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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1984-09-05, Page 4Page 4 Times -Advocate, September 5, 1984 Ames Times Established 1873 Advocate Established 1881 Amalgamated 1924 INN dvocate Serving South Huron, North Middlesex & North Lambton Since 1873 Published by 1.W. Eedy Publications Limited LORNE EERY Publisher IIM BECKETT Advertising; Manager Bill BA[[EN Editor HARRY DEVRIES Composition Manager ROSS HAUGH Assistant Editor DICK IONGKIND Business Manager Published Each Wednesday Morning at Exeter, Ontario ° Second Class Mail Registration Number 0386. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada: $22.00 Per year; U.S.A. $60.00 C.W.N.A., O.C.N.A. CLASS 'A' and 'ABC' KVNiettP A better mousetrap After assessing several new designs for let- ter boxes, the engineering department of Canada Post settled on some spiffy red boxes with a futuristic design. The boxes have an improved locking device designed to reduce the common problem of mail thefts possible when vandals tipped over the previous models to allow the mail to spill out. With a double -baffle system built into the interior, such spillage is prevented. With that problem remedied, Canada Post has placed 288 .of the new boxes costing a total of $47,000 on a trial in British Columbia. There is one small problem with the new boxes accepted by the engineering department, however. The design of the boxes allows the easy entry of an arm right up to the armpit and there is a concern that some unscrupulous people may seize upon that slight defect to reach in and take out mail designed for other destinations. Oh well, few things are perfect these days...and the new boxes should certainly not be subjected to as much wear and tear by thieves now that they don't have to tip them over to get away with the mail. Better uses for cash Ken Dryden gained a reputation as a stopper of pucks, but he's having more trouble with the opposi- tion in his new role as a giver of bucks. The former Montreal Canadiens goalie made his first official speech as Ontario's youth commissioner when he appeared at the recent conference of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario to announce a $15 million job scheme for the province's unemployed youth. However, members of AMO were not particular- ly impressed with the idea according to local represen- tatives, primarlybecause the municipal officials on P hand were of the opinion the money would be used more advantageously by the public sector than putting it in the hands of the municipalities as Dryden intends. They correctly note that the experience that can be gained in private industry will have more benefits for young people than the type of jobs that can be in- itiated by municipalities. Not only that, the AMO reps noted, they have all their buildings freshly painted through previous job creation schemes drafted by the senior levels of government in recent years. The point is well taken. Only jobs in private enter- prise can be expected to create any lasting benefits to any considerable degree and it is in that area that government funds should be directed. It spells relief _any doctors are pressing the government for the rights to prescribe heroin as a pain reliever for ter- minally ill cancer patients. So far they seem to be get- ting nowhere. Heroin was at one time available for legal use where doctors considered it advisable. Then came the widespread fear that heroin addiction might spread throughout our society and its use for any purpose was banned. Now, despite the fact that it is not permitted even for medical purposes, the number of heroin users in the country has multiplied many times over. The medical profession does not deny that there are other pain -relievers. Many of them do,. however, claim that in some cases heroin seems to be the most effective opiate. That the drug is addictive, they do not deny, but they claim that today's permitted drugs, in many cases, are also addictive. If the use of heroin is allowed only for terminally ill patients, what difference does the addition factor make? Surely we have a solid majority of reliable doc- tors and enough control of available drugs to assure that heroin could be safely legalized for the relief of unbearable pain. Wingham Advance -Times Don't let the power slip away Well, another federal election is over. Despite the fact this column is being written a couple of days prior to the end of that periodic barrage of words and signs, it is safe to say that the dust will soon settle away and Canadians will resume their normal daily routines of grumbling about their government, regardless of which one you watched celebrate last night. There'll be a few friendly wagers to set- tle as people arrive for work or to lay the matter to rest at the coffee club, but the imaginary differences in philosophy that were espoused during the past few weeks will give way to the knowledge that there really are few differences in the two main political parties in this nation. The winners will have to sit down and .sort out which of their multitude of elec- tion promises can and will he kept. The losers. of course, will monitor those deci- sions very carefully and criticise whatever action is taken. The back -room power brokers will take a brief hiatus and then resume their task of plotting strategies to either maintain the power they have been accorded by the electorate or to strive for that which they have been denied. But for the average citizen the fight is over. The energies consumed by the past weeks will quickly be replenished and