HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1976-01-15, Page 4*Wm back .10 tom:
liberty and
al ISSO0 ,e•ho
cased: to tIe inaae
Politicians fail rec icent� that
Iethicn pai
.IudQ is mu ►t ad when dealing
with the btu,, cmunity, • not
Merely pro Motives. Citizens
respond better to..m.. at issues than to
government by expediency,
inInada,, we pay lips service to the
rule Of law, 'universal suffrage. and
freedom of expression to back up the
two basic principles ,of democracy• yet
too often the law is subverted for
selfish interests and bent by moral
laxity while citizens ignore.their right
and responsibility to vote or stand by
while dominant interests manipulate
our right to free communication.
We suggest that it. will not be the
subversion of some dark outside power
that will destroy democracy, .as
Khrushchev once predicted. Rather it
will be. the denial of those two prin-
ciples - liberty and responsibility - that
will strike at the very heart of a system
that allows us to be free.
antic, social and
1y►� , says the
n.,.. !ice + ubt pit -tom
Iced with bite .corn -
n, life:, the Alone
a of SpiaalHinterest
realm' of ;big business and
le our leaders and at the
s .a tendency to deal
Wi the in ivi uai, and.minorities . in a
high-hantk4 and autocratic manner,
overseas, we see Portugal fighting
for even a vestige of democracy, much
of the Third World in the grip of one-
_._..
party of military rule, India denying
the heritage of Ghandi, while right-
wing coups proliferate in . Latin
America.
It is now •estimated that fewer} than
two dozen democracies exist in the
_.._ entire world. What, we must ask
ourselves, are we doing wrong and how
can democracy survive? 'Or should it?
It's time for gun control
Despite two near misses on the life of
President - Ford, despite an alarming
increase in crimes involving firearms,
despite a , . wide clamor for more
stringent gun control legislation,
statistics just released indicate that
the sale of rifles and shotguns in
Canada increased almost 40 percent in.
1975 over the previous year, says the
United. Church of Canada.
The powerful lobbies of the outdoor
groups and arms manufacturers seem
still to be in a position of keeping our
politicians from coming to grips with a
trend to ownership of • arms that is
reaching epidemic proportions.
it may be simplistic to state that
without gun ownership, shootings
would be drastically reduced but to the
practical mind the removal of the
cause of a problem goes at' Tong way'- -
towards its solution.
There is simply no need for people to
own firearms without strict
Aregistration and' then only the type of
._n
weapon that hunters feel they must
have. Ownership of handguns,
automatic or semi-automatic weapons
or a multiplicity of weapons should be
banned in Canada except for the armed
forces and legitimate police forces and
even these should be tightened up.
Perhaps some people would still get
such weapons on the black market but
the legitimate sources of" supply would
be.dried ,up. Such'%anufacture of arms
, that is required should be done under
the strictest of supervision and the
penalties for firearm infractions
should be of the utmost severity.
There, is simply no justification for
the average Canadian to own any form
of weapon and most of us would not
miss this alleged infringement on ottr
rights, as the gun lobby asserts.
The government, be it provincial or
federal, that has the guts to ban
ownership and control manufacture
would, weslllest, have the support of
Suqar and Spice/By
That teas some year.
This is the time of year when instant
experts and fallible fools such as
newspaper columnists make idiots • of
themselves by predicting what the next 12
months will bring.
Looking into a- New Year is rather like
looking into an old rubber boot. It stinks a
little, you can't see anything in there. and
the thing probably leaks, heel and toe.
I - prefer to do a little looking back and a
little lookin forward, make some hasty
generalizations based on the arthritis in my
big toe, and hope everybody will have
forgotten what I said by the following week.
Which they will:
Let's look back -- 1975 was .the year of
The Big Strike_ Everybody who was
somebody, and a great many who were
nobodies, went on strike at least once.
As a direct result. Canada's credibility as
a producing nation. a reliable nation. a
prudent., sensible nation. took a nosedive.
Foreign investors were heard saying
things like: "Migawd. I'd be safer betting
on,the exact hour and minute of Napoleon's
return from Eternal Exile than I would be
•putting money into that<Crazy Canada."
