The Goderich Signal-Star, 1974-08-15, Page 3to
history
The �,f the `Canada Corpany
by.
THELM.A 'COLEMAN,
STRATFORD
In the year 1820, in London;
England, John Galt; Scottish
novelist and.business mar?, ac-
cepted the challenge to be, agent
for the Canadian Claimants
who sustained losses caused, by
the war ofi, 1812.-1814 between.
the United States and Canada.
Galt ,ealled.4at A14 Colonial
Office; in.'L'ondon, several times
and discussed the claims with
the officials in charge. They
told him, since this, was clair`ns;
for losses; he should contact
The Treasury. This he did and
in 'reply received a letter -from
The • Treasury in .which Galt
says: "It was couched in
,language at once guarded and
appropriate. An answer to this
letter seemed indispensable,
though it was ' drawn up in
terma evidentlys' intended to
close the business."
As agent, "Galt wasdeter-
mined to follow the matter un-
til the claims, were paid. He
wrote an impertinent letter to
the. Government and received a
reply asking him to <arrange to
meet with Lord Bathurst,.
Secretary of State for War end "
the Colonies (1812 - T827). At
this meeting Galt wastoldit
was impossible to raise taxes
r
ItY
alt was a determined man
and. a private loan was -needed
'that would be used for
liquidation of part of the
claims.
It was a paradoxical time:
The finances of the, government
of the United Kingdom were
severely depleted because of°the
expenses and strain of the
Napoleonic Wars (.which ended
in 1815).
The , United Kingdom ` was
struggling•to overcome a post-
war ,depression. Thousands
upon thousands of people were
unemployed and thousands
more received low wages which -
kept them .living on the margin
of the poverty line.
However, in the preceding
thirty years, a new era had
been created by the invention
of machinery, the building of
.factories,' and the exporting of
goods. Many private fortunes
were made.
These men had money to in-
vest ,,and • were looking for
sound, profitable investment
possibilities.
- John Galt approached some
of his business friends,, to see if
-they would consolidate to raise
,,the money, the total to•Ribe a
Moan to the government, for a
rate of interest' to be agreed on.
They promised to back this
venture.
OFFBEAT
BY BILL DIMMICK
Big .government seems to be looking for things to do so'
taxpayers will believe that poljti,,cians and civil servants are
earning their salaries. ,
The latest example comes from the government of Ontario ,
which has offered the Mustart Report to 'the people. The
report, officially titled the Ontarib Health Planning Task
Force Report, recommends sweeping changes• in the
organization of health care in "the province.
The report is impressive with charts, graphs, diagrams
and language steeped in ioverworked bureaucratic cliches. It
is supposed to be available for public consideration but'the
average member of•the pub"1•ic would find it hardly suitable
as reading material at bedtime.
,It's just plain boring for the average person' in its presen-
tation: This is possibly because the members of the task force,
who prepared .it might have been ou't to impress the public
rather "than: express clearly the radical ,changes, it recom-
mends. , Q ,
By using cryptic language -the task force carefully onfuses
a reader -until he pats it down in disgust and waits for a
newspaper story- to appear 'explaining •it. \
Buthe Ontario government in the meantime ap.pears'to
have<put many people to work preparing it to make them
look busy.
And 'busy -those people ' must have been -to produce a ,
document as offensive as this one must be,to- any,,.student of�'
the . English language from grade three , to university. . °
h. For exanip;le, 'on• page 49 the Mustard Report states: `As..
an immediate task, the Communications .'Branch should
launch a public relations,and-information programme with
respect to the proposals contained in this report, first, to en-
sure that they and\their implications are fully understood
by the public; by `Ontario's health professionals and by.
Ministry personnel; andsecond,'' to keep all interested' in,
dividuals informed. about progress in. implemen""ting
•
proposals."
No doubt somebody spent a lot of time creatingthat con-
coction of words which means the health ministry should
issue press releases regularly about the Mustard- Report.
