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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1987-05-20, Page 4Page 4 Times -Advocate, May 20, 1987 Times Established 1873 Advocate Established 1881 Amalgama ed 1924 111111111.111111111111111111111111 imes IMO • dvocate Published Each Wednesday Morning at Exeter, Ontario, NOM 150 Second Class Mail Registration Number 0386. Phone 519-235-1331 cn LORNE EEDY Publisher JIM BECKETT Advertising Manager + CNA al Bill BATTEN Editor HARRY DEVRIES Composition Manager ROSS HAUGH Assistant Editor DICK JONGKIND Business Manager SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada: $25.00 Per year; U.S.A. $65.00 C.W.N.A., O.C.N.A. CLASS 'A' Let's clear the air Although most members of- Huron County council quickly denounced a re- cent expose of internal problems, there are situations periodically arising whereby some of the sand in which they buried their heads is being kicked off. The most recent was a brief receiv- ed from employees of the health unit in which a number of concerns were outlin- ed regarding a lack of communication, the need for a written policies and pro- cedures manual and an ongoing concern pertaining to the resignation of former MOH Dr. Harry Ceislar and staff resent- ment to active interference in personnel matters and in board decision-making responsibilities by clerk -treasurer Bill Hanley. While board chairman Grant Stirling acknowledged the need to tackle the com- plaints and to produce a system with everyone in harmony, Warden Brian McBurney was obviously less concerned and refuted many of the complaints by explaining they stemmed from employees continuing to dredge up old problems that should now be forgotten and that the underlining cause reflected disappointment by the staff in not getting some' of the pay increases they felt warranted. There are always two sides to any - issue, of course, but the Warden appears intent on sticking with the ship, even though the evidence continues to mount that it is subject to some peril. In dismissing complaints and con- cerns as being tied to wage negotiations would suggest that McBurney hasn't even taken tinm to seriously review the brief and comprehend the diversity -of the items, the majority of which appear in no way to stem from any financial considerations. In fact, the lack of a written policies and procedures manual is one of the ma- jor deficiencies cited by the staff and they note it allows controversies to go unresolved. While acknowledging that a policy guide specifically for the health unit has been discussed in past, McBurney ex- plains it has not progressed beyond that point because other items crop up which are given preference as they are con- sidered of more importance. There's obviously a difference of opi- nion on the items to be given priority, but county council can not escape the fact that their opinion in that regard con- tinues to fuel the flames of discontent among the staff and adds credence to reports of deep-rooted problems that they would prefer to dismiss out of hand. It is evident that internal matters should be given top priority and it ap- pears that county council should call in some independent experts to clear the air. King for a day While polls released within a day of each other this week showed drastically differing results, NDP leader Ed Broad- bent at least enjoyed one day in the limelight as his party topped the popularity for the first time since it was founded in 1961. Unfortunately, the polls have about as much validity as those taken among sports fans last fall that showed a number thought the Toronto Maple Leafs would win the Stanley Cup. The next election probably won't be staged until some time in 1988 and the current standings of the three political parties in the endless array of polls could change drastically when people head to the voting booth and can't play games any longer with the moment of truth at hand. The flip flops in the back-to-back polls do indicate that most potential voters don't have any steadfast faith in any of the three parties and it will take a complete turnaround by one of them to hold any hope for even getting chosen as a minority government. Cool-headed bunch In an era when the radical and almost gimmick -like endeavours of ac- tion groups are used to earn raging front- page headlines, it's refreshing to see a cool-headed bunch like the Women's In- stitute going quietly about their business, says The North Kent Leader. Meeting collectively as the Federated Women's Institutes of Ontario (FWIO) in Toronto recently, the ladies ear -marked five issues for discussion and action in 1987 — everything from a ban on television advertising that promotes alcohol, to a call for increased prudence on the part of the judiciary when set- tlements are made for personal ,injury claims. The FWTO has also underlined a pressing need for legislation to make all pop and alcoholic beverage containers refundable. Moreover, the group is demanding that immediate action be taken by government to reverse en- vironmental damage caused by acid rain. You may be skeptical about the WI's chances on that last one. But, remember, this is the same organization which, half a century ago, actively campaigned for pasteurized milk in Ontario. And Won. Wingham Advance Times Minimize the discomfort A recent headline about pollu- tion drew my attention. Too often we think that pollu- tion is only caused by the big in dustries and that they do all the damage to the em ironment. in thi• , ,,se though the trouble u ! v a farmer who ac - i a l ' d thousands and lions of liquid �►, dram into a ditch. 