HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1977-07-07, Page 4n ,,,,,,,,,,,,
Beyond our means
There has been a tendency over the
years for Canadians to dismiss arguments
that we live dangerously beyond our means
as abstract sermons that may be true but
which require little or no change in our life
styles.
The fact is that we do and because we
do, we are in a serious economic and moral
position. We are in the old something-for-
nothing syndrome or what might be
described as getting someone else to
finance our dreams of the good life. It's
called plastic money or getting small loans
from finance companies to pay the grocery
bill.
The hard, cold facts are that we have
come to the end a the road in our attempts
to have the government bankroll us. We
have encouraged government spending to
jump from 26 percent of the nation's output
in the 1950's to 40 per cent today. In cash
that means from $8 billion-a-year to $75
billion: It comes right out of the taxpayers
pocket, too.
But instead of changing attitudes we
kept demanding more so that government
printed more money which merely added to
the inflationary spiral.
Then still unwilling to live within our
means, we tried another tack, borrowing
from foreign lenders. In 1975 and 1976
Canada became the world's largest per
capita borrower. We didn't just borrow to
improve our worn-out manufacturing
systems and provide new jobs, we borrow-
ed to continue financing consumption.
Now the tax load won't bear much
more, the Bank of Canada won't print new
money and the borrowing has eaten up
enormous amounts of money in interest
and repayments.
Where do we go from here? How do we
get more out of our economy than it can
provide?
Perhaps for a change, we listen, start
to live within our means and thereby take
the burden off the poor and underprivileged
and find again what it means to conserve
and save.
Senior power
Compulsory retirement at age 65 is
both unfair and wasteful.
For employers, the result is a loss of
valuable human skills and reservoirs of ex-
perience. Also lost are such priceless by-
products of longer life as wisdom and the
ability to cope with a whole gamut of prac-
tical situations.
It' should not be assumed, of course,
that everyone reaching the age of 65 wants
to go on working. Others may not be
capable of doing an effective job.
What, then, are the alternatives to total
retirement?
Those who have researched this
problem are convinced that it can often be
solved by redistributing responsibilities to
prpvide enough work for all age groups. In
many cases this may call for senior
employees to step down or sideways to new
positions. Alternatively they may be
assigned to part-time work or serve as con-
sultants. Thousands of people slated to be
axed from their jobs at the prevailing age
limit would gladly settle for lower pay.
However, if there's no way a person
can be retained by his present employer all
is not lost. Many gray-haired ex-employees
have turned to a second career in a similar
or totally different field that might be less
demanding. Yet this road, too, can be
rough. So far, few firms are willing to give
even part-time work to a recent retiree.
Because senior workers so obviously
deserve fairer treatment, it is to be hoped
that the federal government's new Human
Rights Act (Bill C-25) will include prohibi-
tion of age discrimination.
Certainly the future will force a
change. Statisticians forecast a sharp rise
in the number of senior citizens in Canada
over the next 20 years. Thus the national
work load will have to be spread over a
wider age span. It's not too soon to stop
making all 65-year-olds walk the plank by
offering them more enlightened and prac-
tical alternatives.
— Contributed
s the s ell breaking
There are some indications that the
great lottery boom may be heading for a
bust. Fired by the initial success of the
Olympic Lottery and the millions of dollars
which appeared to be available from the
gullible public, several other big draws
have sprung up. We now have Wintario,
Lotto Canada, the Provincial and several
others. However it is evident that some of
them are going to fall by the wayside.
One of the weekend magazines carried
a ;story which made it plain just how slim
are one's chances of actually winning the
big prizes — anywhere from $100,000 to a
million. The article says you have more
chance of being struck by lightning than of
getting into the big money in a lottery
draw. Many who eagerly purchased tickets
early in the lottery era have decided that
they aren't really lucky after all and ticket
sales have dropped off. With the increased
competition for those gambling dollars
some of the lotteries just have to fail,
despite a feverish race to increase the
number of prizes offered.
We agree that if Canadians are going to
spend a certain percentage of their money
on unlikely chances at big winnings, the
money might as well stay at home — but
when you stop to think about it, that's a
heck of a way to finance a country.
