HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1975-05-01, Page 4� ON N WS- ECQ (:TUR , IY, MAY 1,191.5
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An • editorial in the Exeter Times
Advocate last week says the recent
action in Minton council in taking away
Andrew Berg's taxi licence is a very
harsh move. The .editorial reads:
'An interesting situation ar so a in
Clinton recently when council refused
to renew a taxi operator's licence
because the police Chief in that com-
munity wouldn't endorse it.
"Noting the driver had three con-
victions under the Highway Traffic
Act, plus being the subject of some
complaints' regarding his driving, the
chief said he wouldn't take the
responsibility of putting the public in
the operator's 'car.
"In his defence, the operator noted
he drives 85,000 to 90,000 miles a year
and hadn't had an accident, which he
suggested was a pretty good record.
"His appeal fell on deaf ears and
council voted unanimously to not
renew the licence.
"That action appears most harsh
and the question is whether members
of Clinton council would approve
similar restrictions if they were
subjected to them personally.
"Imagine the hotel keeper losing his
licence permanently because he was
convicteL of serving an underage
patron ... or the schooi teacher losing
its job because one ofhis students
failed ... the mechanic being dismissed
because he failed to make proper
repairs ... or the newspaper editor
being fired for erroneous reporting of a
statement.
"Most interesting of all, would be a
suggestion that members of council
would be prepared to lose their driver's
licence for speeding infractions.
"Such strict regulations would
certainly eliminate many drivers from
the roads in a hurry, and while patrons
of any taxi firm should be protected by
having careful drivers, it borders on a
step towards a ` police statewhen
authority is given to the Clinton chief to
turn down an operator's renewal on the
basis of two speeding tickets and some
complaints.
"Some readers may recall that it
wasn't too long ago that Clinton had
some problems with young people and
there were complaints against the
polirre force in that community
regarding the situation.
Could the chief be deprived of his
badge as easily as the taxi operator?
Not a chance!
Starlings, how the sing
For most of the year, says the United
Church, the song of the starlings is as
melodious as the squawk of an angry
parrot, the bleat of a sick goat,- the
squeak of a rusty hinge — combined
Even a crow sounds downright musical
in comparison. He's called "The,
Common Starling" STURNUS
VULGARIS — and vulgar he certainly
is with his dumpy appearance, his
messy nesting habits and his, ob-
jectionable ° pushiness in competing
with more desirable species. You don't
• really expect him to have a beautiful
voice — it would be quite incongruous.
He sounds like he looks.
BuLthei , gRnes .spring ,,,, And it
might be said that even the nightingale
in a:li.his.,glorywas-ever heard to sing
like the starling in spring! ... Well, that
nay be an overstatement; ' but the
transformation is really amazing.
Suddenly he becomes a singing star.
With stunning virtuosity he lilts up and
down the scale, tossing off effortless
trills and cadenzas, entrancing the ear
with his dazzling repertoire.
"What bird is this?" you ask. "Is it
the lark? the bluebird? the sweet
thrush?" ... No. Believe it or not, it's
the STURNUS VULGA ITIS — the
common starling. For courting pur-
poses only, he's mimicking the lovely
songs of these birds — and he does it to
very good effect. At least, it seems to
have the desired effect, judging by the
alarming proliferation of this species
in North America.
- It's a welcome change — but isn't it
annoying to think that all the time he
was squawking and squeaking, he
could have done better? It makes you
think he just wasn't trying — until
courting time came along. And you just
wait -- as Soon .as that messy nest is
full of screeching little ones, he'll fly
Off to the nearest treetop, throw back
his h"ead, open his yellow beak and say
"SQUAAA-AWK!" ... And that will be
his song until next spring.
There would seem to be a lesson in
there somewhere.
Sugar and Spice/By Bill Smiley
Some words about letters
When people aslne about my column, at one
point or another, they usually say: "Boy, I bet
you get a lot of mail." ,
Well, yesx,,I do. But I don't exactly have to hire
a secretary to send out answers, along with'an
autographed picture.
I solve the problem by not answering most of
my mail. As a result,.I frequently feel guilty, for
as long as three or four minutes.
