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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1963-11-14, Page 90 Who Will Take The Lead? It appears that again this year Wing - ham will be faced with a dire shortage of potential town councillors, Three of the men who are serving at the present time have already announced their intention to drop out — and there may be more by nomination night, It is high time for some fresh reason- ing to be applied to this subject. There is no shortage, in this commun- ity, of people to give advice about how the town's business should be managed. All through the year they can be heard— sounding off about the mistakes the coun- cil is making. Why, then, are they so silent when it is time to nominate for a new council? Don't be mistaken. We are not ob- jecting to amateur critics. On the con- trary, we believe that their interest in community affairs is a sign of civic good health. If this interest is sincere, how- ever, Wingham should not find itself beg- ging for council candidates each year. Two factors have contributed to the paucity of council material. One of these is the fact that the business transacted by municipal councils seems to grow more complicated and technical. The require- ments of county, provincial and federal authorities have created an atmosphere in which the ordinary citizen is afraid to be heard, lest he betray ignorance. It should be clearly understood that no man of common sense and sincere interest need be frightened off by the multitude of rules and regulations. The town employs a solicitor and a clerk to interpret for the council, members of which .are expected only to use sound and considered judg- ment as they debate and vote on public affairs. The second factor which contributes to the shortage of councillors is the in- creasing number of activities within the community. A high percentage of men in the town are already so deeply embroiled with service clubs, sports clubs and civic boards, as well as church, lodge and other activities, that they fear the addition of. further meetings and duties. Frankly, we don't know the answer to this one. In our opinion it is the greatest single drawback to life in a smaller com- munity, The burdens of leadership fall on so few that the available manpower is spread too thin, For instance it is very difficult for a businessman to refuse mem- bership in any of the groups to which the majority of his fellows belong. He is ex- pected to have the time and funds for the entire program. If, however, he goes along with the crowd and belongs to all the clubs he must sacrifice adequate time for his busi- ness—and, we suspect, gives up any no- tion he might have entertained about tak- ing his place on town council. This is a suitable time for you to re- view your own activities and interests. Give some serious thought to public ser- vice. Wingham is a good town to live in at present—but that could change if local government should fall into unworthy hands. They Aren't Mind Readers Talking to Police Chief Jim Miller re- cently about some of the more unpleasant aspects of Hallowe'en nonsense we were reminded once again that policemen have a tough time keeping everyone happy. He told us of a property owner in town who called him in desperation. The caller told him that for almost a year she had been tortured by young people who came around at night to throw garbage at er home or pull off equally ignorant tricks. She concluded by telling the Chief she would have to sell her property and leave town. The officer's obviously logical question was, "Why did you put up with this nuis- ance for a year without reporting it to the police?" There is a strange line of reasoning in smaller communities that the police should never be informed of anything short of arson or murder. How can we expect our local officers to maintain order if we do not keep them informed? Are they supposed to have a built-in radar attachment that automati- cally informs them of wrong doing in the far corners of the town? Many, many times we have heard the cry, "Why don't the police do something about it?" Rest assured they will take the necessary action as soon as they re- ceive the necessary information. Liberty Too Lightly Won For more than a decade the nations of earth have been re-forming — boundaries have wavered and taken new shapes and new names have begun to appear upon our maps. The most dramatic changes have taken place in Asia and Africa, where colonies have been voluntarily surrendered to the native races. The force of world opinion has been so strong that many native gov- ernments have been established long be- fore these countries were ready for self rule. Great Britain was long branded, par- ticularly by American spokesmen, as the epitome of colonialism. British control over vast areas of the earth's surface was frequently pointed to as a prime example of all that was wrong within the white man's relations with his colored brethren. In the face of their critics Britain, France, Belgium and other European powers began to relinquish their control. If we think back we may recall the warn- ing from the colonial powers. No longer do we need the backward glance. The unwholesome fruit is now upon the tree. Take this example: Recently the gov- ernment of Ghana, one of the new nations, passed a law which provides for preven- tive detention. Under this act a person whose prison sentence has