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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1965-11-18, Page 21What of the Future? The resignation of Hon. Walter Gord- on, Canada's erstwhile minister of fi- nance, emphasizes the difficulties faced by the recently -elected Pearson government.. Not only must the Liberal party form a minority government (which can continue in power only as long as the other parties permit it to do so), but it represents only a small part of the country as a whole. Support for the Liberals was found in Newfoundland (all seats) and in the pro- vinces of Quebec and Ontario, There is only one Liberal member in British Col- umbia, none in either Alberta or Sas- katchewan, again only one in Manitoba, none in Prince Edward Island and only two in Nova Scotia, These facts of the election are- signifi- cant because it means that the House of Commons itself will face the elements of disunity which are plaguing Canada as a whole. Mr. Gordon has assumed the blame for poor advice on the timing of the elec- tion. The fact that he was the campaign chairman for the Liberal party is indica- tive of Prime Minister Pearson's greatest single weakness.-- his inability to select the right men for the jobs which must be done. Walter Gordon, we firmly believe is an honorable man and possessed of extensive knowledge in the field of fi- nance. But he does not have sufficient experience in political matters. He was first elected to the House only a few years ago and has not had time to acquire that political know-how which was so evident in men like the late W. L. Mackenzie King, It is obvious, too, that Mr. Pearson suffered from bad advice in some in- stances where the choice of French- Canadian cabinet ministers and upper level officials was concerned, As a result the government became embroiled in and deeply embarrassed by the inquiry into corruption and bribery. The outlook is not particularly encour- aging—regardless of the problems which confront the parties. We are much more concerned about the conduct of public affairs in the nation and the reflection which will be cast upon the centennial showcase which has been set up for 1967. Sad Fate for Litterbugs Litterbugs, those careless creatures who besmirch our roadsides and streets with the trash they throw away, are in for trouble. In the United States, where anti- littering laws have been in force longer than they have here, several jurisdictions have recently increased the penalties. Carelessness with rubbish along the high- ways of Georgia can now cost the offender $1,000. Many states have fines as high as $100 and some even go up to $500. In Ontario the fine is still $50 as far as we know, but enforcement of the law is sketchy. Keep America Beautiful, the organiza- tion which has assumed responsibility for the public education needed to make the laws effective, has estimated that it costs the American taxpayers $500 million an- nually to clean up after the litterbugs. Talking recently with a resident of California about this same problem, he recounted the experience of one of hist friends who forgot the rules long enough to throw some unwanted junk out of his car as he drove along. He was picked up by a cruising trooper, hauled back to the nearest city, where he paid a $100 fine and then was escorted to the scene of his "crime" and under police supervision forced to clean up the litter from both sides of the highway for a distance of a full mile. We would suspect that the clean-up job was much more effective as a deter- rent than the fine. What Hydro Says About Us in a well-written folder turned out by Ontario Hydro and called "Talking Points" we found the following unsolicit- ed article: "Everything from doughnuts to pickles has been honored at one time or another with special weeks and who can blame us if we are becoming blase about this method of drawing attention to the var- ious aspects of our society. "At the same time it will be a pity if abuse of this device ends its usefulness as a means of recognizing what is truly significant. We suggest that National Newspaper Week, observed recently, is among the most legitimate. "More particularly we would point the finger of approbation at the hometown weekly. in an age when TV signals can be bounced off relay satellites to any point in the world and radiowaves can be dir- ected to hit stars many fight years away, it is somehow reassuring to find the local editor still at his desk with his integrity and acceptance undiminished. "A battered typewriter and a nose for news are all he needs to compete success- fully with electronics and mass communi- cations. An anchor of common sense in the maelstrom of words, pictures, claims, No Ans The widespread power failure on Tues- day of last week poses one of the most intriguing problems in recent months— and so far no logical explanation for the breakdown has been released. News stories at the end of the week suggested that Ontario Hydro might withdraw from the international power grid system. A great number of people will not be satisfied with the lack of any sort of ex- planation. All electrical energy in the en- tire network has to emanate from power generating stations and it is obvious that someone knows exactly what happened and where