Ninety-five per cent of my mail is garbage,
and is disposed of as such. Along with the junk
mail — flyers, broadsides and special offers that
everyone gets — I get quite a few letters from
nuts.
Atikokan, Ont., seems to be a breeding place of
this species, with apologies to all the fine
Atikokans who, I'm sure, abound in that fine,
fresh, northern community. ,
Years ago, I had a running battle with some
kooky minister from Atikokan, who accused me
of things I'd have been delighted to be able to do.
As I recall, he thought I thought I was a rake, and
I had to convince him That I was a hoe.
Then one. summer evening, a stran r Walked.
Tito
..Lvay...-^'•-L°•ML•. .y..,,....-. . v : .+r.. .,. ..
>-tntr ire lt' as'he.
unto �my borer yard �
former linotype operator from the Atikokan
paper. ' e wan e. a re erence for a job, andTie
wanted us to join forces and bring down the free
enterprise system, or the Women's Christian
Temperance Union, or something,of the sort. He
got a local job, lasted a few weeks, and the only
thing wanaged to put down were a couple of
beers.
Recently, I received another letter from an
Atikokan. For eight and a half pages he
belabored me about the inefficiency of private
enterprise, because of a remark I'd made,
suggesting the Canadian postal service be turned
over to same.
This guy agreed that the postal service was
rotten, but he told me, with many examples, that
private industry, also, is completely inefficient. I
agree, man. It's lousy. I know. I once worked for
a summer in one of North America's great in-
dustries, and I have never, before or since, seen
such skullduggery among the workers and
stupidity in management.
But what hurt was when he called my remarks
a "figment of the imagination of a naive, inex-
perienced, sheltered academic, such as your-
self." All the nasty words were underlined.
Well, I've got news Por you, boyo. Any guy who
has worked on' the lake boats, in industry, gone
through a war, engaged in that toughest of all
free enterprises, • the weekly newspaper
business, and staggered through nearly 30 years
of marriage and child -raising, is not exactly
naive, inexperienced, or sheltered. He may be a
glitittered wreck, but: • -
And 'Y resent being iVailed an academic. I'm a
school teacher. I Tither proud of it nor ashamed
of it. I don't try to mold little twigs in the way
they should bend. Nor do I try to turn out a
"product" that our society will be proud of.' I just
try to, teach younger people something of what I
have learned about life.
The letter mentioned was signed, but above the
signature was a fairly desperate "You can't use
my name," with the "can't" underlined three
times. I should, and have you fired as an atheist,
womanizer, boozer and Marxist, but T won't. It
isn't important.
Boy, here's another letter I don't quite know
what to do with. It's from a chap who tells me
I'm all wrong about the Post Office, and then
proceeds at length to tell me what a dirty deal he
got as an employee of that moribund corpse. File
it, I'guess. He, too, can'tbe named.
Here's a pleasant one from a lady whose
daughter must live in sin, or lose her university
grant. If she gets married, her husband will have
to pay her fees. This is a blatant inequity, in my
eyes, but a subject for,Women's Lib, which could
certainly use some intelligent causes, . for a
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_ _
And here's a dandy, from a fellow who has
Written a book. He sent me a copy, and says:
"After you have read it, would you consider
giving it the same mention in your column as
was done with Ten Lost Years? He says: "This
book is similar, perhaps more profound."
At least he's honest. "If you would, it may give
it some extra sales impact required at this
time."
Sorry. No way. It is a dull book.
Ah. Here's a lively bit of correspondence. It's
my weekly news sheet from Imperial Oil. Fifteen
years ago, at a rather bibulous reception, I met a
charming young lady whoworked for that
company's public relations department.
When she ('earned I wrote .a syndicated
column, she wanted to know if I'd like to receive
• the regular I mperial Oil news.
"Sure,:' I gestured expansively. "Send along
anything. A quart of oil here, a gallon of gas
there, your sister if she's not busy."
Ever since, I've been getting that hot little
item from Imperial Oil, the weekly news release.
And it inevitably kindles a little glow: In my
fireplace.
Oh, Lordy. Here's another great sheaf of
correspondence from that perpetual nuisance,
the guy who had his name changed officially to
Mr. Midwife.
He is now President of an organization called
International Scientific Lay Non -Medical
Midwives.
