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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1969-09-18, Page 11ti ,44 It Takes Coura Wel. gained new respect for the morn herd of Wingham town conned last ;Mon- d.oiy evening whpn they refused to back off from two particular .Items of business. One of these arose in a discussion about the possibility of installing traffic signals ton the main street, and the other was the fire chief's suggestion that consideration be given to the purchase of a new fire •engine, The Wingham council is definitely short of -funds and since this year's tax rate suffered one of the sharpest increases in many years, It takes considerable cour- age to calmy examine any plan that calls for sizeable expenditures. Although there was no need et the recent meeting to make any final' decisions, it was plain that a majority, if !not all of • the councillors recognized the obvious fact that certain services are vital to a progressive com- munity. Nobody is expecting much from an- other traffic survey. The ultimate decision will quite probably be whether the town can spend the necessary money to install the lights on their own without depart- ment assistance. Yet the town council. -members rightly believe that the safety and convenience of their townspeople is ,e ut.,. important enough, to Merit. serious dis- cussion of such an expenditure. ° Similarly with the fire equipment. The present pumper is old. it has served the town and rural area for eighteen years. It can no longer beexpected to provide adequate protection for the people and property in this area --particularly when one considers that the total value of assets in the fire district has risen by many millions of dollars since the pumper was` purchased. In the case of the fire engine, the de- cision would not be Wingham's alone, for it would be jointly purchased by the town and the four surrounding townships. How= ever, we are fortunate to be living in a section of the province noted for the co- operation which has existed between rural and urban municipalities. A case in point is the recent purchase of ambulance 'equipment on a shared basis. Hopefully, the town's finances will be in healthier condition by the time these expenditures have to be made. This has been a rough year, with a loss position from Last year to be dealt with. The main thing, however, is that none of the coun- cillors seems to be losing their ''cool" and we can expect a sensible resolution of the problems •they face. The Scientific Approach A group of University of Toronto pro- fessors, believing that conditions are ripe for a long overdue technological break- through in building construction, have banded together to form a Systems Build- ing Centre within the Faculty of 'Applied 'Science and Engineering. Systems building is defined as "the ap- plication of a co-ordinated approach to the entire building process that combines modern managementand the industrial technology to achieve highest productivity; efficiency and quality, while preserving aesthetic freedom." The Systems approach 'can be applied . to residential buildings, assembly buildings (such as schools), institutional buildings (such as hospitals), commercial and Tight industrial buildings—in fact all types of structures except heavy industrial 'build- ings and those which are required for highly specialized purposes. The members of the Centre claim that the application of. the system -approach will result' in very substantial. savings.. -to the construction Industry, which accounts for 20% of the, gross national product. .The systems approach could also reduce construction time and . produce far more and better homes. People who know anything at all about modern construction methods and .the cost of new buildings will agree. that it is high time that somebody did something about reducing the outlay required, par- ticularly for new. homes. The price of shelter for families • and businesses has been too high for a long time. However, it would. seem that the first people to talk to are those financial experts who have been responsible for the choking interest rates prevailing at the present time. The Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation announced last week that its interest rate will be raised from 9 to 91/2%. That means . that a young couple who buy a $20,000 home in 1969 and take the next 20 years to pay for it will have to dig up $1,000 a year in principal pay- ments and ani average of $950 per year in interest over the full loan period. The declared intention of the govern- ment in permitting or encouraging higher interest rates is . to curb dangerous in- flation. They believe the economy needs to be slowed; that the demand for goods and services has outpaced our ability to pro- duce and that as a consequence higher and higher prices are being' paid. The assump- tion is, of course, correct, and controls • of some sort are vital to a balanced econ- omy --but as usual the heaviest penalties fall on the little guy: , Whether the grand scheme of slowing the economic growth rate is applied or not, the lower income husband and father is .going to do his best to provide a decent home for the wife and kids --even though. .he gets himself caught in a 9, 10 or 1O'/2% interest trap. . Conversely, the big corporations, the very spenders who need . to be curbed, don't really suffer too much if they go ahead with a new million -dollar office building. The high interest rates will probably be made up by tax saving a few years hence. Mr. Munro's a Mite Snappish Sitting on our desk is a sheet of pink mimeo paper which is headed "Ontario Federation of Agriculture News Release." It may be assumed that the text which fol- lows is intended for publication. It is evident that Charles Munro, presi- dent of the Ontario Federation doesn't think much of farm writers and he pretty clearly lays the blame for Federation mis- fortunes. on their doorstep. He states that "the general farm . news reporting field must take at least part blame for the fail- ure"' of the GFO plebiscite. He uses this as an example of "what effective misman- agement of news material can have on any public situation." Mr. Munro refers to farm news people as "frustrated extension people who want only to push their own ideas on the whole 'farm scene." . The OFA president believes that farm news people should "stop build• - ing their own editorial empires and start repotting. more of the facts in a better way to those they are supposedly serving." Mr. Munro goes on to accuse general farm news writers •of "choosing the facts which can serve them better towards their Own personal editorial goals." He says that farmersare confused and bothered by con- flicting editorial opinions which are pre- sented to look and sound like facts. "This is where the crime is commit- ted," he charges. The Federation president says that this was one of the main reas- ons farmers are confused about the GFO proposal. . Mr. Munro closes his editorial by chal- lenging farm news people to "report the facts without personal opinion." He says that all news people are guilty, whether in newspaper, radio or television. Now all you farm people realize what a bunch of rogues these news writers are. They even dare to have opinions about the farmer's future! Farm people also realize that Mr. Munro may have a great future as a farm organization president, but he certainly won't go far as a public relations officer. Year -Round Schools A year-round school may become a reality first in Alberta, which has more than enough teachers to operate classes continuously, The Financial Post reports. Proposed legislation will permit the Minis- ter of Education to authorize changes in school operation to extend the present ten- month school year to a full 12. And think how that little plan would grab those students who were so all -fired mad about an extra two weeks in Ontario. W. Barry 1 yr. $6.00; 6 Second Class THE WINGHAM ADVANCE - TIMES Published at Wingham, Ontario, by Wenger Bros. Limited Wenger, President - Robert O. Wenger, Secretary -Treasurer Member Audit Bureau of Circulation -Member Canadia'1n Weekly' Newspapers Association Subscription Rate: months $3.25, in advance; USA $7.00 per yr.; Foreign rate $7.00 per yr. Advertising Rates on application Mail • Registration No. .0821 Return Postage Guaranteed 25 Seeley OA". A 414 Doltrnsidewfi, Dear Sir; I wonder It you or Trial cars could help me? I ay, that my Fandmoilter family carne from ►und. ham but I do not have 'a m go on. She was Elizabeth fl.AUginsp born July 16, 1.850 in WSW nOth, Her father, William H gg C, was minister at BtinkchUrck j near Wingham., and she was probably married J144;1 . 1u in 1871 to Henry Bowyer, "l d not know her mother's • nt a ors whether or not she had any brothers or sisters. My aunt, my father's sistaisr:`,f,' gave me what information have. Memory is net abraYi reliable. Maybe instead Or Brick Church it was S tone Church. I do not know after all these years. I have just found that my father and hitt family were botp in England where he met my mother :a ter his first wife died. Perhaps some of the Higgins families in your area would ;'; know something about this;' Sincerely, Mrs. Violet Knapton Wingham, Onta September 15, 1969 Dear Sir: I notice in September 6th London Free Press the large headline "Hydro Rates Rising,' Wingham P. U. C. Tells Subs scribers". As I read on farther I see, quote --"Roy E. Bennett. said, Costs have risers about'20t per cent in the last three. years, ,depleting the surplus. The commission hopes to breakeven this year. " I would interpret this as meaning" the P.U.C. has been using the reserves to hold the.' rate where it is. This is defer. initely not,correct. At no time before 1969 has the P.U. C. '.taken money out of the reserve funds to bolster the P. U. C. operation. In fact, the 1968 yearly report, which' is available to anyone, shows $7, 500.00 paid to the town to, cover a P.U. C. commitrnent on cleaning the pond and also'4 surplus of $10,680. 