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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1973-03-15, Page 4•.,:, �•+� .fit;, -,ti . �. s, r n.{,.'e � k, ♦. w til, lii•'f n ++" i�opin, hursday Unfair competition. Hospital officials in the Chatham area recently protested the fact that they were unable to keep good staff personnel when the nearby Ontario government -operated hospi- tals have a considerably high rate of pay: as much as 30 per cent higher. They have a valid point. If community hospitals were in a ,posi- tion to go onto the labor market and bargain for their staff members lt'would be a differ- ent story. But the going gets rough when the same government which pays the higher wages in° i:ts„ own institutions also dictates that hospital expenses'in the community in- stitution are limited to a pre-set increase— this year a meagre five per cent. Just what the differential is at the pres- ent time we do not know, but experience in previous years has certainly been that the local hospital cannot compete with the gov- ernment institution. Nor is this unfair competition Itmited to the medical field. Lots of businessmen have lost secretaries and clerks to government offices because they could not meet the dollars offered and the fringe benefits available. Government officials are just dandy at dictating what minimum wages must be and in scoffing at the independent businessman who finds that sharplyitn.creased salaries are driving him to the wail. Naturally, so. The government official doesn't have to operate his organization at a profit. He happily pays the big wages out of the taxpayers' pockets. The business community generally is getting very weary of being told how to run their own affairs and at the same time meet- ing the .gobbling demands of money hungry governments. Living space needed For the entire 22 years we have lived in this Community -scarcely a week has passed without some audible demand for more in- dustry—more job opportunities in Wingham. Progress has been the watchword. We have tried to assist with a dozen and one plans to attract manufacturers to the town, to brighten its business section, to beautify its parklands. Behind every plan was theurgent demand that somehow or a#Wer we must get another industry. One of thy facts which emerged and persisted was the lack of housing In the community --a cer- tain drawback in a small community. °• t!' - Several, of the people involved in muni- cipal planning have"made the statement that half the .work force employed in Wingham lives outside the community and thus does - not contribute directly, to local development. A few weeks ago a developer made a proposal to the town 'council, offering to in- vest to the sum of $320,000 in apartment and 'town housing. The proposal was followed by a meeting'of property owners in the area ad- jacent to the one proposed for the building site. The planning board then met and even- tually recommendectto council that the pro- posal be vetoed, at least in the suggested location. All well and good. There are some prac- tical drawback's to the site, those which are ,rrelated to sewage, etc, The 'members; of the planning board have a right to their con- Rsidf red;opinibn in the matter, nor do we deny town council's obligation to be uided in µ•� a pct sTati 414' .2 YigY •vA:. •{y c�a s' 1�.p �a fib` iIfir Xi i rf '� ti •• e- atest- itY uni The original concept of trade unionism , vas'ttot'onlypractical, iiuwas nee""essary. The first unions Wer, organized in an era \when ;the industrial revolution had made million- aires out of , businessmen and slaves out of .their workers. We have, however, travelled a long road since those far-off days. Now there is•a union for every dissident in the land—and with every increase in ° benefits there is a corresponding up -dating Of -deinar daz The latest organization,to emerge is not j a group of working people seeking redress. The Workers' Defence -Alliance is a union of the unemployed. Organized in Ottawa, it seeks membership in Toronto and Montreal and has aspirations toward a national repre- sentation right across the land. • It all started when the Unemployment Insurance Commission reluctantly and be- latedly set out to rid the taxpayers of some small portion of the fraudulent benefactors. Immediately there were cries of injustice and harassment... as might have been- ex- pected. No intelligent Canadian chooses to pee any