HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1973-04-05, Page 2E;p
PAGE 2--GODKRICH SIGNAL STAR, THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 1973
EDITORIAL COMMENT
Prod the federal
government
With the approach .Of better weather
the sailors of Goderich begin looking
toward the lake again and toward Snug
Harbor.
As usual the passing of winter.has left
its mark on the fixtures at the focal
marina and, perhaps due to heavy
storms last fall and again this spring, the
damage is worse than normal.
This, combined with the problem of
higher water levels than experienced
even last year, means considerable work
is needed at the local small boat harbor
before it will be truly ready to serve the
many tourists who visit it each season
and the local boaters who make use of it
during the sumn'ier months'
Although the marina building, which
houses the office, washrooms and
showers, is owned by the Municipality,
as are the gas tanks and electrical ser-
vices, the docks and pier are the
property of the Federal Government and
only leased by the municipality,.
As a result it is the responsibility of
the Federal Government; through the
Department of Public Works, to see to,
and pay for, the "up -keep of those
facilities.
In the past the Department of Public
Works got around to making the
necessary repairs eventually but usually
they did so much too late • and the
boaters using the. habor had to put up
with considerable inconvenience during
the largest part of the season.
We would therefore urge the Town of
Goderich to contact the Federal Govern-
ment in an attempt to- prod a little
quicker action in 1973.
Following the storms of last October
the Government 'did make an inspection
tour of the damage at Snug Harbor and
indicated at that time that money might
be available to make the necessary
repairs. The municipality should follow
this up immediately so work could be
undertaken in the near luture.
Some suggestion that gravel, which
must be removed 'from St'. Christopher's
beach, could be used to fill .The pier at
Snug Harbor where the water has been
washed away fill have been discussed.
This suggestion seems sound but we
would remind the town fathers that
upkeep of that pier is the responsibility
of the Federal Government and those
responsible should be contacted regar-
ding the cost of filling the pier.
Public Works .should pay the, bill as
they did some time ago, when the
municipality trucked gravel to the dock
area of the salt mine.
Due to the poor quality of material
used in the first place, and the depth of
Lake Huron over the past few years, the
catwalk at Snug Harbor will have to be
repaired extensively if not totally rebuilt
this year.
This might be as good a time as any to
remind the Federal Government that
Snug Harbor has been outgrown and
should be dugback along its west shore
where that catwalk is located. If the walk
is removed for reconstruction it would
seem like a most opportune time to do
this work.
The necessary >repairs, however large
or small, must be Made now so the har-
bor is ready for the upcoming season.
Prod the proper authorities so it is done
in time to be some good. ,
About Glen Lodge
-It has been said that no eulogy should
be necessary. If praise be true, people
already know it. If untrue, then it is bet-
ter left unsaid. Yet on the passing of
outstanding men and women we often
feel called upon to fill that shapeless
gap in the life of our,ktuman-community
with words.
There 'is' an exercise, aimed at
showing us all a how dispensable we
really are, that points to removing one's
hand from a bucket -of water. The space
remaining is supposedly the amount we
will really be missed.
No doubt for most of us this is true but
there are men, men like Glen Lodge,
whose passing seems to leave a gaping
hole in something as fluid as life itself.
There is now an apartment on West
Street that is only rooms. No longer is it
a haven for all those people , many
'young and others not so young, who
would take 10 minutes out of a busy day
for a short visit with Glen Lodge and
then plunge back into the hectic stream
of life refreshed.
Glen Lodge, radiating a serenity in life
that could be relied upon, was the men-
tor to a whole generation of Goderich
young people. Young men maintained a
priceless relationship over the years
with him, and even after growing to
maturity never passed the furniture store
on West Street without—stopping.
No triumph or defeat was too great or
small to take to Glen Lodge and of such
depth are great men made.
It is true Glen would laugh at any '
'thought of himself as a great man but
men are judged by their peers and the
confirmation of such 'greatness comes
from them. One could''' never be truly
great without such humility.
