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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1994-11-23, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23,1994. C itizenTheNorthHuron P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont N0M1H0 Phone 523-47$ FAX 523-9140 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. NOG 1 HO 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 I But not for long ... Statistics Canada this week reported that there was deflation this past month: things actually cost less than they used to. It's a trend that won't continue for long the way big business is going. As reported last week in The Citizen, newsprint costs are going ahead by leaps and bounds with price increases ] scheduled at several times in the next year. Costs for fine paper used in envelopes, letterheads, books, etc. have jumped and jumped again the past few months. Farmers have heard the sad news that substantial price increases are coming in fertilizer costs. Prices of steel used in siding are jumping ahead. Big business, it seems, is trying to make up for all the price increases it wasn't able to make during the recession in a matter of a few months. Increased demand is being blamed for the increases but where is the demand coming from? Sure the bite of the recession has let up but things haven't been expanding by leaps and bounds. When there are no obvious reasons for such huge increases one suspects some telephone calls may have been exchanged between industry leaders. The situation calls to attention the need for better competition legislation in Canada. In the past decade Canadian governments have been relaxing rules on business here, redrawing our economy more on the lines of the American model. The U.S., however, has tough anti­ combines legislation while the Canadian government is toothless. Can you imagine a Canadian government, for instance, ordering the break­ up of a large company as the U.S. did with the telephone giant AT& T? The ideal of relaxing regulations is that the competition of the market place will exert discipline on business. If somebody sets their price too high, someone else will undercut it The problem is when you have a handful of giants who control the market, the normal competition can't apply. And when the cost of starting up a new business like a pulp mill or a steel mill is so huge, very few people can be in competition. Through Free Trade the government has created an atmosphere that encourages big business. Government now has a responsibility to establish rules of the playing-field to make sure there really will be fair competition. — KR Please be careful Across western Ontario this fall there has been a terrible rash of fatal farm accidents, the latest being the death of a well-known Clinton-area farmer. Farming is a dangerous occupation and farmers continue to make it more dangerous than it has to be. Farmers work with powerful machinery every day in the course of their work. That machinery not only has tremendous power behind it, but it has all kinds of spinning and whirling rough edges that can catch clothing and pull people into the deadly equipment. The insidious danger of this machinery is that people can take a chance, and get away with it, for years. It takes precious minutes to shut down the machine before adjusting it or clearing something that's blocked. A farmer may get away with saving time 999 times out of 1000. The 1000th time, however, may cost him his life. Because he gets away with unsafe practices so often, he forgets how serious the consequences. Hopefully the terrible tragedies will make other farmers re-evaluate the benefit of saving those few minutes by not taking time to shut machinery down and take other safely precautions. A few minutes saved could cost a life. — KR Show an interest all year long With the municipal election over, interest in local politics will likely die down to the usual level of griping in coffee shops about what the local councillors should have done. Too bad. Recently at Blyth council there was standing room only when a large group of citizens dropped in to sec council working and to express various concerns. Unfortunately, that is a rarity in municipal politics. Generally people don't attend council meetings unless they're really upset by something council is doing, or has done. Reporters attending meetings month in and month out, notice councils behave differently when there arc members of the public present than when the room is empty and council becomes like a private club. You want good government every month all term, then take an interest and show up more often. — 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 56 YEARS AGO NOV. 23,1938 Nominations for municipal coun­ cil were scheduled to be made. Elections would follow in many municipalities. Blyth Reeve George McNall didn't say if he would seek the position another term. Warden Wilmot Haacke presided over an important County Council meeting. He suggested that munic­ ipalities return to their present reeves for the next year instead of holding an election. He said that this would be of benefit because important business could be attend­ ed to quickly. The Ladies Assoc, of St. Andrew's Church announced that they would hold a "Moving Picture Evening". These pictures were not slides, but genuinely moving pic­ tures. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Hallam of Hullcll Township celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary with friends and family. Belgrave residents were delight­ ed by a new street lighting system. Because Wawanosh council would not co-operate with the plan, only six lights could be installed. "King Kong," 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," and "Gold Mine In The Sky" were playing at local the­ atres. A cast of Blyth talent put on a comedy-drama entitled "Whittlin'' at the Memorial Hall. Admission for adults was 25 cents, for children 15 cents. 31 YEARS AGO NOV. 21,1963 The Brussels Horticultural Soci­ ety held their monthly meeting. It featured Miss Ann Oldfield on the piano, and a commentary by R.W. Stephens. The top male bowler was Dave Hastings, the top female was Betty Bronson. Mrs. George Elliott, convener of the UNICEF committee, announced that local school children had raised $60.17 for the organization. A food buying course sponsored by the Majestic Women's Institute of Brussels, was held at the Public Library. The course was designed to show modem methods of pack­ aging, advertising, and merchandis­ ing food. Wilbur Turnbull and son attend­ ed the Royal Winter Fair in Toron­ to. The boar they entered in the fair was judged to be the grand champion. The bam and farm of Miss Ruby Bone was destroyed by fire in Mor­ ris Township. The entire season's crop of hay and grain, along with farm equipment, was lost in the blaze. The Annual Firemen's Ball in the Brussels Public School auditorium was announced. Ken Wilbee's Orchestra was scheduled to provide music and entertainment. Letters THE EDITOR, After a summer of construction, the villagers of Blyth have once again benefited from the inconven­ ience. The new street lamps on the two blocks of downtown Blyth are fabulous. I would like to thank the powers that be for choosing such pleasant and appropriate fixtures to grace Blyth's main street. Yours truly, John Rutledge, B. Arch., D.A.T. OAA THE EDITOR, I wish to take this opportunity to thank all those who contributed to the 1994 Arthritis Society Continued on page 6