Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1964-02-27, Page 9Con We Afford It? In this issue of The Advance -Times you will find an article which is part of an ad- dress delivered by Graham Towers at the annual meeting of the Canada Life Assur- ance Company. It deals with the question • of whether or not Canada is ready for a universal pension plan. Mr. Towers is a man who can surely speak with more than ordinary authority on the subject of Canada's financial prob- lems. He is a past Governor of the Bank of Canada. In fact he served in that cap- "' r acity during the dark days of World War II 4 1 i when national finances were at their most critical state, He is also chairman of the board of Canada Life, and as such will no doubt be accused in some circles of trying to feather the nests of the insurance firms, We sug- gest that you read his remarks and ponder the advice he offers. Mr, Towers says quite bluntly just what we have been saying in this column for several weeks—there is grave doubt that Canadians can afford the luxury of a full- scale pension plan. Increase k Overdue Premier Robarts has made it plain that he has no intention of seeking an increase in pay for members of the Ontario Legis- lature. His reasons. of course, are obvious. He knows that the voting public is still thinking about the hefty increase voted for Federal members and does not want to place his administration in a position that would make it appear greedy. In our own opinion, the Ontario Mem- bers are overdue for an increase. At pre- sent they are getting $7,000 a year and that is not enough money to offer any in- centive to the most desirable sort of public representative. Any man who is smart enough to be a good member of Parliament should be making considerably more than that amount in his own job or profession. Another drawback to low indemnities is that young men, who have not had enough years to accumulate a blacklog of savings or investments simply cannot afford to get into politics. Thus we find ourselves in a situation where only the elderly men or the wealthy ones will offer themselves as candidates in an election. Several younger men, with keen intel- lects and a high sense of responsibility have been approached right here in Huron -Bruce as possible candidates. Several of them could not risk their livelihoods by accept- ing the offer. Perhaps $7,000 sounds like a pretty big salary to you, but bear in mind how much territory it has to cover. The member must maintain his household in his home community. Then, too, he must pay for his living expenses while he is attending the sessions in Toronto; he must be prepared to give hand-outs to dozens of organizations and funds between election campaigns; he must travel back and forth to the city, for his constituents expect to see him out around his riding. Whenever some of his friends from back home drop in to see him in Toronto he is expected to spring for a free lunch. And after all this has been accomplished he is expected to have some- thing left over to finance the next election. The real idemnity for Members should be an amount small enough to provide no incentive for the man who might want to get into politics merely for the money— but large enough to make it possible for any truly worthwhile individual to repre- sent his riding without the nagging strain of financial worries. Do We Need Conscription? Last week a Liberal back -bencher from Quebec served notice that he would intro- duce a private bill in the House of Com- mons which, if passed, would require every young Canadian to spend a year in military service. Strangely enough, he says that he has found many residents of Quebec are not opposed to such a plan. Though it is highly unlikely that the bill will pass the House, there is some merit in the idea. The threat of war does' not seem as ominous as it did even a few months ago, and it would be difficult to persuade Canadians that there is any mili- tary need for universal training. However, the benefits which would accrue to the young men themselves would certainly be tremendous, No doubt many of them would loath the compulsory discipline, but almost every one of them would emerge from a year's training with improved health and a more positive outlook on life gen- erally. There would be a great deal less delin- quency among young people if they had the experience of a year in the Army behind them. The Deadliest Sin a During this Canadian Brotherhood Week we might all do well to momentarily forget about the evils of apartheid and the injus- tices in the Southern states, It would be a good time to remind ourselves that our own house is not in the best of order. What about our own brothers ... the ones with black and yellow and red skins . . . the ones who walk the streets of our cities in long beards and black hats? We have so little room for our typical Canadian complacency. We smugly believe that