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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1979-10-31, Page 4Mainstream Canada The Blizzard of Paperwork A .. The free enterprise system suf- fered another jolt recently in the an- „ nouncement that the United Auto Workers have managed to persuade two of this nation's leading car manufacturers to transfer health coverage from Blue Cross to two other health insurers. The decision was not based on cost „ or benefits, but only because the union has been on strike against Blue Cross in an attempt to win a first contract for 450 employees in Toronto. It is an extremely dangerous situa- tion when firms are forced into such decisions in an effort to reach a settle- ment with their own employees in a matter that is almost totally irrelevant to the terms of their own employment contracts. Having won that concession, the unions may now embark on a program where they dictate many other facets of the auto manufacturers' choice of suppliers and operations. The thought strikes us that perhaps this newspaper should not write editorials opposing some union actions in case they force their firms to halt advertising that may be considered in the future. That would appear to be the type of extension possible in the decisions reached by the auto manufac- turers in relation to their health coverage. Mostly bad news There was both good and bad news in the annual report submitted recently for the employment and immigration department by Auditor-General J.J. Macdonald. The good news was that the federal government detected cases of overpay- ment of unemployment insurance benefits to the tune of $71.4 million last year. The bad news is that another $290 million went undetected. However, even the good news is more than a little tarnished when it in- dicates that except for some super sleuthing by the federal department, Canadians would have been ripped off to the total of $361.4 million in 1978. Who was doing the ripping off? They're fellow Canadians! No wonder they call this the land of opportunity. Keep a sharp eye Motorists, if you must drive on Halloween night, be certain you keep a sharp eye out for trick-or-treaters walking in the dark. Children throughout the area will undergo a mysterious and magical change from child to ghost, goblin or any number of other beings from the imagination in observance of a special holiday just for kids - Halloween night. Young trick-or-treaters sharing the streets with motorists and ghosts walk- ing through unlit streets and yards, wearing masks that may obscure their vision makes for a potentially dangerous night. Their safety depends, in part, on vi- sion and visibility. Help make Halloween safe. Becomes irrelevant If only one in 20 Canadians is com- mitted to a mainline church, then denominationalism is irrelevant, says The United Church Observer in its November issue. The editorial comes in response to a report by the Rev. Dennis Oliver, of the Canadian Church Growth Centre in Regina, whose five years of research suggest Canada is no longer a Christian country. If that is the case, evangelism should begin at home: "Never mind Bibles behind the Iron Curtain"., says Patricia Clarke, interim editor. And Protestant and Roman Catholic denominations should seek closer ties with Muslims and Jews "because we share more with them than with the secularists." There have always been Christians who have had influence far out of proportion to their numbers, the editorial says. "We expect that will continue to be true. Knowing that they are a minority makes the way they live out their faith all the more important. Perspectives By SYD FLETCHER I was chatting with a fellow the other day about the way government has intruded into our lives. In many ways we seem to have become just another social security number. Govern- ment tells us how to run our lives, when to retire, when to go to school, where we can live (just take a look at the zoning by-laws), and how to raise our children. He felt that there was no end to it, that the average Canadian was bound into the system was bound into the system and could not get out of it no matter how he tried. As well he noted that the spirit of free enterprise is being strangled, that a person doesn't really have much of a chance anymore to make a success of himself. When he said that I got thinking about a fellow I met a number of years ago. At the time we were living in a large apartment building in London, It was one of a series of similar buildings all owned by the same com- pany. Anyway, this fellow was down by the new swimming pool examining the pump. A man in his fifties, with a day's growth of beard, he was dressed in a well used pair of baggy pants and an old shirt. He remarked that he liked fiddling around with pumps, that he's seen a lot of dif- ferent kinds over the years. Assuming that he was the new building superintendent I mentioned a couple of minor problems in the building, and he nodded, then said that he'd see they were taken care of. Gradually, through the conversation I began to realize that when he talked about 'my building' that that's exactly what he meant. He and another fellow owned the buildings all around me, and he was a millionaire many times over. Just goes to show you that you can't judge a book by its cover The first really interesting thing though was that he had come to Canada just seventeen years before, with only $35.00 in his pocket. He had been willing to work on the grubbiest, smallest construction jobs in the city for those first few years. Things had gradually im- proved until he now owned over twenty apartment buildings. The second thing that I found really interesting about him was his ability to stay as unassuming and without false pride as anybody else on the street. Mao, of course, it disproves my friend's assumption that a person can't improve his lot. If he has the determination and will-power to do so he can attain anything. Paoli 4 Times-Advocate, October 31, 1979 11111111111011ROVARIETZ:7,71.