been complet- ed, may be held for an additional five years if the authorities feel the prisoner is likely to cause trouble upon his release. it is all too apparent that Ghana re- ceived sovereign power before its people had learned any of the important lessons of self-government. The president of Indonesia avowed his intention of destroying the new nation of Malaysia. With its own freedom scarcely more than a decade in duration Indonesia would now like to deny the same privilege to its nearest neighbor. It took violence and bloodshed to oust a tyrant rule in South Vietnam, fresh from the colonial bondage of France. We are not suggesting that anything less than complete independence should be the final objective for the emerging people. It is plain, however, that free- dom, granted without preparation to the largely uneducated peoples, can become a curse in place of a blessing. The Mattress Makers Some people will go to almost any length to get a good night's sleep, notes The Financial Post. Enter: The 6 ft, 6 in. square mattress. And if that isn't enough to keep you in bed, mattress makers will supply you with a round one, 7 ft. in diameter. Although not many of these mattresses are being sold in Canada, mat- tress makers say there is a trend toward odd -shaped, bigger beds. One company sells from 10-20 extra large mattresses weekly. They satisfy two kinds of buyers: People too large to get comfortable in a normal bed; People with lots of surplus cash. 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 Mall and for payment of postage in cash SUbscriptioh Rate: One Year, $4.00; Six Months, $2.5, in advance U.S.A., $5.00 per year; Foreign rate, $5.00 per year Advertising Rates on application REMINISCING NOVEMBER 1913 At the A.Y,P.A, meeting on Monday evening last, the topic -- "Canadian Story Writ- ers", was taken by Miss Emily Mann and Miss Annie Cunning- ham, the former taking as her subject L. M. Montgomery, and the latter dealt with Sir Gil- bert Parker. Mr. Geo. H. Walton left Wednesday on a trip to Gresley, South Derbyshire, England. Mrs. Walton has been there for some time and will return with Mr. Walton about April. A large number of citizens who are interested in hockey met in the Council Chamber Monday evening and elected the following officers: Hon. Pres., Dr. J. P. Kennedy; Pres., L. Binkley; vice pres., B. J. Doyle sec., R. A, Currie; treas. , R. Brooks; manager, Ted Elliott; committee, W. 11. Gurney, tial MacLean and Geo. Jacques. 0--0--0 NOVEMBER 1926 Mr. Emmerson Bennett, son of Rev. M. M, and Mrs. Ben- nett,was nominated as candid- ate for the constituency of North Huron in the sixth Older Boy's Parliament , which con- venes in the Parliament Build- ings in the Christmas week. A movement is now on foot to have an extension built to the Wingham Arena. This is to make ample room for three sheets of curling ice. Rev. Glenn Wardell and family are now located at 10 Avalon Blvd., Toronto. Dur- ing his pastorate in Wingham at the Baptist Church, they made many warm friends. Rev. F. W. Shafter, rector of St. Paul's Anglican Church, preached at a memorial service attended by many veterans of the town and district on Sunday night. The Last Post was sound- ed by A. Hingston. Rev. Shaf- ter also conducted a memorial service at Teeswater at which a large number of veterans at- tended in a body. 0--0--0 NOVEMBER 1938 Results of elections for No- vember Students' Council of Wingham Public School: Grade VIII, Norma Brown, Donald Haste; Grade VII, Dorothy Hamilton, Donald Campbell; Grade VI, Cecil Yeomen; Grade V, Barbara Ross. On behalf of the citizens of this community we extend con- gratulations to Mr. Jack E. Reavie on winning gold medal honors in the soloist tenor class at the Canadian Musical Festi- val held in H. B. Beal Tech- nical School, under the spon- sorship of the University of Western Ontario at its affiliat- ed Conservatory of Music. A Brass Memorial Tablet in memory of the late Reginald Douglas, has been placed in St. Paul's Church, and will be formally dedicated by the rec- tor, Rev. E. 0. Gallagher on Sunday. 0--0--0 NOVEMBER 1948 The sixth annual presenta- tion of the Wingham Horse Show on Thursday drew large crowds, although not quite up to former years. Competition was keen in all events. Culminating many months of entertainments for the peo- ple of this district, Earl Hey - wood's song Book No. 1, will soon be on the music stands. The portfolio contains 15 of the original compositions of guitar- playing uitarplaying Earl Heywood, who is already recognized in Western Ontario as. a leading radio sing- er and song -writer. Messrs. Frank Hopper, Chas. Crossett, Russel Kelly, Harold McCallum and Harry Adams left on Tuesday for north of Parry Sound where they will spend the remainder of the week hunting deer. POPULAR NAM There are no less than eight towns by the name of Hamilton. They are situated in Australia, Bermuda, Montana, New York State, New Zealand, Ohio, Ontario and Scotland. The name, which is that of a noble Scottish family, was actually 'English in origin, descending from Walter FitzGilbert of Hameidone. The Ontario Hamilton is the largest of the communities in the list, NINETEEN CUBS were invested last Thursday evening in a special ceremony attended by parents and friends. Part of the group is pictured above and in- cludes from the ,left, standing: Steven Scott, Douglas Casemore, Greg Peachey, Ron Perrott, Bob Seli; front: Jeff