of his countrymen in pressing wnt where jobs are actually rion-existent. And of some degree, by, the advice of a properly constituted planning board, set up for that specific function. The one fact that emerges from the question is that if this town is ever to grow and progress we must find adequate sites for new housing—not merely for these select homes which only a small minority can afford—but housing for the average young family with limited means at their disposal. If the site east of Summit Drive is not suit- able, it's time we found other areas in which multi -family dwellings can be built. Nor is the apartment -townhouse plan the only housing development in need of land. The Ontario government has already ap- proved the construction of more senior citi- zens' apartments and geared -to -income housing in Wingham, so two or three more suitable sites must be found in the near future. While Wingham dozes in its warm com- placency, neighboring towns are getting things done. In Listowel, for example, some- what over 200 apartment units were opened in ,one year. The new units did not create a housing surplus. Families moving into the town took up all the slack and increased the population (and the tax revenue' base) by about six per cent in a twelve month period. Let's face facts. If we cannot find room for new housing there is no way we can ex- pect to attract industry. We might just as 'well forget• alt about expensive brochures and development boards until we have leaf 2449 solve our own internal problems. I(' •ri %:t: ,1 ,,?t ; 7nb4il 1 • ,r•r! course; it is quite true that in some areas these rapidly changing times have created job shortages. It is equally true, however, that employers hi many businesses and in- dustries right across the land are begging for •enough help to carry on. -• These tvo''facts simply do not add up to a valid reason for 600,000 Canadians drawing unemployment insurance—and countless others drawing salaries through government grants to make-work projects of doubtful merit. Another legion of leeches attends gov- ernment-sponsored training courses in super -expensive schools and in manycases emerge with training backgrounds that barely rate apprentice status in the world of business. It seems that none of the major political parties will risk votes with another federal election pending, by lowering the boom on the incompetent and lazy among us. The politicians could be wrong. The party that comes out flat-footed for the cause of the overburdened, hard-working taxpayer who foots the staggering bill may get the biggest vote of confidence in Canadian history. Who takes inventory? The subject of Canadian 'energy reserves is a pretty hot one right now. The United States would dearly love to have open access to Canadian oil and gas to make up their own shortages, and a good many Canadians be- lieve that we have ev'ery right to husband those natural resources for our own use. Basic to the whole argument, of course, is the actual amount of such resources we have at our disposal. Perhaps only the major oil companies have any realistic figures and you can depend on the fact that they are not telling each other, much less the government and the general public. For years we have heard tales of the tre- mendous reserves locked in the Athabaska tar sands of the McKenzie Basin. Are they included in the inventory of oil reserves? What about the high Arctic? What share of these new field belongs to Canada and will it ever be wholly practical to rely on those areas as a source of fuel? In addition to these much -publicized oil fields there are hundreds of others which no one ever hears about. A few years ago this newspaper attempted to get some concrete information when drilling rigs were operat- ing in East Wawanosh Township and we met the traditional stone wall of silence. Thousands of farmers all across Canada have signed mineral rights agreements with oil companies and potential wells have been capped to await future needs. How much oil and gas has been dis- covered in these out-of-the-way places and does our government have any means of de- manding and receiving an honest tally of the reserves we have at our disposal for the next hundred years? Since the head offices and boardrooms of all the major oil companies operating in Canada are located south of the border, it's a safe bet that a small group of American executives know more about Canadian oil and gas reserves than we do in our own country. THE WINGHAM ADVANCE -TIMES Published at Wingham, Ontario, by Wenger Bros. Limited. Subscription $10.00 a Year Seeded Class Mail Barry Wenger, President Robert O. Wenger, Sec.