The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1975-09-04, Page 4About this Celsius nonsense
Municipality responsibility
A recent letter from the Lambton
County Medical Officer of Health stating
that, no matter how, the washroom
problem in the village of Grand Bend would
be solved by next season brought home how
ludicrous the situation has been in the
village.during the summer just completed.
During the past three months, no public
washrooms were available to the visiting
tourist after nine o'clock at night. Like it or
not, a large percentage of the Grand Bend
visitors are on the street during the later
hours of the evening, patronizing stores and
other commercial establishments, Some,
such as the licensed hotels, provide'ade-
quate accommodation for the natural needs
of their patrons but obviously all cannot
and public facilities must be provided in
the village
Little things count The village council, after fighting a los-
ing battle with vandalism, made the mis-
take of closing the washrooms at nine
o'clock. It would have been far better to
seek a solution to the problem rather than
trying to make it go away each evening.
The solution might have been in
negotiations with the Chamber of
Commerce or some of the individual food
outlets to assist the council,
Council should reassess its position on
the matter, as it is an item of public con-
cern. No matter what method is used to un-
derwrite the cost of keeping the washrooms
open later, with an attendant if necessary,
it is council's responsibility to provide
public services.
If the hat fits. * •
The busy schedule of fall activities will
soon be swinging into high gear and once
again local merchants will be called on to
help the many organizations which function
within the area communities,
An interesting letter recently appeared
in the popular Ann Landers column, and
while her answer is not recorded, it may be
that it is self-explanatory.
The letter was as follows:
Dear Ann Landers: I'd like to ask your
readers a few questions. It's a matter of
economic survival to me as well as to
millions of other "little people" who have
small stores.
Who do you ask to cash your cheques?
Who do you ask for credit when things are
tight? Who do you ask to take ads for your
organizations, yearbooks and programs?
Who do you ask for contributions for your
church suppers, raffles, etc,? Who do you
ask to put up your posters for special
events?
It's your local, hometown small
business man. After all, he's your friend,
your neighbor.
But when you want to make a
purchase, how often do you drive past his
place of business and go to a giant store
thinking you might save a few cents,
without giving your local merchant a
chance'or even comparing his prices?
We are competitive with the biggest
stores price-wise and our services are often
better. But we can't survive much longer.
When we go, you'll miss us - TOO MANY
TO NAME.
Election interest needs spark
Even losers benefit
points out that it is not wise to
give too much credit to accident
for inventions and successes. An
accident does not make an in-
ventien but only offers the ob-
server the 0PPortunity to apply
his mind to the situation it
reveals.
Dr. Alexander. Fleming did not
throw away the plate of culture
that was spoiled by blue-green
mould. He wrote in his notebook,
"I was sufficiently interested in
the anti-bacterial substance
produced by mould to pursue the
subject," The result was
Penicillin. His idea was a small
seed which had to be planted,
cultivated and then harvested.
All of us, regardless of our
station, need to keep our minds
open for these small seeds, We
have to be alert to the
possibilities offered to us
regardless of their size. Someone
has said, "an idea finds no perch
upon which to light in a empty
mind. Regard an idea as
Something precious and fragile.
Toss it around in your mind and
then act on it."
The vast majority of men and
women who hold great positions
in the world are people who
recognized little opportunities
and showed initiative in grasping
them and using their energy to
follow them through. Really
effective people have learned the
secret of making the best use of
little things: a little time, a little
idea, a little opportunity; and of
making that little go a long way.
God gives all of us op-
portunities and no matter how
small they are He expects us to
use our own concentration, our
own efforts to bring them to
fruitfulness.
Like my neighbor says, "He
can do a lot with just a little help
from us."
When my neighbor and I were
Viewing her bountiful garden one
day this summer she mused
alOnd, "Isn't it marvelous what
God can do with just a little help
from us!"
Her remark reminded me of
Something Leonardo da Vinci,
one of the greatest painters the
world has known and a
remarkably successful man in
other fields of activity, once said,
"Oh God, thou givest everything
for the price of a little effort."
In his notebook he also
recorded that when a drop of
water falls into the sea the whole
surface is raised imperceptibly
and "the earth is moved from its
position by the weight of- a little
bird alighting upon it,"
Many moderns who tend only to
think BIG would put down that
kind of thoughtas inconsequential
and foolish, but da Vinci knew the
little things in life are often the
most significant and important.
