Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1982-02-03, Page 7rt I 0, editorial . The LUCKNOW SENTINEL "11te Seamy To "' • Established 1873 SHARON J. DiETZ - Editor PAT LiVINGSTON - Office Manager, v MERLE ELLIOTT - Typesetter JOAN HELM - Compositor Ludtnow Sendael, Wednesday, February3, 1982—Page 6, Business and Editorial Office Telephone 528-2822 Mailing Address P.O. Rot 400. Lucknow, NOG 2H0 Second Class Mail Registration Number -0847 Stsbeedplise rate. S14.Se pear year Is advance lam Swam Alrate; $12.011per year be advimei U.S.A. and Fonio• S23.0S per year r advance Sr. CIL U S,A. and Finely. 521.11 per year r. aiva ce Support March of Pimes The 1982 campaign for the Ontario March of Dimes' Ability Fund is winding up this week: Campaign chairper- sons Bernice. Davies and Laura Lee Cayley are co-ordinating a team of more than 35 volunteers who will be calling on homes in the Lucknow and Dungannon areas. The. Ontario March of Dimes faces an enormous job: Hundreds of people become disabledthrough accidents or disease each year. For some, disability strikes in the prime of life when they are building careers or raising families. There are people' who were born with disabilitieswho need help as they reach adulthood, and there are also many who face disability for the first time when they reach old age. When disability,str1'kes, the Ontario March of Dimes is there to help a person discover their new potential and their abilities. The organization offers: employment and job. training; wheelchairs, electronic aids and other devices; medical clinics; camping holidays; assistance for groups of disabled people with how to better represent themselves on issues affecting their everyday lives - in fact, a whole range of ser4ices which help physically disabled men and women to, help themselves. Over three-quarters of a million people in Ontario are disabled and, sooner or later, every family is touched by disability to some degree. Your gift to the Ontario March of Dimes could offer help that 'is very close to home. Please welcome the volunteer who calls and give as generously as you can. Remember the Ontario March of Dimes' slogan: "We Can't Help Without Your Help". nteir. Sports Rides 1.. Why is a 'fisherman . a good hockey player? He's used to working with, nets. 2.Why did the kid take a math book on the ice? He was figure skating. 3.Why did the kid name her sleigh Robert? She wanted a' bobsled. . 4.V/hat was the skater's favourite meat?. Blade steak 5.What was the bird's favourite hockey position? Right winger. 6.What season do skaters dislike most? Fall. 7.Why did the skier wrap his foot in string? He wanted a roped tow. 8.Why did the kid aim his sled at the dragon? He wanted to sleigh it..; 9.Why was the hockey player smiling? Everything was very ice to him. 10 -Why did the kid dump food on the rink?. He didn't want;. to skate on thin ice. Distributed by Candi Wide Feature Services Limited icl 1982 MacKay Fairfield Tote redtrees by don campbell The nip of winter was already in the air as the Reverend Duncan MacLeod, tired, cold , and hungry from . his journey, turned. into the driveway which led to the large stone residence once belonging toSir Daniel Dove. He dismounted, tethered his horse, and walked up to the large front entrance. His anger had not ' decreased during the long ride from Brampton, and he pounded on the door like a man impatient to finish his business. The maid who greeted him was quick to remind the minister that the lady was "not at \ home" to male visitors, and, was entertaining some friends in the parlour • "She had better be home to me, lassie," MacLeod said sharply. "1 have no time this •day for the protocol of . foolish people. Pray tell your mistress that a minister of God would have ' words 'with her." The maid walked into the interior of the mansion and paused at the 'door, from whence came the . music of a spinnet and the sentimental voice of a woman singing thepraises of Robbie Burns. '.As,fair art thou, my bonnie lass, So deep in love am I: • And I will love thee still, my dear, Till a' the seas gang dry." The maid waited until the music and hand clappinghad stopped before she entered the room where her mistress played and entertained her friends. MacLeod had time to look around the . magnificent structure. He was conscious of . the perfume mingling with the traces of wood smoke iu the air. and his own presence, revealed by his clothes which bore . the odour of a sweating horse. When Jane Dove appeared, she pretended at first not to; see the minister, and called light heartedly back to her guests. "When I was • in Edinburgh, I . studied -all the works of Robert Burns. 1 will not detain you long ladies, and when I come back perhaps' we could sing together "My Heart's in the. Highlands". She looked up and pre- tended to ' see MacLeod for the first time. "What a pleasant surprise, Rever- end. "My heart's in the Highlands," indeed! It would appear that I now have the Highlands right here in my home." MacLeod did not attempt to conceal his displeasure, and he ignored her remarks. ' "If 1 can tear you away from your friends, ma'am, 1 would have urgent word with , you. Jane Dove led him to a small room off the Jane, and seated herself into a large. chair. She indicated that the minister himself should be seated, but he ignored her gesture, and paced the room with ' his hands clasped behind his back. 1 regret to say madam, that you have interfered, with the plans of myself and my people. 