82 , for that year. • there is a total reserve .fund' of approximately$60,000.00. and no debenturdebt. Yours truly, C. E. Sheri September 9,1969 The Ed Dear Sir:itor Smashed windshieldsand other damage to cars has been reported recently from areas heavily used by gravel trucks. f police surveillance ru Its are loaded and/or driven in such a way that gravel flies off, threatening damage to other vehicles, and serious injury .to cyclists and pedestri- ans. Even if a truck is loaded carefully, and apparently le- gally, there can be no guaran- tee against certain materials flying loose, unless the load is totally enclosed. A sudden bump can send pebbles flying high from the floor or sides of a dump truck. A gust of wind can pick a sheet of metal from a truck load of scrap, and send it knifing through the air. A Member of Parliament tells us he proposes to ask the Ontario D epartrrrent, of Trans- port to bring, in PAW regulations requiring loads of loose mater- ial such as gravel and sand to be covered and secured bytarpsw He has invited the Ontario Safety aLeague';o support this move. Mandatory covers would put the truck operators to some ex- pense and trouble. But it seems certain that it would reduce the danger and expense of oth- er road users; and, it would help to free police effort for other areas of traffic enforcement. We would very ch appreci- ate hearing fromny. of your readers who have views about the introduction of such a reg- ulation. It would be particu- larly helpful to havve details of aoy recent cases of personal in- jury or extensive damage aris- ing from gravel or other ma- terial flying off loaded trucks. Yours truly, Fred H. Ellis (eneral Manager New managefar Owen Sound office of Bell Canada Recently appointed manager of the Owen Sound office of Bell Canada, Kenneth Aay, 28, of Toronto, assumed his ne w duties Tuesday. He succeeds William M. Campbell, 35, manager here for the past two K. C. AWAY years who has been transferred to St. Catharines-- Niagara Falls --Fort Erie district. Born in The Netherlands, Mr. Aay emigrated to Canada with his parents in 1957. He receiv- ed his elementary education in his homeland, his secondary ed- ucation in Kitchener and grad- uated from Waterloo Lutheran . University in 1966. Mr. Aay joined Bell Canada at London in the plant depart- ment after graduation and serv- ed at that centre for two and a half years. He was promoted to Toronto in 1968 in the same department and worked there 10 months before his appointment to Owen Sound as manager. Married, with no children, Mr. Aay and his wife, Jean E. a Kitchener girl, will be mov- ing to Owen Sound within a few days. --Mr. and Mrs. R. E. Tapp returned Sunday from a four weeks' vacation in the western provinces, THERE WERE LOTS of different kinds of animals at the Belgrave School Fair Gast week but a pair of thickens caught the eye of this cute pair. Joan ,Pietch and, Karen Coultes are .both in Grade Il' at Brussels'.—AT Photo, ingbain Woolf itooMisOoltillo Wingham, Ontario, Thursday, Sept. 18, 1969 SECON. SECTION Kids getting rough deal • Have you noticed what has happened - to all those tense, harassed, . haggard, harried,• hysterical, • women who were around all sum ner.? They've suddenly turned into fat cats, smiling, relaxed, ready to turn the other cheek rather than belt you on yours. Know why? Because their. kids are back to school; that's why. Not that they don't love • their children. No, no, no. All mothers love their children. But they can't STAND them after two months' holidays. Paradise on earth is not. the Isles of Greece, or two cars, or four. credit cards, or a mink stole. It's sitting down with a cup 'of coffeeafter the kids are off td' school and realizing that - you won't see them for any- where from three to six hours. Silence. Golden. No more of, "Jane's mean. Billy won't give back my bike. When are we going for .a swim? I wanna popsicle: There's nothing to do. It's hot. outside. How come we never have any cold pop?" And so on. Lucky ladies. No dirty bare feet tracking through the house. No whining. No ' de- mands for the. impossible. No fighting; Nothing but an hour of blessed solitude, with a cup of coffee and maybe a ciga- rette for . the depraved, and nothing to listen to except Jol- ly Jack, the disc jockey. Even getting at the dishes and the washing is a pleasure, when there's nobody there snivell- ing, "I fell and hurt -my knee, Mum, Mum my knee, hurts, Mum." Well, girls, I hope you enjoy it. You deserve it. But while you're lolling in *this sybaritic splendor, let me remind you that I and all the other idiots who teach school are stuck with your rotten kids for ten months, six hours a day. Keep S.S. Guest