Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1976-08-19, Page 4Smiting the immortality Quite often the causes of death in any community are suppressed — that is no one talks openly about them. Cirrhosis of the liver seems to be one of these. Increasing consumption of alcohol has made cirrhosis of the liver the fastest- rising killer of Canadians over 25 years of age, according to Dr, Wolfgang Schmidt, social studies director at Ontario's Addic- tion Research Foundation. Deaths at- tributed to cirrhosis of the liver have doubl- ed in Canada during the last 20 years, and in some provinces the rate of cirrhosis mortality has increased three to four times, he told an alcohol and drug con- ference in Toronto. Dr. Schmidt said cirrhosis of the liver accounts for 5.6 .percent of deaths of males between 40 years-49 years. And more will die from the disease, as alcohol consump- tion is projected to rise 70 percent — to four gallons per adult per year — during the next decade. Dr. Schmidt is 'urging the province of Ontario to adopt a taxation policy that would relate the price of alcohol to disposable income, as a way to reduce alcohol consumption. Conference delegates were also told that drunk drivers are involved in 54 per- cent of fatal automobile crashes in Canada, which kill about 3,000 people and cause about $360 million damage annually. #?, I SUBSCRIPTION RATES: dpiwn memory an 5 Years Ago 20 Years Ago ducts exceeded imports. From a peak of 85.000 in 190. employnient fell to 72,000 in 1974. Over the same period, imports increased front $830 mil- lion to $1,500 million. • • • Preliminary estimates by the Canadian Fede- ration of Independent Business show that if we could replace imports by making these electronic products ourselves at competitive prices and' quality, some 50,000 new jobs would be created in Canada. The annual sav- ings in unemployment benefits would be about $200 million; tax revenues, after deducting customs loss, would increase by about $170 million; the lower trade deficit would reduce the interest on foreign borrowing by about $110 million. • • • This cannot be achieved, either in electronics or any other industry, by force- feeding Canadian subsi- diaries of multi-national corporations. Reducing imports from the foreign parent 'is against the corpo- ration's interest. • 0 • The only Way is to build up Canadian-owned enter- prises to the point where they can compete inter- nationally ofrom a solid domestic base. • •• Turning the deficit around requires two part- ners: the owner-managers who can respond quickly to the need; and a govern- ment to create the environ- ment in which they can do so. Not by borrowing, but by paying our way. Economy needs two partners 6 4 Page 4 Times-Advocate, August 19, 1976 Needs some promoting Takes discipline It was rather &prising to hear recrea- tion director Jim McKinlay outline his procedure regarding the offering of programs in the community. He said that rather than promote ac- tivities, he feels it is best to wait until peo- ple approach his office with suggestions or requests for programs before they are attempted. With that in mind, the recreation department have not considered any new programs for the upcoming fall season, other than those which were operated previously. These include gymnastics and ballet, along with a men's inter-town basketball program. Obviously that falls far short of Now working for yourself "Thought I'd come in and really get bombed." Little basis for opinion Citizens of Ontario are being asked to seems certain of how the tax reforms will give their opinions regarding the vast affect them, And, if you don't have that changes planned in tax collection methods, basic knowledge, it's difficult to argue one A 10-member commission (whose job way or the other. will cost taxpayers about half a million dollars) was in Goderich recently to listen Until the provincial government can to the views of the citizenry of Perth and give some clearer indication of how the tax Huron Counties. reforms will make the paying of taxes Few people showed up to air their more equitable, the commission hearings views, the basic problem being that no one will be a general waste of time and money. Killer disease his, the Games, wallowing in problems, had been scotch-taped Drapeau. Through no virtue of together at the last minute by the sales dancing in its puny head. Olympic medals, Canadians are China, with visions of big wheat But when it comes to winning government of Quebec, and the certainly among the least greedy nations in the world. We are so official opening was magnifi- hospitable about letting other cent, veiling the fantastic debt countries grab the medals that it His Worship had built up. Even hard-boiled reporters is almost embarrassing. were suggesting we'd been a bit And that's the way it should be. rough on Drapeau, that after all, The important thing about inter- he had had the vision, the tenaci- national games is — or should be ty, to pursue his dream, and that — doing your absolute best. And we were all cashing in on it. that's what Canada's young Afraid I don't go for that jazz. representatives did. My heart, That's liketaying that Napoleon, and I'm sure yours, was right in who bled France dry, physically there thumping away with them, and financially, was, after all, whether they were finishing not a bad little chap, that he fourth or 14th. meant well, that he didn't really