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Times-Advocate, 1988-05-04, Page 4Page 4 Times -Advocate, May 4, 1988 Times t slabtished 18- i Ads oc ate t slablished 1881 Amalgamated 1924 dvocate Published Each Wednesday Morning at Exeter, Ontario, NOM ISO Second Class Mail Registration Number 0386. Phone 519-235-1331 ROSS HAL CH tditur €NA cci4a. lL4BRAEff ' Publisher A Adsertisung Manager HARM DECRIES 00k. SMITH (omposition Manage, Business Manager SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada: $25.00 Per year; U.S.A. $65.00 Serving South Huron, North Middlesex & North Lambton Since 1873 Published br J.W. Eeds Publications Limited How big a raise? Who should decide how much salary or wages an employee should receive? In normal situations, its the employer or boss who sets pay scales and sometimes rates are. agreed upon by unions and em- ployers after a negotiator has been called Currently the provincial government is facing this problem. They will have to decide on a recommendation to give themselves pay increases. • A few days ago, a Commission on Elec- tion Finances recommended that the basic salary for MPP's should rise by 14.7 per- cent and added a concern that their sug- gestions are never' adopted. It will be interesting to note what hap- pens in this matter. A year ago, a similar - Commission suggested an increase of 12 percent, but the Liberal •government settled for a rise of 4.4 percent. At that time, the New Democrats and Progressive Conservatives agreed that the government should not be able to de- cide MPP's salaries, but should follow the independent commission's guidelines. The opposition members finally agreed to the smaller 1987-88 increase after the Liberals agreed to consider having an in- dependent group suggest pay increases that could not be overruled by govern- ment.. This has now been done. Now in the midst of a hulabaloo of strong protests over recent tax increases, will the opposition . MPP's hold out for pay hikes at the suggested rate of 14.7 percent. We are not suggesting the MPP's do not deserve an increase. In fact they do. But, we would be opposed to a 14.7 percent hike. Most of us would be more than pleased to get a raise like that. The 4.4 percent raise of a year ago is in line with inflation and a similar hike now should be acceptable to most taxpayers. The current basic salary for MPP's is $39,229. At the same time, the commis- sion members recommended that tax-free allowances be frozen at $13,171 along Keeping warm I scraped the frost off my car for yet another morning last week, wondered when spring would really arrive, and remem- with premiums-for-the-Premierand-op- t d samrething a trend of mine had said several years ago. Something which had seemed profound and amusing at the time, but appropriate even today. It had been a winter's morning and -I was sitting with the usual coffee culture in the University lounge. Somehow we had worked the conversation around to debate on the Meaning of life. After- all, with three hours to kill between classes every other day, the topic was bound to come up eventually. Probably, one of us had just returned from a philoso- phy. class. We were about to laugh at this inane discussion when John, known for his off -beat humor, said something like "It seems to mc, the whole point of life is in keeping warm." Now, John worked part-time baking pizzas and knew a lot about keeping warm. He had the position leaders. In comparison, members of the Quebec National Assembly receive slaaries of $52,788 and tax-free allowances of $8,844 making a total somewhat higher than our MPP's would get if the proposed increase goes through. The increase may be justified compared to Quebec, but the percentage seems awfully high. Hopefully all members of the Legisla- ture will get together on an increase which taxpayers can live with comforta- bly. Costs have to be paid Recent negotiations between the South Iluron Rec Board and the Exeter Agri- cultural Society have brought to light a fundamental issue that the whole commu- nity must soon face. Recreation is expensive. If the commu- nity wants good facilities it has to pay for them. The Society, which donated the land for the recreation facility in 1947, receives special consideration when renting the centre for the Exeter Fall Fair -- and well it should. But that "special consideration" must also be within reason. Using a recent cost analysis of the facili- ties, the Rec Board showed the Society that they were operating at a substantial loss on the weekend of the Fair. The Soci- ety's initial reply was to offer a five per- cent increase in their rental fees -- a dif- ference of $50. While we acknowledge that the Com- munity Centre should not make a profit, we feel its deficit should be kept at a rea- sonable level. Any deficit incurred is ab- sorbed by the taxpayers of this communi- By Ross Haugh ty, some of whom have never set foot in the Rec Centre. With a $300,000 budget, the Rec .Board passed on a deficit of $100,000 to the town of Exeter last year. Hanging some- . where between the frying pan and the fire, the board is to be commended for raising two thirds of the yearly cost. But they are faced with constant pressure from town council on one side and facili- ties users on the other. Though that $100,000 deficit will never be completely eliminated, it can be shaved down substantially. Using tools such as cost analysis and energy manage- ment to eliminate waste is one way of do- ing battle with the sum. Another step in the right direction can be taken by groups not totally dependent on subsidies for their survival. In the same spirit which prompted them to donate the property 41 years ago, the Agricultural Society should set an exam; ple and tender a more realistic offer for the rental of the facilities. By Mark Bisset Unexpected rewards Sometimes teaching can pro- vide strange unexpected re- wards. A young fellow came up to me in a supermarket and asked me if 1 knew who he was. i had to ad- mit that I didn't. "My name is Freddy...," he said; smiling broadly. He intro- duced me to his wife and two little girls. "Do you remember our_bird box back at Embro?" he demanded. i did remember it and certainly did remember Freddy. He was fifteen years old whcn he came to my school and was still in Grade 5. His previous principal had decided that he was going to stay there till he passed if it took him forever. That was back in the days before special education classes and the shops which he would have just loved. • I I soon saw that he just couldn't twenty-five stuffed