The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1975-04-10, Page 4 (2)OUR POINT OF VIEW
•
Housing out of reach
Last month, the average• price of a
home in Toronto went up to something just
a couple of thousand dollars short of $60,000.
That, of course, incjudes the spacious-
-
pacious- home in the suburbs as well as the squat,
crowded duplex down in the near -slums.'
$tit What it also means is that the cost
of g home took another $2,000 jump out of
the reach of the average family. Even if
they could muster' the down payment, not
many :of them could consider shouldering
the '$350 per month to meet the interest
costs alone on such aninvestment. • 3 '
There's been a lqud cry from some
quarters that • the provincial and federal
governments aren't doing enough to get
housing starts increased- •
But that's not really the question at
hand for most people. Regardless of how
many homes were available, they couldn't
afford them anyway, unless the supply and
demand reed a point where competition
would drive the prices down within reach of
the beleagured would-be owner.
Inflation of prices is the big problem, and
until some relief is won in that corner,
more and more families will be denied the
right to a family home.
Made views known
•
The annual spring vacation for students
in Ontario has ended. At least it appears
that way, although this year's confusing
situation was such' that it would not ,be un-
reasonable to 'assume that at least.one
school district planned Their March break
for April. - -
In this area of. Southern Ontario,
schools took their choice of three Weeks for
the holiday. The majority' opted for the
week of March 24, but others chose a week
on either side. •
In short, there was some confusion. In
'sortie families, students attending different
schools had a different week off and ,this
really.was upsetting.
However, now that people have had
time to assess the situation, some
guidelines should be set upfor next year.
School trustees should be'iriformally po11=
ing their areas to see . if the staggered '
sessions: created havoc, or whether they
provided some relief in cutting down on the
number of people heading for holidays at
one time. -
If'you have opinions - pro or con ex-
press them now so trustees can be
prepared to make their decision come next
spring on the basis of your wishes.
Need identification
• In'the first three months of this year,
Exeter OPP have charged 115 people with
offencesunder the Liquor Control Act.
The majority of those charges arise
from --underage drinking or young people
drinking in places other than their
- residences. '
• Drinking establishments report
problems keeping under -18 patrons from
their premises, thanks in no small part to
Ontario's inadequate identification system,
PCoprietors repor(that teenagers at 15,
16' and 17 are -trying to sniiak into bars,
often- carrying phony identificati• n cards
• belonging to older friends. -
'That ptoblem could be solved with a stan-
dard ident'fication card bearing a picture
or detailed description of the bearer. -
At the same time, parents must be more
A halidathat really is
It was boundto happen, sooner.
or•later !
Living in this . palm of •'the
country just wouldn't *be"nor-
mal" without one big snow storm
of the season, although . most
residents had ample reason to
believe that they would escape
such a fate in 1975.
Mother Nature had different
thoughts. -She left her final (we
•• • ' hope) barrage until the lith hour,
cognizant of the fact thatunderagea ranking
• is increasing -by leaps and bounds. Even the(
statistics from the OPP are not quite as
shocking as they could be. •
Last week, for insta€ice,. one charge
:wds laid against an area youth for having
liquor in a place otherthan his residence.
However, there were four others with•him
who escaped facing that charge because
only one claimed ownership. So, -while one
charge was laid, five people .were actually
involved. '
That should- give parents some indica-
tion of how rampant the. problem is grow=
ing and challenge them into some action. '
Do you know where your CHILDREN
are
are right now ... and more important,
know What they are doing? • •
- A fall marks -winter's end
Around here, -it's one of 'those that ineluctableessence in the air
i winked at a sexy'squirrel in the
cedar tree. 1 made. a V -for -
Victory sign at Old Sol, i hallooed
at' a -beautiful crow. i stopped to
stroke the cat, who was lying in
the mud. basking. And I've been
sneezing and blowing ever since.
-,--JI'tio matter. Winter is 'ever.
