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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1982-05-12, Page 4• Times-Advottate, May 12, 1992 1 • mes Times Established 1873 Advocate Established 1881 Amalgamated 1924 dvocate Serving South Huron, North Middlesex & North Lambton Since 1873 Published by J.W. Eedy Publications limited LORNE EEDY Publisher JIM BECKETT Advertising Manager BILL BATTEN . Editor HARRY DEVRIES Composition Manager ROSS HAUGH Assistant Editor DICK JONGKIND Business Manager Published Each Wednesday Morning at Exeter, Ontario Second Class Mab Registration Number 0386. Phone 235-1331 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada $20.00 Per year: U.S.A. $55.00 C.W.N.A., O.C.N.A. iLASS 'A' and `ABs' 1L. "Frankly, I'm disappointed with the new constitution -- it it leaves a few areas uncovered and doesn't provide adequate protection..." ..like my feet, s. arms..." A comment by Mayor Bruce Shaw at last week's session of Exeter council didn't get the reaction from members that could have been anticipated. Shaw expressed some concern that the Ontario Municipal Board may not approve a proposed sanitary sewer project for the south-west section of town in view of the high cost and the small number of homeowners who would benefit. If there is any validity in the Mayor's concern, and there may well be, it appears foolish for council to give Remove the doubts first the engineers approval to begin design work for the project. The cost of the desig work'would be wasted if the OMB refused approval or the project, or if coun- cillors themselves at some future time questioned the advisability of the project. The principle of the project should be considered by council and also checked out with the OMB before the engineering fees are expended if there is any,doubt that the project may ever proceed. IP 0' • 1 41E14e04gaM pouf �t • IV • Trouble with counting A 23 -hour Commons debate on Liberal energy and economic policies came to an abrupt end last week when the opposition got caught without enough MPs in the House. At least that was the ruling of Liberal MP Denis Ethier, who was sitting in the Speaker's chair when another Liberal MP caught all parties off guard when he asked for a head count. Ethier ruled the sitting was one short of the required 20 members for a quorum: Opposition party members reacted bitterly over the situation and there was considerable confusion regarding the head count, some suggesting that the re- quired 20 members were ih fact present. . The confusion over the Fount won't come as a sur- prise to most Cpnadians. They've suspected for some time that MPs have trouble with figures', although sure- ly one of them could have taken off his shoes to use all his digits to get an accurate count of 20. However, given the, serious topic of the debate, Canadians may wonder why the other 262 (or was it 261?) electedofficials weren't on hand to consider the nation's energy and economic policies. Bike weather is here With the advent of spring and warmer weather, old and young enthusiasts will be thinking of getting out the bicycle. The Ontario Safety League suggests a few preliminary steps you should take to insure your bike is safe. Ride a, bicycle that fits you. The size of your bike affects your ability to reach and use the steering, pedals and braking controls: You should be able to reach the ground•comfortably with the ball of your foot while sitting upright on the seat. Check the tires for wear and tear. Also check the wheel spokes, chain, and your lighting and horn systems. Make sure the bike is well oiled, and get down to the nuts and bolts of things, tightening any loose nuts where necessary. Before taking the bike onto the street, check the braking ability of your machine on both wet and dry surfaces. Your .bicycle should also be in good align- ment. If the bike veers to one side when pushed for- ward, it is out of line and needs adjustment. Remember that the bicyclist is considered under the law to be a driver .and as such traffic rules, regula- tions, signs and signals apply just the same to the cyclist as to the motorist. The Ontario Safety League reminds you that you're one of the smallest units on the road and it's not always easy for motorists to see you. Use reflective tape as required by law, reflectors and wear light col- oured clothing at night. Canada far ahead in disarmament About three years ago, the writer en- joyed a trip to Germany to see Canada's troops in action as part of a NATO war game exercise. Speaking to officials at that time, there was considerable em- phasis placed on the fact that while our fighting men were well-respected, there was concern for the numbers available and the type of equipment they had at their disposal. When the British navy set sail for the Falkland Islands recently, one of the na- tional TV networks' did an update on Canada's national defence position, and the story was enlightening, albeit rather shocking. The initial reaction was to be thankful the Argentine army hadn't invaded New- foundland, rather than the Falklands. Most of the Canadian maritime defence units are in dry-dock waiting for extensive repairs, the foot