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Home My WebLink AboutThe Brussels Post, 1976-03-17, Page 2PITMOASHIP 1172 Brussels: Post WEDNESDAY, MARCH 17, 1976 SHUPE LS ONTARIO 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 , • CNA Subscriptions (in advance) Canada $6.00 a year. Others $8.00 a year, Single Copies 15 cents each: Cutbacks? Cutbacks and restraints are the order of the day on the local front and most of us -are willing to go along with them. A lot of people share a feeling that governments and individuals have been spending and consuming too much ... a feeling that we've all been on ai long binge and it's time- for a diet. Ordinary peo ple are doing their bit to conserve and to fight inflation. Most of us in Seaforth have accepted the fact that we just can't afford a new arena, as have lots of other communities in this country. A lot of people have had to accept the fact that they are never going to be able to afford to own a house or a new car or any of the many accompaniments of a luxurious life style that many other Canadians take for granted. Meanwhile, what are our two senior governments doing in the name of restraint and cost cutting? Well, the latest word on inflation is that the federal anti inflation administrator's office • will cost taxpayers about $100,000 a month.. The adminis- trator's office is separate from the—Anti Inflation Board, which has 'a budget of $13.4 million for the coming year. It's the administrator's job to respond to requests from the board - there has only been one so far - to investigate cases- where wage and price guidelines have been contravened or would likely be contravened. The fed's new ,slogan could be "spending your dollars to fight inflation". Provincially things are worse. A reader, brought,us in a copy of 13 page newsletter called Background that is received every week at every municipal clerk treasurer's office in the province. Background is issued by something called the Office of Information Services and last week's issue • was all about discussions at the Provincial Municipal Liaison Committee. , Some clerks and 'treasurers might have found the issue worthwhile but someone close to one clerk called the newsletter "an example of the waste of the Ontario government." We have to wonder whether th'e politicians-and the civil servants at high levels of ,government ever look in the mirror when they call for. cutbacks. A lot of the cutbacks could' begin close to their stomping grounds not ours. To the editor Gordon McGavin , To the Editor: Gordon McGavin died Thursday night in his 71st year. He Was one in a million, leaving a legacy of decency, and unforgotten memories. Gordon McGavin hadn't much schooling by today's standards .,,,he only went to grade 1.0,. but fot common sense, . political savvy, understanding of people, his reponse to duty, devotion to family, business acumen, all these Attributes and more engendered the respect of those he knew, cordon hate crooked politicions, poorly designed farm machinery, bad plowing, hYpitertsy, stray ritigs,• king-fishers and great blue herons loved his family, children, liberals, the OPA, good plowing, good farm machinery, practical jOkeS, the troth, plowing matches; Huron County, The Seaforth Girls. Band a good chin-wag with' friends, ttoitt ponds and' rye whiskey:, He was egreat booster for anything in which he believed: Gordon McGavin was a good man and a true friend enriching the lives of those he touched, Wherever he goes, May the .sun always•Aitie on the 'right side of his fence, Cliff Robb VIP's I was trying to get a hold of some V.I. P.' some yeryimportant people by telephone. I wanted to interview them' for a two hour C.B.C. radio documentary on preaching. Now I knew enough to phone in advance. Anyone knows ' that's common courtesy. Phone ahead. Make an appointment. Let people knoW you:re coming. You may drop in on your best friend without any notice, but even that's frowned on nowadays. Well, let me tell you. I didn't make very many appointments. But I did learn how to be a very important person. Lesson number one. Never answer your own telephone. If you're a V.I.P. stay , away from the phone. Have someone else, your wife, your secretary, your kid, anyone--your cat, if you 'have to--answer the phone.. That keeps the V.I.P. one person--or one animal-- removed from his contact. Because a V.I.P. isn't going to talk to just anyone, He's way too busy for that. He needs every screening device he can get to strain out all the gnats that swarm at his door. If you're V.I.P. enough, then you call that gnat strainer, a publiczelations man Ot:'a press secretary or an appointment desk director. "So you want to interview Billy Graham?"" said. ,the public relations man in the Toronto office, I'll have to give you his North Carolina number." North. Carolina gave me' a Philadel- phia number. And that's lesson number two. If you're going- to be a V.I.P. then hose telephone numbers all over the country, I suppose it doesn't matter if the phone ringsin a'carpeted office of a swank high rise office bUilding or if it rings in just same old hold in the wall. The caller's never going, to know, SO just be Sure you have out-of town numbers: Calls like that Make the dimes run out of . your pocket real fast; 'That's discouraging: enough to Weed out all: the Weak and ill4z tended. But I. wasn't put off. called Philadelphia. The news was grim. Mr:. Graham gets 7,000 invitations a year for speaking engagetnentS and intetvieWS,, So it's quite a selection job. And did I realize that Mr. Grahatit had just come out of the Mayo And cdtildn't wait until 108? Mt. Graham was coming td the Ex, in TorotitO that SuitMadr. I could interview him then. That's lesson number three Never say yes tight away, If takes time to MOW a moittitaitt Of a V.I.P. secretary, "Rex Humbard isn't ,in Akron right now. He's in, Texas. You'll have to talk to hiS son, Rex Humbard Jr. and find out his exact schedule. "Rex is a very busy .inan, sir.. He's preaching at the Cathedral. of Tomorrow on April 11, then flying out the same day. Then he's back in Akron for three (1.4s. Then out again". This is hard work. Lining up one man through a bevy of secretaries and public relations men. But I was' getting the point. Rex didn't really want to see a C.B.C. man. A tune before, C.B.C..had interviewed him and the program didn't say too many nice things about him. Reporters have that way. They come on nice and sweet and then come off with a barbeque--a good roast that says Rex Humbard is. Rex HuMbug. - Bah humbug yourself. I wasn't getting anyplace. But one more try. May I have an interview with Mrs. Coreetta King? I'm passing through Atlanta today, and I wonder if I could set something up,'' Her secretary was shocked, "You want an interview? Atthis short notice? Impossible! Write a letter and request one" "But I'm here. Right here in Georgia. I could come over today or tomorrow." "I'm sorry, Mrs. Kong doesn't work that way. We need a letter stating who you ate, What you Want and Why," I'm the kind that never gives up. One more turn-. I'd give the telphone one more try. "I'd like to speak With Rev. Martin Luther king,Sr:'' "Sorry; Rev, King is flying out to laCksonVille, Florida today. He's going to preach at a rally there tonight. You could go on down there, and heat him. Maybe talk to hint afterwards'': - Maybe: Maybe. Maybe, Lesson number Never make a firm commitment. Hold out for a while. With "ifs" and "maybe" and "next tithe". Was I ever glad to get !come; To pick 00 !Ay . and did your titiniber. You answer. No press secretaries. Desk appoint, nientS. And public relations Meth You may not be ii V.I.P. But what good is a V LI? if he never talks to you? • stick with a person who can answer' his own phone. That Makes' hint a very important petton--in my 'telephone book, Amen by Karl Schuessier • "I'M sorry, .sit," said d lady- press eB a War m m N8i Smith ch n k eWW° Heffrc nislIPB0BMToi t irpelehcEaenciati y Ad, l y Ha . MEAda Elliot n Bti die SI ra mWanori PsdutlyAlle Dui Ml Scot Van sAle Tha iGor McA