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Times-Advocate, 1978-07-13, Page 4 (2)Page 4 Times -Advocate, July 13, 1978' The 1)lacg,to start In view of the tensions at high levels over the determination of the Parti Quebecois to pull Quebec out of the Canadian confederation, it's reassuring that,through one institution anyway the avenues of communication between_ French-speaking and English- speaking Canada are wide open. Visites intor'provinciales, an, organization es- tablished in 1936 'to place English- speaking students in Frenchtspeaking • homes for a few summertime weeks and the • French-speaking in -English- speaking, is doing a booming business. Since its inception, _att._estimated 12,000-13,000 Canadian youngsters' of one or the other language have been in- volved in the program (as have a small number of foreign- youth), Last year alone, there were 2,144 participants • and.this year -it is expected 4.000 will be , involved. As suggested by the fact that the organization at this moment is attempting to find accommodation in Quebec for .512 applicants from van- ouver, the heaviest flow is from, rather than to, English-speaking Canada. The PQ government, according to Francois de B. Gravel. a Quebec City lawyer and the national president of Visites." is providing more support to the organization than did its predecessor. Both Ontario and Quebec are giving $8,000 grants this year. Visites Interprovinciale is trying to negotiate a $40,00Q grant from Ottawa to help cover mounting administrative costs. It. -also receives corporate donations from • such benefactors as Alcan Aluminum. and the chartered .banks. All of this is mighty good news. If this country is to survive, attitudes have to change. And. if attitudes are to change, the start has to be made with the coming generation. . Friction can toe cured It iS"inevitable that some friction ,btytyveen politicians and the press will occur from time to time if the press is...! doing s - doing its job properly. Much of.thecon- flict arises from.a misunderstanding of the separate roles that councillors and reporters must play. It is not the function of a reporter to be the council's public relations agent. If searching out the truth creates a few embarrassing motnents for members of council. then that must be accepted as part of the political process. Individual councillors also have a role to"play•as watchdog. Although one person's expressions of opposition may ruffle a few feathers on council. coun- cillors who feel a particular • policy should be changed are- duty-bound to come forward and speak up. In too many cases. local politicians treat council asif it were a private club and consider it bad form to publicly dis=. agree %with anothermember. - Council is not a club, however. It is a public policy-making institution. Each member ,of council shduld faithfully represent his•constituents as he sees fit. At times, this rhay mean taking an opposite position to other members of eouncii. but it must be , remembered thatan- individual's primary allegiance is to the electorate, not to other councillors. Instead of covering up for epch other and blaming the press for "kick- ing up dirt," councillors should be questioning why there -is so much dirt lying around in the fi st place. We would also more grass roots involvement in government in mid-term. In many communities, ac- _.__ tit~_citizens' .-or-ganiz-ations•keep-coun- cil members on their toes between elections. These groups also ensure that good candidates come forward at election time and that the issues are debated. • One change we would frankly welcome is the presence of more women on our townshijcouncils. These bodies have been the sacred preserve of the male of the species for long enough. Women are just as intelligent as men and in many cases have more time to devote to the office. In the meantime, we would like to pass on some guidelines that,Michael Smither, editor of Municipal World Magazine, recently suggestedto coun- cillors. 1. Recognize .your office as a public trust. It never belongs to th'e of- fice holder. - 2. Understand that for the proper discharge of your responsibilities, 'not only must the public be aware of what you are doing, but you must also be aware of the public reaction. 3. Clearly separate in your mind the role of thsessuporation and .your role as an individual member of that 1 council. 4. Keep restrictions imposed upon the media to a minimum. 