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Times -Advocate, March 18, 1981
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SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND
C.W.N.A., O.W.N.A. CLASS 'A' and ABC
Published by J. W. Eedy Publications Limited
LORNE EEDY, PUBLISHER
Editor — Bill Batten
Assistant Editor — Ross Haugh
Advertising Manager — Jim Beckett
Composition Manager — Harry DeVries
Business Manager — Dick Jongkind
Phone 235-1331
►CNA
Amalgamated 1924
Published Each Wednesday
Morning
at Exeter, Ontario
Second Class Mail
Regestration Number 0386
SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
Canada $17.00 Per Year;
USA $35.00
For want of a nail
A recent article in this publication
prompted by the difficulty an area
employer had in securing job
applicants through the Canada Employ-
ment Centre pointed up some of the
problems this country is facing in the
work force.
While the Employment .Centre's
handling of the situation may have left
something to be desired, the crux of the
problem is that too few people who are
getting unemployment insurance
benefits are willing to accept work. A
secondary problem appears to be that
too few unemployed are registered at
the Employment Centre or at least
don't use it as a method of gaining
employment.
It is ridiculous that people are
allowed to collect benefits after turning
down a job opportunity, even if the pay
is not quite up to the standard to which
they were accustomed in previous
positions. Not only are they a drain on
the unemployment insurance fund, they
are a further burden on the economy
due to the lost production of employers
who can't find enough people to fill
their production orders. The latter
situation is often compounding in that
people waiting for orders to be filled
can't operate at peak capacity either.
For want of a nail....the battle was
lost!
It is also disconcerting to find that
many people seeking employment do
not register with Employment Centres.
It has been suggested there is a stigma
attached to it.
Whatever the reason, both
employers and employees should un-
derstand that Canada Employment
Centres are operated with their tax
dollars and they should be used to the
utmost, although it isencouraging to a
point to note that advertising in a week-
ly newspaper appears to get a better
response.
Perhaps it's time that personnel at
Canada Employment Centres reviewed
their responsibilities in an attempt to
better their image and effectiveness.
Regardless of who is at fault, some
changes appear warranted.
Some assistance from the
legislators is also necessary in
situations where qualified people are
allowed to turn down jobs when some
employers can't fill their re-
quirements.
Welcome news
The announcement that Kongskilde
Concern of Soro, Denmark, has merged
with Scandinavian Holdings of
Copenhagen, possibly drew little more
than passing interest from local
readers last week.
That's partially understandable.
Something which happens in Denmark
may not appear to have much bearing
on South Huron.
However. the announcement may
have more effect on the local economy
than imagined, considering the fact
that Exeter is the base for Kongskilde
Ltd. in North America and indications
are that the merger will result in an ex-
pansion in the North American market.
To put the announcement into con-
text, it could be noted that it was hardly
earth -shattering news 20 years ago
when Kongskilde moved to Exeter with
two employees.
But what has happened in those 20
years is rather remarkable. The firm
has expanded to 70 employees at Ex-
eter and the local plant now covers 85,-
000 square feet. That makes it one of
the area's major employers.
A continuation of that expansion is
obviously welcome news.
Inching to metric
Recognizing that the 1981 Fruit and
Vegetable Production Recommen-
dations will he in metric only, we asked
Bob Wilcox, Extension Horticulturist
at Vineland Station to write an article
for us about making conversions.
Apparently we are about to un-
dergo what's termed "hard conver-
sion... meaning containers will be
labeled in metric sizes only. No doubt
many will find "hard conversion" to be
just that.
And no wonder. Converting 100
Imperial gallons to 455 litres, 2.2 lbs. to
1.0 kg and 2.5 acres to 1.0 hectare
should keep growers busy this spring
with their pencils and calculators.
.Just the same, we'll probably get
used to spraying in metric much sooner
than saving in metric. It will be a long
time before we stop finding inch worms
•y - . r.r.iw'i'Hl ..
