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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1967-10-26, Page 9Times have changed 71,07AEVMW07a LETTERS T° TIE EDITOR - CEMENT BLOCK work on the change house at the new Centennial Pool is underway. Forms for the pool walls are seen in the News Items from Old Files ingbant Atitanct&Zim,t Wingham, Ontario, Thursday, Oct. 26, 196'7 SECOND SECTION background. The site overlooks the Lower Town pond at Riverside Park. —Advance-Times Photo. Last week's provincial election didn't create too much stir in the weeks preced- ing the vote, and by Thursday, two days "fter it was over, it has ceased to be a 11Topic of conversation hereabouts. Never- theless it did have some results which may be quite far-reaching, The -most significant outcome of the vote was the gain scored by the New Demo- cratic Party, indicating a certain disillus- ionment with the two older parties, Of course it is inevitable that the Progressive Conservatives should fall heir to nasty re- marks about being old and tired after 24 years in office—despite the fact that the cabinet ministers and many of the mem- bers are comparatively youthful. The truth of the matter is that Ontario has benefitted from excellent government during most of those years. There have been a few scandals and mistakes, but the PCs, being ordinary humans, that is to be expected and it would have been no dif- ferent whatever party had been in power. The fact that the majority of the Pro- gressive Conservative party was reduced as a result of last Tuesday's election may have a salutory effect on provincial gov- It is always amazing to us how dense the township councils can be when it comes to know where the butter lies thickest on their bread. , A case in point is the horrible condition of many of the roads leading to the Lake Huron shore to the west of us. If you happen to be a boat or cottage owner you will realize what we are talking about. Some of the access roads to the resort areas are in such bad shape that a good car can be taken over them at little more than crawl if tires and springs are to be protected from ruin. These roads are booby-trapped with pot holes and some haven't seen gravel or grader in ten years. Apparently it is a rule of thought with the councils of these lakeshore townships that the rich so-and-sos who can afford cottages can put up with bad roads. Perhaps it would be a worthwhile ex- ercise for the councillors to take an annual review of the tax revenue they receive from cottage properties and to actually total up the expenditures which have been made to accommodate the cottage owners. We would venture the guess that the cottage 'roperty owner is paying the highest rate Driving down from the high school the other day we happened to notice how many of the youngsters on their way home from classes were carrying loads of books that would make a grown man tired in two blocks. The fact that it was pouring rain made the unprotected books seem a par- ticularly unpleasant burden. A few years back no respectable student would dream of taking off for school without a proper school bag — but that would be pretty square in today's crowd of teen-agers. Style is a compelling force with young- sters. Remember when your kids were about seven years old, how they nagged and teased for a bicycle? If you were an The latter half of 1967 has seen some of the most costly strikes in the histories of most Western nations. Britain has pre- vented a railway tie-up only by threaten- ing the use of troops and her dock work- ers are currently crippling the economy of the nation at the very time when Bri-, tarn needs every export dollar she can scrape together. Ford Motor 'Company was on strike for weeks in the United States and General Motors is threatened, creating a desperate hazard for a nation at war. In Canada the Montreal transport workers chose to jeopardize their city's pride and joy — Expo 67 — by spending a month on strike at the very time when last-minute visitors might have reduced the deficit which you and I and all other Canadians will have to meet. Every written and spoken reference to labor-management relations includes ac- knowledgement of the workers' right to strike. We have often wondered who gave them the right to cost their fellow countrymen hundreds of millions of dol- lars at the behest of some paid organizer who has decided it is time to foment a little trouble if he is to hold his highly- paid job. Is it anybody's right to so completely isC srupt the economy that thousands of orkers in subsidiary industries lose their Aeremomf ernment affairs generally. The PCs them- selves may sharpen up considerably in an effort to stem any possible tide of rever- sal well before the next election rolls around; and the other two parties will participate in the debates with a much keener sense of responsibility. Opposition parties, when they are rep- resented by only a handful of elected mem- bers, tend to bring in some very wild charges and some pretty impossible prom- ises, It is not difficult to talk a big stormy opposition when there is no fore- seeable prospect of being in a position to fulfill the 'obligations created by the words, It is a much different affair, however, if the opposition party stands a good chance of being placed in power after the next election. Then the promises and the criti- cisms tend to be tempered with some re- straint. Democratic government being what it is, the citizens benefit when the