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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1979-12-05, Page 6Page 6— Lucimow Sentinel, Wednesday, December 5, 1979 The LUCKNOW SENTINEL LUCKNOW, ONTARIO "The Sepoy Town" On the Huron -Bruce Boundary Established 1873 Published Wednesday Business and Editorial Office Telephone 528-2822 Mailing Address P.O. Box 400, Lucknow, NOG 2H0 Second class mail registration number -0847 A SIGNAL PUBIJCATION SHARON J. DIETZ - Editor ANTHONY N. JOHNSTONE .- Advertising and General Manager PAT LIVINGSTON - Office Manager MERLE ELLIOTT - Typesetter MARY McMURRAY Ad Composition Subscription rate, $12 per year in advance Senior Citizens rate, S10, per year in advance U.S.A. and Foreign, 521.50 per year in advance Sr. Cit. U.S.A. and Foreign, S19.50 per year in advance Weeklies are bigger Editor's Note: This editorial from the Fort Erie Tirnes-Review, a weekly news- paper like the. Sentinel, illustrates how weekly newspapers are entering the age of big business. While they are no longer the small traditional familybusinesses, they still serve their communities report- ing in depth :for community readers. The community, or weekly newspaper, such as your weekly Times -Review is often jokingly the brunt of little jabs by some readers who look at the news content as somewhat trivial in compar- ison to what they read each night in the larger dailies. How can you compare a news report on the church ladies social group -to the daily story -covering the hijacking of a Dutch aircraft"that was ordered flown to Iran? There is no comparison, there isn't meant to be. The weeklies report in depth for their community readers, not just for anybody who wishes to put their .money down and read stories ranging from, worldly affairs of state to what actress recently split from her husband . because of an alleged association with her co-star in her latest film. Dailies also report news of their own communities, but can't touch the depth of the weeklies in that respect. , The followingis an excerpt from an article which recently appeared in Canadian Business, written by Doug Fetherling. It illustrates that weeklies across Canada are fast'becoming known Less and less as small and traditional businesses but are outstripping the dailies in circulation and small magazines in revenues. It is the age of big business for the weeklies. "Few institutions in \the land are .so beloved by readersand • non-readers alike as the weekly newspaper. The weekly represents a tradition of homespun wisdom, an idealized cornerstone of democracy and enterprise. The weekly of our imaginations, often with "a cutesy name or one too overblown for its minute circulation, is owned and operated by a lone crusader in a green eyeshade. He prints the full names of everyone attending spaghetti suppers at the church. The photograph on his front page is either of a fisherman holding his catch or a hunter beside a dead deer strapped to the hood of his car - depending on the season. His office is a sort of meeting place; he sells stationery in the front and does job printing at the back. "That image is. .still a fair representa- tion of some small newspapersacross the country. But it's no longer an indication of the big business that weeklies have become. "Canada's 1,000 or so rural and suburban weeklies and: consumer papers have a total circulation of 6.5 million, which is 1.5 millionmore than all our daily papers combined. They had 1977 adver- tising revenues of $141 million which is more than all of the country's general, trade and .business: magazines combined. And though some may still be owned, edited and written by folksy old country journalists, a growing number belong to publishing conglomerates owned . ` by people whose names are familiar in the ranks of Canada's corporate elite. `During the past few years the weeklies have achieved some of the economic power (and Stile of the problems) that shouldlogicallygo along aith _their numbers. They have grown up nd the reasons aren't hard to find. A , middle class that once looked down its sophisticated nose at weeklies is speedily turning to them now. This new audience coincides with a great mechanical revolu- tion in the printing trades that has made papers. cheaper to publish, and hence. more numerous. Also, the weeklies provide one of the few advertising outlets for thousands of local retailers, which are the weeklies' main source of revenue. . Report from Queen's Park Gas saving invention described in' legistature BY, MURRAY GAUNT During the Estimates of the Ministry of Energy thisiweek, I raised the matter of energy conservation and a new invention by a Canadian, Mr,- Andrew MacGuire who lives in Toronto. This is a device for conserving, fuel in motor vehicles which will result in an average of 15% better gas mileage and, in some tests, substan- tially higher savings than that. This is an add-on device to the carburetor, and has been tested by Ford engineers in Europe, who are convinced of its merits to the extent that they are about to recommend that the device be placed on all Ford cars in Europe.. British Leyland and Weber. Carburetion have also conducted ' exten- sive tests on it, : and they got improved fuel economy of 20%. They are now moving into phase two of the emission standard testing. The University of Belgrade Engin- eering Faculty is also conducting tests, and Mexico and Chile are very interested in the device. It has been tested by the Ministry of Transportation and Commun- ications here in the province, and they are satisfied it .does give increased fuel performance. The process is a very simple one. The device creates a homogeneous