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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1979-04-11, Page 4Page 4 Times-Advocate, April 11, 1979 Too close for comfort Pennsylvania may appear to be a long way off for most area residents, but it came alarmingly closer as fears of an explosion at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant filled the news media. While there were only vague suggestions of radiation clouds heading in this direction, many thoughts turned to the north-west winds that would cer­ tainly endanger this locale through similar problems at the nuclear plant along the Lake Huron shores at Kincar­ dine. Despite pronouncements from of­ ficials in this country that accidents of that nature would not happen, there are enough experts disputing that claim to indicate that there is cause for concern and anxiety. The problems at Three Mile Island, which fortunately appear to have been resolved without major consequences, have led to a significant distrust of all nuclear plants and no doubt we would be surprised to learn similar U.S. facilities are even closer to Western Ontario. One ot tne most perplexing results of the Pennsylvania accidents is that throughout the entire danger period, the public was fed a barrage of conflic­ ting statements about the inherent dangers and the safeguards that were brought into play. It prompts that question as to whether anyone really does know what dangers man has created for himself. There have been 10 previous nuclear accidents around the world, some which have had devastating results, both short and long terms. Could the next one be at Kincardine? That may be a question we’d just as soon not have answered.“It’speople like Margaret Trudeau who bring out the Ayatullah Khomeini in me!” Sex discrimination BATT’N AROUND ........ with the editor Mainstream Canada “Wine is the Issue” A young London father who is a single parent raising his sons without the aid of the children’s mother, is try­ ing to get mother’s allowance payments. He says that he has to work all day and needs help to look after his family. If he was a single parent mother there would be no problem. This is a situation which is long over­ due for rectification. A single father who is trying to keep his family together faces just as distressing problems as a single mother. There is no reason to justify the discrimination. In fact such sex discrimination is now supposed to be definitely and plainly against the law. In this same regard, we believe that federal income tax regulations still for­ bid a single father from using his payments to a housekeeper as a legitimate tax deductible expense. Cer­ tainly that was the case a few years ago. Reason, of course, is that domestic help is not a tax deductible expense. It’s supposed .to be a luxury. We recall the case of a young widower who, with three children un­ der the age of twelve, was forced to employ a full-time housekeeper and found it very difficult to feed and clothe his family on the wages he was making. Yet no allowance could be made on his income tax bill for his circumstances. It’s time for some changes. Wingham Advance-Times Interesting budget debates Compulsory service Richard Rohmer, a soldier and author has suggested compulsory military service for young Canadians. “A period of national service as part of the price of being a citizen would not be a bad thing for young people” he said. He is a major-general and commands Canada’s military reserves. His plan will not meet with ap­ proval of pacifists of civil liberty enthusiasts but the idea has merit. Instead of paying unemployed young people to do nothing but learn bad habits, they would be learning and keeping fit. The lessons of obedience of authority, regularity, a trade, would all be of use when the period of training was completed. In the emerging nation of Israel, every new citizen must put in two years service for the state. It is not necessarily military, it may be clear­ ing the land, planting trees or something else, but every citizen owes that service ter his country. In the United States erfiployers are bound by law to save jobs for national guardsmen and such a plan could be in­ corporated in a compulsory military service scheme. It may be argued that such service interrupts education, and this is true, but what is learned in army training is probably as valuable as some of the subjects studied at University, and a plan of credits for service training could be worked out. At any rate the idea has merit and would not be a bad thing for young Canadians. Ridgetown Dominion i Perspectives It’s budget time for area councils and boards and to date, those who have completed that task have been able to keep increases to a minimum. That, of course, is a major accomplishment in view of the current inflationary trends. Huron county council and the Huron- Perth Separate School board have already announced that their increases for the current year will be under two percent, indicating the type of restraint for which taxpayers have been hoping. A couple of budget discussions arose in Exeter this week and they proved very interesting. While Exeter Councillors Jay Campbell and Marilyn Williamson fail­ ed to gain much support in their attempts to have staff wages delayed until they could see what impact they would have on the current budget, the arguments they presented were realistic and outlined a problem that arises when officials are attempting to shotv some restraint. : Campbell pointed out that in many sectors of the economy, and particular­ ly with some government agencies, the approval of wage increases has eaten into budgets to the point where there is no money to provide work for the staff members who have been granted those increases. That leaves the employer with two alternatives: