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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1983-05-18, Page 4Page 4 Times -Advocate, May 18, 1983 • Imes - dvocate Times Established 1873 Serving South Huron,1North Middlesex "E3 Advocate Established 1881 & North Lambton Since 1873 C n Amalgamated 1924 Published by J.W. Eedy Publications limited 11 LORNE EEDY Publisher JIM BECKETT Advertising Manager BILL BATTEN Editor HARRY DEVRIES • Composition Manager ROSS HAUGH Assistant Editor DICK )ONGKIND Business Manager Published Each Wednesday Morning at Exeter, Ontario Second Class Mail Registration Number 0386. Phone 235-1331 1 ' SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada $21.00 Per year; U.S.A. $56.00 C.W.N.A., O.C.N.A. CLASS 'A' and 'ABC' A novel speaker . Graduation time is quickly approaching at various educational institutions and at least one graduating class will get a rather direct view of the type of world they will be facing after they take off their caps and gowns. A robot named Robot Redford will address the 1983 commencement at a Maryland community college, and`while that rather novel idea has drawn protests. from those who prefer to listen to, humans, there is lit- tle doubt the graduates will better understand the highly technical world into which they are heading. Many people have expressed dismay at the type of banter in which politicians become engaged in legislative debates and their reaction must be even more pronounced in view of some of the threats of physical abuse which have been traded in recent weeks. Huron -Middlesex MPP Jack Riddell has been in- volved in two of the recent clashes, according to a report by a legislative reporter at Queen's Park. On Thursday, Riddell was reported to have given government whip Bud Gregory an open-handed shot to the chest after the latter had given the Liberals "the finger" when the house adjourned in an uproar follow - *CNA The speech itself will be written by a human and the message will bring home to the students that they may have a robot working for them in the future, or that they will be working for a robot. Owner of the robot, who is getting $750 for his creation, says the students shouldn't be depressed over the situation, "because the opportunities of robotics has more pluses than minuses." One of the pluses is that the speaker can be turn- ed off just by throwing a switch. It's an opportunity not provided in boring human speakers. Boys will be boys ing government manoeuvering to prevent discussion of the famous Miller budget leak. On another occasion, Riddell and NDP house leader Elie Martel were said to have been held back by colleagues when they were threatening to goat it on the floor of the house. There have been other- seamy incidents involving name calling and challenges to settle issues in the park- ing lot. While cooler heads have intervened to prevent any bloody noses to date, the image of politicians has not escaped that same fate. Come now, boys, stick to the issues! Works in curious ways The government works in curious ways, says The Glengarry News. First, through a high interest rate policy, it drives people out of work. Then it taxes the people who are Ieft working even more to create government-sponsored jobs. Ontario Federation of Labor President Cliff Pilkey was right when he said Finance Minister Marc Lalonde's"new" policies fail to deal with the root pro- blem in our ecorlomy. "The minister's comments are a fitting sequel to the prime minister's prime -time soap opera a few weeks ago," Pilkey said. "Rather than deal with the deep structural pro- blems in our economy, the government has opted for stop -gap measures. • "With two million Canadians actually out of work we need massive job -creation schemes. Instead we get a make-work program that will create only 60,000 jobs." s Many of the jobs will last only 20 weeks. The only long-term project is the rail up -grading scheme. Con- servative leader Joe Clark made a good point recently when he said the government's preoccupation is with redistributing wealth instead of producing it. Governments should have a regulatory role in the economy, but in a capitalist economy such as ours over -regulation has a strangulation effect. Our entire system is based on the concept of allowing someone to make a buck through investment. If that person can't make a buck, he won't invest. When there is no investment there is no growth in the economy. The only way to solve this problem is for the government to make a massive intervention in the marketplace. That means a government -controlled economy. Not many people are ready for that. 