"If a man lives many years he should
rejoice in them, his toil should be to
leave something concrete in the hearts
and minds of men. To work for material
gain is just a vein striving after wind." It
was on the basis of that thought that
Glen Lodge lived and will be remem-
bered.
If we mortals dare judge another
man's qualifications for a life beyond
death, then there need be no mourning
for Glen Lodge. The only sadness here
is for those of us who have lost a com-
panion' mentor and friend.
A
ghe,'ilioaecicfj
SIGNAL -STAR
-O—Fo—Q— The County Town Newspaper of Huron —O—
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Published by Signal -Stir Publishing Ltd.
ROBERT G. SHRIER—pr sident Ind publisher
SHIRLEY J. KELLER—editor
`II. W. SHAW—edhortat Waft
EDWARD J. SVRSKL..advertising manager
DAVE R. WILLIAMS--advertising repreeentativa
5'4d I vast l el
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Like most people, -I've
noticed that grocery prices are
,on the rise. Unlike most people,
1 attempted an in..depth study
of the whole question of prices,
mos'1 particularly meat pr -ices,
in Goderich. The finished
product of two days' labor ap-
pears on the front page of this
week's Signal -Star.
My investigation was promp-
ted by some 'telephone, calls
from anxious housewives in
Goderich who wondered what I
thought of a boycott of the
meat counters in • town. I must
admit my initial reaction was
to encourage these women to go
ahead and boycott the stores. It
really couldn't do too much
harm, I thought, and it might
do some good.
But las I looked more closely -
into the matter. I realized •that
boycotting was probably a
foolish action. I began to see
that food prices are really not
so much out of line as' one
would at first. think. The
problem, I soon learned, was
that consumers themselves are
driving costs up and up.
Perhaps• one of the greatest
factors determining food costs
today is the consumer. Today's
consumer is different. We'rit
living in a chrome -plated ins
stant world which demands top
quality with -.a minimum of
work. And we want service -
fast, efficient, inexpensive ser-
vice.
While working on this study
of meat and milk prices this
week, i thought hack to my
childhood when I went to the
store for my mother. I remem-
her taking the grocery list into
the store and watching with
wide eyes as the storekeeper
scurried around at my corn-
. Anand.
The sugar was scooped from
a hig white 100 -pound sack into
a *brown paper hag and tied
with a piece of string which
thre ded through some hooks
on the ceiling.
The cheese was cut from a
huge block kept under a round
glass. The grocer struggled with
a giant knife to cut the cheese -
and sometimes, if you were
lucky, you got a small wedge tfi
taste.
The bread, unsliced, was
wrapped in plain waxed paper.
The butter was retrieved from
a cooler at the hack of the
store.
And except for flour (which
mother always purchased in
hulk) and a few other. staples
like oatmeal, brown sugar, rice
(all handled similarly to
granulated sugar) that was
about the extent of the grocery
shopping.
The garden and the orchard
yielded the remainder of our
food...with the exception of
meat.
At the butcher shop, there
was sawdust on the• -floor as I
recall and the butcher was kept
busy running hack and forth to
the hig cooler in the back of the
store lugging meat out, lopping
off a piece for -a customer and.
replacing it in the cooler
How" things have changed!,
The cc;rner grocery store is not
completely out -of -business, but
it has had to modernize.
Everything's self -serve now
and this in itself has created a
whole new problem of
packaging which the grocer
from my childhood neve? con-
cerned himself about.
And once we started
packaging things, how quickly
the thing mushroomed into a
costly service. We've all seen
the fancy boxes, the colorful re-
usable plastic containers, , the
packaging gimmicks which at-
tract consumers like flies. -
Along with pretty packages
have come merchandising
tricks like stereo music; tem-
perature controlled buildings;
wide aisles for big shopping
carts; the endless varieties of
canned goods, fresh fruits and
vegetables year round; meats
which are pan -ready and quick -
cooking; mixes of all kinds. The
list is endless.
This new found freedom in
the supermarkets has gone
hand-in-hand with the
remarkable era of working
housewives and mothers. And
the food people have complied.
