HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1977-06-02, Page 4order inspectors
The Glengarry News has something to
say about the Quebec issue.
Living in close proximity to Quebec,
Glengarry drivers pay little thought to the
border as they travel frequently back and
forth. That casual approach could alter
drastically if Quebec ever separates and
there are indications of change even at this
stage of the separatiste evolution.
In the Ontario Legislature, last week,
Albert Roy, Liberal MPP for Ottawa East
complained of a move by Quebec officials to
force commercial vehicles travelling into
that province to buy a share of their gas in
Quebec. It seems revenue officials in
Quebec are considering a blockade of com-
mercial vehicles because many drivers go-
ing from Ontario to Quebec, and Quebec
drivers travelling into Ontario and back,
tend to buy gasoline on the Ontario side
where frequently it is cheaper.
Ottawa's board of education suspended
field trips to the Quebec side when told gas-
oline must be purchased in Quebec or a 19-
cent-a-gallon levy be paid for all mileage
inside that. province.
Responding to Mr. Roy's complaint at
Queen's Park, Revenue Minister Margaret
Scrivener said she had talked with
Quebec's Finance Minister about the
threat. She believes the problem will be
"satisfactorily resolved very shortly."
The prospect of inspectors manning
border points between our two provinces is
one that will not appeal to Glengarry
residents.
Shame on Farrah
Farrah Fawcett Majors broke every
rule in the book recently when she used a
skateboard to escape a would-be killer. And
the Ontario Safety League is not very hap-
py about it.
On a recent edition of "Charlie's
Angels", Miss Majors manoeuvered her
skateboard through pedestrians in a park,
upset customers at an ice cream stand, and
clung to the back of a pick-up truck as it
travelled down a highway. The sequence
ended as Miss Majors collided with a park-
ed car, flew over the hood and emerged, un-
scathed, on the other side. Of course, her
coiffure was not damaged.
Most television critics agree that Miss
Majors has become one of the most popular
stars of the season. With that popularity
comes influence and responsibility and the
League hopes that the recent skateboard
sequence will not have the same influence
as Miss Majors' hairstyle.
Skateboards have been around for a
long time, but modern technology has
taken over the toy and presented us with a
new, light-weight, plastic and fiberglass
model, with wider wheels and ball-
bearings. League staff members have
observed on more than one occasion young
enthusiasts attaining speeds of up to 30
m.p.h. on busy city streets.
At least one manufacturer includes a
set of safety tips with eachunit sold. But as
with almost any warning, the Ontario Safe-
ty League states, these seem to go unheed-
ed. The manufacturer notes that the
skateboard is not recommended for
children under the age of fourteen. Protec-
tive clothing and "approved safety
helmets" are recommended by the
manufacturer, although the League is un-
aware of such skateboard helmets. The unit
should not be operated on public streets,
nor near traffic or parked cars.
Undoubtedly, skateboards can provide
a lot of fun and healthy exercise, but keep
them off the streets, away from traffic,
says the Ontario Safety League. Read and
heed the manufacturer's warning.
Notes of cynicism
"Not only in Canada, you say? Pity!"
A look at the budget
etefea tnes-Abuorafe
SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND
C.W.N.A., O.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
Plant Manager — Jim Scott
Composition Manager — Harry DeVries
Business Manager — Dick Jongkind
Phone 235-1331
L.
Published Each Thursday Morning
at Exeter, Ontario
Second ClassMail
Registration Number 0386
Paid in Advance Circulation
September 30, 1975 5,409
SUBSCRIPTION RATESeCanada $11.00 Per Year; USA $22.00
•
In The Soup
Page 4
Times-Advomte, Jane 2, 1977
r-
Two major fund raising events are
scheduled this week for the South Huron
Rec Centre fund. Hopefully, they'll push
the campaign to its target.
Area residents may be a little tired of
the canvass at this point, but if they are,
they should stop and consider for one mo-
ment the many people who have been
organizing the special events in the hope of
attaining the necessary funds.