It was also the year of the Grand Gimme
and the Chronic Catch-up as everyone and
his elderly aunt. clad in sackcloth and
ashes. moaned piteously, beat bosoms, and
scrabbled tooth and nail to get a bigger
chunk of the national loot than everybody
else and her elderly uncle.
It was the year in - which the Montreal
Olympics could no more have a deficit,
according to that reincarnation of Moses
misleading his people to the unpromising
land, Mayor Drapeaiu, than a man could
have a baby=
, It was the year in which the
Thanksgiving roast turkey was tran-
sformed by our Grand Guru 'into boiled-
,
eagull. •
It was the year of election upsets.
political promises. union threats, dire
warnings. insane headlines and callow
assumptions. to short, it was a year much
like the one before it and the one that is
corning after it -- an amusing and
horrifying record of man's moral and
mental weaknesses.
But that was the bad news.' Now for the
good newsy ' it was also a great year. in
some respects for you and me. .
Personally, I had a fine year. Just listen
. to this list, 'and yours is probably better, if
yeti think back.
1 discovered a bracing. healthful new
sport, cross-country skiing, and within a
Eno -nth was known as The Terror of the
Trails (by two old ladies of gland 89).
I developed into Canada's most
nauseatingly proud grandfather, as Pokey
and I vernentcd an already firm friendship.
culminating in an orgy of mutual ad-
miration this patt Christmas when.the !late
devil got at beast invent !evert presents.:1
love ,hint Icecause he is bright. lively.
,ill Smiley
handsome, and a real hell -on -wheels kid.
He loves me because he can get me to do
anything. literally, that he wants me to EIo.
in this league I am known as The Spoiler.
While we're all in the family, other things
made it a good year. My wife and I stayed
married and together. a rather unusual
combination after a quarter-century: We
even like each other, which is almost in-
credible, after what each of'us has put up
with.
My daughter, apparently celebrating
Women's Lib year, or something, got
herself pregnant again and I am expecting
my first granddaughter (daughter un-
derlined) any day now. Notice I said I am
expecting. It used to be the mother who was
expecting. but things are all cock-eyed
these days.
Still in the family, I met a whole gaggle of
cousins from the West I'd never seen
before, cousins from the East I hadn't seen
for 25 years, and sisters and brothers I
hadn't seen for a couple. A great reunion.
enough family stuff to do a fellow for the
next decade.
There -were many other high moments
for me during 1975. Did some Auld Lang
Syne-ing with newspaper friends. Caught a
big pike and rode in a tiny Aeronca over the
brooding. empty wilderness of northern
Saskatchewan. Caught a big cold and rode
in a taxi through the brooding. teeming
wilderness of Toronto.
Beat my wife two -out -of -five in golf.
Ignored the postal strike by writing 52
columns,,even though some will never see
print. Teetered through another three
terms of teaching. Discovered that in
another few years I would be eligible for a
category -F pension. F stand for Five cans
of pork and beans a week, which such' a
pension will provide.
All in all, a jolly good year, one for which
i wouldn't trade anything. except a chance
to do it over again.
Now for a brief look into the dim
distances of 1976. Last year we were bored
silly by Women's International Year. I
predict that this year we will be bored,;r fight
out of our skulls by two mountains of ennui
-- the American Bicentennial and the
Canadian Olympic Games.
Not much else can be glimpsed there. in
the murk and muddle. Unions. will go on
threatening, politicians will go on
promising. the rich will get richer and the
poor will get babies.
But, gloriously, people will go on being
people: despicable and noble; anguished
•and triumphant: Mating and loving: being
born and dying. It's a great life, and the
only one we have.
You go on doing your thing. and I'll go on
doing mine. At the end of 197 we`t1 make
out our lists. and compare notes. 1 predict
rig"Vit here and .noW that we'll have just as
many ups aac downs, and will remember the
ups and forgetlhe downs.
can't see what
the environmentalists make • such a about — a, ter di,
" we jii.nt a new one for each one we cut down.
The Jack Scott Column -
Once over lightly
The Do -It -Yourself Home Hair -Cutting outfit in which I
invested last year has proven a splendid success. I
recommend it to any man sufficiently removed from
society to be able to live in peace with a hair -style like an
Airdale dog. It is also a good way to torment your wife.
