HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1977-10-06, Page 4• , s,
PAGE 4--CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6,i 1977
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Why volunteer fi
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We have to agree with an editorial highly doubtful that the federal
that appeared in the Kincardine News government will have found any source
recently, that deplored the latest move of income through taxes that will have
by the federal government to tax the any meaningful effect on its revenues.
volunteer fire fighters. The move to take away the earnings
The importance of volunteer fire of our volunteer firemen could,
• departments in small towns and rural however, have more disturbing con -
townships cannot be overstated. The sequences.
Then who serve on these departments A member of ,the treasury advisory
do so because of community spirit and committee of the Municipal Clerks and
not for the relatively small sums they Treasurers Association of Ontario,
receive as payment for the dangerous says the reduced income could mean
work they do. that volunteers would quit as their pay
Now the federal government in. its,. offered them would no longer be worth
wisdom (?) has decided to tax the the effort.
small remuneration received by our
volunteer firemen. In the past the Here in the Clinton, Bayfield,
volunteers weren't taxed on the money Brucefield area, where we depend on
they earned for serving their friends volunteer firemen to protect our homes
and neighbours. and businesses, there is a community
Now a revised tax scheme initiated spirit that moves residents to become
by the federal government could mean volunteers. The pay they receive is
that firefighters could lose up to 50 small thanks for these men who are
percent of their pay through taxes, willing to leave their jobs on a
depending on their personal income moment's notice or brave subzero
bracket. temperatures on a stormy winter's
Firemen would . be taxed on two night in order to serve their corn -
thirds of their earnings. rnunities.
The Ontario Association of Fire Money is obviously not the driving
Chiefs and the Firefighters Association force behind the efforts of these men.
of Ontario have been negotiating for a But the federal government officials
tax exemption for volunteer should realize that volunteer firemen
firefighters of $1,000 and have received deserve the money' they' do receive.
support from provincial Treasurer They all hold regular jobs that are
Darcy McKeough. taxed.
Taxes gleaned from the wages of Volunteer firemen should not be
v:)lt+nteer firemen would only amount deprived of a single penny of their pay
to a proverbial drop in'the bucket. It is for the important job they do.
The big gamble
Farming has become a gamble' says
the Zurich Citizens -News. In order to
'survive, a farmer has to be right 75 per
cent of the time: The odds against him
have been mounting ever' since
agriculture ceased to be our national
way of life and became an industry.
Today it's a complex diversified
business as well, with as many dif-
ferent kinds of problems as operations.
It's scarcely possible to get along with
just 100 acres any more. Many rent or
buy additional , band.
This is'a gamble, which necessitates
another — the purchase of better
machinery and equipment, none of it
cheap, even second-hand. As much as
$150,000 can be tied up this way.
Bank loans are absolute necessities
for most in order to keep going. Many
of these are of a size to turn town and
city dwellers pale. There are govern-
ment loans, too. These have to be paid
back, as well. Sometimes the farmer
must feel, as if he were climbing a glass
'mountain — two steps forward and one
back, or the other way around when a
crop fails. -
Just a couple of weeks ago most of
those growing white beans around here
were looking- forward to a bumper
crop. The heavy rains have reversed
those expectations. A good many have
lost their beans or had them badly
damaged.
Crop insurance is expensive. If ,a
man has all his land in crops, does he
dare operate without it? Yet he has
other premiums to pay on house,
barn and truck or automobile. Repair
bills for machinery may run. from $500
to $1,000. He, also has to. cover mor-
tgage, taxes, heat, Tight and clothing
like the rest of us, and at least part of
his food as well.
No wonder he sometimes decides to
gamble and not buy crop insurance.
Close to 40 per cent of Ontario's bean
growers did ,that this year. The
reckoning is going to be sad.
Three weeks of rain, a drought, a
five-minute hail storm, any of .these
can wipe out months of hard work. If
the elements behave themselves, there
are still the bureaucrats to consider.•
The more dependent town and city
people have become on the farmer, the
more government interference. there
has been.
Today he is rarely well off till he sells
the farm. Often as not it becomes a city
man's weekend hobby or, if it's close to
the city, a subdivision. Each year
Canada's acreage of arable land
'shrinks a little more. Maybe some day
we'll be importing most of our food.
After all, who wants to play a game
when the odds ,against winning keep
going up?
Sugar and Spice/By Bill Smiler
Nega Prod
SOME people, like me, believe in rolling
with the punches, rather than sticking out
our chins to show how many we can absorb.
I have found that, in general, if I avoid
trouble, trouble avoids me,
If I know that some pain in the arm has
been trying to get me on the phone, I also
know immediately that he or she wants me
to do something that I don't want to do.
Therefore, I take the phone .off the hook
and leave it off until the pain has found
some other sucker.
