The Wingham Advance-Times, 1964-11-12, Page 2Page 2 - Wingham Advance -Times, Thursday, Nov, 12, 1964
D
n't Let It Die
The announcement last week that the
Kinsmen Club has decided to forego their
sponsorship of the Trade Fair did not
come as any great surprise. There was
ample indication ahead of time that such
a decision might be necessary.
However, the Kinsmen made every
effort to ascertain whether there was
any possibility of continuing the fair be-
fore they came to their final decision.
They recognize that the Trade Fair has
been a valuable showpiece for the town
— more so, apparently, than the local
businessmen. In a survey they found
that there was little indication of in-
creased exhibitor interest for next year,
and quite logically based their decision
on that factor.
Since interest on the part of poten-
tial exhibitors has fallen off, it would be
as well to drop the fair for a year or
two. It is to be hoped, nonetheless, that
all the pertinent statistics and informa-
tion will be safeguarded so that the fair
can be revived at some future time, either
by the Kinsmen or some other group.
Unlike most communities in this area
Wingham does not have a fall fair, and
so the Trade Fair was that much more
important. We realize it means a tre-
mendous amount of work for those who
stage the event, but almost all worth-
while enterprises are the same.
The Kinsmen were left in a unique
situation. They knew the fair was a
good thing for the town, but since it
has been their major source of revenue,
and was not meeting the club's budgeted
requirements, it had to be dropped. We
know they are forced to let it rest, but
we hope it won't be allowed to die.
The Regiment Remains
It was with considerable relief that
most people in this area learned there
would be no cut-back in the status of
the 21 Field Regiment RCA(M) because
of the general shake-up in militia units
across the counrty. Like many others,
we are convinced that the militia pro-
gram did, indeed, need some trimming,
but of course we didn't want it to happen
here.
Reason for the fact that the regiment
will carry on as before is that interest
in its activities has been maintained at
a high level and its rank and officer es-
tablishment have remained reasonably
well filled. Such has not been the case
with many of the regiments centered in
the cities. We have heard that some of
the urban regiments were so short of
personnel it was virtually impossible to
carry out a properly balanced training
program.
Over a long period of years the local
regiment and the 99th Battery have oc-
cupied an honored place in this com-
munity. Dozens of men have served as
its officers in wartime and peace. It
has given valuable training to hundreds
of young men who have learned a new
sense of values through military discip-
line. It is a relief to know that it will
continue this role.
There is, of course, an implication
implicit in the decision to curtail the Ca-
nadian militia which has not been men-
tioned publicly. The curtailment would
not be made unless defence experts were
convinced that the threat of global war-
fare has eased to some degree ... some-
thing for which every one of us has good
reason to be thankful.
Real Sportsmen
Ball teams from this area have play-
ed championship games with , the St.
Agatha -St. Clements Saints for several
years, and almost every series has wit-
nessed a few outbreaks of violence which
hardly seemed to have a proper place in
decent sporting circles. Everyone is well
aware that in the heat and tension of
championship play tempers are inclined
to flare, but the repeated episodes with
one team would indicate that something
is lacking in their training program.
The worst of these episodes occurred
after the game last Monday evening when
a member of the visiting team raked his
spikes across a spectator's face and left
a series of nasty cuts, one of them dan-
gerously close to the eye. There is room
to doubt whether this calibre of person
should be permitted to don a uniform.
His action was not only violent, it was
insanely dangerous.
In fact, we can see no reason why it
should not be a subject of inquiry by
both the police and the WOAA.
Coroners' Juries
Dr. H. B. Cotnam, Ontario's supervis-
ing coroner, had some harsh comments
about the people who hand down ver-
dicts after fatalities. He said that stupid
verdicts are often made possible by
stupid coroners, who fail to give proper
instructions to their juries.
It is our belief that the entire system
of employing coroners' juries should be
revised. Under the present set-up there
is an inherent weakness which should be
corrected promptly.
In most instances the members of a
coroner's jury are selected from the im-
mediate area in which a fatality takes
place. Unlike the jurors in regular courts
of law they are not examined for prior
bias or knowledge about the deceased
nor those who may be accused. It is
true that a coroner's jury is in a unique
position, for no sentence can be passed
on the basis of its decision, but in many
cases the decision has a strong bearing
on the deliberations of a higher court.
