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HomeMy WebLinkAboutClinton News-Record, 1981-07-09, Page 4PAGE 4—CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, THURSDAY, JULY 9,1 BLUE RIBBON A\AARD Mr Clinton I9® Is p ldlshse® wale Thursday be P.O. Bos 8t. C1lwteu. Ontario, Cswdw. NM ILA. INA: 4111-591.8. sJ/bsariptksn tato: Corrado- ICAO Sr. Mimeo . "HAS per yam, 9, foreign -'89:99 per poor 1 It Is reetsforool os socoaa aria arson by the pod. office es<wdor two poison noswbwr III The Naw➢s.Rasood losovisorodoil l0 9,99 111e. Huron nowrs-taco 4. founded lo 1Ii$1. end The Cllotori Now Ens. founded In IOU. Total press rano 8.81: Clinton NewsRecord *C A MEMBER JAMES E. FITZGERALD - Editor SHELLEY McPHEE - News Editor GARY HAIST - Advertising Manager HEATHER BRANDER - Advertising MARGARET L Glen - Office Manager MARY ANN GLIDDON-Subscriptions MEMBER Dlsploy advortls!np rates ovalloklo or r utilises,. Ask for Auto Cord Ho. 11 Affection 6 i,. 1. HN. Taken for granted Finance Minister Allan MacEachen was in fine form duringa radio broadcast. Questioned on record -high interest rates, the finance minister explained that these soaring rates are the only way to keep inflation in check. If the money sup- ply is tightened up, people will stop buying more than they can afford and things will slow down, he said, spouting traditional Liberal economic policy. The interview then got to the point: "That's a nice theory, Mr. minster, but what advice do you have for the farmers who are going bankrupt as a result of this quick upturn in interest rates? What do you hove to soy to smajd businessmen .who will have to shut down because they can no longer afford the carrying charges ? What about the homeowner who finds he cannot adjust to an increase of 12 percent to 18 percent in his mortgage and hos to lose his home?" A few sputters and sighs later, MacEachen went into another philosophical frenzy about how such conditions would make people more aware of the economic situotion. Yes, if certainly will. And it will also make them painfully aware that this country is being run in the interests of the monied classes instead of the working people who built it with their blood, sweat and tears. It was only about five years ago, that the government was making grants available to encourage people to buy homes. Many individuals responded to this government incentive and invested their futures of 10 to 12 per cent. Now that these families are snuggly tucked in and their mortgages comingdue, that some federal government has adopted a policy to throw them out of their homes. The only factor left out of Liberal economic policy is people. The strategists quote percentages. They show statistics. They talk decimal points. MacEachen's argument that high interest rates will curb consumer credit buying and brirlg mat- ters under control are absolute nonsense. Many small businesses, including farms, must rely on financing. Homeowners are already locked into mortgages. These people have to borrow whether they like it or not. In the case of small business, the increase in carrying charges will have to bepassed on to the customer. The customer, in turn, will either have to borrow more money or stop buying the product. If he does the former, it will only fuel inflation. If he does the latter, we will have a depression. The only people who come out winners ore those with, money. MacEachen has protected their investment by ensuring they have ample return on their money to offset inflation. The farmer and small businessman can go broke, as far as MacEachen is concerned, and the homeowner can sell-out, as long as bankers are safe. It's the old story: Those who have much, will have more. Those who have little, will have even less. Instead of protecting, money, the government should be pro- tecting people. Money without workers is useless. - One ofthese days we should all just put down our tools and stop working. Then let the MacEachen's of the nation see how much good their money does them. Maybe it's time the working people in this country stopped being taken for granted. From the Alexandria -Glengarry. News Set a good example According to a recent survey conducted in the high schools of Huron County it would appear that a great many of our young people are already in serious trou- ble - well ahead of those years when personal problems are normally to be ex- pected'. A cardiovascular survey carried out in the Huron schools revealed that out of 50 students, all of them drank alcoholic beverages at least twice a week and some more frequently; two out of 50 take drugs and three-quarters of .them smoke cigarettes. Health authorities are alarmed, as, no doubt, are the teachers. Whether parents are equally concerned is a good question. Admittedly, what is commonly called "peer pressure" is a dominating factor in the situation. The fear, of being different from one's fellows in adolescent years is very real to young people. But the question remains: what have so many parents been doing, or failing to do as the percentage of young addicts has climbed over the past few years? Yes, it may seem unfair to blame parents for the mistakes their children make, but mothers and fathers, after all are the people who should have the greatest concern for their children's future and the greatest opportunity to set the stan- dards which their offspring will adopt for their own life style. Obviously many of us in the older generation have not set a very good example for the kids. We, with the experience of self-inflicted bad habits behind us, should have been more than ordinarily concerned for those youngsters who are so close to our hearts. (from the Wingham-Advance Times). rC A 11h ei M 1 Ats, �Q 4s 014/ br % s . and .0 rair r %J Education stalement In thirty plus years as an editor, a parent, and a teacher, I have been inun- dated (though not quite drowned) by several waves of self styled "reform" of our educational system, especially that of Ontario. Each wave has washed away some of the basic values in our system and left behind a heap of detritus, from which teachers and students eventually emerge, gasping for a breath of clean air. Most of the "massive" reforms in our system are borowed from the U.S., after thirty or forty years of testing there have proven them dubious, if not worthless. We have borrowed from the pragmatist, John Dewey, an American, who had some good ideas, but tried to put them into mass production, an endearing but not necessarily noble trait of our cousins below the border. We have tried the ridiculous, "See, Jane. See Spot,run. Spot, see Jane vomit," sort of thing which completely ignores the child's demand for heroes and witches and shin- ing maidens, and things that go bump in the night. We have tried "teaching the whole child", a process in which the teacher becomes father -mother, uncle -aunt, grandfather, grandma, psychiatrist, bud- dy, confidant, and football to kick abound, while the kid does what he -she dam -well pleases. And we wonder about teacher "burn -out" We have tried a system in which the Huron harvest time by James Fitzgerald remembering our past a look through thenews--record files 5 YEARS AGO July 11. 