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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1969-06-05, Page 4ham, Advance - Times, T.hursd , June 5, 1969 2• Make Them Safety Conscious When last week's editorial on bicycle safety was written we were not aware that a meeting had been organized on the same subject, to be held in the public school auditorium on Thursday evening. However, we are pleased that the editorial proved .so timely. Even more gratifying is the announce- ment that a bike rodeo will be held in the local arena on June 14, at which time something very practical will be done to promote safety consciousness among our youngest vehicle operators. At the rodeo verbal and printed information will be supplemented by . tests of skill on wheels and knowledge of the traffic rules which are vital to the safety of youngsters on bicycles. Wingham local and • provincial police will assist local organizations who have a particular interest in making the young- sters .safety conscious. Not only does this program save young lives, but it implants the habits of safe vehicle operation which are so drastically important when the kids graduate from the two -wheeler to their first cars. Keen awareness of the ever-increasing need for safe driving habits must. be fostered from early childhood If the next generation is to survive the grow- ing death toll on our highways. Parents, as well as police officers, have a tremendous stake in such a safety pro- gram. The rodeo will provide an oppor- tunity for these parents to prove that they are in actual fact concerned about the sur- vival of their children. The police officers and the sponsors will need all the help they can muster if the rodeo is to be car- ried out effectively. Whether or not you have youngsters in the bicycle age, , call Dawson Pollock or Doug Marshall and volunteer your assistance on June 14th. There will be a good deal of gratification in doing something about traffic safety in- stead of reading about it. Painful Tax Bite Just about the most reluctant people we have seen for a long time were the members of the Wingham town council as they established the tax rate at last week's • meeting. Not s.only were they thinking about horrified taxpayers—they have taxes to pay themselves and don't like high . rates any more than the next fellow. Every item on the budget . for each of the departments was examined and re- examined to find any possible places for curtailment. Three thousand dollars was topped off the first set of figures—equiv- alent to at least one mill. Reluctantly the councillors carne to the conclusion that any further paring would be suicidal. The resulting increase in the mill rate • . • 21,18 for residential properties and 22.52 for commercial and industrial pro- perties, is one of the stiffest increases we have heard about this year. However, the town council has no choice if present ser- vices are to be continued. Contrary to all predictions, the Huron County Board of Education did not blast us with any earth -shaking tax increase. Al- though the tax levy for education did jump by about • four . and a half mills, such an increase might have been expected had the local school boards continued to fun- ction this year. Councillor Bill Harris, chairman of the old public school board here, pointed out that the' increase was a reasonable one. Nobody likes to pay taxes, but local tax money does at least purchase those ser- vices which we enjoy personally, right in our home towns and . townships. We see where the money is spent—and personally,: we have always contended that we get a lot for our tax dollars. . The real bite may be yet to come. When the new provincial assessment plan is put into operation there are liable to be some drast�. revaluations. So quit hollering .about'this year's mill rate and start worrying about what will happen next year. Several weeks ago the Department of Highways people decided- that the •signs at the entrances to Wingham were carry- ing false information. The population figure was given as 3,000 but some stati- stician in `Toronto claimed' that we had a population of only 2800 and the signs were changed acnordingly.. • The rnaor immediately brought the mistake . to the attention of the Depart- ment but was told that the figures could not be changed until the OK was -received 1 un r fall prescho r The WinghaM and District Association for Rhe Mentally Retarded met Monday evening at the United Church with a good attendance of inembets. parents, representatives from organizations and service clubs. and interested people. Reports were.given on the Regions meeting held in Exe- ter and the Ontario Association Convention held in Toronto in April to which delegates had been sent. Alan Williams, representa- tive on the Huron County Ad- visory Committee of the Board of Education, reported- on the meeting held concerning the schools for Trainable Retarded Children. Mrs. Harold Wild, in her re- port as recreational chairman, said skating and bowling had been provided for the children of the school here and for grad- uates also. Several ladies of the community were volunteer helpers in the skating program. Three pupils from the school are being sent to summer. camp at Camp Belwood which is a wonderful experience for them. The junior pupils go for t w o weeks and the seniors for three weeks. The membership chairman, Mrs: H. Schipper, made an ap- peal for family and individual .membership, also ••club