Times Advocate, 1999-10-06, Page 7OPINIONS AND LETTERS
bservations of a
dumb taxpayer
Dear Editor:
Just wondering if Exeter is the only town in Ontario (or
the world) that puts a higher priority on putting up
Christmas decorations on the street lights than it does
on getting the ice put in at the arena? Let's hire 13 M.
Ross to do a survey. Would they find another arena that
doesn't have. their ice in yet?
Rather than putting out tenders to get the arena roof
repaired, we could:
• remove the roof;
• wait until December for cold weather;
• put in natural ice.
Think of the money we could save.
Give me a break. Why did we build the arena in the
first place?
Bring on the new millennium - please.
A dumb tax person.
Biu. FARQUHAR
Oct 3-9 -National
breastfeeding week -
Dear Editor:
The past two years our volunteers have offered free
telephone support " to expectant/new mothers and their
families in Huron County.
To get the telephone number of a volunteer near you
call the Huron County Health Unit or your doctors office.
The Huron County Breastfeeding Network
Member - PAM Maim
Forming a government
Dear Editor:
On October 1, 1999,. the continuing existence of the
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada as the
National Alternative to the Liberal Party of Canada was
affirmed. Not by elites, as some would have it, but by the
freely expressed will of elected delegates in General
Meeting assembled.
Sadly, party members in disagreement with this posi-
tion must now make a choice. Stay within the party and
direct their energies at the Liberals, or, leave and con-
tinue to follow the chimera of a "right" that does not
exist in Canada in sufficient numbers to elect enough
members to form a government.
( Yours truly,
JOE Huici.w
Niagara Falls, Ont.
Watch for children!
Dear Editor:
It's -just another ordinary day. My children grab their
back packs and a hug and walk to the end of our coun-
try Janeway to wait alongside Highway #4 for the school
bus. Yes- it's a busy highway and yes - several times a
week I tell my children "wait until all traffic has stopped
before you start across the road. I don't care how long
you have to wait - safety first."
As my husband and I watch from the front window on
Wednesday morning, I see Gary, the bus driver, put on
the flashing lights of the bus with plenty of time to warn
drives - stop for the bus! Do you know how horrified I
was to see a silver-grey car speed down the highway at
90 km per hour, oblivious to the flashing lights of`a
bright orange bus and the three children standing at
the roadside? He didn't attempt to slow down, let alone
stop, All the bus driver had time to do was blast the
horn as a warning to my children not to start across the
road. I am thankful for him and also my eldest who saw
the car wasn't slowing down and held his younger sib-
lings back.
To you the driver -do you know the tragedy that may
have occurred? Do you realize you could have eliminat-
ed my whole family in seconds? It was horrifying to
watch as a parent, and left me with a sick feeling
inside.
So I say to you the parents, children and drivers -
Safety First. Drivers - watch for children and the flash-
ing lights on the bus. Children - wait until all traffic has
stopped.Please remember to thank your bus drivers and
Ken Ogden for the great work they do transporting your
children safely. A concerned parent
JANINa DOUGAti
Wednesday,October 6, 1999
Exeter 'Times -Advocate
Opinion&Forum
T
1 OYEARSAGO
October 4, 1989 - Local figure
skating carnivals are going to
miss one of their favourite stars
this year as Kathy Merner of
Zurich turns professional and
joins the 50th anniversary tour
of Ice Capades in the United
States.
20YEARS AGO
October 3, 1979 - The coffers
at SHDHS are richer by $600
thanks to Wednesday's pledges and the co-opera-
tion of three teachers to have their beards removed.
Barbers Mike Burke, Sue Anne Becker and Cary
Unich removed the chin whiskers of vice-principal
Herb Murphy and teachers Sherwood Eddy and
Colin Lowndes.
Carf Cann, chairman of the Exeter cancer cam-
paign fund received a special award at Monday's
annual meeting of the Canadian Cancer Society.
The resignation of veteran member Harvey Pfaff
from the Local planning board was received "with
regret" by council this week. Councillor Don
Cameron said special note should be made of the
fact the local postmaster has served on the board
for 21 years.
30YEARS AGO
October 3, 1969 - Exeter mayor Jack Delbridge
was the winner in the mayors' class at the recent
International Plowing Match held near Paris,
Ontario.
Bell Canada has purchased the Thames Road
Telephone System that had been operated for 25
years by Lloyd and Harry Frayne. The 150 sub-
scriber system is being integrated into the Bell sys-
tem
Boise Cascade of Canada Ltd. has presented a
proposal to build a $500,000 mobile homes plant in
the village.
35YEARS AGO
October 2, 1964 - The Exeter Businessmen's
Association has decided to sponsor six orphans this
Christmas with each receiving $50. Another $500
was set aside for several draws to be held through-
out the Christmas shopping season. -�
The Mary Ellen Chapel at the Grand Bend muse-
um of Peter Eisenbach was dedicated in a special
service, Monday. The quaint chapel with its antique
furnishings was filled to capacity with 165 people.