convertedtootherpursuits until it is time to once again pull the party colors from the closet and hit the campaign trail some time down the road. There'll be little talk about politics, at least from a party standpoint as Conser- vatives, Liberals and NDP supporters forget their subtle idiological differences and close ranks to form curling teams, raise money for their lodges and service clubs, cheer their favourite sporting team on to victory or discuss the impending misfortune of their favourite soap opera hero or heroine. It's encouraging, of course, to muse • about the after effects of an election and how quickly party policies can be dismiss- ed, but it is also unfortunate to a con- siderable extent. A cursory backwards glance at the elec- tion campaign shows how much pressure people can bring to bear on politicians and how very clearly those people can enun- BATT'N AROUND with the editor ciate the particular concerns they have for the many facets of the society in which they live. it is, after all, the very basis for the multitude of election promises with which they were showered over the past few weeks. No favor was too big to ask for a candidate seeking an appropriate mark on a ballot. No group was too small to get an audience. No issue was too delicate to elicit a response, even if it was only a "i'll think about it". In short, the people held the power and the politicians were listening and attemp- ting to he all things to all people, regardless of how impossible that task may be. The obvious question, therefore, ap- pears to be one of determining why that. situation is so markedly and quickly reversed as soon as the ballots have been counted. How do the politicians so quickly and surely wrest that power from the people and endow it upon themselves? The answer, it would appear, is that the system does not provide for any accoun- ling process other than the ballot box, although that may well be more the fault of the people than the politicians and their small, select group of party stratigists. People, it seems, are content to send their representative off to Ottawa or Toronto and are satisified to have him or her return for the customary hand -shake at the local fair, ribbon cutting ceremony or tree planting. There's even a Christmas card for the real stalwarts. Surely that's not the way it has to be, or should be! Electors should not give up their powers so easily or curtail their in- volvement so thoroughly. There will be hundreds of issues surface before the next election on which they should voice their concern and let their representative know what course of ac- tion they want taken. Party supporters should remain as in- volved as they have been in the past few weeks and require periodic sessions with their candidate to review the past and provide some direction for the future. While it may be too early for the losers to start looking for a candidate for the next fray it is a task that should not be left until the next election call. At least they should maintain a strong network of spokespeople who can raise public con- cerns over important matters in the riding. An election, after all, is a comparative- ly inconsequential part of the political process in this country, given the small degree of difference in the philosophies of the major parties. it is the act of governing, not elec- tioneering, that rights the wrongs and shapes the destiny of every individual and special interest group. it's much too important to leave that task solely to the politicians. Marking a ballot should not be mistakenly construed as an act of giving away power. it is an act of gaining it and it should be used so it can never be taken away. "He's still trying to figure out where he misplaced his vote." Gold medal pace A plenitude of presents and politicians, topped off by a surfeit of visitors and Olympics, with a heat spell and lingering case of summer 'flu, have made this summer rush past at a gold medal pace. It all began in June, when the presents started pouring in, as my retire- ment was officially observed. I was taken to lunch my two of my favorite students, then to a reception for myself and a colleague, Perrie Rin- toul, who, at 60, is so fit he could make a 32 -year-old Swede appear on the verge of senility. Each of us received presents from the student council, individual gifts from former students, a silver dollar from the town's mayor com- memorating the Pope's visit, and a rather smar- my plaque signed "Bill Davis," along with a lot of good wishes from parents and friends, and a hand- some encomium from our principal. Very nice, and we departed, laden with gifts for a great steak din- ner at Perrie's place. The following Friday, last day of school, there was a big party -luncheon with a hilarious teaching and office staff present (teachers are even more hysterical than students on the last day, and the bar had been doing a roar- ing business). Again the gifts and good wishes poured in. My loot included a golf bag, a very handsome credit at the golf club, a pair of book- ends, `r` and, most thoughtful, a commission for an excellent young photographer to take a picture of my grandboys. Well, i haven't had a game of golf yet, and the picture is to be taken tomorrow, but it was a fine party, with everyone and has shown a tendency extremely witty and many to fumble the ball since he warm wishes from long- walked out of the Liberal time colleagues. As well as gifts, I've been invited to visit the cottages of half a dozen friends, and out for dinner numerous times. It's good to have people who don't forget you're alive, even when they're