mem- bership. Membership in the lo- cal organization also entitles a person to membership in the. Ontario Association for the Men- tally Retarded and the Canad- ian Association and one will re- ceive literature and information on tine work and research .which is being done in Ontario and in Canada. The main feature of the meeting was a talk and slides on pipe -school programs given by Mrs. James Abbott of Palm- erston, regional chairmanin this area of work. This was very informative and showed from Queen's Park. The signs still state that our population is 2800. The assessor's roll at the •Wingham town hall is open for inspection should the Department care to verify the truth. Last week the county assessor reported to county council and his, figure for Wing ham's population 'was 2,970. . Perhaps we will have ' to wait until a provincial assessor does the counting be - for the signs are corrected. \ • You Can't Win The Township tonal of North Gwil- D'mbury recently demanded that a police officer searchtheir council chamber and remove a tape recorder which" -the editor of The Lake Simcoe Advocate had intended to use in reporting the council meeting. The policeman complied with the demand, but warned that his action was illegal. The newspaper editor stated. that h intended to.use the recorder in order. to be sure that he had an accurate report of the meeting. The situation thus posed is almost amusing. Any reporter who has covered council and board ' meetings is familiar with the charge that this or the other councillor has been misquoted. Logically one would suppose that the use of a tape recorder would meet with the full approv- al 'Of those board or council members who don't have too much faith in the ability of the reporter to do his ' job. Not so. Apparently this type of elected official would rather retain the opportun- ity to scream about misquotations than. permit the reporter to justify what he has written with a recording. The rule about inadmissabilityof re- cordings in .a court of law is a valid one, because tapes can be altered—but it is fairly obvious that since no legal niceties are involved in statements made at a coun- cil meeting the reporter could do a better job ,,by using modern equipment. The Dirty Old Press Labor Minister Dalton Bales has been making noises in the Legislature about the 'filthy tactics of the "'mass media" --- the big newspapers and presumably radio and television. He claims that the press exaggerates the importance of labor dis- putes and fails to mention The far higher proportion of successful labor -rant negotiations in which the two groups peacefully settle their differences. It is just as well that Mr. Bales doesn't operate a newspaper or :a radio or TV station. He wouldn't last long in busi- ness.. Naturally the labor disputes get into the news. So do obituaries and fatal accidents and bad fires and kooky kids. 1'Would it be logical or even interesting to write yards of material about all the people who didn't die last week, • or the thousands of cars which managed to crawl through the downtown traffic without in- cident, or all the buildings that didn't burn down? The minister is pained because there aren't enough favorable comments about how well his department is 'doing. 'The people in that department are just like all the rest of us: they are scored more by their shortcomings than by their suc- cesses. Perhaps it's unpleasant; it may even be unfair—but, Mr. Bales, that's life. THE WINGHAM ADVANCE - TIMES Published at Wingham, Ontario, by Wenger Bros. Limited W. Barry Wenger, President - Robert A. Wenger, Secretary -Treasurer Member Audit Bureau of Circulation Member Canadian Weekly Newspapers Association Subscription Rate: 1 yr. $6.00; 6 months $3.25, in advance; USA $7.00 per yr.; Foreign rate $7.00 per yr. Advertising Rates on application Second Class ifali Registration No. -0621 Return Postage Guaranteed This happy young fellow won't be a year old till July but already he looks like a future football player. He's big and sturdy and loves rough games, especially wrestling. Randy is a solid baby with big blue eyes, light brown, slightly curly hair and fair, sensitive. skin. A very sociable boy, , he, enjoys children and likes' to be in the midst of their activity. He is also fond of a puppy in his foster home. He is very active a 'and as he starts to walk is beginning to be independent, though he still likes.tote cuddled. Randy's family history is incomplete but it is known he has ,one Indian grandparent and that his mother may have diabetes. The baby himself is in excellent health. He needs parents who will give himlove and stimulation. To inquire about adopting Randy please write to Today's Child, Department of Social and Family Services, Parliament Buildings, Toronto 182. For general information about adoption ask your local Children's Aid Society. ' Soap box derby feature of mall days Several interesting events are shaping up in preparation for the Lions Club Mall Pays. July 3, 4, and 5. One of these will be a Soap Box Derby to be held. on Saturday, July 5th, sponsored- jointly by the Lions Club and the Recreation and Community Centres Board. Because a good soap' box en- try can take several weeks to build, .the rules governing the derby are listed below. • All who are interested in :entering this event should read the rules carefully and start work tight away. . - Entry forms may be obtained from the recreation office. RULES 1. Eligibility --Entries from contestants residing in Wingham School District only, will be accepted. 