Great successes are often won
by fine margins: a horse wins a
race by a nose; the Women's
giant slalom at Squaw Valley a
year of two, ago was won by a
difference of only one-tenth of a
second,
"A drop in the bucket is not
unimportant," says the Royal
Bank of Canada Monthly Letter
recently. It goes on to state that
the biggest events in life depend
on the smallest, and the
significant ideas start in small
ways.
Little things may be important,
not because of what they are in
themselves, but because of what
they are part of. Every tiny piece
of glass in a stained glass window
counts. Every piece of stone in a
mosaic is indispensable, We need
to cultivate a sense of proportion
in what is small and what is big.
The Royal Bank's letter also
Area high school or college students
have an opportunity to pick themselves up
a $200 scholarship in a contest being spon-
sored by the Ontario Provincial Police.
The award will be presented to the per-
son submitting the best poster stressing the
dangers involved in hitchhiking.
It's a timely contest as well as a way
for students getting some extra cash for
their studies. Hitchhiking is a popular
kngliaortransportation for some students
•
Our response to now
By ELMORE BOOMER
Counsellor for
Information South Huron
For appointment
phone: 235-0560
and unfortunately the record of late in-
dicates it can be a deadly method.
A number of hitchhikers — particularly
females — have been the victims of
murder, rape and theft.
The contest is designed to start the
students thinking about the dangers of
hitchhiking and regardless of who wins, all
those who take time to consider the conse-
quences that may befall them should cer-
tainly benefit, The Rev. Mr, Sally
It will probably surprise .most
people to realize there are only
two weeks remaining until
election day. To date, little in-
terest has been generated in this
riding, although all three can-
didates are busy on the hustings.
Political rallies have changed
in recent years, as have cam-
paign methods. The main aim
now appears to be to get out and
shake as many hands as possible
and throw a few social bashes to
show the electorate how friendly
and cordial you are.
While personal contact is all-
important to the hopefuls,the new
style of campaigning does little
to make the voters educated and
help them make a wise and
conscientious choice when they
step into the polling booth.
A fair percentage of the voters
already know, of course, which of
the candidates they will support.
These are the party faithful who
have always voted for one party
and probably will until the day
they die,
The next largest percentage of
those going to the polls will make
their decision strictly on a per-
sonality basis.Something will
strike them about one candidate
more favorably than another and
that's how their choice will be
made. It may merely be that one
candidate called to shake their
hand or happened to meet them
on the street.
Those are the people in whom
the candidates are most in-
terested in modern elec-
tioneering and to whom they
direct their major portion of time
and attention.
Almost unforgotten are the
smaller percentage of voters who
will make their choice on a
variety of reasons: personality
party platform, party leadership,
candidate's background and
apparent abilities.
For them, the choice is most
difficult because they are not
mer and start making an all-out
effort to gain success at the polls.
Those of us in the weekly
newspaper business are also
most distressed at the date chosen
by Premier Bill Davis. New
election regulations make it
unflawful to publish any ad-
vertising material 48 hours prior
to the election day.
That means that with a
Thursday election, weekly
newspapers miss out on one-
quarter of the possible election
advertising.
The new regulations also
suggest that billboards and signs
are to be removed prior to the
election, although we doubt that
the requirement will be fully met.
However, it is a good idea in
principle because one of the
unsightly aftermaths of any
election is the number of cam-
paign posters which .are left to
flap and decay in the breezes.
+ + +
The Huron . Country Playhouse
completed its season this past
week and we were among those
who enjoyed the repeat per-
formance of Hello Dolly.
This was certainly the best
entertainment we have enjoyed
for some time and was a grand
finale to a most successful season
for the Playhouse.
The calibre of performances
was excellent and bodes well for
the continued patronage by area
residents. James Murphy and his
dedicated Playhouse directors
and crew are to be commended
for their efforts to bring such high
calibre entertainment to us and
are certainly deserving of much
support in meeting their financial
commitments for the new
theatre.
given the information they
require to make a sound decision,
The advertising used by the
candidates outlines few reasons
for choosing one over another and
is mainly an attempt to sell the
personality.