Another invention of mine to stay out of
trouble is patented as Nega-Prod. This is
short for Negative Production. The theory
is simple. The more you produce, the more
problems you have, whether it is children,
manufactured goods or farm products.
The more children you have, the more
emotional and economic problems, you
create for yourself. The more goods you
produce, the more you have to hustle to find
customers and meet payrolls. The more
farm stuff you raise, whether it's beef or
beans, the greater your chance of being
caught in a gluyon the market.
Otic great naltional railways caught on to
this years ago. • When they had lots of
passengers, they had lots of problems.
People wanted comfort, cleanlinets, decent
meals, and some assurance that they would
get •where they were going on time. There
was much more money to be made, and
fewer problems, by transporting wheat and
lumber and cattle. ,
So the railways began treating people
like cattle. Passenger trains became un-
bomfortable and dirty. Quality of the food
dropped like a stone. And they ne'.'er
arrived on time.
Presto. End of problems. No more
passengers. So the railways were able to
v
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"When thea' cull an election, you should run — u man with your lack o
would make a natural member of Parliament."
qualifications
Odds 'n' ends - by Elaine Townshend
Music to work by
On a TV game.show, a studio audience radio, which became my most treasured making it hard to close. But to us, the
was asked, "What is the first thing you possession, and which faithfully belted sound was perfect, and that was all that
do when you return from a long trip?" out the top tunes for 14 years. mattered.
The answers included, "check the I took it everywhere - to the beach to We played the 45s over and over until
mail, open the windows to air the house, have music to sunbath by, to the garden the turntable became hot, and we were
unpack, call the relatives to tell them to have music to pull weed's by, to the always saving money to buy more
we're home, mow the lawn, go to the field to have music to watch Dad work records or a new needle.
bathroom, take a shower and have a by and to my bedroom to have music to The old Sea Breeze was finally traded
rest." study by. in on a player with two speakers, and a
My answer would probably have been Mom and Dad's car didn't have a few years, ago I went into hoc to buy a
"turn on some music." Whether I've . radio, but the transistor worked in the stereo.
been' away for an hour or a week, I in- back window. They didn't worry about Beatlemania brought my first taste of
stinctively head for the radio as soon as I me waiting in the car, because as long' as worshipping rock singers, and I fell
get inside the apartment. Thad the radio I was content. 'hard, as you can tell by my collection of
I've always enjoyed listening to music, Beatle LPs.
even though I have non musical in • When they bought a new car, I insisted Through the years, I have discovered
that a- radio was one of the essentials, that music not only relaxes and en-
clination. My only singing is done when and I had to ' sit in the front seat to
I'm with a large group of singers or twiddle the dial. To my chagrin, when tertains me but it also motivates me to
e,
when I'm alone in mycar miles fromaccomplish more work. For example,
they changed cars again, the radio was the faster the,music,'the faster I dust;
town with the radio blaring. located to the left of the steeringwheel.
the louder the beat, the harder I scrub..
If I wasn't listening to the transistor or The only time I don't have music
the car radio, I was playing records. I playing is when I'm in deep con -
remember the first record player that centration, such as trying to write this
my sister and I shared. It was a Sea column. Often, though, when my train of
Breeze; the grey and white case soon thought stalls, all I need is a little music
looked worn, and the lid was warped to start it rolling again.
When I was a kid, I had a portable
"play -by -number" organ, and my
repertoire consisted of such greats as
"Old MacDonald," "On Top. Of Old
Smoky" and "Good Night, Ladies."
Then my parents gave me a transistor
From our early files .
• • • • • •
5 YEARS AGO
October 5, 1972
On last Saturday afternoon and
evening, the Clinton Colts swept a
double-header from Barry's. Bay
to capture their second straight
OBA All -Ontario Immediate "C"
championship. Both games were
filled with excitement and the
final outcome of each game was
not decided until the Colts' final
time at bat.
After the game, the Colts had a
victory parade down the main
street with the victorious players
riding on the fire truck.
Huron County's first and only
post secondary school held their
Open House last Thursday and a
crowd of 175 showed up to view
the facilities and to hear guest
speaker Charles McNaughton,
MPP for Huron and Provincial
Treasurer.
Conestoga College's'' Huron
Centre, located at Vanastra
(former CFB Clinton) was first
opened in February of this year.
and now boasts an enrolment of
150 full-time students and 225
part-time students. The college
offers both credit courses ` and
non-credit courses for residents
cut off non-paying passenger lines, get rid
of all those superfluous things like station
agents and telegraphers and train con-
ductors, and concentrate on taking from
one point to another things that paid their
way and didn't talk back : newsprint, coal,
oil, wheat.
Perhaps this is the answer for our
provincial governments, which are quickly
and quietly building massive mountains of
debt for future taxpayers.