-Treas. Member Audit Bureau of Circulations. Member Canadian and Ontario Weekly Newspaper Associations $5.225 for Six Months, in United States $12.50 in ,advance Registration No. 0821 Return Postage Guaranteed Items from MARCH 1926 The radio fans of Wing► organized a Radio Club on Thurs- day h-day night. Officers are Dr; A. -J. Irwin (president) ; T. T. Field (vice president) ; Dr. george Howson, secretary and W. A. Galbraith, treasurer. We under- stand there are some 76 radio :sets installed in Wingham at the .pres- eat time. At a meeting of Maitland, l,- bytery of the' Presbyterian Church of Canada, a call was elc- tended from Brussels to Rev. F. G. Fowler of Waterford, Fentbs r1- dvania, Miffs Marjory Gibson was, suc- cessful in passing her Inter- mediate piano examination at the. recent mid -winter examinations of the Toronto Conservator of Music. Miss Beatrice Gordon 'of Teeswater was also successful in her written harmony. George Gannett moved to'Bltte- vale 'this week. John Raby has taken possession of the farm, Mrs. James Bone had a very successful sale of farm stocks im- plements; etc. last Monday. Mrs. Bone is going to live in Belgtave where she has leased a. hoose. Varsity Stadium, Torotito, Was the scene of an interesting event when former students of the Wingham High School met toheld a reunion. Those present Were Ted Musgrove, Doris Fells, Nina Haugh, Bessie Mallough, Helen Wilson, Muriel Redmond,' John Bosman, Harold Mills, Bert Hetherington, Alvin Woods, Leslie' Hetherington and • Bob Andrews. `'t., Seventeen neighbors and` friends of Elisha Walker, East Wawanosh, had a bee on Tuesday drawing timber from Wifgbam for his new barn. MARCH. 1938 J. ° H. Crawford was elected president of the Wingham Base- ball Club. Vice presidents are John Reavie, Ed Nash and W. T. Cruikshank. An opportunity is being given the parents of Winghar<n„ and a u rounding townships to have their children given free toxoid treat- ment for diphtheria prey tion. Go ' don Mtu�cai t si 4 Win am boy, b h bee monton branch manager of the Canadian Farm Loan Board, has been named as Director of the Soldier Settlement Board in Ottawa. At. Rev. C. A. Seager, Bishop of Huron, will induct Rev. E. O. Gallaher as Rector of St. Paul's Anglican Church here next Wednesday evening. March came in.like a lamb,but at once proceeded to demonstrate that it stillh a&some real winter weather d 'Wednesday night the temperature dropped to 6,, below and Thursday to 12' below. Miss Betty MacKenzie of Lang - side, a student nurse at Bruce County Hospital at Walkerton, left for New York where she will' receive part of hertraining at Fordham Hospital in the BronX, with which the Walkerton train- ing school is affiliated. She will t' spend six months there before re- turning to Walkerton to complete her three-year term. Nancy Jean Cameron of Brussels WAS cl n qu eo•of the Wingham ice carnival,. Rex Ostrander of Lucknow 'was named Icing. 'Other winners in. eluded Ann. VanWyek, Elizabeth. Hare, Tommy :Lockrtdge, Mar- garet Mason and Mrs. T. J. Mac- Lean. Bili fro and Mary Lepard were named the best skaters. Youngest skates were Sue Marie Burke and Melvin Keith. Miss Irene Willis of Jamestown has taken a position in Listowel. MARCH 1948 A Chamber of Commerce was organized at a well -attended. meeting held in Wingham this week. Fifteen directors were elected to head the organization, Word. has "been received from the Central Experimental Farm at Ottawa,that Huron County will be allotted two bushels of the seed of the new spying wheat, Cas- cade. This variety is quite resis- tant to stem -rust and has proven an excellent yielder. After a prolonger period of mild weather, sub -zero tempera- ture returned to the district last week. It was 32 below on Thurs- day evening and 25 below on Fri- day. George Tervit was elected president of the Wingham Horse Show at its annual meeting. Other officers are Dr. K. M. McLennan, W. W. Gurney,. G. W. Tiffin. The national convention to select a new Liberal leader will • be held in Ottawa August 5, 6 and 7, it was announced by Prime Minister MacKenzie King. The 73 -year-old Prime Minister was chosen as leader 29 years ago. Highlights of the Speech- from the Throne in the Ontario Legis- lature included: air immigration program to continue; construc- tion of low-cost housing to con- tinue; school grants to be higher; development of a new type of bush aircraft to go into fire pro- tection service; a larger highway building dram,, Two members `of *tud, IOW Lodge 119, who. have been members for over 25 years,, W. 