HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1978-08-24, Page 4 (2)Page 4
Times -Advocate, August 24, 1978
Circle of danger
Each day an ever -widening circle
of danger surrounds mankind. It is a
vicious circle that reaches the -front
pages only occasionally. It is the com-
bination of babies and. bombs. Each
day, the world's nations are spending
considerably more' than $1 billion on
their bombs and their military es-
tablishments. , And ,each day. 170.000
new babies come into a world threaten-
ed by a shortage of basic resources.
In a century that is haunted by the
memory of two global wars and
countless lesser but nevertheless grisly
conflicts. the great powers and all of
the smaller 'nations are spending
between $375 billion and $400 billion on
various military expenditures each
year. The $350 billion figure for the
i • 'year 1976 represented more than the
combined national product of South
Mia. the Far East and Africa.
J!
The danger of the proliferation of
weapons is matched only by the other
potential disaster facing humanity —
overpopulation If present trends con-
tinue. Mexico, one century from today.
will have a larger population than the
Soviet Union and China combined. An
unchecked population in the poorer
lands will mean that the already
crowded island nation of Indonesia
would have 1:78 billion people in 100
years. or almost half the present pop-
ulation of the globe.
• The circle of danger can and must
be broken. A greater awareness of the
twin curses that haunt us — arms
proliferation and overpopulation — can
help meet the crisis Once people un-
derstand fully that only they
themselves can control the destiny of .
humanity. the solution will be at -least
within our grasp. •
;Games at Edmonton
Thank goodness .the. Com:
monwealth games were not being used
.for political purposes as were the Mon-
treal Olympics in 1976 — or for political
terrorism as in the 'Munich Olympics.
1972..
While it may be true that politics
are entrenched in every facet of socie-
ty and cannot be ignored. we should all
beable to divorce our serious side for
awhile in order to enjoy something
simply for.enjoyment.
Not. that- the hundreds -of athletes
participating in Edmonton . weren't
there to win medals and prestige for
their home countries.. mind you. but
really it is the game itself which is
most important here.
The colourful- magnificence -of -the- -
dpening ceremapies and the modest,
but meaningful speech from Queen
Elizabeth served to create the kind of
non-political atmosphere essential to
the Games which are in themselves a
symbol of man's acheivement and of
his potential.
And after all, in spite of the puffed
tfg importance that politicshas been
getting lately — what other form of
-human behaviour and misunderstan-
ding in the world?
The Commonwealth Games, like
the Olympics. are simple to unders-
tand. There are winners and - losers
The action is physical: the completed
_ feats measurable and comparable to
past performances.
• And.most of all. as the Queen said,
they are 'an opportunity for people of
many nations to meet and become
- friends with others -in -a spirit-of-happy.--
but
pirit=ofhappy.—
but earnest - competition . learning
how to live as one people. •---
Who's responsible?
Huron County can be excused if its
re , etion_-to---t - - to scare is
.one of confusion.
Immunize. no matter what. we
hear on the one hand. Polio- vaccine
' isn't necessary for those over 30. we're
told the next day. And anyway. the s
no need for all this fuss , . . the lio
cases are in Oxford County. which is•
not exactly on our doorstep.
There -seems to, be province wide
confusion about the extent of the polio
•
risk and -the precautions. if any. all of
us should take. There is ,little co-
ordination in the statements from
public health people at province. coup
ty and local levels. -
Is it logical to have special advert !
tised polio clinics in the northern part"
- of Perth County while south Huron peo-
ple...geogr-aphically 'much closer. .to
affected Oxford County get t shots
only if they call the health unit. their
doctor'. 7
An emergency like the polio scare
in Oxford shows that Ontario lacks a
.united voice. consensus on an issue
that'scrucial to everyone's health.
We think that's something to be -
concerned about.
The polio outbreak is a •com-
plicated subject and we realize that out
of necessity the, media or those who
talk to them over-siippli( in the int
terests of being understood.
But the multitude of conflicting in-
structions the public has been getting
hasn't helped anyone ' We need public health authorities
at all levels saying approximately the
same thing.