1 may admire your zeal, but certainly not your judge- ment, and the: manner in which you have interfered with my undertaking by 'using your wealth; is a matter of grave concern. I shall give instructions that any money advanced to our cause shall be returned to you and even though God knows, we can little afford it. He will, I am sure, agree with my decision. I would add further, that on one foot ,in the furrow my way here 1 'called to see Doctor Cameron, ..and I can ' assure you ma'am, that he ' too is bitterly. distressed; and humiliated!" The'character and breeding of. Jane Dove was such that she could easily dismantle the barrier which the minister had erected between the two of them' She smiled sweetly. It was a coquettish smile, and, when she flitted her eyelashes in such a demure fashion, the minister could not help but soften a little. . • "I had no idea Sir, that what I did in the , name of your people . would be cause for offence. Indeed Sir, had 1 the slightest doubt that I . would have caused any embarrassment, I can assure you 1 would not have enter- tained the thought of it. She rose, turned her back to him, and pretended to hold a handkerchief to her eyes. Atthat moment the anger of the ministermelted. away. After all, he was . a compassionate man, and forgiveness was . an essential trait of his calling. "1 beg you ma'am, not to distress yourself on my account. What is done is done,' but I emphasize that we do not need- your gold no. matter with what intent: it is given. However, l must point out that by pretending to be attracted to me to attain your own ends, was most deceitful." Jane turned quickly and laughed out loud. "'You have indeed assumed the wrong impression Sir. It is my earnest wish to go with your people and go l will, •taut there is no person amongst your people who could appeal to a lady of my station." She 'paused and then added softly,;, "except of: course, your Doctor Cameron." by bob trotter Canada's national newspaper. calls itself. And the headline on the front page about 10 days ago in the flagship of the 'Thomson fleet: the 'Globe and Mail, shouted: . Farmers are moving into • class of millionaires, survey shows. IIII Another in the, long line of mislead- ing stories carried' by so many .of the. daily papers , in the country. They appear to deliberately show farmers in a dubious light. Canadian farmers are moving into the millionaire class, according to. a • 1981 survey of farm wealth by , the Farm Credit Corp. Buried among the thousands` of figures in the 22 tables to be found in the report of the survey are data to show that, on average, farmers are wealthier than the rest of Canadians. "After their debts are taken into account, the average net worth of all Canadian' farmers, large and small. wasfound to be just below 544.000 in January. 1981 .,a amount several • times the n worth of the average Canadian fa i The story suggests that the average' Canadian . has a. net worth of about 592.000 and farmers are five times wealthier than the average Canadian. Statistics can be manipulated, to prove just about anything andthat is just what this story, does: It manipu- lates the figures, the data. Farmers have a far larger invest- ment iu land and property and build- ings aid equipment and livestock than •the average Canadian. Factory work- ers. for instance, have little or no investment in their jobs sohow can you possibly compare farmers and factory workers? It's like comparing apples' and crab apples: • • • , If the statistics were taken to the final figure. one could logically sug- gest that. because farmers have so • much invested, they should be, getting just 'as ..good a return on their investment and. labour as any other sector of the economy. They should be making astronomical profits as do the banks, . the oil companies ; and the Thomson newspapers.. They would be making as much net profit = net profit, 1 repeat - as any 'other business or factory. Buit ' they ,don't. They have trouble making ends meet because their money is tied up in land and livestock and equipment. It doesn't take too many brains to . figure out that farmers live poor and die rich. They have huge investments. in. theit operations but they cannot' get that money back until they go out of business. They go out of business by selling their farms or going' into bank- ruptcy. Relative to their worth, the Globe story says., farmers are not deeply in debt. Canadian farmers have almost six times as much. equity as they have debt.. - 5100 -billion in equity and 51,7 -billion , in debt. So the survey says and who, can argue with they figures? Why. then. are farm '• bankruptcies so__ _high? Why has the , militant movement spread all across Canada? The figures suggest to me that: if farmers have all this equity and not that much in debts, why are fore- closures up by more than 25 per cent? The figures can spray all over the page. ,They can prove all kinds of things but the reality of it right at thefarm gate. It is farmers donning masks and .making threats to get a better . deal. it. is stress -filled, dis- gruntled people heaving dead ' cattle on a bank's doorstep. It is farmers' wives crying silently at night: It is frustration at ids' peak as farmers threaten everything from mayhem to murder. That's where the proof is and .it would behoove . the bureaucrats, whe amass these surveys. and city -dwel- ling writers to get out and get a bit of manure on their boots to find. out - really' find out - how tough things arc on the back forty these days.