balance of power is more evenly divided. The Progressive Conservative Party still has a big edge in the Legislature, but not as overpowering as it was before the vote. by far in these townships, remembering the fact that such properties never bene- fit from taxes for education costs or county rates. Seldom do the children of cottage owners attend schools in the lake townships. When a township can provide any sort of fire protection it. is for a part of the year only, since most of the cottage roads are unplowed in the winter months. Another source of revenue which is completely overlooked is that available from boat owners. If there were freely- available launching ramps for motor boats many hundreds of dollars would pour into the cash registers of a whole series of retailers in these areas. Gas and oil, food and sporting equipment of many kinds are purchased in big quantities by the boat- owning crowd. And when boating facilities are made available the boat-owners tend to become interested in the areas where they enjoy their sport and often end up as cottaoe owners as well. We live in one of the finest tourist and summer recreation areas in the whole country. It is amazing that there is so little public consciousness of the potential which lies on our doorstep. average parent you weakened long before you should have—when the young squirts were still too small to be safely trusted amid wheeled traffic, If, however, you held out until they were ten your invest- ment in the bike was a short-term affair. It turned out that a bike was an utter must for travel to public school, but your youngsters would have walked on two broken ankles rather than be seen taking a bicycle to high school. What a differ- ence a year can make. However, all that is the kids' own busi- ness. If they want to walk, all well and good —but we could wish that they would leave just a bit of room for the cars which have to negotiate the streets of the town. employment for weeks at a time? The whole idea of "rights" has arisen from what was admittedly an ugly situ- ation at the turn of the century, when tyranical business emperors wrung their workers dry for a pittance. But two wrongs never has made a right. Our labor disputes should obviously be settled in labor courts. A man accused of murder does not have a right to go out and threaten the income of his fellows in order to get justice. He must face a court and abide by its decision. Why, then, cannot wages and working conditions be settled in the same way? While British, American and Canadian workers are throttling the economy of their respective homelands with work stoppages, the Soviet laborers are slugging away at their jobs and their nation is forging ahead. And the average Soviet workman would consider himself a mil- lionnaire on half the wages the North Am- erican worker strikes about. There is no suggestion here that labor disputes should not be given every consid- eration, for without some form of pro- tection labor would most certainly be exploited, even as it was 60 years ago. But surely there is a more intelligent so- lution to the problem than the one which is wasting our prosperity in every part of the Western world, OCTOBER 1918 Cpl. A.C. Williams, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Williams, Patrick Street, who enlisted December 1915 with the 161st Battalion, was welcomed home October 10 and leaves shortly to undergo treatment at Vic- toria Hospital, London. In France, August 191'1 he was promoted for services to the rank of corporal and after ser- ving at the front for a time was gassed and sent to the For- estry Corps where he was em- ployed at Y.M.C.A. work. While attending to his duties he was run over by a motor lorry and the bone in his left knee was badly crushed and part of it had to be removed. Miss Margaret McLean of the Bank of Commerce staff has been moved to St. Thomas. Her sister, Miss Nellie, has accepted a position with the Bank of Commerce here. Word was received Wednes- day that Pte. Cameron McTav- ish was wounded. He is a bro- ther of Mrs. Richard Stone of town and was a member of the 161st Hurons. The first man in Wingham to buy a Victory Bond was Reeve Amos Tipling. OCTOBER 1932 Miss Doris Fells entertained a number of friends of Miss May Allen, bride-to-be, at bridge last Thursday. Miss Allen was presented with a beautifully decorated basket of miscellaneous gifts. On Tues- day Mrs. A.R. DuVal was hos- tess to a prettily arranged pre- sentation in honor of Miss Allen. Mrs. DuVal welcomed the guests in the two large living- rooms and was assisted by Mrs. Elmer Wilkinson and Mrs. Clar- ence Armitage in serving a dainty supper. Miss Allen was presented with a silver candel- abra and a small silver tray. Mr. Norman Newans and friends of Belmore motored to Wingham on Saturday evening. William Curle and family have moved up from the city and we welcome them to Belmore. Mr. and Mrs. George Allen of Wroxeter are spending a short vacation in Kingston with their daughter, Miss Janet Allen who is assistant Dean of Women at Queen's University. Dr. F. Allen accompanied his parents to Kingston and will go from there to Boston, where he will locate. Several called Saturday at the home of Mr. George A. Dane of Gorrie to offer congrat- ulations to Miss Nellie Dane on the event of het marriage, among whom were Miss. A. Jackson and Miss Mabel Jack- son of Harriston, Mrs. E. Soth- eran and Mrs. H. Armstrong of Fordwich and Mrs. Blake of Hanover. OCTOBER 1942 Robert