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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1975-09-03, Page 12Local stores hit by canning lid shortage ' ' 0 49`47:no,to. I, • Graduates from weekly paper to begin painting career Balance, composition and appeal are occupying the mind of artist G. Cecil Day as he works on his oil and acrylic paintings. The same topics were his concerns for many years in laying out and editing the Liverpool Advance, one of Nova Scotia's weekly newspapers. Mr. Day, now retired from the Newspaper business, spends, considerable time painting, a hobby he began in'his 75th year. (N.S. CIC Photo) stories on the linotype machine." His interest in newspapers and his skill as a linotype operator brought Mr. Day to Nova Scotia. In 1916, wanting experience on a daily paper, he came to New Glasgow to work on the Daily News. This was the first of a series of jobs on Nova Scotian papers, both weekly and daily. In 1931, Mr. Day moved to Liverpool to .work for The Advance. "There was a chance of eventually buying into the paper and I decided that's what I wanted," he said. "The Chance came in 1936 and I took over the paper. At that time, the circulation was only 700." It wasn't going to stay there, not with Cec Day in charge. In his years of working for the paper, he'd come •to know the town and know' the people of the South Shore area. And they knew him. It was hard work. On the paper' he was owner, editor, photograiiher, photoengraver, reporter, circulation and advertising manager. -k-Vis efforts paid off. The circulation climbed to more than 5,000 and The Advance was the recipient of several newspaper awards. The newspaper certainly was a major interest of Mr. Day but not an all-consuming one. He had time for his hobbies of rare books and ship-models. This led him to an understanding and appreciation of history, particularly of Liverpool and the South Shore area. He served a stint on the Liverpool town council. After 33 years with the Kiwanis Club, he resigned and then helped organize the Liverpool Lions club. From president he became District. Governor for Nova Scotia. Mr. Day, a past president of the Nova Scotia' Weekly Newspaper Association and for many years a director of Class A Weeklies of Canada, retains his intei•bst in the trade' and next year will be honorary chairman of the national Canadian Community Newspaper Association convention in Halifax. This will bring weekly newspaper editors and publishers from all parts of Canada to this eastern sea-port city. All of them will know of Cec Day,- many will have met him in his career as publisher of The Advance. The delegates will probably regard him as a newspaperman rather than as a painter. But. Cec Day usually has smile photographic reproductions of his artistic endeavors in his suitcoat pocket. Not many delegates Will leave the convention without seeing his explorations in oils and acrylics. 0 The canning lid shortage seems to have hit large cifies,small towns, and Country stores equally. Cheryl Roth, of ,Roth's Food Market said the store has had a "terribly hard time" to get the lids. She said about 50 people have come into the store and asked her about the lids. "All sound like they've already heard the story before. It bothers you when you have to say 'no' to people. You don't know if they will understand." She said the consumer seems caught "over a barrel" since the glass li ds are no longer produced and it is so hard to get the metal lids. Several "weeks ago, the store received two orders of lids, but within a few day's time, they were gone. She said the store has placed another order, but won't know if it will get them until the order is received from the wholesalers. 'A I.ocal store owner( said the store elaced an order last October and when it came last week, it was cut "95 per cent". He ordered 25 cases and received one case of standard lids. Earlier in the spring, the store got one case of a complete line including a case of rubber rings, of tops, of jars, and of lids. This order was sent automatically to all the stores. A wholesaler got its second Order and split them equally between the stores. He said he doesn't get enough jar lids to advertise them because after a few calls they're all gone. Some home canners must be in a bind especially those who are not able to get the glass lids. ' He said a few people ask if he has any suggestion. "A lot may turn to -freezing, it's the only alternative they have." He expects the store to get, lids in fits and starts and expects the situation to ease up a bit. Local store operators seem to be optimistic about the availability of lids for the rest of the year. They seem to have been given the word that more lids will be available. The Winthrop General Store has five cases on order, 60 packages to a case, but only one case' of each arrived. Gail Schroeder who operates th store with her husband Doug, said a London relative was buying some lids from retail stores and bringing them up to help out. She said a lot