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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1972-02-17, Page 9Too Many Hazards The injuries suffered by a Wingham girl last week serve as a reminder that it is time for a new code of- safety standards where commercial vehicles are concerned. The young lady was hurt when a piece of ice fell ♦ from a truck and crashed through the wind-. shield of the car in- which she was a passenger. Admittedly, at this time of year there is some excuse fpr the operator of the truck failing to notice the hazard his vehicle was carrying, but there are too Many incidents of this kind to ,,overlook the fact that some truckers are heedless of public safety. The most ,common hazard is created by ..over- loaded gravel trucks, particularly when they are carrying crushed stone. Frequently passenger vehicle drivers find it unsafe 'to drive up to within a hundred feet of such trucks because of ,the hail of small stones blowing from the top of the load. Another' very dangerous condition is created by almost all big trucks on the high- ways when the pavements -are -wet. Although Most trucks are equipped with heavy rubber flaps behind the rear wheels, these big ve- hicles kick up so much spray at both sides that car drivers find passing a very hazardous manoeuvre because a clear view of the road ahead is impossible. The accident at Mount Forest two weeks ago, in which one youth was killed and 12 or 13 others were injured points up the need for a simple safety precaution which should be compulsory. All commercial vehicles (in-, deed all private cars as well) should be corn pelled to carry flares which could be set out well ahead of and to the rear of vehicles which become stalled- in heavy weather con- ditions. The need for such precautions is parti- cularly evident when trucks are loaded with flammabteor explosive cargoes. One of the trucks involved in the Mount Forest fatality • was loaded with diesel fuel. Had the 'cargo been gasoline the outcome might have been ghastly in its consequences. Garage operators tell us that the flares available at the present time burn out within a' few minutes in cold weather. However, with, the scientific knowledge which is now applied to so many other problems it should not be impossible or particularly expensive #p develop a warning flare which would pro- vide adequate protection. The countless deaths and injuries and unlimited property damage which piles up every winter could be largely avoided if these simple precautions were mandatory on penalty of heavy fines. Change in Weather Map The winter of 1971-72 will go down in the record books as one of the queerest in many years. Until the end of December this part of the continent was blessed by higher than normal temperatures. Conversely, the southwestern United Sates suffered under unheard-of snoWfalls and frost. In Florida the weather has been so unseasonably hot .'y that even the robins migrating from Canada O and the northern U.S. were two months.later than usual in arriving fpr their winter holi- ' , day. , '` ; f 0 As everyone knows, the entire pattern suddenly changed in January, bringing — blizzards to our part of the world on a scale which was reminiscent of the infamous win- ter of '47. ' ' Now the scientists explain that the whole mad mix-up was created by a diversion of what is known as the jet stream. It seems that there is a tremendous "river" of air . 'travelling across the North American con- tinentat all times. This current travels at speeds up to 300 miles an hour but is nor- mally so high in the. stratosphere that weather changes are somewhat diluted by the time they i -each the earth's surface. The jet stream , usually crosses the` Pacific coast above the State of Washington, swings north over the Canadian prairies, bends south over ,the Dakotas and passes over the Great Lakes, northern New York and heads for the 'Atlantic in the latitude of Boston. This winter, h Wever, the 'stream swung away to the south, coming in from the Pacific over California and then swinging north-east across the,continent. This diver- sion, say the weathermen, has created the unseasonable extremes. k We've becomepretty crafty in a good many of the fields which affect human• life, but we' certainly haven't done very much about controlling the .weathlsr. We Think Alike A couple of weeks -ago this column corn - men ted on the unbelievable oversight on the part of a public utilities commission in sub urban Toronto which permitted a 67 -year-old woman to perish when her hydro service was cut off for nonpayment of .,her bill. Apparently York Mayor Philip White sees the matter 'in exactly the same light. A recent article in the Toronto Star states that ,Mr: White has suggested the borough hydro commission should take customers who won't pay their brills to court rather than cut off service. • . The Star says,'"A coroner's jury investi- gating the death of Marion Thomas, of Ken- wood Ave., recommended Wednesday that. York Hydro should not cut off service. for Just Leave The grapevine in Queen's Park carries a rumor that the Department of Education • and -or the Department of University. Affairs would like to take over Ontario's agricul- tural r icul-tural schools and colleges. If that is actually the case, it is time to take a hard second look at the government we elected with so much confidence only a few months ago. Of course, • Mr. Davis. is totally re -styling -his entire cabinet set-up, ' so