2. Age Limit --Boys 15 years and under on the day of the race. . 3. Racer must be .built by the boy who is to drive it. He may have help from other boys • eligible under rule 1. Parents may help in an advisory capaci- ty only. at. To be eligible racer must not be set on wagon or carriage frame. The racer must be built completely by the boys, with the exception of the wheels and axles, which may be bought. n nnnnn..ossessnntW"nnn..nN fi f 5. Racer must run on our • semi-finals, unless eliminated. vfheels. Wheels may be of any type obtainable but must not exceed 12 inches in diameter. 6. Total cost of the racer must not exceed $15.00 --the contestants may be r equired t o produce evidence of cost. 7. Each racer must be fitted. with a brake which a cts either directly on a r ear wheel or drags 'on the ground in the centre of the car. 8. Racers must not exceed these dimensions: Overall length --80 inches; o v e r a l l width --42 inches, overall height --30 inches. 9. Racer must have at least 3 inches road clearance. 10. N either front or rear wheels may extend beyond the ends of the racer. • 11. No gears will be permit- ted -in the steering assembly; • 12. The body of the car ,} • may be covered, with alumin- um, linoleum, fabric, wire netting, sheet metal, ,wood, leather, paper, cardboard, pa- per mache, plywood, fibre wallboard. Cloth over wire netting makes a good job. 13. Each racer must be built so as to permit easy inspection of every part. • 14. The race will be run in heats of two o r three cars. The winner o f e ach heat will a d- vance through the quarter and „nn.N..n...,n mums n....nn.nnnsn.►n LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Dear Sir: On behalf of the Wingham Home and School Association, I,, wish to rake this opportunity ,. to express our sincere apprecia- tion for the encouragement and support .the. Advance -Times has given us during this, our Chart- er year. �The editorial comments and the comprehensive coverage concerning Home and School did much to inform the public of what we are trying to ac- complish, as well as helping us to gain new members. We are pleased to note that you share our . genuine interest in the children of this com- munity and their, welfare Again, may I say thank you for your co-operation, interest, and assistance during the past Year - To the Editor: In response to many inquiries about Cable TV coming to Wingham. I would like to set the record straight. Wingham Cable Television Ltd. , • is pre- pared to go ahead with the in - stallation of cable in Wingham immediately. However. our application is before the Canad- a Lan Radio and Television Com- ° mission, and until this applica- tion is approved w e cannot be- gin operation. We sincerely regret the de- lay. but as we all know , the wheels of government g r i n d 'slowly. We also look forward to serving this community with cable television service in the very near future. Ian MacLaurin Eric Walden Yours sincerely, Mrs. Marilyn Kopas Department Store Sign: Immediate Past Bath towels for the whofdamp President fa roily. 15.._ The committee reserves the right to bar any car or driv- er from racing if in its opinion the car is not safe or that any of the rules and regulations have been contravened. • what ...could be accninpli2heil by such a program. The Associate tion pians on starting gich a program in September begin �► ning with one erg a .week,, Mrs. Crawford Douglas and Mrs. J, K. McGregor are the chair. men for the local Association and will need a place to hold die program as well as volun- teen to run it. In this set-up the children of pre-school age let started hi a learning pro- gram and this prepares them for school when the time comet It also gives the mother s a morning of their own. In the report from the school the principal stated that there are 16 pupils and three witl•grad- uate this June. There areseven school age beginners for Sep • - tember. Director denies Itwo-payr system R. J. Carter, a teacher in the technical department of God- erich District,Collegiate In stitute, charged in a.letter read ata meeting of Hu Huron County Board of Education . in Central Huron Secondary School at Clinton, Monday evening, that . a. 'two -pay system" existed in' the negotiation .of contracts between the teachers and the board. "I wish to be placed on re- cord as being utterly opposed to the two -pay system as sug- gested to the teaching staff by „ our negotiating committee, " he said. "Any system of re- muneration which permits teachers of equal qualifications and experience to be paid dif- ferent salaries is totally unfair and discriminatory. Board members appeared a little nonplussed in interpret- ing the meaning of the term "two -pay system", as alleged by Mr. Carter. Asked to give his opinion on the matter, John B. Laois, chairman of the Board said he did not pretend to un- derstand what was meant by Mr. Carter, but probably it was this: "A teacher in Goderich might be getting more or less money than a teacher in Clinton or Seaforth or-Wingham or Exeter, because he had been hired on certain terms,by a Board pre- viously in existence, " he vol- unteered. He pointed out that this is one of the problems fac- ing the new County Board of Education. 