This overbearing attitude in government information is.
probably a reasdn for the public's dissatisfaction° with the
civil service. `
"The Government" has almost .become a dirty expression
in our society :leaning overspend'ng of ,public Junds, toomuch red tape in the way of commn 'sense and a bunch of
nen sitting in a Toronto office doing nothing''But sending
memos to each other.. - ' •_ -
Perhaps the time has come to clear some of these civil ser-
vants out of their secure little niches when they can't think
of anything better to do than create a new health care
• system which nobody asked- for and now it seems nobody
likes. . •
Murray Gaunt, Liberal MPP for Huron -Bruce, said at the
b Huron County Council meeting Monday that he fears a
bureaucratic dictatorship. a •
Mr. Gaunt has a valid point as bureaucrats are
multiplying like rabbits these days. ..
They,dreated the Mustard Report which in turn if it is im-
plemented, will create more bureaucratic positions within
the,provincial government. -
A birth control pill for bureaucracy hes been invented. Its
called°an election.. It is applied to government by voters who
bring into power •a party that will cut 'public spending.
Such a party should make its intentions clear"
all
A copy of the agreement that ° The idea of selling'.the Crown Loy sts, and their families,
the "Claims for Losses During Reserves and the Clergy Reser- 25,000 later American settlers,
it l 20 (00 dire
Act i the British Isles
the War of 1812-15" be paid by "-ves was not• neer The govern- an on y ,•)
ct'iy from
-a privately subscribed loan to ment had 'passed an n • Few- hearts
•
the government, .was sent to Sir 1191" stating that one-seventh were in the war; many hoped in
tf
republican victory.
Governor of Upper Canal . -township surveyed • should be Many who came from the
° I n the Minutes of The reserved for the support of the United States „before and after
Treasury, dated July,' 182'1, • clergy in Upper Canada; and the mar, had a trade, and set-
- John Galt's endeavors " were one-seventh of the land sur- tied into business, operating
dully recorded ,as "Claims for veyed, in each township should grist, and lumber mills, opening
Losses" regarding a partial set- be marked as Crown Reserves shops and stores. Many more
_clement of the , d=irect claims. to be given as special grants of cleared farms and remembered
upon the British Government 'land, for services and favours by that their ancestors of oneor
for damages suffered by persona to the government. two generations past had
inhabitants of Upper Canada However, the Reserves were migrated ' to the North
during the war of 1812, and now intersecting all the settled American continent Froin
correspondence df John Galt, districts and were, • in some Europe, or the United Kingdom.
London agent for the • cases, surrounded by, or Ireland.
claimants, with The Treasury cultivation; but 'the Reserves Land speculators were •,
and the Colonial Office were mostly left in a, wild state, coming in from the United
showing the. nature of the as the Act stated that the States, 'buying up land as
claims and how it was proposed Clergy Reserves .could be held cheaply as possible,, and
they should be settled. for sale until prices. were holding\it until the '`land i -n-
• ,,, By the. time •an answer was, deemed favourable. A small creased in price. (i.e. land in
received from Upper Canada, portion • of the lands were let' any district increased in price
•`
stocks had fallen,. the terms of out on leases. `' when settlers moved' into the
� � ,
interest .offered b the overn- In • 1817; Robert Gourley, district, and began clearings
Y g
ment were unsatisfactory, the who was called an' agitator • by
loan was not considered a some, and a reforiner by others,
profitable venture, the business asked many settlers in Upper •
men withdrew their support, Canada to fill in a question -
and John Galt saw his chance naire° he had made up, and
of raising money to pay the from this list, the most common
-.War Claimants, by this means, answers were_:, The dissatisfac-
,was ended. 'don by settlers with the govern -
He !eft London and returned ment for allowing 'the Crown
t S tl dt • write and a$ a and Clergy Reserves to be left
o co an, o ,
commissioned agent, to plan continously in a wild state, as
' other riieans of raising the they were blocking the develop -
capital to pay these claims. menr of settlements. Settlers
After so`ine time, a friend of Mr. were required to carry out "Set.:
Galt's in `Canada sent him a tiement Duties".: The clearing
copy of the Upper ' Canada of a road allowance in front of
Gazette Extraordinary, in his land. This was almost
which a dispatch from Lord useless when it was blocked by
'Bathurst; dated Feb.•15, 1823, a tract of wild land. These in:. • new ballpark lights and to
was .published and it reflected ' tersecting •each township initiate the lights:
• John Galt as having failed ° in (where as wild '"unsettled The captains of the two
his mission for ''the Upper lands, did not have to meet theme„ 'teams Bill Bogie, Forester and
Canada War Claimants. "Settlement Dutites" of ,,road Ray Bainton, Try -Hard, met at
Angrily John Galt returned clearances)`, resulted .in the set-• homeplate at 8:30 to establish
to; London, He met Mr. Robin- tiers having to live too widely the ground rules for the game
son, then Chancellor of the Ex- apart. Also, absentee landlords and to°wish each other the best
chequer, 'and Mr. Wilmot Hor- who were hfilding large blocks of luck.