Wingham Advance Times
Above all ... nice place to live
The Cloudy Crystal Balls
P9OP 4
Times-Advocate, July 7, 1977
It's tough on old turkeys
We wants to know, if we're so democratic, how is it you don't have an opposition
in Alberta?"
In l'affair Trudeau, my sym-
pathies are all with our Prime
Minister, whatever I may think
of him politically. It's tough for
an old turkey to hang on to a
beautiful chick. I know. I've been
trying to do it for years.
My wife is beautiful. And I'm
not saying that proudly, or
because I'm trying to butter her
up, I'm saying it as a fact. And
I'm sure everyone who knows
her will agree.
I am not tall, dark and hand-
some. I am short, white and
rather ugly. Or, as we ugly peo-
ple say, my face has a lot of
character.
So, as you may imagine, I've
41 a lot of trouble hanging on to
her. Not that she's a
philanthropist, extending charity
to any male who comes along.
Nor is she a pilatelist, flirting
freely in order to stamp on my
ego. She isn't even a philadnerer
(the word I was looking for in the
first place.)
1\lo, there's little chance of her
running off with another man.
She knows to the penny how
'Mich insurance and pension I
represent. She's not going to
throw that away for anybody less
than Robert Redford, and we
don't see too much of him in the
crowd we hang around with.
And still I have trouble hang-
ing on to her. It's not in the
marital department, It's in the
arms department.
have trouble hanging on to
her arms, when she's going to hit
me, or tear out some of my scan-
ty locks, or clobber me with a
telephone or something.
When we were first married, I
didn't have so much trouble. I
was stronger than she, and I
could hang on to both her wrists,
put my head down to avoid a butt
on the nose, and raise one knee in
front of me to ward off a kick in
the groin.
But the years of sedentary and
licentious living have made me a
shadow of my former self, and
she, like most women, has got
steadily stronger. Look around,
and you'll agree that most
women of a certain age could
take their husbands, in one
round, with one arm tied behind.
To add injury to insult, she has
been doing yoga exercises of
late, and has developed muscles
neither of us ever knew existed.
She is a long-suffering woman,
no doubt about it. How would you
like to be married to me for 30
years? But you can be long suf-
fering and have a short fuse, one
of life's little dichotomies. She
has a fuse about three-quarters
of an inch in length.
Take last night, for example.
She had dinner all ready but not
cooked. Vegetables in the pot,
ready to turn on. Chicken livers
in the pan salted, peppered,
floured, and ready for a quick fry
in butter. French fries all ready
to dunk in the boiling oil.
We sat down in the living room
for one of those intimate pre-
dinner chats that are just as
much a part of marriage as post-
coital depression, whatever that
is. I read -it in a book.
She recently lost her cleaning
lady, and that, coupled with a
visit from the grandboys, had put
the house cleaning 10 light years
behind schedule, if you believed
it all.
I listened with my usual in-
terest and sympathy, occasional-
ly interrupting to read her
fascinating bits from the
newspaper I was reading.
Finally, I got the drift.
"Sweetie! You're exhausted, Let
me get the dinner." Over-riding
her protests, I strode into the
kitchen, calling over my
shoulder: "Just relax. You know
I can handle everything." ,
I kept up a cheery banter from
the kitchen. "Is that all the
vegetables we're going to have?
Migawd, there's enough chicken
liver here to feed a threshing
gang."
Not a sound from inside, I
thought she was lying back,
maybe reading the women's
page.
Turned on the cooking oil. On
high. Got the veg. boiling happi-
ly. Put the chicken livers on high
for the first golden searing, Took
a small libation from the cup-
board, to keep my head clear,
Magnificent sound of cooking.
Veg. bubbling, Livers sizzling.
Made a fag, salad and another
drop took, to keep my other head
clear.
Dumped the french fries in the
pot of hot cooking oil. Clouds of
smoke, spatters of grease on
walls and self. Seems you're sup-
posed to put them in a wire
basket or something.
Screams of rage, anguish and
bad temper. Pot of fries torn
from my grasp and carried to
backyard as billows of smoke
polluted neighbourhood.
Reciminations:
"Stupid idiot! !"
"Why don't you get the dam'
dinner yourself?"
"Cretin. Imbecile. Jerk."