to keep the staff on the payroll but with little to do with their time, or lay some of them off and use the corresponding savings to initiate projects for the remaining members to undertake. A third alternative is open and that is to make increases in the budget for wage hikes and the necessary projects to keep all current employees busy, but of course that does not fit in with the move towards financial restraint. ★ * ★ While the concern expressed by Campbell is legitimate, it does not necessarily follow that the actions of the other members of council in ap­ proving the wage hikes prior to the budget approval is wrong. Salaries are an integral part of the budget and even if they are delayed un­ til after the budget is approved, the necessity for increases has to be con­ sidered in the budget deliberations. It does, however, preclude the oppor­ tunity for council to negotiate the in­ creases with a view to the work load when it may be necessary to advise employees that if the wage increases are granted their numbers will have to be thinned to keep the overall budget in line and at the same time provide enough money to undertake projects. But in this day and age, the protec­ tion of jobs of individuals does not appear to be a major consideration of the labor force as a whole. Most groups still fight for wage increases although they know full well that some of them may end up in the ranks of the un­ employed when those increases are granted. It’s an attitude based on survival basically, because few people can ig­ nore the necessity for having wage in­ creases to keep pace with inflation. Hopefully, council will be able to show the restraint they have promised and at the same time-provide employ­ ment along the current lines and still maintain the type of service the tax­ payers expect. It is a very precarious position, to say the least, and one which appears almost impossible. * * * One of the solutions to the situation is to change the timing of staff wage negotiations to one which is closer to budget time. If they had been able to come up with an 18-month agreement with employees, the next negotiations would have taken place closer to the setting of the 1980 budget when a more realistic approach could be taken in terms of the overall town budget. One of the basic problems with the establishment of the town budget is that it is delayed as much as six months into the current fiscal year and a large portion of the expenditures have already been made before they I I have been formally, approved in the budget. While many council members have expressed the desire to have the budget approved earlier, attempts in that direction have proven futile in the past due to a number of circumstances over which they have little or no control. * A * The other interesting budget discus­ sion arose at the Exeter PUC meeting when the waterworks department ex­ penditures for the year were deliberated. Chairman Chan Livingston suggested the budget contained a number of “just in case” items, but failed to have any significant cuts made in it. The PUC suffers from few financial worries as we read their current budget. In addition to aiming for a surplus of over $18,000, the Commission has $10,- 000 invested for emergency situations, earmarked another $3,000 for unfore­ seen expenditures, set aside $2,000 for the purchase of a truck next year and another $4,800 for a paint job planned for 1984. That comes to a grand total of $37,800 not needed for this year’s operating or capital expenditures. It would appear the PUC is getting into the role of a financial institution by establishing a savings account for customers, many of whom would probably prefer to handle their own finances. While reserve funds and surpluses do have their place, they are dangerous in that they make funds easily accessible and lead to decisions to spend the money more on the basis of the funds being available than on the actual merits or priorities of the projects be­ ing considered. People who have to worry about where the next dollar is coming from are less apt to spend their last dollar than those who have no anxieties about cash on hand. By W. Roger Worth In Quebec, St. Lambert businessman Luc St. Germain was elated last September when the provincial government al­ lowed his relatively small gro­ cery store to sell wine. “The new policy has been a real success,” says St. Ger­ main, who stocks about 20 varieties of Canadian and im­ ported wines. “Aside from being profitable, it’s a draw­ ing card for our small busi­ ness.” Quebec has long fostered the independent business sec­ tor by allowing smaller outlets, rather than major supermar­ kets, to sell beer. For the gov­ ernment, extending the policy to include wines was simply another step designed to in­ sure the survival of locally owned, independent stores, In addition, it appears to be a politically astute move, with the government receiving applause rather than com­ plaints. The Ontario governments on the other hand, has taken a completely different tack, Roger Worth is Director, Public Affairs, Canadian Federation of Independent Business. allowing the province’s winer­ ies to sell their wares in sections of supermarkets designed for the purpose. More than 100 of these mini-wine stores are now in place and the number escalates every month. Again, the new units have been enthusiastically accepted by consumers, saving them an extra trip'to the government operated liquor and wine out­ lets. The problem in Ontario, of course, is that small busi­ nessmen are up in arms, point­ ing out that the new policy leaves them out in the cold. “The Ontario policy is hav­ ing a detrimental effect on in­ dependent businesses, and it’s going to get worse,” says an irate proprietor of a smaller store. “In addition to extra pro­ fits, the