The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1975-04-24, Page 4 (2)OUR POINT OF VIEW
Not strictly political
The disappointment by recreation
1irector Jim McKinlay and the young peo-
ple who had their Opportunity for Youth
project turned down is understandable.
However, it is difficult to agree with
the suggestion by some RAP members that
the refusal is based on politics entirely.
Huron received approval for about half
the projects submitted, which must be an
average for the nation.
Some political considerations no doubt
enter into any of these programs, which
while it isregrettable,is nevertheless a way
of life.
Strange set of rules
An interesting situation arose in Clin-
ton recently when council refused to renew
a taxi operator's licence because the police
chief in that community wouldn't endorse
it.
Noting the driver had three convictions
under the Highway Traffic Act, plus being
the subject of some complaints regarding
his driving. the chief said he wouldn't take
the responsibility of putting the public in
the operator's car.
In his defence. the operator noted he
drives 85.000 to 90.000 miles a year and
hadn't had an accident, which he suggested
was a pretty good record.
His appeal fell on deaf ears and council
voted unanimously to. not renew the
licence.
That action appears most harsh and the
question is whether members of Clinton
council would approve similar restrictions
if they were subjected to them personally.
Imagine the hotel keeper losing his -
licence permanently because he was
convicted of serving an underage
patron... or the school teacher losing his
job because one of his students
failed ... the mechanic being dismissed
because he failed to make proper
repairs ... or the newspaper editor being
fired for erroneous reporting of a state-
ment.
Most interesting of all, would be a
suggestion that members of council would
be prepared to lose their driver's licence
for speeding infractions.
Such strict regulations would certainly
eliminate many drivers from the roads in a
hurry, and while patrons of any taxi firm
should be protected by having careful
drivers, it borders on a step towards a
police state when authority is given to the
Clinton chief to turn down an operator's
renewal on the basis of two speeding
tickets and some complaints.
Some readers may recall that it wasn't
too long ago that Clinton had some
problems with young people and there were
complaints against the police force in that
community regarding the situation.
Could the chief be deprived of his badge
as easily as the taxi operator? Not a
chance!
Start with the news?
Former Liberal cabinet minister Judy
LaMarsh has recently been named to head
an Ontario royal commission to probe
violence of TV and movies.
As a former secretary of state. Miss
LaMarsh had the responsibility for the CBC
and this certainly adds to the skepticism
being generated by her appointment.
If there are things wrong with TV to-
day, Miss LaMarsh should have taken steps
in her previous position to make the
necessary corrections. Violence on TV may
be more pronounced than it was in her stint
Of office. but it was amply evident then.
Oddly enough. Miss LaMarsh will hive
practically no power in her new role to
make any changes. Broadcasting is a
federal responsibility.
This had led many people to suggest
that 'the move on the part of Premier
William Davis in naming the commission is
nothing more than another of his growing
pre-election stunts.
The recent' budget was a something -
for -everyone document, indicating its
primary role is to win votes.
The appointment of Miss LaMarsh can
be considered in the same category, which
no doubt will cause some Liberals a great
deal of consternation, considering her
political leanings.
How lucky we Canadians are
Every so often 1'm reminded of
how very lucky Canadians are
.We are not smarter than other
people. Goodness knows. wt are
no more industrious. We are just
luckier. because we happen to he
living in this country at this time.
When you consider that we are
—fust a drop M --the bucket of the
world's population. you can see
just how blind lucky we are
Millions of people on earth
today are literally starving to
death. They will he dead. stone
dead. in days. months. a year.
Millions more are just above
the starving line. They eke out a
barren. blunted. hopeless
existence. just one step away
from the animal.
These hordes are subject to all
the other things that go with a
minimal existence. besides
hunger: cold. disease. ignorance.
fear. and perhaps worst of all
helplessness.
And we complain endlessly. we
Canadians. about such horrors as
inflation. postal strikes. taxes.
and all the other relatively
piddling burdens we bear.
We howl with outrage when
butter jumps 15 cents a pound.
Some of us nearly have a stroke
when the price of beer and liquor
is raised. The very wealthy feel a
deep. inner pain because they can
retain only 55 per cent of their
income.
Times Estnbfishod 1873
But what does it all amount to"
The consumption of butter will go
down for a few weeks, then rise to
new highs. The consumption of
alcoholic beverages will not even
tremor. but go steadily upward.
