HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1958-03-20, Page 1r.
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Illth. YatCNo. 2 - GOOERICH, ONTARIO; THURSDA—Y; AAA'''R"tiel-071;97r87 St;I; scription lat°0
New Industry Starts Production
With :its overall staff now
numbering about 20, Scotsrnith
Furniture Limited i,s continu-
ing to iristall machinery in
its'recently purchased plant at
Goderich with the hope of
increasing the number of em-
s ptoyees to 30 or 4o.
In the photo above are
shown -some of the originil
employees at the plant, the
former Goderich Organ Fac-
tory building. They are, front
row; left to right: John Vin-
centS LJ. 'Scott, _president;
Max Mote, superintendent;
Doug Dam. Back row, left to
right: Carl Schmidt; Joe Gra-
ham; D. Brown; Chris •Haneen;
Andri Kerszilis; Gary Ross;
Peter Jergesen.
On production for the past
month, following their moving.
from London and setting up
machines here, Scotsmith Fur-
niture have completed orders
for furnishings for t w -o
churches—West Ellesmere Un-
ited Chureh at Scarbormigh
and Willowdale B a pti s t
Church, Toronto. At present
they are working on furnish-
ings for the new United
church at Iroquois, Ontario, in
the St. Lawrence Seaway area.
Next job will •be for St.
Frances Xavier church at
Fruitland, Ontario. Each job
ranges in value from $2,000 to
$20,00Q:
• When production gets up to
normal, their aim is to turn
out furnishings for one new
church each week Of the pre-
sent staff,. four men came
.from Loudon and the rest are.
from the Goderich area.
There is a possibility of an-
other industry coming to Gode-
rich in the none -too -distant
future which will occupy the
top floor of the present Scot -
smith Furniture plant, where
there are 25,000 feet of floor
.space available. Some three
or four allied industries have
recently shown an interest in
renting this space for their
production.
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Town Colin& helda special
meeting Saturday -night to „discuss
a suggestion that the' Town Hall
be sold, as g site for the new fed-
eral building, with the present post
office to be converted into.a Town
all.
Elston Cardiff, MP for Huron,
attended the meeting and offered
to contad federal authorities W.
field out what stage has been readi-
ed- in -the plans for the.neW federal
building. The proposed -new build-
ing would coetale a -office and
ether govermnefit offices.
Council gave officiafeapproval to
a motion "that Mr. Cardiff be re-
equestestetk„ contact the Depart-
ment of PuhliFWEaSTaird-Prietili
authorities at- Ottawa regarding
progress of the proposed new post
office, and that no action be taken
until we receive Mr. Cardiff's re-
port."
It was stressed at the special
meeting that Council is in no way
committed to any course of action.
The suggeeSion that town and fed-
eral adthohties exchange ;proper-
ties was made by Councillor Bruce
Sully. Others felt that the idea
should be fully investigate esince
it might prove quite advan ageous
to the town.
Since it was felt that time fight
be at a premium, it was de ded
to call a special....Ceeend. me ting
for Saturday night and invite Mr.
Cardiff.
• Tempers On Edge
Tempers were on edge as 'Coen,
cillor C. M. Robertson complainecf
that he was not notified of the
special meeting by letter. Reeve
James Donnelly twice read him the
rules governing the calling of
emergency meetings, but Council-
lor Robertson still objected.
A local businessman, Mel Cul-
bert, attended the meeting to voice
the views of West street merchants
concerning the proposal to move
the post office to East street i1 -
stead of -constructing anew build-
ing on the present West street
site.
Councillor Robertson said at first
he was not opposed to Mr. Culbert
being present at the meeting, hut
a few minutes later the councillor,
Board Offers Teachers
$100 Hike In Minimum
Minimum salaries for GDCI
teachers will be increased by $100
if the staff accepts a new offer
made by Goderich District Col-
legiate Institute Board.
In February, the board rejected
the teachers' requests or increases
in minimum and maximitin salaries
plus certain special experience al-
lowances. The teachers, dissatis-
fied, requested another meeting
with board members.