Those long black nights and those
short while • days 'are gone
for another six months, and. as
far as i'M concerned. fill -up' the
bowls 'and let joy resign un-
confined.
Usually we struggle into spring
with nothing more hilarious
thana•sjightilessening of despair,
but this year the old lady -and I
ended winter with a gallant fillip;
Some would call it,a flip.
As you know. if you are keeping
upwith the socia* ws, we "took
up" cross-country ••,skiing. this --
spring. Most people take up
sports,duringt a season. but we
don't operate that way. As I
recall. we took up golf in the fall,
after the leaves had begun
to tumble. -
Anyway, we took to skiing like
a cat takes to nip. and in no time
we were arguing about -what kind
of wax to use (we have two -kinds,
red and black and clumping
around in our boots like real
skiers. •
Our timing was perfect. On
what turned out to b th?fast day
of skiing for the season, We (bolt a
shot at a hill. Or maybe it was the
grand-. end:of-March-days, with
the sun pouring down, the air
positively balmy (abeilt 40
degrees) -the' defeated snow -
slinging grimly to the shadowed
corners, and that lovely smell of
rotten 'earth, that precludes.
spring. .
if it were fall, of course. and the
temperature were the same, we'd'
be saying:. "By George! Nippy
• enough.. ain't it. Looks like
• winter's not .far off."
. But at this time of rip!, the
• weather is more a state of mind '
thah'a. Matter -of temperature_ -
and all across' the land Canadians
go slightly •hyMterical with the -
.. jubilant certainty thut once
more they have made 'it through -
• that masochist's delight +- a
• - • Canadian winter. -•- .
With the first relaxing of those'
icy tentacles, . we go a bit
haywire. Rubbers are kicked into'
a corner. Sweaters and scarves
are hurled into closets. Babies
areplhnged into prams. And we
all come downwith a spring cold
that is only slightly worse than
the vicious one we nursed all.
winter. - -
•Typical example. This morning
was garbage day. Just because
the sun. was shining and it•wasn't
snowing, 1 nipp0 out' in my
' pajamas and slippers' to deposit
the plastic bags.
it was a trifle nippy, btit the sun ,
was shining and there was
Times Established 1873
other *ay around. -
, It was a long: straight hill: no -- t
trees, • no..rocks, nothing that a•. t
capable six-year-old couldn't t
handle • with both hands In his t
We , were ' certainly polite t
• enough. it was: "You go first, .
you're the man." And: "No, no
dear. Ladies first, you know."
As usual. i was out- c
. manoeuvred. t 'steeled myself f
with recollection of driving a
bicycle head-on into a.cow during S
an Eng}ish black -out, of diving .. a
into, a hell -fire of German anti-
aircraft fire.
i took. ofL One thing i�dislike ,e
about'skiing is that there are no
brakes.•You can't even drag your
feel. - k
Well sir, the Only. way` I can d
describe my descent of that slope m
is hell-bent..3qualting like a u
kangaroo io.labor, eyes rolling. i
went down there at what 1 reckon
but there was ample- indication
Thursday morning that an April
Morin can be just as devastating
as one in the winter.months. -
In fact, • it . created more
problems Than usual for "most
people. . . -- -
Already lulled into a false sense
of security .by some spring
weather, they hadremoved snow
tires,-. tucked the snow shovel
back into the back corner of the
basement - and put snowmobile
suits and boots back into- moth-
balls.- •
Many - didn't bother to tackle
the final storm. It was just too
much .extra work and se they,
joined their youngsters at home
irr
froht of the TV (for. those who'
still.had,hydro.) and watched the
soap operas, -quiz shows and
cartoon reruns: • •
-
A forced holiday of this nature
has many.. advantages over
normal holidays. The better half
isn't bugging .to get out for a
shopping trip, the kids.don't need
a ride• across town' to play road -
hockey and there are no long, lost
friends dropping in • to. help you
deplete the bar stock.