= "1"' A — yi rcl.$ Established 1873 Advocate Established I gat • Imes dvocate 1.4•41.1,1noi 101 1111111111.11011Matine....... 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 at Exeter, Ontario Second Class Mail Registration Number 0386 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada $11.00 Per Year; USA $30.00 Amalgamated t924 Need the competition Many readers are probably as con- fused as I am when it comes to a dis- cussion on energy supplies and costs. But take heart, even the so-called ex- perts appear to be having some problems. But some of the confusion was taken out of the situation when the profits of Canada's four major oil companies were reported last week. It becomes clear that a good portion of the in- crease in gasoline and home heating oil is going into the coffers of these firms. Their profit increases ranged from 33 to 68 percent last year and NDP leader Ed Broadbent has charged that Shell, Imperial and Texaco have accumulated $5 billion in profits in the last five years. The firms are now under federal in- vestigation for collusion and manipula- tion of the marketplaces, and it would appear the investigation is none too soon. While most Canadians face the bleak prospects of higher prices and the even bleaker prospects of dwindling supplies, the oil companies appear to be laughing all the way to the bank. This all adds fuel to the fires of criticism the Conservative government in Ottawa is facing over their decision to dismantle Petro-Canada, which would appear to be one of the few ways available for the government to provide some much needed competi- tion in the marketplace. * * * If you've had some 'doubts about the seriousness of the energy situation, they should be dispelled by the an- nouncement last week that the senior levels of government are starting to prepare legislation to enable them to allocate and ration oil products in this country. While spokesmen quickly add they What is so rare as a day in October? Now that does not quite have the mellifluosity of poet James Lowell Russell's famous: "What is so rare as a day in June?" But it makes a lot more sense to a Canadian. A day in June? It's a zilch. Heat wave, mosquitoes, and the grass grow- ing as though it were to reach the moon. Twelve-hour day for the farmer. Water too cold for swimming, except for kids. Weeding the garden, Now a day in October is something else. Provided, of course, October is behaving itself. Once in a decade, it becomes a little tired of being the finest month of the year and throws a tantrum, in the form of an early snow- fall. But any month that combines Thanksgiving, Indian summer, duck shooting, last of the golf on lush fairways, great rainbow trout fishing, and Northern Spy apples will take a lot of beating. Mornings are cool and often misty, By nine a.m., the high yellow sky is filtering, from an ineffably blue sky, through the madness of color, the breathtaking palette that is this coun- try's autumn foliage. There is a stillness on a fine October day that we get at no other time of the year. We can' almost hear old Mother Earth grunt as she births the last of her bounty: squash and pumpkin and rich red apples that spurt with sweetness when you bite into their crisp. Along with the sweetness and sun- niness of October, there lurks a little sadness. We cling to each golden day, trying to forget what follows October, the numbness and dumbness and glumness of November, surely the lousiest month on the calendar. Thanksgiving is, in my mind, the finest holiday weekend of the year, though it has lost much of its "holy day" effect and has become a bit of a don't expect to see legislation put into effect in the foreseeable future due to an imminent emergency, there's little doubt there must be enough concern over the situation to warrant the con- sideration for such rules in the first place. All in all, it's a little disconcerting, especially when you stop to consider how much your daily life is dependent upon a stable supply of energy. * * * It wasn't included in last week's social news in this newspaper, but the writer was the recipient of a bounty of gifts in a "shower” staged by fellow employees here at the T-A. Having given up the life of an apart- ment dweller and taken up residence in a war-time house on Anne St., I was pleasantly surprised when the assistant editor arrived with three large boxes of items that had been contributed by the staff. It was rather surprising to find that most them had me tagged perfectly as being among those males who allow the dishes to pile up in the sink until such time as the need for a clean plate or some silverware requires that the task of washing dishes be undertaken. Among the gifts were no less 'than two bottles of dish detergent, six dish cloths and eight tea towels. Okay, okay, I got the message! The only one who showed any com- passion at all was Mary Alderson. She added a few spoons and some forks to the collection just to get me through that period when all the tea towels are wet. * * * The writer is back once again behind the bench coaching Exeter's novice en- try in the Shamrock league. Judging from our first two outings, it could be a long season. gluttonous family reunion, a last