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The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1975-04-17, Page 4 (2)OUR POINT OF VIEW A welcome sign It may have gone without notice by many people, but at least one provincial government ministry has apparently decid- ed that municipal council members should be given a little authority to undertake local'projects on their own. The ministry of transportation and communications advised councils that some local bylaws no longer needed ministry approval before being put into effect. This may appear to be a small conces- sion, but it is a step in the right direction. After all, people on the local scene should be trusted with enough sense to decide when and where they require stop signs, no parking areas or one-way streets. However, the ministry in the past has required that their approval be given to such changes, despite the fact they had no knowledge of local conditions. It was a rather absurd situation and it is encouraging to see this minor break- through. Hopefully, other ministries will follow the example and halt the useless and endless red tape which tie up local decisions. Many of the regulations have been set up. as a means to create more civil service positions and some cut-backs in that sector are long overdue. Not being unfair A suggestion made in this newspaper that county councillors have on occasions been_paid for_ two sessions in one day has been branded as untrue by former warden Bill Elston of Morris township. He said it is impossible for members to get paid for a full day's session and then a committee session on top of that. Elston points out that on occasions members get $25 for attending a half day meeting and then another $7 if they have to attend another meeting on the same date. We'll accept his word on that matter and apologize for the suggestion that coun- ty councillors were being unfair in some of their practices regarding meetings. However, the paying of a mileage fee for public officials regardless of whether they deserve them or not is still a matter that this newspaper feels should be cor- rected. Exploit weakness? It can't be only one generation from the time Toronto was called "Toronto -the good".and more than one denomination for- bade dancing and• card playing let alone drinking and gambling! Now Queen's Park has announced that come next summer. the provincial -government will set up a govern- ment lottery. Officially the government has not until now accepted lotteries. While people spent millions every year on the Irish Sweepstake it remained strictly illegal. Service clubs managed to get away With raffles since they were always held for a good community cause. Such money - raising schemes were legal as long as they had the official approval of thelocal police department. However the million dollar lotteries sanctioned to raise money for the 1976 Olympic Games made so much money that the Ontario Government decided to join them. So in the interests of culture the lottery will be set up. Robert Welch. formerly Minister of Education. becomes the first minister of a Ministry of Cultural Affairs. He estimates the province will make a profit of possibly $50 million a year on sweepstakes and the money will go for the promotion of physical fitness. sports. recreation and other cultural programs. Accordingly it is interesting to read a comment made by baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn in Washington opposing the legalization of gambling on their games said "Over and above our -determination to protect the best interests of baseball. we feel it is not in the public interest to ex - exploit the weaknesses and encourage the vices of our citizens to finance government." Ridgetown Dominion A profitable trip to the city This seems to be a good week to clean up some loose ends, so, if you happen to have a loose end, join me. Me and the Old Battleaxe spent a couple of days in the city during our winter break holiday. And "spent" is the word. It would have been cheaper to fly to Mexico and pick up Montezuma's curse. as they call it there, or the dire rear. as we call it here. This remark has no connection with the opening sentence of this column. We went out shopping to buy a •*little something" for Pokey. the grandson. Just a little shirt. or a toy. or some other trifle. Fifty dollars later. I staggered out of the department store. toting two large toys. six little shirts, four pairs of overalls. a full-dress suit for the kid. and a plastic shell windbreaker with a lining and a .hood to "keep him warm when he comes out from swimming." At 15 months he's going to be doing a lot of swimming. you see. Then. of course. we had to deliver the stuff. So we invited ourselves to dinner with daughter and told her not to fuss. that we'd bring along an old chunk of meat or something. Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth. she agreed with alacrity. • My wife's idea of a couple of items to help out with dinner turned out to be five dollars worth of steak. the equivalent in pies Times Established 1873 • and stuff. and assorted groceries running to another 10. my - daughter supplying the potatoes and water for the coffee. However, it was worth it. We each got to hold the baby for about 10 minutes in one -minute snatches. between bouts of trying out his toys and having clothes tried on him by the women. After many years. i finally realize why i hate trying on new -clothes for my wife's sur- veillance. That baby despised every minute of the clothes - modelling session, and bellowed lusty protests as his mother and gran pulled his limbs into all sorts of gymnastics, trying to stuff him into his new pants and shirts. it probably happens to all males in childhood, and they resent it ever after. Next day was even worse. financially. My wife was determined to buy a rug. bed- spread and drapes to match some new wallpaper in a room she'd decorated. As any droman knows - and most husbands, too - this is a three-month. not a three-hour quest it's usually about as easy as looking for the Lost Chord. Consequently, the old girl went off with leaden step. sagging mien and built-in frustration. She looked so depressed my heart - went out to her. and in a moment of madness. i offered to ac- company her. Unfortunately, she Advocate Established 1881 was in the bathroom with the door closed and the water run- ning. and I was so emotional that 1 was whispering. so she didn't hear me. To my astonishment. she burst into the hotel room two hours' later. eyes shining. looking like a girl on her first date. and radiating joy. She had hit the jackpot in her shopping. Everything matched some shade of off -yellow. Since i had expected to greet a worn-out woman. full of recriminations. weary, dispirited and emptyhanded. 1 got carried away. "Hey!This must be your day. Why don't you buy a little something for yourself in that women's store? It will give you a lifr" "Well. as you know. 1 haven't bought a stich of anything new since i don't know when. Maybe i'Il pick up a new spring blouse or something." Not to be an old fogey, l decided that. by George. I'd get a new tie. myself. Well. i guess i got a little carried away. I walked out of that men's shop with two ties and two turtle -neck sweaters. i am not exactly the turtle -neck type, but_ in a devil -may care moment. i tried one on. It was white. made in Italy. and 1 swear i looked just Amalgamated 1924 SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND C.W.N.A., O.W.N.A. and ABC . Publisher — Robert Southcott Editor — Bill Batten — Advertising Manager Assistant Editor — Ross Haugh Plant Manager — Les Webb Composition Manager — David Worby Phone 235-1331 Published Each Thursday Morning at Exeter, Ontario Second Class Mail Registration Number 0386 Poid in Advance Circulation Murch 31, 1974, 5,309 SUBSCRIPTION RATES Canada 59 00 Per Year; USA $11.00 TF: r;R;J�J':::ti?':�Ct:1l:;i}:•TF::7F:�-s w IF Is the RAP budget realistic There will be. many people in Exeter who will differ with the opinion of RAP committee members that their request for a 42.5 percent increase in grants this year is "realistic. While inflation and extended programing .naturally increase costs. a jump of such maknitude is almost staggering over ,the period of one year. The proposed budget becomes even more of a burden on the participants in the various programs and facilities, because RAP has increased rates from 25 to 50 percent in most categories. So, while non -participating ratepayers are looking at a 42.5 percent increase, people who are actively involved in RAP programs are actually looking at an increase of 60 to 70 percent in their recreation costs this year. Unfortunately. there are many people who cannot afford such increases and the result could be less participation which is ob- viously the wrong direction to be headed. RAP members have suggested there are some areas in which cuts can be made, but this comes to only $5,000. Certainly, the S1.000 for winter lighting in Riverview Park should be cut, and some study on participation is required before the $2,000 for shuffleboard courts can be justified. There are other areas which should be reviewed in the budges. The largest portion of the budget ($71.000► is for wages and fringe benefits. As noted previously, within the past year RAP staffing has increased from Three to five full-time personnel and yet the budget calls for another $6,000 to be spent on part- time help, and 515.000 for in- structors. The operation appears to be lop -heavy in administration and paper work and questionable in a community of this size. The summer playground program is another area that appears out of balance. Anticipated