And the rich will become richer.
Talk about fat cats, or buxom
fie -avers. and we're it. The Lucky
Canadians. The envy of the
world.
oh yes. we have poor people,
quite a few of them. But you
would be hard put to it to find
anyone in. Canada literally
starving to death. Or freezing to
death. Or dying because there is
no medicine for disease.
Truth is. the vast majority of
Canadians eat too much. suffer
from over -heating rather than
cold and are much more likely to
die from too much medicine than
they are from disease.
And even the poorest of our
poor. with all the buffers that
welfare provides. are materially
millionaires compared with the
poor of many other countries.
You. Mister. wheeling your
Buick down the highway and
beefing about the cost of gas,
Wright just as easily be pulling a
ricksha in Calcutta. wondering
whether you could last until you
were 30. so you could see your
first grandson.
You. Young Fella, who made
S10.000 in six months with a lot of
Advocate Established 1881
`fie trateferZimesaltuorafe
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
overtime, and quit working so
you could draw unemployment
insurance. could be sweating it
out in a South African gold mine,
or a Bolivian tin mine, for enough
bucks a week to.barely feed your
family.
And you. Ms., whining about
the mess the hairdresser made,
or complaining about the cost of
cleaning women, could be selling
yourself in the back streets of
Nairobi to keep body and soul
together. if you'll pardon the
expression.
But you aren't, and I'm not,
and we shouldn't forget it, mates.
We were lucky. We live in
Canada.
Once in a while this hits me like
a punch between the eyes. One of
these times was on a recent
holiday weekend.
We were spending a weekend
with Grandad, in the country. It
was cold and blustery outside,
and 1 spent one of those rotten -
lazy, thoroughly enjoyable times
when there is nothing to do and
nothing to worry about: eating
and drinking, -playing cards,
enjoying the fireplace, reading,
watching television.
The only fly in the ointment
was the constant decisions to be
made. At breakfast, for example.
Amalgamated 1924
Published Each Thursday Morning
at Exeter, Ontario
Second Class Mail
Registration Number 0386
Paid in Advance Circulotion
March 31, 1974, 5,309
SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada S9.00 Per Year; USA $11.00
05GOOP75 STILL HAVING DIFFICULTY DRAWING HIS BMA WATI:K IN CELSIUS.
Land use at alarming stage
Returning home from Picton
last weekend, the chap seated
with us on the bus remarked
about the vast amount of prime
agricultural land being eaten up
by high-rise buildings and
pavement.
This, of course„ is a growing
problem and one that is starting
to raise considerable concern as
people start to wonder how we
will feed ourselves if this
productive land is eaten up at its
present rate.
It is rather obvious that the
practice will continue unless
governments become bold
enough to halt it by forcing people
to plan new subdivisions, in-
dustrial and commercial
developments on marginal land
and leave prime land available
for agricultural purposes.
Unfortunately, that bold step
may be delayed until it is too late.
Recovering land is most dif-
ficult after it has been ravaged by
developers and it is interesting to
note that our neighboring
American city of Detroit is
already facing some problems in
this regard.
That troubled city now has 20
percent of its lots vacant as
people move to the suburbs in
growing numbers. Many of the
areas ravaged by the riots have
been abandoned and stand as
scars serving only to remind
people of the troubles that exist in
many metropolitan areas.
What's to become of the vacant
land? One suggestion is that it
should be turned into huge park,
greenbelt and recreational areas.
Another suggestion is that it be
reforested.
That would take the land full
cycle, a rather ironical situation
to say the least.
+ + +
People are funny: They spend
the first two years of their child's
life teaching it to walk and talk.
Then they devote the next 15
years telling the child to sit down
and be quiet.
+ + +
Getting back to Toronto, it is
interesting to note that it will
soon be possible to visit that city
and keep a check on things back
home.
If it's a clear day, you can take
Banana or fruit juice? Coffee or
tea? Bacon and eggs or ham and
eggs? Toast and jam or fresh
bread and honey?
Evenings were even worse. An
hour after dinner, I had to decide
whether it was to be coffee and
cake with ice cream or tea with
butter tarts. Then there was the
bedtime snack and more
decisions.
But it was watching television
that blew up the puffed-up dream
that life was, after all, good and
gracious, cosy and comfortable,
warm and wonderful.