'Hardy and Walter VanWyek, were , presented with veterafaa' jewels atthis week's Meeting, MARCH 1950 At the regular meeting of the public school board•on Monday, the board decided to purchase 40 new desks for use in one of the Grade II rooms. Wilfred Ellacott, a former Wingham boy who learined •the jewellery. business with W. H. Hamilton, has been, named a director of the firm of, Proctor's Fine Diamonds .Ltd, in Toronto. He has been with the firm :for the past 30 years, for several years as store manager. - W. Marks of the 5th Concession of Morrissiaffered serious loss by fire•when his barn°was destroyed. Also lost were cattle, nearly 100 pigs, hay, straw and grain. • • Thirty-four students of Wing - ham District High School com- peted against other schools in Huron County at the Seed Fair held in Clinton. They were judged third, behind Seaforth and Clin- ton. The • three top competitors were Glenn Coultes, Ken Coultes and Georgina Kieffer. Six boys were invested as full members of the First Wingham Scout Troop when the troop .held its regular meeting. Wilfred Caskinette, Tommy. Deyell, Bill Yeman, Bobby Crowson,. Darryl Gibson and David Wenger were invested by Scoutmaster Alton Adams and Troop . leader Bob Maclntyre. Mrs. W. T. McLean was elected president of the Wroxeter Women's Institute. Other officers include Mrs. G. Howes; Mrs. G. Greig and Mrs. Thomas Burke. Carl Smitzy who has been em- ployed in Wallaceburg, returned to Wingham last week and • has accepted a position at Arnold p- low's garage at Bluevale. What's new at 'Ile. looks thoughtful. He .took$ impish. Ile looks adorable. And Jeff's personality lives up t0 his picture and 0 those .adjectives because he pis n lovely bob/. Jet( is 22 months old.- a sturdy young fellow with biue eyes,. blonde hair and fair skin. His general health Isieeti, blithe has a r condition called Osteogenesis Imperfecta, which means brittle ,bones,'So be is quite likely to have an arm or a leg in a cast and: Vsleto ontinue that. ,w r unless sonde new r tiical treatment is discoverd, , You would think the condition would . almost immobilize hien, but nothing of;, the sort•; lle isvery active, be loves to play on the floor with other children, and wearing a cast does not bother him at all. - , Because -of many broken bones Jeff is hysically behind the average child his age-- for instance he is just now standing with support — but mentally .he is considered' average or perhaps above. e Jeff is happy, jolly, good-natured, Very observant and alert. Ile has a delightful infectious laugh. He loves television, obi viously enjoying the movement; and . color. He can occupy himself with picture books for.long periods, turning the pages himself. This'lovable youngster needs a family who have easy access. to a hospital because he will Continue to have broken bones. His parents will need to be able to treat. him so far as possible as a normal child, helping him to accept the fact there will be things he can't do, while helping him develop the things he can. To inquire about adopting Jeff, please write to Today's Child, Box 8$13, Station . Toronto 1441P 2112. For general adoption inforniatlon, please c ntact. your local Children's Aid Society. Volunteers from the Goderich Township Women's Institute were on hand on Monday after- noon to assist with activities. A new resident was welcomed to the Home and . the audience sang "Happy Birthday" to those cele- brating during the week. Music for the occasion was supplied by Mrs. Bill Cox, Mrs. Maitland briver, Norman Spier and Jerry Collins. Volunteers Mrs. Banter, Mrs. Vanderwaal, Isabel Harris, Dora Heard, Bernice MacIlwain and Hazel McReath, helped with various parts of the program. Lntertainment for, "Family Night" was provided this week by a musical group . from Clinton. The barbershop quartet sang several old melodies as well as sacred numbers.. Members of the quartet, with Mrs. Bill Hearn as director and accompanist, are Ralph Holland, William Craig, Don Andrews and Harry Mit- chell: The instrumental part of the program consisted of Wilfrid Jarvis