These people have spent countless
hours on behalf of the community and a
look at the donors' list shows that the ma-
jority have done more than their fair share
in monetary terms as well. They deserve
every consideration this week in getting the
job completed, because if they don't,
they'll just have to dream up new ideas to
.6.14 jg141NR41ille11•111iiigglaif 141.,814L, ;41; '.iI;.:240016 1.4M6111...101•PYIffik)
Finish the job
raise the remaining funds.
The target is within reach, and with a
little extra from those who have con-
tributed, plus the donations of those who
have not yet contributed their share, the
canvass should be completed.
It has to be completed sometime, so it
may as well be now. Get involved in the
telathon and walkathon and give the
organizers a vote of confidence for the
tremendous job they have done on behalf of
this community. If everyone contributes a
little, it will spare them the task of finding
new means to get that necessary money.
Remember, every dollar you con-
tribute is matched by $2.00 from Wintario.
It's the bargain of the year and it would be
a shame to miss out on it.
One of my colleagues remark-
ed jovially the other day that I
was beefing again in my column.
Another bystander chipped in:
"Yeah! A gripe a week; that's
Smiley."
Recently a lady wrote from
Alberta and suggested she'd
noticed a note of cynicism creep-
ing into this weekly epistle.
Party of the first part had
some justification. For about
three weeks in a row I was
bitching about my sore back, my
dire rear, and my rotten car.
Party of the second part was
reading things that were not
there. I am not, never have been,
and hope I will never be a cynic.
A skeptic, yes. I am about as
deeply skeptical as can be any
man who has been through a
depression, a war, a marriage,
and several decades of political
bullroar. But I love life and peo-
ple and my native land too much
ever to turn into that creepiest of
humans, a cynic.
Perhaps there was a sharper
edge to my bleating there for a
few weeks. But despite the flail-
ing blows of life, I am not down-
cast, dejected, or depressed,
which I'll prove by giving you a
lot of good news this week,
I don't have either cancer or
tuberculosis in my back, All I
have is a little problem called
"disintegrating discs." It's not
at all serious, It merely means
you are falling apart in the
transmission system, like an old
car that looks pretty good but
will crumble into a heap Of rust if
you give it a good kick.
Anyway, I think my d.d's
began quite a few years ago, on a
deer-hunting trip, when I carried
for half a mile a huge hound that
some idiot in another hunting
party had shot and badly wound-
ed. The dog was almost as big as
I was and was twisting and yelp-
ing in pain. I had a sore back for
a couple of years after that.
Whatever, I've got the d.d's
(better than having the d,t's) and
it's not without its advantages.
I'm not supposed to lift anything
too heavy. The Old Lady has
been putting out the garbage
since I learned about it,
something I've been trying to
engineer for years. When she
decides to move the furniture
around, I give a little groan and
point to my back. It makes her
furious, and she's thinking of
trading me in on a later year's
model.
As for my dire rear, it's com-
pletely ended, no pun intended.
Some service station people
weren't radiant after reading my
remarks about mechanics. But a
number of friends and readers
who have suffered severely at
the hands of the modern-day
highwaymen assured me I was
right on,
Some other good things have
happened,
I got my income tax return into
the post office three hours before
the deadline, a new record. It
cleaned me out of every spare
nickel I had, but that's an annual
occasion. So we eat bread and
beans for a month, They're good
for you.
By the time this appears, I'll
have been through the annual
agony of going through a hundred
eager applications for one
English teacher's job, and the
nauseating business of playing
God with young people's lives
Will be over again.
I've practically caught up on
my marking, by ignoring the
hockey playoffs and sitting at the
kitchen counter with a pencil in
one hand and coffee in the other.
I counted today, and there are
only a hundred and twelve es-
says, short stories and bits of
drama to mark. That's almost
home free.
But perhaps the best thing
that's happened to me in a coon's
age occurred last Friday. I had
foolishly made an appointment
with a nose specialist in a
neighboring city.
I don't know why. I must- be
getting dotey. That's a perfectly
good nose, it's rather badly bent
here and there, and I can't smell
anything. But if I ever have to
resort to spectacles, it will be an
excellent nose on which to rest
them,
Well, as soon as the word got
around, the horror stories began
coming at me. One guy swore
they used an electric drill to bore
through the bone and gristle of
noses like mine,
Another, who'd had a nose job
for sinus trouble, contributed,
"Worst pain I've ever gone
through in my life. He (the
butcher) didn't go up the nose
from outside. Heslashed through
my cheeks, inside my mouth, and
went up from there, Dreadful!"
