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gBrussels Post
11108 S 111TARILO
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 1977
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,$8.00 a year. Others
$14.00 a year, Single Copies 20 cents each.
The arms race -
means doom -
In the Pentagon and in the Kremlin, in -military
academies and war rooms around the world, the talk
is still of bombs and missiles. President Cartir has
been told by some of his military advisers that 200 to
250 long-range nuclear missiles -- all intended for
submarine launch -- are by no means the minimum
deterrence against a Soviet surprise attack.
In 1974, the arms levels agreed upon by the United
States and the Soviet Union at Vladivostok were
2,400 long-range missiles (including bombers) on
each side. This is 10 times the level President Carter
is now studying, and enough to spell an end to the
civilized world as we know it.
There is a broadened constituency in the United
States and in many other countries that favors
higher spending on defense. The Pentagon's new
defense budget for fiscal 1978 -calls for $123 billion --
representing about 10 times the amount that all the
rich, industrialized states lent or gave to the
developing countries in the form of economic aid last
year.
While armaments manufacturers - are —ex-perk-
menting with Buck Rogers type death rays and
warheads that weave their way to targets to foil the
defenders, the dispossessed of the earth must
struggle with misery, poverty, illiteracy and disease.
It is shameful that the governments of nations --
mostly rich nations but a good many poor nations as
well -- squander such vast resources on arms when
hundreds of millions are in deperate need of a better
life.
The fault lies largely with the great powers. Not
only could they help to create a more peaceful global
climate if they wished, they also could halt the flow
of weapons to the developing world. The rich nations
are the ones that make the weapons. It is they who
build not just the nuclear missiles that could spell
doom for h umanity, but the less sophisticated
aircraft and tanks and machine guns that find their
way into arsenals everywhere. It is the rich nations
that profit from the, manufacture and the sale of
arms. It is the rich nations who must lead the way by
banning first of all nuclear arms, and who must then
work toward general disarmament.
(The United Church)
Now, why would I want to say anything
against a snowmobile? Those machines
make the wonderful world of winter go
around. And they make it go away too.
I mean, they make people forget the
winters are so long around here. I've talked
with some snomobilers and they're sorry to
see the winter come to an end.
So, why do I want to complain about
snowmobiles? Some of my best friends own
one. And better yet, some of them offer to
give me a ride.
And I take it whenever I'm around.
_,That's the trouble lately. Robert Ander-
son's been up to our place a couple of
times. He's wanted to take me on a whirr
on his new Skidoo. But I'm not home. He's
had to settle for my daughters.
But then, maybe that's not so bad after
all. What„ other vehicle forces you to
snuggle up to the driver, put your arms,
around him and hold on 'for' dear life?
No wonder young men like
snowmobiles. It's one more machine men
can race their heads off with. It's got the
car beat on those two scores alone.
So why should I gripe about snowmo-
biles? They keep people off the roads and
into the fields -- not to mention the fence
posts, river bottoms and barbed wire.
I bet Joseph-Armand Bombardier of
Quebec never dreamed what he'd get
started when he began mass producing
them in the late 1950's.
And now, only 20 years later, he's put a
snowmobile in almost every garage, a
snowmobile suit in every closet and helmet
on every head.
Before that, the snowmobile belonged to
the Far North -- in rescue missions and
winter travel. The machines made dog
sleds as obsolete as the horse and buggy.
Well, not exactly. The Eskimo n ow pulls
his sled with a snowmobile.
But Joseph-Armand couldn't have
drehmed how he'd change _ southern
Ontario winters. The whole country side
buzzes and roars in motor sounds. After
every snowfall, their tracks press down and
shatter winter's silence.
But why would I ever want to complain
about the snowmobile? They've put a lot of
fun into Ontario winters. They've brought
people together. In clubs, associations and
midnight trail rides. The winter carnivals
make snowmobiles top billing, and
Ontario's become a continual. Mardi Gras
land. Quebec has nothing on us. Long
winters need carnivals with pancakes,
baked beans and hot chocolate, dances and
draws.
I shouldn't complain' one bit. Those
snowmobiles drag people out of warm
homes and away from T.V. sets. They get
them out into the great outdoors. Just
breathe in deep that fresh clean air.
Hold it a minute. Sorry. A snowmobile's
going by.
But quit my bellyaching. Think of all the
sales and services they've made. Millions
of dollars of boom-in-business in Canada.
You can't knock that in recession times,
can you? Things can't be all that tough if so
many can fork over a thousand dollars for a
joy ride.Then there's the gas, the oil, the
upkeep, the repairs, the licenses.
Ah, the licenses and more regulations.
New regulations and new requirements.
The government's into the act.They have
to be. You can't have children bombing
around the countryside with so much
horsepower at their finger grips. Joseph-
Armand's flying machines are taking off in
new directions. Licensed instructors,
Government standards and tests. More
paper work. More jets. More revenue.
But I'm not complaining. I know the
snowmobile is going to be with us for a
long, long time.
But did you notice last week? The snow's
melting. I smell spring. I feel it coming on
all around me. Great spring! It's warm sun
does a lot for me -- and snowmobiles.
And mind you, I'm not complaining one
bit.
The angry Maitland
Amen
by Karl Schuessler
Snow machines
WRITE,
and sign, your letter to the editor today.
WE
BPS
speak
the pr