As p result, a meeting was held
between teachers' representatives
and the board's staff relations com-
mittee. After the _committee re-
ported to a special meeting of the
whole board on Monday, it was
decided to offer a $100 increase in
minimum salaries.
The board did not offer any
increase fn maximum .salaries or
any other co ssions.
If the teachers accept the board's
offer, 14 of the 20 staff members
will receive $400 increases in
September. This raise would be
made up of a $300 increment (an
automatic annual increase which
is written into each teacher's con-
tract) plus the $100 additional in-
crease ‘effered as a result of Mon-
day night's board meeting.
It is understood that six teachers
would not, be affected by the
board's offer because, they are al-
ready earning° the maximum sal-
aries payable under the board's
present schedule. .
Under the board's proposal, Min-
imum salaries Would be raised to
$3,900 for non -specialists and
$4,100 for specialists. The $300
annual increment would remain
the same, as would the maximum
salaries of $6,800 for non -special-
ists and $7,000 for specialists.
Maximum allowances for pre-
vious experience were also set at
Monday's board meeting. From
now on when teachers are hired,
the non -specialists will receive up
to $1,200 for experience and• spec-
ialists will get up to $1,400 over
the minimum starting salaries.
Teachers will be- allowed $200 for
each year of experience, up to the
maximum limits mentioned.
It is expected that the new rul-
ing on maximum experience allow-
ances will tend to discourage the
hiring of older teachers who have
WHO ARE BEST?
Who are Goderich's champ
-
ben 'cribbage players? Mem-
bers of Branch 109, Canadian
Legion, believe they are and
the members of the Goderich
Curling Club feel that they
are best. Result? A challenge
match between thee two
groups, each with 20 players,
will be held at the Arena Audi-
torium tonight. Each of the
players will chip will.be award-
ed.
rnereethan six or seven years- of
experience. '
"We're top-heavy with older
teachers," observed Elmer Robert-
son, Colborne Township represent-
ative.
The teachers had asked for sal-
ary increases much higher than
the board has offered.
Said W. L. Craig, Hu'llett 'Town-
ship representative: "We have
otheradvantages that other centres
don't have—such as the lower cost -
of -living here." -
He -.and- other board members
reported being button -holed by
municipal councillors and taxpay-
rs who are not in favor of giving
the teachers any more increases.
At the meeting, the board re-
gretfully accepted the resignation
of Mrs. S. Ogg from the teaching
staff.
POSSIBLE HOSPITAL SITE
Option On Point Farm
Token By Ontario Gov't
With the approach of Spring
comes the possibility of • the an-
nouncement of the definite location
of the $9,000,000 hospital for re-
tarded children promised for
Huron County as a memorial to
the- late Tom Pryde.
It is understood that until soil
tests can be ..made of• the land
under option on the Blue Water
Highway south of Goderich, no
definite decision can be announced
as to its 'complete suitability. It
will probably be a month or more
yet before the frost has sufficiently
left the grosund . so that complete
soil tests can be made on the
Blue Water Highway farms. Op•
tions on these farms expire on
July 151h.
In the meantime, it is reliably
reported that the Ontario Minister
of Health, Hon Mackinnon Phillips,
is' scheduled to visit, the Goderich
area either early in April or about
the middreesofe April_ He will be
accompanied by a number of gov-
ernment officials. It is believed
that at this time he will look over
the land on which options have
apparently changed his mind and
questioned the right ef the deputy -
reeve to invite the citizen.
Councillor Robertson's v ie w s
were not endorsed by any other
member of Council. Reeve Don-
nelly stated emphatically that any
citizen had a right to attend the
meeting.
Mr. Cardiff said he knew nothing
ment. This 162 acres,of land was,- While options on other land in.
looked over during the winter by Huron County by the government
a representative of the Ontario have not been reported, it is not
Governrneist and the deadline for beyond the realm of pOssibility
the option on it is May 31st. It that other Options eeist.. Options
eis the well-known Point Farm pro- might even have been taken in
perty of Bisset Brothers. Perth County, which county has
It is stated that if the govern- been making every effort to have
ment does not take up the option the hospital located there. The
on Point Farm property, it is efforts that have been made and
likely to be sold to a Detroit man probably are now being made to
who has' been seeking to purchase get the hospital is a warning that
iteand who has offered a pulp for nothing should be left undone to -
it in excess of what the goVern- wards pressuring for this hospital
ment has proposed to pay. for the Goderich area.