-ton, Secretary to Lord 'of wild lands for speculation The first inning typified what
Bathurst, and several contemn- were a hindrance. And, more the game was going to end up.
ces were - held .or•egarding settlers, especially ,those who-. as, and that was high scoring.
liquidation of the claims. Mr. had some money and were The Try -Hardy put three ruins
Robinson suggested that if Up - willing to work' hard; ;ere across: in their half of the first
per Canada would undertake tb needed to create good farms. but the:Foresgters were not°to be
• pay half the civil expenses of3 In 181.9 the Clergy Reserves held down and matched .the
the province (at that time the • had been placed under the ad, Wingham. score. In the second'
United,;Kingdom. was paying ministration`• of the . Clergy ' inning they took a two run
almost all of them), the United Reserves. Corporation, under . lead. e• °
• Kingdom should undertake to the watchful eye of Rev; John The. Try -Hardy could not
.discharge the claims. Strachan, of -the Church of. pitch to the Forester's: home
Returning . to Scotland,. to England in Upper Canada. run king" Bob Jewell so they
Eskgrove • House, Near - Father .Alex Macdonell was substituted the regular baseball
Musselburgh, 'Galt realized • 'vitally interested in the settling for a grapefruit which exploded
that before plans could—,be ' of Upper Canada and in the when the might)! Jewell swung
made, he must find. out about government policies. '(He was his bat. Later iri' the game the
the resources of Upper Canada; appointed to the Legistlative Foresters `. retaliated . o`h
Po
I P.
G,ODFRICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY,' AUQUST.,t$, 1174- 'AGg '3.
and ,homesteads.)
Because of the lack of
emigrants during the'European
War years, 'from the United"
Kingdom and' Ireland, ' there
were few school -teachers and
those who'were opening schools
were mostly Americans, and as
one government official stated
"t'eaching from • Republican
Books•"
In religion, the Anglican
Church and the Catholic
Church were only 'sparsely
represented. Saddle -bag
preachers were coming up from.
the United States, and, in some
cases, mixed politics with
religion and were suspected of
causing dissention.
Father Alex Macdonell was
able to tell Galt that Scots from
almost 'every Clan of Scotland
were now in his Glengarry Set-
tlement in Upper Canada and
the Scots should ha'e 'their
own -Clergy-, and ' ,school
(continued •oil ,page 4)
Ron Harris displayed the form of a ballerina combined with
the power of a locomotive when he went to bat for the Ben --
miller 'Foresters in their exhibition ` game against the
Wingham CON Try -Hardy. (staff photo)
first game under the lights
The first and last game of the
Benmiller World Series of
-Everybody Gets a Hit' baseball
was Played `last Saturday night
under the lights at the Ben-
miller Ball Park.
The series was a match game
between the Wingham CKNX
Try Hards and' the Benmiller
Foresters Club designed to
raise funds to help pay for the
and although still angry about Council it) 1831.) Wingham's ace slugger „Rick
.the article in the Gazette, and 'the government of Upper q Rathburn with the, samekind
the'unfavourable light iri which C.anada.raised very .little of 'baseball- and. achieved the'
he -was -placed in. regard to the money in taxes, and the expel- same results.