expenses are $4,045 while revenues amount to only 5900. The program should not be expected to be self-supporting, but this variance appears too great when most of the other programs involving young people are expected to be paid more fully by the participants. Conferences, memberships and like Fred Astaire. just in from Acapulco. Fred's a good looking 72. These sweaters had extra -high turtles. They conceal your wattles and push your dewlaps out so that you look jolly. rather than just hang -dog. Fifty bucks• lighter, i left the --shop with -a- -red plastic- bag containing my goodies. I felt guilty but jaunty. i lost both my guilt and my jaunt when i went to the ladies shop to meet my wife. Yes. she had picked up a new spring blouse. And a new spring suit And another suit. And a casual outfit. And some more blouses. She was snatching things off the racks like a two-year-old opening Christmas presents. -Ah well. what the hell. You can't take it with you. Especially if there's nothing to take. Next day, back home, she modelled all her array for me it wasthenthat i learned none of her shoes or purses "went with" the new clothes. The rest is history. Two good things did come out of that holiday, however. My wife told me she wanted to see me in one of turtle -neck sweaters. f fought it, but finally gave in with bad grace. "Where are they? They're in a Please turn to page 8A out-of-town trips add up to $1,670, a figure which is out of line with other town departments. The mileage figure averages out to about 90 miles per week on out- of-town jaunts and some ex- planation is required to justify that. + + + However. even if some cuts -,were made in the aforementioned areas, there is an indication that the RAP grant would not be decreased substantially, because the budget appears to be overly optimistic in some areas of projected revenues. Two areas are ice rental and roller skating. An increase of $3.000 in ice rental will be most difficult to attain, even with higher rates, because three-fifths of the 1975 ice season has already elapsed, plus the fact that some of this year's ice rental was paid in 1974 to help RAP over their financial difficulties. The $6,000 anticipated from roller skating is based on an average attendance of 165 people for three or four nights a week for 20 weeks. it's doubtful that the program will be that popular, especially with the parent who is going to face the $1.00 admission fee. If the kids do have enough money, it is questionable if they'll have the excess amount predicted by RAP in their estimate of a 65 percent increase in concession sales at the arena and pool. This is one area that last year's committee over-estimated to the tune of $4.000 and put them into financial difficulties and it would appear that the same mistake is being made againthis year. A predicted 50 percent in- crease in the revenue from the swimming program is also one that may prove too optimistic, particularly when one considers the decline in the birth rate in recent years. + + + The conclusion therefore on the RAP budget is that it is too high in the expenditure column, as well as the revenue column. This means that unless cuts are made in the latter, RAP will end up the year in the same boat as 1974 when they requirejl $10,000 extra from council to meet their deficit. The outcome will no doubt still be a sizeable increase for the ratepayers, plus the participants, but on the whole it is money better spent than on some areas of municipal and personal budgets. RAP members, who .are all volunteers serving without compensation, should certainly be commended for their plans to carry out some fund raising events on their own in an effort to gain revenue for their programs. This is certainly an endeavour above the call of duty and hopefully the main share of the work involved will be shouldered by their own staff. With increased rates facing all recreation groups in the com- munity, however, residents can expect to have even more dances, draws and special attractions heaped on them as the groups strive to pay their share of the load without placing undue burden on the participants. For instance, Exeter Minor Hockey Association faces an increase of 52,280 in their budget for next year in view of the ice rental hike by RAP. Mayor Bruce Shaw noted last week in his column that par- ticipation by more people would reduce costs for recreation, but unfortunately the costs involved until that becomes a reality are getting to the point where some people may be denied recreation because of personal financial limitations. it is unfortunately, a rather contradictory situation, and one with which RAP and council must come to grips before the 1975 budget is approved. OLD 71 50 Years Ago Among the normal students home for the Easter holidays are Aylmer Christie. Mildred Rowe, Carrie Davis. Ruth Lamport, Mary Horney and Gertrude Francis. The fine frame home of Wm. Oke second concession of Usborne Township was destroyed by fire. Neighbours succeeded in saving the bedding, clothing and the furniture in the front part of the house. . The -choir of Main St. Church appeared for the first time in surplices. 