By SYD FLETCHER
A policeman's job has to
be one of the most thankless
in the world. - hauling
drunks out of the local pub,
trying to ignore the
muttered cursing of a driver
he has just ticketed, coming
upon the wreck of a car with
its mangled bodies. or hav-
ing to tell bad news to the
family of some traffic vic-
tim
The policeman is expected
to be as wise as Solomon,
does he chase the speed -
crazy teenager at a hundred
miles an hour or let him go
in our cabbages and we'll still put a foot
in our mouth on occasion. And no doubt
we'll continue to measure our
achievements with a yardstick of some
sort -or -other.
During a discussion on metrifica-
tion at the last annual meeting of the
Niagara Peninsula Fruit and Vegetable
Growers' Association, a number of
opinions were expressed on the impen-
ding conversion.
Howard Bridgman had this to say
about it:
Oh give me a home,
Where the metrics don't roam;
Where the miles and the inches still play.
Where seldom is heard,
A kilometred word;
And the sky is not Celcius all day.
It's clear that for some, there's no
rhyme or reason to the change.
The Grower
Perspectives
because he takes a chance of
a reprimand if he himself
endangers somebody in the
high-speed chase?
Ile is expected to have the
courage of a lion. Should he
go into a house where a
family quarrel is going on
even though he knows that
even if he arrests the man
tonight the wife will quite
possibly let the charge go
tomorrow. and even though
he knows that several
policemen have been shot in
similar situations.
The policeman is supposed
to be able to forget that a
good number of the charges
he lays, in good faith and
with good evidence, are
either dropped, or given
sentences so light that the
offender is sent on his way,
laughing behind his hand
about a judicial system that
is more concerned with the
'civil rights' of the criminal
than the rights of a victim
who may suffer physical and
emotional scars for a
lifetime.
And above all the 'cop' is
supposed to retain his sense
of humanity, his ability to
care for fellow human
beings who find themselves
suddenly with no one else to
turn to.
The next question comes.
Do our police forces live up
to these standards? Do they
live up to our expectations.
1 believe that they do. Our
own OPP in particular are
known and respected by
police forces across the
North American continent.
As well they are respected
by the bulk of the population
as a fair, honest, and wise
law-enforcement group.
In my small dealings with
them I have found them to
be always polite and respect-
ful. Above that I have found
them to be human beings
who care for other people.
I'm glad they're around.
"Aii. budget should show people it doesn't pay to be poor!"
II e
Time for retirement
For all intents and purposes, it's all
over now but the voting.
Ontario residents will go to the polls
this Thursday for their fourth such ven-
ture in the past two years. After two
quick federal votes and one for their
respective municipal councils, voters
may be excused for thinking the whole
exercise is becoming a habit.
It would be more enjoyable if the
trips to the polls didn't cost so much,
but that is one of the prices of
democracy.
However. it's probably good for the
economy and come to think about it,
few of us had that much planned for
this Thursday anyway.
The unfortunate aspect is, that come
Friday morning, voters may awake to
find they haven't resolved that much.
Another minority government in On-
tario is far from impossible and the
result could be another snap election.
One saving factor is that if Bill Davis
has anything to do with it, another elec-
tion won't be called until he gets a cou-
ple of his kids married off this summer .
The writer is of the opinion that Bill
Davis will have much to say about the
next election. If I had any family
heirlooms they'd probably be safe in a
bet on the Tories. After all, they've
been in power since shortly after the
Garden of Eden was established and
very little has come up in the recent
campaign to indicate Ontario voters
will turf out the big blue machine.
That's not to say it wouldn't be a
good idea! In fact I'm all for it, if for
no other reason that it's time for a
change.
You may argue that a more reasoned
opinion must be given to even suggest
such a thing. But why? Society tells
t
thousands of people every year they
have toquit working for no other reason
than they've reached a certain age.
There's no agreement of that age as it
ranges considerably, but sooner or
later someone comes along and says
you've got to pack it in.