Cardiff And Cochrane
Officially Nominated
Changed customs from the past
were. in evidence at the official
nomination meeting held at Clin-
ton cn Morday. Only five'persons
been taken. that when he shoveed up- the Levies Fedi.,ral can -
It is known is in .
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this. area, he will visit Alexaddra didates, Cardiff andCochrane, the
Marine and General Hospital. At' 'deputy returning officer for the
this time, he will inspect -the old Huron riding,. J. K. Hunter, his
portion of the building and has clerk, and "one stranger wearing
asked the Alexandra Marine and a Scottish tam."
General Hospital" Board to post- The number was even smaller
pone any immediate plans with than at the nomination meeting in
respect to the old hospital build- June of last year when a fe.w more
Mg until he looks it over. A than a dozen_ people showed up.
see-setteetstationefrometheehospilaleheardesitteebirgellseest, such, a meeting
went to see Hon. Mr. Phillips sev- was the occeSion feifitrn
eral weeks ago. .11 was composed ering and 'fiery addresses.
of .1' H. Kinkead, Stan Prevett, Bet, after thenominetion paper
George Parsons and Dr. N. C. of L. Elston Cardiff for the Pre
Jackson. .
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gressive Conservative party was
.
When Hon. Mr. Phillips eines received and that of William G.
to Goderich, he will undoubtedly Cochrane for the Liberal party,
look over another piece of land in nominations were declared closed
this area on which an option has at 2 p.m. One half hour after thee
been taken by the Ontario govern- a phone call instructed the Signal,
Star to proceed with the printing
of the official ballots containing
the two aforementioned names. By
Tuesday the entire 34,000 ballots
to be used in the riding of Huron
had relied off the printing presses
of the Goderich Signal -Star.
In the Federal election last June,
there were 25,092 eligible voters in
the riding of Huron. Although
complete figures are not yet in,
the Returning Officer, J.. K.
Hunter, estimates there will be at
le st 200 There eligible voters this
tin. The Revising Officer in
Godtrich,e1I. Glenn Hays, reports
Irts'ettiffirfiltetitifrtf-
ditions, changes and deletions
have- been recorded. this time to
the number last June.
Candidates nominated for the
riding of Wellington -Huron are
Marvin Howe (PC) and Ross Mc-
Lennan (L). In Bruce the, nom-
inees are Andrew E. Robinson (PC)
and Chester Merriatn (L).
of the announcement about a new
federal betiding for Goderich until
he read it in the paper. The an-
nouncement was made by Federal
Works Minister Howard Green.
s From a reliable local source of
information, The, Signal -Star learn-
ed that the proposed new building
may cost over $250,000. It is
understood that cogent plans Call
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seesesesseeesseesees sees esese-. 'eseese
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for tearing detwn the present post
dace and constructing an entirely'
new building.
The purchase of adjacent land
is said to be included, in the gov-
ernment's present plans for re-
building on the West, street site.
It was pointed out at the Council
Meeting that, if the government
buys the Town Hall property,
-Mee Mere ,.esseess
• ee AN: A
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Goderich's Town Hall is 78 years old, according
to marks inscribed on the side of the building.
The are of land under And around the Town
Hall and owned by the Town is more than 25,000
square feet. This contrasts with the approxi-
mately 10,800 square feet of land under and
V.2,•:Pf
around the Goderich Post Office and owned by
the Federal Department of Public Works. The
Town Hall is heated by one hot water heater, one
hot air heater and four stoves scattered through-
out the building and used when needed.
Initial Steps Taken
To Organize Retailers
Steps were taken here Tuesday
night to set up a Retail Merchants'
Association.. More than- 30 -repre-
sentatives of Goderich retail firms
attended the meeting which was
held in the Town Hall.
Early next week, a canvass will
be made to determine whether the
majority of merchants favor stay-
ing open Friday night or Saturday
night. Reeults of the survey will
be considered at another meeting
which is to be held on Thursday
of next week.