25 Years Ago Mr. William J. Neaman, for a number of years mayor of London and a former resident of Exeter, died in London Monday. Ile at one lime conducted a hardware business now owned by .1. A. Traquair. Usborne council passed a bylaw under the Warble Fly Control Act compelling all cattle within the township to be treated for warble fly. The Exeter and district Teen Town held its first inaugural dance Friday evening in the Exeter arena. Carey B. Joynt of Hensall, now studying at Clark University, Worchester, Mass., has had his fellowship renewed. This is the third year he has won the award. 15 Years Ago Motorists coming into Huron County on any of 12 highways may be greeted with a "Welcome" sign in the future if the design is approved by the agricultural committee of Huron County Council. W. G. Cochrane was elected chairman of the South Huron Hospital board following the annual meeting Monday night. Mr. & Mrs. L. G. Lawrence of Peterborough visited with the latter's sister, Mrs. Pollen and Mr. Harvey Pollen over the weekend. Mr. & Mrs. Whitney Coates and Wilma motored to Mt. Clements, Mich., and spent the -weekend with Mr. & Mrs. R. H. Doherty. Miss Alexia Lostell of the Glencoe High School staff visited with her parents, Mr. & Mrs. Frank Lostell, over the weekend. 10 Years Ago Following three months of a study and a lengthy discussion at their Monday night meeting, the Exeter Public School board voted unanimously to commence an opportunity class next year. They will buy a portable classroom in which to provide the instruction. A popular baseball player and owner and operator of Bell's Electric, Hensall, Gerald D. Bell, drowned early Sunday niorning when his car left the road on the 12th concession of Hibbert Township and went through some guard rails into a river. Luther J. Penhale, a life-long resident of this community and a member of the Public Utilities Commission for 27 years, died suddenly at his home, Andrew Street on Sunday April 11 in his 81st year. 14.14 2€44:60ard My brother's keeper Recently, our minister told of an incident that occurred in a posh, exclusive church in a large cosmopolitan city. The congregation arrived on an- niversary Sunday to find an unshaven, unkept, dirty man slumped on the steps. He was evidently some wretched soul who had stumbled up from skid row and was using the church steps to sleep off a hangover. The disconcerted parishioners carefully skirted around him with distaste as they swept by into their beautiful sanctuary dressed in their furs and well tailored clothing. Once settled in the comfortable pews, in the serenity of their surroundings, and bathed in the music that poured forth from the magnificent organ, most of them forgot about the miserable man. Therefore, they were shocked when;- just- -having - finished.. the --- first hymn, they perceived the ragged making had come into the church and was now m aking his way down the ailse to the podium. Perhaps they were so stunned they couldn't move, but in any event the man walked into the pulpit and began to preach the sermon. He turned out to be the guest speaker for the occasion who had come to them disguised as a tramp. One can only imagine the results of his sermon entitled, "Who is my brother's keeper?" Such a story arouses another age-old .question ...who is my brother? Where and how do I find him? A great Hindu wrote: "Why are you so anxious to see God with your eyes closed? See Him with your eyes open ... in the form of the poor, the starved, the illiterate and the afflicted." We are called to respond to Christ's love for us by helping all God's people. He asks us to see our 'brothers' in the faces of our comfortable, middle class associates, who may be suffering from deprivation of un- derstanding, love or feelings of inferiority. He also asks us to see, as our brothers, those who suffer physically in our own country and in war torn or underdeveloped nations. He often calls us to help • those brothers who don't ask, or sometimes don't even want our help. My Brother's Keeper When a man's spirit is crushed by the tide of affairs, And his heart bursts with anguish too great to bear, When he pleadingly begs with grief-stricken eyes, Must I comfort and love him and answer his cries? Am I my brother's keeper? If a friend makes an error that could ruin her life, If the road that she takes leads only to strife, If she heeds not a warning and her folly increases, When it's over must I stoop to pick up the pieces? Am I my brother's keeper? A little old lady by herself sits at