Perhaps they should just stop building
highways, and repairing those already in
existence. We'd all be sore as bell for a
while, but as the roads got worse and
worse, most of us would stop ,driving our
cars. The governments would save millions
of dollars now spent on highways, and they
could fire two-thirds of the highway cops.
I don't quite see how the governments
could use Nega-Prod to get out of the liquor
business, which certainly produces plenty
of problems. The booze trade is so
profitable that asking government to
abandon it would be like asking a
millionaire to forsake his country estate for
a run-down farm.
Perhaps if "they had a 'Free Booze Day,
once a week, every week, say on a Satur-
day, it would solve a number of problems.
It would certainly reduce the surplus
population. This, in turn, would cut down,
drastically, the unemployment figures.
Should the provincial governments find
that Nega-Prod is all I've suggested, some
of it might spill over into the federal
government, usually the last to catdh on to
what the country really needs.
Instead of the manna and honey flowing
from Ottawa in the form of baby bonuses
and pension's, we might get some terse
manifestos:
"People who have more than one and a
of Huron County. There is also
adult training in courses spon-
sored by Canada Manpower.
Mayor Don Symons regained
some of Clinton's honor at the
Plowing Match last Saturday
when he placed second in the
Rural Mayor's Class . Clinton had
lost on Friday when Clinton
News -Record editor Jim Fit-
zgerald failed to place.
10 YEARS AGO
October 5, 1967
The new Community Centre
built this past summer opened its
doors last weekend to some 1,100
delegates attending the fall
seminar of Jehovah's Witnesses.
The first large gathering to be
held in the centre, the event was
enthusiastically supported by
witnesses 'from Orangeville to
Goderich.
Bouquets of white, mums and
shasta daisies amid candelabra
set the scene in Ontario Street
United Church, recently, for .the
wedding of Barbara Ann
McCowan and John Craig Cox,
both of Clinton. Rev. Grant Mills
performed the double ring
ceremony for the daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Frank McCowan and
half children will be sent to jail for four
years. Note: separate ja'ils." ,
"Persons who plan, to live past 65 and
claim a pension will be subject to an open
season each year, from October 1 to
Thanksgiving Day. Shotguns and bicycle
chains only."
"All veterans of all wars" may claim
participation by reason q :insanity, and
may apply to Ottawa for immediate
euthenisation."
These might seem slightly Draconian
measures, but they sure would put an end
to a lot of our problems and troubles. Think
of what they would do for such sinful ac-
tivities as sex, growing old, and hanging
around the Legion Hall, playing checkers.
But we must also think of the economic
benefits. With a plug put into that river of
paper money flowing frpm Ottawa, taxes
would drop, inflation would vanish and
undoubtedly, separatism would wither on
the, vine. People would be lined up six deep
at the U.S. border, trying to get across, and
that would solve, in one swell foop, our
unemployment difficulties.
We could go back to being hewers of
water and carriers of wood, which was our
manifest destiny before the politicians got
into the act. Fishermen or lumberjacks, in
short, which most of the rest of the world
thinks we' are anyway.
Neg-Prod may seem a bit lofty and ab-
stract at first glance, but it works. I know'
from personal experience. Every time I try
to make something, or fix something, it
costs me a lot of money, and I get into a lot
of trouble.
So, I have a policy of'never trying to fix
something or make something. It's a- lot
less trouble to put up signs: "Beware of
falling bricks; Not responsible for slivers
from picnic table." And soon.
the son of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Cox About 30 1n,,embers of Huron
all of Clinton. Fish and Game Conservation
The official board of the Association met in the new club
Wesley -Willis United Church, house on Monday evening,
,Clinton, has announced that a October 6 with C.F. Livermore,
former memberof the president, in charge.
congregation, the late Judge The club house is built across
Frank Fingland, bequeathed a the railway tracks at the west end
sum of $5,000 to the church. of town. It is the intention of the
A small house on James Street club to landscape the eight acres
was the object, during the of land connected with the
weekend, cif vandals who premises. This should make an
wrecked havoc in the two attractive addition to hitherto
bedroom premises. rather neglected area of the
According to owner Jim Boyle town.
Summerhill, paint was spread 50 YEARS AGO
over floors and walls and fabric Octtrber 6, 1927
folding doo`rs were 'slashed with a •Clinton's portion of peonies,
knife. Mr. Bjoyle discovered the donated by the•Prince of. Wales to
damage when he went to inspect all the towns of Canada as a
the property after church on memento of his visit during
Sunday. "You never saw such a Diamond Jubilee, have arrived
mess in your life," reported and have been planted in the
Boyle. centre of Library Park.