'D. 1. Cochrane, director of education, was emphatic in his declaration that "there is no such thing ai a two -pay syst- em. " Mr. Carter 's letter was "re- ferred to. the secondary schools salary negotiating committee under the chairmanship of D. J. Murphy, Goderic h , who is on vacation in Europe until June W., The committee met after the Board meeting and ap. pointed John Broadfoot, R. R.1. Brucefield, chairman pro tem. Added to the `committee temp- orarily was R. M. Elliott, R. R. 3, Clinton. With wool r .. tar ee. ;be 004ct palet ,s 'age. it Is felt a Sheltered Wotltthop is needed iwt rely ;netts fotum, - The new slate, CI officers. fpx• threesilocal, 1 1 ..1 iltten; press p roma. J. E. Reavie; vice*pees„ 'dent. William Millen of 'Tees- water; isecretaty, G. W •Giffin; treasurer, William Lind up; councillors, Mrs. R. Kilpatrick • and Mrs. Mary McKinney; Pre school and Horne Care chair- men, Mrs, C. Douglas and Mrs. J. K. McGregor; r'ecrear. .atonal chairman, Mrs. H. Wiadr program chairman, Ross Ham- ilton; membership chairman, Mrs. H. Schipper; publicity, Mrs. J. Reavie; and transports tion cha%man, Harvey Webster of Lucknow. It's got me baffled It takes a mickle to make a muckle, whatever that means. And it takes a lot of mickles and muckles to, make up that peculiar agglomeration of mammals known as modern so- ciety; including a quantity of. crackpots and a welter • of. weir- dos. Present company . accept- ed. Four different glimpses of modern society, the human race, in the last ' few days have baffled me completely. How did we get as far as we've come? And how come we hay, en't got farther? First of these was a big proj- ect at the big shoe factory I work In. Teachers and students have been slaving for months, making ` canoes and planning* trips. They wound up with about • 30 canoes, maps, com- passes and no brains. With just a little less fanfare than the Spanish . Armada, they set off on a sunny Friday after- noon, holiday weekend, to conquer. the wilderness and make Etienne Brule look like a Sunday tripper. • It 'rained, all . day..• Saturday, Sunday and Monday in the great national park they chose for their insanity. The temper- ature was a little above freez- ing. They came back exhaust- ed, soaked to the 'skin, and frozen to th marrow. About 'people were about as miserabl as they ever have been, or ever will be, in their • lives. And already they're plan- ning the next trip. Already,. it's a greatadventure, in retro- spect. I know the `feeling. I was 'a prisoner of war, and there was little joy in the jaunt. But looking back, I wouldn't have missed it for anything. Pretty stupid ? • • Thefine weekend, since the rain ruled out anything intern - gent, I took two little nieces out to the beach to see the "motorcycle gang." We saw them. In all their glory. Black jackets, beards, long hair and frightening. .The kids weren't. I was. Frightened; that. is. When we arrived, these young adults,. and I emphasize that they're not teen-agers, were grooving on fireworks. Fortunately,. they . were so beered-up; and it was so damp, that the whole thing was a fiz- zle. They were trying to light Roman candles- and such on the floor of a restaurant. Adults, playing with 'firecrack- ers. firecrackers. What makes these people. wander about the country in wolf packs? They get their kicks from noise, and violence. But they'respeed people, and certainly some of them have brains, feelings, decency. -Yet they're capable of actions that recall Hitler's Brown - shirts, and I don't think there's any need to go into detail. I was glad the two police cars were there. The next night, . there was a big fire, about four blocks from our house, when a lum- ber yard went tip in a dazzling • display. And who was there hot -rodding 'it from all over town to get' a ring -side. seat. Good, honest, responsible .tax- payers. Including yours truly. • I was so pleased (I've always loved a good fire, especially at night) that • I left my wife standing in 'her dressing -gown and pyjamas, about a . block from the blaze, while I .aged closet' for a' cheekby-jowl view with the other sensible Citi- zens. "Ain't she a dandy?" And "That's a real ripper," we grinned into each others' or- ange range faces, a little disappoint- , ed becausethere was no wind, and the firemen were prevent- ing reventing it from spreading. My wife vialked . three blocks home, in her night attire. I'd forgotten her completely. • What kind of monsters are we? • And then I went back to school after the weekend, and here are these Grade 12 stu- dents, in. panel discussions, sane, serious and sensible, grappling . intelligently with the problems they're going to have to face shortly. They're net doing it to im- press me. Some of their opi- nions would curl their moth- ers' hair But they dont like society much the. way it is, and they want to do something about it. • They get angry with each other, disagree, grow red in the face, and shoutVat each other like - well, like a group of adults., Crazy world, but it's the one I want to stay in for a while, at least. Today's world; in addi- tion to the cold binoculars of the historians, needs o some mi- nor chroniclers, like your hum- ble servant, to tell it as it was. St. Paul's Church (ANGLICAN) WINGHAM ' Minister — REV. C. F. JOHNSON, Locum Tenens. Organist — MRS. G. L. DAVIDSON. FIRST SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY .-- JUNE 8th 11:00 a.m.—Morning Prayer and Church School. KENNETII W. IAWLESS DDS. wishes to announce the opening of his office for the general pradiree . of Dentistry at 239 John St. E. Winphdrit, Ontario By Appointment Phone 357-1400 5p