- It's a.day•when you can curl up
beside the fire place with a good
book and let the winds howl and
the snow blow, or listen to the'
radio as the damn fools who think
hey can fight nature phone in to
he. open line shows and relate
heiyexperiencesof how they lost
he battle. '
It would have beet unforiunate
o have missed 'it;. dont you'
hink?
Advocate Established 1881
While weather, and related
ircumstances can tie traffic up
aster than•ithagineable, Mother.
Batten returned from a holiday in
pain this week puzzled over the
ge of jet travel. -
It took het a mere seven hours
o get from Spain to New York
ity and -then another' 19 hours to
et from New York to London.
As many world travellers
now, this includes long waits at
umpy bus depots while alternate
ethods.of travel are rounded
p. The .strange thing about the
was about 140- mph. • •
And i Made it. No ignominious
tumble. No splits. Thirty feet
from the end of the run, all
. danger behind, i straightened up,
- .waved one ski -pole nonchalantly
and turned my head to See if The
Chicken was impressed.
Just then the snow, with un-
believable .crust,. rose, up and
smote me,a mighty smite on the
head. My cap flew off. I knew i
wasn't in hell, but sure felt bent;
i lay there, quietly uttering words
Amalgamated 1924
SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND
C.W.N.A., O.W.N.A. and ABC
.Publisher — RobertSouthcott
Editor — Bill Batten'— Advertising Mandger
Assistant Editor.— Ross Haugh
Plant Manager — Les Webb
Composition Mandger. — David Worby
Phone 235-1331
A
Published Each Thursday,Morning
- at Exeter, Ontario'
Second Class Mail
Registration Number 0386 .
Paid in Advance Circulation
March 31, 1974, 3,309
SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada 59:00 Per 'Year; USA $11.00
•
1 haven't heard since my Dad
used to go down and beat the coal
furnace with ashovel.
' i heard a scream"At least she
knows I'm dying," i thought
bitterly. "Boy, is she.going to be
sorry for Some of tilt' things she
said to me over•the years." •
Then I heard another scream,
"Bill, gel out.of the way!" I'm
going to run over you!'
Wrenching my broken . neck
around, i looked uphill. There
was a•dark figure flying toward
me. It looked like'a witeh, but it
was riding two broomsticks,
instead of.. one. Then tt e
broomsticks began to part. in
what seemed slow motion, and -I
knew the witch was going to.split
right up the middle unless the
nightmare ended.' -
it did. t woke up. The witch was
dead. One broomstick pointed
straight, in the air. The other was
pointed back up the hill. There
was silence.
Then: "Are you all right?"
And: "i don't know. Are you?"
And: "i dunno. i think Pm gonna
cry.' (That was me). •
Boy; am i glad it's spring, and
there's no " More skiing until
December., .
But skiing certainly tones you
up. i tan now touch my toes with
no problem at all. i -use a yard-
stick. And my wife can knit like a
demon with'one hand. 'She got.
good at it while her left arm was,
in a sling.
•
•
situat-ion is usually that one sits
around for. -Several hours -for
arrangetnents to be made • and
then you get less than five •
minutes to grab a taxi from one
location to another tp make the
connections -that* have -been
arranged.
By the way, neighbors over on
Sanders St: should keep an eye on
the Batten pool this summer as
the writer tries out"the new
swimming togs brought home as
a souvenir from Spain. -
I ('s,k►ot;reallylne_ w aslsomelofyou
•Bible experts._will readily
'acknowledge. The gift was two
fig leaves! -
Don't clap, Howard, just throw
money! - -
+ +• +
While touring Spain, mother.
reports that •many of the major
centres were filled with high
school students enjoying their
spring vacations. --
There was a time when many of
us thought that getting out -to go
sucker fishing was a big trip for
the holiday season, but that's
not the case now. • ' -.
