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Home My WebLink AboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1977-09-22, Page 4Times Established 1873 Advocate Established 1881 roteferVmes-Aiwocafe 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 —,Rois Haugh Advertising Manager — Jim Beckett , Plant Manager —.Bill Weekley Composition Manager — Harry DeVries Business Manager Dick Jongkind Phone 235-1331 +CNA Amalgamated 1924 CCNA SWF RIBBON AV/11110 1071 Published Each Thursday Morning at Exeter, Ontario Second Class Mail Registration Number 0386 Paid in Advance Circulation September30, 1975 5,409. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada $11,00 Per Year; USA $22.00 Something for everyone Many area residents won't have to glance at the calendar to realize that this is the weekend for the Exeter Fair. The weather man has been providing typical fall fair conditions for the past week! Regardless of the weather, the Exeter fair usually manages to overcome any hardships thrown its way, and this year will prove no exception. In fact, with the extended room af- forded by the South Huron Rec Centre, this year's event should attract even larger crowds and certainly fair goers will welcome the additional parking and the spaciousness in which they will be able to view the exhibits indoors. The fair is the area's oldest continual attraction and this year's program offers something for all ages, whether your in- terest is looking at beauties with two legs or four. The people responsible, for the fair strive to make the attraction enjoyable for one and all and they deserve your support for their efforts. Hopefully, the grounds will dry up before Saturday, but even if they don't there'll be plenty to see on the inside. And heck, a fellow never knows whether his rubber boots are any good if he doesn't have a chance to get them out for the fair! 4. Common sense Amid the continuing furor last week over Quebec's new language legislation, a sense of proportion regarding the whole issue of separatism for Quebec was in- jected from an unexpected quarter. The Mohawk Indians of the eaughnawaga reserve in the Montreal area erected a sign (in English). It reads: "If you want to be French—go to France. "But if you want to preserve your respective language and still participate in a, dynamic country and culture—we welcome you to Khanata (Canada)." As Grand Chief Paul Deer explained, "The whole thing about the sign is that we Want people to start acting as Canadians, and not as Englishmen or Frenchmen. We're Canadians and that's what counts." 4-, The chief went on to explain that it was only because the Mohawks are governed by the federal government that they were able to erect their sign in English. Quebec's new language legislation stipulates that all billboards must be in French. "We're in Canada here—five feet away where you see the fence, well, that's Quebec," the chief added. It is the latter statement by the chief which reveals just how deep the split now is between the province and its native peoples. Surely the time has come for the federal government to get off the fence as far as Quebec's new language bill is con- cerned. While the federal government has no business mixing in matters that are the exclusive right of the province (and educa- tion is a provincial concern), it does have an obligation to determine whether or not people's basic rights are being denied. Just why the federal government hasn't taken the language legislation to the Supreme Court is something of a puzzle. Either it is within the law or it isn't; either it contravenes the previous James Bay agreement with. the Inuit or it doesn't. The people—all the people,have a right to know just where they and the legislation stand. And the sooner that is determined by the highest court in the land, the better. Won't hurt a bit Submissions to the Royal Commission on -Electric Power Planning are in technical language, usually abbreviated — kWh (kilowatt hours) kv (kilovolts) — and words like "gauss" (unit of magnetic in- duction). Laymen don't understand the terms ahcirelitario Hydro, sensitive to'the public it serves, knows this, too. One Hydro submission, titled Transmission and Land Use, explained that, really, no ill effects will result from high-voltage transmission lines, crossing a farmer's property. In this paper, Hydro said: "Under a 500-kv line with minimum clearance of 40 feet at the centre of the sag between towers, the electomagnetic field is about .5 gauss and the electrostatic poten- tial is about five kv per metre." In the next breath, in down-to-earth terms, Hydro put it simply: "To put this in perspective, elec- tromagnetic fields for some common household applianCes might be noted. A soldering iron or common hairdryer has a field of 10 to 25 gauss; a can opener, fluorescent desk lamp, kitchen range and electric. shaver have fields of five to 10 gauss; and a color television, food blender, electric drill or portable heater have fields of and to five gauss, all much higher and subjecting most people to much greater ex- posures than that of a transmission line.