. ° claims,he wrote to his friend in ses 'of the province were being The ninth inning proved to
Upper Canada asking for infor- paid ,by the United Kingdom. ` be a thriller _for the .200 fans
mation regarding the province. Upper Canada was almost•in a who came out to the garne..The
Ding this correspondence bankrupt condition; and the Try-Hards rallied in their half
'„Galt becalm aware there was ,finances of the government of .of the ninth and took a six run
" enn ty4'between. the different' the United Kingdom were '°" lead on the.Benmiller boys but
factions\o the goverhment. of tying to recover from the the" -Forester's pulled a •defen-
'Upper Canada, . and that the strain of _the European Wars. sive trick on the opposition and
province. w4 in, a state of tur- ° An inflow of cashwas' needed put ell :of their 30 team mem:*
moil. , �,, ' to take the stress off the United bers on the field to retire the
Fatlier'Alexand 'Macdonell, Kingdom government and also side.
on one of his ,visiqp.Scotland, to help Upper *_Canada defray The Benmiller bats -"'swung,
• came toyvisit Gat at; skgrove 'its own.. expenses' and become freely in the bottom of the
". House in December, 182:pp ninth and with one batten out
is the Father Alex Mac
who had taken care the sh`�
wrecked High•lan rs a
R Greenock' in 1792, w s with
them during the war-whe they
were the. Glengarry` Fenc'bles . En
and then'saw them become et- `The
tiers in Canada in, 1803. ( e- Canada
'became ,the first Roma dilemma. .
Cathirtic. Bishop of Upper there was a p%4 ful ,invasion Forester Hall, Proceeds from
Canada• in ¶826.) rom .the United =tes, Both the game totaled around $l.1
Father Macdonell, andfj
John fore and ar the war' of and will be used by " the
Galt discussed' the conditions 2-1.4 settlers from the Foresters • to help pay for the
resources of the provinof U'ni'ed States were pouring lights.
Upper Canada and the into. Aper Canada, especially
possibility of selling the Crown into t Power Western part of
and ' Clergy. Reserves ,.as a ' ' the Pro ince. • The government „
":nearly ' of "raising money to came to alize there were faro %
eticans in the
n there *were set•, •
ache: Countries.
, some stoutly
w homeland
the United
hese retur-
their
ar as if
thers
e ar-
on-
i- This -more self-supporting. -
it 11 . The time ,was ,_opportune, < the score was tied at 19 runs
p` Father Macdonell was; able to ' each. ' The last two •Benmiller
ell Galt, for buying land and batters couldn't' touch the
ging settlers-- to • Upper Wingham hurler who grounded
a, especially from,' -them both .out .'to end the game
Ireland and Scotland, in a --deadlock.
Both teams dforgot,,all their
animosity and' celebrated- the
game with a barbeiltte at the
'riiment of Upper
facing• a serious
several years
1
- • satisfy the claimants form the
war losses.
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MARI(ET
- Po LTD.
ON THE. SQUARE
524-8551._
more °' A
Province th
tiers from
During. the 'wa
° defended their d
others returned t
States and some of
ned to take • u
homesteads' after 'the
nothing had happened.
were openly hostile to t
mies defending Canada,
dering why they didn't welcor%e
the .American invaders.
In regard to this"situation Sir
Isaac Brock wrote to Provost,
from St. George, on July 12,•
1812; There can be .no doubt
that a large portion. of . the
population in , this neigh-
",borhood are sincere • in their
professions to defend the coun-
try, but it appears likewise.
evident to lie that greater part
are either indifferent td what is
passing, or so completely
American, as to rejoice in, the
prospects of a change of Gover-
nments•
-Of the 80,000 people in Upper
Canada in 18812, most were still
Aiherics►ni• 35,000 representing
p.
1
•
Nhife canes aady.aII•
In Benmiller thep
umpires reallyare blind. Arnold Fisher, in the front of the ambulance,,and
Leonard :Fisher, in the rear, umpired the game between the Foresters and CKNX under the
- lights last .Saturday night'l=orester catcher, Dan Willis' gets ready .for, a fastball as CKNX
leadoff hitter Stan Cepukas prepares to send it out 9f the park. (staff photo)
The Mpirg 'tried tit ` to be biased in the Forester -Try -Hard
gamein Benmiller Hut Forester" Gerry°Ginn could not control
• his enthusiasm ° for his teammates' • homers. Here he
ognrgratulats the players as they cross the plate after one of "
the Thy homerunsq hit in the exhibition game. (staff photo)
.s.
d7 