5. Give the media the facts only. Don't try to write the story, 6. If you can't. or won't, answer a question. don't beatabout the bush. Say )(;)• Glengarry News Morality on the roa • •Canadians are killed in automobile accidents at.the rate of more than ten a day and jt has ,been estimated that between five and ten percent of the beds -.in our general hospitals are oc- . cupied by traffic -accident victims. Our highways are avifully bloody. Faulty de ' and mechanical failure ha o u significantly to the bl - ifice exacted from us for the privilege of having automobiles. Manufacturers. prodded by public opi- gton and governmental action - and probably by their own consciences, are showing increasing responsibility in thedeslgn and making of automobiles. Most garagemen seem to be men of basic honesty, and competence,ut there fs ample evidence, that some. them do careless work an our cars an trucks. . But if every manufacturer and gar- ageman agreed not -to put a vehicle on the road until it had received Ralph Nader's personal stamp of approval, we would still haveserious road safety. problems. When We have said all' that there is to be said about the makers and maintainers_ of automobiles, we still have to some to terms with responsibilities of drivers, yout respon- sibilities and mine. A few years ago the Roman Catholic 'Church in France declared certain driving faults to be "sins':, which must be confessed. A spokesman for the French bishops pointed out that these are all "sins of pride", and among them he listed dangerous. speeding, illegal passing, and drunken driving. We are all proud of•our driving \ility: one gets the impression that ▪ about 95 percent of alt drivers consider themselves above average in driving ability. Many of us. perhaps most of us, undergo ,subtle personality changes when • we get behind the wheel of a powerful automobile — and a false and dangerous pride is an important ele- ment in these changes. Road safety is not merely an - engineering and ..legal concern: –ft is ' also a. significant issue .in personal' , morality+; a matter of personal integri- ty. A British organization, "Christiarf Action", used to publish adver- - tisements in wh ch this declaration was made: "Carele sness on the roads is sometimes— a c>�ime it is always a sin." Tim.% Established 1873 — Advocate Established 188 i d3l. Ames -vocate SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND • C W N A. O.W.N.A. CLASS 'A• and ABE-' Publish.d by J. W. E.dy l PubIications limited • LORNE EIDY, PUBLISHER Editor — Batton ' Assistant Editor -t Ross Haugh Adv.rtising Mbnagi4 — Jim B.ck.tt Composition Manage/ — Harry D.Vri.s Business Manager + Dick Jongkind Pfion. 23SI.1331 . . (+CNA 1 49Arv4 -• Amalgamated 1921 Publish.d Each Thursday Morning at Cutter, Ontario Second Class Mail Rigistrot''^t,N umber 0386 Paid in Adv611c. Circulation S.pt.mb.r 30, 1975 5,409 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada $11.00 Per Y.ar; USA 522 "... Then again, your point on the combat readiness of women in the armed forces is well taken. BAT'F'N AROUND with the editor Need more than usual handful A major decision is quickly facing residents of Exeter, but it's doubtful if more than a handful of people will be involved in the discussions which will precede that important consideration. The matter. iS of course. the new of- ficial plan and zoning bylaw. Council Members have already given' the zon- ing bylaw a couple of readings and a public meeting will be held sometime in,September to hear citizens' opinions prior to the final passing of the documents which willtrguide The development and growth. of the coth- munity in the years ahead. • Exeter has had an official plan and zoning bylaw for several years now and the process being undertaken is basicallJ an update. However, it is no less important than . tlje consideration which had to be given the original documents. Unfortunately, past experience has .indicated that only those with a direct interest in specific .zoning areas take the time to review the plate and bylaw and make known their opinions. The list -inc9udes members of council and • the planning board. along with local - developers or owners of property that may be adversely affected by some of the zoning designations or implications' of the plan. That is only natural., perhaps, but what`most citizens fail to realite is that the documents cogtain the basic' philosophy that will be followed in the next few years regarding the growth of the community, It will determine what type of development will take place in certain areas and,, will lay "the groundwork for the residential, com- mercial and industrial growth. ' Obviously. it is a matter in which ah residents have a direct interest, not only in terms of what may happen in their.specific neighborhood. but in the town as kwhole. - • • There are already. indications that • the draft bylaw will undergo some ma- jor changes. Members of council and the planning board have expressed differing views on What type of con- trols they feel should be included. There are those who would like to see the documents less restrictive in nature, thereby providingmore•options for development. Others tend to think the town is better served without those options, so in fact there are fewer choices of what type of development may take place in specific areas. ' In the past year, there have been several major disputes over the ex- isting documents, such as the commer- cial zoning at the north end. That will undoubtedly be a contentious issue in the amendments as well. 4While the downtown businessmen and the north end land owners and developers Will have differing views in whgtshould take place, they are not th only ones involved in the decision. al citizens should also express 'their views, because the decision . affects them as greatly as those more directly involved. 1iti3 perhaps unfortunate that the.dis- cussion on the official plan and zoning bylaw will take place in, September, because it means that the study by municipal officials -and private citizens must he undertaken during the summer months.: The documents are not what one ipigjtt normally term "light `summer reading". - - Howaver, the discussion at last week's council meeting indicates that most members realize the seriousness • of the matter and are prepared to devote some of their time An an effort - to digest itand prepare themselves for the deliberations. Hopefully, the majority of citizens - will do likewise. • It is impossible to foresee the future accurately enough to ensure that the newplan will serve the community for Sugar' and Spice DispeTIsed by Smiley :Everything in quadruplicate Canadians, on the whole, are probably the most boring „conver- sationalists in the entire world. I don't say that idly, merely to put backs up. i say it from agonizing personal ex- perience. It's not because we are a dull people. though we are. it's not because -we're stupid, because we aren't: It.seems to be based rather on a sort of philistinism that labels interesting con- versation as a ' 'ciss " pastime,fit only for dilettantes, idealits, Englishme- of a certain background, educated Europeans and other such intellectual trash. Next time you're.at a dinner party or any similar gathering, lend an ear. The dialogue will depress you deeply. Perhaps the real fault lies in the fact that we are basically a 'nation of materialists, and that we have become mote and more so, with the withering of the churches and the increasing affluence of our society. Our -topics of conversation change with the decades. but remain awesomely inane in their content. A few decades ago, men could talk for hours about cars and hockey. while women chattered incessantly about children and recipes Nowadays, the men talk about real estate and boats, and women go on and on about Women's Lib and the trip abroad they have just taken o are just about •to take. And they all say the same thing, or near enough. All of them, espeeially the men, are absorbed by their vocations, sadistic cruelty of the revenue depart meet, and thea? latest acquisition, whether it's a power cruise or a sWim- ming pool in the back yard. • , Get "a. gaggle -of editors together and they talk shop, golf, an'fi'how much advertising linage they carried last year. Seldom a word about a powerful editorial campaign they are going to launch to halt an evil or promote a good. Dig up a deliberation of doctors. put • a glass in. aach hapd and listen to the drivel about the iniquities of medicare: theingratitudeof patients, the penal taxes they pay, and the. condominium they just bought down south. Not a Best nor a'Banting.in the bunch. ' Lawyers are just as bad. They may be a bit more sophisticated than the doctors, but -they're just as dull. Drop- ping hints` of inside dope on politics. Obsessed by the possibility of getting a judgeship or at the very least, a Q.C. Criers of the blues about the taxes they pay. • A party of politicians is even worse. Jostling for attention, back-slapping everything that is warm and breathing, needing the enemy, seeing everything in black and white. "They're black; we're white." Joe Clark likes westerns on TV. It figures. The big shoot-out, and let the bodies of bystanders fall where they may.. Behind the politicians, but not far, are the civil servants. Empire builders, defenders of the status quo. /1 several years without any major amendments or problems. But they should be kept to a minimum if people take the time to study the matter and make their opinions known about .what they -want to see in their neighborhoods and the community in its entiretP`1 It is not a matter for a handful of people! As most readers know, Doug Gould is not a man who easily has his ire raised, so it was rather surprising when, the writer received a telephone call from him recently that left little doubt that he was not in his usual. happy frame of mind. . The reason became ratherpbRipus as he related his sad tale of woe Seems the upstairs hall of the town hall had been rented for the periodic ses- sion that the Unemployment Insurance Commission has with area residents wljo are bn pogey. Doug was naturally pleased with that at the outset. because that is what the hall is for ... to'hold small gatherings and help meet the operating expenses.` However., upon surveying the scene after the'sixhour session. Doug found that one of the people who had visited' the hall had unceremoniously, stamped out a cigarette butt on the carpet on the stairs. -Needless to say. it left.a very noticeable burn mark. In addition. almost a dozen' scorch marlts were found on the beautifully refinished hardwood floor. again the work of peo- ple whose thoughtlessness is- difficult to imagine. What is less difficult to imagine is Doug's present opinion pf some of the area's unemployed- • Everything in quadruplicate. Everything Secret: The. public is the enemy: Always •go through channels. Keep your nose.clean. Don't get a black mark on your recprd. Dull: dull_ - Ah, ha! The farmers have been -sit- ting back enjoying this. They're every bit as bad as the rest. It's the government's 'fault. it's the chain stores' greed. it's the fickle public. It's the weather: too hot, too cold. too dry. too wet; or, if the weather is perfect and the crops are superb, it's taking too much out of the land. • mo�usiness men are just as culpable of devastatjng dullness in their conversa- tion. Teo many forms to fill out. Lazy. clerks. Second-rate -workmen. Those dam' sibpping plazas on the edge• of town. Manufacturers are in the same poet. Wages are too high. Can't get parts, what's the matter with those people? Too much absenteeism on Monday morning. Profit down .03 percent last year. Can't compete with those lousy foreigners who work for peanuts. Too much government interference. • Dentists ditto. They are just as dull as the others, &rut they -.commit the crime of asking a particularly dull question'when your mouth is so full of Junk that all you can do is grunt, and then think you are interested and Think small 1 by Jim Smith A Taxing Problem • l et's assume, ul the begin- ning, that t Iucky you) you ate not a columnist and. there - foie, have money' -rev invest. And let's analyze a few o1 your options. You can invest the money in oil exploration and claim an immediate income tax de- duction. Ottawa 'encourages oil exploration: You can invest the money to a pa rt merit construction and _claim -air-irnmediafe in- come tax deduction. Ottawa encourages apart me n t con- e action. Or you can invest the' money in Canadian movie production and claire an im- mediate income tax deduc- tion. Ottawa encourages pro- duction- of Canadian movies. But• if you invest the mo- ney 111 Iortllation of a new business. Ottawa wont allow you to claim an immediate income fax deduction. In --Other words. oil exploration, apartment construction and, movie production I''''''") are all considered more impor- tant than development of a solid Canadian business base. Just refresh ourmemo- ries, independent businesses provide jobs, increase GNP, improve the•balance of pay- ments, create more new pro- cesses and products and keep the country less dependent on foreign control. But, un- der existing tax laws, inves- tors are encouraged to put their money into oil, apart- ments and movies rattier than independent business. So it's not surprising that Canada's small business co m myl-n i 1 y lacks investment capital. Before I )nr taxes \Yell 'ire• tillnied" and a capital coins lax int roduced.entrepreneurs could'draw on many indivi- dual investors for the moiety r• ti.11 1Y as needed to set up all kinds ofloial businesses. But capital gains taxes took away the incentive for investing in independent businesses and entrepreneurs found that their source oI capital had dried up. The government tried to 'correct the problem by set- ting up the Federal Business Development Bank, a public agency which has the power to invest in private compa-. nies. But bureaucracy is never an adequate replacement for the Jree workings of private markets. In recent months, Ottawa has indicated that it realizes there are serious problems. The feds have decided that, if you lose your