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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1994-10-05, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1994. I---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The N orth Huron P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. NOM 1 HO Phone 523-4792 FAX 523-9140 itizen P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. NOG 1H0 Phone 887-9114 FAX 887-9021 Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Sales Representatives, Jeannette McNeil and Julie Mitchell The Citizen is published weekly in Brussels, Ontario by North Huron Publishing Company Inc. Subscriptions are payable in advance at a rate of $20.50/year ($19.16 plus $1.34 G.S.T.) for local; $31.03/year ($29.00 plus $2.03 G.S.T.) for local letter carrier in Goderich, Hanover, Listowel, etc. and out-of-area (40 miles from Brussels); $60.00/year for U.S.A, and Foreign. Advertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, only that portion of the advertisement will be credited. Advertising Deadlines: Monday, 2 p.m. - Brussels; Monday, 4 p.m. - Blyth. We are not responsible for unsolicited newscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright. Publications Mail Registration No. 6968 E ditorial r - i Winning through attrition There was something disturbing about Morris township council's decision, reported in The Citizen last week, to slop opposing the closure the Belgrave branch of the Huron County Library. It wasn't the decision itself, because wiLh so few Belgrave residents turning out to the meeting it seemed to indicate there wasn't really a lol of interest in maintaining the library. What was disturbing was the sense of futility in opposing the inevitable that councillors felt. "They're not going to leave us alone until we do it," one councillor reportedly said. (Morris had fended off a request to close the library a year ago.) Il isn't just Morris council. It isn't just the library issue. More and more municipal councillors have the feeling that they might as well give in because if they don't the issue is going to come back and back until they finally have to agree to what senior levels of government want anyway. Il's been the same case with Brussels council's battle with the Clean Water Commission about updating its sewer plant's sludge holding capacity. It's been the same at the county level on issues from district hcallh councils to municipal waste handling. Municipal councillors are more and more feeling helpless against the onslaught of power from above. In many case they are being told they must undertake costly programs like pay equity, but are given less money to do it with. They're having to deal with more and more regulations in waste disposal, but the province won't deal with the real problems like wasteful packaging. But there arc some areas that are the municipal preserve, areas where the province or the upper tiers of governments can't order the municipalities around. Here there seems to be a new lactic: wear the councillors down until they're loo weary to resist. If they say no once, come back at them again next year. If they still say no, wait a year and try it again. Look at district hcallh councils. Look al the push for regionalized government of some sort. The feeling of bureaucrats seems to be that they will be around longer than the councillors so if they keep up the pressure, they'll eventually win, even if it lakes 20 years as in the case of district hcallh councils. Il's not the way government is supposed to work. Ideally, the government that is closest to the people should be the one with the most power but municipal councillors arc being stripped of their power or are being isolated and beaten into submission by the relentlessness of the bureaucracy of senior levels of government. The only thing that will restore some balance is for municipal councils to unite and pul up the kind of fight the provinces have made against the federal government. It's time for councillors to get mad and lake back their powers not be worn down by constant pressure, like a rock worn away by a constant drip of water.— KR Thanks for the service He hasn't been the representative of the northern part of Huron for several years now, because of riding boundary shifts, but Murray Elston's decision to step down as MPP for Bruce will sadden many in north Huron. Mr. Elston has decided to enter private business after more than a decade of service at the provincial level, a decade when he look on some of the most coni roversial cabinet posts in the Liberal government and when he came within an eyelash of winning the Liberal Party leadership. Being a Morris Township boy and practicing law in Brussels gave people a special attachment to Mr. Elston but so did his ready service to his constituents and his always down-to-earth mind-set no matter how exalted his office. Most people, even those who weren't supporters of his parly, will agree that he has served us well. Thanks Murray. — KR Not as simple as it seems Nobody complains more than business about Unemployment Insurance, but if the federal government goes ahead with rumoured changes to UI, prepare to hear many businesses screaming. One of the changes being rumoured would sec seasonal workers denied some of their rights to collect unemployment. Al first it seems like a blow against employees but many companies that need workers in summer but not winter, have used UI to provide workers with security in the off season. Take away the UI and the employees might not be there come spring. It isn't always simple to say who benefits most from social programs. — KR Photo by Janice Becker Looking Back Through the Years From the files of The Blyth Stan­ dard, The Brussels Post and The North Huron Citizen 44 YEARS AGO OCT. 4,1950 Brussels Floodlight Campaign was still several hundred dollars in arrears. Any who had promised donations were to leave them at the treasurer's office. Fred MacMurray and Maureen O'Hara starred in Father was a Fullback at the Capitol Theatre, Listowel. Good weather favoured Brussels Fall Fair. Students from 19 schools in Brussels, Morris and Grey paraded to the fairgrounds. Tractor driving contest winners were: Jerry Cardiff, Dick Dennis, Bill Taylor, George Michie, Ivan Fischer, Graeme McDonald, Jim Knight, John Spivey, Ross Knight and William Barry. One large Box of Ivory Snow was 33 cents at Grcwar's. A 10 pound bag of cooking onions was 39 cents. Winners of the lucky draw at Brussels Arcade Store were Mrs Lou Armstrong and Mr. Doug Hemingway. The annual fowl supper was held at St. John’s Anglican Church. It was followed by a play Embert, Get Wise, presented by St. George's Dramatic Club, Harriston, in Brus­ sels Town Hall. 34 YEARS AGO OCT. 5,1960 At a meeting of the Auburn Community Hall Association it was decided to proceed with the con­ struction of a 40’ by 80' laminated arch building at a cost of approxi­ mately $9,000. A fire completely destroyed a bam on the East Wawanosh farm of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Bromley. The bam contained four sows, the sea­ son's crop of hay and straw and 30 acres of grain. Nothing was saved. The first of a series of four class- es in arts and crafts for in-service teachers in North Huron was held at memorial Hall in Blyth. The school was under the direction of Mrs. Sherman Miller of Stratford Teacher's College. Mr. and Mrs. Tom Allen of Lon- desboro went to St. Louis, Mo. to attend the Purina Dealer Conven­ tion. Thanksgiving sales at Stewart's Red & White saw turkeys for 49 cents a pound, chickens for 35 cents a pound and ducks for 59 cents a pound. Letter from the MPP Dear Federation of Agriculture Members, I am very pleased to sec that membership and participation is up for the Huron County Federation of Agriculture. The passage and enactment of the farm organization funding act was not without problems, however, we can now sec positive results. I appreciate your support in getting this legislation passed, and your help in fighting off those who wish to sec farmers as a weak unorganized group. When farmers slick together we can achieve results. The assault on our farm producers is heating up again. The recent surrender to American pressure by the federal government shows ho.w worthless the Free Trade and NAFTA agreements are when the U.S. decides to throw its weight around. At first, it appeared that Ontario wheat growers would not be affected by the deal that Ottawa made over western wheat. Now, Ontario growers are under the same restrictions. We will continue to fight to right these wrongs. The government of Ontario is firm in its commitment to the com producers. The support for the ethanol plant in Chatham shows this. Now we must wait and see if the oil lobby will have its way in Continued on page 6