Now; I can swallow Non-medical Midwives.
But I find it hard to conjure up an International
Scientific Lay.
And that's the correspondence dealt with for
another Week.
You THINK YOU'VE GOT $AV LUCK? 7E5TERPAY'5 f oTATING 5TIIIKE FELL oN M'1 PAy OFF !
The Jack Scott Column -
.. 1111 1111
Not so perfect
One of the several stories I sent back on a visit to Japan'
concerned Japanese women and Japanese marriages and this
seems to be the one that's of most interest to Canadian readers.
.Men ask me: "Is it true that they make the perfect wives?"
Women ask me: "Surely they must be very unhappy?"
The fact is that my research and observation of marital
relations among the pagodas has had a considerable influence
on my outlook on the marriage game as we play it on this
continent.
I have always felt that North American marriages were
somewhat soured by the-- misconception and hunger for
"equality" of North American women. Too often, I've felt, this
results in a kindof silent struggle for supremacy in which, as
I've written perhaps too manly times before, the husband is
denied the respect he requires and the wife is denied the love
she needs.
I have felt that this is primarily a fault of women, that they
• confuse equality with proprietorship, that very often they're
guilty of merely cutting -a man down to size, as a rider breaks a
bronc. I know of too many cases where women, in the interests
of winning their democratic rights, tilt the functional balance of
this most delicate of partnerships. °
These views have been very Much. mellowed by nay exposure
to the husband -and -wife relationship of the Japanese. For all its
imperfections, the North American way now seems to me by
far the better.
It is gradually changing in Japan. Women are struggling to
break, from the tradition of servility. But I would say that in 99
out of 100 marriages the clearly-defined role of the husband as
master and the wife as housekeeper and bearer of children still
exists. It works with a certain efficiency. It is even convenient
in a driven nation. But it is a joyless arrangement.
It isn't surprising, of course, to find that Japanese wives are
unhappy. How could they be any other way when they're
shackled to drudgery yet aware of western marriage?
10 YEARS AGO
May 6, 1965
Janet Gornall, the senior girls'
pubtic speaking champion of
CRSS, wajked off with top -
honours in Toronto last Saturday
where she was competing in the
Royal Canadian Legion Area
Public Speaking Contest. She is
now to move on to the Provincial
Finals. •
Twenty-one 4-H Agricultural
Clubs with approximately 380
projects have been organized in
Huron in 1965. Fifty 4-H Club
Leaders work with the Depart-
ment of Agriculture in the
operation of Huron County 4-1-1
Club programs.
Clinton Public School held their
first "Fun -Fair". It was officially
opened by Mayor Don Symons
last Friday, April 30. Many ac-
tivities were arranged including
four films to entertain the little
.:,. J i rr- ,.
ohitEl� ... he
�u �,.b .i S^
expecte, to be arf-arrnuaT af'f
• Huron County's ' centennial
project may be an addition.to the
Huron Pioneer Museum in
Goderich. The cost of the addition
is estimated at $12,375. The
present building is unheated but
notwithstanding there have
already been 600 visitors.
Wednesday is Hospital Day
when the public are invited to
participate in guided tours from 2
p.m. to 4 p.m. through the entire
hospital and all its departments.
Stanley Township "council
Monday night appointed Stewart
Broadfoot, Brucelield, as the new
fire chief for the v'llage's
Volunteer Fire Brigade. He
succeeds Harold Lobb who
notified council at this week's
session of his resignation from
the post.
Mrs, Lloyd Makins returned
home from Clinton Public
Hospital on Sunday where she
has been a patient for several
months since breaking her hip.
25 YEARS AGO
May 4, 1950
Effective May 1, W. S. R.
Holmes has disposed of his, drug
business ti) Walter C. Newcombe
of Goderich. Mr. Holmes had
operated the business for about 45
years, having purchased it from
the late James. A; Combe -and tris•
son. the' late LrCM H. B. Combe.
Douglas F'leishauer, son of Mr.
They give a great deal to their role. Their only possible
reward is the devotion of their children and economic security.
Love, as we know and idealize it, hardly exists. I was not
.surprised, in fact, to -learn that the phrase "I love you" has no
counterpartin theJapanese language.
