Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1965-09-30, Page 9High Priced Votes As the election campaign swings into gear and the leaders of the major parties begin to make their bids for the attention of the Canadian voters some disturbing questions arise. As an example, why is it necessary to assure and then reassure us that the Can- ada. Pension plan is such a wonderful in- novation? Why must we be informed time after time that we asked for a pension plan and now we are about to get it? Then, too, there is the medicare ques- tion. Still in the formative stages and flee- t bitten with gaps and loop -holes, we get the message day after day that medicare will be just wonderful for us. Again we are in- formed that we, the Canadian people, de- manded state -operated medical insurance. The facts of the matter are that no large or truly representative segment of the populace ever did ask for either a pen- sion plan or medical insurance. Both these schemes may indeed prove of great bene- fit to us when they have been shaken down and properly tailored to our needs—but we did not ask for them, in fact both these pieces of legislation • are the direct product of political planners who decided that their own political party could gain a lot of friends and consequently a lot of votes by enacting laws under which the public appears to get something at- tractive for a very low price. in other • words, even though the pension plan and medicare may conceivably better our way of living, they have in truth become big fat bribes to entice our votes. Certainly any modern nation must bear full responsibility for the care and welfare of its aged people if they do not have sufficient means of their own; for children who cannot otherwise be provided for; it must care for the helpless and elim- inate, as far as possible, suffering and want. But we are far from convinced that a healthy young nation like Canada really does need to become a full-fledged and compulsory welfare state. A great many Canadians would be quite happy to retain their independence, save their own money far the lean years and the doctor bills. The most objectionable feature in both these plans is the compulsory aspect—the fact that as supposedly free and reason- ably intelligent citizens we are not permit- ted to make our own decision about wheth- er or not we will participate. The experts hasten to point out that these plans just won't work unless everyone participates. The theory is that unless they are based on nation-wide support they would topple to financial disaster. Surely if a pension plan and a medi- cal insurance plan are as desirable as their proponents claim there is no need to com- pel us to participate. It seems evident that 99 per cent of Canadians would be lining up to pay their premiums right from the start. By far the most dangerous aspect of sweeping welfare legislation of this kind is that once in force the country is saddled with it for all time. No government of the future will ever be either strong enough or courageous enough to revoke these "hand- outs" even though their costs might threat- en our children and grandchildren with utter ruin. And This Is A Good Law While we are on the subject of laws and their effect on each of us, we would like to commend the Ontario government for the legislation which is now on the books, demanding a "cooling off" period where sales of a sizeable nature are in- volved. The law will recognize the danger which the public faces of being hypnotized by fast -talking salesmen, particularly those who sell their wares in your home. Most of us have been, at some time or other, talked into the purchase of items which we could not afford, or perhaps did not need. The law will provide that in all such sales the contract, even though • signed by the purchaser, does not become binding for a few days. In other words, you will have time to think it over, argue it out with your husband or wife, as the case may be, and change your decision if a a you wish. There is no suggestion that all door- to-door salesmen are crooks or that all merchandise sold in this fashion is worth- less. The legislation simply provides a realistic safeguard in those instances where sober reflection indicates the purchaser has made a mistake in agreeing to buy. Some reliable firms have already wel- comed the legislation and are now advertis- the fact that their sales contracts carry a "cooling off" clause. These are the busi- nesses which believe implicitly in the worth of their own products and in the reliability of their salesmen's presentation. They know that in the majority of cases their products will bear close scrutiny and care- ful examination. They trust the buyers' good judgment to accept what they have to offer. Welcome Addition The Advance -Times is pleased indeed to extend its congratulations and good wishes to Burke Electric on the opening of a very fine new store in our business dis- trict. The disastrous fire which destroyed the old Burke store on the same site many months ago appeared to be a heart -break- ing loss at the time, but with the opening of the new building