The-y've got time. we hope. before
.the next communicable disease out-
break to get together and do just that.
Meanwhile. we he public have to •
take some of the blame for the current -
confusion. Public health ppeeg�ple have
been hammering away for ydrs telling
• 1
,t
"Crime doesn't par,- -- at least not till you get caught and write your r
BATT'N AROUND ... , ... with the editor
Basking in the sun?
By the time readers get. around to
glimpsing through this epistle.. the
writer will be soaking up the sunshine
(along with the black flies and mos-
quitoes) in the Elliott Lake district
While not being a real pessimist' ex-
perience has shown in previous years
that our annual holiday sojourn will no
doubt be accompaniedby a severe
change in the weather.
—So: if-vou're-one of-those,who are fed -
up with'this.hot. dry slimmer most of
us have been enjoying -to the fullest this
year. take heart...a change is probably
in store right now. .
Actually. this summer's weather has
.been reminiscent of what most people
recall of those hot. lazy times of their
childhood. It's been. bare -foot -weather
shift more attention to national and In-
ternatonal problems to get any news.
Some final comment on the Fleck
'strike appears justified. although there
may be some merit in the argument
that it i4 best to let sleeping dogs rest.
Throughout the course of the strike,
several visiting newsmen l who seem
to have a "thing" about -showing -up in
our area only" when things are going
bad kept•asking the question of how
the situation was affecting the com-
munity as a whole
Our stock answer was. that outside
those directly involved.. the majority of
people were simply mystified with the
1 e near -
P -0 _' s uP• drought conditions have not been
• But hardly anyone. unless they're welcomed by area farmers and we avid
travelling to Europe or have just
stepped om a rusty nail bothers
Parents have -even been lax about mak-
ing sure babies get their first vital
polio. diptheria. tetanus etc. shots. -
How many family doctors include a
round of booster shots in patients oc-
casional health check ups? Would it be
feasible to do so?
Former Huron MOH Dr. Frank
Mills has been quoted in the Globe and
Mail as saying the province ought to
' Makeimmunization-compulsory. But is
legislation. the answer -rather --than~ in-_
dividual responsibility? _
Certainly we need to. understand
that communicable` diseases like polio
don't disappear just because there
aren't any cases for a few years. They
are held in check only by a high level of
immunization among the population.
Some people object to immuniza-
tion on religious grounds and they have
every -right to their beliefs. But do they
put the rest of us at risk?
Some of us are lazy' or forgetful
about keeping our immunities up. Polio
will happen to the other guy. never to
us.
, Perhaps both .the confusion about
what to do about polio shots and our
laxness in keeping our, booster shots up
to date stem partly from the same
source. '
We're looking- for someone to tell
us what to doh to spoon feed us. the ab-
solutely correct answer. We don't want
to inform ourselves and take personal
responsibility for informed decisions,
We don't -really want to, have to
make choices. to know details. even
about something as important as our
own health.
•
urban gardeners. it's been nothing
short of incredible -for holtda_vers
'Now -_if nature ran just prolong "it
- - through to the middle -of --December we
may be ready to face another Huron
County winter'
Is that it'
a s',:ep 6ees+F 14,:
rents Estobbshed 1673 Adt.ocole Es,obl,shed 188'
ji!leAdvPcate
• SERVING CANADA'S UST FARMLAND
C.W.N.A.. O!W.N.A. CLASS -'A' and ABC
Published by J. W. Seely Pub1 ationtrlimifed
LORNE EEDY, PUSLIStIER
Editor — Sill Batten "
Assistant Editor — Rem Hough
Advertising Manager — Jim Beckett
''Cevnpositien Manegor — Harry DeVries
&winos Manager — Dick Jongkind
Phone 235-1331
*CNA
Huron Expositer
A^•o1gomor ed 1924
Published Eatli Thursday Morning
at Exeter, Ontario
Std Class Mail . ' —
Rogistroiien Number 03S6 - -
Paid in Advent. Ciisulotlon
Septernber 3Q, 1975 5,469
SUSSCRIPTi9N RATES: Canada 111-.00 For Year; USA 522.0
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Unlike many jobs. producing a week-
ly newspaper does ndt become -easier
when things slow down for the
summer. In fact. it is basically the op-
posite as journalists have to dig harder
for items with which to fill the blank
spots between the advertisements.
