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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1979-11-14, Page 15Times- Advocate, November 14, 1979 age 15 TAUKKYAN WAR CEMETERY , 1939-45 — This photograph was taken recently by J. McDonald in Rangoon, Burma. Mr. McDonald says that many Canadians are buried in this cemetery. THE CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY Boyle presents the trophy to South Following Saturday's Huron-Perth Conference junior football final, Exeter mayor Derry Huron team captains Bill Glover, Dale Kerslake, Guy Dietz and Dave Shaw. T-A photo HONOUR MINOR HOCKEY MEMBERS — Two members of the Exeter minor hockey association were honoured Friday for their long services to the local puck group. While Shirley Pratt looks on, Bob Whiteford and Brian Mclelland present plaques to Derry Boyle and Harvey Pfaff. T-A photo Precious Blood students visit TRA A SHORT REST — Gary Spurn, one of the hardest working two-way players on the South Huron junior football team Is being carried off after o slight injury in Saturday's, cham- pionship game. He came back to action shortly after: • F/L GERALD SCHROEDER died in 1945 By Mary Alderson Seeing legion members parade, or attending a special Remembrance Day ceremony are very moving experiences. But sometimes something will happen to give Remembrance Day even more meaning. A letter came to the Times- Advocate office last week, just ,a few days before Remembrance Day,A Mr. J. McDonald wrote to us from Rangoon, Burma. Mr, McDonald said that he was a retired member of the Canadian Armed Forces, and was stationed at R.C.A.F. Centralia from 1959 to 1964. He has some friends and acquaintances in the Exeter area. Mr. McDonald is now working for the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) in Burma. He writes: "There is a Com- monwealth Cemetery near Rangoon which containes the graves of many servicemen who fell h battle in this area." "On a visit to the cemetery I had a conversation with one of the groundskeepers and as often happens, one question leads to another. I was shown some records which recorded that some Canadians were buried here, so I took the opportunity to see if I knew some of them." Mr. McDonald noticed the name of Flight Lieutenant W.G. Schroeder of Centralia, The grave marker said that Schroeder was a pilot with the R.C.A,F. and had died on February 9, 1945 at the age of 27, Mr. McDonald said that he didn't know Schroeder, but "I felt we both had something in pommon." He sent along eight colour photographs of the cemetery and the grave and asked the Times-Advocate if we would like to do something further. He said that if we were able to contact the family, he would be pleased to do something more for them, if they wished. He sent along the address of a relative in Ottawa. We called Schroeder near Centralia y and learned that indeed it was his eldest brother who was buried in Burma. Harry was just a small child at the time of his brother's death, and didn't remember many details. He contacted his brother LeRoy who lives in London. They were in- terested in the letter from Mr. McDonald. There were nine boys and one girl in the Schroeder family. Gerald is the only one who is not living. Harry and his brother Reg are working the family farm, near Centralia. Harry brought us a yellowed newspaper clipping from an old copy of the Times-Advocate which reported that Gerald Schroeder was missing while on air operations in India. It states that Gerald was one of four sons of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Schroeder who were with the R.C.A.F. Gerald enlisted in August 1941, and received his first training in Belleville. He was then posted in Brantford where he graduated in July, 1942 with a Pilot Officer's commission. He spent a year as a staff pilot in Sum- merside, and later was posted to Boundary Bay on the west coast. In November 1944 he went to India and was on operational duty for abou a month, At that time his brother LeRoy was stationed in Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Another brother Earl was an in- structor at Souris, Manitoba and Orville was taking a course at Aylmer. At home there were James, Reginald, Uel, Glen, Harry and May. The T-A report saying that Gerald was missing con- cluded: "It is hoped that the next news received will be of an encouraging nature." Harry also brought us a blue hard covered book which was Gerald's "Pilot's Flying Log Book." It is filled with neatly printed times and reports. Aircraft type is listed as Liberator,VI. Between February 1 and 9, 1944 Gerald's duties were listed as low and medium level bombing. Then on February 9 his dqties were "Operations as ordered". On the next page in red ink, it reads: "Failed to return from operation." Total operational hours were listed as 114,55. A note inside the log book says that the flight lieutenant rank was received posthumously. The Schroeder family received two photographs from the war graves com- mission. One shows a sign listing eight names of men buried in a common grave. Harry thinks this was a site of the plane crash. The plane was shot down in Burma by Japanese ground fire, it was believed. Another photograph sent to the family shows the grave in the commonwealth cemetery near Rangoon. This was the same photo as was sent by Mr. McDonald. However, Mr. McDonald included pictures of the stone work on the front entrance of the cemetery, as well as pictures of the flower gar- dens. Harry says that this is the first time the Schroeder family has had contact with someone who had actually been to that cemetery His brother LeRoy said that he would be writing to Mr, McDonald. Memories for the Schroeders will be extending past Remembrance Day. MAY THEY SLEEP IN PEACE — is written on the 'grave marker of Gerald Schroeder in Burma.Schroeder was killed in 1945 while he was a pilot in India with the R.C.A.F, • Memories of Gerald Schroeder Burma letter gives meaning to Remembrance Day 11tI1I111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111IIII111 