One of the things that really mean to lose half a million men, bugged me before and during the in the retreat from Moscow, that Olympics was the crassness of his wife, Josephine, didn't un- sports writers. Now, admittedly, derstand him, and that his family this is a species not known for its was greedy. sensitivity, but the crudeness Nuts. He did it for La Gloire. this time was' simply too'much. • And so did Drapeau. The major Canadian sports writers, on difference between them is that the whole, are pale imitations of Napoleon had to face only the their U.S. counterparts. Most of English, the Prussians, the Poles them are not, as they should be, extremely knowledgeable about and the Russians, Drapeau had to face the trade unions. the sport they are writing on, Beaucoup formidable! They are far more interested in Well, let's get back to the times, statistics and medals than Games themselves, before I turn they are in the human drama of puce, Which is what I do every the Games. time I think of 72,000 people It's no wonder that Canadian cheering athletes while the raw athletes rapidly become dis- sewage flows out of Montreal enchanted .with the press. When into the St. Lawrence. an athlete is "up," even ex- All hail to the athletes! We ceeding what he or she has ever may be greedy when it comes to done before, jock writers are dreaming about medals. When making a buck — as witness the federal government's knee-jerk to an athlete has a bad day or a bad AiNiNettaiiMOZSMSAL:,1 . MAgOTIMMAMESx' ' Amalgamated 1924 Advocate Established 1881 Vte toreleMmesabuccafe SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND C.W.N.A., 0.W.N.A, CLASS 'A' and ABC Published by J. W. Eedy Publications Limited LORNE EEDY, PUBLISHER Editor — Bill Batten Assistant Editor — Ross Haugh , Advertising Manager — Jim Beckett Composition Manager — Harry DeVries Business Manager — Dick Jongkind Plant Manager — Jim Scott Phone 235-1331' Published Each Thursday Morning at Exeter, Ontario Second Class Mail Registration Number 0386 Paid in Advance Circulation September 30, 1975 5,420 Canada $9.00 Per Year; USA $11.00 August is a special month for most people, For a great number it is the month in which they enjoy a holiday with their ,family before the end of the summer season, However, financial experts point out it is special in another way, It is the first month in the year in which the average Canadian is actually working for himself, making money to spend the Way he wants to spend it. Their suggestion is based on the fact that Joe Canadian (Pierre if you're bilingual or Ms. Josephine Canadian for the libbers) has only half his annual income to spend on himself.- The balance is eaten up with the variety of ,taxes which he pays. These taxes, of course, are paid in various installments through the year, but they take on an even greater burden when you start lumping them together. For instance, all of Joe's January, February and March wages, as well as a part of his April pay, have gone to the Receiver General of Canada. ' He will work the whole month of May to pay the property, school and utility taxes on his home. He will work all of June, plus a few days in July to pay all the rest of the taxes: gasoline and excise taxes for travel and transportation, in addition to his car licence and registration, and the provincial and federal sales taxes on just about all his con- sumer purchases. If Joe smokes, drinks or enjoys entertainment, he'll spend the balance of July working to pay all the special taxes levied on those items. However, while August may see the end of tax payments, few Canadians can consider the luxury of going out to blow their hard-earned dollars for the final five months of the year. The best portion- of that income will be eaten up with mortgage and car payments, insurance premiums, home upkeep, food and clothing, etc.' In fact, it's not until the last week in December that a few (the real good money managers) have some extra cash in their pocket, and just as they are about to celebrate the fact with a real blow-out on New Year's eve, they start getting bills from their over- spending on Christmas gifts and the blow-out even gets blown out. + + + There should probably be a race, the jocks' Subtly suggest that he or she has "let Canada down." Every single and solitary athlete in the Games, Canadian or otherwise, did the very best he or she could do at that given mo- ment. And that's what it's all about. After saying all that, I must admit the CBC did a splendid job of covering the Games. Their commentators were no more partisan than human nature would excuse, and they kept the focus on the athletes, where it should be. How strange to read a TV columnist, who was almost white-lipped with anger because the ,television 'commentators were not excoriating Canadian athletes who "did not live up to promise." What a jerk! Oh, well, it was a great party while it lasted, Now the caterers must be paid. If you are driving along beside the St. Lawrence River next summer, and notice that the water is a rusty brown, rather than blue, don't be alarm- ed. And don't think it is merely the usual human excrement from Montreal, It is, but added to it is a healthy infusion of the blood of Montreal and Quebec taxpayers. moral to the foregoing, and while some would suggest that it points to the fact that Joe Canadian lives too high on the hog, the realism is that he has little control over good