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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1981-10-07, Page 41 Page 4 • •- • • • t• tvamemaumumn • \ Imes -/"advocate Times Established 1873 Advocate Established 1881 Amalgamated 1924 1 i 1 I Second Class Mail Registration Number 0386. Phone 235-1331 Serving South Huron, North Middlesex & North Lambton Since 18Z3 Published by J.W. Eedy Publications Limited - IORNE EEDY Publisher Il.v1 BECKETT Ad\ert -ing Manager 131L1 BATTEN Editor HARRY DEVRIES Composition Manager ROSS HAUGH Assistant Editor DICK JONGKIND Business Manager Published Each Wednesday Morning at Exeter, Ontario SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada $17.00 Per Year: USA S35.00 C.W.N.A., O.C.N.A. CLASS'A' and 'ABC' More pressing issues Canadians woke up last week with hope stirring in their breasts that the wrangling over Canada's con- stitution would be settled. The matter was before the Supreme Court and the learned Judges were to make known their decision so the matter could be resolved once and for all. That hope has now become somewhat of a night- mare. The confusing decision has led those on each side of the debate to signal a victory. Obviously there can not be solely winners in any contest and now the nation is faced with further fighting not only on the constitutional matter, but an interpretation of the court's decision. It's the type of decision that makes politicians and Mes editorial writers delirious with, joy. They can come down on either side of the fence and know they have some backing for their comments. However, they misjudge the attitude of most Canadians if they plan to continue the wrangling and stick to their guns. Most people are fed up with the issue and want it resolved so more important concerns can be tackled and resolved. Obviously, there is now a need for compromise on the part of Prime Minister Trudeau and his provincial opponents. The quicker the better, because the con- stitution is far from the most pressing problem in this country. Wedding costs mount Prince Charles is obviously among those who ques- tion the validity of the old adage that "two can live as cheaply as one." The 32 -year-old crown prince, who exchanged vows with then Lady Diana Spencer on July 29, raised a few hackles with his recent announcement that he is going to grant himself a 50 percent pay increase to offset the costs of married life. That 50 percent amounts to $250,450 and brings his annual salary to $751,350. Perhaps Lady Diana brought along some expensive tastes? 4 Fortunately, for England's economy, Prince Charles is among the few who can grant himself a pay increase. The British government has been curbing pay increases in state-owned corporations to four per- cent for about one million civil servants and raises in other segments have been averaging less than 10 per- cent. Those falls from a polo pony must have affected Prince Charles' vision of the economic situation in England! Let's stand tough Events of the past couple of weeks indicate that the United States is more than a little miffed at Cana- dian actions aimed at achieving greater independence from foreign domination in this country. The American Congress is bent on enacting legislation which would sharply limit Canadian investment in business ventures south of the border. Last week Prime Minister Trudeau and President Reagan sat down for some plain talk in Grand Rapids, Michigan and apparently neither one backed down on his stand on the matter of business control. The Americans are particularly disturbed by the Canadian government's intention to control a major portion of the petroleum industry in this country, at the price of forcing American owners to sell some of their shares. Although we have found it difficult to agree -with very much of Mr. Trudeau's attitudes and activities of late, we do agree with his decision to stand tough in the face of American pressure. It is high time we stood on our own feet where our domestic resources are con- cerned. Nor would it be wise of the American govern- ment to get too tough with us. Our resources, especial- ly petroleum, natural gas and fresh water, will soon be vital necessities, more readily obtained from good friends than from subjugated neighbours. The Reagan administration has obviously deter- mined upon a tough -guy stance before the world. The president and his secretary of state, Alexander Haig, have taken to telling the Soviets just where to get off, they have opted for production of the neutron bomb and they seem out to prove to the world -at -large America will not be pushed. With the Russians it's a risky business. With Canadians it's poor bargaining. (Wingham Advance Times) Pass the bologna, please Due to the inclement weather and current economic conditions. this year's Thanksgiving may leave a little to be desired for some area residents. but a note from the St. John Ambulance people this week indicates it is also full of dangers. Their notice regarding the dangers of this festive season starts out by telling of a hospital in a small community in southeastern Ontario that reports they have at least two or three people come into emergency with foot injuries every Thanksgiving and Christmas At cursory glance it was fully expected the article would go on to relate the danger of not being prepared for the first skiff of snow or the patch of ice near the doorway. Perhaps it was going to be a warning about