soldiers are looking through scrap yards to find spare parts for their antique trucks and the air units are under -staffed. The intriguing part of the show was the information that the majority of people in- volved in Canada's national defence are sitting behind desks. They out -number battle personnel by about three or four to one. If that's not bad enough, experts note that surveys indicate that 20 percent of the enlisted men wouldn't fight if Canada did become involved in some sort of hostilities. In short; we have little in the way of a meaningful defence, either at home or as our part of the nation's commitment to NATO. The real stopper came when it was pointed out that some of the obsolete equipment on Canadian ships requires 1 spare parts that are available , only through Czechoslovakia. Now you and I both know that the Czechs aren't about to be bn our side if trouble did arise, so it can hardly be counted as a reliable source for parts in wartime. Whether consciously or unconsciously, Canada appears to be leading the way in BATT'N AROUND with the editor the world disarmament plan. The pro- blem is, this nation is one of the few in- volved in the plan, the majority choosing to continue to build up their stockpile of weapons. Leading the way in that regard,. of course, are the Warsaw Pact countries. Experts indicate we could hold our own in a scrap with Liechtenstein (with 6S0 in its army) but after that we'd be hard pressed to defend ourselves against any nation which decided to take a crack at us. However, to suggest the nation is total- ly defenceless is inaccurate, given the belief held by most Canadians that our big brothers in the land to the south would quickly come to our rescue. But there is growing concern among those big brothers that Canada is not car- rying its fair share of the load in terms of the defence of North America, and there's pressure being put on the government to loosen the purse strings. * * * On the other side of the argument are those who note that spending money on defence is rather useless, considering that there will be no winner in an all-out global battle. Exchanging salvoes of nuclear missiles is a suicidal contest. However, there is also that intangible known as the "balance of power", which some consider to be the factor that will save the world from the final holocaust. It's much akin to a high-stakes poker game where the players aren't certain if they have the cards to call. But there are also those who theorize that the Warsaw Post nations are conti- nuing their relentless rush into the arms race sothey can, at some point, lay their cards on the table and force their adver- saries to quit the game without any for- midable opposition in the face of the foreboding consequences. Obviously, the decision on whether to put up or shut up is not one that Canadians will make. This nation is totally at the whim of our southern big brothers. The frightening aspect is that the spark that could set it off may well be in some obscure place such as Falkland Islands, a sheep pasture in the south Atlantic. It wasn't until they engaged in a bit of blood-letting that the two combatants in that skirmish realized the futility and tragedy of war. The situation perhaps adds credence to the argument of those who support the balance of power theory, and while world support grows among those crying for a reduction in the arms race, Canada remains in a vulnerable position until the world leaders hear those cries and take appropriate action. Capitalism It's pretty difficult these days to ignore inflation unless you live in a cave have a good, warm wife, a root cellar full of spuds, turnips and carrots, and a private income of about $200 a week. But somehow, I've managed, though I've done my share of whining, until recently. I've done some shopping, and for a change looked at the prices. My conclusion is that capitalism is a lost cause. I know it dates me, but somewhere back there in the murk of my mind, I still had the idea that a loafl.of bread was a dime, a pound of butter two bits, a quarter of milk 10 cents, hamburger was something you ate a lot of, but was cheap, coffee was 10 cents a cup, beer was about 15 cents a pint, and cigarettes had shot up to about 35 cents a package. Iknew better, but I pushed it to the back of my mind, as one does thoughts about death. Back there in that foggy area, I still felt that bananas were a nickel a pie ,e, lettuce, carrots, cabbages and radishes were something you grew in the back yard, and eggs ran about two or three cents each. On Sunday you killed a chicken, and had a big din- ner, for a total cost of about 85 cents. On Saturday night you went to the movies, and it cost you about 75 cents for two, and they threw in a piece of china or something. After. the show, two hamburgs, two • • is a Iost cause pies, two coffees for 60 cents. Well, my dreams have been dispelled, and I know now that, after working for 35 years, I have no money in the bank, no cat- tle out west, and it costs me about five dollars a : Sugar and Spice Dispensed By Smiley •�9 day to avoid freezing. I asked my wife about prices of some staple items, and almost went in- to a coma. My