portion of his earned income. The grasping fingers in Ottawa and Toronto consume a large portion of his income and he has very little say in how it is spent, Joe and his fellow Canadians should get out of their apathetic rut and demand that their elected representatives do some hard- nosed thinking about their runaway spending habits, Working from January through July io 'pay taxes is a little ridiculous! + + + During his recent swing through Western Ontario, Progressive Conservative leader Joe Clark advanced the suggestion that public servants should be required to spend , a week or two every year living in communities affected by the policies they administer. It's not a bad idea at all, on both the federal and provincial level. A Special Friend Once there was a tree, a beautiful grapefruit tree, that resided at 407 Main St, and greeted all the people of Exeter, Every day it would be put out to enjoy the day and give enjoyment in return, Now this tree was a very happy tree, and loved life. It had en- joyed a good childhood and felt this was special, For this tree was planted from a seed for a little girl on her 9th birthday by her grandmother and given as a gift. During the last 20 years the tree was cared for by the little girl with a lot of love. For the tree was a gift from her grandmother. The tree also. experiepced travel for where the girl went the Wayne Prance, Usborne Township miraculously escaped serious injury after being pinned in a truck by over five tons of corn at Canadian Canners Ltd., Thursday. Sunday night's severe wind was responsible for a camper accident. James Mills, Kit- chener, was proceeding east on Highway 83 when the wind lifted his camper offhis truck and deposited it in the ditch. More than 2,000 persons lined the streets of Lucan and the neighbouring roads of Biddulph Township Monday night as close to 40 floats and bands par- ticipated in the Lucan Centennial parade. ' 15 Years Ago Clerk C.V. Pickard caught a good-size small mouth bass near Wingham last week. The catch measured 201/2 inches in length and 1D 42 inches around the girth and weighed 3 lb 9 oz. Finance Minister Donald Fleming ,and his wife enjoyed a "most memorable" visit to his birthplace here, Thursday. They visited his old home on Victoria street, the public school, and Coven Presbyterian Church where he was christehed, Ilensall and Centralia bantam baseball clubs captured the "D" and "C" divisions WOAA championships this week, Before deciding to close hospitals or chop thousands of dollars from budgets, ministry of health officials should live in the communities adversely affected so they can get a first hand look at some of the problems their decisions may create. It might do a deskbound executive in the department of agriculture a world of good to get his loafers a little dirty working' on a farm so he can see what effects a beef importation policy has on a farmer, The fact is, the ivory towers housing the bureaucrats in Toronto and Ottawa are too far removed from the scene and often they have no idea of how their decisions (that look so good on paper) create hardships when they are put into actual practice. Military leaders learned long ago that some of the tactical decisions made in board rooms just never worked under actual-' fire, and it is a fact political-- leaders and their advisors must also consider. tree went and she travelled far and wide and finally came to Exeter all the way from Texas, The tree never enjoyed life so much as it did on Main Street, Exeter, greeting people and reaching its arms out for the summer sun and drinking in the rain. The tree was very content knowing life would continue to be good in its old age. For 20 years is old for a grapefruit tree. But tragedy came, one day and the tree was not there to greet its girl. The girl was sad and despaired for her friend was gone. And trees do not walk away. This story ds true and I will pay $25 for the return of the tree. Penny Dinney Judy Snelgrove and Dale Turvey were named queen and king of Kinsmen Summer Playground. Five cadets from SHDHS were members of the company which won the top trophy at Central Command Cadet Camp at Ipperwash this summer. They were Barry Blann, Nick Fedossow, Paul Wilson, Bill Robertson, and Rinus Van- derneut. Captain E.D. Howey is the chief instructor of the SHDHS corps. Elizabeth and Diane Knox, twin daughters of Rev. N.B. Knox tied for championship honors of the juvenile girls division at the swim meet, Friday, 30 Years Ago At Achievement Day for 4-H clubs in Huron County in Clinton, Miss Marion Rundle was chosen to represent the county on a free trip to Chicago.