Each interested meechant will
be assessed five dollars as a mem-
bership fee in the new Retail
Merchants' Association. A mem-
bership.drive will be conducted in
connection with the survey re
store hours. Explanatory letters
will go out to all retail firms early
next week before the canvassers
cparlelsof the new organization'
ident
William Wilson was proposed as'
at the meeting Tuesday night.
Other officers proposed were: vice-
president, Guy Emerson; secretary,
John Schaefer; treasurer, Arthur
Waters; directors, Carl Worsell,
eOrge Wraith, iMrs. • Wilf. Rein:
, Reg. Bell.and Howard Aitken.
Opening the meeting, Mr. Wil-
son, the chairman, said: "The firt
question is do we want a retail
merchants'. organization in Gode-
rich or do we peed one?"
If businesstnen wanted such an -
organization to work effectively,
he said, they would have to elect
a slate of officers, pay membership
dues and abide by the rules of the
organization.
One man suggested that the only
satisfactory way to regulate store
hours would be through a by-law.
Another man with wide experi-
ence in municipal affairs eomment-
ed that there had been several un-
successful attempts in the past to
have such a by-law passed.
The only way it could be done
he said, wduld be te have a separ-
ate by-law for each specific type
of business—clothiers, hardware
merchants, grocery men, etc. If
60 percent of the merchants in a
given line Of busireeee signed a
petition setting their store hOurs,
Councils would have to pass it,
this man stated. -
It was suggested by (me busi-
nessman that it might be a good
idea to have a weekly band concert
on Friday or Saturday night to
bring more people to Goderich.
With the majority of those at
the meeting favering the form-
ation of a Retail Merchants' As-
sociation, a slate of officers was
then suggested and dues were set
at five dollars.
Tugs Battle
Ice In Vain
Battling ice every day for a
week now, two fishing tugs at
Goderich Harbor have failed to
break through to open water in
Lake Huron. , They are. the boats
of Ed. Siddell and Ab. Leonard,
commercial fishermen.
Ramming , the ice floes at the
western end of the harbor en-
trance, the boats have been able
to negotiate .only as far as a" point
near the end of the north break-
water. They have found the ice
exceptionally thick this season
with every 'indication of a late
opening for navigation. Despite
the fact that he broke the rudder
on his boat twice, Ab. Leonard
keeps battling on in an effort to
cut a laneway through to open
water.
The last of the boats of the
winter fleet is scheduled to be
unloaded today. This is the John
A. Roebling. It is not likely there
will be much stir or the boats in
preparation for the opening of
navigation until the end of the
month.
With Spring just around the corner now, loungsters are getting
in is Much skating as they can before the ice at the arena is,
taken out to end hnother season. Here is shoWn 5 foursome taking
a pause 'before going for another whirl around the arenti. They
are,' from left -to right: Janke White, Brenda Mugford, Wayne
,Fisher and Ken Meriam. 8-S Photo by. R.H.
HOSPITAL AUXILIARY
DISCUSSES NURSERY NEED.
Mrs. J. H. Kinkead presided at
the meeting of the Hospital Aux-
iliary on Monday afternoon.
After discussing tfk purchase
of a washing machine for 'the
nursery, it was decided to leave
the decision until a later meeting.
Representatives were appointed
for the cancer canvass, also P new
telephone. committee. Mrs. H.
Rivers 'and Mrs. D. E. Campbell
were appointed delegates to the
regional meeting in St. Joseph's
Hospital, London. Tickets are now
available for a draw to be held on
Hospital Day in May. A social
hour folio wed with a cup of tea.
R.N.'S
TO GET MORE
LIONS - POLICE
GAME FRIDAY
which_ extends from' East street
back- to Newgate street,
.fl 1iii
-wouldn't have to worry about Our-
chasing',any adjacent lends.
If the federel eeverAntent is in-
terested in the:Council; proposing"
the 'twice it would pay for,,,the old '
Town Hall would be a key factor
in whether further diseusSione
would'be held, '
Renovations Necessary
A substantial sum would prob-
ably have to be spent to convert
tthe- -present-post office- into--towlo..- •
offices. On the other hand, it tifi
said that Council is faced with..the
prospect of having to carry out
expensive .renov.ations_al
Hall before long.