fling at the cottage, or a final go at the ducks, the fishing, and the golf. Perhaps we don't express it, except in church and in editorials, bueI honest- ly believe that the average Canadian does give a taciturn "thanks God", at this time of year. Thanks for the boun- ty. Thanks for the freedom, Thanks for being alive in a great country at a great time of year. I know I do. October is so splendid, with its golden sun, its last brave flowers, its incredibly blue sky and water, its pan- orama of vivid colors in every patch of trees, its clear air, that every poor devil in the world who has never ex- perienced it should do so once before he dies. We Canadians are the lucky ones. We see it and smell and feel it every year, for a brief but glorious taste of the best in the world. It's a great month for the gourmet. Besides the traditional gut-stuffing of turkey and' pumpkin pie for Thanksgiv- ing dinner, there is a wealth of fresh produce that doesn't yet cost an arm and a leg, and hasn't degenerated into the sodden, artificially colored stuff we have to put up with in winter and early spring. Potatoes are firm and taste of the eat al, There are still a few golden peaches or. the stands, Apples are crisp and juicy, not like the wet tissue affairs we buy in January. There are still lots of field tomatoes around, before the frost. Can anything be quite as delicious as an ice-cold tomato, right off the vine, eaten over the kitchen sink so you won't slobber all over yourself in Your greed? Is there anything to beat a butternut squash, halved and baked, with a big gob of butter working its way into the flesh? And there's always the chance of a meal of fresh trout or roast duck. Though I must admit that they are becoming scarcer all the time, thanks However, there are ample in- dications that even if the team con- tinues to get blown out of the rink, there will be enough humorous in- cidents to make the whole season worthwhile. While playing in Lucan last week, we were bombed 12-0, a rather rough in- itiation for two rookie seven-year old goaltenders. During one skirmish around the net, one of those lads, Harlen Tinney, became disengaged from his goal stick after making a stop and the stick ended up at one side of the net and the puck out at the other. Everyone in the arena watched as Harlen agonizingly looked first at the stick and then the puck as he attempted to make up his mind which he should retrieve first. Unfortunately, he chose the stick and while he was pur- suing it, a Lucan forward moved in to get the puck and put it in the empty net. While Harlen learned a valuable lesson in his first game ever, you have to give the kid some credit for having his values straight. After all, it costs about $5.95 to replace a goal stick and you can buy a puck for 39c. And, of course, he wasn't responsible for the puck anyway ... it was provided by the Lucan team. That no doubt is why our kids let them play with it without any interference for most of the same? Anyway, if you want some fun some Sunday after;oon, drop up to the rec centre at 4:00 and watch the best enter- tainment you'll find anywhere. If it's not on the ice, you'll find it in the stands watching some of the boys' parents, That in itself is often worth the price of admission. to that infernal invention, the deep freezer. The sportsmen who used to drop around with the odd duck (the fly- ing kind), or a fresh rainbow, are now socking them away in the freezer, and forgetting their old friends who have become a little too decrepit to crouch in a blind or wade to the bum in ice water. Sob. Hint. For the housewife, October is a re- gearing for action. The kids are out of the way, her summer tan is shot, so its time for redecorating, joining organizations, buying some smart new clothes. And a great chance, with the earlier darkness, for hectoring the old man, who can't escape to golf or sailing or fishing, and is stuck with her evenings until the curling season begins. For the athlete, it's perhaps the finest time of the year. The weather is ideal for football,. cross-country run- ning, and still fine enough for tennis and golf finals. For sport fans, those adults who fan- tasize by watching large, strong, young men do the things they were never Much good at themselves, it's a cor- nucopia of goodies: football in full sw- ing, world series ditto, and the hockey season under way. Buttocks will batten through October as millions of middle- aged males remain firmly fixed before the idiot box most evenings and all weekend. You know, writing a column like this is really asking for it. We had such a glorious September we don't need In- dian sturiMer, By the time this appears in print the ground will probably be knee deep in snow, there won't be one ragged leaf left on a tree, and ducks and geese will have chosen a new flyway. But I don't care. That's how I feel about October. By W. Roger Worth Pointing to the increasingly complicated income tax forms Canadians fill out each year is perhaps the best way to ex- plain why small and medium sized businessmen are angry about the number and com- plexity of forms they are forced to fill out for governments. As recently as the mid-1960s, completing an income tax form was a simple matter. Cana- dians reported their income, lopped off a few deductions for health care expenses, dona- tions and dependents, and presto, people either paid up or filed for a refund. In the intervening decade or more, things have become com- plicated indeed. The two or three-page income tax form has been expanded to 20-30 pages with a multicolored in- formation booklet explaining just how easy