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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1964-11-19, Page 9PRESIDENT DAVE CROTHERS of the Wing - ham Branch 180 of the Royal Canadian Legion is pictured placing the Legion wreath at the Cenotaph during Remem- brance Day services last Wednesday. —Advance -Times Photo. bain AbbecncoZimit Wingham, Ontario, Thursday, Nov. 19, 1964 SECOND SECTION SUGAR AND .SPICE by Bill °Smiley a • r p a 4 A Source of Pride No one who attended the commence- ment exercises at the Wingham District High School on Friday evening could leave the building without a renewed sense of pride in the young people who will soon take the reins of responsibility we now hold. We have read so much in the past years about the trouble -making teen- agers that many of us begun to believe all young people tend to be wayward. As usual it is the troublesome few who make the headlines. The vast majority of the younger generation are hard-working, responsible persons, with a sense of values which is at least as high as those their parents had at the same age — if not higher. Today's students, too, have a far keen- er sense of the importance of education than was the case 25 years ago. Most of them know that the future will belong quite unshakeably to those who prepare for it. As the long line of scholarship and award winners was called to the platform to receive various marks of achievement everyone present was filled with a new sense of hope and purpose that these clean-cut kids are about to enter upon the serious business of bringing progress and improvement to an explosive, but very interesting world. Need for Skilled Labor Addressing the Lions Club last Tues- day evening H. E. Burgess, general man- ager of Berry Door Co., Ltd., made some interesting observations about the re- wards and drawbacks of an industrial operation in Wingham. Mr. Burgess mentioned pointedly the fine co-operation and loyalty his company has found in is staff and community since establish- ment here in 1956. His words were an expression of thought which appears to have been fore- most with most Berry executives . . . the desire not only to do business pro- fitably herg, but to have the firm become a responsible entity in the community itself. His talk also pointed to one of the drawbacks to industrial growth here—the lack of skilled labor. Mr. Burgess made reference to the potential for skills train- ing which now exists at the Wingham District High School in its new vocation- al wing. It would be well for young people who are not headed directly for academic training to give serious thought to these words. The speaker quite clearly spelled out the future of his firm—expansion of Berry Door as it moves into new lines of production, such as truck and tractor cabs, which are now being made in Wingham. He made it equally plain that the company will have a continuing and increasing demand for skilled workmen at increasingly rewarding pay rates. Increase in Unemployment. Last week's news told of increasing unemployment figures and many a Can- adian shuddered with the instinctive fear which the mere mention of unemploy- ment engenders. Perhaps we would do well to examine, however briefly, the term "unemploy- ment." It became so familiar to many of us during the great depression that we may have failed to recognize the fact that it no longer describes the desperate conditions we knew in those bad old days. Unemployment in the dirty thirties meant hundreds of thousands of families without any income whatsoever, living off the meagre handouts of municipal relief. It was embodied most dramatically in the thousands of able-bodied but hopeless young men who wandered the roads as "transients." Today, however, unemployment fi- gures are assembled largely from the nominal roll of those persons who are claiming unemployment insurance. This list includes all t[...1 wives who have been working until recently, but who, at the same time, have husbands bringing in quite adequate pay cheques. It also in- cludes fishermen and other seasonal workers who never did earn a living wage in the winter months. In addition the roll carries the names of goodness knows how many wilful) malingerers who don't intend to work any more than they have to and who have discovered a hun- dred and one ways to continue their un- employment insurance benefits. Some of these people are drawing retirement pensions, some have been married for months and are no longer eligible and still others have "moonlight" jobs that have not been revealed to the authorities. We do not seek to minimize the worry and privation of those who are honestly and unavoidably without livelihood. Their plight is a miserable one indeed. But let us not get too panicky when we read the unemployment figures. They are not as drastic as they seem. Successful Venture Congratulations to the Harmony Men, the Wingham chapter of barber shop singers, who presented their first full- ` length show and received their charter on Saturday evening. With an attendance of almost 600 there was little doubt about the interest the public has in this form of entertainment. This particular form of musical ex- pression requires precision which can only be achieved through constant prac- tice. The fact that the men sounded well on stage indicates months of concen- trated work. They love it and they give their best to it. One of the men who was connected with ticket sales has pointed out that though there was a very good crowd in