You will recall the results of a coron-
er's jury in Palmerston a few months
ago, where the verdict mentioned several
errors in a doctor's operating procedure,
but concluded that there was no evidence
of "negligence." As subsequent events
later proved there was tremendous bias
in the community, where the doctor was
personally popular. The verdict simply
failed to make sense.
Had this case been heard by a jury
of persons from outside that town com-
posed of those who had no bias, one way
or the other, the cause of justice would
have been better served.
Humiliating Situation
Many responsible Canadian executives
shy away from mergers, amalgamations
and other business arrangements that
make perfect sense in our twentieth cen-
tury economy for one reason and for one
reason only. Why? Humiliating crim-
inal action faces those who inadvertent-
ly trigger an investigation under Can-
ada's punitive combines legislation, states
The Financial Post.
This month Justice Minister Guy
Favreau indicated he would like to see
Canadian practice drawn closer to U.S.
practice in this respect. He told the As-
sociation of Canadian General Counsel:
"In certain circumstances, it would
seem to me appropriate to find ways and
means to curb certain practices which it
is in the public interest to prevent, but
to do so otherwise than by prosecution
before the criminal courts."
Canada's present combines law needs
overhaul. Its clauses reflect the con-
viction of its nineteenth century fram-
ers that big business is bad and small
business is good. It actively promotes
the uneconomic fragmentation of Ca-
nadian industry — too many companies,
with short production runs, serving a
limited portion of a limited domestic
market.
THE WINGHAM ADVANCE - TIMES
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Retrospect On Remembrance
Is there any point in pro-
longing the observance of that
middle-aged and melancholy
occasion known as Remem-
brance Day?
They mean nothing to about
eighty per cent of the several
million immigrants to Canada
since World War II. How
would you feel about Remem-
brance Day if you were a
former German tank com-
ander,or, an Italian ex-infan-
tryman
Both the world wars of this
century are ancient history to
school children, and the old
cliches of the day — "sacri-
fice," "laid down their lives."
"fought for freedom" — leave
them solemn but uncompre-
hending.
And last, but not least, it in-
terferes with business. Mer-
chants will tell you, with tears
as big as turnips in their eyes,
that they'll go broke if they
have to close upon November
11. Manufacturers will assure
you that the one -day interrup-
tion of production will force
them to the wall.
In view of all this, is there
any sense in hanging on to
this special day? Why not cut
it down to a one-hour coffee
break on Nov. 11th? Within a
couple of years, this could be
further reduced to a two -min-
ute silence. And within a de-
cade, the whole archaic busi-
ness of remembering a few
million dead men could be dis-
carded.
Is there any meaning in it
any more? I don't know how
you feel, but my answer is a
resounding, reactionary
Yes! It is based not on facts,
facts, but on emotion.
I'm a sucker for Remem-
brance Day. There's some-
thing to mist the eyes in the
jaunty gallantry of the old
vets as they try to match the
swing they marched with 46
years ago, here a stiff leg
swinging, there a pinned -up
sleeve.
And there's something al-
most equally touching in the
vets of World War II. They
straighten their backs, pull in
their pots, ignore their kids
waving at them from the side-
walk, and for a few brief mo-
ments toss away 20 -odd years
and become tough Canadian
troops, striding toward their
destiny.
During the two -minutes' sil-
ence at the Cenotaph, I re-
member. I remember the two
lads, a Canadian and a New
Zealander, with whom I
shared a tent in Normandy
Both shot down within three
days.
I remember Frankie, En-
glish , 18. He had a baby face,
a big grin and a run of bad
luck. One day he dropped a
500 -pound bomb, purely by ac-
cident, in a neighboring army
camp, and the troops were
rather hostile to airmen for a
few weeks. Another time he
was sent to England on the
beer run. Flying back across
the channel, he spotted two
German fighters about to at-
tack him, jettisoned his extra
tanks and prepared to defend
himself. The extra tanks, full
of beer, went into the drink.
