The Wingham Advance-Times, 1953-05-06, Page 1Youthful Taggers Stage Preview
7s`
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Youthful taggers staged a preview of what is to
happen in Wingham this Saturday, when taggers for
the Ladies' Auxiliary canvass the town for funds for
. the hospital. Selling the first tag- .of the season to
Mayor DeWitt Miller are, left to right, Mary Kae
Newman, Judy Lunn, Walt McKibbon and David Carr.
—GA
ALONG THE MAIN DRAG
By The Pedestrian
DDG RETICENT—Although we
have seen Lion John lVfeKibbon several
times since it happened, and numerous
other Lions, too, we are indebted to
the Blyth Standard for the informa-
tion that Lion John McKibbon, of
Wingham, was elected Deputy District
Governor for the Zone at a rally held
• in Harriston two weeks ago. Belated
congratulations, John!
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TO FRISCO AND BACK—J, Harley
Crawford, Q.C., must have broken
some sort of record last week, when
he left Melton Airport on Wednesday
morning, arrived in San Francisco on
Wednesday evening, conducted his
business there Thursday, and was hack
in Wingham Friday evening. Time
flies and so do businessmen,
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BUSINESS—The business of
Donald Rae & Son, which for many
.years has been located on Josephine
.-Street, has been sold to Mr. J. P.
Alexander, of London, who will take
possession on May 18th. Plans of the
partners, Ron and Murray Rae, have
'not yet been decided, but it is expected
-that Ron will be going to Arizona to
live in the near future/
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WALL-WRITERS NOTE—A side-
light" of the Town Council meeting on
Monday was a report on conditions in
the newly decorated Town Hall wash-
rooms. It was noted that although the
rooms had only recently been painted,
-already the walls were covered with
the hieroglyphics usually associated
with places of that kind. Surprise
came when it turned out to be the
ladies', not the gents' who were the
offenders.
0 - 0 - 0
FIRECRACKER MENACE—Appaia
ently children who play with firecrac-
kers don't read The Advance-Times
editorials--or don't care if they do. At
any rate in spite of last week's editor-
ial on the danger of fireworks in the
hands of minors, complaints continue
to come in about these youthful incen-
-diarists. A hole the size of a dinner
plate was burned in the awning of
Hanna's Men's Wear Shop, and Art
Furness, post office factotum, reports
an attempt to burn down the post
office door by putting "squibs"! in the
hinges. Some fun, eh kids?
Bridge Club
Visits Goderich
The Wingham Bridge Club spent
a most enjoyable evening last Thurs-
day as guests of the Goderich Bridge
Club at the Bedford Hotel in Goder-
ich. In a duplicate game the Wingham
Club won a close match by 1924 to
1898 points.
Leading pair scores were: North and
South: 1. Mr. and Mrs. K. Hunter (G);
2. Miss Y. McPherson and H. L. Sher-
bondy (W); 3. J. H, Crawford and W.
H. French (W); 4. Miss E. McNaugh-
:ton and Miss A. Nicol, (G). East and
West: 1. Mrs. R. S. Hetherington and
Mrs. D. C. Nasmith (W); 2. Mr. and
Mrs. W. Hay (G); 3 Mrs. Craigie and
,Mrs. Sully (G); Mrs. F. A. Parker and
Mrs. D. B. Porter (W).
In last week's game at the local
.club rooms the following were the
winners: North and South-1, Mrs, D.
.C. Nasmith and D, Kennedy; 2, Mrs.
R. Bonner and W. H. French;,, 3. Miss
Y. McPherson and Mrs. H. Campbell.
East and West: 1, Mrs, A. R. DuVal
and Mrs. W. H. French; 2. Mrs. J, .T.
Brown and 0. Haselgrove; 3. Mrs. J,
A. Wilson and G. MacKay.
SPRING RUMMAGE SALE
COMING UP MAY 9th
The Spring Rummage Sale is corn-
ing up. This looked-for event is
held by the Ladies' Auxiliary to
Wingham General Hospital and will
be in the Armouries on Saturday,
afternoon, May 9th, at two o'clock,
Everyone is asked to look up dona-
tions. .Anything can be sold, furni-
ture, clothing, hats, shoes, novelties,
etc. When doing your spring clean-
ing, make up a bag for the Rummage
Sale, In order that the goods may
be sorted and marked, Parcels should
• be left at the Armouries on Friday.