attendance, the bulk of it came from out- side the town of Wingham. The remark recalled a situation which developed here about 13 years ago, when the community programs branch had to drop its concert series in Wingham for lack of interest. It would almost appear we are not strong on music appreciation here, in either classical or popular fields. Outlook Bright With economic expansion well into its fourth year, says "Industry," it's not sur- prising that some people should be won- dering about the outlook for the Canadian economy in the year ahead. The word of experts who have so far committed themselves is reassuring. A survey of members of the Industrial Economists' Forum of the Canadian Manufacturers' Association shows a big majority predicting that the gross nation- al product in 1965 will again increase by at least five percent. Of 14 economists covered by the sur- vey, all but four predict that the level of industrial production will be higher at the end of next year than it is today. THE WINGHAM ADVANCE - TIMES Published at Wingham, Ontario, by Wenger Bros. Limited W. Barry Wenger, President - Robert 0, 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.O0 per year; Foreign rate—$5.00 per year Advertising Rates on application Speak French And Be Slapped Do you think those separatists in Quebec might ,shut up about the whole thing if ;all the rest of us learned to speak French fluently enough to" give them a good cussing out in their native tongue? If this is a solution, let's get cracking. But I don't think it can be accomplished under our present system of learning the language. We are getting a great many teachers of French these days who can actually speak the language. But the sys- tem prevents them from passing it along to others. As a prominent educator said the other day, "We take kids from immigrant families who speak poor English. We teach them French badly, encourage them to forget their native tongue, whatever it is, and wind up with youngsters who are illi- terate in three languages." I know from experience. My mother had to go to a French- speaking school as a child. She learned the language with the ease all children have in grasp- ing a tongue. All her life she could rattle it off like a habi- tant. On the other hand, I studied French for five years in high school and four years in Univer- sity. Nine years. Enough time, you'd think, to learn to speak French backwards. And that is exactly how I speak it. Perhaps the worst feature of the teaching of French in this country is the false confidence it engenders after exposure to a few years of it. You can spiel off a couple of sentences without stumbling, and you be- gin to think you're a regular Maurice Chevalier. I remember one time in Brus- sells. My young brother was with me. The only French he knew was crude, useless stuff like, "Bebe, je t'aime" and "Voulez-vous de bully -beef ou des nylons?" In contrast, I had a solid grounding of high school French, and had been living on the continent for a couple of months, speaking the real thing. So we met this young lady and her friend. She was belle, but her pal was beaucoup. This was my chance. In my impeccable Grade 12 French, I stepped up to the doll and informed her of her ravishing beauty, her ineffa- ble form, and her distinguished intelligence. She listened cour- teously, turned to her friend, and shrugged hugely. My broth- er said, "Come on, babe", and away they marched arm in arm. I was left to follow with the fat one. A similar experience caused me to forswear French for life. It occurred in Lille, France, soon after the city had been li- berated from the Germans. It happened in a night club. The locals were very happy about liberation and the troops were very happy about the lo- cals. Everyone was dancing with the French girls, even their French boy friends were beam- ing. I spotted a lulu, dark, charm- ing, intelligent enough to appre- ciate the fact that I, almost alone among the invaders, spoke fluent French. As I ap- proached the table, she smiled a welcome, and her escort, a handsome French lad, jumped up, grinned, and shook hands. So, in my flawless French, I asked her for a dance. At least I'll swear that's what I asked her. She turned white and slapped my face. Her boy friend simultaneously turned red and tried to kick me in the groin. I still don't know what I said to her, but I've never taken a chance since. On the rare occa- sions, nowadays, when I have enough money to eat in a place where the menu is in French, I study it carefully for ten min- utes or so, then inform the wait- er, in pure Canadian English, that I'll have the roast beef. There's always Rosbif. The only solution is to teach our kids French when they're learning to speak English. That way, little boys will avoid hav- ing their faces slapped for no earthly reason. And little girls will learn to say "Non" and "Oui" and "Peut-etre" in two languages. PRESENTATION GORRIE-A presentation was held in the Community Hall recently for Mr. and Mrs. Ed- ward Collyer (Sandra Edgar) and Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Ste- vens (Evelyn Anne Stephens). Donald Whitfield read the ad- dress and Misses Nadine Cooke and Carol Keil presented them with gifts of money. Wilbces Orchestra supplied music for dancing. REMINISCING NOVEMBER 1914 A general meeting of the new riding of North Huron, as outlined by the redistribution act of the last regular session of Parliament, will be held in Industry Hall, Blyth, on the af- ternoon of