The German fighters turned
out to be two oil specks on his
windscreen. And he was near-
ly lynched when he arrived
and told his story. His luck
ran out one day. Hit by flak,
he bailed out and his para-
chute failed to open.
I remember the dreary No-
vember day six of us carried
a coffin up a bleak hillside to
a stony cemetery in North
Wale s. It contained what
they'd been able to scrape up
of Paddy Burns, Australian,
age 20, after he flew into a
hill.
And I remember half a
hundred others: roaring boys,
laughing boys, timid boys, gay
boys, and boys scared stiff.
And when the Last Post
plays their sweet requiem in
the still, autumn air, I'll be
there, my face all crumpled
and a lump as big as a boiled
egg in my throat.
Scrap Remembrance Day?
Not as long as I can still cry,
and there's free beer at the
Legion Hall after the parade.
Letters to the Editor
Mr. Bill Smiley,
c/o Advance -Times
Dear Sir:
Its to bad your wife could-
n't write a column of her own.
I bet she could say plenty about
a certain nit wit who anyone
can see thinks he is just about
it
Well, its easy to see that
certain nit with is giving the
public a very vivid picture of
himself and if t were his wife
he'd had a rolling pin over the
top of his beau before this.
You must be a heck of a guy
to live with. Your just one big
conceited ape and who ever
told you you could write a col-
umn is just a plain nut.
I can do a bit of writing my-
self when I get riled up and I
got that way after reading your
column in last week's Wingham
Advance.
Ruffeled.
Editor's Note: Mr. Smiley
always signs his name to his
column which the above writer
did not do. It is against our
policy to accept a letter with-
out the writer's signature, even
if it is to be printed under a
pseudonym. However, the
"big conceited ape" won't mind
our using this - -but please --no
more unsigned letters!
REMINISCING
NOVEMBER 1914
A very serious accident hap-
pened while the laborers were
working at the sewer on Edward
street, on Monday afternoon, in
which Mr. Chester Hill lost his
life. The unfortunate man was
laying tile at the time. The
sewer at this point is about
fourteen feet beneath the sur-
face, and was thought to be
properly braced. Suddenly
however, the bracing gave way,
partly burying the unfortunate
man and the weight of the earth
pressed him to death.
Mrs. T. C. Evans, of Otta-
wa, is visiting her mother, Mrs.
S. J. Smith during Capt. Evans
absence at the front.
Mrs. Arthur Dovey, whose
husband left recently to serve
with his regiment at the front,
left on Saturday last for her
home in England.
Miss Olive Cruikshank,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Geo.
Cruikshank, of Turnberry, has
successfully passed her examin-
ations at Toronto and has secur-
ed her degree of B. A. Miss
Cruikshank is now on the teach-
ing staff of the High Schools in
Toronto.
NOVEMBER 1928
Marks of individual subjects
given in reports to parents:
Sr. 1V. M. Mason, R. For-
syth, John Beninger, J. Thomp-
son, E. Grey, D. Stewart, A.
Rintoul, H. Fuller, J. Cruick-
shanks, G. Henderson, G. Smith
B. Small, E. McLeod, E. Dick-
son, C. Small, F. Howson, W.
Stephenson, A. Scott, A.L.
Posliff, Principal.
Jr. IV. G. King, M. Reid,
M. Field, C. McKay, M. Mit
-
hell, R. Hutton, H. Brawley,
J. Buchanan, R. McInnes, G.
Brackenbury, L. Ludwig, M.
Fry, E. Stephenson, L. Haw-
kins, A. Chittick, V. Vantel-
on, L. Haller, P. Clark, A.
Reid, G. Muirhead, M. Elliott,
M. Mason, W. Henderson, H.
Skelding, R. Saint, V. Carter.
B.H. Reynolds, teacher.
Senior third. E. Patterson,
G. Robertson, I. McInnes, B.
Mundy, T. Reid, D. Buchanan,
F. Currie, C. Nortrop, D. For-
syth, S. Scott, L. Deyell, E.