If you wish your donation called for,
phone Mrs. C4, R. Scott, number 118.
VVhiteehurch citizens are asked to
leave their parcels at Herb Laidlaw's,
F29 :6b
With which is amalgamated the Gorrie Vidette and Wroxeter News
"Subscriptions $2,50 per year, 6c per copy WINGHAM, ONTARIO, WED na..;DAy, MAY 6th, 1953
On a motion made at midnight by
Reeve R. E. McKinney and seconded
by Deputy-reeve Joe Kerr, the Wing-
ham town council set the mill rate
for the town at 77mills,holding the
rate set last year to the last mill. The
motion was made after a long dis-
cussion on the estimates tabled by
Clerk W. A. Galbraith.
Estimates sho via gross hrevenue
Estimates show a gross revenue
from taxation of $127,820, up about
$2,000 from last year, grants and sub-
sidies at $10,696, down slightly from
last year, and a surplus of $4,600.51
on last year's operations, Expendi-
tures are estimated at roughly the
same as last year, with the largest
single item being education. Estimates
on public and high school costs are
placed at $46,240, as against $32,883.13
spent last year.
One item which was particularly
questioned by the council was the 10
mill county of Huron„Iate, amounting
to $18,915, which showed nearly $2,000
increase over last year's $16,939. The
amount in 1951 was $15,791.
R. S. Hetherington Named
Other business conducted by the
council including the selection of a
representative on the District High
School hoard to replace ti. C, Gam-
mage who has tendered his resigna-
tion, The council, after discussion,
named R. S. Hetherington to fill the
vacancy, after accepting Mr. Gam-
mage's resignation with regret,
Police Chief Bert Platt inquired of
the council regarding the erection of
"No Parking" signs on the north side
of Victoria Street west of Josephine
The council decided that the signs
should be erected. The matt of al-
lowance for Police uniforms Was also
brought before the council by Council-
lor Crossett, and it was decided that
the present allowance of $100 was in-
adequate for today's needs. The coun-
cil voted to increase the allowance to
$150,
Nothing New Has Been Added
Council Holds Last Year's Tax Line--
Rate Is Held to 77 Mills for 1953
Harvey Johnston, reeve of Morris
township, was named chairman, and
Mayor DeWitt Miller secretary, at a
meeting of the Assessment Comunttee'
of the Wingham High School Board,
held last week. The committee has
been formed in an endeavour to equal-
ize the assessments of Wingham and
the surrounding municipalities, and
the assessments of municipalities in
the counties of Huron and Bruce for
High School purposes. •
The meeting was held in the Town
Hall with the following members pre-
sent: Harvey Johnston, reeve of Mor-
ris; Everett Finnegan, Huron county
assessor; Alex Alexander, Huron
county assessor; Mayor DeWitt Miller,
Wingham; Harry Gowdy, reeve of
Howick; and William Schrn:.dt, reeve
of Culross township.
The purpose of the meeting was to
attempt to iron out the inequalities
said to exist between the various
municipalities due to the different
assessment manuals now in use, An-
other difficulty is the difference in
assessments between Wingham and
the municipalities in Huron county,
The question also arose as to whether
the town of Wingham should- re-assess
first, before the municipalities passed
their by-laws for the proposed new
High School, or whether Wingham re-
assessment and the passing of the
by-laws Ashould conic simultaneously.
The -meeting arrived at no decision
regarding the timing of Wingham re-
assessment except that preliminary
work on the re-assessment should
commence as soon as possible.
Regarding the assessments of the
municipalities in Huron and Bruce
counties,• it was decided that the two
assessors should carry in a series of
spot assessments in both counties on
similar properties, and' report back to
the committee with their findings.
The committee will then make an at-
tempt to equalize the assessments of
the two counties on the basis of the
information provided by the assessors.
The new equalized assessment will, of
course, be for school purposes only.