25 YEARS AGO Chief Strong • with his own
October 9, 1952 hands, carefully prepared the soil
Mr. and Mrs. Grant Irwin were and placed the plants in position,
married in Holmesville on covering carefully and placing a
September 20. Mrs. Irwin is the fence, around to protect from
former Miss Bette Alice Hut- molestation.
chins, daughter of Njr. and Mrs. Huron County honored itself by
Charles Hutchins, Goderich doing honor to one of its worthy
Township. Her husband is the son sons, when a complimentary
of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Irwin, banquet was tendered in the town
Lucknow. The young couple are hall, Clinton, on Friday evening
living.in Clinton. last to Mr. Fred C. Elford,
Before 1,550 fans here on Poultry Husbandman, Ottawa
Monday, September 30 under the and president of the World's
lights, Brussels football team Poultry Association the affair
won the Stevenson Trophy by being sponsored by the Huron
defeating Holstein 2-0. Brussels is branch of the Department of
now Huron Football Association Agriculture.
champion. This is the second One night last week Mr. Edgar
time they have brought'honors to Butt had the padlock on one of his
the village, winning their first gasoline purrips broken and a
trophy in 1938. quantity of gas stolen. The world
Our industrious correspondent may be a getting better, still
in Bayfield sends us, this little there are some • thoroughbred
vignette, "George Little, local rascals running loose, who ought
constable, is a good pistol shot to be workirng on the Government
and he has had plenty of practice stone pile.
of late years. As we've mentioned Mr. Wat Webster has returned
before those little black 'and home after having made a tour of
white animals which supply the the north country filling an ,
basis for fragrant violet perfume engagement with the' Lucknow
have been invading the village Pipe Band as drummer. No doubt
and walking about as if ,they the Scotch kilts would be very
owned the place, becoming to Wat again.
What you,
think
Siri
Dear Editor:
I have lived here for 23
years. In that time if the
people who took on the
business of running the Tdwn
of Clinton had run their, own
businesses that way, they
would have been bankrupt in
three years.
We have lost almost all o
the industry that was her
The cost of sewage is higher
than Ottawa, Kingston or w
Toronto, which are supposed
to be the most costly places to
live in Ontario.
About 90 percent of the
working population are
employed outside of Clinton
yet even with the costly high
powered equipment they
have, most of the streets are
not plowed until afternoon or
•
in some cases a few days. A
lot of good that is to people
who have to be at work in the
early hours of the morning.
Clinton has not grown in
population in thislength of
time, yet the police force has
more than doubled and cost
the taxpayers close to
$100,000 a year to operate.
What do we get for this: drag co
strip racing all over the tows
on weekends until fou
o'clock in the morning?
We also have crimes in this
town, such as murder and
many more thaf I could
mention, yet not one name
was ever released to the news
media. As taxpayers, welh
'have a right to know.
I do not blame the police, I
blame the judicial system in
the county and the ones who
sign the cheques that pay the
police salaries.
How will it change; by
either regional government,
taking the, power away from
this type of town
management or have truly
dedicated people in office. 'h
Allan N. Reid
Clinton
Artifacts
Dear Editor:
The Canadian War Museum
seeks to strengthen its
collection of military ar-
tifacts and at this time
especially wishes to acquire 4,
uniforms, weapons, medals,
military books, insignia and
photographs concerning the
military history of North
America from 1604 to the
present.
A1 tifacts relating to the
allied and enemy forces from
the First and Second World
Wars, and from Peace •
Keeping Assignments are
also of interest, as are the
common everyday items used
by Canadian military per-
sonnel in the war zones, in
rest areas behind the lines,
and at home.
These are for display,
future reference and
research in the Canadian War
Museum in the national
capital and other allied
Canadian military museums.
The Canadian War Museum
would be pleased to hear from
you if you are able to assistin•
this requirement.
Yours sincerely,
L.F. Murray, Chief Curator,
Canadian War Museum,
330 Sussex Drive,
Ottawa, Ontario.
K1 A 0M8
News -Record readers are
encouraged to express their
opinions in letters to the
editor, however, such opinions
do not necessarily represent, 1
the opinions of the News-
.
Pseudonyms may be used
by letter writlers, . but no letter .
will be published unless it can
-, be verified by phone.
4, ,
Member, Ontario Weekly
Newspaper Association
The Clinton News -Record is published each
Thursday at P.O. Box 39, Clinton, Ontario,
Canada, NOM 1L0.,
it Is registered as second class mail by the
post office under the permit number 0817.
The News -Record Incorporated in 1924 the
Huron News -Record, founded in 1881, and
the Clinton New Era, founded In 1f85. Total
press run 3,100.
Member Canadian
Community Newspaper
Association
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available on request. Ask for
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1974.
General Mineger • J, froward Aitken
Editor - James E. Fitzgerald
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