Lock - ridge, Rickey Hodgins, Steven Watson and Randy Brenzil. —Advance -Times Photo. h� Abbancioante Wingham, Ontario, Thursday, Nov. 14, 1963 SECOND SECTION There's a new television series on the air that is giving me an inferiority complex about the size of a giant squid. Maybe ;'ou haven't seen it, but it's called Mr Novak. and it holds me oreathless. and makes me wretched for one hour every Sunday night. It's a sort of Dr. Kildare with classroom and chalk - dust and psychology in- stead of surgery and blood and psychology. Mr. Novak Is a blond, handsome, young, idealistic teacher of English in a high school. That's enough to flatten a balding, homely, middle aged, realistic teacher of English such as 1 before the opening com- mercial, But it isn't this sort of thing that is eating away my self-confidence. it's the excitement of Mr. Novak's life that makes me feel like something the caretaker forgot to sweep out on Fri- day afternoon. * * * Every week. he gets in- volved in the daintiest situ- ations, and emerges smell- ing of violets and looking Iike Joan of Are. And ev.ry week 1 get involved in the dam d est situations and emerge. Barely. Mr. Novak saunters through the halls of his school in his well -cut gray suit, buttering up the prin- cipal and looking dedicat- ed. Mr. Smiley scuttles through the halts of his school, avoid:ng the princi- pal, and looking harassed. Every week, Mr. Novak t a n g l e s fearlessly with some impossible problem, and solves it Every week, Mr. Smiley tangles fearful- ly with eight impossible problems, and by the time he's Finished, he has 16 impossible problems. In the last few weeks, Mr. Novak has outdone himself. He has squelched an outbreak of racial prej- udice. He has caught a colleague cheating and for - S GAR and SPICE By Bill Smiley given him. He has encour- aged a colleague with an alcoholic wife. He has pull- ed the principal out of hot water. * * * In the last few weeks, Mr. Smiley has undone himself. He has barely lived through an outbreak of the 'flu. He has caught a colleague trying to make off with his rubbers He has encouraged a c o 1 l ea gue with an alcoholic mother. He has got the principal in hot water. You can see why this program slakes me feel pretty insignificant. Mr. Novak leaps joyously from one crisis to another. Mr. Smiley totters desperately from one anti -climax to the next. Take this week. for ex- ample. 1'11 bet you that right now, that Novak is rehearsing an episode in which he defies the school board on a matter of prin- ciple, solves a hairy per- sonal problem for one of his students. and pulls the principal out of a nasty situation. Right now, I'm tryin; to write a column. My wife is downstairs, teaching a piano lesson. My son is across the hall, practising the piano. My daughter is in the bathroom, roaring out the lines of her oral composition, which is to be delivered tomorrow. a n d waiting to pounce on me and make me Vicar it, * * * Five moments ago the phone rang. It was a col- league, wanting me tG tape an interview for the Air Cadets. Tonight I have to go to night school, German. and haven't my homework done. After that 1 have to go out canvassing for the YMCA. Tomorrow I have to foto my students get the weekly newspaper column ready, give my son a driving Ins - son and get rid of the scruirrels in the attic. Thursday 1 have a church board meeting. F r i d a y there's a department meet- ine. followed by the Friday BOX 390 Edmonton, Alta., Advance -Times, Enclosed you will find 54.00 postal order for 1963-1964 sub- scription to your paper. Al- though we don't know too many of the old folks left around Orangehill, Fordwich, Gorrie and Wroxeter, we are always glad to hear from the land of our birth. Sorry to hear about Bob Spot - ton, one of my old schoolmates Maybe we will have the oppor- tunity of calling next summer, and see the changes that have taken place in Wingham. Yours truly, W. G. Ferguson. A Case of Padding In our day — and it's pass- ing more rapidly than we care to note — something was all right if it was approved by Emily Post. Nowadays it's more likely to be Ann Landers, an attractive lady who advises her correspondents on a number of complex questions, such as the propriety of supplementary padding for the female figure. We're happy to report that Miss Landers approves of it. For if she had ruled otherwise, it might have started a whole movement toward accurate re- presentation, It might not have stopped until speakers dispens- ed with their ghost writer, movie stars dropped euphonius stage names and tv shows dis- posed of all their canned ap- plause. And it's horrible to contem- plate what upheavals could occur if trend seeped into our political life. As it is, who would pay serious attendion to all that oratory except for be- ing conditioned to hope for substance in airy nothings? -- Wall Street Journal. Afternoon Club meeting, followed by ;t blast from my wife f,ir attending it. Friday night. if 1 can shake off the 'flit by thin, 1 have to go deer honing for the %leek end. in the meantime. 1 have to arrange with MGM for a shawine of the fila, ham- let. and with O'Keefe Centre for a trip for 140 kids. four buses, to see My Fair Lady. Somewhere in there, 1 niust mark 120 tests a n d eleventy-seven essays. Gee, I wish ': could iust go around Sunday nights, looking dedicated, like Mr. Novak, instead of going around all the time looking desiccated, like Mr. Smiley.