Times-Advocate, 1981-11-25, Page 4Page 4
Times -Advocate, November 73, 1951
1r►,r. f.tahlished 1873
Ads ot-ate Established 1881
\n►aleamated 1924
• It
dvocate
Serving South Huron, North Middlesex
& North Lambton Since 1873
Published by I.W. iEedy Publications Limited
((1R\I HO)
I1)
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4d.r`rI,•irtt; \1,1113t:er
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1 d,h►r
11MRR1 t111RI1s
( 1►n1pc.ition Manager
ROSS
4..i.tant Editor
DICk ION(iKIND
Bum oy.• hian.lger
Published Each Wednesday Morning at Exeter, Ontario
Second Class Mail Registration Number 0386.
Phone 235-1331
SUBSCRIPTION RATES: •
Canada $17.00 Per Year: USA $35.00
C.W.N.A., O.C.N.A. CLASS 'A' and 'ABC!
Need courses, indeed
. In an editorial last week it was noted that the
ministry of education is considering the implementa-
tion of "lifeskills" courses for every secondary school
in Ontario. the fear being that students do not have the
requirements to meet the current demands of the work
force or in their private lives.
If those courses are designed to teach those in
secondary schools the reality of what is going on
around them. then they should be initiated immediate-
ly in Huron. Not for the students. however. but for the
teaching staff:
The first lesson should be that now is not the time
to be greedy in negotiations for wages and benefits.
and there is no other word to describe the attitude of
the teachers in holding out for more than the current
offer from the board of education which would push
the maximum salary to $36.200.
The courses should also include some instruction
for the teachers on economics. geography and current
events. They are obviously badly out of tune.
If they knew anything about those topics they'd un-
derstand that taxpayers in Huron Count- are currently,
having economic problems of worrisome proportions. - .
particularly in the agriculture industry. the main,
economic base of this county.
Another course could include some instruction in
human relations. It would reveal to the teachers that
Huron taxpayers probably agree with their assess-
ment 'that the board's latest offer is unacceptable.
However, it is for a different reason than the teachers.
Most taxpayers would quickly point out the offer is
already too generous in view of the average income in
the county. the state of the economy and the fact that
education taxes are already excessive.
A review of the fact finder's report on the
negotiations shows several other areas in which the
teachers are demanding unrealistic staffing and work-
ing conditions.
Chief negotiator Shirley Weary indicates the two
sides need some "breathing space" before resuming
negotiations. Hopefully the teachers can work in some
of the aforementioned courses during that period. get
out of space and back down to earth to realize just how
fortunate they are in comparison to those who pay the
bills in Huron.
Are they totally devoid of common sense and an
appreciation for what is going on around them?
Should visit customers
Canada's banks are starting to tighten up on
credit. and a lot of smaller firms have been caught in a
real hind
While the six• -high interest rates that have prevail-
ed during the last year or more have certainly cut
profits tor small firms. some nervous hankers are
pushing entrepreneurs to pay back part of their loans to
reduce the banks' risk In some' cases. this is even
haprtening customers who have not missed interest
nr loan ;tas'ments
A :'fa-•ent :•er'ort on small huffiness lending. financed
r,i;n:'•a• ),'. the banks and the federal government. in-
.11C'atrS the financial institutions have a problem
eclti: at Ing An;; t;'almng bank managers This is one
:•e:,`.,r flit `rankers and particularlc those in smaller
h• Pm-hcs would lather maks: car or haat loam. than
extend credit to businesses for machinery or other
productive equipment.
In a lot of cases the bankers simply don't understand
the businesses operated by their customers. nor do
they appear to be trying. Many bank managers have
never visited the businesses they lend money to. at
least until difficulties occur.
Perhaps the time has come for the banks to get out
of the office and have a look at what's happening in the
real world of small business. rather than evaluating
the entrepreneurs on the basis of balance sheets and
profit and loss statements.
Stich visits could be a real eve opener for the bank
-r,;nagers. who would get a first-hand look at what is
:1ke:k to happen when they tighten credit.
Mainstream Canada
Bankers play with figures
,•1 9i; ;•v.•yl:Int n tapt)ntt wilt
mons • :,nr 111." hs s• rflwinf.
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nay:+n•' •h: t.,.it t1n►1:1'ttltpnt.' It hank.
r✓i ,n th, .mens• infn-rrintlne ns the
stnn:t•!mon 11 .'11.1'1,*s n• 41010-Itlin$r) it
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.:itrt, 'mss ►Pink• t1•r)Or+et, the it
1
t;''i`•: rtiit: nl, •:P -Trigs ant Irvtxtiment
•' •rif,:'iltr• nn-:,eriUi!r wants
Nov. de you soil wnnttr• wtt‘ the
hank• ti -r making excess."' trofits'
•
Ant; sneaking of :711Or-'s thr :)outer(
Secretariat for .Itivtl:'r? ha. -even*
issuer'. t: htutkiet t'ntitier • :'-lmr it Ile
;;, Ariswp'r ' '^ht :•nine
lu h•nrtuire with Ii4ua, Pnvp-nrnpn'
tettups waste Winos. buil' it.. :1*•
r_•1,'n.