change is in the wind .at present. The Ontario Department of Agriculture and Food has operated the -agricultural edu- • cation program for many, many years, and during those years students have come from almost every country in the,woild to study at the OAC in Guelph, for the simple reason , that it was among the top schools for agricul- tural studies to be found anywhere., Courses in practical agriculture have also been taught at such places as Ridge - town, Centralia and several- others, with equally good results. So far the provincial department of ecl'u- cation°ecannot claim the same high level of achievement as the DAF. The introduction of county boards, which was intended to pro- vide a vastly improved system of element- ary and secondary education, has a spotty record to say the least. Even in ,our own county, where we have one of the better ex- afrtples of the county board program, there is far from universal conviction that any great improvement. has been achieved. In some of the other 15 county educational jurisdictions the record is dismal. As one small example, last week the To nop-,payment of bills. Mrs. Thomas. was, found dead in. her house after the power was cut off, Alderman Ben Nobleman says he in - fends to launch ,a campaign to "plug all the loopholes" to make sure that power is never cut off to homes in the borough during the winter months for any reason. The civil servant's attitude to the same question is reported in The, Star as well. The -newspaper reports that William Second, York .Hydro's general manager, said that he thought any changes brought about by the jury's recommendations would "not alter present policies very much". Great country we live in; is it not? Them Alone ronto Board of Education decided to save $20,000 annually by discontinuing the use of a chauffeur -driven limousine for its chairman and director. The agricultural schools do not fall into the same category as secondary school; or universities. Their laboratory and research facilities are closely integrated with the ag- ricultural representatives' offices and are geared to assist in meeting the problems of the man on the land who needs guidance and assistance. It would be difficult to imagine this close iiaison continuing under a depart- ment which does not have the interests of farm people as its sole' responsibility. Truth of the matter is that government departments are empires unto themselves. Their ministers and senior administrators are prone to build up their own network by fair means or otherwise in the conviction that the stature of the' monarch increases with the growth of his kingdom. Robert Stanfield,- leader of the Liberal Opposition in 'the House of Commons, has called for the removal of federal taxes on building materials, particularly those which are required for the construction of homes. His reasons sound valid at this juncture in •our enonomic history. Mr. Stanfield believes that 'removal of the taxes would have two very direct bene- fits. Firstly, the cost of badly -needed housing units would decrease and secondly, more housing starts would help in no small way to alleviate the desperate unemployment situa- tion which prevails at present. THE WINGHAM ADVANCE -TIMES Published at Wingham, • Ontario, hy. Wenger ' Bros. Limited. Barry Wenger, President Robert- O. Wenger, Secretary -Treasurer Member Audit Bureau of Circulations Member Canadian and Ontario Weekly Newspaper Associations. Subscription Rate: Subscription $10.00 a year, $5.50 for six months, in United States $12.50 in advance Second Class Mail Registration No .0821 Return Postage Guaranteed KIM B113rV'GSENDED HOME I'm rather interested in the be, what she'd wear, where the subject of marriage these days,, reception Would be, and all that for various reasons. Not for my, jazz. self. Oh, no. Once bitten. . . "What wedding?", I roared But I was asked to write a cere• into the maelstrom. At least it mohy for a mock wedding to take stopped them long enough so that place at a bridal shower recently;. 'they could re -group forces and I used- some stock gags. "Mar attack me. I discovered that I riage is a solemn institution, and was an o!d fud, a fuss -pot, an ob- is only to be entered into if youstacte in the course of truelove, a wish to spend the rest,.of your life cynic, a materialist, and a few in an institution." And '"Do you -other things such as a miser, a take this woman to be your awful hypocrite ("You, and Mom didn't wedded wife?". And the conelu* have a nickel when you got mar- sion, Irom a bishop" who has hit ,reed ), and .a misanthrope. 1 services confused, "And may cheerfully agreed to aU charges, God have mercy upon your which took the steam out of their souls." Stuff like that. attack. Thought that was the end of it. Sent the kids off with a flea in Then my daughter arrived home their ear, and half our Sunday for a weekend, with her current roast. The flea will buzz unheed- fiance. It seems the young man ed, and the roast will be scoffed had asked her to marry him. with gusto. That's life. The weekend was pretty ob- Would it were as simple for viously a confrontation thing' everybody as it is for the chap where the parents and the boy who ran the following advertise - friend are exposed to one an- ment in the "per 'mal" column of other, with the potential bride sit- the city paper rtLently: ting by, darting wildly nervous PROFESSOR glances at both parties. Let's lis- of surgery and head of surgical ten in for a . moment as panicky research of a North American thoughts scoot through her mind. university, 'widower, age 60, fi- (Oh, why did Don have to say nancially very comfortable, bril- that? Mom'll think he's stubborn liant, good looking, in excellent and stupid just because he didn't health, active in sports, with agree with her. Oh, no, he made broad interest in the humanities, another grammar error! Sure arts and music, wishes to meet an enough, Dad pounced on that. Oh, elegant lady of Jewish faith, age please Mom, don't go into that . 