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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1993-09-29, Page 4Page 4 Times -Advocate, September 29,1993 Publisher: Jim Beckett News Editor: Adrian Harte Business Manager: Don smith Composition Manager: Deb Lord Publications Malt Registration Number 0386 • SUBSCRIPTION RATES: CANADA Within 40 miles (65 km.) addressed to non letter carrier addresses $30.00 plus $2.10 4.S.T. Outside 40 ribs (85 km.) or any letter carrier address $30.00 plus $30.00 (total 80.00) + 4.20 Q.S.T. Outside Canada $88.06 A "Men are never so likely to settle a question rightly as when they discuss it freely." ... Thomas Macauley Published Each Wednesday Morning at 424 Main St., Exeter, Ontario, NOM 1S6 by J.W, Eedy Publication. Ltd. Telephone 1-S19-235-1331 O.S.T. 1R105210835 What can we believe? disenchanted -electorate can 'be.a:dangerous thing. This federal election has .all the ingredients neces- saty,to make for a Completely unex• - peetedmault bn October 25. Wemay:end.up with:a balkanized .:govezmment of minorities, in which no one is sure who holds The balance of power, or for how long. Or the moody voters might just end up swinging in .all one :direction form one certain reason, giving one party: a=devastating majority. How is a voter to decide where to put the "x" next month? Is it really :all :about "jobs, jobs, jobs", particularly since that was the issue in .1988? -:Since then, 'we've lost jobs, lost companies, endured .the support -group therapy of the Spicer Commission, and tried to re- write a Constitution that:didn't-want to change. Are Canadians still willing to believe our: governments really can create jobs? We do: seem aware that federal and provincialpolicies .can hurt- the job markets, but does tit work the other way? Saw.hat do we have? All the parties ' :have new leaders this time out. Prime Minister Kim Campbell is -running around pretending her government has nothing to do with one of the most:dis- Aike4governtuents in Canadian history, _ 'Het rift ge�aoittthatithe federaabgOIcs are lin idisariuy grid snakes it hard to set firm financial policies should be a clear warning to voters. It leaves her open to abandoning election "promises" once the finances are in worse shape than be- lieved. Jean Chretien isn't always sure what province he's in, 'brill liters issued a policy statement that t b add be 'completely picked to pieces by the time the polls open. Audrey McLaughlin can't seem to get out of her own way. Preston Manning is :a little different. Instead of halving on about job creation, he's .more interested in the deficit - pre- ferring, we:assume, to let Canadians create their:own jobs. It's not surprising the Globe andMail endorsed his pro- gram. Voters may not be completely convinced by the Reform movement, but it's .certain they will be a bigger factor than the polls are suggesting. If the parties are truly interested in leading this country, and not be forced into making sweetheart deals to form a coalition with a mortal enemy, they need to make a bigger impression on the vot- ers. We need to hear tougher talk on what they plan to do, not just criticism of each others' ideas and personalities. We need to know what is and is not possible with the taxes we pay each . year. Wemight suppose what we really .want is forthrighthonesty. itmight be togmiiuch to:ask,. A.Dl1. Your Views Buy more, win more? "We were told we did not deserve to advance because our team did not purchase any beer or food at the tournament." Dear Editor. This letter is written with a serious concern for the image of the Hensall Minor Athletic Association. i entered a baseball team at the cost of 5175.00 in the September 18, 19 tournament sponsored by this association. Our team was to advance to the next round after defeating the Hensel! 30-11. The official in consultation with an opposing team member, a local umpire, and a local score -timekeeper over- ruled our advance stating that our fatal at bat started too late nullifying five of our runs and allowing the Hensel' team to advance. If this was all that hap- pened I would have left disappointed but not ap- palled. What followed our dispute over the ruling was a statement by a tournament official that was shocking and reeked with discrimination. We were told we did not deserve to advance because our team did not purchase any beer or food at the tournament. As primarily representatives of.Royal View Pente- costal Church, most of us do not drink alcoholic beverages, not to mention the legal issue with mi- nors on our team. I did not believe that this attitude shown by thisofficial reflects the community of Hensel!, but I would think twice about the represen- tatives you allow to represent you in community sponsored events that are welcoming teams from other communities. It has left a disturbing impres- sion on this team. Sincerely Coach Jeff Van Leeuwen Rev. Michael J. Lee Minister of youth and young adults. Peter's Point Hy Peter Hesse' I suppose I'm a romantic fool. l attach mean- ing to inanimate objects that are of no signifi- cance to others. Like soil. To most people it's only din. Ground -up rock alts decaying organic matter. It can be scooped up by giant machines, sifted and piled, trucked away and used for the landscaping of new housing developments. Why not? There is no law against the strip- ping of top soil. It's a business like many oth- ers. it creates employment. and the c ash in- come for the owners is considerable. You can't stop progress. We'll soon be in the 21st century. Arguments with realists are useless. They have the law, our municipal representatives, as well as public opinion on