because a Negro couple can buy a meal in most Canadian restaurants we are mor- ally superior to our American neighbours. What have we done about the hopeless poverty and ignorance of our Canadian In- dian brothers? What efforts do we ex- pend to make our Chinese population truly Canadian? Do we act like brothers to e those among us who are Jews? Only if they have made lots of money and have shaved off the beards. Brotherhood, true brotherhood, does not demand conformity to our own par- ticular standards of dress or education. Brotherhood means a deep and abiding concern for every man, or woman, or child who suffers, or hungers, or is shamed. There are some signs that mankind may have fought its last foolish battles over boundaries and trade routes . .. But there is yet no sign that all battles are finished. Man now faces the supreme test of his right to survive. Unless we can somehow extend true brotherhood to all the hungry and the outcast, we breathe an atmosphere.polluted with the foul breath of our deadliest sin . . inhumanity to those other creatures which God created in His own Divine Image, THE WINGHAM ADVANCE - TIMES Published at Wingham, Ontario, by Wenger Bros. Limited W. harry 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 REMINISCING FEBRUARY 1914 The first meeting of the Lit- erary Society was held in the Assembly Ball on Friday, Jan. 30. President Buchanan occupi- ed the chair and the following program was rendered: Girls' chorus; piano solo, Miss N. Gracey; Debate, "Resolved that an individual derives more benefit from reading than travel- ling." ravelling." The affirmative was supported by Mr. F. Walker and Miss 1, Law, the negative by Mr. C. Wilson and Miss K. Pringle. Solo, Miss M. Isard; accordian solo, Mr. E. Wilkin- son; piano solo, Miss N. Chris- tie; Judge's decision, Mr. C.M. Ewing, Decision in favor of negative.. Critic's remarks, Mr. G. R. Smith, Mr. John Weir, of Saskatoon University, is the Canadian win- ner of the Rhodes senolarship for 1913. This scholarship entitles the winner to $150i; per year and three years tuition at Ox- ford. Mr. Weir is the son of a former Huron old boy. Rev. R. Weir, of Saskatoon, and a nep- hew of Mrs. Wm. S. Linklater, of the town plot. John will no doubt make good in staid old Oxford. Mr, Will Roderus, of Los Angeles, California, has hand- ed his father, Mr. F. 11. Rod- erus, a lemon: and being im- bued with the true western spirit has done it in good style. The lemon came by express last week and measures 18 inches in circumference and stands on end to the height of 11 inches. It weighs 2 3/4 lbs. No doubt the boys at Roderus' model boarding house will have lemon pie galore for many days to come. FEBRUARY 1925 At a special meeting of Wingham council on Monday night, Mayor Fells, Reeve Mc- Kibbon and Clerk Galbraith were appointed delegates from Wingham to meet with deputa- tions from all muncipalities interested in the proposed Clin- ton-liarriston highway, at a conference with Hon. Mr, Hen- ry, Minister of Highways in Toronto on Tuesday, The fine old 100 acre farm of the late Robert Scott, on the 6th concession of Morris Town- ship, has been purchased by H. O. Walker of Brussels, who also owns another farm on the same concession. FEBRUARY 1939 A wedding of local interest took place at the Presbyterian Manse here, at 12.30 noon, Saturday, February 4th, when Eva Jean, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John E. IIomuth, of Wing - ham, became the bride of Mr, 13. Howard Bedford, of Wing - ham, son of Mr. B. H. Bedford of Chatham, arid the late Mrs. Bedford. Mat Johnston went into the fur business with a vengeance the other day when he dug 15 skunks out of one. hole. W. 0, Kress and T. W. Platt have been commissioned as second lieutenants in the local battery, the 99th Field Battery R.C.A. One rink represented the local club at the Bonspiel at Fordwich on Monday. J. Carr Jr., J. Carr, Sr., J. A. Wil- son, Ed. Small, skip. They won one game and lost two. On Thursday night Mr. F. W. Spry was presented by Rehoboarn Lodge, Toronto, with a set of Grand Lodge Re- galia, Past Grand Pursuivant, On Wednesday last week Hy- dro was turned on along Curries sideroad, East Wawanosh, as far as the 10th and east along the 10th to Cecil Coultes' farm. In the spring thy' line will be extended west along the 10th as far as Ile.rson Irwin's, FEBRUARY 1949 A serious accident occurred about a utile north of Ilensall during a blinding snowstorm on Thursday evening, shortly after 7 o'cloe.