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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1986-01-15, Page 4i Times -Adv - ., January 1S, 1986 111111111111111111111111111 Ell OE it i': fs �ih AAAiifs Imes dvocate Published Each Wednesday Morning at Exeter, Ontario, NOM 150 Second Class Mail Registration Number 0386. Phone 519-235-1331 A LORNE EEDY Publisher JIM BECKETT Advertising Manager 4 BILL BATTEN Editor HARRY DEVRIES Composition Manager ROSS HAUGH Assistant Editor DICK IONGKIND Business Manager SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada: $25.00 Per year, U.S.A. $65.00 C.W.N.A., O.C.N.A. CLASS 'A' Should be vigorous It's certainly fitting that agriculture constituted the major topic of discussion at Exeter council's latest session. As acknowledged by several members, agriculture is the prime industry in this area and as agriculture goes, so goes the economy of the community. There was a bit of a paradox in the two discussions that arose. On one hand, there has been considerable energy expanded by some members of the community in getting provincial and federal authorities interested in a proposed vegetable dehydration plant. While there are indications that such a plant would be a boon for the local economy if it came to fruition, the other topic indicated quite clearly that any gain in that direction could be quickly offset by the loss of the area's established rutabaga industry. Given the bird=in-the-hand status of the latter, it is obvious that council should keep a close watch on the serious problem being faced by turnip growers and the local packing and processing plants that impact on the local economy to a greater extent than many would have acknowledged. Grower Eric Davlaeminck is to be commended for bringing the current • Serving South Huron, North Middlesex & North t,ambton- Since 1873 Published by ).W. Eedy Publications Limbed ; problem to the attention of council. While members had suggestions on how the growers could present their problem to other civic leaders, it would have been more encouraging to have them offer their services to help spread the message and to join forces with the growers and packers to en- sure that some remedy is found, if at all possible. Certainly, the priority in economic development must be to protect those industries which are already established in the community, par- ticularly when civic leaders know full well the difficulty involved in attrac- ting those industries in the first place. While there is obvious merit in continuing with deliberations on a vegetable dehydration plant, it must be recognized that the turnip situation should now be given priority, par- ticularly when Davlaeminck suggests that the disease affecting that crop could spread to other vegetable crops now grown in the area or that could be considered in conjunction with a dehydration plant. With an existing major industry in jeopardy, -council's concerti is" certain= ly warranted, but it should be followed through with more vigor to ensure that it gets immediate attention. Needs some changes Notwithstanding the propriety and good intentions included in some facets of Canada's Young Offenders Act, that piece of legislation has some serious faults that have remained un- corrected for too long. There is no argument with the fact that young people must be treated differently than adults in the courts and penal system, but the Act appears to go too far in the leniency that it provides. A 17 -year-old Vancouver youth was recently given a three-year sentence for manslaughter. Evidence revealed the youth beat and slashed a man to death. The attacker repeatedly cut his victim with a stright razor and carved his initials in the man's chest. In contrast, another 17 -year-old who shot and killed a taxi driver in London was tried in adult court and was convicted of second degree murder. He was sent to prison and won't be eligible for parole for at least 15 years. The latter penalty would appear to serve as sufficient deterrent and ade- quate protection for society. The first clearly falls far short, although it was the maximum penalty that could be imposed under the Act. In other instances, the new Act hampers law enforcement agencies in dealing with young offenders and almost eliminates the victim's and the public's right to know what action has been taken against young people who have committed crimes against them. The complaints and concerns have been validated and the changes that are evidently required should be quickly made. Many disregard elements For the past few weeks, the writer has been attempting to get number one son fitted out for his return to Yellowknife, where as the weather maps indicate con- clusively, it can be a bit on the cool side at this time of year. As parents know, it is not easy trying to convince macho male offspring that a light hockey jacket, a pair of blue jeans and sneakers is hardly sufficient to tackle this land of the frozen north, whether it he in Yellowknife or South Iluron. The job was made considerably easier by the fact Scott had been in Yellowknife this past summer, where on occasion he found it necessary to don his normal winter wardrobe to survive com- fortably on the shores of Great Slave Lake in the late August temperatures. That helped convince him that a heavy down parka with a huge hood, some warm boots and mitts were sensible travelling compa- nions. Yes, he even picked up a couple of pairs of Iongjohns despite the hoots of derision that had previously been showered on his father when the latter at temp - p, ted to indicate the merits of such apparel. A phone call the other night in- dicated the wardrobe was stan- ding the test and it didn't take long for him to realize that one bundles up carefully before heading nut into the -40 degree Batt'n Around ...with The Editor temperatures that frequently greet Yellowknifers. He failed to pull up the hood on his parka before alighting from the airplane and found that was a mistake, despite the short distance to the nearby terminal. • • • . • The point of the story is to em- phasize that many people appear to take unwarranted risks when heading out during winter, even in climates a little more moderate than the Northwest Territories. This was visibly brought to mind while attending the final game of the Exeter Hawks tour- nament on Sunday. I stuck around in the rec centre foyer following the game to see what the teams and their fans from Brussels and Grand Valley were going to do in view of the an- nouncement made on the public address system during the game that most roads leading to the north and east had been closed due to the howling blizzard that was raging outside. There was the usual debate among those who bravely sug- gested they would tackle the elements, while others noted the propriety of staying put rather than risk ending up stranded in a snowbank along some desolute stretch of highway. Many of the adults appeared to be prepared for the elements as they had heavy winter coats, mitts, hats and appropriate