°' Put simply: That overhead line won't hurt a bit. Page 4 Times-Advocate; September 22, 1977 la rva wo, The law was in good hands ... This week, I am perplexed by several questions, and I turn for possible answers to the only people in the world I can trust for honest answers: my faithful readers, all four of them. For example. By what editorial inanity does the Globe and lylail, which grandly calls itself' Canada's National NewPaper, run on its front page a five-eOlumn by eight inches photo of Pierre Trudeau getting his hair cut? What is the symbolism, the hidden meaning, the secret code, the deep, interpretive analysis, behind this picture? Can anyone help? Is Mr. Trudeau symbolically trimming his sails for a fall election? Is it to show that the P.M. is mortal, after all, and that his hair grows, like that of us lesser beings? Perhaps it's a secret warning to Margaret that, despite talk of a reconciliation, he's not going to let his hair grow and become a flower child. I dunno, but it sure has me baffled. Next question. Where do things get lost to? It seems to me that my wife and I have spent more time this past summer looking for things than we have sleeping. Looking for things that ,were "Right there, right on the counter yesterday." Looking for things is one of the most frustrating, irritating pastimes in this materialistic society of ours. It has brought many a marriage to the teetering point, and if the union was already teetering, pushed it Over the brink. A 'couple of weeks ago, she lost .the keys to the car. After a 12- hottr non-stop Search, no keys, Oh,,, we had keys for the other car, the:battered old Dodge. Only one catch. It was in the garage, and the keyless car was sitting right beNtzld it, immovable. Twenty-four hours later, I called a lock-picking specialist. He was out of town, but would call me when he got back. Just before he did, and I had a fork out eleventy-seven dollars, the old lady found the keys, without looking. They were in the vegetable bin, with a turnip, a butternut squash, and a bag of cooking onions. It was certainly the logical place for them. Then my new black $10 belt went missing. It was the first belt I'd bought for 12 years, and I was rather proud of it. I knew it wasn't really lost, because I always hang it up with my ties. It was obvious that my wife, in her eternal tidying, had stuck it away somewhere, as she so often does with things that I then cannot find, But she swore, as she always does, that she hadn't touched it, mentioning in passing that she was sick and tired of looking for things that I had lost. Naturally, words followed, in which the phrase "car keys" inadvertently popped out several times. But the mystery of the missing belt was readily solved when 'I decided to wear my new, blue, fit- like-a-glove summer trousers. I couldn't find them. High or low. Then with a flash of intuition, I knew where my belt was, It was with the pants, because I never unbelt, just hang the whole works on a hook, It was quite a relief to know where my belt was. It was equally reassuring to know that the pants were with the belt. But it was slightly dampening to admit that both were lost. They still haven't turned up. There are only two possibilities, One is that a pan- tless burglar crept into Our bedroom, snatched my trews and crept off into the night, once more modestly attired. The second I don't even like to dwell on. The last time I had worn those pants, that belt, was to a party. It wasn't a strip poker party, but it was a fairly lively one. Did I do a strip tease and forget to redress my little pecadillo? Did I tear them off on the way home from the party and throw them out the car window? Sounds silly, but the other morning I went out to get the morning paper, and there on my back walk was a pair of brand-new blue shoes, with thick white rubber soles, in a shoe-box, with only the lid missing. Only the Lord knows who, for what mad reason, in what temporary mental abberation, flang them there. But they are just my size and finders keepers. And this whole probe brings up the Case of the Missing Socks. What in the name of all that is unholy becomes of socks when they are put through the washer and dryer? They never go missing in pairs, always singles. I'll bet I have nine single socks in my drawer, all different colors or knits. I've gone down with a flashlight and peered, a bit shaken, into the interiors of those machines. No socks, They can't go down the drain, or it would be plugged. Do they do a reverse Santa Claus'and go up the spout of the dryer with the hot air? It's a little frightening, as though someone were trying to tell me something. About my feet? SoMeone with a feet fetish: Just one more question. Where were all the editorial writers who are now screaming about the stupidity of changing highway signs to kilometers instead of — Please turn to Page 5 There are many occupations in life which can result in a great deal of