mother used to send me to the butcher's for two pounds of hamburg, "and tell him we need some dog bones." The hamburg was a quarter, or' 25 pennies, and the dog bones, with hunks of meat on them, were free. We made soup from them. Today, if there were such a thing as a real, live butcher (they are now meat -cutters), the ham- burg would cost me about four bucks, and the dog - bones, without a shred on them, another 60 cents a pound. Poor Rover. When I was a kid, we "put down' a barrel each of MacIntosh and Spy ap- ples, in the cool cellar. They lasted most of the winter. Today, with four ordinary Delicious apples going at a quarter each, you'd have to take a se- cond mortgage to do that. Since my boyhood, but- ter is almost 10 times as much, bread, the same, milk the same. Eggs are only about six times as much. Hamburger is up more than 10 times as much. I wouldn't even guess on cheese, which us- ed to be about 20 cents a . pound. A head of lettuce is no longer something you feed The rabbits. Recently it was running about $1.50 a head, _ and there was almost a riot when a local store offered some at 48 cents a head. Pastry white junk, full of water: Celery was something you used to chomp by the stick, maybe with some cheese tucked into its cleft. Now you hoard it, and eat the leaves in soup and serve it in little curls, keeping an eye on who is hogging it at the party. Party? What party? About 20 years ago, people still had parties, and sup- plied all the food and boozeN,,and coffee. Nowadays, the acronym BYOB has crept into the language. It means bring your own boo*. And a salad, or a hot dish, or but- tered rolls, or a dessert. Perhaps it's a good sign. Instead of everyone trying to out do everyone, by hav- ing a bigger and more lavish party than the last couple, we've got back to the pioneer pot -luck idea. And nobody seems to suf- fer. Ten years ago, backyard barbecues were the thing, and people vied to see who could cook the thickest steak. Nowadays, you've got to be practical- ly one of the jet set to see steak once %month. The rest of us just see it as we walk past the meat counters, looking for some stewing beef or a nice bit of brisket or tripe. Twenty years ago, we could go td a hotel in -the city, spend $22 on a double room, take in a theatre, top quality, for eight bucks, and order delicious cold roast beef sand- wiches from room service, for about $1.20 a throw, with all sorts ofchips and pickles and a pot of coffee for 50 cents. Today, a similar room would be about $85, the theatre $50, the sand- wiches $10, the coffee $5. We scarcely ever go to the movies any more. Seven bucks for two and mini chocolate bars, stale popcorn at about 50 cents a rattle. No wonder people watch re -runs of I Love Lucy. No wonder our doctors and lawyers and politi- cians need about $100,000 a year just to keep up. They can scarcely put bread on the table. And no wonder old peo- ple are eating dog -food. They can't even afford a can of beans. Ndw it's animal ri_ghts It was bound to happen. Sooner or later it had to catch on. After all this is the day of women's libera- tion and the fight for seals' lives by Greenpeace. Everybody has a cause, and the latest is a cam- paign in the States for animal rights. They want chickens to have more room in their cages - space to preen their feathers, a place to stand up for a good scratch, and more variety in their feed. The same group is fighting to get warmer covering sheds for steers on the big cattle farms and better ventilation for pigs in the summer. Some people might get a little upset by all this con- cern for animals but who am I to argue. I can see the future now how it might be. The P.O.O.P. (Profes- sional Organization Of Pigs) representative is sent out by the govern- ment to insect a local the building. The P.O.O.P. rep smiles with pleasure at the delightful aroma of Perspectives By Syd Fletcher chapter's living quarters. He drives up in his limousine and is pleased to hear, as he enters the drive way, the strains of Beethoven's Fifth Sym- phony filtering out. from the Sony sound system. The farmer (pardon me, Manager of Resource Development) greets him at the door and escorts him on a special tour of freshly -cooked vegetable rice soup which assails his nostrils. His smile broadens at the sight of the spacious rooms, one for every comrade, each specially equipped with a heat lamp for these freezie-cold nights, and a specially monogrammed soup bowl. But what's this? The P.O.O.P. man's smile fades. His jowls quiver with righteous anger. For two cents he'd set up a blockade of the Manager of Natural Resourcee's driveway, strip him of his title and force him out of the business. "Please sir, spare me," begged the poor manager. "I'll see that those pic- tures of, pardon me for saying the dirty works, ham and pork, are taken down immediately so the comrades won't have to learn what is in store for them." "See that you do!" bristled the P.O.O.P. rep, bustling out of the room. He must be on his way. He'd heard that the next farn. down the road was serving baked apples for the comrade's supper tonight. One surely had to admit that there were real fringe benefits to this job.