';hr ►innklet starts got.' h•. nntin;
n -stent• the mrlrt: ret"rem: ►+vldpnrt it
ti-3tv►trt►' tr snme 'rnrnrnnnl' • ht►1t
nt'•.•enttn►1~ in the next ruin:W-ant i'
.-mit-111110t‘ that `noted nurhnvs
eiiiritt; ilia 'thy pP'Petttinrt• ulpntifiei.
rml'. n' goer: not he widp!' hitt, ' "'r
to~Ihs$ : nail$ s' the intentint rr thr
►tnnklp; i• Ens nr tr st]s I' ar
ogrn~tonic' tr present toot., whirr urn
rho( tit -thy• liith' anti i' t'. honor• ft nta4
sl•inp rnnttnnnls heir nttarnnrr!t'
iron,eally. two pages of the booklet
designed to give Ontario toxthe
real picture and statistics one. are
devoted to explaining the many
limitations of crime statistics.
Now. if you're still wondering how
valuable this booklet is In revealing all
the facts and statistics about crime. the
real clincher comes In answer to the
question about the accuracy of crime
statistics.
it stag In black and white (the four
calor portion is nn the opposite page
that much of the actual crime:ln Ontario
Is not reported or detected ''Although
the evidence is not precise tlpttimates
suggest that reported crime can re�re-
sent from W to R[►f, of actual arlme
with a great deal nf variation among
specific crimp
The conclusion one must reach u
that without precise evidence, and surely
variation from s0fti to iSO`~ Moves cott-
siderabte doubt about how precise things
are the statistics 'In the 'Wok are
meaningle
Rut the really bed new is yet to
rome The authors of the booklet note
thn• "what may he perceived to'be true
nhnu: crime today may take on a
different perspective at a tato-date:
That means. that at semolina date.
wry nor expect the Pmvineial 9eard*rtat
(nr Justice to publish a costly anti un-
warranted update
1t rea1h- ISa crime hoar tint tiD11ars
are wasted anti that is net a myth or
rnrnmonly hard mtsroneeptinn.
-<'•-X9"5.•
tam• '�.��•�.�-'~••;'.��,•
" i1 hat a nightmare — democracy in El Salvador, a SALT agreement,
detente, peace everywhere... ! "
Facing the retirement question
To be or not to be?
Retired. that is. This is
the question that many
codgers of my age or near
it grapple with in those
lonely dark hours of the
night when you've had too
much coffee and can't get
into the ravelled sleeve of
care. as Shakespeare put
it Or get to bloody sleep.
as some of his less
flowery countrymen
would put it. •
It's a question that has
also stirred a great deal
of agitation among
sociologists. medical
reporters. and old guys
who are • healthy as trout
and are about to be kicked
out at the age of 65 with a
speech. a copper watch.
and a pension that will
have them eating dog
food by the time they are
618. It used to be a gold
watch Not no more. not
with gold hovering around
the $400 -an -ounce mark.
In fact just the other
day. I dug nut me father's
gold watch which was
given me nn his death by
my mother because '1
was her favorite I have
never worn it because I
don't wear vests and Ws
i big hea s'y brute that
must he slipped into a
vest pocket. You can't
wear t t On Your wrist. or
put it in vour hip pocket.
It's as big as an alarm
clock
1 took a long look at it.
and if it hadn't been Sun-
day. might have hustled
dawn to my friendly gold
buyer But Roots. or
Conscience. or Common
Sense. took over. and I
sadly put it away again.
wrt'h such other
memorabilia as my war
medals. mv hip waders.
and a fading picture of
mv first real girlfriend. in
a box in the basement
Roots told me it was a
precinus symbol that
should he passed nn to mv
eldest son rif which '1
have only one. Conscience
told me it was a rotten.
thing to do. And Common'
Sense told me that there
was probably about one-
eighth of an ounce of gold
in it
I am. however. holding
in reserve a broken tooth
with a gold inlay. When I
came back from overseas
and was discharged. I
was given a form to pre -
Sugar
and Spice
Dispensed By Smiley
sent to my own dentist.
listing the dental work to
be done. at government
expense.
He was a typical
WASP He looked at the
list of work. which was
quite extensive. after a
term nn short rations in
erector camp. and laugh-
ed '-Ho. ho. Bill. I ou
don't want all that gold
cluttering up your mouth.
This was signed by a
French-Canadiar..
They`re great for gold in
the teeth.' If that.dentist
is alive today. I would be
quite happy to strangle
hien.
I went along with him.
while nnting his pre-
hajudice. and instead of
ving a mouthful of gold.
I got one little inlay. If
he'd fnllnwed directions.
and counting the teeth
that have been pulled. or
fallen nut. or broken, my
mnuth would have been
worth about $4.000 today.
instead of maybe 86.