mix of air and fuel, and creates continuous .turb- ulence ' to 'give complete burning even' when the motor is cold, which is the time when the incomplete burning is greatett. President Carter of the United States has asked Americans to drive three miles less per day than normally, and this would solve their gasoline rationing pro- gram. It is estimated that this device would be the equivalent of driving five miles less per dayon the average, and so it can be readily appreciated what it could mean in terms of our over-all fuel requirements. It is estimated that if this device were used on all cars we would require 1.5 : million gallons of gasoline less per day than is presently consumed. This device .does seem to have consid- erable promise and, ' it will be, it is thought, distributed by Magna Interna- tional in Toronto by Christmastime for an approximate cost of $40. It is, said to have no bad effects on the engine, and it is also claimed that, on the basis of tests, car emissions are reduced as well. It is anticipated that the bill to provide for compulsory automobile insurance will receive Third Reading in. the Legislature this week. This bill makes it mandatory, when 1980 licence plate stickers go on sale on. December 1st, for motorists to show proof of public liability and property damage insurance. Anyone caught •with- out insurance after that date may be liable for a fine of up to $2,500. The Estimates of the Ministry of Education have been before the Standing Committee on Social Development. Dur- ing these hearings,concern has been expressed ,regarding declining enrol- ments in the schools. John Sweeney, Liberal Education Critic, called for a declining enrolment factor in the funding regulations, pointing outthat many of the costs do not decrease in proportion to the decrease in school population. Such costs as heating, lighting, busing, etc. will not change with the loss of a single pupil, but the present funding regulations are such that the per pupil grant is decreased as the enrolment drops. Mr. Sweeney also expressed concern that financing must be provided for the training of special education teachers if mandatory legislation is brought in requiring school boards to identify and educate students with learning disabil- ities. An early identification program has been started, but there is a.need for phase-in period; otherwise many prob- lems would be identified and the children would be simply put on waiting lists if teachers are not trained to handle these problems. Another matter of concern in education is the textbooks which are in use in many cases. For instance, one of the textbooks used in Grades 9 and 10 - "Canada To -day" - is not a good history ,text. It was pointed out that this book is more sociology thanhistory, and even quest- ionable history, in the' opinion .of. many. This week the matter of rural hydro rates was raised in the Legislature; and the Premier was asked by Robert Nixon. what he intends to do about the fact that rural rates in Ontario are the highest in Canada of any 'province west of New Brunswick. One thousand kilowatts in Ontario cost $39.50; in. Quebec, 524.40; and in Newfoundland, $34.61. If hydro rates were 'standardized across Ontario, the rural residential rate would decrease by 22%, and urban dwellers would pay about 4% more. British Columbia, Quebec, Nova' Scotia and Newfoundland have instituted uniform residential power rates. The provincial government has ear- marked $1 million to buy lands on"the \Niagara Escarpment this year and there will be more Money allocated next year, according to the Premier, who said the government has otheer spending priorit- ies. ,The Niagara Escarpment Commis- sion recently issued a; report asking the government to spend 525 million to buy nearly' 30,000, acres of escarpment land during the next five years., Letters,the editor • • Raise $1,170. for I3emoph' ' a Society To the Editor: We have again completed another year of the. Thanksgiving Appeal for the Southwest- ern Ontario Hemophilia Society. We are happy to report that the donations are up. from $821.00 in 1978 to $1,173.00 in 1979. The Lucknow and surrounding area donated 5726.00. Your generous donation makes a better life possible for all hemophiliacs. To everyone who supported our Appeal, we wish to say a sincere thank ybu. Wishing everyone thecompliments of the season. Frank and Loreen Alton. Co-ordinators for the Southwestern Ontario , Hemophilia Society. To the Editor: An initial meeting was held on November 28th, 1979 regarding the Owen Sound Collegiate Vocational Institute's 125th Anni- versary Celebrations to be held May 15th, 16th and 17th of 1981. A committee consisting of Brian Low, Ross Leigh, John Murdoch, Donna Senese, Pat Kay and Ken McClelland was formed to organize a Steering Committee. Any persons interested contact O.S.C. V.I., 125th Anniversary, Owen Sound. More news to follow during the next year as plans proceed. Mrs. Patricia Kay, Leith, Ontario. NOH IVO 376-9672 To The Editor: f. The Canadian government, church and civic groups, and individual citizens have been responding to the current plight of Indo-Chinese refugees in the most humanit- arian way possible, namely, opening the doors of the countryand their homes to these unfortunate homeless people. A small number of refugees have already located in Huron County. I would ask sponsors of refugees to inform the Huron County Health Unit prior to or when a refugee arrives. These people immigrating to Canada will have been exposed' to illnesses much different to fhe illnesses prevalent in Canada. It is important for their sake that they receive appropriate Turn to page 14•