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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1963-03-21, Page 9Teachers Will Be Missed The announcement last week that three veteran teachers of the public school staff will retire at the end of this term leaves us all with mixed feelings. We do know that these teachers have earned their retirement and well deserve a rest from their arduous labors—but parents throughout the community will be sorry to see the fine abilities of these teachers lost to the younger generation. Education and the entire system under which it is administered, ' have undergone far-reaching changes during the past 15 or 20 years. With all respect to the younger teachers who have been the first to take up the new methods, we feel that no small measure of commenda- tion is due to the members of public school staffs who were able to add the benefits of long experience and thorough training. To Miss Williamson, Miss Johns and Mrs. Webster we would like to extend the gratitude of this community for the untold gifts they have passed on to our children. We would also extend the best of good wishes for years of retirement which will be rich in rewards for the years of effort they have devoted to the public service. The Wake -Me -Up Election There is a lot of general moaning and groaning right now about the horrible mess we are in when it comes to national government. It's about the only thing Canadians can agree upon — how com- pletely fouled -up our affairs have become and how completely we lack leadership. By and large we are inclined to agree. There does appear to be a tremendous hesitation on the part of the old-line poli- ticians to stand right up and say what they mean. On the surface things look black— but closer observation would indicate that a revolution is taking place in the mind of the Canadian voter himself. The very absence of strongly -directed leader- ship is causing the average Canadian to ponder the importance of sound govern- ment and to think deeply about the con- sequences of a bad choice on April 8th when he goes to the polls. This is not merely a theory. Note the attendance at meetings where the political leaders have been speaking. Crowds which were numbered at a few hundred last June have suddenly swollen to thousands. Nothing could be healthier for the ApPominion of Canada. We have heard a lot of sad statements to the effect that it is a crying shame the defence prob- lem should be brought into politics; that anti -Americanism has arisen. We don't think it's a shame at all. For 30 or 40 years the Canadian voters have been asked to elect governments on cut- and-dried issues which were 'tailored to the useful proportions professional poli- ticians wished to deal with. In this elec- tion the politicians have not been afford- ed the usual freedom of choice — and Canadians are going to do their voting under the influence of issues which, for once, they feel are vital to the nation and its safety. We would suggest that any leader who wants to gain the respect and support of the Canadian public should concen- trate on a platform of "whatever is best for Canada" rather than "what will get me the most votes." There is no need to run from town to town and province to province with a whole bagful of new and shiny promises. The Canadian voters have long since awakened to the fact that there is no such thing as a free hand-out from any government. A growing class of electors are listen- ing, so far in vain, for a leader who will promise only one thing — sound and intelligent government, at a price we can afford to pay. • Department Provides Excellent Service As the roughest winter in several years draws to a close we would like to express a few words of commendation to the Ontario Department of Highways. Despite repeated storms of a horrendous nature, the main arteries have seldom been closed for more than a few hours at a time. Admittedly the Department now has vast resources at its disposal in the way of adequate and well-designed equipment —but every one of these machines has to be manned by workmen who know their jobs and who are not afraid to venture out in the worst of winter weather. Our highways are well maintained, not only in the winter months but in summer as well. The roadsides are kept neat and well mowed; picnic tables and rest areas are numerous and attractive. A trip through neighbouring provinces and the various states of the Union leaves the average Ontario driver with a keen sense of satisfaction. Few other areas provide the fine roads and attractive scenery that we enjoy. While we are on this subject we would also like to compliment the Provin- cial Police on their work this winter. Their job is not a pleasant one when they have to brave the bad weather to investigate accidents. Their courtesy and vigilance contributes greatly to the com- parative safety of our highway system. Spring Is Springin'--Slowly Yes, there are a few signs that spring is really around the corner. The odd crow is sounding off in the woods, but we suspect it's just those oddballs who are slightly off the rocker and are squawking about the cold like the rest of us., A bit of brown grass is peeking from under the edges of the snowbanks —but the banks are still anywhere from five to 15 feet high. Several cars have been seen along the main street in which there were young men whose fancies were definitely turned to thoughts of love — but these lads acted the same way all winter. Even a cursory examination of the winter's fuel bill will indicate that spring should be close at hand—but that's not Arc a solid guarantee. Nor is the fact that the kids have lost the last of their mitts and that the buttons have fallen off their winter coats. What we do know is that it will take more than a few sunny days to melt the snowdrifts piled along every fence and roadway; it will be a long time before the ice is all gone from the lakes and streams. However, don't be too gloomy. Re- member that we didn't have any cold weather until almost the first of Decem- ber and last spring it warmed up nicely by the end of March. Maybe this time the law of averages will prevail. We don't live in Florida, you know! THE WINGHAM ADVANCE - TIMES Published at Wingham, Ontario, by Wenger Bros. Limited W. Barry Wenger, President - Robert O. Wenger, Secretary -Treasurer Member Audit Bureau of Circulation; Member Canadian Weekly Newspapers Associ- ation; Member Canadian Community Newspapers Representatives Authorized by the Post Office Department as Second Class Mail and for payment of postage in cash Subscription Rate: One Year, $4.00; Six Months, $2.25, in advance U.S.A., $5.00 per year; Foreign rate, $5.00 per year Advertising Rates on application The Wonderland of Winter Willows Along Lower Town Mill Race btrm UtantieNZinvt 1.4) Wingham, Ontario, Thursday, March 21, 1963 SECOND SECTION ill' Ill ;llI;III!