change provides yet another incentive for consum­ ers to shop at supermarkets rather than smaller stores,” he says. “It’s sad that the gov­ ernment doesn’t understand our plight.” The Ontario government argues that wine sales in smaller units would be difficult to con­ trol, “The object of the policy change was to promote the sale of Ontario produced wines,” says a government official. “The simplest way to achieve that result is through the major chain stores. Meanwhile, other Canadian provinces are taking a long look at the political implica­ tions of changes in wine mar­ keting strategy. Most provin­ ces now sell the product through government operated outlets or, in some cases, a few selected stores connected with wineries. Across the country, though, patterns appear to be chang­ ing. In British Columbia, for example, the government plans to allow local wineries greater scope in selling their product. But certainly not to the extent of allowing wine to be sold in supermarkets or in­ dependent stores. Traditionally, sale of liquor, wine and beer in Canada has always been a ticklish political issue. Elections have been won and lost on appeals to the tee- totalling voters. Now, though, the issue has changed. The situation in On­ tario indicates smaller busi­ nessmen will fight hard for the right to sell wine, now that the government has given the green light to supermarkets on a selected basis. “We simply want to be able to compete with the chain stores on an equal footing,” says the Ontario shopkeeper. J $ By SYD FLETCHER Travelling along the road at night one tends to be a little wary of anybody who approaches your car in an odd fashion. One night my wife and I were returning to our home in Brampton. We had just come off the express way and were proceeding up a long hill which had several sharp curves to the right on it. Out of the blackness ap­ peared a man frantically waving a flash-light. I slowed, then stopped. “There’s a man lying dead on the road here,” he ex­ claimed. As another car was ap­ proaching from the opposite direction, I said I would pull up to the top of the hill and then come back. Out of sight of the little flashlight I had second thoughts about it. Perhaps it was an attempt to rob my wife and I. Who knows what is going on in a case like that? However, I stopped at the top of the hill and ran back. Indeed there was a man there, and though it was a warm night his face was? stone cold. He was lying in such a position that if the other man had not flagged me down I would have run over the dead man’s head. I could find no pulse or heart beat. “Have you called the police?” I asked. As I said that I heard the sirens of two cars ap­ proaching from opposite directions and precisely at that moment the dead man gave a faint groan. Again I bent down, and this time I could smell alcohol. Dead drunk he was and dead, period, is what he would have been if the gentleman passing before me had not just happened to spot him in his lights as he came down the hill. Anybody such as myself would have been hugging the inside of the road and would not have had a chance to miss the man. Of such stuff is happy coincidence made. One of those days Times Established 187.3 limesjJ Advocate Established 1 881 kdvocate 4 UmMm Mw WJ ... „ A r d -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------— • V ctoxixn memory lane 55 Years Ago Mr. Andrew Boa of Hensail is to be congratulated on winning the Webster prize in Old Testament history of the Weslyan TheologicalCollege. Mr. Sampson Yellend was presented with a club-bag in recognition of his honor and integrity in his 22 years of service with the firm of Courtice and Jeffrey at Port Perry, Ontario. Mrs. Ronald Witwer, we believe, has caught the first pike of the season, it being two feet long. Mr. William Gardiner, who is in the furniture and undertaking business with his father, Mr. M. E. Gar­ diner, has been successful in securing his undertaker’s license, which he received last week. Mr. Earl Guenther has purchased a new Ford truck. 30 Years Ago Joe Creech was elected manager of the Exeter Baseball club for the 1949 season. Harvey Sparling, teacher of Winchelsea school, and pupils motored to Toronto in a Guenther bus and visited Maple Leaf Gardens, Casa Loma, Parliament Buildings and Union Station. The Huronia Male Chorus presented its spring concert to an audience of 600 per­ sons. , Mr. & Mrs, Joseph Davis were presented with a scroll on behalf of the provincial government on the occasion of their 60th wedding an­ niversary. Saturday evening, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Ratz were honored at their silver wedding anniversary. 20 Years Ago Jack Drysdale, past president of the Hensail Kinsman Club, was selected zone winner of the ‘Kinsman of the Year’ award at the conference in Hensail, Sunday. Canadian Canners Ltd., Hamilton, announced' Monday it would re-open its plant here. Peas and corn will be packed this year. Donald G. Graham will be the new manager. Harvey Pfaff, .past president of the Exeter Legion was elected as zone commander for a two-year term at Wingham, Sunday. Members of Alpha Pi chapter of Beta Sigma Phi donated $100 toward nursery supplies for South Huron Hospital at their meeting this week. Cable tool rig on the Jul- Du-Mar well near Crediton is being dismantled in preparation for its replacement by a diamond drill this spring. 