webb trophy in competition with two others, Nancy McTavish, Exeter and Darlene Parsons, Exeter. Mrs. Helen E. West, Grand Bend has completed successfully a year at the University of Western Ontario and has received her diploma in Public Health Nursing. Mrs. West will be working with the Huron County Health Unit. Bill Murray, Grand Bend, and Dennis Lamport, Crediton, copped the senior award in the SHDHS science fair with a demonstration of the working parts of an electric motor. At the meeting of Senior Citizens club in the Legion Hall selections by the Beatles (William Rohde, Almer Passmore, Ray Cann, Robert Jeffrey) to record music evoked mild screaming, Counsellor for Information South Huron For appointment phone: 235-2715 or 235-2474 Some people are insane when they "beat up" their children. But most are not. It is hard to understand how seemingly harmless people harm their children. It wouldn't be right, would it, to think someone is capable of such things if it hasn't happened yet? Still, in order to prevent child battering, parents who are likely to do such things, must be picked out. It is possible to go on in our present course. Parents arrive at hospital with bruised baby and plausible explanation and baby is treated, the explanation accepted and the trio is sent home. It may be that the baby is dead shortly. Treatment is necessary, but not enough. Our problem is a many-headed hydra. Some see it as a matter for the police. Such parents should be prosecuted. Others think that parents will learn through a warning. Psychiatric evaluation and treatment is recommended, Rehabilitation and family therapy is touted by certain professionals. It is like the fabled description of the elephant by blind in- vestigators. Each investigator comes up with a different definition depending on which part of the elephant he touched. June Callwood writes of a very broad perspective. "Most people . . are beginning to acknowledge that child battering is such a complex problem it will never respond to any unilateral intervention, no matter how compassionately ' conceived, richly funded and brilliantly executed. It's a medical-social- economic-legal-educational matter." A multi-discipline approach is needed, Since most parents who harm their children are in the poverty bracket of society, economic measures and viable support programs are needed, A lack of money worries could lead to less damaged children, Certainly medical treatment is an ever present necessity, Prof. Cyril Greenland has found that hospitals, doctors, and public health nurses are the least likely to report cases to the central registry. Therefore the family is not helped. And therefore, the full extent of the problem is not known. A new The remarkable thing was that he never appeared to be .a religious man . .. certainly not a church-going one, Yet, at the moment he was breathing his last, something from his past (he came from England) flooded back to him so strongly that he was able to serenely place himself in the hands and protection of God. The early settlers knew much of sorrow . . walk through any old cemetery and see the rows of small tombstones marking the graves of children struck by one of the plagues we now control. Or read the lamentable words on other stones of young women who died bearing their young and we know these pioneers were all too familiar with grief, Yet, in their grief they found strength. There is a growing skepticsm today even amongst church people. The popular motto seems to be, 'Eat, drink and be merry for to-morrow we die,' What an utterly sad and hopeless outlook. William Barclay says, 'Take away the thought of a life to come and this life loses its values. Take away the idea that this life is a discipline and a preparation for a greater life to come and the bonds of all honour and morality are loosened. The man who believes that this is the only world will inevitably live as if the things of this world are all that matter.' Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, says in effect that to say there is no resurrection is not a sign of superior knowledge; it is a sign of utter ignorance of God. Our forefathers in the church placed their trust in a better life beyond this one. They accepted the dangers and the perils of life because of their belief. Many of their hymns echoed this philosophy. And it wasn't just pie in the sky as many moderns try to make us believe. Perhaps if we stressed this philosophy more in the Christian teaching of our young it would be a source of strength and comfort to them also on a day when they may have to face death them- selves or the loss of a beloved one, alertness is needed. Rehabilitation of the family seems to be the best goal. Family therapy or psychiatric help should be called on. Many feel that the courts must be involved in any rehabilitation effort. Non-professional and volunteer help is one of the likelier sources of prevention. Parents Anonymous was formed in Los Angeles and has spread throughout our continent. Various crisis phone services have been organized in different communities. Angry parents who know of their tendency to hit their children can call on others. But these all seem to be stop- gap measures. We have not an over-all policy of prevention in the matter of child battering. Policy and prevention go together and where there is no forethought, there is little prevention. What are the steps of policy formulation? Policy-making, though so necessary, is laborious. The first step is better records. As professionals and lay-people become freer in the reporting of child abuse, opportunities are made for research and analyzation of the problem. A fuller knowledge of child abuse leads to broad principles that must be honoured. As researchers and policy-makers seek to write these principles in words they are further sharp- ened. Every input is important. Broad aims are refined until a workable instrument can be placed before society. Immediate goals can then be innumerated and practical steps can be taken, Can we be involved in such policy-making efforts? Yes, indeed, we must be. By our alertness in reporting incidents of child abuse and by our continuing active interest in such, we have a fruitful involvement. This active interest includes writing, speaking, talking and attending meetings. Only in this way can viable preventive measures be brought to bear on this social problem and many others as well, Albert Camus Wrote "Perhaps We cannot prevent this world from being a world in which children are tortured. But we can reduce the number of tortured children. And if you won't help us, who in the world will help us do this?" Phone 235.1331 W..V.W1•39iircat VMIVOANWNAiitZUMFZIL Times Established 1873 Iffteerefer"Omes-Atruocafe 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 Published Each Thursday Morning at Exeter, Ontario Second Class Mail Registration Number 0386 Paid in Advance Circulation, March 31, 1972, 5,037 SUBSCRIPTION RATES; Canada $9,00 Per Year; USA $11.00 EittetWrOVZOMIANISTEMEWiliTigiaZJIAN'' ' -tc;:;;;;;Arf,:: "eZZ;Mg•2777rx"31111t malignant thing. I don't really Advocate Established 1881 Amalgamated 1924 believe, though it has crossed my mind, that God has it in for me. Maybe it's Old Debbil. At any rate, it happens too often to be a coincidence, arid I'm getting sick of it, by gum. A typical was the first Olympic Sweepstake. I forgot to get a ticket. You'd think a guy's friends would remind him, But oh, no. Not them. Too greedy, And I've a sneaking notion, I'd have won the million bucks, Boy, would I show my so-called friends, if I won that, They wouldn't see me for gold-dust. But there is one little area in which my wife and I are in- fallible, when it comes to saving money, Every year, we pay our house taxes in January, I think we save about eight dollars. That will show them, we tell each other Solemnly, Prevention or treatment By ELMORE BOOMER