rushing out to greet your mother-in-law with a big hug and having her jump on your foot in the head -long rush to show affection? But no. it was something much more sinister than any of those situations which can lead to foot injuries. Seems that this hospital is called on to treat people who have dropped a slippery. frozen turkey on their foot Having been apprised of the lurking danger of the traditional Thanksgiving menu. the writer has decided in the in- terest of safety that he will serve up his anneal delicacy of bologna sandwiches. No doubt it will meet with cries of anguish from the invited guests. but at least I'll be able to walk comfortably to the favorite chair and watch the after- noon's baseball and football activities without having to borrow a pair of crutches or ice packs to treat an,injured foot. While readers may discount the probability of dropping the turkey on their foot, it should be pointed out this area of concern is only one of many con- tained in the press release from the St. John Ambulance people. In fact. it contained no less than four pages outlining the many dangers in- herent in the kitchen, ranging from the possibility of removing a few fingers in the food processor or by a slip of the car ving knife through to severe scalds and burns from improperly placed tea kettles and pots of boiling water. It all sounds much akin to a horror story and they augment the frightening picture with a note from the Canadian Standards Association which recommends that you do not use the oven door as a shelf for a heavy object (such as the turkey) because it could slide and BATT'N AROUND with the editor break the door or worse yet, tip the whole stove "with drastic results. ' After dutifully reading the do and don'ts outlined. the writer has decided that it is just not worth the risk, even to prepare bologna sandwiches. No doubt I'd inflict some serious injury with the butter spreader' Better that I join the Irish hunger- strikers...the chances of living longer appear weighted in their favor. The warnings from St. John Am- bulance are just the first in a long list of press releases that will be coming across the desk in the next couple of days. The home economists from the ministry of agriculture and food can be expected to send along their annual war- ning about food poisoning from improper storage of the turkey prior to cooking and also the stomach pumping that will be required if you put the dressing in too soon before cooking. No sooner will they be received, than the same experts will be sending along recipes for left -over turkey. Each of those will contain warnings about im- proper storage of the bird after all the good parts have been devoured by the ravenous guests, as well as strict in- structions to remove any dressing from the bird's cavity. The paradox is that somewhere between the two mailings will come a press release from some agency set up to outline the troubles beingexperiencedby the starving populations of countries around the world. Well, if they can judge from the notices from the first aid people and the food experts, those poor, starving people just don't realize how lucky they really are not to have to worry about all the pit- falls of preparing, eating and storing the Thanksgiving dinner. They're obviously much better off tak- ing their chances fighting the rats for what's left in the garbage cans. • • Now that students at SHDHS are back to the books, one group will be busy put- ting out the annual year book and it no doubt will contain the usual predictions for members of the graduating class. Of interest to a few readers is that the writer has come into possession of the "E.H.S. Review" written in December of 1930, with Charles Pearce being one of the principal organizers. He is a resident of Brantford and one of those who came back for last year's home -coming. One of the interesting prognostications made in that review was that Joe Creech would become a circus manager. I'll leave it up to Joe to decide how close he came to that, but for those who don't know. he became not a circus manager, but a high school principal. It may be close! Dorothy (Camm) Hern was to.beoome a missionary, while Archie Etherington was destined to be a porter. The review delved into Wally Seldon's love life at the time, but best leave that for another occasion. 4 The returns are discouraging It's been a tough day. This morning, I ducked home from work to say goodbye to daughter Kim and the grandboys, who are off to Hull. (Dear proof-reader, that is Hull, Que., not Hell.) Kim has given up on teaching school, although she was offered a promo- tion at her last school. She loved teaching and threw herself into it with the enthusiasm of a knight setting off for the Crusades. Her summing-up was honest, but not bitter: "When you put every ounce of your energy, enthusiasm, imagination and belief in the best values in life into a job, and receive in return apathy, sullenness, in- difference, and even physical violence, there must be some better job around somewhere," Right on. I spent a week with her last spring, and she still retained a vestige of those attributes, but it was wearing thin. I'm amazed that any young person wants to get into teaching. In the twilight of my own teaching career, I can look back and see some of the pleasures: summer holidays; the occasional class that was fun, and bright. and made you feel like a kindly uncle. And that's the