Vieli this hasn't much
tr dr with retiring. which
wry started nn way back
the hut it does show
who' inflation can do to a
mar
What about retiring? I
look around at'colleagues
who have chosen early
retirement. or who have
been forced to retire
because of that magic. ar-
bitrary number. 65.
Some are happy as
hummingbirds and swear
they would not even put
their noses back into the
old shoe factory (high
school Others are mis-
erable. plagued by illness
and a feeling of being
users. The latter drive
their wives out of their
respective minds. hang-
ing around the house. get-
ting in the way. edging
oto senility
Thus I waver. 1 thought
some years ago that I
would soldier on until 60.
Surely 40 years of work is
enough Then I am
swayed by my father-in-
law who recently retired
at K. and my wife. who
can barely stand me at
home for a weekend.
If we lived in a decent
climate. I'd probably be
retired and happy.
There's nothing I would
like better than -to saunter
down to the square. play a
game of chess with some
other old turkey. drink a
little vino. and watch the
girls gn by. . with cackling
remarks
Try that in the local
square. and they'd be car-
ting you off to the last
resting place. frnten solid
in a sitting position
Why don't we all give
up. we old gaffers" You
know why., fiecause we
are not old gaffers at all.
In my chest beats the
heart of a 15 -year-old
maiden 1 vrho has been
smoking since she was
two.'
In the old days. we'd be
retired. happily playing
chess or shooting pool.
because our sons woulJ
be looking after us. and
our wives would feea us
well. and know their
place. and our daughters-
in-law would be produc-
ing hordes of
grandchildren to light us
on our way.
These days. we are spill
looking after our sons.
and our wives are
avaricious and spoiled.
and our daughters-in-law
are already separated
from our sons and not
keen on having more than
one and a half children.
Oh. I keep my staff on
its toes. One day I an-
nounce firmly that I'm
going to retire next June.
Their faces light up and
they say. Oh. chid. how
can we get along without
you
Another day I say.
• • Well . ha ven ' t decided
yet What with inflation
and all. y'know..." And
their faces drop into feet..
and they say. "that's
great. chief. Now cwuld
we get along without
you?' And I stymie. To
myself
I've finally figured out
the solution. Retired
men. unless they have
some insane hobby. like
making rose trellises.
drive their wives crags.
1f my wife will sign a
written agreement. duly
witnessed. that she will
go out and get a job tale
once was a waitress.
shouldn't be any troublei
the moment l retire, Ial
do it
I don't want her bang-
ing around the house.
spoiling my retirement.
Only one needle available
i.nsi week i was talking
about how it was in the
first days of logging in tin,
British C'ntumhia in-
terior The aid gentlernar
who told me nhnut thrift(
days was ful', nf storm
that he hatl heard frorn
his mother and father on
the long winter evenings
back nn the farm
Thnugh i can certainly
remember my grand-
mother's nld wond-
burning stove and the nut -
door .privies. she at tease
tui 1 running water in the
house for drinking
Rack in the 1140's there
was only nue darning ner-
dIe in rine whole
townahlpp Many families
saved thentseltye the ex•
poise nf .new cinthes by
darning and mending ofd
ones The darning and
mending of the Whole
tnwrirhtl• depended on the
Slits' .
of this One needle.
1 naMM€c from one shanty
n- tit itruse to another
Ir tins• days. latmdrs-
ir Loper Ciin.uln (Ozi-
tariw it was Illegal to
hang men s and women's
underwear side hs- side
or the same clothesline.
• Perspectives
By Syd Fletcher
wa: i, real time. The
nigh. before wla y the
washing was sorted and
the white !things were
snaked m t'tie end Water.
Thar the nectt okay Knott kart
to heat all your miter on
the stove Rine 4d/tithes
were scrabbled 4tr.rr>ora ten
warthboartis 'vttth groves
or mown*? Anti
Ladies "tlitlnlMtion3bies"
were usually doled in-
droors on a Clothes rack
bidden from sight of im-
pressionable eh! liken.
He mentioned too about
surae of the beliefs .and
superstitions of 'Hutt era.
some of them stilt carried
on to this day.
if roti were baking n
cake and t hrew tfte
eggshells in the fire
before the cake goes in
the oven. the cake would
tall Nir cake miser? 1
it potatoes hail dry .on
the stove. n is sure to
rain
it is had luek to let a
kettle go dry ' A'harf? No
automatic lhl1t•ttlf" )
If 'your fire won't burn.
your hest friend is speak-
ing evilt}' of you (-glow 1
know why .I can never gilt
my fireplace to inert 1.
'Vol- those .if you \Who
enjoy readimlg Syti
Fletetter's Permeettves
column for knlrw Of -a
friend wNho 'reads ift
regillat+ht•. the :Exeter
Times Advocate its (camly-
ing'eopies'df This tet* fet--
thied ' Murl, Me Lowe'.
This ibotik 'makes am fee-
cttllettt (Christmas !gift 'qtr
stnt}Mittg* rttifitter