Now there are more and more
"instant" dinner ideas which
makes it entirely possible for
the average working woman to
have a roast beef dinner com-
plete with mashed potatoes,
green peas, tossed salad,„ hot
rolls and fancy dessert on the
table in about one-half
hour...or less if she's par-
ticularly swift in the kitchen.
And the average family en-
joys "company fare" every day
of the week. That's probably
why when Easter and Christ-
mas and Thanksgiving roll
round each year, there's very
few eating thrills left to be ex-
perienced by many, many
families.
Let's talk specifically now,
about meat and milk. in the
Canadian diet, these are two
staples. They are produced ih
Canada by farmers who are
among the most efficient and
up-to-date in the world.
it has been shown in recent
studies that it takes about 22 to
25 cents for feed to produce one
pound of beef. Another eight to
ten cents per pound is required
to pay for labor, for interest, for
depreciation on equipment etc.
Recently beef prices have
gone as high as 45 cents per
pound live weight. That means
the farmer is making the exor-
bitant amount of five cents per
pound on his beef - that's
before., you subtract about one
cent - per pound for marketing
expenses!
Theoretically_ then, the far-
mer with all conditions right
and with no major losses due to
weather or sickness in his herd
or other eventualities stands to
make about $40 on a 1,000 lb.
animal when beef is .at a top
rice.
But common s se tells us
the farmer' worn 't be in
business long if he didn't
replace the animal marketed -
and replacement costs are often•
higher than the market value.
According to Stan Paquette of
the Department of Agriculture
and Food in ,Clinton, the last
study completed on the subject
showed that market price 'was
$33.50 per hundred weight arid
replacement costs were running
at $37 per ,CWT.
Where milk is concerned it
has been stated that any in-
creases in price to the farmer
for fluid milk have been eaten
up in increased production
costs. This can be disputed. I
suppose, but common sense
again must- dictate that costs
must certainly be increasing to
the farmer in the same way as
they are increasing to everyone
else.
An editorial in The Toronto
Star Wednesday, March 28 had
this to say: "Prices paid far-
mers appear to have risen more
than any other component of
the retail price, but in the case
of several staple foods the far-
mer's gains have only corrected
depressed prices which barely
repaid him the cost of produc-
tion."
Thank you
Dear Editor:
The executive of the Minor
Hockey Supporters Club would
like to use this column to say
"thank you" to the many ladies
who volunteered to work this
past hockey season at the
booth, the gate and making
sandwiches during Young
Canada Week.
Several .offered their
assistance and were not called
upon. We thank them for of-
fering to help.
Special thanks are due the
following: Dennis Fincher,
Wayne Cook, Bi Lumby, Ted
Rowe and Mrs. E. Porter.
Five hundred dollars las
already been turned over to the
Minor Hockey Association and
a cheque for one thousand
dollars will soon be in their
hands. Without everyone's
assistance this would not have
been possible.
Youth Cen'lrf'
Dear Editor:
As members of Co -Pilot we
have now been trying to locate
permanent facilities which
would allow us to accom-
modate more people per .night
than our small quarters at 38
Hamilton Street.
A youth centre (or drop-in
centre) could be the very
nucleus of a permanent youth -
adult organization. With the
overwhelming success of our
one week coffeehouse in the old
Eaton's order office we have
concluded that such an
organization is not only
nec=essary but would be most
beneficial to the youth of
Goderich.
Many parents ' are worried
about their kids walking the
streets till all hours. Have they
ever considered why this is so?
A permanent recreation centre
could very easily solve this
problem if it contained the
right equipment to keep par-
ticipants occupied.
`In our research we have
found no centres which were
suitable due to factors such as
high rent, remote locations and
perhaps inexperience in the
real estate business. We have
also noticed that many local,
schools sit empty after normal
school hours during the week
and on weekends. Since tax-
payers are supporting these
schools lend the young people
concerned are their children
why couldn't these schools be
open, perhaps a few nights a
week and/or ori weekends, to
give these people a place to go
and a chance to use the gym-
nasium equipment' on a less
organized but well supervised
basis.