- Students 'think nothing of
signing up for - trips to Spain,
Rolne, Paris, Cuba and the likes
these days and by the time they
have graduated, many of them
-have been to more world centres
that their parents even khew
existed. • . In some cases, the- tSractiio. of
providing funds for., youths -to
undertake such adventures is
rather- ' difficult to enderstand
because it - means that their
parents can't use those . same
funds to spend on their. own
vacations' to see -the laces
they've- always dreamed about.
We wonder how many of these
young people stop to consider the
fact that they are being rather
selfish in asking- (some cases,
demanding) that they be allowed
to join the 'tours abroad and
thereby, deny their elders the
opportunity to get the benefits
they.,des'erve from their savings.
But , then, some of .'today's
young people aren't•. particularly
noted for their thoughts -along.
those lines anyway. -
+ + +
(tiding out the storm in our
a
i
office 'gave the writer- ap op
portunity', to- take more than . a
cursory glance through the many
weekly newspapers which haye
arrived in • the'past couple of
weeks;
The conclusfo'h one reaches is
that. our cohorts behind the
editorial;pens are predicting that
. unless 'some drastic Steps -are
taken against excessive wage
demands and wildcat strikes, this
country is slowly sinking into the -
economic mire that has. -been.
experieneed • in the past by
England and other European
countries. •
"The --modern world' has seen
some specific elcamples of• what
unlimited power in the hands of a
minority of irresponsible labor
groups can do," one writes, and
then . asks "must Canada, this
land of great opportunities'and
comfortable living standards,
-follow-these sad examples?".
The editorials speak about the
blackmail tactics being -used by
groups of workers to further their
• cause towards -:huge , pay in-
creases.
- "Everywhere you turn, people
are greedily reaching out for
more: What's the end? Total
chaos? The. ruination of a rich
•ntry?" Those are the words of rne observer who goes on to Write
hat "today we have indecisive
governmenlg and peopte•who are
afraid to make a decision 'stick."
And so the comments continue,
but unfortunately they appear to
• be falling on deaf. ears.' People -
continue to demand more .an
offer less In return and we join in
wondering just where we are.
headed.
+ + +
Don't forget • that canvassers
will soon be knocking on your
door to solicit funds for the
' Cancer Society.
This desease.remains as public
enemy number one,- but research
is slowly making some intoads
and the work must be continued._
A, large portion of your
donatiop is used for research
purposes, so please be gene nus.
•
se
OLD 'TIMES'
So Years Ago' ,
After- 15 years of splendid
missionary 'endeavour in
West Chifia,Rev. Alfred and Mrs.
Johns are returning lfome with
their five children for their
second furlough.
• Mrs. Burkart of Cleveland, Mr.
& Mrs. Gordon Davis of"Toron-
to,and Mr. •&,Mrs.Clifton Davis of
London, attended the funeral- of
their.', grandfather CharlesSleinhagen Sr. of Dashwood.
William Hatter : had • the
misfortune to break one of his
little toes when a wagon wheel
Ian over his, foot.
'25 Years Ago:.
•
'Evelyn Desjardine, Grand
• Bend, a student of Exeter District
High School, won second pplace
in lyric -poetry at the OEA con-
vention in the King Edward
Hotel, Toronto Monday evening.
William Mickle, Hensall is this
year's choice' from • Exetet
District .High' School for • the.
Leader's club sponsored by the
London Fre Press. •
Charles Fisher has purchased
the 100 -acre farm of Bert Bissett,
Concession 2, Usborhe. Mr.
Bissett' will reside 'on the ,farm
until he can secure a home in
Exeter. -
Ulric Snell is having the
foundation dug for the erection
of a new homeon Sanders Street:
1' Years Ago
Mr. & Mrs.; A. W. Etheringten
have returned home after
spending the. vinter in Florida.
Judy Mason visited her home
on Sunday. She had- just - com-
pleted a two week course with the
Bell Telephone Company in
Toronto .and. left Montlay for
GoderichNwhere she has a
position with that company.