investment, you can now write off half of: that loss against other in- come. It's Netter than before but it's still not enough. If 50'; is good, why not 10(0? If. lir example. a local em- ployee is trying to recoup his losses from a previous small. business venture that failed; why not reduce his taxable income by the amount of his lost investment? Investors are clever people - which explains why they have the investment capital in the first place. Consequently, they put their money where the return is best. As long as Ottawa refuses to treat invest- ment in small business as generously as investment in oil-. apartments or movies, there will not be enough inoney to meet the needs of independent business in this country. Ana a Canada with a weak small business sector is a weak Canada: Think small is an editorial message from the Canadian Federation of Independent Bus.ness f) down memory lane, 1) 55 Years Ago The judging of the school gardens took place on Saturday by W.G. Medd and J.S. Harvey. The prizes were awarded to the evident -care taken. variety and condition, of vegetables • and arrangements, The award's were, as follows: Mr. Howard's room, Stella .nrthcott,''John • Kuntz, `Harry Jennings; Miss Medd's room, ' Helen Penhale, Gladys Hunkin. Oryilie Beaver` Russell Collingwood, •Russell Snell and Roy Batten. - Miss Flossie Vincent has . resigned her position with R. McKenzie and Son and Miss A. Willard is taking -her place. - - • Miss Muriel Hogarth left -Monday for Kingston where she will attend Queen's University during the' !ember: leads the Exeter bah team a: the plate. 20 Years Ago Sundae; afternoon the new Raiding organ was dedicated 'at the Thames Road Church • 1 ervice by Rev. 11.C. Wilson. The -general store of Emerson Kyle, Kippen has been purchased by the --- Ontario Department of High- ways and Will be demolished 'to provide better vision at the intersection of the county road and Highway 4. Mr. Kyle has operated the store since 1931 Margaret Sanders is the first SHUf1S student to receive the bursary given by the Women's Auxiliary to South Huron Hospital to a girl commencing training for the nursing profession. She will enter the St. Joseph's • School 'of Nurs"ing in Sep - summer. The Plymouth Brethren held an open air service on Main Street Saturday evening: They have set up a tent near Victoria Park and are holding services each night: 30 Years Ago first Junior Turnip club • in Ontario was organized last week :tt, the farm of Oscar Tuckey,- Exeter. Dr. and Mrs. E. Steiner are in Guelph attending the Ontario Veterinary' Association meeting. Victor Dinnin, principal of Zurich Public School took grades 7 and 8 on a trip to Toronto. in the .12 baseball games played this ,season, Gerry Smith with 14 hits in 35 tries 15 Years Ago Record crowds swarmed to the Grand Bend resort on the week end in an attempt to beat 98degree tem- peratures Max Harness, local Ontario Hydro driver •won the western region's truck roadeo for the third time last week, the first person to do so since Hydro began the safe driving tests. Winners of the Hensall' Kinette's $2S scholarship for highest standing in grade eight this year ar't' Ricky Buchanan and Wendy Moir, both 14. Ann Creech, 'Eleanor Stanlake, Jim Knox and David Stringer were honored as the top boys and girls in the two grade eight classes at Exeter Public School. agreeing with their platitudes, when what you are trying to say is, "Shut up, turkey." As you know, I always savif' the,best to The last.. When it comes to dullness supremo in conversation, I have to}iand it . to the teachers'. They go on and on and on about some kid who just won't do nis homework, or some meaningless memo from the office, or some student who decided to • spend a nice June day in God's great out-of-doors instead of in a dull classroom with a dull teacher. Maybe i've been harsh in this somewhat blanket condem- nation. Certainly none of -my friends are dull conver- sationalists. Maybe that's why_I have so few friends. Or perhapsmy remarks are based on pure envy. 1 haven't got a condominium in Florida.Thaven•t even a row -boat, let .alone a cruiser. I haven't a two -car garage, though i have two cars, eighteen years old between them. That's it. Jealousy. i don't have a swimming pool or a lit- tle place just forty acres, mind you — in the country. My wife is as near'fo nuts as can be. One kid Is a•missionary in Paraguay, the other can't get a job. That's why i can't stand around with the doctors and lawyers, etc., and commiserate with them.on the fact that ' the price of steak is going absolutely out of teach of the or- dinary professional man making only forty-five thou a year. 0 1)