There on the "news," with
nothing to hide it, was the non -
Canadian world. Children with
the bloated bellies and stick -thin
limbs of the starving. Other
children, torn and bleeding and
screaming with pain.
Mothers howling their anguish
because they had lost their
children and couldn't find them.
A refugee plane. with more
than 200 "soldiers" and only five
women or children aboard.
And everywhere, on that naked
screen, people, suffering,
terrified, running like rats, from
nowhere to nowhere.
Not much you and I can do,
except feel horrified. It's all too
far away.
But at least we can stop bit-
ching in our own backyard, and
face the facts that we're not
smarter, or harder working or
better looking. Just lucky.
a ride to the observation deck of
the new CN tower and afford
youself a view of about 100 miles.
At 1,800 feet, the new tower is
the tallest free-standing struc-
Dear
:: ��i•••r'iii?iLi3�•�1:yYii
Sirs:
If by any streak of good
weather and stretch of good
fortune this letter moves through
that national disaster area which
is our postal system and reaches
your desk while its contents are
still as urgently relevant as
circumstances which dictate its
writing, I would appreciate space
in your paper to comment.
Today as a citizen of "post -
Christian, post -civilized"
Canada, stranded 1,000 miles
from home, for what seems to be
the umpteenth time in the past
decade of air -travel, because of a
primitive form of barbarism
which has effectively negated the
brilliant feats of our technology
and reduced our civilization to
chaos, I wonder if it isn't,time we
returned the control of our
country to the Indians.
Long before the white man
came to these shores, the Indians
had established out of former
feuding factions that co-operative
brotherhood known as the "Six
Nations Confederacy". We might
humbly approach the descen-
dants of that noble people to
request that the leadership of our
society be invited to their
"longhouse" at Ohsweken to
learn from them the secret of a
humane creative culture.
As the son of a former
missionary living on that Six
Nations Indian reservation near
Brantford, Ontario, I , was
recently asked to return to
Ohsweken to conduct the funeral
of a most remarkable Christian
woman who had been my teacher
in grade eight.
And standing by her graveside,
I'd recalled Miss Janeson's
question asked of me several
years before, during a preaching
mission she had "chaired" in that
community: "Kenny, how is it
that before the white man came
with their Bible and their 'bottle',
we Indians worshipped 'the Great
Spirit'. We didn't worship the
things He had created, but we
worshipped Him, the Creator and
Sustainer of everything. I think
our religion was better before the
white man came, than most white
man's religion is today in
Canada. You worship things, and
are destroying yourself by your
secular materialism."
And surveying the wreckage of
our civilization strewn from sea
to.sea by the selfishness of the
warring factions that contol our
systems of government, religion,
education, industry and
economy, I wonder if our Prime
Minister might not find those
"new values" he seeks in the
challenges of this new age of
chaos, from the wisdom of such a
noble Indian for a Canada where ,
"the. Great Spirit", the Creator,'
and the Father of our Lord •
Jesus Christ, "has dominion from
sea to sea"?
Surely this nation which could
rise in a great national purpose to
meet the challenge of Hitler's
murderous international in-
tentions can rouse itself again to
wrest the control of the country
from this fresh wave of bar-
barians which is drunkenly
devouring the fruits of our
national productivity while a
world starves and our society
crumbles.
Let the smoke of the Indians'
peace -pipe be the signal that will
turn us back to the teachings of
"The Price of Peace" to find the
cure to that cancer of untamed
— Please turn to Page 5
ture in the world. However, only
the steeple -jacks will get that
high. The "Eagle's Nest" ob-
servation tower is at the 1,500 -
foot level.
The new tower also boasts a
revolving restaurant, the com-
plete revolution taking one and
half hours.
It's difficult to say how long the
new structure will hold its record,
because there is a considerable
amount of competition in this
continual race to reach the stars.
+ + +
•
One of the reasonsman wants to
reach the stars is the necessity to
escape the mess he has created
on earth.
Nowehere is this more evident
than on the Cuyohoga River
which flows through Cleveland.
For over 100 years it has served
as a convenient garbage
receptacle for the sewage and
industrial wastes of the
surrounding area.
It is an interesting river to
watch. The waters are constantly
changing colors and hues as the
various chemicals combine with
the water and other chemicals to
form different compounds.