Both county assessors were invited
to the town council session on Monday
night, with a view to re-assessing
Wingham as soon as possible.
First White Girl
Born in Wingham
Has 92nd Birthday
,.-
s-Stl'he first white girl to be born in
Wingham, Mrs. Peter G. Fisher, cele-
brated her 92nd. birthday in Paisley
last week/Mrs. Fisher moved to Pais-
ley with' her parents as a child, and
lived for many years in Regina,- Sask-
atchewan, before moving to Toronto.
On the death of her husband, Peter
Fisher, she made her home with her
sister, Miss Cora Fisher, and they
have resided in Paisley for the past
five years.
Mrs. Fisher, whose maiden name
was Margaret Fisher, was born in the
house now occupied by Allan Walker,
on top of the hill across the Lower
Town bridge. It was there that her
father, one of the first immigranti
in this area, settled. The house was
not far from the original house of
Ed. Farley, first settler in the Wing-
ham district.
ANNIVERSARY AND
FLOWER SUNDAY
, The Sunday School of the Wing-
ham United Church are holding their
annual Anniversary and Flower Sun-
day on Sunday, May 31. F6b
NOTICE '
A meeting of the ratepayers of
Lower Wingham will be held in the
Lower Wingham School on Monday
evening, May 11, at 8,15 to discuss
the installation of street lights.
Geo. T. Thomson, Clerk. F6b
There's no business like show busi-
ness, according to the :song, and Herb
Fursier, who looks after the place at
the Canadian Legion Home, in Wing-
ham, is inclined to agree. Herb was
in the show business for 57 years be-
fore coming to Wingham for reasons
of health, and he ought to know. Fur-
thermore, he has ten albums full of
photographs on all phases of circus
life to prove that, even during retire-
ment, life under the big top still has
lots of attractions for him.
Herb was born in Toronto back
in 1877, and at the early age of 15 got
his first taste of circus life, the hard
way. He was busy trying to Work his
way under a tent flap, In the best cir-
cus tradition, when one of the troup-
ers found him. Herb spent the rest of
the day carrying water for the ele-
phants, and as he points out, ele-
phans can develop quite a thirst. To
make matters worse, his father had
heard about the episode, and there
was a little ses9ion back home on his
return, which made him think that
perhaps carrying water for the ele-
phants wasn't so bad after all. At any
rate he left home that night, and the
following day was on his way to Ham-
ilton with Buffalo Bill's Wild West
BUSINESSMEN MEET
ELECT NEW OFFICERS
The setting up of Community Sales
in the barn 'built by the business men
of Wingham in 1948, was discussed at
the annual meeting of the Wingham
Business Association' on Thursday.
Ken Kerr, in reporting the progress
being made in negotiations for the
sale, suggested that the Association
should undertake a special "welcome"
promotion on the day of the first sale.
The suggestion met With the approval
of the businessmen, a resolution "That
we promote in every way we can the
Community Sale" was made and car-
ried.
,A discussion ons eneciaf P'romotionS
folloWed, during which the' folly of
spending a lot of money for advertis-
ing without selecting individual spec-
ials,.and stressing them, was mention-
ed. A discussion on thes allocation of
advertising materials to various con-
tributions brought the motion, made
by H. P. Carmichael and sec.sncled by
Warren Callan, "That every person
buying a courtesy ad should be entit-
led to receive pennants and lucky
draw tickets." The motion carried.
A repoit on the final results of the
Dollar Day, held last July, was made
by Claire Cantelon. President J. P.
McKibbon reported that the town
wished the Association to be respon-
sible for the decorating of the Town
Hall for the Coronation. Treasurer
Verne Dunlop reported a small' cash
balance on hand, and the president
pointed out that the $10.00 annual fee
would still be needed to carry on.
(Continued on Page Ten)
and Congress of Rough Riders,
Start of Long Career
That was the start of a long career
with the, circus which saw him work-
ing for almost every large circus
troupe in the country, took him •com-
pletely around the world, and everitu-
(Continued on Page Ten)
LAST WEEK AT WINGHAM
GENERAL HOSPITAL
Admitted to Hospital 31
Out Patients 12
Operations 8
X-Rays .............. 38
Births 7
Deaths
High Census 83
Low eenans 72
These facts are published weekly
to acquaint the community with
the services of our hospital.