list. There's something terribly wrong with our educational system, but it's too complicated to put my finger on, in this space. When I've retired I plan to be appointed to a Commission (at 1100 a day) to examine the problems, make a report, and have it ignored. Anyway, Kim is off to Hull, the anus of Quebec. She wants to learn French, expose her children to it, and find a job. I think she must have glimpsed those headlines a few weeks ago, stating that our top civil servants were the highest paid in the world. And about a third of the civil servants Sugar and Spice Dispensed By Smiley holy terror in fights among lumberjacks. She has dozens of cousins in the area, on both the Quebec and On- tario side, whom she has never seen. Tonight, if the Datsun holds up, she'll be staying with her aunt Flora, in Perth, whom she hasn't seen , are in Hull, just across from Ottawa. Maybe she'll hit it lucky and Pierre Trudeau will fall in love with her and marry her. She's just about the right age for him, under half his. And this would give him a family of five boys. Another couple and he'd have a hockey team, and in 1999 Canada might win the Canada Cup. But all this is as likely as yours truly going to Heaven. They left in a battered Datsun that uses a quart of oil to a quart of gas, has to have the radiator filled every 20 miles, and has tires of tissuepaper. It's an eight hour drive. I'm praying, something I seldom do, except when I get in a mess, fall on my knees, and plead, "For God's sake, God, get me out of this." Like most people. But, by golly, Kim is going back to her roots, whether she knows it or not. Back to the Ottawa Valley, where her great- grandmother was an itinerant music teacher, her great -great uncle a since she was about four months old. Flora will feed her with food, homilies, good ad- vice, dozens of addresses, and spunk. The last will be needless, because Kim has lots of it, but they can exchange a bit of spunk, and maybe a few angles on feminism or whose children/grandchild are the best/worst. Kim might even see the house where her father was bungled up. Or the river where he used to catch fish. Or the school in which he took seven years to get through the normal five. Only one problem. She saved enough money while teaching up North to keep her going for a few months, but she needs a job. There's little chance of her getting one in Hull, where you must speak French. She got 54 in French in high school, and what she learned there would barely enable her to order a meal unless it was "un chien hot" or "des poissons et french frieds." That's where the old man comes in. Danged if I'll buy her a new car. Danged if I'll pay her rent, although she can stay here, free, as long as she wants. Danged if I'll send her money when she can go on welfare. But I do have some old friends in Ottawa. How would she like to be the receptionist of Dr. Nor- man Lightford, a dental surgeon? Or should I start right at the top? My old friend Robert Cameron, late Canadian Ambassador to Poland, might need a girl to bring coffee during his morning breaks. Dave McIntosh, a Cana- dian Press journalist for more years than he cares to mention, might find her a job as a research assistant. He is now a successful author, and might want to find out where he was born, and who his girl -friend was in Grade 1, for the new book he's writing. Kim can even type better than Dave does. How about ,Jannie Meisel, as we used to know him at Varsity, before he became a professor at Queen's, and more recently, head of the CRTC? Surely he'd have a spot for a girl who is unilingual, uniisexual, and has a couple of kids who know something of the Cree Indian tongue? I can see that.I'm going to have to spend a long time on the typewriter, knocking off liters to people who say, when their secretaries bring in the mail, marked "per- sonal", "Bill who" But Paul Gormley will find a spot for her. He worked in Public Relations for half the agencies in Ottawa, loves music, and has a soft spot for my wife. No problem, Kim. Curious, but not loyal It was pouring rain, and had been for half an hour. In fact, it was raining harder now than it had been when we first came up to the tracks. The rain was overdue, and I, for one, had no umbrella. I wished that I'd not given in to my wife who was surely quite sentimental about these things. I should go home, leave her and the kids to wait and soak and catch pneumonia in the rain. I looked around and saw that others were not im- patient. There was no foot stamping, no loud or row- dy voices. There were many there, rough -faced men in hard hats, women, and some teenagers sit - slowly in, surprisingly long. There were cries of "Here it comes," and Perspectives By Syd Fletcher ting up on top of a roof hoping to get a better view. Children excitedly waved Canadian flags. At last the train came then a long cheer that continued and continued with no let up. We were close, close enough to touch the shiny sides almost, close enough to feel vibrations beneath our feet. Then the last car came and on the little platform stood the royal couple, smiling gracious- ly and waving. I could not understand the sudden rush of emo- tion I felt, a tear trickl- ing, betraying me. Yet no one looked to discover it. I had been curious about royalty visiting Ingersoll and a little amused at the big crowd swelling the sides of the railway tracks for a one minute passthrough. Curious, but tint loyal. Surely not. r'