A permanent patrol of the river
is conducted by boats of the
Cleveland fire department
because the river is classified as
a fire hazard.
Last fall, residents along the
river were awakened in the
middle of the night by an in-
termittent series of explosions.
Wastes had combined in
chemical reactions to produce
these explosions. The river
became a floating bomb.
As Ripley would say "un-
believable, but true!
s
2e4ehatct4
y
The pace-setter
A young minister recently
confessed he has a real struggle
with tension and up -tightness
which often results in terrible
pressure headaches. Relief
comes only when he lies down in a
darkened room after taking
medication. "But I'm learning,"
he says, "that in the midst of
tensions and 'busyness' to lean
back in the arms of God and
relax; to let Him support me;
and allow His spirit to flow in and
through me so that I can ex-
perience inner peace, and not
tension."
Many of us have the same
trouble; we wear ourselves out
and tie ourselves up in knots in
our ever mad rush to be always
'doing' something. We forget that
to sit and relax and rest in the
gracious presence of God is even
more essential in the Christian's
.life..-
Author Watchman Nee says
many Christians have the idea
they must keep moving in order
to reach their goal. We make the
mistake, he says, of trying to
run so that we will be able to sit
with Christ, but that is the
reversal of the true order. He
states, "Christianity begins not
with a big DO but with a big
DONE ... and we are invited at
the very outset to sit down and
enjoy what God has done for us;
not to set out to try and attain it
for ourselves."
God cannot help us or work
through us while we are intent on
doing everything ourselves.
Often God is just waiting for us to
cease our activity and be still so
He can begin His work with us.
It's like trying to save a drowning
man. His fear prevents him from
trusting you; he will clutch at you
in his terror and drag you under
with him. Either you must knock
him unconscious or else leave
him to struggle until all his
strength leaves him before you
can pull him to shore.
Often God has to wait for our
strength to be so utterly played
out that we become still, before
He can move in and do what He
wants to be done in our lives.
There is nothing wrong with
being still ... with resting. After
all, even God rested on the
seventh day. Our bodies need
times of peace and quiet and so
do our spirits ... times of just
letting go and letting God take
over.
Toki Miyashina, a Japaneses
writer has written a translationof
the Twenty-third Psalm that goes
like this:
"The Lord is my Pace-setter, 1
shall not rush.
He makes me stop for rest at
quiet intervals.
He provides me with images of
stillness, which restore my
serenity;
He leads me in the ways of ef-
ficiency through calmness of
mind.
And His guidance is peace.
Even though I have a great many
things to accomplish each day,
I will not fret, for His presence is
here,
His timelessness. His all im-
portance. will keep me in
balance.
He prepares refreshment and
renewal in the midst of my
activity
By anointing my mind with His
oils of tranquillity.
My cup of joyous energy over-
flows.
Surely harmo,ny and ef-
fectiveness shall be the fruits
of my hours.
For I shall walk in the pace of my
Lord. and dwell in His (rouse
forever."
Our response to now
By ELMORE BOOMER
Counsellor for
Information South Huron
• For appointment
phone: 228-6291 or 235-0560
Mennonites
by The Rev. Clayton Kuepfer
There is a great deal of em-
phasis and celebration regarding
the history of our Mennonite
heritage going on this year. 1975
marks the 450th anniversary of
the Anabaptist movement. which
dates back to 1525 during the
Protestant reformation.
The term "Anabaptist",
meaning to baptize again, was a
derisive one for those who joined
the segment of the reformation
promoted by Conrad Grebel.
Grebel rejected the view that
Gods grace or favour is received
in baptism and communion and
maintained these practises as
symbols of the Christian ex-
perience of adults who
express faith in Christ as their
saviour.
Today Conrad Grebe) college
on the campus of the University
OLD 'TI
.......
50 Years Ago
Fire destroyed two barns on the
farm on Geo. Jeffery, Thames
Road, together with the livestock,
implements, grain, etc. The fire
started from a spark from a
gasoline engine. Mr. Jeffery
succeeded in getting out a team
of horses, but 26 head of cattle,
two horses and nine pigs perished
in the flames.
Mr. George Windsor of town,
had a narrow escape from
asphyxiation. He was found
unconscious in his home about six
o'clock in the evening by friends,
who had not seen him around all
day. Escaping coal gas was the
cause.