the Burke firm can well be proud of the end results. Each time a new and modern structure is opened on our main street the economic health of the entire community is improv- ed. We are all interested in the possibility of securing more industry for the commun- ity. We can think of no better method than continuing improvements in the busi- ness area—a true reflection of the econ- omic welfare of the town and the pro- gressiveness of its people. Nor does the opening of such an at- tractive place of business cast a harmful shade upon its competitors. The reverse is actually true. The more interesting and up-to-date businesses we have, the more shopping will be done here—and there is very little chance that it will all be done in any one store. The great goal to achieve is more shopping on Wingham's main street. The law of averages and healthy competition will see to the distribution of trade. A Time to Give Thanks The Anglican Church has an age-old custom at this season of the year. ' The interior of the church is decorated with fruits and grain, vegetables and flowers and the people join in services of thanks- giving for the bounty of a loving Father. They call it "Harvest Home" .. , the time of gathering in, the knowledge of security and • adequate provision before the barren time of winter. In this fat and complacent period of prosperity it is fitting indeed that we take time to reflect upon the wondrous good fortune that is ours. Surrounded by plen- ty such as the world has never known be- fore, it is good to recall that our own hands have not gotten all this wealth, At the same time we should reflect upon the fact that we are the highly favored few—that untold millions in less happy lands would count themselves rich if they possessed but a fraction of our wealth. 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 Authorlaed by the Post Office Department as Second Class Mail and for payment of postage in cash Subscription Rate: One Year, $4.06; Six Months, $2.26, in advance U.S.A., $5.00 per year; Foreign rate, $5.00 per year Advertising Rates on application REMEMBER WHEN?—Highway 4, just south of town be- came a lake in the spring of '47. Control measures along the Maitland have minimized the danger of the spring floods. broil AbbancoZinte Wingham, Ontario, Thursday, Sept. 30, 1965 SECOND SECTION SUCAR AND SPICE by Bill Smiley And Suddenly It's Fall No matter how busy the sum- mer has been, each year the wildly accleratlg pace of.life in autumn comes as a jolt. One is not eased, but hurled, back into the rat -race. First shock, akin to diving off an ice -floe in the vicinity of Greenland, is the re -opening of school. It's exciting for the kids, exhausting for parents, and pure chaos for the teacher. One day it's Labor Day. Calm, competent, relaxed, the teacher potters about the long, silent, fresh -waxed halls of the school, picking up his mail and planning an afternoon round of golf. The next day, he is just anoth- er ant in an anthill. He is buffet- ed in the halls by a maelstrom of students. He frantically makes class lists, sells pad- locks, fills out forms, He directs weeping grade-niners who are lost, or can't remember the combination of their lockers. He comforts near -weeping new teachers who don't know what to do, nor why, nor where, nor when. Just to add to the general jol- lity this fall at our school, we went on a double shift. Our team commences classes at 8 a.m. This means hitting the deck at 6.30 or earlier. Pull a teenager out of bed at 6,30 and you have a surly teenager. Pull a teacher out of bed ditto and you have a ditto teacher. It's bad enough these fine autumn mornings, but there'll be mur- der done by mid -winter. But school is only part of au- tumn's rude awakening. There is the despair that strikes when you read a list of the "new" television shows and discover that not a single tree or shrub has been planted in the waste- land of last year's TV. Bilis sprout like thistles in au- tumn. There's the remains of last winter's fuel bill, with "P LEAS E" typed in red. There's the notice of the mort- gage payment. There's the one. entitled "Last warning," from the guy who sodded the bald spot oh your lawn last June. There's the first instalment of Music lessons, There's the note from your friendly bank man- ager. And this fall the thistles are longer and sharper than ever around our place, with a kid heading for university. We fig- ured out that he will need ap- proximately as much money this year as my old man used to raise a family of five on. Hugh's idea of helping out with finances was to take off in mid-Septem- ber with my best jacket, all my sox without holes, and every shirt of mine without frayed cuffs — both of them. Meetings galore. There's the notice of the curling club meet- ing, at which "We will discuss the advisablilty of raising the f e e s." They were raised, There's the notice from the Lib- rary Board for the first fall meeting, at which the Property Committee (guess who's chair- man) will present its report. There's a reminder that the speech I offered to make, last June, will be presented in 10 days. There's the memo