i in i 1111111111111111111111111111uni 1111 1111 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111l111111111111iIIIIIII1111111111111111111111111111111112 Jack's Jottings Gross over-expansion REMEMBER AT USBORNE — The annual Remembrance Day service was held Friday at Usborne Central School with members of the R.E. Pooley Exeter branch of the Royal Canadian Legion assisting. From the left are Padre Rev. George Anderson, branch president Lee Webber, Usborne student council president Brent Dawson, parade marshal Percy Noels and Edgar Cudmore. T-A photo By JACK RIDDELL ,; MPP Huron-Middlesex It is now beyond argument that Ontario Hydro has been allowed by the Ontario Government to grossly over- ekpand. To be precise in January of this year, the peak demand for electricity by Ontario consumers reached just over 16,000 megawatts, Even if we accept a reserve of 25 percent to meet unforeseen, contingencies, sOch as power stations temporarily out of corn- Mission, we arrive at a required generating capacity for the Province of 20,000 megawatts. Yet in January of this year Hydro already had an installed capacity of over 24,000 megawatts. In other words, it is presently over-built to the extent of 4,000 megawatts. To many of us these may simply seem to be another set of meaningless figures but it is important to con- sider what these figures and the resultant overbuilding has meant in terms of dollars. , If we take the costs of building generating capacity between 1971 and 1978, the over-building has cost us over 2 billion dollars-for power we don't need at this time! When one includes the present building plans of Hydro, even after all their cancellations and deferrals (each one of which by the way, costs us millions of dollars in penalties) the figure rises to several ;billions of dollars-which we will be unnecessarily paying for with future massive rate increases. To confirm that fear, we have already been warned earlier this year by a senior Hydro official of possible Stephen township council has approved several revisions to the munz ciiaplity's secondary plan and it will now be forwarded to the Ontario Ministry of Housing for hopefully final sanction, Huron County planner George Penfold attended the last council meeting to assist in making the final revisions. Council voiced no ob- jection or comment on the Exeter zoning bylaw change regarding Kongskilde property. A severance application from Clare Kennedy at the Oakwood subdivision north of Grand Bend was passed subject to the lot being large enough to satisfy regulations of the Huron Health Unit. Council authorized payment of $1,200 to the South Huron Rec Centre board as Stephen's share an expected deficit. Permission was given to the Augable-Bayfield Conser- comparable increases for 1981, The costs of past over- building, present over- building, foreign exchange losses and various other errors are included in your current Hydro bills, largely in the form of interest charges on the money which Hydro has had to borrow. It is difficult to be precise as to how much of this can be allocated to genuinely needed expansion, but. the best estimate we can make is that at least 15 percent of your 1979 .Hydro bill is required to pay for the Government's failure to keep Hydro efficient and for generating capacity Ontario does not need. I think it is important at this point, to make it clear that our criticisms of these misjudgements and un- necessary costs to con- sumers are not a result of being wise by hindsight. The Liberal Party has, for many years, been sceptical of Hydro's future load forecasts and critical of the Government's apparent inability to review and control Hydro's empire building. However, we do not simply restrict ourselves to criticisms of the system. Indeed the Liberal Caucus has concrete recom- mendations as to how these excessive costs to consumers can be reduced and we are committed to implementing those recommendations if the opportunity avails itself. Specifically, we propose that the basic electricity necessary for survival should be provided to fesidential users at the cheapest rate, rather than the present situation where the "Little guy" 'has to pay, relatively speaking, more for his energy while the person heating a swimming vation Authority to repair a portion of the Walker drain at part of Lot 2, LRE Con- cession, Stephen is to be the benefitting municipality. A grant of $50 was made to the South Huron Association for the Mentally Han- dicapped. Hay township fire in- surance agent Glenn Webb discussed a review of fire insurance policies on township buildings. Council hipsigted two resolutions. OMFiVas from Valley East asking M''C to review legislation regarding school children crossing a highway with more than two lanes. The other from Dunnville asked for automatic signal devices at all crossings, The November council meeting was attended by a number of township young people brought by members of the Stephen Optimist club, Bob Pinter, Bill McGrath and Kitch pool 'pays relatively less. This position is detailed in a private member's bill presented to, the Legislature last year by Eddie Sargent, Centralia ladies meet The Centralia U.C.W. met in the school room of the church. President Freda Rollings opened the meeting with two poems and welcomed all present. The Treasurers report given and Correspondence was read. The_ U.C.W, were invited to attend a bazaar at Exeter United on November 17. Mrs. Graham would make cakes and the money to go to the White Gift. The Christmas meeting Group 2 to convene Programme and Group 1 to convene lunch and invite the CGIT girls also the men. Senior citizen Christmas dinner will be December 17 at the community centre. June Essery convened a' silent auction which was very successful. The ladies in charge of the programme were Mildred Greb, Aldeen Skinner, Doris Lightfoot and Alice Koehler. Aldeen Skinner opened with a poem "Time has passed." All the ladies took part in presenting the ten best hymns and explaining