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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1999-03-03, Page 9-op -711 Wednesday, March 3, 1999 Exeter Time 9 Opinion&Forum 10YEARS AGO March 1, 1989 - Policy hold- ers of the Usborne Hibbert Mutual Fire Insurance Company learned at the annual meeting that the company enjoyed another successful year. Irl addition to a net income of $597,332, directors have approve refund from BACK IN TIME surplus to )Iders in the • amount o' '390,000 as opposed to $350,000 for the previous year. Robert Gardiner has retired after 31 years of dedicated service. SHDHS graduate Lee O'Rourke in winning the gold medal in the triple jump helped her University of Western Ontario women's track and field team to first place at the University of Miami Track Classic. Seip's Valumart of Exeter is the winner of the 1988 Foodland Ontario Retailer Award in the independent category for the Stratford district. 20 YEARS AGO February 28, 1979 - Five photographic enthu- siasts from South Huron District High School combined their talents to place second in the Western Fair Farm Show competition for Southwestern Ontario secondary schools. They were Terry Schwartzentruber, Brad Baynham, Stan Christie, Pat De3onge and Richard Helm. 35 YEARS AGO February 27, 1964 - Right Rev. H.F.G. Appleyard, Bishop of Georgian Bay, told Anglican young people of Huron Deanery Sunday night that he enjoys the Beatles' music, but he'd like to give the popular singers a haircut. • Mrs. Norman Amos, serving her second term as president of Beta Sigma Phi was crowned sweetheart queen at the sorority's annual ball on Valentine's night. Two leap year children will celebrate the fourth anniversary of their birthdates on Saturday, February 29. They are Elaine Powe, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Powe, R.R. 2, Centralia and Alvin Lavery, son of Mr. and Mrs. Milton Lavery of Hensall. They are two of a num- ber of district residents who will welcome the extra day this month as a once -in -four years birthdate. Two plaques commemorating those who served in both world wars were unveiled in con- nection with.the organ dedication at James Street United Church. Edward Lindenfield and Luther Penhale were chosen for the ceremony from among those who lost members of their families during the conflicts. 40 YEARS AGO February 28, 1959 - The Main Street building owned by John Ward has been purchased by William Pa••'kei ) -ecently bought the barber shop busi►►, .'5 `he: '- to Norman Hockey. Mr. an M. I f arold Whyte and David, who move to Bracebriuge soon, were honoured by the Lucan community at a presentation euchre and dance last week. Mr.Whyte served 12 years as hydro manager in Lucan after serving a number of years in Exeter with the HEPC. The Riverview Park project received a major boost this week when the -Ausable Authority agreed to purchase the Ray Frayne property and assist the town in develpment of the area. 50 YEARS AGO March 1, 1949 - Saturday morning the pupils of Eden School (S.S. 4, Usborne) with •their teacher Elaine Mitchell, were heard in a program over CKNX radio in Wingham. Alf Scholl of Ilensall is making extensive improvements to the the interior of his meat and grocery store. Sixty years ago the women of Main Street and James Street churches organized a WMS. Mrs. I.A. Rollick was honoured Sunday being the only living WMS charter member. Harry Strang won top honours at the annual Huron County Seed Fair hAld at the Clinton Collegiate. 75 YEARS AGO February 28, 1924 - Mr. Roy Goulding was in Toronto last week taking in the Mendelssohn Choir concerts. Pitch -holes are bad on many of the roads. There are some deep ones on the London Road, just south of town. ROSS HAUGH f -11NEF..r. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR We takeour communities for granted Dear Editor; We take so much in this life for granted. Mostly the community we live in. It amazed me when we started making the arrangements for Christopher's funeral. Every detail we had to deal with,we dealt with a friend. It was easier because Karen Zeehuisen is a friend, Laurie Dykstra, friend, Mary Ann Eagleson, Bill Hasket, George Finch, Paula Sereda, Janet Taylor, Jeanie Lee all friends. I can't express it enough how it all helped. I wish 1 could put every- one's.names down. Gord Hern, for having your home open. You have no idea what "Hern's Place" meant to Christopher. I felt I had to let our community know how lucky we are to all live here. And also thank you to the TA. You complied with our wishes. The write- up and pictures did Christopher and Lawrence proud. Thank you, thank you, thank you. PAT HICKS Chris's Mom Let's learn from the unpleasant experiences Dear Editor: Some 50 years ago, the County of Perth passed its first by-law to regulate the destruction of trees in woodlots in response to the dwindling forest cover in the County and to ensure that proper forestry tech- niques are used in logging operations. From the beginning, the by-law was designed with multiple purposes, including the protection of our valuable soil and water resources as well as the pro- duction of useful wood products. Woodlands in Perth County complement agricultural production by pro- tecting soil from erosion by wind or water, providing shelter for field crops, farm buildings and livestock from wind, improving water quality jn streams, pro- viding recharge areas to replenish groundwater resources, reducing flood problems providing habitat for wildlife, and many other ways, as well as, in a properly -managed woodlot, providing a lucrative ., crop" of wood products. How much woodland is required to obtain these benefits? One of the best indications is European experience, where extensive land clearing took place many centuries before it did in Perth County. In France, for