Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1981-06-24, Page 4Page 4 t,rn.. r $obinhed Times -Advocate, Jun 24e 19$1 Ad.ecore Established I$$I Imes-Odvocate w -. ,.- . SERVING CANADA S BEST FARMLAND W N A OW N A CLASS 'A' AND ABC MEMBER ONTARIO PRESS COUNCIL D.t r' d by 1W Eedy Publications Limited IORNE EEDY PUBLISHER Ed.for - - Bill Bonen A,stcn•' Editor — Ross Hough Advert,s,ng Manager — Jim Beckett Compos,non Manager — Harry DeVnes Bus Hess Manager — Dick Jongkind Phone 235-1331 eNA Amalgamated 1924 Published Each Wednesday Morning at Exeter • Ontario S.cend Class Mail Registration Number 0386 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada 517.00 Per Year; USA 535.00 Lend your voice v There s been a suggestion that at noon on July 1 every Canadian should stand up and sing hur national anthem. Silly eh? After all. what have Canadians to sing about? There's rampant inflation and high interest rates taking their toll on our economy. There's a political struggle over oil pricing and the con- sumer is caught right in the middle paying for it. If you look around there's gloom and doom galore. Still. is there really any other place to this whole world where you'd rather be living? Perhaps arousing solo from Your porch or from the solitude of your locked bathroom may well be the tonic needed to reinforce the fact that com- pared to most. the problems in Canada are not severe. Go ahead. 'oin in the coast-to-coast singaiong. Throw back your chest and let in boom. Bet it will make you feel better. O Canada! Our home and native and/ True patriot love n all thy sons commana. With glowing hearts we see thee rtse, The True North strong and free! From far and wide A second Residents of the Victoria Park area may have been thinking of the aesthetic appearance of their neighborhood when they voiced over -whelming opposition to the suggestion of erecting a fence to protect children from passing motorists. While the safety of children should be given higher priority than the aesthetic ramifications of a fence, it may well be that the type of fence that was being suggested was wrong and that in fact both elements could be served by a fence more, in keeping with the park. Several area residents have used old-fashioned split rail fences to decorate their property. These are most appropriate in a park -like setting, as are other types of board fences left in their natural state. Even a short. unobstrusive fence would provide an element of safety in that it would prevent children from C CJnaca We :rcnc an guard -or •hee. Goa veep •our lond gtonous and free! C.:nada, .ve stand on guard for thee - Canada, ve sr and an guard for thee. thought dashing orito the roadway to retrieve balls or while chasing each other in games. This would appear to be the main in- tent of any type of fence as it is im- possible to protect youngsters from their own folly or lack of training in not observing safety rules while crossing the street to the park: nor is it entirely possible to protect them from careless drivers. However. the main element of risk is still associated with situations during play when youngsters dash onto the street and a fence in keeping with the park area may well be received with more favor by the neighbourhood residents. A sterile chainlink fence was a poor suggestion at the outset from an aesthetic point of view. although the need for a fence should not be quickly or totally dismissed. Dare to be vulnerable The assassination attempt on the life of C S. President Ronald Reagan will almost certainly result in a demand for tougher security measures and a crackdown on dissidents. Although there will probably be a renewed cry for tough gun control laws. a more likely outcome in that more people will carry guns than before. After the shooting of John Lennon. a number of show -business personalities announced that henceforth they were going to carry guns for their own protection. Similarly. if and when Reagen returns to public appearances. we may well expect that he, as well as his security forces. will be armed. His wife Nancy already is known to 'keep a little gun' at her bedside. The trouble with this is that the Wild West philosophy prevails. To protect himself, Reagan (or anyone else) must shoot first. The quickest draw wins. That may have worked on the streets of Tombstone. Arizona. In today's crowds. the president or a showbiz celebrity can't wait for the By SYD FLETCHER When this part of the coun- try was first settled. over a hundred years ago. there was a dense forest covering the whole area. Trees were often over a hundred feet high and three or four feet in diameter. Because the trees were merely a nuisance to be got rid of in the easiest manner available. a lot of good street to clear, for the enemy to be identified. John Lennon could have saved his own life only if he suspected Mark Chapman's intentions, and had moved first. if he had shot the young man as he came forward out of the shadows, ap- parently asking for an autograph. But suppose he shot someone who really was looking for an autograph? Suppose Reagan or an aide felled a fan who was just pulling out a pocket camera? It is an assassination if a citizen tries to shoot the president, but merely an unfortunate mistake if the president shoots a citizen? Unfortunately. in this dilemma, the answer offered by religion will