In fact. governments tell their own
employees that. So what's the reason
for forcible retirement? And, is it real-
ly any different than suggesting a
government should be forced to retire
after attaining some particular length
of service? I think not!
Unfortunately, there's no legislation
in place to force the Tories out for a
respite, so the only course of action left
to voters is to mark their ballots in a
different place than they have in the
past...and where their fathers did, and
their grandfathers before them.
Now some staunch Tories will be
quick to point out that the reason for
retiring people from their jobs can't be
used as a parallel for governments.
They'll argue that their leaders have
been changed in their many years in
power and that they've brought in new
blood and new ideas. But, the fact
remains that they, similar to 65 -year-
old workers who have kept abreast of
the times, are stifling opportunities for
others who have to be given a chance.
Who are those others? Well, the
Liberals and NDP, of course!
Even if this province was to return to
a two-party system, it would be
beneficial to the electorate if capable
people, knew they had an opportunity to
become premier, a cabinet minister or
even a member of the civil service if
they leaned towards a party other than
the Conservatives.
As it is, the double -standard being set
by some parents is disgusting. Imagine
Suaar and SpDispesed by Smiley
It's a small world
Isn't it amazing how little our world
really is? How petty and small and
mean we are underneath our professed
liberalism, generousity, compassion?
The situation in Poland is very dicy.
The Mexican stand-off in the Middle
East is a torch, loaded with pitch, just
waiting for a match. There are hush
fires and brush fires of wars all over
the world.
Canada is in a mess, politically,
economically and spiritually. There are
noses thumbed at the Queen by would-
be head -liners. There is a big flap about
the constitution. The West is howling
separatism. Quebec still wants it, psy-
chologically. Even Newfie is threaten-
ing a referendum on separating.
Shame, after all that federal money
poured in to ensure the perpetuation of
the Liberal government.
Outside, as I write, the great
February storm is raging: snow, high
winds, rain, freezing. Tomorrow will
be one of those days when the school
buses don't run, the smart kids in town
will roll over and go to sleep after look-
ing at the snowbanked windows. And a
few dumb kids, and a lot of dumb
teachers, will stagger through the
storm, at risk of life and limb, to keep
the stupid school open.
And yet, all these storms, inter-
national, national, and local, don't
bother me half as much as the one in
my own household. Here's where the
suspense begins. Wife left him? Nabb-
ed by the cops for mope and gawkery?
Poles and Russians have been
clobbering each other with ten -foot
poles and vodka for hundreds of years.
The Jews and Arabs have been doing
the same for three thousand years.
Likewise the North and South of
whatever: Viet Nam, Korea, 'the U.S.
Likewise all sorts of black people ail
over Africa.
In Toronto, the cops punch up the
gays, who respond with violence. In the
West, a whole can of worms has been
opened, and the worms all turn out to
be from Ontario and Quebec. In parlia-
ment, lies are told, fingers pointed,
desks thumped, and the government
goes right on dazzling us with one hand,
and with the other, lifting money from
our wallets to help out poor little old
Massey -Ferguson, poor little old
Chrysler. poor little old Petro -Can.
While that bulwark of idealism, the
NDP. nods and smiles, and taps its foot
to the Liberal tune.
Right outside my window, the snow is
coming down so hard that the wind has
One is try-
ingtime for sculpturing.guy
to climb the hill sideways, in his
car. Another has just rammed his into
a snowbank and walked away.
He is the one who boasted that he
never used snow tires, because he had
/›.)
if you will, the questioning glance a
father would receive in telling his
offspring to shoot for one of those
positions and at the same time
suggesting he be an adherent to the
Liberals or NDP.
This may be a province of opportuni-
ty for any race, color or creed, but
we've reached the point where it is also
necessary to be Tory blue...or be a good
friend of someone who is.
The writer is also of the opinion that
a 'stint' in the opposition would be good
for the Tories. It would make them
leaner and keener.
