HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1964-05-14, Page 9Valley of Opportunity
Just the other evening, as we were
munching a bed -time snack and letting
the water run for a long cool drink,
No, 1 Son remarked that there was
enough water going down the drain to
keep an African Bushman in paradise
for a whole year. His words were more
than true—they were prophetic.
Water has been so plentiful in our
part of the world that we never give a
thought to what life would be like with-
out it ... and there is every possibility
that before too many years have passed
we will find it rather strictly rationed.
This present year is bringing a lot
of people to their senses where water is
concerned. Lake Huron, that vast body
of sparkling fresh water, has shrunk to
an alarming degree, the result of a com-
bination of natural and man-made causes.
Below-average rainfall has been coupled
with deeper shipping channels to leave
the lake several feet below its normal
level.
The problem is so acute that plans
• are afoot right now to form an inter-
national commission to study remedial
measures and no doubt they will cost
hundreds of millions of dollars.
The low water levels are no surprise
to conservation people, who have been
predicting this sort of thing for many
• years. The only unexpected feature is
the suddenness with which the lakes be-
gan to drop. The water table, or aver-
age level of water beneath the surface of
the earth, has dropped at an alarming
rate too, chiefly because our exploding
population demands uncounted billions of
gallons of water every hour of the day.
The precious fluid is pumped from the
earth's natural storage tanks and then
emptied into sewers and rivers to find its
way to the sea. A few more years may
see the depletion of all these natural
stores of water.
The only answer lies in a multitude
of systems whereby surface water, both
rainfall and that which has been used
for human needs, can be purified and
stored fo? re -use. The program will be
costly, but it is vitally necessary.
An interesting technique is being used
near London at present, where water
from the impoundment above the Fan-
shawe dam is pumped into "reverse
wells." It is forced down through a
gravel bed into the porous rock stratum
which holds water in a natural state, At
some distance other wells are located
from which the water is pumped back up
for use in the city's water supply. The
earth is being employed as a natural fil-
tration plant which purifies the water for
human consumption.
In a recent informal survey of the
Maitland watershed, conservation experts
have located no less than 17 natural
reservoir areas — places along the river
where dams could be constructed to pro-
vide for surface water storage, True,
the construction of seventeen dams and
the purchase of all the lands which would
then lie in the flooded areas would rep-
resent a tremendous amount of expendi-
ture, and there is little likelihood that
more than one at a time could be at-
tempted.
The great danger is that too many
people will say that this is panic propa-
ganda. They may cling to the belief that
there has always been plenty of water and
there always will be, Since the program
must be carried out through democratic
processes, nothing can be done unless a
clear majority of the voters agree that
the expenditures are indeed necessary. It
behooves all of us to give some serious
thought to the matter. it's later than we
think.
The Kinsmen Are Right
Congratualtions to the members of
the Kinsmen Club for their clear thinking
in regard to the use and sale of fire-
works in the community. Asked by the
firemen to contribute to a fund for a
community fireworks display, they agreed
to do so, but on the condition that coun-
cil be asked to ban the sale of firecrack-
ers starting next year.
There is little point in repeating the
• many arguments we have previously pre-
sented in the column. Every reader of
this paper should know how fiercely we
oppose the use of firecrackers by young-
sters. That opposition springs from the
sad account each spring of injured bodies
and burned -out property . . stories
which you have read in the papers.
There is only one effective method of
putting a stop to the havoc and that is
by making the sale of firecrackers illegal.
Admittedly it will not be completely ef-
fective until all communities over a wide
area have similar by-laws, but there is
no reason why our town cannot take the
lead.
The Kinsmen have no desire to deprive
the youngsters of any fun. They are
prepared to do their part in providing a
really worthwhile fireworks display which
every youngster in town can enjoy
whether his father has $5.00 to throw
away on firecrackers or not. The fire-
men are impelled by the same motive
and are willing and anxious to do some-
thing about it.
The Advance -Times is right behind
both of these organizations in the move
to put an end to a hazard which has al-
ready created far too much suffering.