seem like no answer at alt. It is that we cannot protect ourselves. We must all go out each day in quivering vulnerability, having done our best to ensure that none of our brothers and sisters has cause for a grudge against us. and then trusting in God. There's not much 'protection' in that - but there could be a better socie- ty. Perspectives lumber was burned where it fell. and the ashes collected for the farmer's first crop (The ashes could be used in the production of potash and lye). As farmers got established they gradually pushed the bush back until only a few woodlots were usually left at the back of the farm. These supplied wood for heating and cooking. Then. of course. electrici- ty, oil, and natural gas came along and wood no longer seemed necessary. instead land to put more crops on became of prime impor- tance as it became harder and harder to make a living on existing land areas In the past five years I have seen the countryside open up incredibly. Instead of seeing trees along the road you can see flat land stretching for as far as the horizon. In the winter the wind blows snow with much more force. The resemblance to the prairies is uncanny. I understand that there are laws now governing the clear -cutting of bush lots and that heavy fines can be im- posed on people who defy these laws. Perhaps it is a good thing. I would hate to see the day when the only place a child can see a tree is in a park or a backyard. 0YI.#a'ii4,,�, *x ,4'49 44-kwaLsee-;--zi:#.40.504 e410010k16149) #40 Ofd , 410 Aripf i # i♦♦ice♦i♦�i 4 i BATT' Picnics are important MPP Jack Riddell has made some rather unfair remarks about Agriculture Minister Lorne Henderson chartering a helicopter to take him to an engagement in his Lambton riding early this month. Never mind the fact that the men and women who try to make their livelihood in agriculture (and most other things) are in serious trouble in Ontario these days. Showing them the real meaning of accepting adversity and tightening belts by spending $750 on a helicopter to flip off to a warden's picnic should not be cause for adverse criticism. Picnics. after all. are important functions for politicians. Some of them feature ball games, three-legged races. kick -the slipper, guessing the number of jelly beans in a jar and all those other events in which politicians must maintain a high stan- dard of excellence if they hope to win favor at the polls at the next election. There may be some people who think billiards should be included. It may give politicians an idea of what it feels like to be behind the eight -ball of high interest and input costs and low returns for goods produces. The three-legged races of course are one of the few areas in which the average taxpayer can really hope to compete with politicians at picnics. Most people find that when their one leg is tied up with government rules, regulations and taxes that it is often difficult to reach the finish line without toppling on their face. Through ex- perience many have mastered'the race to a certain degree and even when they topple on their faces. pick themselves up and continue on towards the end. The imposing sight of Mr. Henderson alighting from a $750 helicopter ride is no doubt incentive enough for most of them to want to continue having their one free leg tied up to politicians. • When it comes to kick -the -slipper, politicians have no equal. Many of them have their slipper in their mouth most of the time. and combined with the hot air that emanates from that source. their slippers soar for great distances. Their competitors are at a distinct disadvantage. Many of them are wear- ing shoes that have been worn thin pac- ing nervously around a banker's office and with the reduced weight they just don't get any distance. "Guessing the number of jelly beans in a jar is another area in which politicians have considerable exper- tise. They spend days guessing the numbers affected by the current economic situation. If they're on the opposition side, they guess high to make their figures sound alarming. If they're on the government side. they guess low so people won't realize there is any problem. Toobada few of them don't follow the one basic requirement for any jelly bean guessing contest. That is the re- quirement for someone actually coun- . ting jelly beans to know exactly who had won and who had lost. Surely with their vast sources of information and their high-priced computers, politicians could take the guess work out of the situation so they would know exactly what action is warranted on their behalf. When it comes to the ball game, the picnickers are again at a distinct disad- vantage to the politicians. They're masters at throwing curve balls, screw balls and a variety of other pitches that keep people off balance. Even if an opponent is fortunate enough to hit one of their deliveries squarely and appears to be heading safely around the bases, he quickly finds his way impeded by the over- zealous bureaucrats they have playing in the field. You can try and dodge them, but they SuQar and Spice Dispsed by Smiley Desperate for every nickel Canada's Minister of Finance has the accoutrements of the ideal man for the job. He's a thick -set. sturdy chap who doesn't seem to panic easily. He has had years of experience in Parliament. He is extremely able in debate. es- pecially on the