. • That's why'the editor has decided
that now is an ideal time to fly the
eoop.:With theFleck strike having been
settled, we just- ccati-'t--imagine_ftom
where those news -items are goingTo--
come.
The custodians at the Huron County
schools have signed a contract. so it
appears that there won't even • be a
strike there fp disrupt school opening
and provide some news copy
First thing we know. ever one's go-
ing to be happy with•his het lot in life
-in the area and the T -A will have to
• - • , _. . GI lM 1
YiFp,p,j,�y�
moire "
i1
TODAYCHILD •
BY HELEN ALLEN
THE TORONTO _ j d SYNDICATE
lieu' is a handsome 9-yeag'old, Indian in descent,
with .brown eyes and dark hair. He is in good health,
though small for his age. His' pleasant smile is matched
by his personality.
Paul is a bit behind in school because he did not get
started early. He did well in Grade 2, however and should
continue in Grade 3 because he likes school.
An amiable fellow, Paul makes friends readily with
people of all ages. Ile plays hockey in winter and in
summer he enjoys 'camping, canoeing and especially
fishing. He is a good swimmer and diver.
Paul- can fit into a family with or without other chil-
dren. It is important that his adopting parents give him
time to adjust to a new family:and encourage him, with-
out pre sure.,10 continue the good academic progress he
has m}ide.
To ' inquire .about adopting Paul, please write to
Today's Child.` Ministry of Community' and Social Ser-
vices, Box 888, •. Station K. Toronto M4P 2H2. In your
letter tell something of your present family and your way
of life.
• For general information about adoption contact your
loeal Children's Aid Society.
non -strikers can now be expecte .to
work side by side without showing any •
of the anger or, resentment that was-
created.
ascreated. • i► .
By slowly moving the strikers back
into the work force, the company may
overcome some of the problem. but it
is not an enviabl—task-for a �• of those
involved.
-
People unfortui ately .do not forgive
. an forget overnight. although it will be
to the credit of those involved if they
can achieve that goal. in a short dura-
tion.
Y. .
suaporters.and the vindictiveness tha
1 • 1
e
t ----capabilities of athleteswho-earl--per-
was evident among some of our fellow
form in bruising. contact sports
!sometimes almost brutally) and then
sit around after and share a moment of
somaradie with their opponents.
Hopefully. the people at Fleck will
use- the same amount of fortitude and
determination to heal the_w•ounds as
they did in opening them•.
residents.... - • •
-
With the exception of those who were
hindered in their -movement through
the gates at Huron Park or who found
themselves in the middle of this squab-
ble. the -strike_had_little affect on the
majority.
However. there is little doubf thakit
probably hardened the general attitude
that unions in today's society often
over -step the mark and continue to lose
favor with the general public. The
public is too often used as the pawn ias
evidenced by the post office and air-
lines workers 1 in union -management
conflicts and'the UAW made a mistake
by hindering the public in their fight
against Fleck. however worthy that
fight may have been
-
There are no apparent winners in the
strike settlement. although the strikers
did win the union security for which
they were battling.
Howeverethe bitterness and vindic-
tiveness of the battle will linger on for
a long time. and it is extremely dif-
ficult to imagine how the strikers and
•
Sugar and Spice
Dispensed by Smiley
Bell peals for dill •
Your heading this week is mis-
leading. When this appears. Bill Smiley
will be in Rome or somewhere. tossing
nuns in a fountain The perpetrator of
the following. is Roger Bell. a -young
English teacher. poet. motorcyclist
and general disturber of the status quo
He is also a wit. satirist of the first
order. idealist. lousy golfer. and un-
usual farmer. His radishes •look like
red softballs. Take it away.Roger
I an. as Smiley stated in his rather
flattering introduction. a novice motor-
cyclist. recently introduced to this
liberating and exhilarating pastime
Lately. however. this freedom and ex-
citement have become tempered by
all-consupting fear. and I am falling
victim to a psychological malady call-
ed Highway-Biway Paranoia •
it happens almost everytime 1 crank
up my two -wheeled beast and ramble
down the roadways — some idiot. in his
four -wheeled. gas -guzzling monstrosity
attempts to verify the natural law
which states that. if struck by an auto.