the failure occurred. Appar- ently the officials who do know the an- swer are afraid to speak. Perhaps Hydro is right in its attitude. The power grid was organized for the ex- plicit purpose of preventing the very thing that happened Iast Tuesday. The charges and crises that make up the glut of information upon which we are fed, the weekly editor and his paper bridge the gap between Main Street and Red Square. "Who else cares about the winning chrysanthemum at the fall fair or whether or not the town hall will be painted` green? Credibility is the weekly editor's hole -card and he gains this through his knowledge of local affairs. Familiarity and respect are his hallmarks and these only add impact to his comments on the national and international scene. "The winds of change continue to sweep through our automated society and sentiment is no match for efficiency when the two come face to face. The men with ink in their veins have earned their im- portant niche in the space age and the pastepot and scissors will continue as re- spected symbols of the times." Now we thank Hydro's Talking Points for those kind words, but we would, at the same time, invite its editor into our plant for a look around. Perhaps he might be convinced that the operation of a successful weekly newspaper in the space age requires somewhat more than "a battered typewriter and a nose for news." wer Yet network is a hook-up of all the generating units in this corner of North America, with switching devices so arranged that a power shortage in any one area will be automatically compensated for by the remaining sources of supply. In its first crucial test, however, the network has proved a liability rather than an asset. Instead of filling in for what- ever section suddenly needed power, the entire system was knocked out. Since Hydro is a public utility and owned by the consumers of Ontario, we are await- ing with some interest the explanation which must be forthcoming, It is estimated that 30 to 50 million people were affected in one way or an- other by the power failure. We are so completely dependent upon electricity that prevention of the possibility of any re- turrence is absolutely vital. THE WINGHAM ADVANCE - TIMES Published at Wingham, Ontario, by, Wenger Bros. Lintited W. Barry Wenger, President Robert O. Wenger, Secretary -Treasurer Member Audit Bureau of Circulation; Member Canadian Weekly Newspapers Associ- atkin; Member Canadian Community Newspapers Representatives Authorized by the Post Office Department as Second Class Mail and for payment of postage in cash Subscription Irate: One Year, $4.00; Six Months, $2.25, in advance U.S.A., $5.00 pet year; 'Foreign rate, $s.00 per year Advertising Rates on application PARENTS FLOCKED to the Public School last Wednesday for open house, which was highly successful. Typical was Mrs, Pennington's Grade IIi and IV rooms when dozens of adults came to see the class.—A-T Photo. ingbain twanct4Zinte Wingham, Ontario, Thursday, Nov. 18, 1965 THIRD SECTION THE ETERNAL FLAME Next week is the anniversary of the assassination of President Kennedy. One of our readers, a former resident of this dis- trict, Mrs. W. H. Brown of Stouffville, wrote the following ballad at the time the assassin- ation occurred. THE ETERNAL FLAME (A Ballad) Way down in Dallas, Texas, In nineteen sixty three, On November twenty second, Occurred a tragedy. There was a great ovation, And people waved their hands, As passed the great procession, Behind resounding bands. A young and valiant leader, In all affairs of state, A diplomat and hero, Did meet a tragic fate. "There never was a welcome, So warm, so glad, so free!" Thus said the President's Lady, To John F. Kennedy. Precautions were neglected, For love seemed all around, But while the crowd was cheer- ing, There came a startling sound! When suddenly from a window, Atop a building high, A gun was aimed and fired, The President had to die! "Twas thought a troubled Os- wald, Of strange mentality, For psychopathic reasons, Shot President Kennedy. The States were plunged in mourning, The world was shocked and grieved, And many prayers were uttered, For those who were bereaved. Caroline, "John John", and "Jackie", The President's gracious wife, Were left to mourn a loved one, A sad and lonely life. Then by the catafalque, Where he in state did lay, Passed miles and miles of Mourners, Their last respects to pay. Ambassadors and Princes, Prime Ministers and Queens, Came to attend the funeral, The largest ever seen, And now the President'sresting, In quiet Arlington, Among the other warriors, Whose fighting daysare done. But still his light is burning, SUGAR AND SPICE by Bill Smiley Of Sewage And Me I was telling you in last call a single meeting. The Asso- ciation has never run so smooth- ly, before or since. week's column how I was shang- haied into the teaching profes- sion, and how teaching has been good to me. But I don't want anyone to go away with the mistaken idea that it has been roses all the way. When I was in the newspa- per business, I used to get home, have a couple of drinks before dinner, just to unwind a bit. Strictly medicinal. When I came into teaching, I got home from work at 4 o'clock and was so unwound by dinner time I was practically para- lyzed. This