Of course I've missed those philosophical discussions
with my barber, Ted Ashlee, a man who .might qualify as
the poet laureate of . the tonsorial set, but you can't have
everything.
Meanwhile. I enjoy a carefree coiffure, cool in summer,
shaggy in winter, capable of being partially repaired by a
few deft strokes of the clippers and the step-by-step in-
structions thoughtfully contained in the kit.
A few .close, 'dear friends have volunteered the opinion
that I bear a startling resemblances to a badger recently
caught in a mowing machine, but I regress so dramatically
in every season to a primitive state that more casual
acquaintances rarely notice the shearing.
One of my kinder and better -educated pals came up with
a remark by none other than -Plutarch who observed that
long hair makes good-looking men more beautiful and ill-
lopking men more bearable and there's nothing dike some
snappy Plutarch to silence a critic.
My enthusiasm for do-it-yourself barbering isn't shared
• by the ladies in my life. Females and bald-headed men have
a reverential attitude to hair, particularly females.
I was reminded of that again the other night, after a quick
trim, when I chanced to tune in a TV curling match from
Toronto involving two champion women. Everything about
them was masculine - the powerful delivery, the steely -eyed
-concentration, the jaws of one methodically destroying her
Juicy Fruit - but each had a brand new, frivolous per-
,
manent.
Between their virile curling, they dabbed and fluffedat
their manufactured curls. running the palms of their hands
ouve
De ar Editor:
As 1 was on a journey to
• East Coast last July; 141d,n
!tear of, the Ce>Ittenpiat
Clifton.
My husband. • who I.
deceased. and I were aj
Clintonksns. I don't suppose
there is anyone in your office
who will remember us,.Fran
Jenkins and HattieOreig. .
= ...During a conversation with
My brother, who has a cotes
Cage at Bayfield and attended
the reunion, I was interested
to hear that our fathelrs*,
picture, along with Georg
Lavis Sr., in the old 'Masse
Harris office was in tit
Record. also 'an old schoat
picture which would be in.
teresting.
I was wondering if possilile,
you, would have a copy left
and would be kind enough to
send me one, plus the cost and
mailing of the same
I would be very grateful.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Harriet Jenkins
(Mrs . Frank)
Thornhitl..Ontario.
(Editor's note: We we -more
than glad to fill your'i'equest
and note that the News-
Record stilt has a number of
those special souvenir
Centenn-ial editions left NE
sale. )
lovingly up. the nape of their necks in those age-old gestures
thatieveal the inner woman not even curling can eliminate.
It was right in character. then. that my wife -and daug4tter
should react with distaste to my investment. These lights of
my life have raised not a murmur of disapproval about the
disreputable costumes I.affect at home. which give me the
look of a particularly dissolute beach -comber orrastaway
washed up on some coral isle, but as soon as I announced
that my hair would no longer have the professional's touch.
their protests were Loud and clear.
Indeed. I venture to say that any husband or father who
feels that he's being taken for granted. that he's just
something that happens to be ar,,ound, like old garden fur-
niture, can be guaranteed of instant, flattering attention by
Simple
h s hxxpedient of. announcing. that he's no longer a
slave
What a scene that was as I sat there, a sheet draping my
shoulders. readied for the first sacrificial rites and my wife
held aloft the whining clippers!
"Hold clipper in hand and begin clipping in the centre of
the neck at the lowest point of hair growth, holding teeth of
clipper firmly against skin." she read aloud from the step-
by-step directions. "Oh;, no, I can't. This is madness!"
Her attitude could have been no more tremulous if she'd
been commanded to cut intb a rare tapestry or a Persian
rug. She held the clippers as if they were a deadly weapon
No more than 15 minutes later I sat there. shorn in a vest
of salt -and -pepper shavings. as austere and tufted as a
novice monk, possessor.of the perfect head for any passing
anthropotbgist.
Somehow I could feel that I'd been invested with a new
personality, the sort of transformation thsit might take a
man from obscurity to fame in the manner of Y ul Brynner
and i gazed at their sweet faces. questioningly.