Area residents will have an opportunity to view
the new Usborne Township Central School this
Friday when the official opening will be held at the
eight -room structure.
40YEARS AGO
October 3, 1959 - Exeter Dairy Ltd. can now pas-
teurize and bottle milk. The local plant recently
installed new short -time pasteurization equipment
which makes it the most modern dairy in Western
Ontario.
The district got its first taste of below freezing
weather early Wednesday, but the forecast indi-
cates milder weather on Thursday.
The first rural central school in the area will be
officially opened this Friday night. George A.
Pearson will be the guest speaker at the ceremony
marking completion of McGillivray Township
School at West McGillivray.
5OYEARS AGO
October 4, 1949 - Adorning the front of Exeter's
post office is a huge thermometer that in the future
will mark the progress that is being made for the
erection of a new hospital to be known as South
Huron Hospital.
The Sweitzer Bowling Lanes, owned and operat-
ed by Mr. and Mrs. William Sweitzer have been
sold to Rene Francis of Tillsonburg.
William Ellerington returned home last week
after a trip to the west going as far as Calgary
where he purchased 350 head of feeder cattle.
60YEARS AGO
October 4, 1939 - Leavitt's Theatre is showing,
"The Three Musketeers" starring Don Ameche and
the Ritz Brothers.
Rev. Donald Graham of Crediton hasaccepted a
position of Lieutenant with the Perth battalion.
75 YEARS AGO
October 3, 1924 - The ladies of Centralia are hav-
ing their big fowl supper tonight and great prepara-
tions are being.
Mildred Rowe, Ruth Lamport, Gertie Francis,
Mary Horney, Carrie Davis and Mr. E. Christie,
Nortnal School students were home for the holiday.
ROSS
HAUGH
BACK IN TIME
Harris carries burden
TORONTO — Every Ontario
premier who had a chance to
be federal leader in the last
half -century turned it down
— so why would Mike Harris
be any different?
The Progressive
Conservative premier is con-
stantly suggested as leader of
a right-wing united federal
party of Tories and
Reformers since he won a
second majority in his June
election.
Most assessments dwell on his popularity at
home, but previous premiers who might have
run learned quickly having been in power in
Ontario made them. less liked in some way in
other parts of Canada.
The last to find out the hard way was George
Drew, also a Tory, who became federal leader
in 1948 after losing his seat by a quirk in a
provincial election, although he was popular
enough his party stayed in power.
Colonel Drew, imperious so some thought
him arrogant, epitomized central Canada, Bay
Street and big money to many in other
provinces.
Drew's being an Ontarian also split his fed-
eral party. John Diefenbaker, whom he defeat-
ed for leader, complained bitterly Ontario
Tories' natural strong support for Drew was 'a
personal affront — you people in Ontario have
never liked or supported .me.'
Drew lost two federal elections and after he
resigned, frustrated, premier Leslie Frost, who
won three Ontario elections, was suggested as
his successor.
Frost ruled it out, saying he had an impor-
tant job to do in Ontario, but admitted unusu-
ally frankly one deterrent, saying the history
of premiers from Ontario and elsewhere who
stepped up to federal politics 'is aa
, n
encouraging one. Provincial leaders who -Mite
gone into the federal field have almost invari-
ably not been successful or not accomplished
any outstanding success'.
Frost while defending his own province's
interests also had expressed concern at a
Liberal federal government plan for equaliza-
tion grants to poorer provinces, saying it could
destroy enterprise and productivity in the
province from which the money was taken,
meaning Ontario, which then supplied half of
federal tax revenues. The premier would have
known this would not. have made him popular
among voters of any stripes in the Maritime
and Prairie provinces.
Premier John Robarts, who succeeded Frost
and won two Ontario elections and a reputa-
tion for promoting national unity, was seen as
a successor to Diefenbaker after the latter was
defeated as prime minister but still fighting to
retain his party leadership.
Nova Scotia premier Robert Stanfield, who
later became federal leader, and Dalton Camp,
who led the move to oust Diefenbaker, asked
Robarts to run. But. Robarts refused, fearing
both an ugly confrontation with Diefenbaker
and poorer provinces would resent his opposi-
tion to the Liberal federal government's ver-
sion of medicare, which eliminated insurance
company participation, another example of
pro-business Ontario being disliked elsewhere.
William Davis, Robarts's successor who won
four elections, may have come closest in the
1980's when Joe Clark called a federal leader-
ship convention after his party failed to show
him enthusiastic support. Three Maritime pre-
miers said they would support Davis.
But any thoughts Davis may have had of
switching were destroyed when Alberta pre-
mier Peter Lougheed, still furious Davis fought
to keep down the price of Alberta oil to help
Ontario industry, said he would block him.
A11 the possible contenders from Ontario
found they had too much happen in other
parts of the country.
Harris's latest contribution to national poli-
tics has been to urge the Liberal federal gov-
ernment to use its fiscal surplus to cut taxes
rather than improve sociar programs, which
did not endear him to poorer provinces, so he
also carries a burden.
ERIC
DOWD
A VIEW FROM
QUEEN'S PARK