Tuesday, November 17th, commencing at 2 o'clock. Officers for the new riding are to be elected and a new con- stitution adopted. On Thursday afternoon, Mrs. W.R. Dyer received at her home on Josephine street for the first time since coming to Wingham, and notwithstanding the disagreeable weather, a large number of ladies called to extend a cordial welcome to Mrs. Dyer. The drawing -room was very prettily decorated with ferns and pink and white carna- tions. Mrs. Richard Clegg re- ceived with Mrs. Dyer. The ladies were ushered to the tea room by Mrs. C. P. Smith. Miss Matthews poured tea be- ing assisted by Misses Edna Swarts and Miriam Smith. Lit- tle Miss Louise Johnston opened the door for the guests. Mrs. Dyer will in future receive on the first Thursday of each month. Dr. T. G. Wilson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Thos. Wilson, of this town, has located in Moorefield, where he will prac- tice his profession. Mr. F. McConnell, auction- eer, has leased the large store in the Tamlyn Block and will use same for •r general auction room. NOVEMBER 1928 PUBLIC SCHOOL REPORT First Book. Scott Reid, Pa- tricia Parker, Maxine VanNess, Marion Hughes, Lloyd Hutton, Jean Boyce, Lillian Howard, Esther Buckley, Lucille White, Betty Rae, Robert Casemore, Charlie Wellwood, Ruth Ham- ilton, Jean Thompson, Mary Elizabeth McKibbon, Lorraine Andrews, Harold Ross, Kath- leen Patterson, Edythe Camp- bell, Doris Fitt, Adelcnc Van- sickle, Billy Groves, Elma At- wood, Russell Zurbrigg, Chas. Baskerville, Mary Thompson, Evelyn Edgar, Ella Buckley, Margaret Marsh, Rena Elliott, Charlie Ross, Billie Kennedy, Kathleen Saint, Gordon Hclm. Miss P. Johns, teacher, Primary, Hilda Brown, Fen- ton Barnes, Donald Adams, Harold Cantclon, Bertha Case - more, Virginia Currie, Chester Campbell, Reggie Collar, Nor- een Benedict, Billy Burgess, Lyle Patterson, Gertrude Finley, Jack Fraser, Roy Dark, Nora Finley, Mabel Campbell, Wil - One Moment, Please BY REV. JOHN G. MOONEY Wingham, Ontario I think that in a religious person, we should expect to find a certain natural quality, namely emotional maturity. An emotionally mature person is that person who has reached a stage of reasonableness, .He is developed emotionally. He has acquired by this time inhis life certain qualities which make it possible for him to live at peace with himself and to work in peace with others. The first element in this virtue is unselfishness, He is not selfish, but he is thoughtful now of others. He is able to give now compared to the childish desire to receive. The selfish person on the emotional level chooses to remain a child Men fail in business and in marriage because they think only of themselves, and have no regard for the feelings and desires of others. Often the selfish person disguises his sel- fishness with excuses such as "I must protect my rights, " "I must take care of my health." The religious person must try to grow up. St. Paul says that we should put away the things of a child. Another element we should find in a mature person is the sense of responsibility. A ma- ture person is group conscious. He is loyal to his family, church, employer. He wants to promote the good of the group. A married man realizes he is part of the family. The interests of the family are his interests. He will not abandon his family; he works hard for them. He has a sense of duty. A religious person must strive for some degree of emo- tional maturity. Spring Election Quite Likely Probabilities now point to another federal election by May or June of next year --if not earlier. That is not conjecture. It is the careful conclusion of an experienced and widely re- spected observer on Parliament Hill, John Bird. Beginning a new series of comment for The Financial Post on Canada's political scene, Mr. Bird predicts that parlia- mentary pandemonium now present and still to come will force an election sooner than most Canadians expect. What would the present government face the electorate with? There are too many half -stalled poli- cies, too few clear victories and too many parliamentary gaffs for the Pearson adminis- tration to risk standing on its record alone. A plan to cut taxes might well prove to be the motherlode of political wisdom in election time. Whether even another elec- tion will send back a House with the collective ability --and will --to get on with the job is very much a question mark, says Bird. Even if the country is not split on English versus French lines; even if one party is returned with a working ma- jority, there is no guarantee the House will be allowed to be- come businesslike --although surely we may hope for this. As things stand now, even if the government has a majority the Opposition can call a slow- down if it is determined to do so. Even against a majority, the Opposition can hold up mo- ney supplies; drag its feet on estimates ( unless a time limit is hereafter set on these by the rules, as in the 13ritish House); and it can drag out debates (unless new rules are adopted to cut their length,by agreement). ford Emond, Donelda Hender- son, Jean Lee, Frances Lock- cridge, John Lee, MacKenzie Habkirk, Betty Lloyd, Kenneth Jackson, Kenneth Johnson, Bil- lie Harris, Dorothy Mellor, Wilfred Mintz, Olive Plaskett, Helen Patterson, Laura Pattison.., Jim Schaffter, Noel Stephenson, Marion Templeman, Helen Smith, Maxine White, Bill Seddon, Betty Saint, 13111 Stur- dy, Arnold Stoakley, Carl Van- ner, Jeanne VanNorman, Jack Wilson, 13i11 Smith. Teacher, A. G. Williamson.