pressure —and even.some unpopularity—for the people who fill them. Perhaps one of the best ex- amples of that is a court judge, whose duty it is to decide on the guilt of those who may appear before him and hand out the ap- propriate punishment for those whom he has found to be guilty. It takes a special type of per- son to handle the pressure of judging his peers on the evidence that has been presented and Huron County this week lost one of those special type of people in the death of Judge Glenn Hays. This writer has been associated with Judge Hays for many years, and it is our opinion that those who will miss him most are those whose actions will lead them into court in the future. Canadian law dictates that people are innocent until proven guilty, and there are few judges who followed that creed to the extent of Judge Hays. He was painstakenly, deliberate in his consideration.of the evidence and often would ay, for facts which legal counsel had? failed to uncover in his attempt to determine everything possible from the witnesses before ruling on the matter before him. In fact,st he was so methodical that his actions often drew criticism from the police, lawyers and reporters who thought the case was being dragged on too long. But that was the nature of the man: to give every accused the greatest opportunity possible to prove his innocence. He would even help them in framing questions to their ac- cusers and he never considered his own time more precious than those who appeared before him, , regardless of their station in life. In comparison to many judges, his sentences were comparative- ly light and he always strived to give that second chance to those whom he felt would correct their ways. This was particularly true for the young offenders who appeared in his courts and time after time he would refrain from bestowing criminal records on people if there was any alter- native. Judge Hays was a man of con- siderable compassion and many of his judgements were accom- panied by a stern lecture or a plausible suggestion on how an accused could correct his ways. There are many who. con- sidered him too lenient, too anx- ious to give that second chance, and perhaps the fact that the policemen in the court room • Were as frequently upset at his decisions as the accused is ample indication that one was always given the slightest benefit of the doubt by Judge Hays. By the very nature of his posi- tion, Judge Glenn Hays was not always popular, and certainly not always right, But 'there are many people in Huron County who owe him a debt of gratitude for his compas- sion, fairness and constant search for the truth. * * People can be excused if they wonder what is going on in the matter of this nation's energy supply. After being constantly told in recent months •that our natural gas supplies were dangerously dwindling, the experts have now turned that completely around to advise that there is an adundance of the stuff. An energy seminar last week was advised that Canada's problem is not conservation and depleting reserves, but abun- dance and hOW to find a Market for that abundance. However, while that may in- dicate Canadians won't freeze for a few decades yet, the news of o'ur surplus was not accom- vanied by comforting words that the price would not increase: The experts predict that natural gas prices will continue to climb at the same rate as other forms of energy, and as most people have noticed, that's a rather fast climb. * The Times-Advocate this week is pleased to announce a new feature being prepared by the staff at South Huron District High School. The feature will contain infor- mation of interest to parents and the general public and hopefully will improve communication in the area between the school and home. In the recently completed Dear Sir, I think it is disgusting that the only bycicle tire factory in Canada has closed its doors. As a result approximately 61 employees, are now unemployed. With the high rate of unem-, ployment you .,would think that the Canadian government would get up off their backsides and do something. Dayton Tire is closed and now we can all go out and buy cheap tires made in Taiwan. Barbara Arnezeder Secretary of Local 879 U.R.W. * * Dear Bill! This is a letter I am writing to you on behalf of myself and approximately 60 other people at Dayton Tire Ltd of Huron Park. We have been laid off per- manently from Dayton. Today we received official letters from the head office telling us that the plant is now closed. On July 15, 1977 we received a first letter telling us that due to interference from Taiwan im- ported bicycle tires the plant would be closed for the summer, hopefully to reopen in September or later. Now it is permanently closed as sales have not picked up. In other words, Bill, because the Canadian government allows cheap imports through the gates the people here are out of a job. This is an illogical way to protect and build up a country insuring a strong Canadian product and insuring that the people are employed. If one