1 n. e the manure went in- to : rc'eh: and of course on down into Lake Huron. Basically the creek became like an open septic tank. The chance of any fish or plant sur- viving in that area was nil. The problem would •become less of course as it reached the lake with • the larger amount ot •1 dilute the manut ' w11u, 1 i$t penal on the time of the yc u . By the Way by • Syd Fletcher amount of rain flushing it out to the lake, and wind and wave con- ditions whether or not the lake itself would be damaged. Two years ago the beach at ' and Bend was shut down for a cot . of weeks because of high .act. ria count in the water caus- al by precisely this type of pollu- tion. Thousands of dollars were lost to the tourist industry because of that set of• circumstances. It is easy enough to point the finger at this particular farmer who was careless in the handling of a dangerous substance. 1 feel that the judge who handed out a stiff fine did his job properly. At the same time you have to give credit to the hundreds of farmers who take the time to spread the manure at an ap- propriate time and take care to cover it over quickly to minimize the discomfort to others. Serving South Huron, North Middlesex` & North lambton Since 1873 Published by J.W. Eedy Publications Limited P es ar- f "1 HAD THIS HIGNTMARE LAST NIGHT WHERE, NOT ONLY DID THE NDP WIN THEN T ELECTION, 1 VOTED FOR THEM! " Foundation still attacked In case you haven't noticed, it appears that the free enterprise system in this province is nearing a demise. Governments have been whittling away at its foun- dation fora number of years, and similar to any structure, can not continue to stand steadfast under those conditions. The death probably won't come soon enough for many people. although the writer happens to he among the minority who ap- parently favor the free enterprise system. It has its drawbacks, of course. but on balance it has more advan- tages than the creeping socialism that removes initiative and com- petition that heretofore have made Ontario a wonderland. Government encroachment against free enterprise has been underway for a number of years, based primarily upon political expediency. Whenever politicians see an opportunity to establish policies that benefit the vast ma- jority, they seize upon them to further their own cause, which is re-election. The Tories managed that for decades and that success is being emulated by the Liberals as they move in an attempt to follow the successful example of their predecessors. One of the best known ex- amples of the Conservatives was the establishment of rent controls by which landlords were restricted in the amount of in- crease they could charge tenants. The free enterprise in that com- modity was basically eliminated. The repercussions were few. After all, the number of tenants who could say thanks at the ballot box was huge in comparison to landlords who had Big Brother setting the scope of their livelihoods. * * * Those landlords have since been joined by doctors and phar- macists who have their rates of pay established by the govern- ment rather than the marketplace. Now, the Liberal government Batt'n Around with IllikThe Editor have added the insurance in- dustry to the list of those who will be controlled and as they hoped, the customers have lauded the move to cap most car insurance rates and to even dictate that reductions be extended to drivers in some classifications. • While those who make their livelihood from insurance may show their displeasure at the polls in the next election, the Liberals are obviously gambling (safely, no doubt) that vehicle owners will reward them and the numbers are stacked clearly in favor of the latter. There are many 9ther ex- amples of those who lave been eliminated from the lee enter- prise system and indictions are that many more will41low as politicians continue to " de the foundation. In the days ahead, th ment may move to dict price is paid for a hams your favorite drivein, overn- what ger at ug of milk at the corner grocerstore, the maximum charge p hour for plumbing or electri4 ser- vices or the annual subscption price of a newspaper. * * * * Where monopolies List, government intervention ny be justified to prevent conshers from being unmercifully geed, but those instances are fegnd far between in this prance where entrepreneurs are uylly looking for opportunities. There is also the fear tat businesses will agree arng themselves to remove comti- tion to make it more lucrae, but the governments have trs which are intended to provt against .such underhand tactics. Free enterprise is not a pertt