Mr. & Mrs. Lorne Johnston and
rboys visited Goderich on Sunday
with "Mr. • & Mrs. Jack ,Johnston.
'10 Years Ago -
• The beginner group of- the
• Exeter. Promenaders were
graduated at a Speeial dance at
the local arena Saturday, when
.about 80 dancers from Exeter,
Clinton, Seafarth, Centralia- and
Stratford joined in the festivities.
The graduates were Mr.. & Mrs.
Jack Hern, Mr. & Mrs.:Ron An-
derson, Mr. At Mrs. Fred Tilley,
Mr. & Mrs. .Jerry MacLean, Mr..,
-& Mrs. Andy Dougall, Mr. &Mrs.
-Rollie Youngash and Dr. and
Mrs. 'Don Ecker. •
Dennis Cann, son of Mr. & Mrs.
'Carman Cann, Usborne, and a
SHDHS graduate,- has• been
awarded a studentship of =3,000
by the National Research
Council. ' '
Helen Burton skipped her way
to her second win of the year in
the ladies' tine Tuesday, but she
had to go (tithe finatend to do it in
a 5-4 thrilleroverDDorothy Prout.
The squad *ere tied ,coming
home. Members of the winning
rink.were Leona Morley, Helen
Burton,- Ada Dinney,'and heonit
Hern. Members of the Prout rink
who whipped Pauline Simmons
1,3.5 to: gain the final were Lee
Dobbs, Marg Strang and Delores.
• Shapton.
1-
•
Oh for some wings
• Today is the day after our freak
April storm. Outside my window
the drifts are piled -higher than
they've been all -Winter covering
, the whole ground around us. The
air* is crisp, the wind biting, a
rather -bleak outlook for us who
were expecting• daffodils and
crocuses any day.
But out on the hedge that runs
past the house, a littlegreysong
sparrow is singing his heart out.
He mist be cold and htiirgry
(although I've just thrown him.
some crumbs) still, .he knpws
within his breast that this- wintry
blast will pass, that the sun will
shine warmly and melt.thesnow,
that grass and flowers will
bloom, and that Spring in all her
glory will reign once more in our•
land.
He's a courageous little fellow, .
an optimist, and ,we humans
would do well to .follow hit
example when the stormy. blasts
of life hit us, often when we least
expect them. . • . •-
Sometimes our . bright 'world
gets buried in frigid banks of
sorrows and disappointments:
It's hard to sing then and often.
we,wish we had wings Of a bird to
'fly away, to whisk ourselves
-beyond our .present difficulties.
Helen Steiner Rice has written
a; poem .on this -subject called
Silver. Wings which you may not
have heard. -
•
God ad sent
SILVER WINGS . To .lifth,us abo
"Oh fon the wings of a bird," we • discontent .. .
Unable to soar through the skies
of blue .. .
. For, while their plumage was
beautifully bright
And their .chirping songs were
liltingly light,
They, too, were powerless to fly
Until one day. when the Lord
came by .
And laid -at the feet of the singing
birds
- Gossamer .wings as he spoke
• these words:
"Come - take these burdens, so
heavy now,- :
Bel if you bear them you'll learn
. somehow
That as you wear them -they'll.
- , -
.. Andgrow soonlightyou can lift yourself into
flight" •
So folding thewings beneath their
hearts,
And after endless failures, and
starts,
They lifted themselves and found fp
with delight -
The wings that were heavy had .
-grown se light . .
So, let us, too, listeit,to-God's wise
• words; - - _
For we are much like the
"wingless birds", "
And if we would shoulder our
daily trials •
And learn to wear them with
sunny smiles •
'We'd find they were wings that
• cry, .