"Howuzidano?"
Feelings, as they put it, were
running high. But what really
made the fit hit the shan was
that, while she was running
around declaiming to the entire
neighborhood that I'd ruined the
wallpaper and the new paint, I
calmly; like a reasonable man,
retrieved the pot full of crisp
black fries, loaded a plate with
them and chicken livers, and
began eating my dinner in a
dignified fashion.
This was when I was unable to
hang on to her. She seized the
plate of greasy liver and doubly
greasy chips, and flang them on
the floor. She tried to fling me
after them, but her hand slipped
on my greasy shirt, flew back
and gave herself a belt on the lip.
Today everything is back to
normal. She has a fat lip, but
she's got her kitchen floor wash-
ed, a task she wasn't looking
forward to. No girls, I didn't do
it.
And that's why my sympathies
are with Mr. Trudeau. It's hard
for an old turkey to hang on to a
beautiful chick. Especially if
she's going yoga.
Times Established 1873
+CNA
enough nights in the week to
make all the meetings and social
functions,
A little town is where everyone
becomes a 'neighbour' in time of
need.
A little town is where those
same businessmen dig deep
many times to help with
countless fund-raising projects.
A little town is where many
teenagers say there's nothing to
do and they are surprised to
learn that their big-city peers
are saying the same thing.
A little town, when all is said
and done, is a nice place to live.
It was rather interesting to
read the comments of Huron
county engineer Jim Britnell and
Medical Officer of Health Dr.
Frank Mills in announcing their
resignations recently.
Both men implied they were
leaving as a "favor" to the coun-
ty so some "new blood" could be
injected into the two positions.
Dr. Mills said he believed that
once people reach a certain level
of efficiency in their jobs, they
should move on, while. Britnell'
said that after 20 years on.. the"
same job, the challenge had
worn thin and that his motivation
was at a low. "For my good and
yours, it's time for me to leave,"
he told county council.
The comments are rather in-
teresting from the standpoint
that both men are professionals
and their type of work is seldom
considered as drudgery by most
people. It is the type of job
description one normally gives to
assembly line workers and those
who have to follow the same
habits daily with few challenges
or new experiences.
Unfortunately, most people get
"locked into" those jobs and
have little opportunity to move
on to new challenges and their
lives no doubt become extremely
dull. It is obviously one of the
major reasons for low produc-
The national board of the Cana-
dian Postmasters and Assistants
Association has asked me to
compile the history of our
organization.
For this reason, I am asking your
readers to contribute items of in-
terest such as amusing anec-
dotes; photographs, clippings of
important postal events, and
stories from the pioneer days of
mail handling in Canada. I am
especially interested in hearing
from past and present members
of the C.P.A,A. and their
families.
All material will be acknowledg-
ed on arrival and a receipt
issued. It will then be returned to
the contributor as quickly as
possible.
Sincerely yours
Betti Michael
C.P.A.A. Historian
Port Robinson, Ontario
LOS 1KO
Advocate Established 1881
tivity and unrest in our modern
society and no doubt there are
many who would be envious of
the two men who have the oppor-
tunity to change their employ-
ment and thereby get a new lease
on life.
The problem cited by the two
retiring officials is one that will
continue to increase as humans
are subjected to pushing the but-
tons which make today's world
function.
That lack of challenge on the
job unfortunately reflects itself
in the mode of existence for
many people and is one reason
for the vast amount of apathy .
with which society is plagued.
* * *
While alcohol related ac-
cidents are often cited as the
main reason for the carnage on
highways. the drinking driver
may not be quite as much threat
as many people suspect.
Statistics released recently by
the Ontario Ministry of
Transportation and Com-
munications show, that• 87 per
cent of all accidents occurred in
broad daylight, under normal
driVing conditions. And the
drivers involved were sober.
Researchers believe that
driver pre-occupation is the
prime suspect in the mystery of
"why" these accidents happen-
ed.
"The driver is going along, and
maybe his mind begins wander-
ing off the road and traffic and
into business problems or social
activities. Or maybe something
distracts his attention visually
for just a second," a spokesman
commented.
That's one of the reasons
behind the radio and billboard
campaign urging motorists
"when you drive. . .stay alert to
stay alive".