Public debates were once the
main avenue for the nominees
to meet the electorate and it
provided an opportunity to
discuss - and even argue the
party platforms and positions on
various topics.
Now these are avoided by the
candidates as much as possible,
because many of them are afraid
of this type of public exposure as
it tends to show some of their
weaknesses and their lack of
understanding of just what the
party platform really is on some
topics of concern.
In the next couple of weeks, this
newspaper will attempt to
present the issues and the can-
didates' views on them, but even
personal interviews or
statements from the candidates
fall short of bringing to the
surface all the information
people want in making a con-
scientious decision.
Hopefully, some organization
within the riding may yet get the
candidates onto one platform so
those interested may present
their questions,
+ +
There's no question but what
the timing of the election, has had
something to do with the lack of
interest to date. Many people are
still on holidays, while others
were more concerned with
getting the kids back to school
than reading political literature.
The next two weeks should
prove extremely hectic as the
candidates and their supporters
shake off the lazy days of sum-
Janetville for the Bowmanville
Statesman. He wants metric.
"Have you ever tried from
scratch to figure out in the
twinkling of an eye with a
ratepayer breathing over your
shoulder, how many lots
99' x 133' or such like can be
found in an umpteen acre field?"
No, I haven't, Harvey. But I
imagine it could be done with a
calculator in about three minutes
by a teenager of average in-
telligence. What's the big rush to
find it out, anyway? Somebody
only wants to make a buck, Let
him wait.
B.C. Leaden of Rosedale,
British Columbia, says that he
often disagrees with me
wholeheartedly, but on this, is on
my side. In part, he says,
speaking of politicians: "They
take our money and they screw it
alI up until you can't tell one bill
from another, except for the good
old deuce, and I suppose they'll
soon get rid of that. They shove
French down the English throats
and English down the French and
now they drop this Celsius bit on
us poor long-suffering bastards.
What in hell do we want that for?
Celsius! Sounds more like a
disease than a degree of tem-
perature."
Another brief letter from a
Western couple, stamped en-
velope enclosed, says,: "Tell us
what to do, write our M.P. or
•
50 Years Ago
The new red brick schoolhouse
at Plugtown, S.S. No. 3 Usborne
was opened on Labor Day with a
picnic and gathering by the
ratepayers in the vicinity.
There was a splendid display at
the Horticultural Society Flower
show in the basement of the
Public Library, Friday and
Saturday of last week.
Mrs. Agnes McDonald is
opening a millinery business in
the Murdock block; Hensall,
which will be known as the
"Bonnie Bonnet Shoppe".
Some time Tuesday night the
store of Southcott Bros. was
entered and the loose change was
stolen from the cash registers.
Entrance was made to the
building by climbing a ladder and
breaking a window of the second
storey at the rear of the building,
children to grow up in a Canadian
Canada not a Foreign Canada.
Any Canadian that accepts the
metric system isn't a Canadian."
Well now, I wouldn't go that
far. That means that I could
never enjoy English fish-and-
chips, French fries, chicken chow
mein, lasagna, southern fried
chicken, and would be con-
demned for life to drinking
Canadian — ugh! — wine. That
way madness lies,
There's a letter from Mr. and
Mrs. C. Knott of Rorketon, Man.
"The guy that invented this stuff
(Celsius and metrics/ died so
why doesn't it die with him as it
sure doesn't make any sense . .
We are only two out here, but I
know there are many more in this
area. Go to it Bill, send out
petition or whatever it takes to
stay as it was before."
A June editorial in the Waterloo
Chronicle by Mike Roy is headed
Some Facts, Please, He then
attacks my "half-baked ideas"
about the metric system. He goes
on to Staten lot of facts about the
world's population, makes a
desperate attempt to link these to
the need for a metric system, and
fails, I just take back my remark
that letters urging a metric
system are more literate than
those against.
Here's a long, witty, oft bawdy
letter from Harvey Malcolm, a
farmer, municipal politician and
news correspondent from
Just clearing off my desk
before heading to Saskatoon for a
convention of weekly editors.
Boy, am I a lazy burn! There
must be 45 letters stacked here,
unanswered.
First of all, there are two piles
of letters about the metric-
Celsius nonsense. Those who
agree with me form a much
deeper pile. But, in fairness,
those who disagree are much
more literate. Does this have any
• significance?