It would also make them envious; en-
vious of the fact that another party
could go out across the province come
election time and make all those
promises of the type Bill Davis is using
to buy up votes this Thursday. It's a
rather strange phenomenon that the
provincial coffers were short of money
a few months ago and the Tories were
urging restraints and now that we're
into an election, there seems no end to
the dollars available for the goodies
they have up their sleeves.
There are a couple of catches. To
receive them, you have to vote Conser-
vative. Then you have tp pay for them
when they're elected.
So, if you don't agree that the age of a
government is enough to force them
into retirement, perhaps you'll agree
that one that has to buy votes rather
than being able to stand on its record,
should be given a rest.
It may also give us time to repay the
the debts from the Frost and Robarts
election promises which now cdnstitute
the second largest expenditure in the
provincial budget.
radials. Across the country, people are
driving under insane conditions, taking
their own lives and those of others in
their hands, to get from nowhere to
nowhere.
And yet, as I said, all these storms
seem trivial compared to the domestic
storm. More suspense.
To generoulsy, not to say wildly,
papaphrase King Lear: "Blow, storm;
lie, politicians; smite, Middle-
Easteners; plot, Slays. Go to it, and the
best of luck to yii all."
But your plight brings little sym-
pathy, no tears, from one who is spider
webbed into a binge of decorating. As 1
am.
Most women do their spring
decorating in the spring. Mine, just as
perverse as the day I asked her to
marry me, and she retorted, "Why
should I?" does hers in mid -winter.
Don't ask me why. I'm likely to erupt in
a fountain of bad language.
I'll swear my eyes are permanently
crossed from looking at wall -paper
samples. After the first four books,
they all begin to look alike. Same with
paint. After inspecting peach, Ivory,
mushroom, off-white and six others, I
wouldn't know a red cow from a purple
(Mainstream Canals
Ottawa's spending problem
By W. Roger Worth open-ended commitments on
federal -provincial spending
programs, it Is evident the
federal government Is having a
great deal of difficulty con-
trolling expenditures.
Unlike the small and
medium-sized firms that are
forced to bite the bullet and
dramatically cut spending as
interest rates rise, Ottawa con-
tinues to depend on increased
borrowing to survive.
Taxpayers, of course, pay
the huge bill.
For most Canadians, it's
tough to come to grips with
the astronomical numbers that
comprise lunch-hour discus-
sions in the nation's capital.
Money, money and more
money. That's the depressing
word in the nation's capital
these days as the government
attempts to come to grips with
spending plans for the coming
year.
The word from Ottawa is
that the federal government
Roger Worth is Director.
Public Affairs,
Canadian Federation of
Independent Business.
will spend
next 12 months, up almost
1307o from the previous year.
S67 billion in the
Again, we'll be adding
about $13 billion to the $70
billion -S80 billion we now But here's one figure that is
owe. Interest payments on worth mentioning. In fact, it
past overspending will cost tends to put federal govern -
Canadians 31% of all the ment budgeting in perspective.
money they pay in taxes.
While inflation is running
at a 1207o annual rate, and
Ottawa is forced to meet
In the next year, it will cost
the average taxpayer a whop-
ping S795 just to cover interest
payments on the federal debt!
To the Editor:
On behalf of the Ontario
UNICEF Committee,
UNICEF Canada and the
many UNICEF children
around the world the world, I
would like to extend thanks
to the people of Ontario for
their most generous support
of UNICEF's work in 1980.
I would also like to extend
UNICEF's sincere gratitude
to those representatives of
the Ontario media who
supported the efforts of our
many volunteers so ef-
fectively, throughout the
year.
Once again, the people of
our province have responded
with concern and generosity
to our fundraising appeal at
Hallowe'en and through the
purchase of UNICEF
greeting cards during the
year.
As a result of this
generosity, $414,542 has been
raised to date from the
annual Hallowe'en for
UNICEF collections and we
are optimistic that we will
reach our goal of ;450,000
from our greeting card sales
across Ontario.