,
We haven't heard too much
from the anti seat belt lobbyists
lately, possibly because many of
their arguments are being disap-
proved by lower injury statistics
in accidents.
It is interesting to note a re-
cent article in the Ontario Traf-
fic Safety bulletin in which an
auto wrecker near Toronto has
ample evidence that seat belts do
save lives and prevent serious in-
juries.
His proof is in the number of
windshields which are still intact
in the wrecked autos which are
hauled into his yard following
highway collisions.
He said h,e never had
windshields to sell in the past,
because most of ,them were
broken by someone's head. He
also indicated that interior
damage in vehicles was also
down considerably, a situation he
also attributed to the fact the oc-
cupants were wearing seat belts.
"There isn't as much blood on
the seats in the cars as there
used to be," he explained.
Need any further proof?
Amalgamated 1924
55 YEARS AGO
Dominion Day was quietly
celebrated in Exeter Saturday, A
great many cars passed through
the town. Many of the citizens
spent the day at Grand Bend,
Centralia, and Elimville. The
weather was ideal for an outing.
Huron County Loyal Orange
Lodge held its annual church ser-
vice in Exeter, Sunday after-
noon, when about 150 members
of the order attended Divine Ser-
vice in Trivitt Memorial Church.
Rev. A, A. Trumper preached
the sermon.
R. G. Seldon's rink of bowlers,
brought home the Hyndman
trophy from the Dominion Day
tourney at the Elmwood greens,
London. The rink was composed
of T. S. Woods, J. A. Stewart, W.
W. Taman and R. G. Seldon,
Amy Johns teacher near St.
Catharines, and Ruby Wood,
teacher at Thedford have return-
ed to their homes for the
holidays.
A quiet wedding took place at
the parsonage, Staffa, June 29,
when Susan Kleinfeldt, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. John Kleinfeldt,
was united in marriage to
George Link, Dashwood, by Rev.
E.J. Roulston.
30 YEARS AGO
Arthur Fraser of town has
purchased the residence of Dr.
Milner on Ann Street.
The contract has been let for
the erection of 42 wartime
houses. Twenty acres of land has
been purchased from Mrs. J. C.
Snell.
Rev. H. J. Snell was inducted
into the pastorate of James St.
united Church, Friday evening.
One hundred and one pupils in
the Exeter District High School
Area have passed their entrance
examinations and will be
prospective students at the Ex-
eter High School.
The Orangemen from Exeter
will celebrate July 12 at St.
Thomas.
G. J. Dow is shipping 100
horses this week, one load going
to Montreal market and five
loads to Belgium.
Norma Knight has accepted the
position as organist of Caven
Presbyterian Church.
by JIM SMITH
Every cloud has a silver
lining. Or, one man's calami-
ty is another man's windfall.
No matter how dismal the
outlook, there is always
someone else who stands to
profit.
That, in a nutshell, is the
situation in the economic
forecasting business today.
Rapid inflation, annoying re-
source scarcities, and excep-
tionally high unemployment
have sent Canadians reeling
— and the nation's planners
scampering to enlist the ser-
vices of "futurists".
A few weeks ago, some of
the better futurists got toge-
ther at Kingston's Queen's
University for a conference
titled "Shaping the Future".
John Bulloch, President of
the Canadian Federation of
Independent Business, sat in
on the meetings and came
away convinced that some fu-
turists are using cloudy crys-
tal balls.
, "We Canadians have al-
ways thought that we were
shaping one of the world's
first post-industrial societies,"
Bulloch said after the con-
ference. "In fact, we never
have had a strong industrial
base. We just bang metal and
assemble things in foreign-
owned branch plants. And
our heavy employment in the
service sector is really govern-
ment employees supported
by heavy taxes on the re-
source sector. Now resour-
ces are running out, manu-
facturing jobs are moving
to the Third World and the
futurists predict dire conse-
quences.
"The predictions were a
little frightening: a decline
Kneel or sit low in a
canoe. If upset, HANG
ON to the canoe until
help arrives.
20 YEARS AGO
Exeter merchants decided
Monday to switch from Friday to
Saturday night opening this
week. Some stores plan to stay
open both nights.
