HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1975-06-18, Page 2no @PP
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WEDNESDAY, JUNE le, 1975
Serving Brussels and the surrounding community.
Published each Wednesday afternoon at Brussels, Ontario
by McLean Bros.Publishers, Limited.
Evelyn Kennedy - Editor Dave Robb. Advertising
Member Canadian Community Newspaper Association and
Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association.'
Subscriptions (in advance) Canada $6.00 a year, Others
CCNIA $8.00 a year, Single Copies 15 cents each.
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• , 4,11:36.1
Land is great resource .
••
In the endless discussion about the use --- and
misuse -- of natural resources around the world, the
main spotlight generally falls on oil. 11115 is quite
understandable because the affluent, urbanized
nations need the energy that oil provides to run the
machines of industry and to light the cities.
But in fact the most important of the world's.
resources is land. Man grows his food on the land.
The rain that falls upon the land accumulates in
lakes, rivers and man-made reservoirs to give
humanity its water. And millennia before oil was
discovered, our ancestors needed food and water to
sustain life.
Historically, wars have been fought over
possession of the soil. Most of the great migrations
have been undertaken by peoples seeking more
fertile and hospitable land.
And now, the land around the world is very
unevenly divided. This causes demographers serious
headaches. No single.,nation, and no bloc of nations,
can be blamed. The quirks of history have created a
world that has been for centuries and remains to this
day tilted in favor of ,the rich, white nations. The
United States, 'Canada, Australia arid France have
vast wheatlands -- and enjoy successful farniing
methods -- wherea6 hundreds of millions in Asia,
Africa and Latin America go hungry, sometimes for
lack of land, other times simply because they lack
knowhow.
In the Sahel, it is lack of land. In' Mali, the Sahelian
drought has destroyed the immense gradssiands
around, Timbuktu, home for a thousand years of the
proud Tuaregs and their herds of cattle, sheep and
goats. Chad reports that half of its territory is
smothering in Sahara sand. In Ethiopia to the East,
100,000 are said to have died in recent months
during a disastrous drought. Where was the fertile
land that perhaps should be every man's right?
Contributed
To the editor:
Association for retard'ed
thanks POSteettders
Sir:
The Wingham and District
ASSociation for the mentally
Retarded wish to thank all the
individual people and
organizations who contributed in
many ways to the Flowers of
Hope Campaign.
The money will be used to help
the retarded children throughout
the area.
Amen
by Karl Schue'-Ssler
There's a\mouse in my house. And the little
rat moved right in without any invitation. He
never bothered to ask. Is it convenient? Do I
have other plans-r-
No. He comes right in.At this least expected
time. Now if it were fall, I might expect it.
When the food is scarce and winter winds
start to howl.
But in spring? No respectable person takes
in a mouse at this time of the year. It's
embarrassing. With my friends sitting in,the
living room. The conversation lulls. A:pause.
Silence. And then a scratch. Scratch.
Scraaatch.
"What's going on here?" my fiiend asks,
"That doesn't sound like Pepper."
He was right. It's not my cat.
And the question brings both of us to
shame. For me -- for harbouring a mouse. And
for Pepper -- For letting a mouse slip through
her paws.
I couldn't let this go on. This mouse has to
go.
Guests and fish stink after .three'days. And
so do mice -- caught or uncaught, —
I took special night time measures. I gave
out orders. Close up every cupboard door. Ptit
ihe top On the butter diSh. Leave out no
grease: Transfer the flour from the sack to a
tin. Screw down every lid to every jar. Nothing
no food at all stands out at night.
This Mouse has got to learn. Hard times are
coming. Banquet days are over. A famine
approaches.
But he didn't go away.lie.,didn't take my
hints. He stayed on and on. He thought this
Was his permanent address. Why it got sd he
thou ht the kitchen Was his.
One day when I walked through, I saw him
on the counter top: And did he scurry away?
No. He stopped. Right in his tracks. Poked
his head in the air. Sniffed, Looked all
around:
I looked him straight in the eye. Eyeball to
eyeball.eyeball. Neither of us Moved. We never
blinked. I raised my hand. He scampered off.
So he thinks he Owns the place,, eh/ The
courage! TO look right -at Me. While WS,
stealing My foOdl.
I'll she* get toUgh.
I set two mouse traps Filled with cheese,
The net Morning the cheese Was genie.
I read up on mice 'and their eating habits.
Their favorite foods are fat peanut butter and
cheese. In that order.
I went through them all. Iii that order .
And so did the mouse.
That little beggar! He's making a fool of
me.
My neighbor told me to try a raisin. Let the
raisin stand out a few days.Harden. Make the
mouse Work while he gnaws'away at it on the
trap.
But I didn't have a raisin in the house.
couldn't wait two days for a hard one eithet.
But it put me on a new track. Think.
This is a special' mouse.With special tastes.
He's got to have a weak spot. A downfall spot.
Every Sampson has his Delilah. Every
Achilles, a heel.
I thought of flour: Our flour sack with a big
gnawed hole in the bottom. Who'd ever think
of putting flour on a mouse trap?
And the mouse- wouldn't suspect He 'S been
nipping at flour for over' a week ti ow. Free.
Carefree. Without Metal riggings and wire
traps.
I sprinkled the whole trap in flour,
Here'S to flour power .
What'd I tell yeti?
It Worked:
And When I carried the little felloW out
morning, T felt tort Of sorry.
The garde was over, Of Man and mouse, I u
wen Alright, But only after' a big fight.
There was one conSolatien. I fed hitri
He was the fattests:looking Manse i ever did
see„, I
ou
sure let my house guest live high, before
t brought hint Id*,
There are many things yet to be
done for the trainable retarded
and it is only through the•
co-operation of all the citizens of
the community that this can be
accomplished. ,
Your tontributionS help in
Malty ways.
Mrs. It Swatridge
Viringharrii Ont.
tried a piece of bacon. At $1.59 a pound, I
thought, enjoy yourself. Your last meal.
He enjoyed himself alright. But it wasn't his
last meal.
I bought two,more mouse traps. Those other
two. Those springs. They're not tripping
right.
old car parts