'Clearly, the only current way out of this dilemma is to get the private sector working again by creating conditions needed to stimulate investment. The list of. Exeters is The search for information on Exeter namesakes around the world is leading the writer to conclude that it may be more popular than most of us imagined. Local resident Grace Penhale called this week to advise that there are two other Exeters which hadn't been mention- ed in recent columns, bringing the current known total to eight. She reports there is an Exeter in Australia and another in British Colum- bia, the latter being designated on an old railway guide she has in her possession and which was printed some 30 years ago. Through her pastime of collecting stamps, Grace has one bearing a postmark from the namesake in Australia, although she notes that the state in which the community is located has been obliterated. Given the fact that Australia was settl- ed to an extent by prisoners shipped there from England, it would be interesting to find out the background of the person who carried the name of Exeter to that land. * * * * * Speaking of history, a Clinton man by the name of Sandy McDonald dropped in- to the office recently for one of his periodic visits in his quest for information on the 161st battalion, Huron County's unit in World War I. It was formed in 1915 and in October a year later it left training in Camp Borden and sailed for Britain. Several Exeter and area men were part of. the 161st and took part in battles of Arras, Avion, Amiens, Bourton, Wood, Cambria, Canal Du Nord, Hill 70 Lens, Paschendale, Vimy, etc. Sandy is the unofficial historian for the 161st and has accumulated a considerable amount of material on its members and circulates a newsletter among the hand- ful of those who are still living. x The writer's father was among those who enlisted and at Sandy's urging, I look- ed up some of the information mother had stashed away. He joined up on January 22, 1916 in Ex- eter at the age of 24 and his discharge cer- tificate, printed on an oil -cloth, indicated BATT'N AROUND with the editor he was given a medical discharge on December 11, 1918 at London, Ontario, after having served in England. His character and conduct was listed as "very good", adding further credence to the chip off the old block theory. His pay book a bit the worse for wear, showed that his daily rate of pay was $1.00 with a field allowance of 10t per day. He kept $13 of the monthly pay and the other $20 was shipped home to his mother at Elimville. The pay book also contained a page in which the soldier could write his will and this my father did, with it being sent to the paymaster at London. An example of a will was provided for the soldiers and is as follows: "in the event of my death i give the whole of my property and effects to my mother" followed by her name and address. • • • • • For those interested in history of the community, there is the book written by high school principal Joe Wooden as well 4 growing as the huge centennial issue published by this newspaper in 1973. ,/ While looking through the paper for some information on thy• 61st battalion, I came across this little filler relating to a town bylaw that was set in place in 1867. It states: No person shall wash or bathe the person in any public water within the hours of seven in the morning and eight in the evening in such bathing apparel as will prevent any indece nt exposure of the person. Obviously, it would be interesting to speculate on what the village fathers con- sidered indecent exposure. There's little doubt that most of the apparel seen at any beach or public swimming pool today would fall into that category in their estimation. Perphaps of equal interest now that spring appears to have finally arrived is this bylaw from Septempher 9, 1887: No person shall allow within the village any Canada thistles or other weeds. I know hundreds of gardeners who will be wondering who broke the law which has now permitted the wide assortment of weeds to congregate in their flower beds and vegetable patches. And finally, on May 24, 1901 Exeter council passed a bylaw fixing a fee of $50 for the privilege of selling cigarettes in Exeter. The editor of the day, obviously not in- dulging in the habit to the extent ()this current successor, stated: The council is to be commended for their action in this respect as the cigarette habit is becom- ing far too prevalent. That may well be, but if the Ontario government continues in its practice, it will soon become a habit enjoyed only by the wealthy! "Forget it — I already PAID my taxes!" Resounding lack I've been trying to g some of my students i terested in writing essay for money, instead of gri ding them out for th teacher. The local Bar Associ tion offers a $100 prize f an essay on The Rule Law. The Leacoc Association offers $50 fo the best humorous piece by a high school student et the law. Shakespeare said n- • something like, "Let's s hang all the lawyers." The n- poor man was constantly e in the courts, which made him a poorer man. But his a- sentiment will be readily or echoed in many a mind. of Dickens said it succinct - Either my students ar leery of the law, and hay no sense of humor, o they already have mor money than is good fo them. There is a resoun ding lack of interest in both competitions. When I was in Grade 8 my home town held an essay contest. I entered it, won it, walked off with the grand prize of. $2.50 cash, and have never looked back. Now, I can see them be- ing a bit dubious about writing humor. That's a dicey thing: one man's bellow of laughter is another man's groan - and it requires a special talent. But surely any damfool can write something about the law - good, bad, or otherwise. Judges, lawyers and politicians (most of whom are lawyers) can, be ex- pected to turn out something creditable about the law, whether or not their effusions are credible. Gangsters, drug addicts and murderers can equal- ly be expected to savage the law in