•IIIIIIIII(IIII!IIIC ILI'llll!III!IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII i' . ' :;I : I ! ' f.il I i !III! ..I U !I I'': u; J'S 11'1111 "'' SUGAR !IlllliialI2II • and SPICE II I,IIiIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIfIIIBy Bill Sti ileylliiilillllliiiiillr.. There's one thing about Canadian weather — you'll never die of boredom. This is my thought for the week as the equinox arrives. I think a Canadian March 21, the first day of spring, is just what the word suggests. Equinox is from the Latin Equus—horse Nox—night. English transla- tion—nightmare. We don't know whether we're going to be sitting out on the patio in the sun, hav- ing lunch with the birds yell- ing wildly and the grass sprouting green, or huddled by the window with a red nose, looking at a backyard of navel -deep snow, with a gale howling about the house. It's refreshing, by George. I have neither patience nor sympathy with those traitors w h o complain continually about our Canadian weather. What we should do is pack them off to England, where it rains all the ruddy time; or ship thern to the desert, where they'd be stunned into sullen submission by the brutal thump of the daily sun; or pay their passage to the tropics and let them mould in the mildew of monotonous dampness. We should be proud of our winters, for example. They're mean, tough old devils, grim- ly clinging to their reign until they've wrung the last ounce of resistance out of us. Some- times, I swear, one more week of cold weather would have everyone in the nation at each others' throats. Then comes one of those incredibly s o f t, caressing days, then the wind is velvet from the south, the sun licks ice and snow with hot, ravish- ing tongue, gutters gurgle, and there's a lovely stink as the wrappings are peeled from the rotting, buried body of the earth. * * * Out in the ice, the steam- boats bellow like trapped buf- faloes. Out on the street, the kids stroll through puddles over their boot tops. Out in the bush, the trout streams, black eels against the snow, snort and chuckle and burble with pure pleasure as they race to their nameless des- tiny, free again after months of silent slavery. Down at the dock, the boat owners prowl, calculating, estimating, figuring the days until they can launch that leaky, paint - peeling monu- ment to man's eternal folly. Up on the hills, the fanatics are still at it, hurtling down over gravel and grass, rocks and roots, and occasionally some snow. Up in the bedroom, the good wife views, with horrified de- light, the sickening shade of last year's wallpaper, reveal- ed by the yellow March sun. Down in the basement, the fisherman putters and mut- ters, swears and glares, ties flies. Down at the park or the poolroom or the post office, the old gents, sick to the soul with confinement, suck in the sun, shivering, but once again defiantly alive, part of the world. Up in their rooms, the One Moment, Please By Rev. C. M. Jardine, Wingham, Ontario One of the most remarkable things that we learn as we read the Gospel accounts is that Jesus Christ was a man of out- standing courage. He knew what was before Him when He deliberately chose to go up to Jerusalem and make His last great appeal to the people. St. Matthew tells us that after Peter's confession: "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the liv- ing God" and our Lord's declar- ation concerning the church: "Upon this rock I will build My church", Jesus loses no time in making known to His disciples the prediction of His suffering and death, which will inevit- ably follow His decision. He made the choice freely, teen-agers seem to be study- ing for their Easter exams, while through their heads and bodies swirl the heady fluids of life, the juices of spring. * * * Up in the attic, the black squirrels perform their end- less do-si-do, interrupted only by queer periods in which they don't scuttle, but chortle and croon to the doubtless thousands of babies they have produced in the winter months. Down in the base- ment crouches the cat, vast with unwanted kittens, brood- ing, patient, green-eyed. Ours, I'in afraid, is not the spring of 0 To Be in Eng- land, Now That April's There. It's not the spring of tiny jonquils poking their dainty heads through the turf. It's not the spring of birdies and blossoms of gambolling lambs and tender green buds. All this is two months away. Ours is a savage, sudden spring, raw and rugged, orn- ery and awkward, unexpected and uncomfortable, muddy and moody. But it's never dull. And boy -o -boy -boy, aren't we glad to see it knowing He could easily slip away to a quiet place in the country and escape His enemies But He refused to take the easy way out. He was deter- mined to confront the people, both friends and foes, by a direct face-to-face approach. St. Matthew says: "From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how that He must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day." (Matt. 16:21) There are times when we feel that the best approach in dealing with a problem that faces us is to wait patiently until the time comes when we can successfully cope with it, because of the fortuitous turn of circumstances. The condi- tions then are right for sur- mounting it. There are times, however, when the only adequate ap- proach is a direct frontal attack The wisdom and courage of Jesus in His decision has been borne out not only in the im- mediate events that followed but in the long term results, which culminated in the gift to the world of a revelation of God's love and purpose that would abide forever. His cour- age not only inspires admira- tion, but challenges us to fol- low and serve flim as our Lord and Saviour. SAFETY INSURANCE Why wear auto seat belts'? The answer is simple. Seat belts are the most effective single safety item available to reduce highway deaths and in- juries. Most people wouldn't think of driving without auto- mobile insurance. Your life is far more valuable than your car — so why drive without safety insurance, such as that provided by seat belts.