Reeve James Donnelly acted, as
chairman for the discussion when
Council went into "committee
the whole,"
The reeve explained to Mr
Cardiff: that it had been suggested
that the Town , Hall site be used
for a new post office and the oldi
post office converted into a ToWs
Hall. Council was not committed)
one way or another on this pro
posal, he stressed.
Reeve Donnelly explained that
Mel Culbert, a West street busi.
nessman, was present to represene
the interests of retailers • whose
"walk-in" trade might be adversely
affected if the post office was moved
to East etreet:
Met Cardiff commented that he
had'talked to a number of people
about the matter and one con-
clusion he had reached was that
the present post office location
isn't entirely acceptable to the
people of the town. He referred
particularto traffic congestion on
West street.
Rut the MP emphasized that he
would not take sides on the matter
of location; that should be decided
by the people of Goderich. "I'll
do my best to put it where you
want it," he stated.
Once the town decides where it
wants the new pest office, he will
put pressure on the proper. author-
ities to have the towns Wish car-
ried out, he asserted.
A Shame"
Regarding the present post of-
fice, he said:. "It's a shame to teal
that building down; it's a stone
building and a go'od one. Why
couldn't it be used for something
else?"
Councillor Bruce Sully said that
federal government plans appar
ently call for construction of a
new, two-storey building, which
would. house National Employment
Service, customs and immigratipn
offices as well as postal facilities.
He- tontinued: "It would -be -a
shame to tear the post office down
and leave this (the Toven Hal»
standing. There's no comparison
between the two buildings." .
The town is faced with having
to make repairs to the Town Hall,
said Councillor Sully, and "I think
it's a waste of money to repair
this building."
At the same time, he said, the
town can't afford to build a new
,Town Hall.
New *ire Hall?
Councillor Sully suggested that
perhaps town offices could be mov-
ed into the present post office, then
a building to house equipment ot„,
(Continued on •page 4)
The annual Lions -Provincial
Police hockey match, schededed
for 8 p.m., Friday, is expected to
draw a packed house at the Mem-
orial Arena. Both teams have
been practising hard and the Lions
are counting on a victory to even
up the series over the past few
years.
Provincial Policeman Alex Twad-
dle, who is in charge of the enter-
tainment has arranged a variety
program for in between periods
which should be a crowd-pleaser.
Clowns will be imported in addi-
tion to the local eollection which
will form a clown band.
Fans are reminded that the tick-
ets which they have purchased not
a month to $200 at the board meet- only entitles them to admission
ing Monday evening Salaries for to the arena but also to the door
other hospital employees are to prizes—and there are $350 worth
he reviewed in June. of these.
Basic salary of registered nurses
at Alexandra Marine and General
Hospital was increased from $180
Survey Here Shows Need
For More Rental Housing
A survey of need was conducted
last week by Mr. R. B. Bradley,
Supervisor of Rental Housirig, and
Miss E. Goring, Research Assistant
of the Department of Planning and
Development, and it is their opin-
ion that further rental housing is
required in the Goderich area.
At the present time, Goderich
has two Federal -Provincial pro-
jects, the Dunlop MeMorial, which
is a subsidized project of 25 units
and the Strang Memorial, which is
a nen-subsidized or Full Recovery
project of 26 units. In carrying
out the survey of need it is import-
ant that two things be thoroughly
investigated:
(a) The obvious overcrowding and
lack of adequate accommoda-
ti o n,
puate housing to respond and fill
.out a questionnaire, returning it
within the' .next two weeks to the
places mentioned above. The Fed.
eral-Provincial governments will
ndt undertake to build a project
where need has not been indicated
through response to the question-
naire. The 'yardstick that the
partners use for such a need is
that there must he two bona -fide
applications for each unit to be
built and unless this is evidenced
they cannot undertake to recom-
mend further building in Goderich.