DELEGATES RETURN
FROM TORONTO WITH
FOURTEEN THOUSAND
A visit to Hon. McKinnon Phillips,
Ontario Minister of Health, arranged
through John Hanna, local M.L,A.,
was worth $14,000 to the Wingham
General Hospital, when a delegation
from the hospital, consisting of Mrs.
Iris Morrey, superintendent, Rev. H. L.
Parker, Mayor DeWitt Miller and R.
H. Lloyd, returned home with cheques
for that amount in their pockets,
The money represents an additional
amount of the Rehabilitation Grant
paid by the Ontario Government, and
can be used for building, repairing or
other capital expenditures. It is ex-
pected that the money will be used to
help finance the new boiler and laun-
dry room
The Ontario Government has al-
ready assured the hospital of a grant
of $2,000 per bed towards the construc-
tion of the proposed new wing, or a
FIGURE SKATING CLUB
ANNUAL MEETING
The annual meeting of the Wing-
ham Figure Skating Club will be
P.m. in the Council Chambers for the
held on Monday night, May 11, at 8
election of officers and plan the
activities of 1054, Members and as-
sociate members please attend. F6b
Hospital Day in Wingham and Dis-
trict will be almost a hospital week
this year, with several activities plan-
ned for Hospital Day itself, on May
12th, and for the week preceding.
May 12th has been set aside as an in-
ternational day of commemoration for
Florence Nightingale, the founder of
hospitals and nursing schools.
Activities in this community actual.
ly started last Saturday, with a Hospi-•
tal tag day in the municipalities of
Bluevale, Whitechurch, Belgrave,
Brussels, Teeswater, Lucknow, Gorrie
and Wroxeter. The tag day in Wing-
ham is scheduled for this coming Sat-
urday, May 9th. Tag days will be an
inovation on the hoipital scene this
year, and it is to be hoped that citi-
zens will patronize a worthy cause.
The Hospital Auxiliary will he in
charge.
In conjunction with the tag day in
Wingham, the Auxiliary has also or-
ganized the annual rummage sale, to
be held in the Armouries on Saturday
afternoon. This has become a popular
event throughout the years, and last
year realized a total of nearly $1,000
for the hospital. Articles for sale will
include furniture, men's and women's
and children's clothing, hats, shoes,
novelties and books.
On May 12th, from two to four
o'clock in the afternoon and from
seven to nine o'clock in the evening,
Open House will be observed at the
Hospital. Members of the Auxiliary
will be on hand to show visitors
around and explain the workings of
the hospital, and light refreshments
will be served. The public is urged to
come and see how its hospital oper-
ates.
Other activities scheduled for the
week will include a hospital trailer to
be shown at the Lyceum Theatre, a
hospital window in Edighoffer's store
on Josephine Street, and a window
display in CKNX building from May
4th to the 13th.
Members of Wingham Lodge, No
286, A.F. & A.M., in a large number,
along with guests from other Lodges
in the district, paraded to the Sunday
morning ser Ace at the Wingham Un-
ited Church.
Rev. Charles D, Cox, of Belgrave,
past district chaplain of North Huron,
was the guest preacher and gave a
very instructive discourse on some
aspects of Masonic background and
history.
The Scripture lesson was read by
Worshipful Master Hartley Smith, A
Masonic quartet comprised of Messrs.
Conron, Henderson, Leggatt and
Reavie sang, "Thine For Service".
The guests were welcomed by 0. W.
Tiffin, secretary of the official board,
and the church choir was under the
leadership of A. D. Bennett.
EH SCHOOL BOARD
COMMITTEE MEETS
DISCUSS ASSESSMENT
Hospital Open to Community
Visitors Tuesday Next Week
PUBLIC SCHOOL
MUSIC FESTIVAL
SET FOR SATURDAY
Wingham Public School is hold-
ing a music festival on Saturday,
May 9th, in the Town Hall, with Mr.