The more literate letters, are,
on the whole, much duller than
the emotional ones. They treat
me as a backward child, or a
Senile old man. I am neither,
Sample, from Wm, Gary
Wharton, of Unionville, Ont.
"There are things occouring (his
spelling) in this world that from
the sounds of your column you,
couldn't even begin to com-
prehend. Things are dealt with on
a world-wide basis now and in
doing so we need a common unit
of measure, weight and volume."
And so on.
Baloney ! If that is so, why don't
we have a common world-wide
language, and a common unit of
currency? We have neither. The
argument holds no water.
On the other side, Earl F.
Gilchrist of Perth, Ont., is
equally lacking in logic. "The
metric system should never be
introduced in Canada because it
isn't Canadian. I want my
15 Years Ago
Temperature hit a peak of 90
degrees Wednesday climaxing a
week of hot, humid weather. And
the drought continues.
Police reported no accidents in
South Huron over the Labor Day
weekend, a much better record
than was reported over the
province.
Enrolment hit a new high at
SHDHS this week when 669
students registered. Biggest
grade is nine, which numbers 207.
William W. Rader, 19, Hay,
escaped serious injury Friday
when his car exploded in flames
on the eighth concession of
Stephen.
Mary Louise Fritz who spent
the summer holiday in Mexico
and California returned to
Toronto on Sunday to resume her
teaching duties at St. Clair Junior
High School.
times Established 1873 Advocate Established 1881
• •.'::•,*:WattO.i'M
Amalgamated 1924
Henry Solly was born in London
on November 17, 1813. When he
was 16 he entered university and
enjoyed especially classical
studies and mathematics.
His father curtailed his
university studies because he
was going to make him a mer-
chant prince of no mean stature.
There followed some years of
personal conflict between natural
desire and filial obedience.
His lunch hours were often
spent with his friend, John
Stewart Mill, who worked in
India House not far away.
It was during this time that his
social conscience grew out of all
proportion and he became, as he
said, ever more "conscious of
intolerable disorder all around
me, and an over-powering desire
to right all the wrongs of the
universe."
In 1840 he entered the Unitarian
Ministry and during his life time
served in six different parishes.
He sought "to obey what I
believed to be the noble promp-
tings, the higher call, to realize
the dreams of social philanthropy
which had been gaining so deep a
hold on my mind".
He was a reformer ahead of his
times. He was a man of great
schemes which fell around him.
He could not gain the support
needed for that which he planned.
He was also a man of "pep-
per", He Wrote in 1885 "Pepper is
what is wanted. We must put
more pepper in the inkstand."
Then he added, "and yet that
does not always seem to suc-
ceed".
He was totally free of self-doubt
arid to his confreres, friends,
family, parishioners he seemed
arrogant, His great plans usually
failed through his own over
sensitivity.
Under his enterprise and ac-
cording to his theory, The
VVOrkitig Men's Club and Institute
Union came into being in 1865.
This was an answer to the
grinding poverty of the working
class which was glaringly evident
SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLANI3
C.W.N.A., 0,W.N.A and ABC
Publisher -- Robert Southcott
Editor — )3111 gotten — Advertising Manager
Assistant Editor — Pb“ Haugh
Plant Manager — tes Webb
Composition Manager — bavid Worby
Phone 235.133I Published Each Thursday Mor ning
at Exeter, Ontario
Second Class Mail
Registration Nurnber 0386
Paid in Advance Circulation
March 3i,1$75 6,244
SUBSCRIPTION RATES: teeeda $9,60 Per Yecie, USA $11.60
what, and we'll do it." Well, folks,
that's a good place to start, but
don't be surprised if you get a
polite brush-off.
To try to sum up my own
feelings would require another
whole column, and would just
touch on the subject, Firstly, I
agree that metric is easier. Any
idiot knows that,
But don't try to snow me with
arguments that Canada's
economic future depends on the
metric system. Our economic
future, like it or lump it, is tied to
that of the U.S., which is not
Metric.
The metric system should have
been introduced 50 years ago. It
wasn't. Now is not the time to do
it, when inflation is making
terrible ravages on our economy,
Maybe it's 15 years too soon. We
just can't afford it right now.