Over 130 children are attending
the fourth annual vacation Bible
school conducted by the Thames
Road Mennonite Mission.
A courageous rescue party, led
by veteran fisherman Hank
Green rescued two men from a
battered sloop off St. Joseph in
extremely rough waters early
Wednesday morning, The
dramatic rescue lasted nearly
six hours.
The district campaign for the
Canadian Cancer Society has
shot well over its objective of $3,-
5 0 O. Treasurer K. W,
McLaughlin, Exeter, reported
the fund total at $3,750.
Four members of the Exeter
Cub Pack, Bobby Higgins, Fred
Learn, Larry Johnston and Larry
Willert, have joined with
members from the RCAF Cen-
tralia Cub Pack to enjoy an out-
ing at the Boy Scout camp near
Guelph. There will be ap-
proximately 60 members, in-
cluding leaders, at this camp.
15 YEARS AGO
A Hensall girl, Janet Betts,
posted the high average of 95 at
the Camp Huronora playground
leadership training course held
at Goderich last week,
Exeter town council has issued
an ultimatum to Caswell Paving
Co. Ltd., to surface the roads this
week, or else. Roads chairman
Bailey reported the contractors
have already broken their agree-
ment to finish the work by July 1.
Room was at a premium on the
roads, beaches and beds in the
Grand Bend and Pinery Park
area over the holiday weekend as
crowds estimated up to 50,000
flocked to the popular spots.
Fire destroyed a fair-sized
barn and several small sheds on
the farm of Allan Miller on the
Usborne-Hibbert boundary
Wednesday afternoon.
A 22-year-old RCAF Clinton
airman, Stanley C. Howitt, died
in Westminster Hospital, Lon-
don, Wednesday morning from
injuries sustained when the car
he was driving struck a diesel
tractor near Zurich Monday
night.
in our position as a trading
nation, growing international
deficits, a decline in the value
of our dollar and millions of
young people with no up-
ward job mobility were just
a handful of the worst,"
Significantly, however,
Bulloch dismisses much of
the gloom. "At the same con-
ference" he points out, "I dis-
covered that more planners
than I had dreamed possible
have recognized that small-
ness is the answer to our
problems."
Consider, for example, the
unemployment problem. For
decades, energy prices have
been unrealistically low. So
farms and factories used en-
ergy gobbling methods of re-
placing human labour. But
now, as energy prices rise,
labour becomes competitive
with energy. So small factor-
ies and small farms are eco-
nomical again -- and employ-
ment will increase. Every
cloud has a silver lining.
Meanwhile, higher energy
prices have spurred research
into alternative forms of en-
ergy. Reasonably priced solar
homes are being built today
that can cut energy costs by
two-thirds. And these same
homes, looking a little like
greenhouses, can be used to
grow vegetables, raise fish,
purify water and turn wastes
into fertilizer,
Ironically, then, our big
problems are being solved by
small answers: small plants,
small-scale technology, small
farms, small businesses and
small communities. If we are
going to continue to look in
crystal balls for big answers
to our big problems then our
future will certainly look
cloudy.
• Ever been asked to give a
definition of a small town?
No doubt such a request would
result in a multitude of replies,
some rather complimentary and
others following a different vein.
However, readers may enjoy
the following definitions which
were included in a recent
bulletin from the Ontario Weekly
Newspaper Association.
A little town is where you don't
have to guess who your enemies
are. Your friends will tell you.
A little town is where few peo-
ple can get away with lying about
the year they were born. Too
many other people can
remember.
A little town is where people
with various ailments can air
them properly to sympathic
ears.
A little town is where, when
you get the wrong number, you
can talk for 15 minutes anyhow.
A little town is where the ratio
of good people to bad people is
something like 100 to one. That's
nice to remember.
A little town is where it is hard
for' anybody to walk to work for
exercise because it takes toot`.
long to stop and explain to people ‘„,.
in cars who stop, to honk, and
offer a ride.
A little town is where city folks
say there is nothing to do, but
those who live there don't have
taceferZimesainxicate
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 Published Each Thursday Morning
at Exeter, Ontario
Second Class Mail
Registration Number 0386
Paid in Advance Circulation
September 30, 1975 5,409
SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada $11,00 Per Year; USA $22.00
• ;