Two other birds who'd ,had
nose jobs just shook their heads
gravely and winced, when I
pressed them for details,
Needless to say, I was a bit
white and skittery when the old
girl and I got in the car and head-
ed off last Friday. I was hoping
the car would break down, as
usual, Dam' thing ran like a top.
X-rays under my arm, I crept
up to the reception desk and an-
nounced myself, so faintly the
young lady made me repeat it.
"Oh, Mr. Smiley, the doctor
The old adage claims there's
nothing certain except death and
taxes, although it is becoming
evident that there is another
certainty that should be included
with those other two. That is the
certainty that thxes will continue
to rise.
Exeter ratepayers, similar to
most in the area, found that out
last week when it was announced
that the local mill rate would
increase by 22 mills. That's one of
the heftiest increases in the
county, although there's ob-
viously not going to be much
cheering for that dubious honor.
Members of council are quite
correct in pointing out that they
had little to do with the major
portion of that increase.
Education costs were the main
culprit and it is staggering to note
that education now consumes
about 41 percent of the local tax
dollar.-
It is an area which must be of
concern to most people, because
obviously it can not continue to
increase at such an alarming
rate. Some bold steps are needelt
to curtail spending before°. it
bankrupts us.
However, municipal officials
must also be concerned with the
increases in their own budgets.
Exeter's mill rate has increased
by 40 mills over the past five
years and local taxes are cer-
tainly among the highest of any
community in this area.
°Each year members of council
indicate they can see the light at
the end of the tunnel, but each
year some special project keeps
surfacing to blot out that light, In
1977, council will spend about
$200,000 on storm sewers and
$104,000 on sanitary sewers and
hopefully those expenditures will
start to decline as the major
portion of the community is
covered by those services.
But, what special problems
may arise that will require
sizeable expenditures next year?
We can only wait and hope there
will be none.
However, these are services
that local residents require and
often demand - so they can have
few complaints when they are
out of town for the day. You were
supposed to be here yesterday."
Seems that the local doctor's
office, when my wife called to
check on the appointment time,
made a beautiful boo-boo.
We stood there in front of the
nose man's receptionist with
vastly different visages. My wife
was furious, mouthing at me
silently, "You coward, I'll bet
you're glad."
I don't know why she'd think
that, unless it was because I was
grinning like an idiot child.
We made another appoint-
ment, but it's 'not for a month,
I'll think of something. 0,
Times Established 1873
subsequently handed the bills for
the completed work.
There are some rather in-
teresting figures in this year's
budget.
For instance, it will cost Exeter
taxpayers some $61,500 this year
to have their garbage picked up
and hauled away to the dump.
That's a figure over which
members of council have little
control. They just provide the
service of picking up what the
taxpayers line up on the
boulevard, so if there are any
reductions to be made in that
area, it is obviously up to the
citizens to make them.
It does point out that living in
the throw-away society is not
cheap.
Part of that cost is also eaten
up with meeting the demands of
the provincial ministries who
continue to increase their con-
trols of how that refuse must be
disposed. We don't argue with
those controls, because they are
aimed at protecting the en-
vironment. That is a necessity,
but as the amount of garbage
increases and the cost of
disposing of it in a satisfactory
manner also increases, it is
evident that taxpayers must
show some concern if those costs
are to be checked.
C
Another major expense on this
year's budget is the $238,000
which will be spent on protection
to persons and property. That
includes the costs of the police
department, fire department,
Ausable-Bayfield Conservation
Authority levy and the con-
troversial fire hydrant rental fee
the town pays to the PUC.
Five years ago, the budget for
protection to persons and
property was a paltry $90,000,
although it is not certain if the
Conservation Authority levy (this
year's is $8,225) was included in
that figure.
At any rate, it has probably
increased the most of any budget
in the general levy, and ironically
is a service that no ratepayer'
wants to use although everyone
would agree that it is necessary
to have when it is required.