had a fortress and was protecting civilians and food and products,*would he let down the gates and allow the enemy to rush in? Does the Prime Minister really want ‘to enrich the country. His approach is the exact opposite of logic and common sense. He is bleeding the country to death. We are protesting to the various heads of gov't federal and provincial as well as radio stations as well as the newspaper media. Anyway, it is a change in government we need and one that has simple basic common sense. Taiwan is not a big market, it is not vital, Canada is a huge basket of natural resources, an endless table,of food producing potential and technologically 100 percent capable and here its small population is out of a job? It is very strange, I personally believe the Prime Minister is cutting at the vital roots of an otherwise luscious, busting at the seams huge living tree called Canada. I write this hoping the town and area people will send in their views. It's an obvious problem, let's all think about it! Your friend George R, Shaw Dear Mr. Batten; Thank you for your sym- pathetic article in the Exeter Times, inspired on part of my 4• CR study on the Exeter area schools, the lack of this type of com- munication was one of the weaknesses noted and we com- mend Principal Joe Wooden and his staff for their efforts to cor- rect this situation. If any parents or readers have particular topics they would like to see covered in this feature in subsequent weeks, we invite them to pass along that request to the newspaper or the school, letter to council about the tax policy in this town. I realise that taxes are going up, to pay for the things some people believe they need, and others have to pay for. That, of course, I have to accept. What I refuse to accept is, that a group of retail-merchants can decide to' so-called improve the business core, and want this paid for by all business-tax assessed properties in four blocks of town. And that the town council, which is supposed to represent all people, goes along with this. My contention is: 1. If retail-merchants want this done, let them pay for it. 2. Let all retail-merchants pay for this, not all business tax assessed properties in just four blocks. 3. Spend the money in Exeter. With three florists in Exeter, tenders should have been called officially, the results should have been published and the business should not have been giVen to somebody out of town without anybody concerned knowing what really happened. 4. Give a good example yourself. Anybody who ever has been in London on a Wednesday knows he literally falls over Exeter retail merchants doing their own shopping in London, 55 Years Ago At Mitchell on Saturday, Lucan outplayed Palmerston in the game which decided the championship of the North Wellington Baseball Association in the senior series by 12 to 4, Both teams had won their home games. The three-storey brick flotir mill of the Crown Milling Com- pany at Lucan conducted by H. G. Fairies, was destroyed by fire early Wednesday morning of last week. All equipment had been recently renewed, The mill had been running for five years and was Lucan's chief industry. About 500 bags of flour were also destroyed. A hot box is con- sidered to be the cause of the fire. A white frost visited this sec- tion Sunday night. The choir of the James St. Methodist Church held a very jolly wiener roast at the farm of Mr. Cecil Rowe on Wednesday evening of last week. The Zurich Fall Fair was held on Thursday last with fine weather and a large crowd present. Brodhagen Brass Band furnished the music. 30 Years Ago Miss Shirley Taylor won the Simpson's special prize for the most points in the boys' and girls' -department at the Exeter fair, Hard frost that did con- siderable damage, especially to the late beans, visited this district Friday and Saturday mornings. The Exeter Band is providing the music at the Teeswa ter Fair this week. Friends and neighbors gathered at the home of Mr. and Mrs, Whitney Coates to celebrate with them their twentieth wed- ding anniversary. Murray May won the senior boy's championship with 20 points at the Exeter High School field day. Another school year has started and this seems like an appropriate time to initiate a regular weekly corner in the local paper. We can use this space to pass on information about South Huron and to comment on educational issues. South Huron started the 1977-78 school year with an enrollment of 1,040 students; this figure is down about 10 pupils from last Sep- tember. Each student has been provided with an information package which should be available to parents. If any parent has not seen this in- formation please ask your son or daughter about it or call the school for a copy. The information provided covers examinations, evaluation, attendance, school year calen- dars, parents night, school regulations and various other items. Students have also been given night school information to take home, The teaching staff at South Huron numbers 61 full time and one part time. Many