about the staff meeting at 7 a.m. There's the advice that my res- ignation as teacher of the Bible Class has been ignored, and classes commence on Sunday. In between, the lawn has grown four inches, the hedge looks like a beatnik and the leaves are failing. The squirrels are back in the attic, the garage is still half -painted, and niy daughter, in a month at camp, has busted out of all her clothes. Oh well, "Life is the life," as Kim once remarked sagely, age six. There have been a couple of bright spots. I have a new Eng- lish teacher on my crew who would have given Cleopatra a run for Mark Antony. And there was the Old Fighter Pilots' reunion in mid-Septem- ber. They tried to ruin it this year by having wives along. But most of the boys ignored this and turned up stag. And those who didn't were wishing they had! "IF TIIiS i5 THE ELECTION which nobody wanted," says the St. Catharines Standard, "per- haps we can prevent it from he- coating the election when no- body cared. REMINISCING SEPTEMBER 1915 Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Smith of Ripley, spent Sunday with relatives in Wingham. Mrs. D. Dinsley has return- ed home after an extended visit with friends in Guelph. Dr. J. A. Fox and family left on Saturday for a two weekg trip to the "United States. Mr. and Mrs. Jessie Button of Lucknow, were visitors at the home of Mr, Wm. Fessant this week, Mrs. Jas. Moffat and daugh- ter Nettie, were guests at the home of Mr, and Mrs. J. S. Morgan, last week. The Misses Eva and Laverne Greer of Lucknow, spent a few days this week as guests of Mrs. W. J. Greer, .Patrick St. Mrs. Fred Pugh and little daughter, Andry, of Vernon, B.C., are visiting at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Jos, Pugh. Mrs. (Capt.) Evans accomp- anied Miss Irene Davis to Carle- ton Place where Miss Davis is a teacher on the high school staff. SEPTEMBER 1929 One of the biggest real estate transactions in Josephine Street business property took place last week when J. Hanna disposed of his store property to Mr. A. J. Walker at a figure around $12, 000. The Hanna Store is one of the ideal busi- ness locations in town, hasex- ceptional window display pos- sibilities, and has an abundance of space. It is steam -heated and has most comfortable liv- ing quarters above. Miss Grace Mitchell and Miss Eva Rintoul of town, left on Thursday last to enter training school for nurses in Western I los- pital, and Grace Ilospital, Tor- onto, respectively, One eve- ning previous, they were enter- tained in the school room of St. Andrew's church and given club hags from the Choir,Young People's Society, and Sabbath School, in which they had tak- en a deep practical interest, Winghant's junior manu- facturing concern in point of years, scored a hig success at the C. N. E. just c losed, with Fry \ Blackball's exhibit of Chesterfield suites, Chester keds and occasional chairs. A \cry pretty wedding was solemnized at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Jas. Young, Belgrave, on Monday, September :std, at high noon, when their eldest daughter, Mary Robena, was united in the holy bonds ofutat- rirnony to Mr. John Clarence McBurney, son of Mr. Joe Mc- Burney, of East Wawanosh. W. J. Henderson has listen- ed to the words of wisdom from some golf enthusiasts, and laid out a 9 -hold course on the pro- perty lying between the home- stead and the Blackhall place, under the direction of Rev. Mr. Ritchie, of Point Edward. Pre- liminary work will be done this fall, the preparing and seeding down the putting greens for next season's play. SEPTEMBER 1940 A business transfer tookplace here on Monday when G. L. Dunlop took over the W. J. Greer Shoe Store. Mr. Dunlop is no stranger to the people of this community as he has been with Mr. Greer in this business for the past one and a halfyears During this period Mr. Dunlop has made a host of friends and on their behalf we wish him every success. Dr. and Mrs. Redmond are spending the week in Toronto with their daughter, Muriel, who underwent a serious opera- tion on Wednesday last, We are pleased to report that she is making a satisfactory recovery. When Mr, J. 0. Habkirk's car was hit in the rear when he was crossing an intersection in Toronto Monday evening the car turned over. There were six in the car at the time but no one was injured. Those in the car were Mr. and Mrs. Habkirk, Mac and Isabel; Miss B. Ben- nett, Darrell Biggs. At the time of the accident they we're taking Miss Isabel back to the General hospital where 'she is in training, The car was not bad- ly damaged as he drove it back to Wingham. SEPTEMBER 1951 in a quiet hut pretty cr,e- nrony at the home of the hi ides patents. East Wawanosh, at noon on Saturday, September first. Jean Lois, daughter of \ir. and Mrs. George Deycll, became tine bride of Harold Wal- ter Pocock, son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Pocock. On 'Tuesday eventing Mrs. Roy Porte' held a tea in honour of het daughter, Mary Agnes. %those marriage to Lloyd Townsend took place on Satur- day. The guests were recei‘'cd • by the bride and her mnothe!. as- sisted by the groom's mother.