G, Bender, music director for schools
in Kitchener, as adjudicator, This is
a preliminary to the finals which
will be held in Goderich later in the
Month,
For several weeks the pupils have
been practicing under the mimic
supervisor Mrs, Douglas, assisted by
the staff.
(Continued on Page Telt)
Wingham for Retirement
Follow s Circus with Photos
After 57 Years under "Top"
total of $100,000 on a. 50-bed addition
to the present structure. There is a Masons Attend
further grant available from the Dom-
inion government of up -to $1,500 per United Church
bed for the same purpose.
An appointment has been made with
Hon. Paul Martin, Minister of Health,
in Ottawa, for Thursday of this week,
and the delegation will see him re-
garding the Dominion grant.
These government grants will be
contingent on the raising in Wing-
ham and district of 80% of the balance
of the money needed.
Chief Asks Co-Operation
The subject of speeding on the ap-
proaches of town was alsd mentioned
by Chief Platt, who asked that those
in responsible positions, as well as
the ordinary citizens, co-operate with
the police by keeping their speed with-
in the thirty-mile limit, It was de-
cided that the police should erect signs
on the approaches of town in an at-
tempt to curb speeding, and that the
Chief use a stop watch to check on
those exceeding the limit.
W, H. Haney, town assessor, and.
Alex Alexander, Huron county asses-
sor, were on hand to discuss with the
council the question of re-assessment
of Wingham. Mr. Haney presented the
difficulties and problems of re-assess-
ment and pointed out that the job
might take a matter of six months.
Mr. Alexander offered to start im-
mediately and it was agreed that a
start should be made this week,
Back Community Sales
An application for a lease on the
town shed for the purpose of con-
ducting weekly community sales was
received by the council from Carl
Douglas and William Finlay, of Bel-
more. The application set forth the
conditions under which the :ease was
asked, drawn up by Reeve McKinney
on behalf of the Chamber of Com-
merce. Terms called for a five-year
lease with option, the first year to be
rent free, and rental, to be paid at $10
per sale thereafter. A credit against
rent in the amount of $250 will he al-
lowed to cover the cost en installation
of new lighting.
After hearing the conditions of the
proposed lease, members of council
agreed that the town solicitor should
be instructed to draw op a proper
agreement along the same lines. The
community sales will be held Zwery
week, and the lease will be dated from
May 1st. The actual sales are expected
to start in June.
A notice from the bank was received
to the effect that the Arena had its
note by an amount of $500.
Council agreed that a letter of mild.
protest be sent to the provincial gov-
ernment on the matter of a $14,000
grant for roads, pointing out that this
amount is a considerable drop from
the $24,000 allowed last year.
It was agreed that future services at
the cemetery should be made through
the chapel, rather than at-the grave-
side, except where especially desired.
It was also decided that a map of the
cemetery should be made for fu4.ure
reference, showing plots and burials.
A discussion on the ventilation sys-
tem in the Town Hall auditorium
brought the suggestion that new ven-
tilating be installed, and the commit-
tee in charge was asked to look after
this matter.
Reeve R. E, McKinney made men-
tion of the fact that the council had
incurred a certain amount of critic-
ism because of a recent meeting which
had been closed to the press, and felt
that the council should avoid giving
the impression that they favoured this
type of meeting,
'TV Better After
Advance=Times Story
Following the story on television in
last week's Advance-Times, entitled
"TV Picture Brighens," television fans
in Wingham found that the picture
brightened all day Wednesday, with
excellent reception.
On Wednesday evening the first ap-
pearance in town was reported for
several stations, including even Erie,
Pennsylvania, 250 miles away and
with only 10,000 watts. Reception was
spotty at times on this station, but
good at other times. The station will
be stepped up to 300,000 watts and
may be anothar_ehoice for fans in
good weather,
BINGO SATURDAY NIGHT
The Ladies' Auxiliary to the Can-
adian Legion is holding a bingo on
Saturday night in the Legion House
at 8.30 o'clock. Coronation silver dol-
lars and a good special prize. F6b
Wingham Hospital Tag Day and Rummage Sale Saturday, May 9th