40 to 50, good looking, intelligent, three-hour story about how you and independently wealthy., Ob - and Dad lived on $60 a month ject—matrimony. when you were married. Oh, The rest of the ad dealt with the lordy, why is Dad asking him all Mechanics. The ladies were to those questions about how much send photograph and all details. a sculptor makes, how many If they shaped up, a meeting sculptures he's sold, and how he's ' would be arranged selectively by going to pay back his student- telephone. If they didn't, they loans, as well as mine because by ' would get their junk' back. George he isn't going to support Well, I can't help but admire us? Oh, dear, I wish I'd never the man for laying it on the line,, mentioned it.) even though he is obviously. an Actually, it wasn't like that at ' arrogant boor. He'll get so- many all. In fact, I took the whole thing . letters he'll never have 'time to very lightly, as„ who wouldn't get married. . - whose daughter has been en-. Nor could'.I help composing -in gaged three times within a year. my mind a similar advert extoll '1 he only thing that floored me . ing my own virtues for Leap Year was that Kim said -this fellow ladies. It ran to . only twelve wanted to ask my permission to words.-- As a party game, try marry her. This seemed so old- making 'up your own marriage worldly in this day and age that I' . advertisement. You might be sur - immediately became suspicious, 411svised at how much you have to as. Offer to that vale 'of tears and (Uh-huh. Wants) my permis- laughter. Marriage is a solemn sion, eh? Let's see. Permission institution. If you are a solemn ,means approval: Approval, prig. means it's going to cost me a lot of money, one way or another. During a period of high tanem- And so on.) ' ' ployment, the disabled are hard, However, as I said, I took it all° est hit. The purchase of key tags, rather off -handedly until I went `" made by War Amputations of Canada,, helps disabled veterans to find the independence needed by all adults for mental as l as financial well-being. downstairs Sunday -morning, and found my wife and daughter arguing about the wedding: how many guests, 'who they were to TODAY'S CHILD BY HELEN ALLEN HEALTHY AND HANDSOME You cern tell l i('k\' is lull of hie:h spirits Just look at that 'rtaile' Ile•i� a health\ . good-looking .ing tellow �elmo•t •ix \ear'- clivi with (lancing brown .e' e• 111,1( 'h '-Irghtl\ wav hair and medium complexion inherited troni hi, Indian ancestors Il►e•kv is an active hot soorrre'nH ' boisterous a• i1 expect .e tree-\ear'•old to he But he cola\• quiet time, when he like- to hatch TV. e'xpeciall\ `'r-arne `'icf t or F'riendl\ (;cant lie r- happ\ at kindergarten where he get, ,'r• ‘v.4'11 with t ht' .f)t he I' children Rut he doi(�` relish the undivided ,attention of adults and one of hr• favorite times is when he hell- his foster mother clear the table and do the dishes. hecau..e he ha, her all to himself Ilrck� is a good singer and pu k-• up tunes Basil\ Ile is generally cheerful ,mei amenable but is occa•ronall\ unto operative. expecially among strangers He needs a family where the children are older or much younger than himself and where the parents will he able to gree him attention. understanding and love To inquire about adoptirw Ricky. please'' write to Today's ('hilts Box 888. Station IX i'otonto For genet al adoption information ask ‘'ourfhildren lid Socret:‘ READY TO GO out in the snow at recess time at Sacred Heart Separate•School, Mary Beth Foxton, John Morrison, Michael Foxton, Judy Anger, Dave Montgomery and Theresa Des,jardin (back to camera), stop tojook at large cut-out of a snowman. —Staff Photo. bain Abbanceff x� �q Wingham, Ontario, Thursday, February 17, 1972 SECOND SECTION By Anne Loney A dog called Cobalt (Mrs. Loney, who lives on a farm in Claremont, Ontario is the widow of Edward -Loney, a min- ing news correspondent from Timmins -for the evening Tele- gram in' the 1930's and later a mining news and financial editor in Toronto.) His name was Cobalt and he was named after the town. If a book is ever written about Canadian dogs, his name should appear high on thelist of interest- ing canine characters, for he was. the dog' that owned a district. Cobalt was a bulldog ' with the ugliest, bulidogy face ever seen. on a member of his breed. He was literally owned by ' Arthur G, Slaght, a Haileybury lawyer. But, such was the friendly nature of this unorthodox -creature that he actually belonged to everybody. He was known on lake boats and trains from Porcupine to Toronto, travelling • as his fancy took him. His favorite resting place was the rotunda of the old Vendome Hotel in Haileybury. If Cobalt considered any place his home this was it. Another favorite spot was in.the middle of the sidewalk in front of the Cobalt Stock Exchange. Many times, when I lived in Cobalt, .I had to detour around him for 'he would` not move,an inch for anybody if he didn't choose to. - . If .Cobalt felt like taking a trip to Toronto he simply got on the train and went. There was not a restaurait on the Temiskaming" and Northern- Ontario Railway Line that he was not Welcomed. - He travelled the same•way.,north to Porcupine, and on the lake - boats down Lake Temiskaming to Ville Marie on the Quebec side and other places. At other times he followed prospectors and he might turn tip at any of the wilderness camps to enjoy a few weeks of camp hos- pitality before returning home. The hotels always registered him as "Cobalt Slaght, base- ment".. No magistrate . would have dared treat him as a vagrant. Cobalt stood for good luck. Train conductors and boat captains alike, would have considered it an ill omen not to welcome him when he chose to take a. trip. Many a foreman of a lonely min- ing camp Was glad to see the familiar face outside his , cabin door and extend a welcome.... Cobalt didn't care particularly for other dogs, but he sometimes. churned with an' Irish Terrier owned by Jack Munro, ex -prize fighter and the first Canadian to land in France with the Princess Patricia Regiment during World War 1. An hour after this pair arrived at a given spot there would not be another dog in sight, They fought together, taking on all comers. But tragedy came. One day as Cobalt was taking a constitutional' down Lang Street, Cobalt, he spied another bulldog, hated enemy—spryer, younger -and a' usurper in the eyes of the older dog. They had fought many times before and this time was no exception. They circled and wrangled in the dust, and, al - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 121 Wellington St. Stratford, Ont. Dear Editor: On January 31, 1972, the Huron - Perth Tuberculosis and _Respir- atory Disease Association closed the books of the 1971 Christmas Seal Campaign. Thirty-four thousand, four hundred and twenty-six dollars . and forty,- seven cents was the amount re- corded as'received which also in- cluded Memorial Gifts and Be- quests. • - Our Association is very grate- ful for the support of the 'Com- munity in all areas;. response to Christmas Seal letter. press, radio and the many volunteers involved in both program and campaign. The primary aim of the Christ- mas Seal Organization: is to pre- vent disease and its second Objec- tive is the early detection of dis- ease with the introduction of the patient into an adequate health care program. In recent years it has been shown that chronic bronchitis and emphysema are the second most common cause • of disability with respect to socio- economic loss. We are carrying ail' screening programmes in many localities throughout the two -country area and urge your readers to take advantage of the • servioe when we are in your lo- cality. Screening programmes have both educational and prac- tical value for the community as well as for the person involved. Community screening for chronic respiratory disease has shown an incidence of t; to 10 percent of the population 18 years of age or ol'd-a erif the screening is carried out with men over the age of 40 who have smoked 20 cigarettes a day or more: for 20 years or longer then the incidence jumps to about 25 percent, We are remiss if we do. not mention the splendid. service giv- en our campaign by all the post- masters and staff. Their co-oper- ation is essential to the success of our campaign and this wasforth- coming with cheerfulness and hu- mour. Sincerely, Mrs. Beryl Davidson • Program Co -Ordinator Huron-Perth'TBRD Assoc. though Cobalt was a much older. dog, he managed to get a grip on' his antagonist's throat. In the excitement of the struggle, how- ever, the two dogs approached the edge of a steep rock cut. Co- balt went over first. He received injuries- from which he never re- covered. - After the accident, so great was the interest in the dog that daily bulletins as to his condition. were posted on the board of the Cobalt Stock Exchange. Cobalt was the idol of the, north. Even today his name often comes up when Northerners- gather to reminisce. Possibly, they see something of themselves in the old dog. Cobalt had love, a fine home .and all the things that made life ideal.tor his requirements. ;But it was not enough for the indepen- dent, restless spirit which was al- ways seeking adventure and find- ing life good in ..the tar away places. , What Is a Square? Contributed by Rev. H. Jennings Everybody knows a few squares. I know one. He's that strorig polite, God-fearing young fellow 'who freely admits' that he prays, weeps for joy, plays with little kids, kisses his mother, goes to his dad for 'advice, and thinks old folks are great. He wears "clothes that fit him, pips savings in the bank, has his hair neatly groomed, likes school, can't imi- tate all the television comics, avoids dirty discussions about sex,—he evens blushes. He goes to church, drinks milk, drives within the speed limit, is in bed by twelve, doesn't smoke, and ex- pects purity in girls. As a result Of his unusual beha- viour, he suffers the loss of gang companship, but he gains the gratitude, and admiration of his parents,, family, and teachers, has an unjaded imagination, and enjoys spiritual perception. -T, To ' some he may seem a strange fellow, but I like him.— Anon. Printed in Our Daily Bread "The driver who is a tiger on the road sure is a tame kitten at the scene of an accident. Metro Toronto Police, quoted by On- tario Safety League. - "HOW C.)ME DAD, >vvr.E Me EMS 47 life OFFICE AND itM THE So S X47 /VME .