But What really shook me was the discovery that Japanese
husbands are just as unhappy and, thinking of it in retrospect, I
suppose that is inevitable.
The Japanese who keeps his wife in harness, as it were, and
enjoys the acceptance of his superiority, loses any pride he
may have in his mate. He almost never invites you to his home
to meet the little woman. The fact is, he appears to be ashamed
of her or, to put it more realistically, of what his attitude has
caused her to be. He thinks of her as an inferior person.
That is why a sort of illicit polygamy is so very common in
Japan. A husband with an income that can stand it will very
likely turn to concubinage and the other woman in his life
naturally will be all of the things that his wife can never be:
pretty, because she's spared the early aging of domesticity,
well-read and able to meet men on the same intellectual level,
because of her independence.
There may be arguments for polygamy, but where there's
deception and guilt it means an impossible burden on a
marriage. The chance of a shared happiness, which is what
marriage is all about, is destroyed.
It doesn't take you long, then, hearing both sides of this
question, to know that the Japanese woman, through no fault of
her own, does not make the perfect wife at all and that
Japanese men are reduced to buying the companionship- and
the warmth that could be theirs in their own homes.
It would be nice to think there could be a happy medium, but
if that cannot be I'm inclined to think that, however relentless
she may be in her pursuit of equality, the all-purpose North
American wife is hard to beat:
From our early files ...:
and Mrs. H. G. Fleishauer,
Clinton, won a wristwatch as first
prize with 85 marks in a class of
11 ' contestants in the Huron
County Musical Festival,
Goderich last week. Douglas is 13
and the test piece was "Drink To
Me Only With Thine Eyes".
Summer weather struck here
yesterday with a high of 72,
although it was 79 a year ago
today.
A. E. Johnston of Auburn is a
happy man today -- he had left
his wallet in a downtown London
restaurant and although he
despaired of getting it back, it
was turned over to the police
intact by a London waitress. The
wallet contained $295 as well as a
number of personal papers of
value.
Tenders have been called for
installing new seating ac-
commodation in the East side of
Cli4ton.Liphs.Arn,a, ,
lit'
V ' � `'�s-rtlry
sc ,�
a serious fire in the basement last
week and Don•Bissett was almost
overcome by smoke when he fell
through a vent in the floor while
helping to fight the fire.
Thomas Leppington informed
the paper that he has commenced
his 14th summer as caretaker for
Dr. W. A. Oakes' property. While
raking the lawn the other day he
uncovered a box — almost a foot
long — hidden under the hedge. It
was later discovered that this box
had been stolen from Jackson's
Jewellery Store, Clinton on Oct.
2, 1949. All the rings had been
removed but the prices were still
there.
50 YEARS AGO
" May 7, 1925
Glen Cook has taken the Singer
Sewing Machine agency from,;
Earl Steep.
Yesterday was the first
Wednesday half -holiday for
merchants — everyone had a
holiday except the staff of the
News -Record.
At council meeting this week.
Mr. Bishvp was giving his report
on fire pre\enti(ln in the town and -
mentioned ,in old wooden
building on Huron' Street which
was something of a menace.
Upon close inspection • it was
found the building hclonged to the
-mayor. MT. Jtfrksntt promised to
do vnnivthiog about it in the near
future.
A public meeting is to he held in
Bayfield this Thursday to decide
on the holding of a picnic to
celebrate the fiftieth anniversary
of the incorporation of the Village
of Bayfield.
A pretty home wedding was
celebrated on Saturday, May 2 at
the home of Mr. and Mrs. David
J. Stephenson, Goshen Line,
when their eldest daughter Anna
Mae became the bride of Lee J.
McConnell of Varna.
Mr. and Mrs. W. T. Herman are
happy to announce the birth of a
daughter, Phyllis.
Mr. and Mrs. G. D. McTaggart
left this week for a trip , to
England and the Continent. They
will sail_. from Montreal on
Saturday.
Mrs. B. Cole and Mrs. H. W.
Cook have taken up residence in
the Arthur Cook house on Albert
Street.
Reidt,,have
itksnee �'r-on
don•
�ak>rri~�trpes
Th. it friends regret their
departure from town.