defense. And then there's that good. solid. thrifty. Scot- tish name. Allan MacEachen. On the surface. a canny Scot, who's been Minister of practically everything. except Prime. and he had a shot at that. But behind that exterior lurks a Machiavelian mind. and a Liberal arrogance that make him not only the opposite of what he appears. but also a dangerous man. And a dangerous man close to the seat of power is a threat to the entire country In his budget speech, MacEachen hinted broadly that he would consider removing the indexing of income taxes in relation to inflation. That would be a savage blow to the average citizen of this country. except. as usual, to the very poor and the very rich. You and I would pay more taxes each year, as in- flation rose and our claims for dependents and other things remained static. Fine for the government. A source of income that would bring in hundred of millions of new taxes each year, and help to ease the massive. growing, and embarrassing national deficit. But for the average Canadian, such a step would be extremely painful, in some cases disastrous. More inflation every year. What a nice little merry- go-round. For the government. Personally, I wouldn't trust Mr. MacEachen as far as I could throw a bulldozer into a swamp. And when it comes to money. I wouldn't trust the Liberal government that far. The poor sods aredesperatefor every nickel they haven't already squeezed out of us. The only thing liberal about our government is the way it hands out our money to bail out large companies headed for bankruptcy, and buys, with our money, oil companies at inflated prices in the name of producing not one single, extra gallon of oil. But it's good politics. It garners votes. When it comes to the rest of us, the government is about as liberal as Scrooge. If you or I have a small business, and are going bankrupt because of vicious inflation and mer- ciless interest rates, are we bailed out? itor always have an ace up their sleeves. The thing is. the politicians own the baseball and they can change the rules to suit themselves. If the opposing players appear to be winning, the politicians just add on another tax or regulation to keep the upper hand. They have thousands of score- keepers at their disposal, and while tney all come up with different answers at times, they seldom err on the side of the opposing team. Disputing their tal- ly is considered a waste of time and money by most people and they usually take their lumps and hope they can get back in the game the next time around. No doubt with initiative and hard thinking. some of our readers could come up with a few other examples of the type of games that could be staged for politicians at the various picnics they attend each year. Their antics in the various legislatures around the country might lead some to suggest that they'd be ex- tremely good at pinning the tail on the donkey, having some expert knowledge on that portion of the anatomy involved and often appearing to have some rela- tion to the cantankerous nature of the beast. Tug-of-war is another of their favorite contests. They have developed sure-fire techniques through practice between the parties in the legislatures or from one government level to another. Rather than rope. of course, they use a lineup of citizens on which to pull and as everyone knows, the rope never wins and usually ends up badly frayed and dumped in the mud after the test. Regardless of the cost, whether it was personal or government funds, spending $750 to get to a picnic must be recognized as a worthwhile expen- diture to hone those skills, Fat chance. Tough luck, old boy, but you have only one vote. If you or I are on pension, barely able to provide food and shelter, are we assisted? Sure we are. We'll raise your pension by two dollars a month or some such, says our liberal government. Five cans of soup. A recent development has alarmed me, and confirmed my suspicion that letting the government into your business is the equivalent of asking a safecracker to look after the store while you go out for a coffee. The government. with the sweet smell of money in it's nose, is trying to move in and control one of the best ex- amples of Canadian knowhow and resourcefulness — the Canada Develop- ment Corporation. This outfit was established by the government to enable Canadians to in- vest in their own country. The govern- ment promised. tacitly, not to interfere in the company. Thousands of Canadians invested (no foreigners allowed.) A noble concept. Unfortunately, the Corporation was successful. In ten years, with astute Mainstream CanadA Small firms hit hard By W. Roger Worth About 30,000 Canadian in- dividuals and firms will be placed in bankruptcy this year. The experts anticipate 23,000 or so personal bank- ruptcies, and business bank- ruptcies will probably total 8,000, the highest number re- corded since the 1930s depres- sion. In addition, thousands of other businesses will be placed in receivership and other en- trepreneurs will simply pay the bills and go out of business. Roger Worth is Director, Public Affairs, Canadian Federation of Independent Business. While the overall figures are depressing, smaller busi- nesses are placed in a parti- cularly difficult situation because many of them will become creditors. And Canada's outmoded bank- ruptcy and receivership laws