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Times-Advocate, 1982-07-21, Page 4Times -Advocate, July 21 1982 Times Established 1873 Advocate Established 1881 Amalgamated 1924 ditocate Serving South Huron, North Middlesex & North Lambton Since 1873 Published by J.W. Eedy Publications limited LORNE EEDY Publisher JIM BECKFTT Advertising Manager BILL BATTEN ROSS HAUGH Editor Assistant Editor HARRY DEVRIES Composition Manager DICK JONGKIND Business Manager Published Each Wednesday Morning at Exeter, Ontario Second Class Mail 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. CLASS 'A' and 'ABC' -11 It's plain stupidity There are still many people in this country who are blind, deaf and dumb, at least figuratively. That's the only way to explain the hard line being snimn by United Auto Workers and members of the nurses' profession, who this week indicated they were seeking major salary gains. The requests come at a time when the recession in this country deepens and the unemployment lines take on new and staggering dimensions. Many people are already on their knees and yet these two groups display a type of greed that suggests they are totally ignorant of what is going on around them. If their demands are met, the situation will only worsen. Why are they being so stupid? The seven percent fix When Ontario Treasurer Frank Miller took his seven per cent bite out of low-cost restaurant meals, a certain gnashing of teeth ensued at the cash desks of restaurants in the province, says The Globe & Mail. There is, however, one small.corner of this taxation field that is forever exempt from such minor digestive upsets. We refer, of course, to Ottawa, that fiscal for- tress on the Rideau, and specifically to the parliamen- tary restaurant and cafeteria which lie comfortably beyond the reach of Mr. Miller's tax collectors. LoW-cost meals served up to the nation's political heavyweights in these agreeable surroundings, have not, been trifled with because this is sovereign federal territory. The price of a full -course meal did rise, mind you, to a whopping $4 (from $3). The customers were, however, comforted to know that they would be spared the Ontario Sales Tax. It's all part of the special Parliamentary Hill ser- vice, for a community so insulated from its surroun- dings you'd swear they used urea formaldehyde. Wingham Advance -Times Find someone else The club was saddened to learn of the death this week'of one of the club's most valuable members, So- meone Else. Someone Else's passing creates a vacan- cy that will be difficult to fill. Els.has been with the club since its beginning. Someone did far more than a normal person's share of work. Whenever there was a job to do, a committee to be chaired, or a meeting to attend, one name was on everyone's list - let Someone Else do it. It was com- mon knowledge that Someone Else was among 'the largest contributors of his time to the club, whenever there was a need for volunteers, everyone just awned Someone Else would volunteer. • Someone -Else was a wonderful persen; sometimes appearing superhuman, but a person can only do so much. Were the truth known, everybody expected too much of Someone Else. Now, Someone Else is gone! We wonder what we are going to do. Someone Else left a wonderful example to follow, but who is going to do the things Someone Else did? When you are asked to help, remember - we can't de- pend on Someone Else! Schools done. enough The Lambton County Board of Education is doing everything they can possibly do to ensure there isn't a drug problem in the county's public schools. • They've provided an education program, albeit a weak one; and last week approved measures that will bring in the police if a drug situation is apparent. Previously, school principals were given a free hand . to use their own discretion. Yet it's predictable that someone will expect the school board to do more. The real problem with drug and alcohol use among young people or adults is not the actual use, but rather, the reason for the Use. Why are young people turning to .escapism? The school system shouldn't be expected to find the answer to this one. It's up to the parents. Petrolia Advertiser -Topic Firemen save the day, again It's July 14 at 6:00 a.m. Most of you are still snuggled into bed, awaiting the alarm to groggily face another warm, summer day. The editor is already at his desk, fingers groping over the typewriter keys. It is not his usual starting time for a Wednesday morning, but that "dangerous time" men- tioned in a recent column has hit the area again. You'll remember mention of that danger zone, constituting the period bet- ween completing the production of the paper on Tuesday afternoon and when you open it on Wednesday morning. Many of the major events have a strange way of occurring during that time period and we end up being "scooped" or left with a whole week before the story gets into the paper for your edification. July 14 was the day when many local residents were stirred from their beds by the fire siren and the usual "fire chasers" congregated along Main St. to watch the volunteers battle a blaze in a Main St. commercial block. Those of us who arrived on the scene early could be 'excused for thinking that this was going to be a blaze of major pro- portions. Smoke was billowing froth the front windows along Main St., while flames crackled into the early morning light from the rear of the structure. There have always been concerns for fires in'the old tinder -dry buildings along the core, fanned in part by some of the devastating blazes which have gutted en- tire blocks in many other communities. 