- , Messrs. Hector Heywood, Vernon and Calvin Heywood leave the forepart of the week for Dunnville to dismantle the building recently purchased by Exepr Board of Education previously belonging ,_to the RCAF. The percentage of Exeter High School students passing in all subjects in the departmental examinations average 85 percent which is unusually high. Several years ago when in Washington, DC I visited the National Art Gallery which I think is the best on this continent. It's a large building, several storeys high and filled with the painting of the masters both old and modern. Wanting to see all I could in the short time I had, I flew through the gallery trying to absorb everything, pausing only for a moment or so in front of a picture that happened to catch my at- tention by its bright colors or unusual composition. How disappointing it was to return home and trying to recall what I had seen, remembered only. a blur of colors with the exception of one or two paintings of which I retained a faint im- pression. A year or two later I went back to Washington and this time when I returned to the gallery'with one brief hour to spend, I went to only one room containing the works of a favorite artist and viewed the paintings on just one wall of that room, On this occasion when I left the building I carried away with me a distinct impression of several beautiful pictures into which the genius-artist had put the essence of his soul and I was greatly benefitted. It strikes me that life is often like that. Many rush through never really experiencing the finer, deeper, beautiful things. They are attracted only by bright flashes of color, the jangling, clashing noise. They press on to new thrills and new stimuli never taking the time that their wiser friends do to let some of the Creator's beauty, Calmness, By KENNETH McDONALD While Ottawa preoccu- pies itself with capital punishment, Canada's cap- ital structures are suffering a fate worse than death. Already burdened with being further in debt to other countries than any nation in the world, Canada's 1975 foreign borrowings alone added another $400 million in interest charges to be paid by the taxpayer. II • • The trade deficit in end- products -- excess, of imports over exports -- has grown from $4.5 billion in 1972 to $9.8 billion in 1975. We're buying more goods than we're selling; selling raw materials to pay for them, and making up the difference by borrowing abroad. • • • With industrial wage increases at double, civil service increases at triple the U.S. rates, we are non-competitive in inter- national trade, Borrowing merely postpones the day of reckoning. Sooner or later, debts must be paid, whether they are incurred by individuals or by "ountries. • • • If the British medicine -- restricting wage increa- ses to '4 1/2 per cent and devaluing the currency -- is too strong for Ottawa's stomach, it could at least start a necessary diet of import replacement, •••• • Take the' effect of the trade deficit on electronics, one of the future's key industries. 1970 was the last year when consump- tion of home-made pro- peace and quiet enter their lives, It's much easier to whirl through life with your eyes on the shallow spectacle of the moment than it is to learn to appreciate the good'things of life. The latter takes discipline but it leads .our thoughts closer to God, It was St, Paul who said, ". . whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, gracious, excellent . . . think of these things." Paul knew the human mind and character very well. He suggests we think of all things that are praiseworthy and as these are allowed to dwell in our thoughts, they cannot help but transform us into their likeness. , F.G. Burroughs put it this way: Think noble thoughts if you would noble be; Pure thoughts will make a heart of purity; Kind thoughts will make you good, and glad thoughts gay,* For like your thoughts your life will be alway. Whate'er is true and reverend and just, Think o'er these things, and be like them you must; Of good report, of lovely things and pure, Think, and your mind such nectar shall secure. Think much of God and ypu shall like Him be. In words of faith and hope and charity; Protect His image from all foul abuse, And keep the temple holy for His use. meeting the community's needs, par- ticularly when there will be no public skating available and when minor hockey and figure skating may not attract as many young people due to the extra travel in- volved, The recreation department should cer- tainly be making some suggestions of programs that could be made available to see what interest the citizens may have in joining them. The department's task must be to promote recreation and provide oppor- tunities for people of all ages, To date the hiring of a full-time director has certainly not paid the dividends which the communi- ty expected in terms of program oppor- tunities. Most readers of this column are quite aware of my attitude toward the Montreal Olympic Games. And I am sure that many of them have put me down as a spoil-sport, a wet blanket, a niggling critic of a glorious event. Not so, please. If you have read with care my ferocious at- tacks on the Games, you'll have noticed that I wasn't knocking them, or the athletes. I am as red-blooded a Cana- dian as the next guy, and I groan- ed when the Canadians came last in the boat race, and I cheered when a Canadian scrambled to a second or third or fourth. And I almost wept when one of our beautiful little gymnasts tottered and fell off the bar. What I was smiting was the chauvinism, the hunger for power, the utter immortality that lay behind the acquisition of the Games by Montreal. Montreal needed those Games about as much as I need an am- putation of my right leg. And the results will be somewhat the same, The city will be crippled for half a century because it wanted to hold a two-week party for the whole world. Chauvinism. Hunger for power? Maybe that's the wrong phrase. More like a hunger for the limelight, or a yearning for some sort of im- mortality (maybe lasting 30 years?) on the part of the arch- promoter, M. Drapeau. During the Games, many critics softened up quite a bit on • Times Established 1873 CCNA litUf 51880N SWAPO 1974