overwhelmingly favor secured creditors such as banks and financial institutions, leaving smaller firms to write off tre- mendous amounts of money. In fact, one study indicates banks rarely lose money when The r Dear Bill: bankruptcies and receiverships occur. Meanwhile. snsaller creditors receive less than 10C on.lhe dollar in about 853/4 of cases, according krone survey. Ottawa is presently re- viewing bankruptcy legis- lation. Most provinces have also been lax in creating rules and regulations to protect smaller firms. Here's an example. An Ontario company recently delivered S2,000 worth of goods to a customer. A few days later, the bank placed the customer's firm in bank- ruptcy. The supplier's product was sitting untouched on the bankrupt customers shop floor. When the product is sold at a bankruptcy sale, most or a0 of the proceeds will go to the major secured creditor, the bank. Meanwhile, if a similar sit- uation had occurred in Quebec, the supplier would have had 30 days to retrieve the goods after the customer became insolvent, saving the S2,000. Quebec is the only pro- vince in the country with such legislation. dere write This letter is sent to you on behalf of the South Huron Amateur Radio Club !S.H.A.R.C.). Each year during the last weekend of June an Amateur Radio Field Day is held to simulate emergency radio conditions, using a power source independent of com- mercial sources, and por- table antennas for emergency use. The Field Day was design- ed to prepare amateurs for catastrophies such as earthquakes, hurricanes and the like when traditional communications may break down or be over -loaded. Us- ing emergency power, amateur radio can become the vital link between the disaster area and the world. Such was the case with the Guatemala and Italian earthquakes. After the alert was passed to the proper authorities by amateur radio operators, news of the survivors was relayed among nations by amateurs working with the International Red Cross. The Ausable-Bayfield Conservation Authority has once again very kindly allowed the South Huron Amateur Radio Club to use the facilities at the Morrison Dam Conservation Area, north of the reservoir, for this year's Field Day. Anten- na erection will commence at approximately 1000 hours Saturday 27 June 81 and communications will com- mence at 1400 hours. The object of Field Day is to work as many stations as possible (in a 24 hour period) and in so doing. to learn to operate in abnormal situations under less -than - optimum conditions. A premium is placed upon skills and equipment developed to meet the challenge of emergency preparedness and acqua'nt the public with the capabilities of Amateur Radio. The S.H.A.R.C. will be operating three high fre- quency stations covering the 80, 75, 40, 20. 15 and 10 meter amateur bands. Com- munication contacts will be by both single sideband (SSB), which is microphone or voice operation. and con- tinuous wave (morse). The Exeter Times Ad- vocate is invited to cover this emergency exercise and learn what amateur radio is all about. Your represen- tative(s) will be most welcome and should contact the President, Bob Morrison or myself at the site. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the undersigned at 262-2636. Sincerely Don Reynolds Secretary -Treasurer S.H.A.R.C. management and a good deal of skill and daring, it built up its assets in ten years to $3.4 billion dollars. The investors were happy, the corporation confident. But there's that smell of money. Ridiculous. A government-sponsored or controlled corporation is sup- posed to lose money, like the Post Office or the CNR or any dozen others you can think of. Now, the government, google-eyed, is looking at that highly successful corporation like a snake looking at a fat rabbit, and as a potential instrument for interfering with the manufacturing sector of this country, as it has in- terfered with the oil and gas industry to the benefit of none of us. The government began to lobby the corporation directors in an attempt to have them elect its own man, a certain Maurice Strong, ex -Liberal candidate, international finan- cier, as chairman of the CDC. Mr. Strong has an interesting connection with a Swiss firm that picked up about three-quarters of a million in commission for negotiating the purchase of Petro Fina for Canada. Nice day's work. It's a nasty piece of business, and nobody knows it better than the business world. When the first reports about possi- ble government interference in CDC appeared, the shares fell sharply in price, reflecting the market's, and the public's distrust of government intervention in business. Oh, it's a nasty, slippery business, all around. The government promised to stay out of CDC's business. Now, with some gold on the horizon, it wants in. And so would I, probably, if I had run the country so far into debt. Financial analyst Ronald Anderson says: "A policy of subverting the profit -based, growth -oriented development strategy of the CDC would amount to a betrayal of the cor- porations 30,000 shareholders. Many of the investors have never bought shares before; they invested in the CDC for the same reason they buy Canada Savings Bonds - because they trusted the Government to keep Its word." Silly devils. reaching the unreached 1981 International Year of Disabled Persons � , 1 nivel l ;lil;lel;l `tf