bounce 12 times on his cranium before
skidding to a halt on gravel -gouged
-hands and knees.
it has reached the point where i
question how most of these pilots of
destruction received their licences in
the first place. Some. obviously. were
given the right to run over•anvthing
that twitches. in the days when a
driver's requirements consisted only of
being able to see the end of his nose.
and have the abllityto spit and walk
simultaneously. Others must have
received their permits from mail-
order universities or ' boxes of
Crackerjacks A third group is those
•
having connections high up in the
Ministry. of Transport. The rest. I sup-
pose. were granted licences out of
sheer desperation by harrassed ex-
aminers who were afraid of further
risking their lives witft.those people in
future tests
• .By now you're feeling I have an
overblown ego. 'This turkey." you
scream. "thinks he is the world's best
drjver • - i am. At least. 1 have to feel
that I am. in order to survive the army
of motorized assassins who lurk in the
asphalt jungle surrounding my home.
'This army has all types of killers.
each trained-initisuwn-special method -
of annihilation.
There are the snails. those
decelerated demons who poke .along.
waiting for some unsuspecting victim
to hurtle into them from behind and get
a mouthful of taillight.
- At the opposite eqd of the spectrum.
are the quicksilvers. who feel that
dogs. kids and little old ladies are
hindering them in their attempts at
setting a new land speed record.
The gawkers usually inhabit country
roads These are rabberneckers who,
slackjawed at nature's beauty or in-
toxicated by the aroma of fresh cow
dung. allow their vehicles to meander
drunkenly across center lines. onto the
shoulder. wherever
There are also the creepers. -those
timorous souls who halt at stop signs,
then nose forward into traffic. and
their black -sheep cousins the ig-
norants. who feel that God pot them on
earth to be aggressive Why should
they yield the right of way? Let the
other slob stop -
One disturbing aspect of the settle-
ment was an indication that the union
and company would attempt to use
their influence -to have charges laid un-
der the Criminal Code dropped for
those who ran afoul of .the. law during
the strike. • .
While that- may appear to be a
reasonable attitude. it is a matter that.
is entirely out of their hands. To scrap
the charges. would in effect. condone
infringement of public rights and
damage to private pr9Pertv..and bodily
• hamar---.• -- - •--
, The UAW woutd lnaeed= be: wise to_...
drop charges laid under the Ontario
Labor Relations Act in an effort to im-
prove their public image, but those
charged under the Criminal Code must
be brought before the courts to answer.
for their conduct.
PLEASANT PERSONALITY
_ We have the opposites, a curiously
contrary bunch who signal a left turn.
then swing right. catching unwary
fools who follow the rules by surprise.
Occasionally they will cross up poten-
tial victims by not signalling at alL_
then abruptly changing direction.,
' Finally. we examine he just plain
malicious. those loonies wo delight in
scaring the hell out of othbrs by ap-
proaching at Warp Factor Five from
--behind; then tailgating for five miles.
They gleefully speed up when someone
attempts to pass them. leaving the
passer stranded and fair game for on=-
coming cars. They slobber with Joy
when they can -run a cyclist into the
. ditch or squash someone's family pet
They are the most formidable and
dangerous road 'opponents because. in-
stead of being incompetent. they are
irrational.
What frightens me more is that. in-
stead of declining. this horde of
motorized maniacs is proliferating in
view•pf this. i have some solutions for
self-defense.
I could mount' a recoilless 30 mm
tank cannon on my handlebars. When
ever the need arose. i could blast the
offender to Kingdom Come. and sail
obliviously onward.
i could buy a war surplus tank and
clank fearlessly along, crunching
snails and opposites undertread.
secure in the knowledge that whoever
ran into me would suffer more than I.