The new police office and a new
police cruiser accounted for
$32,000 of this year's figure, and
most readers already know
our opinion of the police office
expenditure, so we'll make no
further comment on that.
• Pill7TICIMET101711
Fitness. In your heart you know it's right..
Advocate Established 1881
However, it is one budget that
appears to be growing out of
proportion with other municipal
costs and warrants some serious
deliberation from council. The
police budget is three times that
which the community will
provide for recreation, parks and
the rec centre.
This year's expenditure on
roads is down to $156,000 from
last year's $178,000 although most
ratepayers would agree that
council could have spent any
amount on that budget and still
not satisfied the complaints about
dust, pot holes, etc.
However, this is an area where
council should probably keep a
close watch. As gas prices con-
tinue to increase there is an in-
dication that vehicular travel
may decline and perhaps the
town should be spending more to
bring sidewalks up to acceptable
standards as more and more
people will have to consider
striking out on foot rather than
jumping in the family auto to
make their trips around the
community.
It would obviously be ironic to
have our streets brought up to
first class standards just as the
energy shortage made all but the
-most necessary of trips im-
possible.
The $33,000 to be spent this year
on street lighting may be in
somewhat the same category as
roads. Increased hydro costs
have pushed that budget up $8,000
over last year and perhaps
councillors should be in-
vestigating the savings possible
in reducing the hours of street
lighting or perhaps the number of
lights provided on each block.
That too could become a
necessity not only due to the cost,
but the availability of electrical
power.
Although it's a small item on
the budget, the cost of animal
control may be questioned by
some residents. This year it is
estimated that it will cost $1,900
to control animals, while the
anticipated revenue from dog
tags is only $900.
There are many who would
suggest that the two figures
should balance,
* * *
However, the real story of
, increased municipal services and
taxes may rest with one single
item in this year's budget, That's
the $12,000 grant which the town
will provide the cemetery board.
That too has increased con-
siderably in the past five years.
Obviously, if it costs more to
look after the dead we can only
expect it will cost more to look
after the living. As we said at the
outset, death and taxes are the
only two certainties people face.
Amalgamated 1924
55 Years Ago
The annual trap-sshooting
tournament of the Hensall Gun
Club was held last week, under
ideal conditions, Fred Kerr,
Crediton, won the silver trophy
and high average, R, F. Jordon,
London won second honours,
Hydro workmen have been
busy at Crediton wiring up some
of the houses in preparation for
the coming of hydro. It is ex-
pected that the lines will be
completed about the end of
August.
Mr. Melville Gladman has
taken a position with the
Dominion Tire Company,
Kitchener, for the holidays.
Mr. Edward Taylor of the
Molsons Bank, Centralia, has
been transferred to Ridgeway.
Mr. Maurice Senior has taken a
position with Pilon and Foote for
the summer.
' The 24th of May holiday passed
quietly in Exeter. A number of
the citizens spent the day in their
gardens, others at the bowling
green, others fishing, and several
went to Grand Bend.
30 Years Ago
Rev. A, M. Hunt after a suc-
cessful ministry of 15 years in
Exeter, as rector of Trivitt
Memorial church, delivered his
farewell sermon on Sunday and
moved to Mitchell this week.
The crop situation throughout
this area is considered quite
serious. There are numerous
farmers who have not sown one
kernel. of spring grain, An old
timer says he doesn't remember
when rain fell continuously for 36
hours as it did Sunday and
Monday.
Council Monday approved
preliminary plans for a new
Exeter District High School.
Rev. A. B. Irwin, Rev. N. J.
Woods, Rev. C. W. Down and
Mrs. W. G. Medd are attending
the London conference in
Chatham this week.
J. Allison Morgan, first year
student at the 0.A.C., Guelph,
and Ross S. Proctor, RR 5,
Brussels, were winners of the
Huron County Scholarships.
by JIM SMITH
The educational require-
ments fora career in the fed-
eral civil service vary from
position to position and de-
partment to department. Of-
ten, there's little apparent
reason for them. But there's
always one basic require-
ment: a thorough knowledge
of the ABCs.