Hopper has taken over the Sturdy tobacco busi- ness and billiard parlors: Mr. Sturdy has for some tittle been an inspector at the Small Arms Factory, Long Branch, and hit business here has been managed by William Lott. Ed, Pith, Preston Lediet. Glenn Sinnarhori and David Hickey arrived overseas recent- ly. William Kennedy has joined the Veterans' Guard and is stationed at Bowmanville. He is a veteran of the Great War. Although five cases of scar- let fever have been reported it is not expected there will be an epidemic if proper care is taken by the public. Those who have contracted the fever are two children of Mr. and Mrs. George John St.: a child of Mr. and Mrs. W.J. Parish, Alfred St., a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Reuben Apple- by of Turnberry and Sally Lou MacWilliam of town. Norman Thompson of Donny- brook is having a Goderich Rural Telephone installed this week. Friends of Charles F. Dau- phin who was reported missing recently will be pleased to know he has now been reported as a prisoner. Among goods that are be- coming increasingly, short in supply are jute bags. Farmers are urged to take special care of them and to keep them moving back into the trade. The following letter was written to the Port Arthur News Chronicle October 6, in answer to an editorial which appeared in that paper October 3. This letter will be of interest to people in this area as Mr, and Mrs. Vodden not only adopted children but also were foster parents for other children, who had problems, while living in Huron County. 0-0-0 Dear Editor: In fairness to the many res- ponsible workers of the Child- ren's Aid Society in our prov- ince, I feel I must point out one important factor in the Timbrell case that your editor- ial of October 3 overlooked. Had Mrs. Timbrell acted as a responsible foster parent the "thousands of people who were horrified at the television scenes" would not have been aware that such a family exist- ed and "the little childrencouldl have been spared the anguish of brawling, recrimination and fear which can make such a terrible impression at the ages of three and five" and two lit- tle girls, by this time, would be happily living in permanent homes. Req)onsible foster parents do not rush out to arrange their own adoption of their charges when they learn they are to be placed in permanent homes; nor do they expect to be included in any future arrangements for the children, My husband and i were fos- ter parents in southwestern Ont- ario a few years ago, I wish to point out that the C„ A,S„ makes its "parents" aware of their responsibilities, Foster parents are aware from the be- ginning of their service that: (a) The child in their care is to be loved and provided for as OCTOBER 1953 Milford Foxton started his winter's work on Thursday when the arena's ice machine started rolling again. Arena manager Alf Lockridge says that already calls are coming in from people who want to know when public skating will start. Mayor DeWitt Miller and Constable Gordon Deyell have received medals from the Queen in commemoration of her coronation. A donation of 70 books from Louis B. Duff and a tidy sum of money from former residents have been received by the lib- rary board in Bluevale. The money is for the erection of the new building. Mr. and Mrs. Allan Miller, newlyweds, were guests of honor at St. Helens community hall when they were presented with a substantial sum of money. Whitney Grose, proprietor of the Brunswick Hotel, played host to members of the cham- pion softball club, O. A.S. A., Wednesday night when a turkey dinner was enjoyed "on the house". a member of the family (b) The child may be remov- ed from their care at any time and with briefest of notice (this is often easiest for all concern- ed) and that contact with him will probably end then (c) While they may give the child all the love and attention possible, the child's worker and C. A. S. have greater authority than theirs. (d) They must help a child to prepare for return to his family or for his place in a permanent home (parting secure in the knowledge of their love and supported by happy memories of his time in their home would I wonder what a teacher of 50 years ago would think if he walked into a classroom today? Personally, I think he'd be tot- ed off in a state of deep shock. Some aspects of the atmos- phere would be familiar: the box-like, claustrophobic con- struction; the smell of chalk- dust and bodies; the windows that stick and won't open; the scuffling and the snuffling. And the place would be full of kids, of course, They'd prob- ably be much the same, inside, Human beings don't change their basic emotions, their hates, fears, shyness and aggressiveness, in a generation or two if ever. But they cer- tainly wouldn't look the same. The appearance of the boys would rattle him a bit, with their cowboy hoots, their pol- ka-dot shirts, their carefully waved hair, and their world- weary expressions. But the sight of the girls would rock him right back on his heels, Never mind the lip- stick, eye-shadow and net stockings, He'd probably turn pure puce the first time he looked down those rows of miniskirts, with the odd garter belt, in all its feminine loveli- ness, showing here and there, Those wouldn't he the only shocks he'd receive. Let's say he taught in a school with 300 students, half a century ago. Quiet, droning periods. Lei- surely one and a half hour lunch period. I'd like to see this chap step out into the hall of a school