These contributions, when
matched by the federal
government through the
Canadian International
Development Agency
(CIDA) will multiply to
approximately $1,800,000 –
monies which will go far in
providing safe water sup-
plies, improved nutrition,
health care and educational
programs for millions of
children in tie developing
countries of our world.
As we move into the 1980's
we are becoming more
aware of the in-
terdependence of all people –
and the impact we each can
make. Through their con-
tributions to UNICEF, the
people of Ontario have
helped to provide a brighter
future for many children
around the world. We thank
you and look forward to your
continuing support.
Sincerely yours
Maggie Smiley
Chairman
Ontario Unicef Committee
Dear Bill:
I believe enough time has
passed for me to comment on
our municipal scene, not as a
defeated mayoralty can-
didate but, as an interested
and concerned citizen of this
Town.
I would like to say, Bill,
that I agree with some of the
points raised in your
editorial comment of March
11. It would appear that we
are not getting debate and
information about the issues
for which our elected council
are responsible.
Now, there is no doubt that
it is important to consider
issues facing the Province
and the country as a whole.
But, as far as I'm concerned,
I don't care what our council
thinks about the Con-
stitution, about Alberta and
its oil, about the Russians in
Afghanistan or about the
death penalty.
I do care, however, what
they think about rising
municipal tax rates, in-
dustrial development in
Exeter, the utilities including
water and hydro and longer
range planning and
development of this Town.
Our Council's number one
priority is to manage this
Corporation under the
guidelines of the Municipal
Act and when that is done,
their views on more lofty
issues can be entertained.
Do our councillors know
what is going on as far as
Committees with which they
are not involved? We are not
getting debate and
questioning on important
municipal issues.
There would appear to be a
"rubber stamping syn-
drome" occurring which
suggests that all Council
members are either com-
pletely harmonious or
uninformed.
We are not so naive as to
think that debate should all
occur on the public floor of
council. Naturally, much
will occur in the com-
mittee stage.
But if the committee
system is so organized that it
eliminates some "political"
discussion and debate on the
public floor to bring out the
decision-making system and
its facts then surely the
committee meetings should
be open to the press and
organized in such a way that
the press can conveniently
attend them.
This letter is not to
question the integrity of
Council either. They are
good people doing a
thankless job. But, as
citizens, we have a right to
know what is going on. And
Bill, if that is being arrogant
and demeaning well so be
it.
Sincerely,
Don Cameron.
pig, if I bumped into one or fell over the other.
Not that there's a difference of opinion. We did
agree on the wall -paper. At least the design. She liked
the stuff that was $14.95 a roll. I was swept Away by
the stuff, identical design that was $4.95 a roll. But
the difference is chicken -feed, as you'll agree. Some
chicken.
But it's not that. It's not the money. After all, you
can't take it with you. Though I doubt if I'II be around
long enough to take anything anywhere, even the gar-
bage out to the roadside, after the latest decorating
omit s the little details. She can't seem to sort out the
order of things. She makes a deal with the painter -
decorator to start'on a certain day. The day before he
is to arrive, she rushes out to pick the wall -paper.
Wall -paper is like the Canadian mail. It gets there
when it gets there. If ever.
Next day, she arranges for a cleaning lady to wash
the woodwork. The lady, much sought after, can
come only between theainting and the papering.
This means that the paint goes on over dirty woord-
work, and there's nobody to clean up after the
plasterer, who makes such a mess that the wall-
paper looks like the dunes of the Sahara. And so on.
I could write a book about decorating. All I'd have
to do is listen to my wife before breakfast, before
dinner, after dinner, and before bed. Which I have to,
do anyway.
No wonder colleagues say when I arrive at work:
"You look exhausted," Substitute "harassed,"
"frightened," "desparate" ' or "frantic,' and you
have the average Canadian male when his wife
decides that the homestead is shabby, disgraceful, .
slummy, and so on and on and on.
s