15 Years Ago Principal H. L. Sturgis announced seven new teachers have been hired to replace four who resigned bringing the,staff up to 30. Hon. C. S. MacNaughton cut the cake at RCAF Station Clinton’s mess dinner celebrating the air force’s 40th anniversary. Harold Beery, son of Allen Berry, Woodham, a graduate of SHDHS was admitted to the bar by the Law Society of Upper Canada, April 10. At a special 'meeting Thursday night, SHDHS board authorized architects to prepare working drawings for a modified addition estimated at $231,000. Right from the first, I knew it was a day, “I shooda stood in bed,” as a third- rate pugilist, Kingfish Levinsky, once said after being flattened by the great heavyweight Joe Louis, in round one. Got up, took a tug at the strap of my wristwatch to take it off and wash; broke the strap. Nothing serious. Cheap plastic junk. But it turned out to be applied to the watch by one of those un­ seen geniouses who lose one of your socks in the wash, and prpduce four ex­ tra beer bottles when every case of emp­ ties is full. I’ll probably never be able to wear the watch again, unless I glue it to my wrist. Served me right. I hadn’ta watch for 30 years, and never felt the need for one. But my wife bought me this one last summer, in the duty-free shop at London airport. And now I find myself neurotically flipping up my cuff and glaring at the hair on my left wrist, like all the other anxiety hounds in the coun­ try who are not going anywhere,don’t need to know the time, but are constant­ ly flipping up their arms like trained seals and looking at their watches. Who needs a watch? Life is going quickly enough, without the evidence on a little dial. The very word has nothing but unpleasant connotations. “Watch what you’re doing there. Watch out. Watch your step. Watch the late movie. Watch your wife. Watch that guy hang­ ing around your daughter. Watch what you say in mixed company.” O.K. I shrugged off the watch. Went down and got my breakfast. Usually, it’s toast and tea. This particular morning, I had more time, SO I fixed the worksireal Coffee, bacon, fried bread and a nice sloppy fried egg on top of the bread. A drooly great breakfast. Thought I’d eat in my favorite chair in the living room, and read my morning paper in the spring sunshine pouring in the window. So I put my grub on the kitchen counter and started cutting the fried bread and egg into bite-sized pieces, so that I’d need only one hand to eat. Something skidded. The plate slipped off the counter, sprayed grease all over the front of my pants, and smashed to smithereens on the floor. I emitted a most unlady-like few words, salvaged the bacon from under the sink and started cleaning up. Have you ever tried to wipe up just one lousy semi-fried egg from a kitchen floor? It reminded me of the old days, when I’d drop a quart milk bottle and sponge up what seemed like a gallon of milk. And it was the first time I’d had to change my pants since I was about two. Well, I should have stopped right there, stripped to the skin, and gone back to bed for the day. But, as faithful readers know, I believe that bad things come in threes, and then you have a good streak. As it happened, Iiwas going to buy a car from a chap that day. With impec­ cable logic, I reckoned one more minor disasterwould occur.andl’d be home free for a while. If it didn’t, the car would be a lemon, to complete the trio, and I wouldn’t buy it. It did. The minor disaster. I sailed out of the house, figuring I’d slip arid break an elbow, or the car wouldn’t start. Nothing of the sort. Stuck my hand in my coat pocket. No keys. No car keys. No house keys. And I’d left the latch on. Stood at the back door, ding-donging like crazy for five minutes. Blasted if I was going to climb in the cellar window and wreck my second pair of pants. Finally, the Old Lady appeared. She’d been in the bath tub. She was not ecstatic with our marital state. Grease all over the kitchen, my watch busted, and the se­ cond last set of plates also busted. She felt like busting me. Anyway, I finally set off with a light heart. The three baddies had happened, and the rest of the day would be glorious, the car a winner, everything golden. Well, you probably know the rest. Late for work. Thirteen decisions to make at same. A hair in my grilled cheese at lunch. Lukewarm coffee. Banker who had promised me the loan out to lunch for two hours. Tried to sneak in a quick visit to doctor for allergy shots; and he forgot I was there for an hour. Late for my appointment to meet car seller. We’d both forgotten to pick up the safety check certificate. Rushed off to the garage, telling car seller and wife to wait for me at licensing bureau. Arrived at garage breathless, but still time. Nobody home 4?ut gas pump jockey. Mechanics out jogging. Jogging! Phoned license bureau to tell short, ill tempered seller with beard to hang on. They hadn’t seen him since I left. Wait 25 minutes. Sweaty, gasping mechanics arrive, sign certificate. Rushed back to license bureau. No sign of car seller, inside or out. Got all papers ready, Waiting, fuming, inside, Amalgamated 1924 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 Composition Manager — Harry DeVries Business Manager — Dick Jongkind Published Each Wednesday Morning ^^^Phone 235-1331 af Exeter, Ontario Second Class MailH^CNA — SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada $ 11.00 Per Year; USA $22.00 them outside, “Turkey’s probably gone to the bank or something.” At five to five, phoned his apartment. He was there. He and his wife had waited OUTSIDE the license bureau (not enough brains to stay in and keep warm), had decided I’d changed my mind and wouldn’t be back, and were at the moment packing to go to the city for a week. With my car. And the license bureau closed at five. Tottered home in a daze, expecting the house to be burn­ ed down and my wife pregnant. Or vice versa, the ways things were going. And then I started to laugh. And laugh. I had to be administered a strong dose of cough medicine to cool me down. Somebody once said that the Lord works in mysterious w^s'He ?ure does> Wonder what he had against me that cold March day? Maybe it was a lousy car, and He Was try­ ing to warn me.