their side. And yet, something deep imide me chums when I see the top soil stolen away from a field. When a field created by generations of in- dustrious farms is raped. Robbed. (Both words have the same origin). Top soil is the living part of the earth's crust. Where we live - on the Canadian Shield - it took thousands of years to build up. There was no soil here 8,000 years ago when the Cham- plain Sea covered the land. Since then, count- less plants have lived and died to produce a for- est soil. The forest supported animal life and a thin population of semi -nomadic native hunt- ers. The early settlers came to this country to work the soil. They made it their own. They earned their right to own it. They cut clearings into the forest and carved out fields, removing rocks, boulders and stumps. Men, women and children spent their lives improving the soil. The pioneers are gone. Their gravestones are crumbling in hidden -away country cemeteries. Their log houses, their sturdy barns, their gra- naries have disappeared. Replaced by four -lane highways and factory sites, by shopping centres and airports. And by urban sprawl. By ply- wood, concrete -brick, aluminum or vinyl - siding and asphalt -tile. By synthetic imitations of natural products. By plastic risky -tacky that breaks down long before it's paid for. But the Training is not a waste "Ask anyone affected by an injury if it reduced their income." Dear Editor. Re: Safety Training a Waste If Council thinks money to train works in safety is a waste they are "ridiculous". Council spends thousands of dollars on police training and fire training but the truck driver, back hoe operator, office worker means nothing. Ask anyone affected by an injury if it reduced their income. Children are affected by an accident if parents are hurt or killed on the pob. Counc314please get some education,otil1ealtitand . , Safety. Fines cost a lot more than training. Thank You Yours in Safety Steve Crawley Huron Park Tradition to continue "If you can't support local talent, who can you support?" Dear Editor. The Exeter Agricultural Society would like to thank Exeter and area for their continued support of our annual Fall Fair. Community spirit was evident Friday evening and Saturday with many enjoying the events offered. Our one disappointment this year, as every year since its inception, was the response to the Sunday program. We thought we had the problem solved this year by featuring Positively Stompin'! A local band on the verge of national exposure, about to re- lease their first album of good country music. This paper ran an article about their musical success and advertising was done locally and in the surrounding area. What better combination could there be? As e fellow attending said "If you can't support local, lent, who can you support?" Right? Wrong. The hall was more empty than full and many of those faces in attendance were not familiar. We were disappointed not only for ourselves but as well for this group of local fellows, for the lack of sup- port and interest shown by their own community. Do we have to wait for someone to gain national no- toriety before we recognize them? Looking back on the entire weekend, it was a suc- cess. The faithful volunteers, exhibitors, sponsors and fair goers help to carry on the fair tradition; that of friendly competition and the sharing of talent, knowledge and fun. We thank everyone for their contribution. This paper has always served us well and again we appreciate and thank you for your ef- forts. As we look ahead to 1994 and its fair, we would appreciate any comments, coneems or ideas you may have. After all, this is your community fair and we want the tradition to continue. Wayne Shapton On behalf of the Exeter Agricultural Society From pioneer farm to top soil - pit owners don't care because they seldom stay long enough to observe the changes. They plant their exotic shrubs and trees into soil brought in from a hundred miles away. They rarely stay long enough to sec them grow to maturity. They move to bigger and better plastic houses, with three instead of two bathrooms, with three instead of two -car garages. The top soil for their pampered petunias and geraniums is shipped in from another fanners field that has been raped. So within less than a year, the soil disappears from what used to be William McNaughton's faire. The operator packs up his machinery and looks for another "strip mine". Where the soil is rich and fertile. Just what thy city folks need for growing lawns like golf clubs: Old William and Elizabeth McNaughton's fields are sold - usually by their heirs - to a fine of speculators. They sit on the skinned "proper- ty" for a couple of years until opportunity knocks in the form of a land developer - who does not develop the land at all but carves it up into lots which he sells to builders. First the builders erect ticky-tacky plastic houses on the devastated lots. Then - to cover up the scars left by power shovels and cranes and concrete mix- ers - they bring in top soil from a farm where the family of Bob and Edna Robertson used to live. Here and there on c construction site, an occasional tree has survived the onslaught, and a "treed lot" is worth at least a couple of thou- sand dollars more than the test. 1 guess it's all necessary and inevitable in the name of progress. And as I said in the begin- ning, I'm a romantic fool. So don't worry if you drive by a place where the top soil is being stripped off the land, and you sec a guy kneel- ing at the old farm fence, with his arms out- stretched. It's only me asking forgiveness of the dead pioneers. and of our future, yet unborn generations. VA.