instance, the forested area has doubled since 1800 and is still increasing slowly, with wood- land now covering 25 ,percent of the land area. Based on much longer experience than we have, some European authorities argue at least 20 percent of the land surface should be forested, even with land val- ues far higher than we have. Even certain small European countries, such as Denmark, consider 10 percent productive forest land to be a lower limit. By any standard, Perth County's seven percent for- est cover is too low. In fact, four of the County's wards (formerly "townships") have less than five per- cent forest cover. With a doubling of farmland values in Perth County in the past two or three years, there is renewed pres- sure to convert woodland into cropland, and the county by-law is the only reason this does not hap- pen. Agricultural pressures to reduce woodland areas are cyclical, occurring whenever land values or commodity prices escalate. However, many farmers have observed "dirty" snow in melting drifts in late winter and we are aware the soil in the melting snow drifts came from their fields. Rural landowners who were forced to drill new wells in 1998 for the first time in decades can appreciate the need to replenish groundwater levels. Most Perth County residents noticed nearly dry streams in 1998 and can appreciate the need to regulate the flow of water more evenly. Farmers who have sold timber from well-managed woodlots during the past few years attach a new value to the financial advantages of woodland as part of the farm. Retaining our woodlands through by-law regulation helps county residents benefit in many ways that we only come to appreciate fully when our woodlands are no longer there. Let's recognize their value and learn from the unpleasant experiences of our counterparts in Europe. WARDEN DAVE SHEARER and Members of Perth County Council What else is new? A Liberal federal government has pulled the rug a bit from • under its struggling Ontario party approaching an election - - so what else is new? Federal Liberals in power have made such a practice of helping dim the hopes of their struggling provincial counter- parts at crucial times it would be almost a surprise if they . failed to do so. This time, only months before Progressive Conservative Premier Mike Harris is due to call an election, Liberals in Ottawa have restored much of the transfer payments they took away from provinces, particularly for health care. Harris is doing reasonably well in polls, but vul- nerable on health care, partly because not enough money is being poured into it and he is determined not to raise taxes. The Tory premier will now have about an extra $1 billion a year to spend - not sufficient to cure all problems, but enough so he can say improve- ments are on the way and, because he lobbied, can even boast that he helped secure it. This is a coup for Harris's Tories going into an election, as federal Treasury Board President Marcel Masse conceded before his branch of the party hushed him up. Masse revealed that the federal Liberals had worried that if they gave more money they would help Harris, but felt compelled to because polls showed many Ontario residents concerned that they were not getting their fair share of aid for key social programs and it was hurting national unity. Masse claimed that the federal Liberals dislike Harris and the last thing they want is t, give help that might get him re-elected -- but of cou , 3e they have. Some Ontario Liberals may feel their federal party has let them down, but morally it needed to supply more money urgently, because ► ' nth care has deteriorated, and should not and ,ulc] ,►ot have delayed announcing it until after an c,ntario election. But it is ironic how often federal Liberals in power have not shirked from taking actions that made life more difficult for provincial Liberals. Just before the last Ontario election in 1995, when the Liberals under Lyn McLeod were well ahead in polls, the Liberal federal government started cutting transfer payments to provinces massively to reduce its deficit. McLeod had to choose whether she would sup- port her federal party or complain it was depriv- ing Ontario, and said the cuts were fair and it was time Ontario also started making tough Oecisions to get its finances in order. But after opponents accused her of lacking the backbone to stand up to her federal leader, she said that if she was premier she would go to Ottawa and demand it give Ontario its fair share, and then was criticized for flip-flopping. To mention just a few other examples, in 1975, when the Ontario Liberals seemed on the verge o1' power, federal finance minister John Turner resigned a few days before the vote amid indica- tions he . Jst a behind -the -scenes battle in which he claimed prime minister Pierre Trudeau was not fighting inflation. Tory premier William Davis grabbed this as proof that Ontario Liberals would not fight infla- tion and managed to hang in with a minority gov- ernment, leaving the Ontario Liberals bitter that their federal party did not hold off making its dif- ferences public until after the provincial vote. Liberal federal governments also announced, just before other Ontario elections the Liberals' lost, a 10 -cents -a -gallon tax increase on gasoline and a plan for a huge new airport east of Toronto, never built, which ruined provincial Liberals' hopes of being seen as environmental- ists. Trudeau in one Ontario election, in this case hoping to help, descended like a messiah on a Liberal farm rally in a helicopter paid for by fed- eral taxpayers, and the arrogance of it hurt the Ontario Liberals.. The lesson is that parties at the two different levels often have different roles and agendas and cannot rely on each other as comrades -in -arms. ' ERIC DOWD A VIEW FROM QUEEN'S PARK