absorbed in citadel some years ago to get rich. And, of course, the na- tional disgust at the final gesture of Trudeau, who once again thumbed his nose at us, but this time in the grand tradition, her- ding the pigs, winners and Sugar and Spice Dispensed By Smiley their own affairs and holidays. I have a feeling Cana- dians have been stunned by a plethora of politics in the last year or so. First, a Tory leadership cam- paign, with the rather pathetic figure of a nine- months Prime Minister, Joe Clark, standing in the wings, bravely trying to smile, pushed off centre stage by the smooth - talking, smooth -running Boy from Baie Comeau, who will, one day, get the same knives in the back. Then we were inundated by U.S. politics, as the Democrats' front-runner, Walter Mondale, was seriously challenged for a while by a maverick senator and a black preacher, and later the rather daring choice of a woman as running -mate. It, just might pay off, which is all that counts in politics. Once more into the ring, dear friends, as the Liberals began the circus of choosing a new leader. The Golden Boy won it, as expected, so we now have a Prime Minister who held no office in parliament, bJ�`'9S losers alike, to that big fat trough of political patronage. Turner will rue the day he signed the let- ter agreeing to all those plummy appointments. He didn't have to, though he says he did. As the par- ty's chosen leader, he could have said "Stuff you, Pierre," and emerg- ed with clean hands, and a belief in his integrity. This is just sour grapes, of course. I'm pretty sore because he didn't appoint me to the Senate. Then, before we could catch our breath, the Golden Boy, badly advis- ed, in my opinion, plunged us into an election cam- paign. If there is one thing Canadians don't need in summer, it's that. We have two months of the year in which we can tru- ly enjoy the summer, and there is a great apathy among the electorate, despite the attempts of the media serfs to create a lit- tle excitement. There is much more pleasure in going for a swim, much more excite- ment in watching the Olympics, than in listen - Hard to compete Back in the early days of Canada the settlers who lived out in the rural areas were only rarely able to get into town because walking or travelling by horse and buggy meant that a whole day's work was usually lost. When you got into town the choice of stores was limited, a blacksmith, a feed mill, the general store, and perhaps an eating place of some sort. The weekly trip to town though became something to look for. A chance to see friends and exchange gossip and to have a little change of scenery. With the advent of the automobile and good roads, the same trip into town usually only takes five or ten minutes, the trip to a bigger city is cer- tainly not a hardship in most areas of southern Ontario. The most interesting exchange. This summer I saw an antique show in one mall, a set of hot rod cars in another, and a craft show in another. Perspectives By Syd Fletcher aspect I see about the 1970's and 80's is the in- troduction of the big shop- ping malls. These closed - in centres have become the meeting place for the community and the place where interesting displays are set up, acting as a cultural and informaton Small towns are going to have a hard time to com- pete with such goings-on unless they make their surroundings interesting and pleasant to shop in with lots of easy parking. When I was in Ottawa recently there was an amazing street set-up. For ing to the already thrice - reiterated pablum of the politicians. They all pro- mise the same things, in different terms, which erodes the interest of all but the party hacks and the dedicated fanatics of each party. Right now, I couldn't care if the Rhinocerous Party won the election. They couldn't do worse about inflation, unemployment, housing - you name it. Enough. It turns the stomach. How about visitors'' Well, my son escapes the city at least every second weekend and appears, sometimes with a friend. He professes a simple, abstemious diet, and eats like an under- nourished wolf, while try- ing to force-feed me on things I don't like. He's "keeping an eye on Dad" so that Dad eats enough. Then came the boys, who would stay here while their mother was on a trip to Israel, for two weeks. We're well into our fourth week now, and Kim has been here for two. Oh, well. What the hell. They're supported to be going home this week, and I won't have to play foot- ball with a bum foot, or take them out to gourmet dinners of cheeseburgers and chips, and I won't see them again until Christmas, if then. I'll miss breaking up the odd fight, the sometimes fierce hugs and kisses, the great intellectual conver- sations about the latest rock group. And my daughter has written a new composition for piano and strings, has a job, a new apartment, however tiny and whatever the cost (you wouldn't believe it) and got a chance, and found out it's not that easy, to write this column. over three blocks an over- hanging set of glass enclosures jutted out over the side -walks. In winter- time the shoppers would be completely protected from the elements. In the summer it was like walk- ing in a very pleasant greenhouse. I would wager that peo- ple use these stores every bit as much as any mall. If the small towns want to compete with the malls they may have to build something similar so that people can stand and talk to their friends on the street in the same relative comfort that the closed -in plazas offer. Then again, maybe they choose to go the same route as did the blacksmith shop and the general store. •