year, our school is work- ing a double shift. Our shift be- gins at a quarter to eight in the a.m. I get home from work at 1.15 in the afternoon. I have lit- tle doubt that my liver is the texture of marble and the color of a baboon's behind. I have great doubt that I'll last until Christmas. People on the early shift should get hardship pay. Another misconception I'd hate to leave with anyone is that I came into teaching as a refugee, because I couldn't make it in the newspaper busi- ness. Not so. Not only was I making spora- dic payments on the mortgage, but I was dragging home any- where up to $35 a week, clear. And, if I do say it myself, I was a pretty important figure in the community. For example, I look back with unconcealed a n d justifiable pride to my four years as Presi- dent of the Bruce County Pub- lishers' Association. That's a mighty important post, with about 10 weeklies in the county. Well, sir, before my term of office, the annual meetings were regular donnybrooks. The pub- lishers, last of a fierce and inde- pendent breed, quarreled fierce- ly about printing prices, stealing Linotype operators from each other, and encroaching on each other's sacred hunting grounds. But during my entire sojourn in the President's office, peace prevailed. There wasn't a bicker or a squabble. The secret? In four years, the President didn't With an Eternal Flame, And, while it keeps on glowing Weil not forget hit name. E. A. Brown. So, if you're having internal warfare in one of the organiza- tions you belong to, there's your solution. Stop holding meetings. Another position in which I made my mark was the Resort Association. I was President of it, too, and also for four years. When I took over, the outfit was struggling. Revenue was only about $2,000 a year. Most of this was spent on printing folders. In our plant. Well, I got keen, and started drumming up more money and urging a bigger and flossier folder. In the end, my twin ac- tivities bore fruit. Right in the end. We raised so much money, and the folder designed was so fancy, that we could no longer print it in our plant, so they took it to an out-of-town printer. This is known as How Not To Get Along In Business By Real- ly Trying. But perhaps my finest hour was my career in municipal pol- itics. The Bay bordering the home town was polluted, and unfit for swimming. As editor of the paper, I had harassed the town council for years, trying to get action. Finally, I ran for council, carefully choosing a year in which it was obvious that elec- tion would be by acclamation, not votes. I won. Within two years, I had spark -plugged the council into installing a new sewage disposal system that would end the pollution. It put the tax rate up about six mills for 60 years. But it was worth it, There was only one thing wrong. The darn thing didn't work. Some silly little engineer- ing detail about water not run- ning uphill, or something. The Bay was once again polluted. I left town shortly after, And the words sewage and Smiley are still associated in the minds of the grateful ratepayers. Not many men have a living monu- ment like that, during their own lifetime. To stay young, associate with young people. To get old in a hurry, try keeping up with therm. REMINISCING NOVEMBER 1915 Mr. Lack Kennedy, agent for the Overland car has opened up an office in the William Davies Co. building, Diagonal Road, where he will be found until the garage owned by Rob- ertson and Turner is ready for occupancy. Jas. Walker and Sons's furni- ture store is undergoing a coat of paint, as is the Rexall Store. Mr. Urias Shirk is doing the work. NOVEMBER 1929 The manse, Campbellville, was the scene of a quiet but pretty event at high noon, on Thursday, Nov. 7th, when Iso- bel, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Ferguson, Bel - grave, was united in marriage to Norman M. Geddes, son of Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Geddes, Belgrave, Dr. W. J. McLean and Mrs. McLean of Westminster Hospi- tal, London, visited over Sun- day at the home of the formers mother, Mrs. Margaret McLean of Catherine St. NOVEMBER 1940 Billy Orvis, 11 -year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. George H. Or - vis, had the misfortune to frac- ture racLure his collar bone on Thurs- day evening. With some other boys he was playing rugby at a neighbor's home and when tackled by two of the players, went down hard with the result- ing fracture. A concert in connection with the Fowl Supper at Brussels Unit- ed Church on Tuesday evening, the following local artists took part: Miss Mary King, voilin solo; Jack Reavie, solos; Bert Cullimore, Dr. James Mc- Kague, Russell Zurbrigg and Jack Reavie, quartette selec- tions. Jack. Herd was accompan- ist. NOVEMBER 1951 Mrs. W. H. McKinney en- tertained more than sixty lad- ies at a trousseau tea for her elder daughter, Miss Eileen Mc- Kinney Reg. N. In the after- noon the guests were received by Mrs. Charles Bosman and showed upstairs where the bride's trousseau and gifts were dis- played by Mrs. Jack Bosman and Miss Florence Cook, The t1, P. U. of the United Church held the first meeting for the fall and winter season in the Sunday School room on Sure day evening. Fleming John.. ston conducted the meeting and offered prayer.