print, as seen from their slightly biased position. But even great writers have been fascinated by e e and Spice Dispensed By Smiley Sugar ly: "The law is an ass." An equally popular idea among a fair proportion of the populace. Thoreau too had a word for the law: "Unjust laws exist. Shall we obey them, or shall we endeavour to amend them and obey them until we have suc- ceeded, or shall we transgress thematonce?" He states further, "If it (a law) requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say, break the law". Neatly put. Of course, if everyone followed Thoreau's ad- vice, military law would become a shamble, there'd by no more war, and people would stop kill- ing each other in massi :e numbers, that, of course, would upset the economy dreadfully, and - where would we be then? Looking back through history, we can. see that the law doesn't always ap- pear too squeaky clean, but somehow the results weren't too bad. Christ was crucified by of interest the law, and see what that produced. Joan of Arc was condemned as a heretic by ecclesiastical law, and burned as a witch by English law. If that hadn't happened, the English wouldn't have been driven out of France, and the populace of that lovely land would have been con- demned to a lifetime of eating brussels sprouts in- stead of truffles. Sir Thomas More, a great lawyer, fought off several attempts to frame him, and was finally brought to the execu- tioner's block by perjury, organized by another lawyer. But the result? England, rather short on saints, got another one; Good Queen Bess made it to the throne and fifty years of peace; and we got the television series The Wives of Henry the Eighth. it seems that the law, traditionally blindfolded, works, like . God, in mysterious ways its wonders to perform. In modern times, the law is taking something of a battering. Ordinary citizens break the laws freely, especially when it has anything to do with something much more majestic - the automobile. A man who would vomit at the thought of murder, rape, robbery, will cheer- fully park illegally, exceed the speed limit, refuse to fasten his seat belt. Because the minions of the law - police and the military - are tools of the establishment, there was a great wave of lawlessness during the anti-establishment move- ment of the 60s and 70s. Because the law seemed to have lost its teeth, we have seen unions defying court injunctions, football fans rioting and vandalz- ing, mugging in the streets. Because we see our once -treasured Mounties up to all sorts of nefarious tricks, and see the police closing ranks when some of their members are charged with brutality, we have lost some of our once -solid faith in the arms of the law. Because we see clearly, every day in the news, that there is one law for the rich and another for the poor, we have lost some of our faith in the courts. Perhaps the most telling sign of the times is a re- cent news story from England, where the bob- bies, traditionally unarm- ed, are carrying guns in a British city, on a "trial basis." It's not too late. There is still, at least in this coun- try, a healthy respect for the law, an earnest desire to be a law-abiding nation. But a good spring cleaning would burnish the image of the law, which has become somewhat tar- nished in the twentieth century. Only change doesn't change A wise man once said that "the only thing that does not change is change 'itself." This was vividly brought home to me on a recent trip I made back to Hamilton where i spent a good deal of my childhood. A friend was with me so I thought I would show him some of the places that I had roamed around as a boy. The little village used to be called Albion Falls, named after the falls that cascades over the side of the escarpment there. Now the village is just a part of the city of Hamilton. Instead of all the farm land I remembered, hundreds of houses have sprung up, every tenth one exactly the same as the tenth one in the row before it, exact- ly according to some master plan in a the drama that took place on that hillside about a hundred years ago. There �TxXiC::. • Perspectives By Syd Fletcher developer's office. The house that we used to live in was up on top of the hill overlooking the falls. I couldn't find it. In fact, a good part of the hill was pushed away to give somebody a better view of the falls, I guess. i'll bet that people living there along the new highway have no idea of was a wedding scheduled to take place up in the big house there. The bridegroom was late, so the bride, thinking that she had been jilted, ran down to the lip of the falls and jumped over. Her skirts billowed out acting like a parachute, f,ut she pushed them in and plung- ed to her death. Fifteen minutes later the groom, who had been detained by a late train, came upon the scene. Something that does re- main yet is the "King's Forest", stately pine trees all along that part of the Niagara Escarpment. My father said they were planted there when he was a boy, some sixty years ago. Houses are right up to the edge of the trees so I wonder how long they will last too. • Probably somebody will have the bright idea that all that straight wood would be better off in some fireplace, or in building new houses. All in the name of pro- gress, I suppose. That doesn't mean that I have to like it.