4 41. 1 Some onlookers suggeSted many mer- chants would be holding fire and smoke sales rather than sidewalk sales as they watched the flames. As usual some of the fire chasers were critical of the firemen's actions giving their personal and unskill- „.„,..04, • ' • r:.6 BATT'N AROUND with the editor ( ed viewpoints on how the fire should be battled and from what fronts. But just as usual, the fireman again proved they knew what they were doing and went about their chores in their cool, calculating way and in a surprisingly short time had the blaze under control. In less than an hour and a half, they had packed up their equipment. Apart- ment dwellers who had scurried from their abodes in the adjacent building amid fears of personal losses had returned to the area and the fire chasers had gone home, most to have an early breakfast before striking out for wOrk. Exeter's well -drilled and efficient fire department had again proven their met- tle. Well done, gentlemen! The severe burns suffered by a member of the' Crediton fire department the previous week again points out the risks these men throughout the area face when they volunteer their services to their communities. However, the situation should not mere- ly be dismissed as one of the hazards of the job. While firemen realize the dangers they may face in industrial or commercial fires where unknown chemicals and other substances can be expected, they shouldn't be expected to confront dangerous chemicals in a dump site without some forewarning. Chemical wastes constitute one of the major issues of the day and Stephen Township officials should investigate thoroughly the use of their landfill site for such practices, as should all area municipalities. Obviously, if the sites are going to be us- ed for such purposes, there should be specific areas set aside with appropriate notices for alt those who use the facilities. Are there other time -bombs in area dumps? That's a queStion that should be asked by all area municipal officials without delay. Equally important is the answer as to how they can ensure that somewon't be dumped there in the future. It's a complex situation, but as long as people have access to dumps, there must be sortie assurances for their safety, whether they be there through the course of their duties of taking advantage of whatever public access may be permitted. It was a near tragedy this time and steps should be taken to ensure the situa- tion does not arise again. ".. .and that little cloud looks like Allan.' . .MacEachen!" Not without good reason There's a lot of doom and gloom floating around in Canada these days. And not without reason. The Three Ugly Sisters: high interest rates, high unemployment, and steady inflation have pro- duced a general alarm and despair that this coun- try has not seen since the Thirties. Farmer' s and small businesses, traditional borrowers from the banks, have their backs to the wall, and no hole to squeeze through. Executives in the $50,000 a year bracket, who have served their companies with servility for 10 or 15 years, are being turfed in- to the unemployment in- surance line-ups. I feel sorry for them. Gone are the dinner par- ties, the theatre parties, the perks such as trips abroad and signing the check for a three -martini luncheon, and the big steak barbecues for business reasons, and the golf and country club fees tax deductible. It must be pretty dread- ful to come home to your $70,000 house, which has a $30,000 mortgage at 21 per cent, with an unemploy- ment insurance cheque in your pocket, and sit on the edge of the crumbling swimming pool with a bot- tle of cheap rye, trying to figure out why. These are not evil peo- ple. Many of them have spent as much as $300 a year to support a foster - child in Guatemala or someplace. They have kicked in $500 to the church, bought a tag on every Tag Day, and fund- raising event. They are more to be pitied than. scorned. They have not ground the poor under their heels. Indeed, they have occa- sionally felt a vague pity for the guy with four kids who makes $15,000 a year. They have shaken their heads admiringly; and MS1- NiLW ,14A1,1,:f; ea. Sugar and Spice Dispensed By Smiley thought "Don't know how he does it." Aside from these turfed - out types, wandering around nibbling their fingers and wondering what hit them, my heart bleeds for others: the doc- tors who work 300 hours a week dispensing pills; the lawyers who have no pen- sion fund