Sorry to Lose You
A bald-headed, but otherwise person-
able young fellow is leaving Wingham at
the end of this week—and we are going
to miss him. The man in question is
Budd Vanzant, who has been a resident
• of Wingham for the past 15 months and
has been the very able and successful
advertising manager for The Advance -
Times. Budd, his wife June, and daugh-
ter Jill, are the sort of folks we would
like to retain. They have made many
✓ warm friends in the community.
Unfortunately they spent the previous
seven years in sunny Florida, and though
they won't admit it, we have a sneaking
suspicion that one cold winter was all
they could stand because they are headed
back to Winter Haven, Florida, where
Budd takes over as ad manager for the
daily News Chief.
His successor on the A -T staff is Ralph
Johnston, who is equally personable and
hails from Alberta. We're hoping that
since he is innured to the harsh winters
of the Canadian West, Wingham will
seem pretty balmy and he will continue
to luxuriate in our midst for a long time
to come.
Belgrave Does It Again
Anyone who listened to the young
singers taking part in the annual Belgrave
Music Festival on Monday and Tuesday of
last week could not fail to be impressed
by the achievements which have been
made in that community. We do not
belittle one whit the other school areas
where music festivals are held, Rather,
we would point to the spirit of communi-
ty -wide interest and co-operation which
has !ed to the development of the Bel.
grave School Fair and the Music Festival,
one of the fair board's projects.
In an age where mutual assistance be-
tween neighbors seems to be disappear-
ing, the folks of the Belgrave-Wawanosh-
Morris area continue to prove the worthi-
ness of wholehearted co-operation.
THE WINGHAM ADVANCE y TIMES
Published at Wingham, Ontario, by Wenger Bros. Limited
W. $arty Wenger, President - Robert O. Wenger, Secretary -Treasurer
Member Audit $ureau of Circulation; Member Canadian Weekly Newspapers Associ-
atioti; 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; Si, Months, $2,25, in advance
U.S.A., $5.00 per year; Foreign rate, $5,00 pet year
Advertising Rates on application
HIGH SCHOOL CADETS demonstrated their
skill at signals during inspection last week.
Working at signal centre are Cadets Doug
Gibson, Gordon Smith, Leonard Dezeau
and Bob Crewson.
—Advance -Times Photo.
1
AtitmuctiZinu
Wingham, Ontario, May 14, 1964,
SECOND SECTION
SUGAR AND SPiCE
Wise Words From Will
By BILL SMILEY
Everybbdy is writing
about Shakespeare these
days. The only sour note
in the fan-
fare of ac-
claim mark-
ing his
400th anni-
versary is a
deep, rum-
bling sound
that has
'nany people
baffled.
Bill Smiley A few ro-
mantics
claim it is .the ghostly
applause of *nearly four
centuries of playgoers,
echoing down the years. A
few realists assert that it
is the mutinous mumbling
of 20 generations of stu-
dents who had to memorize
chunks from his works.
Personally, I think the
discordant note is caused
by the rapid rotation in his
grave of the bones of The
Bard, a shrewd business-
man, as he agonizes over
all those royalties he is not
collecting.
Otherwise, things are
going swimmingly as the
critics and professors of
English peer and peek and
poke among the magnifi-
cent debris, and the inane
argument about who really
wrote his plays waxes once
more with futile fury.
But I'm not concerned
with that. There are
enough people plodding
about through his works,
trampling poetry under-
foot as they search for
clues to prove that he was
really Bacon or Marlowe
or the Earl of Something.
Let's look for a moment
at the real Will Shake-
speare.
We find hint in the hun-
dreds of brief passages
that have come ringing
down the years with their
universal. truths. He had
to put them in the mouths
of others, of course, but the
man hitnself is there,
warm, a 1 i v e, grinning,
scowling, scolding, exulting.
What could be more
human, for example, than
his pride in his own suc-
cess? When the opening
night performance of Ham-
let showed that the play
was a smash. he deftly in-
serted in the last scene, and
on the spur of the moment,
the joyful line, "A hit, a
very palpable hit!"