with 1500 inmates, during one of the lunch periods. Unac- customed to using his shoul- ders, knees and elbows, he'd be a grease spot on the terrazo floor in two minutes. If he did happen to make it, he'd gulp his lunch in the caf- eteria, with the din of 500 students as sauce for his wie- ners and beans. Or he'd' choke down a sandwich in the staff room, 'mid a litter of coffee cups, a pall of smoke, and a cacophony of fellow practition- ers of the art. Checking his mail-box after lunch, he'd find: two memos from the administration; a pamphlet from the Department of Education, very badly writ- ten; a notd from the librarian telling him that Susie Doakes' book was overdue; a brochure from a publisher; a billet-doux from the vice-principal; a bill for his federation insurance; and three announcements of contests, all sponsored by com- mercial firms. Being an old-fashioned, con- scientious teacher, he would probably not file these in the waste-basket. Back in his classroom, trying to teach with the raw mate- rials, a book, a blackboard and some students, he would be probably, be the greatest help to him in adjusting to his new, permanent situation). I cannot understand how a responsible adult, acting as a foster parent, could assume that her judgment of what is right or wrong for a child is superior to that of a group of social workers whose training and experience in this field must surpass that of a mother hundreds of times. I cannot believe that a per- son who loves a child deeply would deliberately subject that child to sensationalism at the hands of the public news media by displays of emotionalism and thwarting of lawful authority. It concerns me greatly that interrupted by; the public- address system telling him to send Joe Smutz, to the office; by Jack Diltz just arriving back from guidance counsellor; or by four stalwarts leaving for the junior football game. During the day, he would discover that he was either a dodo bird, extinct, or a phoe- nix — that bird which reputed- ly arises from its own ashes and flies in ever•dirninishing circles until there is only one place to go. This would be occasioned by the maze of equipment which he would be forced to master. Record-players, tape-recorders, overhead projectors, under- hand deflectors, and the like, And he would have my ut- most sympathy, I can drive a car, Used to be able to fly an airplane. Can run a washing machine in a pinch, But lead me toward a duplicating ma- chine, or anything more com- plicated than a hand-cranked gramophone, and I pale with terror. After school, our friend would find that he would have a committee meeting about gum-chewing, or a staff meet- ing about pupils acting like humans, or a thrilling hour with the three students inter- ested in the stamp club. I don't think he could hack it, poor devil. the public should be led to be- lieve that the C.A.S. is an ogre that favors violence. The contrary is true. Police accom- pany workers only where threats to their personal well-being are evident. One of the first photos in this case showed a worker who had been struck to the ground by the foster mother. In fairness to the children, I think the C.A.S. was wise to deal with the situation by mail as much as possible and spare the children such scenes. I think my family's dealings with the C. A. S. would fall in- to the normal pattern of the majority of cases. No reporters or photographers recorded the arrival or departure of children from our home, nor were the workers accompanied by the police on any of their visits. I believe it is not C.A.S. policy to invite this. As pointed out above, I be- lieve that the foster mother's responsibility for this problem has been minimized, if not over-looked. " The iron-fisted lack of tact, tenderness and judgment" can- not fairly describe the author- ities' handling of the case. The thousands of cases they deal with yearly without incident would surely indicate that only in the most extreme cases would such disastrous action take place, I hope that the C.A.S. will not be forced to "back down" in this case because people have been moved by the emo- tionalism of one "foster" family Good foster parents are level- headed as well as kind-hearted. Mrs. Janis Vodden BEDROOM BEAUTIES BELGRAVE- The eighth meeting was held October 16th at Mrs. Clarke Johnston's. Debbie Cook read the minutes. Mrs. Clarence Hanna and Mrs. Clarke Johnston helped the girls finish dresser scarves and cushions. Healthy Results from. Election Poor Business Sense Aren't Kids Peculiar? , Surely There Is a Better Way THE WINGHAM ADVANCE • TIMES Published at Wingham, Ontario, by Wenger Bros. Barry Wenger, President Robert b, Wenger. 8ecretarydrrettauret Member Audit Bureau of Circulation Member Canadian Weekly Newipetteem AlitOoltitiOrt: AtithOtited by' the Post Offien Department ne Second dtuki Mail and for paynient of postage in cash. StiWtiptitilit Rater 1 Year, 0.00; 6 months. 0;76 in advance; CA-4i', 0.66 Per yr.; toreign rite, 0,66 per yr. Advertising Bates on' application. MOM MAYSISNIMaill THE HAMILTON-LONDON SYNOD of the Presbyterian Church meeting 'in Wingham this week brought together many old friends in the church. Enjoying 8, break in the sessions are Howard Harris, R, R. 1 Fordwich, an elder from the Moletworth Church, Rev. Douglas rry, 'pastor of the 8eaforth Church and a Wingham native, Rev, John Brush, pastor of the churches at Moletworth and Gorrie, and Rev. Everett Hawkes, pastor a' Bluevale and Belmore. Advance-Times Photo.