it is to provide the required information. Roger Worth is Director, Public Affairs, Canadian Federation of Independent Business. A once simple form has be- come extremely complex, to the point where millions of working Canadians have been forced to visit accountants and tax preparation experts, paying $50 or more to "save" money by taking advantage of new rules and regulations. Natu- rally, for working people, the charge is not deductible. Thankfully, the income tax return is only required once a year. If the change in income-tax forms is upsetting to Cana- dians, consider the plight of even the smallest business per- 55 Years Ago Rev. W.E. Donnelly B.A., pastor of James St., Methodist Church has received a call to Central Methodist, Stratford to become their pastor at the next conference year. The Exeter Junior Far- mers' Improvement Association held their regular monthly meeting in Senior's Hall on Thursday evening. The organization held their annual election of officers, the results of which are as follows: president- Wilfrid Shapton; vice- president-Horace .Delbridge; secretary-treasurer-Harry Strang; auditors-Earl Shapton and Clarence Down. 30 Years Ago A Board of Management was set up for the Crediton Public Library consisting of nine members with Rev. H. Currie chairman. William Cook, who for the past 17 years has conducted a grocery business in Exeter, has sold out to Wesley Ryckman. Mrs. W.E. Middleton was installed as worthy matron of Exeter Chapter OES for 1949-50 Wednesday af- ternoon. The third annual banquet for Winchelsea school pupils, their parents and the school trustees was held in Elim- ville United Church. Harvey Sparling is the teacher. 20 Years Ago Arsenic poisoning which killed one cattle beast this spring was not present in two samples of creek water Dear Editor: Would appreciate if this letter would appear in your paper the way it has been written by me. It is only my own opinion but I feel that I am not the only one that feels this way A. Dittmer Dashwood, P.S. True I am not a citizen of Exeter at presentand may- be I shouldn't speak up on this issue but if it happens here in Exeter on such a matter it can happen higher up on bigger issues in government mainly Loss of Free Choice concerning day to day living. Exeter Town Council On reading October 24 son who is forced to deal with a blizzard of government- oriented paperwork on a week- to-week basis. These people must report retail and federal government sales taxes, Workmen's Com- pensation payments, unem- ployment insurance red tape, and a plethora of details on every aspect of the operation, including a variety of infor- tnation for Ottawa's Statistics Canada. No wonder small and medi- um-sized business people are enamoured with the federal government's Office of Paper- burden RedUction, which has been successful in reducing at least some of the paperburden load during the two years or so it has been operating. Some provinces have also recognized the problem. Nevertheless, one wonders what happens to all those forms and the information re- trieved by governments. Is it really used, or are Canadians paying millions of dollars per year renting valuable space to store documents that will never be used? The Unemployment Insur- ance Commission's Record of Employment Form is a prime example of how ridiculous the system has become. Last year business people filled out an estimated 12 million of these documents when workers quit their jobs, were fired, or laid off. Ottawa admits only two million of the forms were ac- tually used. Keeping track of the remain- ing 10 million of these recently expanded forms, it seems, has become a kind of make work project for civil servants. No wonder independent business people are angry. taken in September, The Ontario Water Resources Commission indicated to Council Monday night. James Street United Church celebrated its 97th anniversary on Sunday with Rev. Clayton H. Seale associate secretary of the missionary and maintenance department, Toronto, as the speaker. Mrs. Melvin Gaiser, Shipka was crowned sweetheart of Beta Sigma Phi sorority Friday night during the local chapter's annual ball in Exeter Legion Hall. 15 Years Ago Several telephone operators in the area will complete their duties this weekend as the "voice with the smile" will be replaced by a dial tone. Exeter residents will have Lucan, Hensall and Kirkton ex- changes added to their free calling district. Usborne Township council decided Monday to establish parks on two sites of former public schools in the town- ship. Parks, will be established at the Zion and Hurondale sites. P.D. Ritchie, deputy clerk treasurer at Riverside for the past year, has been appointed clerk-treasurer of Bosanquet Township. He succeeds Donald Frayne Mrs. Harold Taylor was named president of the Women's Auxiliary to South Huron Hospital at the annual meeting Tuesday afternoon. She succeeds Mrs. R.C. Dinney. paper I got a little upset. The headline read. "By law is termed dictatorship". With November 11 approaching very fast maybe you should stop and think why we honor this day, Some of the members of the council probably have first hand information on this day. Myself I only have knowledge of what has been passed down to me through word of mouth, reading and education. That is all my children have also. But as I understand we lost thousands of husbands, sons, brothers uncles and God knows how many more in a war fighting for what they believed in. Mainly freedom. Yet a group of elected people such as yourself sit around in a meeting passing Please turn to page 15 Those October days Suffers a jolt S •