To carry us' off to an untroubled '
ske` •
Where we can dwell untouched by
care. •
And always befree as.a bird -ill
the air , . =
But there is a legend that's very
gid, •
Not often heard and seldom told,
That once „_.all 'birds were
wingless, too, •
For the wings that lift iis . out of •
despair
Are made by God from the weight.
of care,
So whenever you cry. 'for theec-
"Wings of a bird," - -
• Remember this little . legend
you've heard
And let God giveyou a heart'(hat
sings
As. He turns. your burdens to
'SILVER WINGS'. - '
Our response to now
By ELMORE BOOMER
Counsellor for -
Info -motion South Huron
Forsrpppintment
phone: 228 -6291 -or 235-1560
Can. Cancer can. be beaten
.- "The world Has Cancer and the
Cancer is Man." $o wrote A:
r Gregg in 1955.
Cancer is an uncontrolled'
growth: • Growth uncontrolled in
our world is "cancerous,
destruelive. . -
It is thought by 'some -that "if
present growth trends. -continue,
the world'srlimitswill bereached
within the next 100 years;
resulting in sudden and un-
controllable collapse".
The Club of Rome in its latest
reports feels this be an extreme
view. They see rather "regional
catastrophes" occurring in 'this
century in different regions, in
different times and for different
reasons.' Tht effect of these
happenings would be world-wide.
. The ideology of growth has its
ownethics. Economic growth has
as its motive --profit, . Personal,
corporate 'and state profit
becomes paramount. , The. profit motive' lead:}rto a
certain carelessness about' people
andenvironrpent. Abuse of world
resources seems to.bepart of our
social order. •
The .car industry in North
America is a case in point. In 1973
there were over seven • million
vehicles manufactured in Canada
and United States. -This has
become the most consumptive
industry in the world.
The pp between the poorand
rich ccan be showman terms of car
ownership. Thirty percent .of the
worl'd's' population live in in -
•dustrialized countries _ant. these
people own 89 percent of the
world's cars. -
General Motors' annual bill.for.
model change%and advertising•is
estimated at 700 million dollars at
rninimum..This well exceeds the.
300 million dollars which Canada
pledged at the world 'food • con-
ference. • -
"It's slowly sinking in," says
John De Lorean of General
"Motors! Detroit will have to
satisfy. pollution and safety
standards,. and improve fuel
efficiency. The nature of the. car •
will change radically.
it is tragic that sir much time is
. needed, that we learn so slowly.
-The confession is still mouthed by
many industrialists, "Planned
obsolescence is another word for
progress":
Noris themenace of cancerous
growth limited to the corporate
giants. We are all committed to
buying,. more, to • ever higher
standards of living, to greater
consumption.. Any private or
public deficit is charged 'against
ever higher revenues. We have -
not' learned that there are limits
of growth.
- Individually We require - ever AP
higher wages to maintain an •
extravagant Standard of living.
Unionized labour, demands its
annual and even semi-annual
ransom from an 'economy
already overburdened and an
environment already, im-
poverished. The • London . Times
editorialized in religious terms
alfaut our present, predicament. -
inflation was de3cribed as a
-moral problem caused by the'•
deadly 'sins of pride, envy,
avarice, gluttony and sloth. •
• The respected newspaper used
the following wok's JO define
-inflation. "It's an econbmists
word for overconsumption; • for -
living beyond your income; for
taking more out of the kitty than .
youput in. - • '
Mesarovic and Pestel the
writers of the Club of Rome's •
second report pictures the results --
of unregulated growth, growth
for profit's sake alone: "—there
will. be a thousand desperadoes
terings•
Eich,rroandizeventuthoe who are now
ally nuclear
bl8c.and .terror; will
paralyze' further • orderly '
developmentkmaal'. -
needed antidote, to world •
wide economic ' cancer is a
univerigal will, to.hinge in favour
•
of a more realistic and egdal Life
style.The -
The Club of (tome feels that 10
or 20 years from now may be too
late for remedy: Now is the time
to take our medicine.