birds, all pe handle thc academic subjects but fcctly mounted and set on he could do anything which re- branches. The box had been var- quired mechanical skill. He nished and revarnished over the years and the last coat had left it almost black. Freddy asked me one day if he could strip it down and rcvamish it. I suppose in these times of lawsuits one would worry that he would be getting some paint remover in his eye but being young and carefree, I let him go at it. Well, over a dozen cans and many pieces of sandpaper later we found that the old bird box was made of beautiful . cherry wood. Freddy lovingly applied new varnish and polished it up till it shone. We moved it down- stairs where everyone could scc it. By the Way Svd Fletcher could take a washing machine motor apart and put it together in half an hour, something that l just wouldn't dream of tackling. Up in the upper lobby of thc old school at Embro was this huge glass box filled with about 6 1 It is time again to round up the kids and drag them into town to do some shopping for Mother's Day. Alexander wants to buy Mom a • rock 'n roll tape, Stephanie wants to get her a new dress, and Duncan yet another coffee mug. So they need guidance. From me. Because I know what Mom wants and what the kids can afford. It takes hours to come up with three compromise solutions. And then I have to find something suitable to give Elizabeth. Nothing practical like a new toaster. That wouldn't bc personal. Nothing sexist like one of those big glossy cookbooks. I'll probably end up with a pair of mother-of-pearl earrings. Mother's Day they call it. What a laugh. Wive's Day would be a much more appropriate 'name. I give you, a couple of examples. Although my kids receive a healthy "allowance" every week, I don't see them saving it for that special Sunday in May. Their precious little piggybanks don't take a beating. No, it's my VISA account that becomes as inflated as if it were the week before Christmas. And my mother has been dcad for five years. Example 2: I'm expected to sing in the special Mother's Day "male chorus" at church, "to give the ladies a treat". How chauvinistic can we get? What about all the daughters out there? I think that for a- long time now we've been confusing Mother's Day with Wife's Day or Ladies' Day. Nothing wrong with a special' ay for wives or girlfriends or female companions or ladies in general, scars on his arms to prove it. He expanded his theory by pointing out that the three essen- tials of life_- food,clothing_and-- shelter- are all aimed at keeping us warm. He even went so far Hold that thought... by Adrian Harte as to scc warmthas the goal of the search for Canadiannentity. He figured the early pioneers spent all autumn chopping wood to keep warm in the winter months. Today's pioneers. arc more likely to put the shutters on the cottage and book early for Florida. And just in case you thought love and happiness were more important to the meaning of life than keeping warm, let us not forget that most personal ads arc full of "warm, fun and friendly" people searching for "warm, car- -ingi' mates: John never said his theory was perfcct, but sometimes I think it's better than anything the phi- losophy profs ever came up with. We have only to look at the amounts of money we spend on warmth: bathing suits, lawn chairs and patio decks for soak ing up thc sun. Fireplaces are still the focus of many living rooms. Fur coats aren't consid- ered luxurious just because they're fuzzy. Club Med has,yet to open a resort in the Yukon. It's safe to say we arc willing to spend enormous wealth to stay where we can keep warm. In case of overdose, there's al- -ways air-conditioning. As for John, well, he doesn't bake pizzas anymore and I ha- ven't bumped into him in more than a year. I don't know what he's up to, but 1 hope he's keep- ing warm. Wife's day but I'm a great believer in naming things properly. Let's not say Mother when we mean .Better Half. Peter's Proposition So here is my proposition. Let's have Wife's Day on the first Sunday in May (and perhaps PETER'S POINT • Husband's Day on the third Sunday in Junc). This will put things in their proper, perspective, and nothing but the names will have to change. Irwin still get up. at 6 a.m. on Wife's Day and prepare an agreeable breakfast complete with poached eggs on toast, croissants with home - bought ginger marmalade and filter coffee. I will still have a dozen Tong -stemmed red roses flown in and dropped on the lawn. I will still sing in the "male chorus" at church, no matter how rusty my vocal chords may bc. I will still take everyone to P.J.'s Restaurant for lunch. And I will still cheerfully present Elizabeth with a moderately expensive bauble and a reasonably poetic cans. But the ghildren will have nothing to do with it. i won't have to traipse all over town with three kids, "helping them" to select gifts for Mommy and pay for them because once again they have forgotten to bring their precious little purses. I won't have to juggle wrapping paper. three pairs of scissors, tape, ribbons, cards, envelopes, pencils, crayons, erases and white-out while the children fight over who gets to do what first. Wife's Day would be the husband's business. Simple. Uncomplicated. No more guilt trips, no more hidden meanings. Perhaps a better name could be devised to include contemporary synonyms like consorts, partners, etc. Communist countries have no Mother's Day, only an International Women's Day (March 8th). Maybe we could counter this by calling ours Feminine Companion Day. And then perhaps another day could be set aside to remember mothers. Those who live under the same roof with their mother could reflect on thcir good fortune. Those whose mother lives far away - across the continent or across town in an apartment or nursing home - could visit her, spend the day with her, comfort her. And those whose mother lives only in memory could recall the good times of the past. Children would honour their mothers. Husbands would honour thcir mothers. Wives and mothers would honour their mothers. Docs this sound too revolutionary? Anna Jarvis who suggested the introduction of Mother's Day in 1908 wouldn't think so. She's bcenrturning in her grave for a long time, singing "Look what they've done with my Day, Ma ..." . As Freddy talked happily on in thc supermarket and then went ` on down the aisle with his fami- ly, I felt that that bird box niay and that maybe because of it he have made a little change in the was able to forget failing three way'hc thought about himself* times in Grade 5.