We can see his amused
tolerance of his wife's lack
of muscle in another fam-
ous line. She'd been spring
cleaning and had slipped a
disc while trying to move
an old trunk full of sonnets.
"Frailty, thy name is wom-
man," quipped Will.
We can sympathize with
his honest rage (this was
before dry-cleaning) as he
scrubbed the gravy -stain on
his new silk breeches and
bellowed, "Out, damned
spot! Out, I say!"
What man's heart does
not warm to The Bard's
forthright suggestion, in
Henry VI, Part 2, "The
first thing we do, let's kill
all the lawyers,"
Is there a housewife liv-
ing who has not echoed, at
some time, Shakespeare's
immortal comment when
his wife came home from
the butcher with a stringy
roast, "This is the most un-
kindest out of all."?
Many a man has wished
he had the gift, and the
nerve, that Will displayed
the night he got home from
the pub, tiddly and tardy,
and was confronted by his
wife, her sister, and his
mother-in-law. Did he say
he was sorry and would
never do it again? Not he.
He roared, "How now, you
secret, black and midnight
hags!"
He knew men, as witness,
" 'Tis ever common that
men are merriest when
they are from home." He
knew women, too. "There
was never yet k fair woman
but she made mouths in a
glass."
As this piece of research
ends, I can hear a multi-
tude of English teachers
saying, in unison, "For this
relief much thanks,"
REMINISCING
MAY 1914
Dr. W. J. Moon, V.S. and
Mrs. Moon left town on Thurs-
day last. Mrs. Moon will visit
in Hamilton for a time and Dr,
Moon goes to New Liskeard,
where he will probably locate.
Dr. and Mrs. Moon made many
friends during their residence in
Wingham and many regret their
removal. We wish them suc-
cess and happiness in their new
home.
The annual Sunday School
Convention of the Deanery of
Huron was held in St. Thomas'
Church, Seaforth. The follow-
ing delegates represented St.
Paul's congregation: Mr. and
Mrs. C. M. Walker, Miss
Cornyn, Miss Lizzie Fleuty,
Miss Mabel Swarts and Miss Fre-
da Vanstone. Miss Fleuty was
appointed secretary of the
Deanery for the com'ng year.
MAY 1928
Mrs. McGee, Sr. of Bel -
grave, narrowly escaped drown-
ing on Friday afternoon, by fall-
ing into her cistern. Stepping
on the covering to change the
water pipes, she broke through
the rotting boards and plunged
into the water. In slipping
down she managed to grab hold
of the covering and kept herself
up, help soon coming in an-
swer to her cry for help. Mrs.
McGee who is well past the
four -score mark, is now at her
son Harry's, in town, she seems
little the worse of her unpleas-
ant experience.
MAY 1939
What might have proven a
very serious accident occurred
on Highway No. 4, north of
Clinton on Saturday night when
three cars were in a mix-up.
Mrs. J. W. McKibbon accomp-
anied by her daughter, Mary
Elizabeth, and Miss N, Dinsley,
letters to the Editor
The Editor,
Advance- Times.
Dear Sir:
Some time ago an article
appeared in the Toronto Daily
Star, which was in effect a
short biography of the life of
the late Joseph Atkinson, the
founder of the Toronto Star.
One of the significant things
of the life of Joseph Atkinson
was that he was a great reform-
er, In 1.110 he was called in by
the Liberal party to help to
draft the social policy of the
party. however, the irony of
the story is that Joseph Atkin-
son spent the rest of his life try-
ing to get the Liberals to im-
plement those policies - a very
sad commentary for a party
which has always thought of it-
self as the party of reform.
Social a nd moral reform are
closely tied together, and tole:
a reformer along those lines,
one should be a living embodi-
ment of those ideals. After be-
ing subject to the self-righteous
attitude of some liberals, one
cannot help but feel that one
of the greatest needs of the par-
ty is reform within itself.