members of the staff spent the summer in educational pursuits. The Science Head, Ralph Wareham received a Shell Merit Scholarship for Chemistry studies at MacMaster University. Ralph also spent part of the summer at Queens University working on chemistry studies and tests to be used senior grade English courses. Various other teachers attended a variety of summer schools. The beginning of the school year is always an optimistic time. Students usually begin the year enthusiastically and teachers find that their pupils are ready to work hard. By the middle of the year, of course, some of this vigor diminishes but September is an optimistic month. It's a good month to think about what the formal process of 20 Years Ago The new members of the SHDHS student council were elected last week. They are; president, Gwen Spencer; vice president, Bill Marshall; secretary, Robin Smith; treasurer, Rosemary Dobson; and publicity, Diane Thiel. Mr, and Mrs. Cooper Forrest, Kirkton, and their seven children were injured in a head-on crash on concession four, Usborne township Friday night, Cars met at the brow of a hill on the narrow township road, Robert McKenzie, Kippen, was the driver of the second car. Kirkton Fall Fair, staged on a new day this year, attracted a crowd of 1,200. South Huron District High School students placed third in the Perth Conference track and field meet held at National Stadium in Stratford last Friday. They were under the- supervision of coaches Miss L. Seigner and Mr. G. Mickle. 15 Years Ago Several leading Protestant clergymen from the RCAF will be on hand at Station Centralia Sunday when a stained glass window will be unveiled and dedicated to the memory of the late Rev. Earl Moore. The youngest champions at Exeter fair were the winners' of the under four months class in the baby show. Sherry Louise, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bill Gilfillan, Exeter won the class and Wayne Donald McCann, son of Mr. and Mrs. Donald McCann was the runner-up. Other champions declared at the fair were dairy cattle, Ross Marshall, Kirkton; sheep, Preston Dearing, RR 1 Exeter; grain and seeds, Russell Oesch, Varna; flowers, Mrs. Luther Reynolds, Exeter; fruits, Victor Jeffery, RR 3 Exeter; vegetables, Lloyd Reynolds, RR 1 Hensall; and champion cook, Mrs. Ward Hern, RR 1 Woodham. Perplexing questions With the farm economy (the most important spenders in this across the province. town are the farmers) in shambles, I would suggest Sherwood Eddy, Head of respectfully to the Exeter retail; English was invited to ,spend merchants not to promote the much of the summer working at town with gadgets like flower- the Ministry of Education in pots, but by offering competitive Toronto on the preparation of prices and good service. The fact that the downtown merchants (or at least a fair group of them) shop elsewhere proves that this leaves much to be improved on. So my protest was not primarily about high taxes; that too. But basically I protested the assessment of another tax, on top of my already sky-high tax bill, to pay for the retail merchants pipe dreams. Cordially M. Gans, M.D., C.C,F.P, ifootith Apure!, liistrirt fpiab 'cboot Comment from... By J.L. Wooden ' education is concerned with. Education at the present time, not only in Canada, but throughout the western world, seems to lack the clarity of purpose which it may once have had. Traditionally, education has"" had two primary purposes. One purpose has been the conveyance of the value structure of society and the passing on of the traditions and rituals of society. The second main purpose has of course, been the development of the skills needed in society. We still generally agree that skill development is a primary function, although arguments continue about what skills and for whom. Nevertheless, we generally agree that reading skills, arithmetic skills, working skills are very fundamental. Our major problem, however, lies in defining the broad un- derlying purposes of formal education, We no longer have general societal ,agreement on what values and traditions are to be conveyed by the educational system. We have become a society in which there is great confusion about what tran- scendental value structure does in fact undergird our society. Education is not separable from the rest of society• con- sequently if society has dif- ficulties with meaning and values it is not surprising that education has similar difficulties. Our educational institutions will continue to regard skill development as a major function but at the same time some at- tempt must be made to make sense out of what has happened in western society. The schools must also contribute to the reconstruction of an acceptable value structure. Unless we do this we will continue to have more and more "progress" in "technique" but won't have any moral base guiding us in the use of com- puters, nuclear power, television, and all of the other equipment of our materially oriented world. We will continue these thoughts — Please turn to Page 5 f