Editorial un Happy Society Some of the people who are given the privilege of using a gun have in turn no respect for other people's property or even their rights. The worst offenders are not the hunters who enjoy hunting as a sport for these people usually follow the rules and break no laws. The real offenders are those who get into their cars and drive around the countryside target shooting at anything that moves. During the last long holiday week -end 1 had an experience which brought to my attention this very fact. I happened to go 'outside to see what my ten -year-old sister and her friend were doing when there sounded an explosion just ' behind our shed and then another one. These "explosions" had been rifle shots and as By Jean Adams 12A soon as the man who had fired them saw us coming, he jumped back into the car and moved down the road a little farther. He had been only' about forty rods away ' and the only thing that I could see that he had been shooting at was our white cat which had been 'coming along the laneway. That wasn't enough! The other of the two men then got out of :the car and started to shoot across our neigh- bor's field where his cattle were grazing. How can some people be so "brain- less?" Didn't they realize they were breaking the law as well as endangering the lives of people and livestock? How would they like it if the situation were reversed? Hunting is a sport and not a game to be played on a week -end. this in mind- when you scream at your horrendous education taxes. It's not that I don't enjoy getting back on the job in Sep- tember. If I did, I wouldn't .be right in the head. It's a pleas- ant change after two months of my wife and daughter driving me crazy, singly or in tandem. • Instead of two women yat- tering and wheedling and scolding and nagging and ca- joling and conning me, all I have to face is about 165 kids doing the same. But there's safety in numbers. • And I have some authority at school. If a kid bugs me too much, I can threaten him with all sorts of dreadful punish- ments, like being sent to .the principal's office, which terri- fies him about as much as being attacked by a bunny rab- bit. Or I can resort to the final edict, "Look, if you're 16 and you don't like • it here, out,' vamos, raus, get lost. There's the • door, You're free." This is fairly effective, , especially in winter, because they don't want to go to work. Another delightful aspect of getting to work is meeting all my old friends on the staff. There's ,the cut -and -thrust wit of the staff room at • 'lune: hour, much like . the atmos phere of the French salons of the 18th century, "Who's got. the crossword puzzle? Gawd, my feet are killin' me, Jeez,, :l` wish it was Friday." And there's the genuineT thrill of staff meetings, where the real, gritty business of eau';. cation is discussed with . a -dig*, pity and decorum that would shame the Senate. • Sometimes,; in only 40 minutes, we decide whether gum -.Chewing • is al- lowed daily, or only during ex- ams, to relieve tension, And often, with remarkable' Adis- patch, say half an ''hour; we decide, within four inches, how- long a boy's hair or how ,short a girl's dress must be. 'However, I do like' kids, ani it 18 rewarding to watch "them grope; then cope. And a few, weeks ago a couple . of former;: students, now at.. university, who were' real hellers when )1 taught them; asked me out for a game of golf. And then it. little girl called" -me up, anis . asked if 'she, could be .in m English *class. And Jerry - re, boy=of w hem :1 rather despaired, . but a ..good lad, asked Kim .what I wanted for a gift .last June, when .he; graduated, magna sans laude Shereplied,rather intelli- gently, I thought, "Give him' something he likes, and some- thing useful." All on -his own, he hustled downtown 'and bought . me .a -bottle -of good Burgundy and three golf balls. When a chap shows judgment like that, you can't help feeling . you've :succeeded, somehow. TODAY'S CHILD BY HELEN ALLEN Kim looks ready to burst into tears, perhaps because she didn't know the strange man trying to coax her to smile for her picture. This little Ojibway girl is 16 months old, with bright, intelligent dark eyes. fine dark hair and medium complexion. A plump, sturdy child, she is in excellent health, her only illness having been an early attack of broncho -pneumonia. Kim, who has spent her short life in a warm, secure atmosphere filled with love and stimulation. is an alert, responsive, contented child, with a sweet disposi- tion. She enjoys other children and does not take long to make friends with adults. This little girl needs a mother and father who will welcome and lOve a dear little Indian daughter. To inquire about adopting Kim please write to Today's Child, Department of Social and Family Services, Parliament Buildings, Toronto 182. For other information about adopting ask your local Children's Aid Society.