Ottawa is rife with initials,
you see. There must be hun-
dreds of government agencies
and programmes that are
known solely by a series of
monograms. It's reached the
point where insiders have de-
veloped a mocking nickname
for the profusion of initials —
"Alphabet soup".
DREE is a good example.
It has a name -- the Depart-
ment of Regional Economic
Expansion but everybody
uses the initials that rhyme
with "tree".
DREE exists because
some parts of Canada are
chronically undernourished.
Atlantic Canada in particular
suffers higher unemploy-
ment. So DREE dreams up
and implements projects
that, on paper, promise to in-
crease the number of jobs in
the less prosperous regions.
Unfortunately, DREE's
track record hasn't won it
much unsolicited praise. All
too often, its proirammes
collapse in spectacular fail-
ure. Then there are the pro-
jects, such as the Mercator
One, that make an outsider
. wonder just what goes on in
DREE's collective mind.
The Mercator One is a
fancy cruise ship playing the
Caribbean in winter and the
eastern waters of Canada in
summer. DREE funding
makes this possible and,in re-
20 Years Ago
On Tuesday Rev, H. J, Snell,
who is entering his tenth year as
pastor of James Street United
Church, Exeter, was elected
President of the London Con-
ference of the United Church,
held in St. Thomas.
Pouring rain disrupted the
district rally of the Scouts and
Cubs here Sattirday. Always
prepared, however, the troops
moved inside the arena to finish
their competitions. Exeter troop
won the Scout laurels, while the
Lions Club pack from Clinton won
Cub honors for the second year in
a row.
Caven Presbyterian Church,
Exeter, will be re-opened and re-
dedicated Sunday. The
dedication service will be held in
the morning,
SHDHS Board approved a
three-cent-per-mile increase in
transportation cost for 1957-58 at
a meeting Tuesday night.
Huron MPP Tom Pryde an-
nounced this week that a contract
has been let to Brennan Paving
Co. Ltd., Hamilton, for the sur-
facing of Highway 84 from
Hensall to St. Joseph.
15 Years Ago
Large congregations attended
the 113th anniversary of Carmel.
Presbyterian Church, Sunday.
Rev. W. A, Young, a former
minister of the church, and
present chaplain at O,A.C,,
Guelph, was the guest speaker.
Credi ton's softball squad
started off on the right foot, in the
defense of their rec-league title
when they defeated the Kinsmen
7-2, in the opening game played in
Crediton, Monday.
At a meeting of South Huron
Agricultural Society in Hensall,
Tuesday evening, W. R. Dougall
was presented with an
agricultural service diploma for
over 50 years of service to
agriculture,
Over 150 cars have been
checked in a three-day safety-
check carried out by the Exeter
police this week. They warned
that, as of Thursday they will
begin to press charges.
turn, the ship features several
Canadian sites in its nomen-
clatpre. One can sun on the
"Newfoundland Deck",switn
on the"Prince Edward Island
Deck", or get smashed in the
"Peggy's Cove Lounge".
This Can adian a facade,
however, conceals some pe-
culiar features. The crew is
dominated by Thai sailors,
although DREE's function is
creation of jobs for Cana-
dians. The slot machines and
gambling tables are all illegal
within Canada. And, to add
insult to injury, this ship,
floated by Canadian tax dol-
lars, is registered in the Baha-
mas to escape higher Cana-
, dian taxation!
All of which brings us to
an,interesting and long-stand-
ing debate: how can govern-
ment effectively assist in the
creation of jobs in slow
growth regions? Well, it
should be obvious that the
answer isn't in flashy pro-
jects like Mercator One or
the complex alphabet soup
programmes run by Ottawa.
The Canadian Federation
of Independent Business has
a simple, albeit unglamorous,
solution. Rather than at-
tempting to create massive
employment with enormous
projects that don't fit the ap-
titudes of the region, govern-
ment should provide funding
and encouragem)gnt to small
business. If every entrepre-
neur could he encouraged to
add an additional job, the
effect on unemployment
would be tremendous. The
only solid way to develop an
economy is to build on what
is natural to the region.
As for the fancy federal
° projects, all too often the al-
phabet soup simply spells
TROUBLE,
Be sure you vote
on June 9
•