how they became to be written and the name of the writer. They are as follows: Rock of Ages, Onward Christian Soldiers,There is a fountain, What a friend we have in Jesus, Just as I am, All IHail the power of Jesus name, The Old Rugged Cross, From Greenlands Icy Mountain, Ninety and Nine, Sweet bye and bye. Some of the hymns were sung. Penny Smith played Onward Christian Soldiers- Lois Wilson sang a solo Ninety and Nine-Mildred Greb introduced Leona Morley who showed us her display of flowers, and made a corsage and also a Christmas arrangement. It. was very attractive. Alice Koehler thanked Leona and gave her a gift. Liberal Member for Grey- Bruce, This "Lifeline" bill recpmmended that Hydro rates should be structured so that the cheapest rate ap- plies to the basic amount which domestic users equire. At present, the rate structure encourages con- sumption, so that the average cost per kilowatt hour is less for the person with the swimming pool than the pensioner with the space heater. Rates have to be turned around to remove this inequity and to promote conservation, In addition, our Liberal energy critic, Julian Reed, Listowel lady speaks in town President-Mrs. Edna Simmons presided at the Thank offering meeting of the Presbyterian church women. In keeping with Remembrance Day she, opened the meeting by reading a poem entitled "Dreams." The Devotional 'was "Symbols and Signs of the Christian Faith"-by Mrs. Norman Stanlake assisted by Mrs. Don Webster, Mrs. , Alvin Moir and Mrs. K. Knight and . prayer of dedication for the thankoffering was given by Mrs. R. lies. Mrs. Derek Nind of Listowel was guest speaker. She brought greetings from Stratford Presbyterial and spoke of the importance of each individual member, Ingredients in private life to remember to have faith and trust, love and friendship, fellowship or togetherness, service-to see the need and act. Thanks to Mrs. Nind were expressed by Mrs. Don Webster. Report of fall conference in Harrington were given by Mrs. Kenneth Knight. The next meeting will be held thp first Monday in December, a change from regular second Monday. Lunch was served by the committee, Mrs. A. Orr, Mrs. J. Pryde and Mrs. M. Pryde. the Member for Halton Burlington, presented a private member's bill earlier this year which would have given the Government power to impose policy directives on Ontario Hydro. With the immense control that Hydro now exerts we believe that such public accountability is crucial to avoiding the mistakes of the past. In a strongly worded statement to the Legislature, Premier Davis outlined the Government's response to Premier Levesque's white paper on sovereignty- association. He described the proposal as "limited and short-sighted" and what might be described as the "Ultimate copout-a self- imposed ghetto mentality, surely beneath the dignity of the French-Canadian people". Both Opposition Leaders immediately endorsed the Premier's statement. Liberal Leader Stuart Smith described the white paper as "a meaningless concept, a phony concept.. a cheap political trick to get people to vote yes on renewed federalism, only to wake up the next day and find he (Levesque) was selling them something else. The Minister of Consumer and Commercial Relations, Frank Drea, has tabled legislation to make public liability and property damage insurance man- datory for all drivers with fines of up to $2,500 for anyone caught without in- surance. Courts are em- powered to suspend licences and confiscate vehicles in the case of "habitual of- fenders". When 1980 licence plate stickers go on sale December 1, motorists will be required to shoW proof of insurance. The Minister estimated that on any given day about 250,000 motorists on the road have no in- surance, either because they refuse to pay any or because they have allowed their policies to lapse. His advice to people who say they won't be able to afford car insurance when it becomes compulsory on March 17 "Get rid of your car!" The Ontario Government cannot afford the huge in- creases being requested by most of the Children's Aid Societies in the province, according to the Minister of Community and Social Services, Keith Norton. Figures made available by the Ministry show that six agencies are asking for operating increases of more than 30 percent. One in Kapuskasing, wants 46.6 percent more. Ten Want more than 20 percent. Only nine of the 50 societies in the province are asking for less than 10 percent increases, Letter to editor Dear Mr. Batten, Please find enclosed reports written by two students from Mrs. F. Westelaken's class. These reports are their account of what happened on their trip to the Exeter Times Advocate, Also enclosed is a graph of the newspaper reading habits of the parents of the students in the class, We would appreciate your considering the possibility of including this material in the next issue of the Exeter Times Advocate, I believe that this action on your part will be an extremely valuable conclusion to the classes study of the newspaper. Yours truly, Laurie Kraftcheck Principal On Monday, October 15, our class went to the Exeter Times Advocate. We saw a large camera. Then we went to a dark room. There Mr. Devries showed us the inside of the camera. Then we went into another room. There was a machine called a fliptop. They put a negative coated with silver in the fliptop ,and flipped it to the other side, Then it takes a picture. This picture is the size of a whole page of the paper and is now ready to go on the printing press, Written by Shawn Moore 4-1 On October 15, 1979, Grades two, three, and four went to the Exeter T.A. When we went in the two people who work there put us into groups and one group went to see the camera and the flip top. The other group that I was in, went to see' the typewriters that girls would run and a little strip of paper would come out and they would put it through a computer that would read it real fast. We also got some souvenirs to take home. 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