The government could come to my
dawn memory lane,
55 Years Ago Exeter from overseas -where
Ff.undreds of acres of what---ia-,e: pan}• with Dr. W.G
has been almost waste land Hardy of .Edmonton he`a
will he reclaimed for tended a meeting of -
agricultural purposes by the International Ice ..of
dredging of the Aux Sables .association of which - D
River frem,,Grand Bend. tb Hardy is president.
Port Franks. Already three Exeter Legion b ilding
miles of the work is con- fund rade to $2.000 1 st week
pleted and it is expected that when.$25 was rece•ed from
the work will be co pleted the Winchelsea 'Id Boys
this fall. The sche ie -has_ _reunion.
been undertaken y the It dro elec ric• power
Canada Sand Co. saving regu tions were:
A speeding eve of in- announced 1 st week. in-
terest to local horsemen -was eluding the anning of out-
held.,on the race•coursi• on' dpor lightin: and lighting -of.
Wednesday afternoon of last store wind w•s. -
week and although the event 2• Years Ago'.
was not advertised. it at- Kinsm: }Deputy Governor
tracted a. fair number of Bill Mir le of Hensall in -
spectators. :Several, in town ducted e officers of Exeter
are training horses for - fhe Kinsmen and Kinettes in a
fall speed events. • joint ceremony at Arm •
-
Mr.' Victor -Hogarth. of strong's Restaurant Thur-
S`thphen_Twp.: who. a s made_ _sdav night_. Gord Baynhant •
a speciality of raising - iiid Mrs. Ray - Frayne- will
chickens. has 'accepted a- lead the respective clubs
position to -run -a chicken during the coming year.-
ranch for Silverwood. of ,Cpl. George E.
London next year. Noseworthy NCO in charge
of the photographic section,'
RCAF Station, Centralia,
won second prize at Western
Fair this we k for a spot.
news pictur Princess
ilargaret during he ecent
visit to Stratford.
Pal Lovell proved this
week that city girls have no
monopoly on -pulchritude
when she won the Miss
Western Ontario title at
Windsor, • She can plow a
furrow as straight as most
men.
' •15 Years Ago
The district's newest
airport. Sexsmith, will hold
its first fly -in this Sunday
between 11:30 and 2:30.
Mayor Eldrid Simmons
suggested at council netting
Tuesday night that the town
should take a closer look at
its lighting needs. He "said
the Plt(' will soon be unable
10 finance new installations
30 Years Ago on a 20-yeiir. basis without
Highway 83 from Exeter either raising hydro rates -or
to Dashwood which for the asking The town to float a
past two year's has been debenture and thereby
- under construction is now in adding to the mill rate.
excellent condition for The congregation of Trivitt
travel. Memorial Anglican Church
Mrs Ina Sanders formerly will celebrate the 75th an -
of Exeter. • was elected niversary of the Church this
delegate to attend the.. Sunday with special services
Conservative convention , in al which two •men -with past
Ottawa on September 30. connections with the.church
Mr. Al Pickard arrived in will preach.
The registration in the
Exeter High School has
reached a new high. The
Board has found it necessary
-to add a sixth room and
engage a sixth teacher` The
- basement of the public
library has been secured for
the primary room.
Four young men of the
Main Street Sunday School
gave addresses in Main
Street United Church on .
Sunday morning last in the
absence bf the pastor ,who is
on vacation. The young men
were Maurice Ford. Howard
Dignan, Bruce Medd and
Lyle Statham. The theme of
their dicourses w s 'Life
Investment", and • t�gave
excellent addresses that
were greatly appreciated by
the congregation. Mc. C.E.
Tuckey was in charge of the
service
•
aid and institute a new licensing system with. only two
categories — Good and Bring in the Ambulances. Those
drivers in the latter category would be required to have
flashing neon signs on their car roofs to warn good drivers of
their presence.'giving us time to seek sanctuary.
it is. unlikely. however, that these solutions will prove
accepfable to the powers that be. so I will continue my pre-
sent tactics of self-defense — riding along with fear in my
mouth and a wail of profanity around me so thick that a jet -
powered Mack truck couldn't penetrate.
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