"Revolting," they agreed. -
From our early files
e
a
• ISO YEARS AGO
January 2$,1$U
Walter C. Newcombe was
elected chairman of Clinton
District Collegiate Institute
Board at the inaugural meeting
of the Board .last week. He suc-
ceeds John Lavis in this post. Mr.
Newcombe operates a pharmacy
on Victoria Street in Clinton.
CDCI Board has the respon-
sibility of providing secondary
school education for the students
in Clinton. PMQ at RCAF Station
Clinton. parts of the townships of
-Stanley. Tuckersmith. Hullett
and Goderich, East Wawano*h.
the villages of Blyth and
Bayfield.
Rev. Clifford Park. minister of
Wesley -Willis United Church and
Holmesvilie 'United Church. has ,
accepted a cull to a smaller
charge in the city of London. and
will take up his duties there at the
end of June.
Cost of a 75 -bed wing to be
erected at Huronview will be
$737.423. county council was
informed by the Huronview
Board in a report- which
recommended the passing of a
building by-law for this amount.
subject to approval of the Ontario
Municipal Board and: Depart-
ment
epartment of Public Welfare. The
successful tenderer was ° Mord
teith-McGrath Limited of
Waterloo.
An oijition on land for a central•
public school to serve the
townships of Stanley and
Tuckrersmith and Bayiiefd. will
- be taken up by the Huron County
School Area 1. from its present
owner Robert P. Alcan,
Brucecield. The land is on the
Stanley Township (or west) side
of Highway 4. one and a quarter
miles south of the village of
Brucefield.
Bob Pearson. a Clinton
teenager. bowled 11 straight
strikes to run up a total of 440 pins
at the Crown Lanes last Friday
evening.
Hon. William A. Stewart.
Minister of Agriculture has
announced that a comprehensive
research progiram into ait phases
of white bean production Would
to carried nut in Huron County
this year. Under The direction of
the Ontario Agriculture,
Research Institute and Soils and
Crops Branch of the Department
of Agriculture. test plots will be
established at Varna and Rippen
in the county.
i YEARS AGO
January 11,1951
Mrs. Helen (Dixon) Finch has
taken ar position as bookkeeper
with Bail -Macaulay.
Mr. A. F. Cudmore was re-
elected chairman of the Clinton
Public ' School Board. He is
commencing his ninth 'year as
chairman.
Clinton Colts defeated
Goderich. Lions 10-4 in an
exhibition hockey match at the
formal opening of the new
community centre and arena at
Blyth Tuesday evening.
Huron County's lev6n the
municipa,Itties for 1951 most
probably -will show an increase of
one mill over 1950. In other
words. the county levy will be
nine mills instead of eight mills,
made up of 5.5 mills for general
.account and 3.5 milts for highway
account. There -will be an in-
crease of half a mill in each.
The proposed incorporation of
the police village of Grand Bend
as a village within i.ambton
County will be opposed by an
official delegation from Huron
Count ' Council. The _delegation,
was scheduled to appear before
Larnbton County .Council today.
Huron's opposition will be
levelled at -a by-law to be placed
before Larnbton 4woutfeil ' to in-
corporate the resort community
in Latnbton County at the
village's own request. Objection
is based on the fact that white
$320.000 of the community's
assessment is now located in
Lombton County, exactly double
that assessment is located in
Huron,
Clinton. Colts are still un-
defeated in OHA Inte:'i tnediste'1 '
group 2 hockey. having won their
foertit straight Saturday eVerileg
in Clinton bions Aft* from thw
Hamburg by a 9-2 score.
50 YEARS AGO
.January 31 1919
Par11a n enc open ort Thur.
sda 1 ist, but it is still uridetkild
which party will rut.. The
decision rests with the
Progressives.
Officers of the Women's
Auxiliary of Si. Paul's Anglican
Church have been elected as
follows: honourary president.
Mrs. T. White; first Vice-
president, Mrs. J. Johnson,
second vice-president. Mrs. F.
Hovey: recording secretary.
Miss Z. Baw.den : corresponding
secretary. Mrs. 3. Schoenhals .
mite' box secretary. .Mrs.. J.