We hope to be approaching
the school boards soon in order
to discuss the possibility of such
a venture but we are only
young people and the adults in
the community' are the ones
who can open the right doors.
Please give this some con-
sideration. Don't let your kids
down.
CO-PILOT
Mo Blanchard
Nancy Wardrop
Janet Huck Ms
100KIN6 104.
70 yNn
April S, 1903
On Monday last T.
Pringle took charge
restaurant at the corn
Kingston street and thee,,,
which he has
C. J. purcha.,,
Harper. The
proprietor regUests a s
the public patronage
A petition with over
signatures, mostly of
who use bicycles in goi
and from their work, asked
the town 'make a cinder ,
for bicycles from the top of
harbour hill to the G
Trunk Railway' Stat►ob.
tended that the cinder
should be for the exclusive
of wheelnun, and that in
it might he extended to
principal streets.
Mayor Lewis supported
petition, stating that the
penes would not be moist,
$ 15 or $'l0. Some had ask=
permits would be issued
riding on the sidewalks, but
thought this was too danger
a practice to he permitted.
I n response to a request
the Goderich baseball club;
mission was granted the club
play at the agricultut-
grounds •except when t.
grounds are needed for of
purposes.
D. 1'. Hamlink is' issuitq
handsomely illustrated boo
setting forth the beauties.,
advantages of Menestungp.
The prospects for this poi
resort for the coming
are excellent.
The Stratford Board
Trade at
Friday nightits meeting passedI:
resolution favouring t
deepening of Goderich har,,
and the construction of
breakwater off the harbour
25 Years
April 5, 1948
The first vessel of the w•i
fleet to leave Goderich harp
this season was the Algorait
the 'AIgoma•Central Stea
Line, which clewed Wedne)
afternoon for Sault lite, Ma,
Capt. Chas. T Beatty is ski,
or the Algorail and M
Tymon is chief erigineer.
After many years', se
Arthur Hov of • Goderich
been retired on pension by
Canadian Pacific Railway'.
commenced work with
railway at Walton in 1906,i,
for the last twent-seven vs,:
has been foreman at Ma
station.
Toronto papers give er
thusiastic accounts of u
operatic performance giber
before a capacity audience':
Hart House by members oft
Royal Conservatory.of Musici
Toronto. Particular mentioni
made of Mozart's Marriaged
Figaro, and one report state
that the applause at the endd
this porti.yn of the prof•
"lasted longer- than for auj
stage.'show in Toronto with;
memory". Another report
mentioning the various actoh
and actresses ih the cast, sail
"Miss Marjorie Hays was i
blithely comic page whose
the sapeti' was a memorable
aria."
Miss Hays, the daughter d
Mr. and Mrs. R. C. Hays
Goderich, is one of the for
senior students who will giver
concert in Knox church or
Friday evening of next feet
under the sponsorship of the
Goderich Lions Clu,, in aid d
the Food for Britain fund.
5 Years
April 5, 1968
James H. Kinkead, Pubh
School Inspector for Hut
County for the past 30 yea%
has -announced his retiree
ent
The president of the Norte
F,.ducation he• will Ass
years ago,
becnot
a field director for the
association.
A new 27,000 volt transit
mer is being installed by*
Goderich, Public Utilities Coto
mission on the Goderich Io-
dustrial Park on the south
of town. The 10 -ton transfa'
mer, e)cpected to be completed
by July, will server weillnreliee
dustrial area
some of the load on Geer
two transforms
Clarence "Sonny" Chishohs
311 Mary Street, Goderich, ,
M
the Masters Trophy for'
gun shooting for ini
nhenur
year ill a row
shoots.
Chischolm is s member
lab
d.
Clinton Revolver
Club b
jew:t-ni..:1
the
won' rowthe Desr. ayfromdKirkthe MLe
Trophy Tnu,
night
team which had won athe
for the past six vel'
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