Disillusioned
0--0--0
Advance -Times,
Wingham, Ontario
Dear Sirs -
In the past you have been
most generous in your support
of the Wirtgllatn and District
School for Retarded Children,
This school draws pupils from
Lucknow, Tceswater, brussels,
and the surrounding townships,
as well as from Wingham.
We are located in a beauti-
ful setting at Riverside Park in
Wingham, but there is still
quite a bit of work to do topro-
perly develop the land around
One Moment,
Please
BY REV, C,A1. JARDINE
Wingham;, Ontario
At this season of the s. at',
farmers and gardeners are row-
ing; seed. The soil has heen
prepared and the priii►t rams
have been welcomted, particu-
larly when.: raiufall hay been
less than average. The coun-
try side is a scene of u(:t:ity
everywhere as we travel alt•'tlg
rural roads and highway,.
St, :elan* records the parable
of the sower a'. told by !tete, iii
chapter four of his Gospel, "A
sower went forth to sow", The
sowing of seed was a very apt
illustratiuu, familiar to Jesus
as it is to us and used by Our
Lord to illustrate a great truth
in the application which he
rade of it in relation to the
soil which produces the har-
vest.
The sowing of seed is an act
of faith in anticipation of a
harvest to feed the hungry peo-
ple of the world. It Is a very
natural and necessary task in
providing for the needs of all.
The concern of the fanner
is to sow his seed in "good
soil" that, in God's providence,
he may reap a bountiful har-
vest. The land must be tilled
and fertilized to this end.
Jesus describes four kinds of
soil in which the seed may be
sown: 1. Ground that was tram-
pled down (along the path). 2.
Stony ground, 3. Thorn -in-
fested ground. 4. Good Soil.
Keeping in mind that the seed
is of good quality and that the
sower is content in his work,
the main point in the parable
it seems to ole, is tie reaping
of the harvest. The harvest de-
pends upon the germination
and growth of the seed to ma-
turity according to the kind of
soil in which it was sown.
Jesus likens the seed to the
word, that is the Gospel, and
the soil to the listener. The
preaching and teaching of the
word produces several responses
in the hearer: 1. He may per-
mit the word to lie on the sur-
face of the mind without pene-
tration into the soul and it is
soon snatched away. 2, He
may accept the word for a
time then because it is not
rooted deeply enough, it with-
ers and dies from lacy: of nour-
ishment (faith, prayer and
knowledge). :3. The word is
accepted hut material self -in-
terests gam the focus of desire
and it is stifled and strangled.
4. The word is accepted and
produces abundant fruit - the
ripe maturity of Christian life
and character. The harvest
in spite of some failures is
nevertheless sure to the mea-
sure of hearing "fruit thirty
fold and sixty fold and a hun-
dred" in the Kingdom of God.
was proceeding toward Wing -
ham when a car going south
apparently cut out from behind
a car parked on the highway and
crashed into NIrs. McKihhon's
car. Mrs. leicKibbon and Mary
Elizabeth were not injured
though shaken up. Miss Dinsley
suffered broken hones in her
wrist. The fender of the car was
badly crumpled and the glass
in the windshield and doorshat-
to red.
MAY 1949
Mr, and Mrs. Walter Lock -
ridge announce the engagement
of their daughter, Lois Ann, to
Harry Rath Scott, youngest sou
of Mrs. Scott and the late Harry
R. Scott of Seaford'. The mar-
riage
arriage will take place quietly on
June 4th, 1940.
the school into a suitable and
'aft play area. We would like
to get this work done this sum-
mer, since the school is des-
tined to play an enlarged role
when the Retarded Children's
Schools are brought more di-
rectly• under the Department of
Lducation in 1:)65.
Any financial support to fur-
ther improse the school and the
property will be Inost welcome,
Donations should he address-
ee) to Mr. Pd. Yeoman, c•'o
Toronto -Dominion Bank, Wing -
ham, lam, or to *myself.
\'outs very truly,
Wingham ,t District Association
For Retarded Children
Ross Hamilton,
President