75 YEARS AGO
_,
May 41900
Bayfield -will have a dentist,
Dr. Agnew, at the River House
every Wednesday afternoon
beginning on May l6th,i
Howson and Osbaldeston have
started the saw mill again this
week, after a lay off 'for over a
week owing to a breakage. They
are busy cutting a large quantity
for Mr. Hill.
The. Stratford Evening Herald
is booming its daily edition, a
feature of which is a budget of
correspondence from Clinton,
Goderich, Mitchell, St, Marys
and other neighbouring places.
Geo. Westman, travelling agent,
was in Goderich on Tuesday to
arrange for delivery of that paper
to the town at 25c per month.
Clinton has proposed to pur-
chase about nine acres from the
Fair estate lying north of the
present fairgrounds. This will be
converted into a race track. A
few horse races are a drawing
card for the success of an
Need donations
DearEditor;
About two months ago I made
a request of your readers for
pictures of the interiors of
houses of the 1900-1910 period. .
Perhaps the timing was wrong fir+
in that it was then too cold to go ''
to one's attic. At any rate the
response was disappointing.
However we are still seeking
direction in our attempt to
refurnish the governor's house
at the Huron Historic Jail in the
style of that time. We would
most appreciate pictures
showing wall paper designs 'as
well as furniture.
Donations or loans of fur-
niture or draperies in the early
1900s style will be most
gratefully received.
Sincerely,
Dorothy Wallace, 524-9372
Chairman, Refurbishing
Committee,
Huron Historic Jail Board
News -Record residers ars en-
couraged to empress their
opinipis in letters to the editor,
howsna, such opinlans do not
necessarily represent the
opinions of the News -Record,
Pseudonyms ,nay be used by
letter writers, but no letter will
be published unless N can be
verified by plane.
Camera Club
At the latest meeting of .the
Huron Camera Club,- members
were shown a very interesting
slide presentation put on by
Eric Carman.
The slides were taken
recently down in the Sifto-Salt
mine and gave the viewers a
thorough insight into what is
involved in the operation.
. A general business meeting
' Was held later in which it was
decided to hold election of club
officers for 1975 at the next
meeting. Also in the upcoming .
meeting there will be a slide
presentation by Rob -Kellestine
.as well as the opening segment
of a new educational series
titled "Creative Darkroom
Techniques".
Current executives of the
club wish to remind anyone
that they are most welcome to
attend any meeting. The only
club requirement is that you
have an interest in the art of
photography. The next meeting
is on Tuesday evening May 6 in
the Robertson Memorial
Public School Library at 7:30
sharp.
R. Fitzsimons moving to that of
F. H. Powell, the latter going to
live on J. O. Elliott's farm in
Goderich township. The Misses
Mains will move to the house
occupied by J. Wilkie, dentist, on
Rattenbury St.
1110 YEARS AGO
May 6, 1875
On Friday morning last, about
7 o'clock, a fire broke out in the
Commercial hotel of this town,
hut quickly discovered, was
extinguished before further
damage was done than the
destruction of the furniture in -the
room in which it originated. It
was caused by a fire being lighted
in a stove, the pipes of which had
been removed from the room in
which the fire commenced.
The weather for the past week
agricultural show. or two has been unusually cold
for--th — pu=lp r tl r;n. ;
Doherty's Sawmill is riear'ing Saturday and Sunday a storm of
cornpletidn and will be ready in a wind, hail and snow, more in
few weeks. H. B. Chant is keeping with March than Mai),'
-superintending -the machinery swept through the area.
and fittings and will see that
everything is put into first class A large number of fruit trees
shape. --have--hen planted in this area.
J. McHardy will occupy Mrs. Once matUre, they will provide
Townsend's house on Huron St., much of Clinton's fruit.
A
Ti IE CLINTON NEW ERA
Established 1865
Mambo, Canadian
Community Nawspapo
Aseodlation
Amalgamated
1924
DIAN COmmuftop
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THE HURON NEWS -RECORD
Established 1881
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Clinton News-ILecc>nl
HUB
185
10 5
OF HURON COUNT'S
Published every Thursday
at Clinton. Ontario
Editor - James E. Fitzgerald
General Manager.
J. Howard Aitken
,>gacond Clete Moll
Istratlon nO: 01111
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