of people still use glass lids and it's mainly young married couples who are looking for the metal lids, as well as women who must replace. broken glass lids. So far the store hasn't had a great demand for lids, but then the ,season is only starting, Strangers are beginning to call because they think country stores are more likely to have lids, she ' Mrs. Schroeder said she has no answer to the lids shortage but said: "I think there are glass tops around, but it's trying to find them." Mrs. Schroeder said different customers have reused lids for years. She has tried it and it works, but some people don't save them, she said. Consumei's have called for an investigation of this shortage and Consumer Minister Sidney Handeleman reported this month that the shortage resulted from increased popularity of home canning. Mr. Handleman said the consumers are complaining that there are plenty of new jars complete with lids. He thinks that they have a legitimate right to ask if they are being "ripped 9ff" by the jar manufacturers. The two companies that make The lids in Ontario have been operating 24 hours a day since spring to meet the demand, he said. .,"The last shipments they made to the jar manufacturers was some time in. March," he said, British Columbia had been supplied with lids from California but with the metal shortage that source of supply has stopped and Ontario firms,• are supplying western Canada too. Mr. Handleman said: "We've had reports of some individuals from Michigan and Ohio buying these lids on the retail market and shipping them across the border to the United States. "I would add, however, that there Is ,no indication that the jobbers who distribute these lids to the retailers are involved in this activity," he' said. He 'yarned retailers or individuals from cornering the market. "Retailers should beal in mind that it is in their interest to make , sure that they supply only their own regular customers with these products." The Consumer minister warned people doing home preserves to make sure they have enough supplies before they purchase the produce. Canning can be an expensive undertaking if it isn't done right. The agriculture department . warned people that this year's tomato crop is low in citric acid and could cause food poisoning, if improperly canned. Although the danger of food pOisoning is "very low'', the department recommends a small amount of citiric acid be added to tomatoes before canning. For a two-pound, one-quart jar, half a teaspoon of citric acid 'mixed with one tablespoon of salt in one tablespoon of boiling water is suggested. This m ixturdlcould be added to any possible danger, Art is the latest form of communi- cation adopted by G. Cecil Day, former publisher of The Adrvance, a weekly newspaper in Liverpool, Nova Scotia, and a past president of the Canadian Weekly Newspaper Association. After a full career in the newspaper business, Mr. Day found that retirement left him with some time to fill. He launched himself into painting at his winter home in Scottsdale, Arizona. "That was a couple of years ago, when I was 75," he said. "I' was wondering what to do one day and saw a newspaper ad for oil painting classes. I figured I'd give it 'a try." The try was quite successful. He found he had talent for painting and after learning some of the basic techniques of brush and palette knife he's gone on to do a wide variety of still life, scenes, landscapes and seascapes. Mr. Day's paintings are about what he sees in his two abodes. Bright flowers and desert scenery from Arizona contrast with views of the rocky coast of Nova Scotia. "I think my best painting is one of the Nova Scotian shore near Liverpool with the Atlantic waves washing against the rocks," he said. , After achiev ing a measure of success with oil paints, Mr. Day decided to explore the techniques of acrylics. De found another teacher, Mrs. Gladys Aldridge of Michigan, who also spends her winters in the same apartment block in Arizona. "Acrylics are much faster than oils," he commented knowledgeably. "They dry in about 20 minutes againsts weeks for oils." This past winter, Mr. Day finished eight pictures. Born in Wales in 1898, Mr. Day was stricken with• polio when he was three years old. He lost the use of both legs and had the use of his arms seriously impaired. In 1911, the Day family moved to Charlottetown, P,E.I. Three years later, after regaining full Use of his arms. Mr. Day enrolled in a pre-law, course at Charlottetown's Prince of Wales College. "I left after a year because of the expense and decided to get a job," he said. "This was my move into the newspaper business. I started with the Guardian at $3 a week as night news editor and the following year got $6 weekly as linotype operator. "I had ambitions of beconling a reporter and did some sports witting: for the paper. I never bothered to Use a, typewriter' in those days. I 'wrote the 12—THE BRUSSELS POST, SEPTEMBER 3 1975 -READ' and USE EXPOSITOR CLASSIFIED Action Ads PHONE DIRECT 5027.0240