Where there's no one who cares she is always alone. If she babbles of yesterday, smiles not at all, Must I stop at my pleasure to pay her a- call? Am I my brother's keeper? The T.V. informs me of all the world's sorrow, Of how many children will starve by tomorrow; Of the homeless and parentless, stricken by war, But must I open to these a path to my door? Am i my brother's keeper? Oh God! I have trouble enough of my own! There are problems and griefs to be borneat home; I feel broken and spent as I stretch on life's wrack. Don't ask me to bear woes of men on my back. i am NOT my brother's keeper. Ah, then, I remember that Christ died for me, That the Cross which he bore was much more heavy Than anything, God, Thou asketh of me. So, i gratefully bend and acknowledge to Thee i am my brother's keeper! Our response to now By ELMORE BOOMER Counsellor for Information South Huron For appointment phone: 228-6291 or 235-0560 Ujamaa "First you get people to move together, into a village, so they'll see their needs. Good water, health,services - people will demanthese, and want to do something about it" The speaker is M. J. Millinga, a senior government official concerned with political education for Ujamaa. Ujamaa is Swahili for "familyhood" and the country is Tanzania. Tanzania is a country of 14 million in Eastern Africa. The Indian Ocean is on the east.To the north, west and south are Lakes Victoria, Tanganyika and Nyasa. The country is in parts very dry and in other parts more luxuriant. Animals abound everywhere. Zanzibar, the spice islands, from whence the world's supply of cloves comes is part of the United Republic of Tanzania. But as is noted in the current issue of the National Geographic, the most exciting aspect of the country is the social experiment taking place there. Ujamaa is the catchword. Familyhood. it is an attempt to mold a socialist society around an existing social reality - the African extended family. The emphasis is not an in- dustrialization or on foreign investment. The aim is not the building -of an elitest society wherein certain people are in- creasingly affluent. As the members of the traditional African family care for each other so the people care for each other first in their families, then their villages, and after this the whole nation. It is a peculiarly African at- tempt to escape the evils per- ceived in capitalism - ex- ploitation of man by man. It is also opposed to the Socialist class war between man. Ujamaa is achieved by persuasion, not force. Our speaker, Mr. Millinga continues, "People will meet and plan and set targets, they'll organize and work together, with everybody involved. Once this starts, there's more need, more development. People realize they're poor, they want shoes, good houses, good food." The conclusion is - the people look for ways to improve their life style. Of course the question is "Where does the money come from for the needed im- provements?" The people bend their own backs, they use their own earnings and as they do so can expect government assistance. In 1973 there were more than two million people in over five thousand Ujamaa villages. Many of these villages were started by people coming together. In order to quality for government help the land is well chosen, first to begin simple farming, but secondly to provide a potential for more sophisticated crops, and in the more distant future, light industry. The youth, meaning people under the age of thirty-five which includes eighty percent of Tanzanians, are educated in rural self-sufficiency. They are taught to be self-reliant. The national ethic is just this - self -reliance and selflessness. Rboud Jumbe, President of Zanzibar and Vice -President of Tanzania speaks to the matter. "Before, people were led to believe they.could do nothing for themselves - 'it's the will of Allah?' That has changed. — now we do practically everything with self-help schemes." He continues his exposition. "People - wore clothes full of patches. They were told they shouldn't be ashamed, the Prophet also wore patched clothes. The stores were full but the people had no money. Now the problem is to get enough goods to satisfy the demand." People are important. The Friendship Textile Mill in Dar as Salaam could manage with halt of its 4,700 employees. But the people need the jobs. Labour is inexpensive and machinery is very expensive. Listen to another voice "—the number of Kilos of tobacco and maize we get is not the measure of our progress, not at all. We could get machines and have a huge crop, but that's not the idea. Most of these people used to honey gatherers and hunters in the forest. They had to be per- suaded to come together. They had to clear the bush and build the barns. The policy of Ujamaa has man as its goal, and we are creating a new man, a man in - Please turn to page 8A 1