A play "Welcome Home
Jimmie", was presented in the
Opera House by young people
from James Street United
Church. The cast was Silas Reed,
Wilf Shapton, Alma Harding,
Wilma Powe, Amy Shapton,
Thelma Taylor, Leonard Pfaff,
Hedley May and Rita Rowe.
25 Years Ago
Blanshard Base Line School is
being re -opened next September
after being closed since 1939.
There were only six pupils when
it closed. There will be 20 when it
re -opens.
An old landmark, the Sodom
school on the Lake Road is being
demolished.
The 53 -year old bridge in
McGillivray Township seven
miles west of Clandeboye, was
blown to smithereens by the
seventh Field Squadron RCE of
London to make room for a
modern span over Mud Creek.
15 Years Ago
Some fancy tap-dancing by the
pupils of Mrs. Russ Broderick
and a comical one -act play
presented by members of the
IOOF and Rebekah Lodges
highlighted the variety concert at
SHDHS Friday night.
Principal Mrs. Greta J.
Lavender, Hensall, has resigned
from the Zurich Public school
staff.
Miss Sheila Fahner, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Fahner,
Exeter, was winner of the top
award for a clarinet solo in the 15
year and under class at the
Kiwanis Music Festival at
Stratford.
A five-year-old Yorkshire
sow, owned by Lloyd Davidson,
lot 23, Con. 18 Elma township,
had a litter of 20 pigs Sunday.
10 Years Ago
The Anglican young people
from Exeter and Hensel) won the
Huron Deanery AYPA dramatic
trophy that had been in Clinton
for the past 23 years. The cast
included Greg Harness, Fred
Wells, Clark Forrest, Lynn Page,
John Harness and Linda Wells.
An alteration to the proposed
vocational addition to SHDHS
added a cost of over $150,000 to
the project, which brings the total
to$1,635,000. The main changes in_
the plan involves the auditorium,
and gymnasium facilities in the
school.
Plans for massive twin piers to
protect Grand Bend harbour
from drifting sand, have been
sent to Ottawa for federal
government consideration. The
estimated cost of the project is $1
million.
(- to
early settlers
of l%alerloo reminds us of many
things. First of all. Mennonites
are not only those who wear
distinctively diftereut Oohing
and drive horse and buggy. etc.,
but there are many of us who
have gotten into the mainstream
of life. I want to describe for you
in these few lines how and why we
migrated from Europe to
southern Ontario.
The basic reason for the
migrations was religious
freedom. In January 1525 Conrad
Grebe! performed the first adult
baptism service of the refor-
mation in the home of Felix
Manz. Two years later Manz
became the first Anabaptist
martyr when he was drowned in
Zurich, Switzerland for refusing
to renounce his new found faith.
The movement soon spread all
over Europe. A parish -Pres) in
the town of Wit nrarsum.1lolland
by the name of Merano Simons
joined the Anabaptists and
became a leader, marking the
beginning of the Mennonites as
they are known today
Persecution became rather
severe because of the radical
ideas (for those times) of bap-
tism upon confession of faith,
which meant a rejection of infant
baptism and also the refusal to
become involved in the affairs of
the slate. The migrations began
in 1683 about the time of the
Militarism of the Napoleonic era
and the French revolution.
The first settlement of Men-
nonites was in Germantown
Pennasylvania now part of
Philadelphia. Do you suppose this
could account for the success of
the Flyers hockey team? But, 1
don't know what happened to the
brotherly love—the meaning of
the name Philadelphia. Before
1800 the migrations expanded
south to Virginia and north along
the Grand River into Waterloo
County.
In southern Ontario we have
Mennonites from various
backgrounds. There are the ones
just mentioned who settled first
in the States. In the early 1800's
many came from Europe to
Waterloo County and expanded to
Hay and Stanley townships in
1848 headed by Bishop John
Oesch. In 1870 the Czar of Russia
introduced universal military
service without exemption which
resulted in the largest migration
of Mennonites from Europe to
America.
As Pastor of a local Mennonite
Church, I recognize that in order
to be the people of God in our
world today, we should avoid
being an independent
denomination. Our aim must be
what the Apostle Paul said, "1
made up my mind to forget
everything while 1 was with you
except Jesus Christ, and
especially his death on the
cross." 1 Cor. 2:2
•