Johnson: leaflet secretary. Mrs.
C. Baker: treasurer, Mrs. George
Taylor: flower mission. Mrs. H.
T. Rance. Mrs. J. W. Elliot. No
president is being appointed for
the present time.
Mrs. T. Mason. Mrs. J. J. Zapfe
and Mrs. W. J. Stevenson have
been appointed to receive any
special donations which might be
given during the special Birthday
week sponsored by Clinton Public
Hospital Board.
The Home and School Club has
engaged the services of Prof. A®
W. Anderson to teach music in
Clinton Piddle School on one day
each weeksttti'ting in February.
Markets were. wheat $1.40:
oats 40c to 45c; buckwheat 65c to
70c; barley 60c to 65c. butter 36c
to 37c; eggs 25c to Mc, live hogs
SI3.
• 75 YEARS tGO
January 18. 1901
The following are the number
of births. marriages and death`
as registered with the township
clerk of NUR -lop for last year.
births. 66. marriages.' 17 deaths.
25 This is the largest number of
births that have been registered
in any one year for years past.
The annual meeting of the`
I luevale Cheese company,, was
held last F=riday The number of
pounds of milk received.
1368,087. . number of cheese
made. 160,091. average Pounds of
milk to pounds'of cheese. 11.05:
average price sold at 10.55 cents
per lb_ , average cost of drawing
milk. 91 a ruins per gallon or
61,632.09.
The produce brought into town
was of the usual quantity. and
Cantelon tiros ',hipped' 2.500
pounds for the Eastern market
but. that of eggs ca as Tight The
quotations are butter 16e to 17c.
eggs 16r to 17(
Dr L)ow',ley, formerly of town
but late of Ottawa has decided to
return tit Clanton to practise, and
'has notified Dr Thompson that
he will require possession of his
house by the; first of April This
necessitates Dr Thompson
getting another house .and office
somewhere eisc to town and, Ike
hats several in % w. 4,
Protest
Dear Editor:
The Consumer Alert„
Committee. c o Box 16.
Clinton News -Record. which
has spear -waded the protest
against tate very poor quality.
of Bluewater Cable TV pic-
ture transmission. and t tirefir
requested rate increase from
55 to $6.50 per month. wishes
to inform you that the case is
now before the Canadian
Radio -Television Com-
mission and that your letters
of protest will be taken into
consideration.
To those who have not
written in. we urge you to do
so immediately as your
letters will tend further
support. in case they are
needed. To those who forgot
or omitted to forward
donations, we remind you
that this is your protest. and
hope that you will share in the
costs of advertising, long
distance phone calls,
telegrams etc. that form a
major part of our expenses.
Send in your donations now.
You will be advised of the
CRTC decision as soots as
pQ1SStb�e.
Sincerely.
A. G. Coombs. chairman of
the Consumer Alert Com-
mittee
Restore
Dear Editor:
The following letter was
'sent to the mayor and the
councillors of the Town of
Clinton:
Dear Mayor and Town
Councillors :
On behalf of the Huron
County Branch of the
Architectural Conservancy of
Ontario. i wish to commend
you and the Council on
initiating work to restore the
oidjTown Hall. as written up
in the: Clinton News .Record
this week. (Jan. 8). This is
indeed welcome news. as the
Town Hall is a fine and noble
building in the centre of town.
Please feel free to- contact
the Architectural Con-
servancy if we can be of any:.
assistance in your worthy ,
project
Sincerely.
Mrs. J W Wallace.
secretary.
Goderich
i
aEctcn .Mews-Hecerci 0 put:lisr:ed .
raft Thursday at Clinton Ontario. Canada
ti is r'egislc j, as ieoand class mall thy"
psast tiffice ender the pertntt nurnticr hist?
Tho Ne .Record I:warposaited iri, t9:ti the
Harm Nevia,Rerord. founded in MI. arts!
t11e C1trtan New 'Era. law dor! to Itlb Total
(Mutation is 2 6,0 ,
• James E. Fitzgerald
isi$9 director - Gary L. 144►ist.
rI Mariager " .1. Hswar¢ Aitken.
alt - Bev. Clark •
.r4,=.
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