<. A Wingham car driven by Mr. I)on Jeffs, with Mrs. Jeffs and Mr. Joseph J. Evans was returning from Lon- don, when it and a southbound HULLY GULLY DANCERS—Another of the dancing troupes that entertained at the high school concert on Thursday and Friday from the left, back row: Nancy Schaefer, Mary Ahara, Marilyn Riley, Peggy Rae; front: Pat Hotchkiss, Kay Tunney, Sally Galbraith, Connie Cameron. —Advance -Times Photo. barn IthbaucteZimt Wingham, Ontario, Thursday, Feb. 27, 1964 SECOND SECTION SUGAR AND SPICE Grass Is Always Greener By BILL SMILEY "I wooden Tronna if ya whole dump live in that gave me the on a silver p 1 a t ter." This is an e x pression oft heard in the vast hin- t e r land of our domin- ion, the true n ort h, strong and free. 13111 Smiley It is echo- ed with equal emphasis about Montreal, Halifax, Vancouver, Winnipeg, and the other dozen or so cities of any size. The statement above is usually followed by a dia- tribe against "city living." Its high rents, its heavy traffic, its unfriendliness; its distance from that demi- paradise, the speaker's home town. "Ya, I know it's nice in the summer up north there. But wuddaya do all winter in that dump." This is equally fainiliar. It is asked in the tones of simple incredulity of a sophisticated suburbanite who spends all winter do- ing exactly what you do in that dump up north: car driven by Rev. William Matheson of Chesley with Mrs. Matheson as passenger met in a head-on collision. The oc- cupants of both cars were taken to Clinton Hospital, where Mr. Evans died shortly after being admitted. The others were severely injured. Mr. Jeffs, manager of the Wingham Utili- ties received chest injuries and severe lacerations, but was able to be removed to the Wing- ham Hospital the following day, where he is progressing favour- ably and was able to sit up for a short while on Sunday. Mrs. Jeffs, besides severe cuts and bruises has a badly fractured ankle, but it is rxpected she will be brought to Wingham Hospital in a few days. working, playing, bringing up your family, trying to pay the bills, and growing older. * * * On most matters, I take a stand. But in this de- nunciation of the other fel- low's mode of life, I take two stands. The first is gentle agree- ment with my small-town friends. I go along with their belligerent argument that the city is no place to live; that I'd hate to battle that traffic; that liv- ing is cheaper in a smaller centre; that it's wonderful to live within five minutes of fishing, curling, golfing and friends. When I'm listening to some old buddy who lives in the city, I nod sagely when he points out that the city is an exciting place to live; that it's wonder- ful to be able to take in all the shows and concerts; that it's grand to be able to go out for an exotic meal in a fascinating place; that the small town doesn't pro- vide the same cultural op- portunities for your kids. * * * Privately, I chuckle at both points of view. Both are full of contradictions. The city fellow claims there's no privacy in a small town -- everybody knows your business. The small-town fellow explodes, "Privacy. How can you have privacy in the city when you're jammed into a two-by-four lot, in a house beside people you don't like and who have horrible kids?" The small-town fellow raves about that mythical "rat -race" in the city, and goes out and roars around in service clubs and frater- nal organizations and ath- letic clubs and church groups at a pace no city rat could stand. The Myths multiply. In a Urge Indians to Develop Talents Of Ancestors Ontario Indians have been urged to organize and commer- cialize their production of na- tive handcrafts in order to cash in on a growing mar,<et for sou- venirs and similar gifts items. Chief Lorenzo Big -Canoe of the Georgina Island Ojibway In- dians told the Ontario Trappers' Association annual convention in North I3ay that money can be made if Indians and their lead- ers "develop the talents of their people and increase the quantity and quality of Indian souvenirs and gifts." The Indian goods will he all important part of the Ontario Souvenir Industry Exhibition in Toronto, which will also in- clude a numher of handcraft items which are or can be made in quantity. Indian bead work, quill work, carving, leather won< and other forms of Indian wares will be shown, Chief Big -Canoe said. "The exhibition, along with the continuing program of pro- moting souvenirs of Ontario which are made here,can mean a really solid industry for In- dians in the future," thi chief told the Trappers Association. A large numher of Indians, along with other trappers, at- tended the convention. city of a million, theatre:: are half empty, concerts play to small crowds. exotic restaurants go broke. In a small place, one-tenth of two per cent. of the popula- tion is revelling in that fishing, hunting and so on at the front door. The rest are at home watching the sante TV program as the fellow in the city. On Saturdays, the whole problem is brought into perspective, on a four -lane highway. Down to the city, in one stream, pour the thousands of people going in for a day to shop, see shows, suck up some fast culture. Up from the city, in the other stream. pour the thousands of people going north for the skiing or swimming or fishing. They don't even wave to each other.