winter footwear. However, as the shower - steamed players emerged from Please turn to page 5 -r. - 4it KIK "The risk of a coronary's nothing compared to the health risk if 1 don't :hovel nig What life is all about One of the deepest satisfactions in writing a column of this kind is the knowledge that you are get- ting into print the angers and frustrations of a lot of people, who have no recourse for their resent- ments, and consequently take them out on the old man or the old lady. How do you know this? Well, because people write you letters cheering you on to further'lt- tacks, and othett people.come up toyou, perfect strangers, shake hands warmly, and say, "By the Holy Ole Jumpin! Bill, you real- ly hit the nail on the head." This can be a little disconcer- ting, as you are never quite sure which nail they are referring to. If the congratulator is a woman, I smile weakly and change the subject. Because sure as guns, though she thought you were one of nature's noblemen for your assault on male chauvinism last week, she'll turn on you like a snake when she reads tomor- row's paper, with the column ex- posing female chauvinism. Speaking recently to a class of potential writers in a creative writing course, I tried to pass along the personal satisfaction one gets from this type of per sonal journalism. I emphasized the "personal" satisfaction,because there's a lot more of that involved than there is of the other kind, financial satisfaction. Columnists and freelance writers have no union working for them, nor any profes- sional association, as have doc- tors, lawyers, teachers. They have only their own talent and wit and perseverance with which to penetrate the thick heads and thicker skins of editors and publishers. But it's a great feeling when you•vent your wrath, say, about the rapaciousness of mechanics, and you are button -holed six times in the next three days by people with horror stories about mechanics you can scarcely believe. Trouble is, they all want you to write another column about Lack For a couple of days last fall a young Japanese exchange 'teacher visited my school and taught the students some of the traditional Japanese subjects such as origami (paper sculpture), and calligraphy. He also showed a number of slides of his native country. As you might imagine the youngsters were fascinated by a per- son visiting them from the other side of the world. They asked questions of him till I am sure he got weary of them but he always remained plea- sant and cheerful. I had the privilege of driving him hack and forth to the place where he was staying and thus got to ask a few questions of him myself about how he perceived Canadians. One of the things that he noticed in the workplace was that Canadians mechanics, and put some real meat into it. This means, in ef- fect, that they would happily stand in the wings and applaud when you were sued for libel. Some readers would like you to be constantly attacking whatever it is that they don't like. Capitalist friends are aghast when you refuse to launch an assault on capital gains taxes. Welfarist friends think you are a traitor and a fink when you won't attack the government for not providing color TV for everyone on the Sugar &Spice >i Dispensed by Smiley take. I am not by nature an attacker, and I think there is nothing more boring than a writer of any kind who tries to make a career of be- ing a "hard-hitting" journalist. Once in a while my gently bub- bling nature boils over. Throwing caution and syntax to the winds, I let my spleen have a field day and try to throw some sand in the grease with which many aspects of society are trying to give us a snow job. And that's one of the finest paragraphs I've ever writ- ten, if mixed metaphors are your bag. air game for the hardhitter are: garage mechanics, plumbers, postal workers, super- markets, civil servants, and politicians. Most of them can't hit back, and everybody hates them, except garage mechanics and their wives, plumbers and their wives, etc. etc. Smaller fry are doctors, lawyers, teachers, used car salesmen. They all squeal like dy- ing rabbits when attacked, but nobody pays much attention to them except doctors and their wives, etc. etc. There are a few areas that even the hardest -hitters avoid. When have you, lately, read a- savage attack on greedy farmers, callous nurses, or unloving mothers? And yet, there are lots of them around. One of these days, perhaps, one of these hard-hitting writers will muster enough guts, after about five brandies, to launch an all-out attack offthe audacity of women, thinking they're as good as men. Boy, that fellow will learn what -real hard-hitting is all about. Personally, I can't stay mad an anybody long enough to be a voice of the people, or a public watch -dog, or any of those obnox- ious creatures who try to tell other people how they should feel. The only constant in my rage is the blatant manipulation of self- seeking politicians who will twist and warp and wriggle and squirm and bribe for self - perpetuation in office. Otherwise, I get a great deal more joy from touching the in- dividual life than inflaming the masses. When I get a letter from an old lady in hospital, crippled with arthritis, who has managed to get a chuckle out of my col- umn, it makes me feel good. Recently, I got a letter from a young Scot who has immigrated to Canada. He says: "I have learned more about Canada and Canadians through reading your column that all the accumulated wisdom from the Canadian newsmagazines, novels and TV programs I have absorbed." Now there is a man with his head screwed on right. If I, as a newcomer, tried to get my im- pressions of this country from newsmagazines and TV pro- grams, I'd catch the first boat or plane home. So, I guess I'll just try toxo on talking to people, getting sore, having some fun. looking for sympathy in the war between the sexes. That's what life is all about, not plumbers and politi- cians and other horrors of that ilk of politeness? are very familiar with their bosses or even with their fellow workers. He said that in Japan one would never By the Way by Fletcher address a fellow worker by his first name. He noticed that we eat a lot of red meat in our meals wheras in his coun- try much more fish is eaten along with rice and other vegetables. Our houses seem huge to him and our roads seemed as straight as an arrow to his eyes. He said that in Japan mountains are always a factor in road -building as are houses which have been in the same position for hundreds of years. and must therefore be detoured. One other thing he noticed but did not come out directly and say was the lack of politeness on the part of our children toward each other and toward adults in general. Now I had a little difficulty believ- ing that last observation. Our socie- ty has to be one of the politest nations in the world. Just go to any hockey game and watch the parents there counselling the youngsters out on the ice on how to behave and you'll know that he was being totally unfair • -- — -- -- ---- -