Coutts, F. Collar, M. Fraser,
A. Stone, L. Brown, L. Clark,
P. Deyell, C. Stewart, N.
McEvers, G. Mason, D. Hutch-
ison, L. Bok, H. Finley,
E. Fothergill, P. Lediet, L.
Buckley, L. Groves, M. Brown,
D. Rich, B. Campbell.
Jr. III. Ruth Mitchell, Ben-
son Hamilton, David Parker,
Jean Zurbrigg, Gracey King,
Caroline Wellwood, Elizabeth
Schaffter, Charlie Chittick,
Bernice Mundy, Elsie Webb,
Norman Blatchford, Isabel Hab-
kirk, Ross Howson, Edith Field,
Beryl Brown, Grace Bracken-
bury, Winnifred Carr, Ruby
Fitt, Ralph Hammond, Helen
Miller, Edith Finley, Jean Mc-
Donald, Helen Burgess, Mae
Wilson, Mary Cruickshank,
Stewart Carter, Winnifred
Small. E. Hetherington, teachet
Sr. II. John Lamb,—Alicia
Wilson, Raymond Carter, Vel-
ma Stoakley, Lorraine Carter,
Stanley Henderson, Lilliam
One Moment,
Please
BY REV. C.M. JARDINE
Wingham, Ontario
A parable of the Kingdom of
God is told by Jesus in St. Luke
14:15-24. A description is
given of a great feast or ban-
quet provided by a certain man
who had invited many guests
and had sent a personal invita-
tion by one of his servants to
make it more attractive. The
response was most disappointing.
None came but sent instead
their regrets, using trifling ex-
cuses for not attending. The
host was angry and sent the ser-
vant to bring in the poor and
maimed and blind and lame
from the streets and lanes of
the city. Still having ample
food and places for more, he
had him search the thorough-
fares and constrain anyone who
would come to join in the feast.
ing.
The important truth of the
parable seems to be not only the
great longing that God has for
His children to enter into His
kingdom but that He makes the
invitation both attractive and
generous. It can be easily rec-
ognized that the religious ex-
perience of God that is offered
in Jesus to the disciples of the
kingdom is like a feast.
Too often our response to
God's call is the feeling of ac-
cepting a burden, a duty, a
sacrifice, something you do for
a thousand reasons but rarely for
the joy of doing. A feast means
satisfaction, joy, good fellow-
ship, goodwill, good humor.
Frankly, does your religious
experience fit into that?
The man who has not re- •
ceived from his religion some-
thing that is comparable with a
feast, something that is joyous
and radiant and glad, has not
yet got what is offered. The
invitation of God to each of us
to come to the feast still stands.
Will you now, if you have not
previously, accept it?
•
•
'It's me and there's a fire,
stupid."
FOOTNOTES
"I think the rain dance will
work—my corns hurt al-
ready."
Harvey, Laura Campbell, Win-
nifred McNevin, Edith Camp-
bell, Hazel Hawkins, Emma
Krohn, Irene Mellor, Jean
Muirhead, Norma Groves, Hel-
en Groves, Albert Campbell,
Lloyd Ellacott, Beatrice For-
sythe, Billy Leppard, Marvin
Smith, Betty Collar, George
Carr, Luetta Bok, Thora Davis-
on, John Currie, Bert Vansickle,
James Durnin, Stewart Forsythe,
Irene Clark, Billy Davidson,
Hazel Lediet, John Bunn, Lloyd
Dark. M. Robertson, teacher.
Jr. II. Jimmie Lee, Verne
Walker, Margaret Hughes,
Edith Mundy, Evelyn Gamble,
Marie Hopper, Geoffrey Hatter-
sley, Irlma Harrison, Isabel
Lamb, Harold Parker, Harry
Posliff, Doris Armitage, Irene
Chittick, Bobby Rae, Lillian
Fuller, Jean Cruickshank, Alice •
Dore, Harold Stephenson,
Marjorie Forsythe, Evelyn
Campbell, Jean Mellor, Clar-
ence Cantelon, Evelyn Carter,
Earl Kennedy, Joe Nawash, Al-
bert Showers, Eileen Curtis,
Irene Fitt, Charlie Krohn, Har-
ry Ross, Allen Small, George '
Boye, Joe Wilson, Carl Bondi,
Alvin Lediet, Frank Angus.
•
•
ti
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