Celsius is silly, I don't care
what the temperature is in Outer
Mongolia, or what system they
use. I want to know whether it's
10 below or 80 above —
Fahrenheit, The U.S. uses
Fahrenheit. The radio and TV
stations along the border use
both. The newspapers report
British and continental tem-
peratures in Fahrenheit,
The changes to metric and
Celsius seem to reflect that old
Canadian tradition, Which ap-
plies in everything from styles to
echitatiOn.
It goes something like this:
"Let's drag our feet for a while,
until everybody else has tried,this
thing out, Then we'll jump in and
go the whole hog, whether the
thing worked or not."
Heck'with both of them, I only
hope that when I get to
Saskatoon, it's been a good
summer (Fahrenhei tally
speakingY for wheat, and that
these fish I don't catch in nor-
thern Saskatchewan Will hot be
less than two metres its length,
25 Years Ago
Mrs, Thos. Dinney, Mrs, Ed
Johns, Mrs. Olive Grainger and
Mrs. E. S. Steiner attended the
Mary Hastings Housewives
picnic at Springbank oh Satur-
day.
Hensall will hold its anneal
school fair on Tuesday, Sep-
tember 26 in the community
centre.
Exeter Kinsmen are con-
sidering the project of numbering
houses in the Village.
The corhetstone for the ad-
dition to Exeter Public School
will be laid on September 27.
A six-point program to promote
safety of public school children
Crossing at dangerous in-
terSectieris in Exeter was
mapped out by village council
and public school teachers
Monday night.
Highland Hill and Exeter
Dairies increased the price d
milk (6 19 Cents a quart and II
cents a pint.
Thi5 should be an in-
teresting ta&it
10 Years Ago
Mr. and Mrs. E, Leslie Gibson
have disposed of their business
and living quarters at Exeter
North on the corner of Highways
4 and 83 to the Department -of
Highways.
FiS D.P,L, Robbins CD & Clasp
of RCAF Station Centralia will
retire after 25 years of service, to
the town of Exeter. Doug and his
wife the former Catherine Wilson
of Longueuil, will
continue to reside at 244 Main
Street, Exeter, Doug Will be able
to devote full time to his used tar
business.
Cohatruction ott the new por-
table classrooms for SHIMS was
delayed Tuesday because of rain,
The flooring is now completed
and it is still hoped that the
project will be completed in time
for school Opening,
r.•
to the Reverend Sir.
These clubs were to be
managed by the men themselves.
They were to be places of
recreation and quiet reading,
Whole families were encouraged
to attend certain lectures and
entertainments. There were to be
no intoxicating drinks, betting or
gambling. They were societies to
which men belonged rather than
meeting places. These societies
were thoroughly non-sectarian.
Although Solly had to resign
from his own creation, yet it
grew. At its centenary in 1962,
there were 3,500 clubs throughout
Great Britain with two and a
quarter million members and
assets of over 31 million pounds.
In 1868 our reformer suggested
a Society for the Prevention of
Pauperism and Crime. What he
had in mind was a society to
regulate the various charities
and philanthropies, His thought
reminds us of the modern United
Community Appeals.
He hoped not only for a co-
operation of existing' welfare
agencies but also a program of
education for the working class
and an employment service for
the mendicants and vagrants.
This society was later famous
under the shorter name -of
Charity Organization Society. It
laid the groundwork both in
theory and practise for modern
social work. The first school for
social studies was Started under
its- auspices in London.
His efforts included the editing
of various magazines such as the
Artisans Magazine, the Penny
Beehive and the Working Man's
Magazine, They expressed his
devotion to high ideals for the
welfare of all men. They also
lacked financial support and
died.
His various ventures were
topped by one last organizational
effort. He delivered a paper in
1884, when he Was 71 years aid, in
Which he advocated planned
villages and small cities, He felt
desperately the depopulation of
rural areas and the overcrowding
of large' citieS. "The tide of
population must be turned back
from the cities to the fields," he
declared,
This also carne to nothing
under his hand as far as durable
organization was concerned but
the idea lived for expression later
on,
The words found on the, title
page of his autobiography,,seein
significant
"Never with thy share of work be
vekt,
Though incomplete and e'en
perplext,
It fits exactly with the next."
He died in 1063 having laboured
unceasingly for Most of his 88
years,