playing bones and Bill Craig the harmonica. Mrs, Paisley thanked the en- tertainers, on behalf of the resi- dents, for the fine program. LANC,�SIDE WINNERS WHITECHURCH — On Friday evening *Langside Euchre Club held its party in the Langside Community Hall with three tables in play. Leaders were Wil- liam Young • and Mrs. Donger- man. Prizes were given to: low lady, Mrs. George Young; high lady, Mrs. Cayley; high gent, Jamie Young; low gent, Phillip Steer. Lunch yeas served by the spon- sors. The next meeting will be in two weeks when James Moffat and Elmer Scott will be the sponsors. "HOW DME N./ kNQW THF..k*E' Ate' SO MA/Vy fi/UNGZY ,r�f1�S /AI rqS/A,�NAMa" ONS': �� �� ACTIVE•AND PLAYFUL • ° Mardi Gras time in New Orlecins A letter from R. E. McKinney describes their visit to the pre - Lenten festivities in New Or- leans. (laving heard of the Mardi Gras in New Orleans for many years, we decided to fly to that city with -friends • of ours; the Scotts, so we could see this very old and unusual place. We planned to be there well ahead of the crowds but when we arrived the jamboree and parades were well in progress and would last longer than usual It seemed that all the pick- pockets and crooks were on hand. All visitors were warned to be cautious and we needed no second notice for Muriel's sister had been victimized in West Palm Beach, Florida, while visit- ing at Christmas time. While she was at a shopping mall her purse was opened, all the valuables re- moved and the bag reclosed. The contents of the purse were later found in a trash can. These thieves usually, work in pairs: One of them- bumps into the victim and in the confusion the second one does the stealing. The crowds in New Orleans in- cluded some of the worst types I have ever seen—hippies of every size, shape and description and• dirty as animals—living, sleeping and existing, performing (music included) in and around the parks and on the streets. If it rains they go under the expressways. Along the streets ypu see young people definitely under the influence >;of drugs, wobbling, smiling, sing- ing. Just as many whites as blacks and' the police always work in groups in the downtown area. the only thing I have ever seen to compare with it was in New Delhi, India. However, the parades -were magnificent and the floats most beautiful. At times there would be as many as three parades in progress at the same time in dif- ferent parts of the city. We stayed in what is called the French Quarter. I *asn't too fussy about if but the hotel ac- commodation was fine. The streets are very narrow and most of the buildings very old. Re- • minded me of the old part of •Quebec City. The city is two or three feet below sea level, with great earthen dykes to protect it• from the waters of the gulf and the mtssissippi River. It is a very busy port and has the world's longest double traffic bridge— eight miles of the 24 -mile bridge are out of sight of land. It con- nects the city expressway system with the higher land to the north. The cemeteries are mostly ovens or vaults above ground. There are some great stories of coffins floating round in flood times. ° We patronized the famous (and they say the oldest in North America) restaurant—Antoines; also a Japanese restaurant where you take off your shoes and sit on cushions on the floor. The food is cooked in the middle of the table 4r in front of you and it is good. We were also at the famous Bren- nan's restaurant, where people are lined up for a city block at 8:30 a.m. There are many modern build- ings including the city hall and a very large auditorium under a dome roof which is now under construction. The city is about half the size of Toronto. We 1 toured the city for an entire day and were impressed with the many parks, one of them several hundred acres, with baseball diamonds, tennis courts and golf courses and every conceivable e recreation facility. The city is divided by a very wide boulevard, Canal Street, separat- ing the old from the new parts. As we left New Orleans we saw Bob Hope arriving to take part in the fun. On arrival back in Florida we looked across an inlet of Lake Worth and there, a few hundred feet away was the Onassis yacht -375 feet long, with a Crew of 45. He and his wife (the former Mrs. Kennedy) had gone to New York on their own jet air- craft. 0 Ad in a newspaper: "Wanted— Clerk to work in a grocery store eight hours a day to replace one who didn't."