system. It can be abused by e greedy. However, it has attributes tk outweigh other systems anct global review would indica beyond any doubt that it ; superior to others, includit- those controlled by government Ontario residents. may sot find that out through first har knowledge. Life in SK is picnic Duncan and Stephanie are in senior kindergarten. Their pro- jects are no problem. "Learn a spring song' , "Find different shapes" or "Cut out things that are green". I can cope with that. You plunk the kids down on the playroom floor, have a little 'singsong with them, hand them an old magazine or a Canadian Tire catalogue and a pair of scissors, and they're in business. Life for parents of SK kids is a picnic. Enter the grade two student. "Dad, I've got to hand in my pro- ject tomorrow." "What project?" "The one I told you about last week." "I don't remember hear- ing anything about a project. Didn't you just finish one a week ago about garter snakes?" "Ya, but now I've got to do one on machines." "What do you need to know about machines?" "Nothing. I've got to design and build one. And it's got to be ready for tomorrow. So are you going to help me?" "Alexander, do you realize what time it is?" "Ya, I guess I should have told you before sup- per." "You should have told me on the weekend." "No problem," Alexander said, always a signal that the road ahead is littered with overwhelm- ing obstacles. "As long as you can help me to put it together, I've got it all planned 'out." "What's it going to be?" I in- quired, as he arranged on the kit- chen table a dozen pencils and pens, an eraser, several pads of paper, a ruler, a measuring tape, a compass, a glass of apple juice and a comic book. "An inven- tion," Alexander said with more confidence than J thought him capable of. "And what's the comic hook for?" "So that I can read while you're helping me to put it together." It was now 7 p.m., the time of day when my creativity wears as thin as my patience. "When you say put it together, what exactly do you mean?" "I mean the in- vention. I'm designing it now. All you have to do is get me a couple of pieces of wood about this big and this big, .and then put everything together. It won't take long at all." Alexander had no idea what he was going to design, but something was beginning to.take shape on paper. At first it looked like a maze, then it changed into a roller coaster, and when it was "finished", it reminded me of PETER'S POINT • Leonardo da Vinci's flying machine. This kid is in grade two. When he gets to grade six I may have to build him a nuclear reactor. "flow big is this thing suppos- ed to be, and what exactly is it?" 1 asked. Ile gave me a look that is typical for an eight-year old boy frustrated with his father. "Don't you see? It's a marble slide." "Of course," I said, "I can see it perfectly now.- A marble slide. What's a marble slide?" 'It's something you roll marbles on. This is where it starts. You shoot the marbles down here, and then they zigzag across here, and down here, and across here, until they drop into a hole right here, and a bell rings." "That's really gtaije good," I said, "if we had the time to take it to a carpenter and then to a machine shop, we could probably get it done in a couple of weeks or so." "I need it for tomorrow morn- ing," Alexander said. "Yes,. 1 know," I sighed, "and that's where,the problem is." "No pro- blem," said Alexander "all wt need is a couple of piecesof wood. and a spring, and a bel." By 8 o'clock we had heated a piece of chipboard ani some mouldings. By 8:30 I sucI ssful- ly retrieved the jig say from under the workbench in tit base- ment. By 8:45 I found some finishing nails. By 9: li the "track" was ready, and %mere able to tell Elizabeth: "N pro- blem, we won't be long nor". We (and from here on am largely using the royal We) Bed - ed two legs to elevate the rd on one side, so that the ma es could roll downhill. To attac legs, we needed a brace a the bottom of the board. T tach the brace to the board the legs to the brace, we ha -_ drill several screw holes, whh was no problem after we hi located the right size of drill t and the key for the electric drt We managed to find a sprit that served as a trigger, and v nailed a plastic cup under ti "finish" line. The marbles rode through the track that crisscross ed the board until they qroppe, into the cup. It was now pushing 10 o'clock. Several calls frost Elizabeth had been answerer with "no problem". "All we need now is abell that rings when a marble drops into the cup," Alexander said. "I think we'll have to do vithout a bell," I said, "where on earth are we going to find a bell?' "It has to have a bell, that's tit? whole idea. It's no good withoutb bell", insisted Alexander. I won't tell you what wt had to cannibalize to get a bellcause it may be regarded as s rilege by some. But the proj was completed by 10:30 p.m.tven- tually Alexander was cleaild up, undressed, washed, brush) and off to bed. .. I think 1'11 send a mess4e to Ms. Williams: 'Please, gij US at least two weeks notice hen Alexander has to do his nexlro- blem, I mean project". e t-