In Ontario. there are 27 Housing
Authorities. similar to the Gode-
rich Authority administering 40
projects, which will total some
5,000 units when completed. In
each town, it is moot gratifying
to find the projects serving the
people Who otherwise could not
-compete on the open market for
adequate accommodation to bring
up their families.
At the present time there are
some 15 surveys of this nature
being conducted and in each • case
the individual seeking accothrhoda-
tion has a major role to play. It
is, therefore, suggeted that if your
feel that you need better accom
modation _fill out,. a questionnaire
and return it leo Mr. Hunter of
the Goderich Rousing Authority
or Mr. S. Blake, Clerk of the Towr
Hall.
(b) aTrheea csoalnacreyrnwAg. e scale for the YOUNG PUPILS' IRISH ,TuN.Es,
In their findings during the two ‘111,41 U • .
day survey it was quite b
that rental accommodation is at a
obvious
e1ENn cAy ATmospHERE To in
%11 aAJP e
t premium in the Goderich area. e.r '
n
There appears to be no houses for
families available at all and the r ATRICK S SUPPER OF CW.L.
rental accommodation that is avail-
able is largely apartment dwelling
houses which do not lend them-
selves adequately to family living
where three or four. children are
involved. Also, the breakdown of
salary and hourly wages paid by evening at. MacKay Hall at their
the various employers of the area annual St. Patrick's buffet supper.
would indicate that a Subsidized During the supper, lovely Irish
housing project would be the most tUtieS were played by an orchestra
practical for the area. The Sub- eomposed of pupils of St. Joseph'S
sidized prdject is where the rental School of Music. The event was
charged is geared to the family under .the convenership of Mrs,
income. In Other words, -if the Clyde Everette,_.
family income amounted to $30I1 Green candles in glass holders,
per month the rental charged tied with green and white ribbon,
would be approximately 207- of were leyekv accents on the in,
that income or $60 a' month. This dividuaL tables.
rental fluctuates with the family A table centre of white pons
sseincsomeaseeleijeee if„the fareilyele-
and green and whiteribbon
grac-
come declines the rentaranti-, Ihirfinitertitlf;
Guests. were welcomed by the
clines proportionately.
The number of uniesstsrlee built president, Miss Helen McCarthy,
depends on the regponse to the Mrs. J. Sharratt anti the -dining
questionnaire in the hand§ of the room hostess, Mr. Chas. Gibbefer.
Housing -Authority and Town Clerk, In charge of the tables WAS Miss'
S. H. Blake, at the ToWn Hall; It Margaret Evans, assisted by Misses
is, therefore, the responsibility of Ann Stiller, Martha Bedard, Pat -
the people who need more ade- ricia Simpson, Mary Lou Halle-
..
In the midst of a colbrful St.
Patrick's setting of traditional
green and white, St. Peter's C.W.L.
entertained malty on Saturday
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ghan, Veronica Terpestee, Marie
Johnston, Rita Johnston, Jane Las-
sOline, June Carter, Susie Enzene
berger, Rosemary Chisholm, Ellen
Pickel, Mrs. Raymond Boyle
Decorations throughout the hall
were arranged .by Miss Clara
Leddy. Other assistants weres Mrs.
Leo Ouelette, Mre C. Schneiker,
Mrs Con. Baechler, Mrs. Josephine
Chisholm, Mrs, Leo Walzak, Miss
Mary Lacey, Mrs. Bert Baechler,
Mrs. C. Camleitm, Mrs. Clarence
Pollock, Miss Elizabeth Tobin, Miss
Helena teddy, Mrs. W. Kinahate
Mrs. E. Carney, Mrs. J. Donnelly,
Mrs. Norman Boyle, Mrs. L. Foster.
Mrs. C. Ramer, Mrs. Prank LeddY.
Mrs, Ellis Jeffrey, .Mrs. Clare Bed
trirtftl-Ten
Members of St. Joseph's Qteb,
estra were: conduettit,EdWartt
Walzak; pianist, ThortithY',P1 •
berger; violinists Vivienne'.
Reed Webb, Marlit Ittetitnbnitebtette
drurri, •Kenneth .JerftreYe, 'Matt
drum, Billy Jeffrey; xyloiktiont,,
Leonard Bedour.
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