and charge you $100 to have their secretaries type something out in an hour; the accountants who grow \ fat as leeches on other people's attempts to beat the system - in fact all the people who . have been educated at great public expense • (including teachers) so that they could carve a fine finan- cial niche' in'our society. They are sufferingdeeply. But, today I am full of compassion, not to men- tion compunction, and I think we should extend our sympathy to the politi- cians of this great country, who are as innumerable as the sands of the desert. "They are suffering grievously. Deeply. After offering themselves (and every cent they could bor- row) to win a nomination, then an election, they are destitute. Except for their salaries, around 60,000; their indexed pensions, and their law practices to return to. • <44,N .$-4* V I know a politician right now who is laughing. He served several terms in the provincial legislature, a couple in the federal, Sold a thriving business, and is sitting in Florida: He chuckles so much that hs wife wants him to see a psychiatrist specialist in chuckles. She thinks it's like hiccoughs. He's chuckling because he gets two (indexed) pensions and the returns from -his business. • Now, before my store of pity runs out, I want you to consider the Canadian banks. There is where my deepest sympathy lies. They are in Desperate Straits, which: are just across the channel from Dire Straits. After logging anywhere up to 60 percent profit last year, they are whimper- ing with fear. Their shares have gone down. Their profits have gone down disastrously. Woe is the land! The Canadians be- ing beaten by the Russians is a blow to our national pride. But the idea of our banks not making lots and lots of money will drive many of us to suicide, I have little doubt. In fact, the banks are so wild to make money that they send out begging let- ters, imploring you to get yourself into debt with them. , • .A friend of mine reeeflt- ly opened a letter from ori of our Canadian banks. It was addressed to her father, assuring him that the bank would be pleased to give him a loan. Her father had not only never borrowed a cent from a bank, but had been dead for 19 years. A bit macabre, right? I'm sure the banks of Canada have some pretty smart guys working for them. I've never met one. The only people who seem to have any brains in Canadian banks are the girls - tellers and such, poorly paid, always plea- sant, working for about half what a postal worker gets. The managers have in- variably been ill - educated, clueless, pawns who always have to call up the Queen in Montreal or Toronto or Vancouver to decide on anything. more important than how many rolls of toilet paper to order. Nice fellows, but clueless, unless you wanted to borrow money without putting up your grandmother as security. And she had to have $15,000 in Canada Savings Bonds. To heck with the poor. Pity the poor banks, Right? Sunburn and fish fry When we were kids there was never a great deal of money around for fancy vacations. One of the ones I remember best though was a week in an rented cabin up at White Lake, near Ottawa. Two things from it stand out in my memory: one of them was sunburn and the other was the big fish fry. The sunburn should have been easy for me to figure out . I don't know whether my mother warn- ed me about the danger or 'Whether I just ignored the warning. Either way I sat out in the boat all day in shorts, engrossed in the catching of sun -fish. Sun- fish, or pan -fish, as they call them south of the border, are probably not high on your list of big game fish. Your real fisherman, with his style being a 2 -pound test line to catch a 10 pound rainbow trout which will fight him for half an hour, would sneer at our way of doing it: an 47. the minute you put it down in the water. For little kids though, sun -fishing is the only way to go. Forget the sunburn which kept me up in agony all night. Perspectiies old bait -casting reel with thick black line about as thick as your little finger, fishing in four feet of water and weeds, with the cheeky little devils right down there where you can see them just snapping at your worm By Syd Fletcher Instead I remember the thrill of yanking those angry little goobers in, one after the other, and "Yep", my Dad said, "we'll cook them. You mean you've eaten sun, fish?" we shook our heads, open-mouthed. "Why these fish here are of the finest quality. Food fit for a king." So we hauled in even more, half -expecting that he'd change his mind and throw them all over the side again. But he didn't. Ile took them and clean- ed them all carefully, roll- ed the miniature fillets in flour and .biscuit crumbs and fried them in butter, till they were golden brown. Perhaps it was the feel- ing of pride that man had in ancient times of bring- ing home his 'kill' for his family, but those little fish, hones and all, were food fit for any king. And as for the sunburn, I've come to the conclu- sion that I should fish from . a boat with a good canvas top on it.