1976 "Fantastic, incredible. an over- whelming success," were just a few of the superlatives used to describe the four-day Bayfield Centennial celebrations last weekend. Although the weatherman didn't co-operate fully, total attendance at all the events is said to have approached 10.000. Centennial Chairman Milvena Erickson noted that it was remarkable how a town of - only 500 people could put together such a flawless celebration and could attend to the thousands of people who attended the activities. The threat of a major invasion of army worms in the grain crops in Huron County has nearly ended, according to Mike Miller, associate agricultural represen- tative of Huron. The outbreak was caused by a rare south breeze that blew the moths north from Ohio to southern Ontario where they laid their eggs. Il) YEARS AGO July 15. 1971 How would you like to have the say in how 525,000 is spent? Clinton town council decided Monday night to let the citizens of Clinton make suggestions on how a $25.000 grant of money is to be spent. The money comes from Willis C. Cooper of Esher. Surrey England and is to create a memorial to his parents, the late Mr. and Mrs. A.T. Cooper. who operated a book store on Clinton's main street for many years where Smith's Office Supplies now stands. The three weeks of planned recreation for the children of Hensall began on July 12. under the direction of Mrs. Archie Couper. Cathy Cook and Sheila Sangster, who attended a Playground LeadersCourse in Owen Sound are the two leaders, and are assisted by volunteers, Bonnie Sangster, Joan Goddard, Jane 1 -teal. Joan Allan. Christine Vanstone. Kevin Bishack and Tony Kyle. Between 01 and 70 children registered the first day. 25 YEARS AGO July 12, 1956 For the second week in a row. Sunday brought severe thunderstorms. winds and rain to this area. and throughout this part of Ontario. Flash floods which are becoming the rule rather than the exception in Clinton, because of heavy rains, once again caused overflows into basements, across lawns. children choose from a sort of Pandora's box what subjects they would like to take, and giving them a credit for each subject to which they are "exposed", whether or notthey have learned anything in it. That was a bit of a disaster. Kids, like adults, chose the things that were "fun", that were "easy", that didn't have exams, that allowed them to express their in- dividuality." New courses were introduced with the rapidity of rabbits breeding. A kid who was confident that he would be a great brain surgeon took everything from basket -weaving to bird -watching because they were fun. And suddenly, at about the age of seven- teen, he -she discovered that it was necessary to know some science, mathematics, Latin, History and English to become a brain surgeon (or a novelist, or a playwriter, or an engineer, etc. ) There are very few jobs open in basket - weaving and bird -watching or World Religions or another couple of dozen I could name, but won't, for fear of being beaten to death by a tizzy of teachers the day this column appears. The universities, those sacrosanct in- stitutions, where the truth shall make you free, went along with the Great Deception. They lowered their standards, in a desperate scramble for live bodies. They competed for students with all the grace of merchants in an Armenian bazaar. Another swing of the pendulum. Parents discovered that their kids knew something about a lot of things, but not much about anything. They got mad. The universities, a little red in the face, suddenly and virtuously announced that many high school graduates were il- literate, which was a lot of crap. They were the people who decided that a second language was not necessary. They were the people who accepted students with a mark of 50 in English, which means the kid actually failed, but his teacher gave him a credit. Nobody, in the new system, really failed. If they mastered just less than half the work, got a 48 per cent, they were raised to 50. If they flunked every subject they took, they were transferred to another "level", where they could succeed, and even excell. The latest of these politically -inspired, slovenly -researched reforms in Ontario is called SERP, and it sounds just like, and is just like NERD. Reading its contents carefully,' one comes to the conclusion that if Serp is ac- cepted, the result will be a great leveller. Out of one side of its mouth it suggests that education be compressed, by abandoning of Grade 13, and out of the other side, that education be expanded by adding a lot 'of new things to the cirriculum. HoW-can you compress something and expand it at the same time? Only a commission on educa- tion could even suggest such a thing. There will be lots of money for "Special Turn to page 7 a .and again the sewer mains were overloaded causing a back-up of sewage in to some basements. Construction is progressing swiftly on the vault which is being built at the Clinton cemetery. The building will be finished well in advance of the fall and winter season when it is expected to be put into use.. The purpose of the vault is to provide an indoor location for graveside ceremonies to take place. Who says you can't buy items of clothing in Clinton? We were pleasantly interested on Sunday to note while dawdling through the pages of the biggest magazine published in the U.S.A., especially for ladies. that in one of the highly colored and costly full page advertistnents, a lovely lady looking over a banister. and wearing a skirt made of material vaguely familiar. A closer look proved it to be the self -same stuff which we personally have owned (purchased in a Clinton shop) for the past two years - which is just another reason why .we find shopping so much fun at home. 50 YEARS AGO July 9, 1951 Ontario Street Church congregation and Sunday Sehool picnicked at Conadale yesterday, a large number taking in the event. which wasa most happy one. The county workmen graded up the centre portion of Albert Street last week and on Saturday put on tarvia and gravel., 174 is conceded that they made a good job of it but they certainly used a much heavier coating of gravel than the town was wont to use. - The friends and neighbors met at the Hallett Township home of Mr. and Mrs. William Trewin on the evening of July 2nd; to extend congratulations on their recent marriage and present them with a beautiful set of Winton Ivory dishes in blue and rose design. The first part of the evening was spent on the lawn, the young people enjoying a game of softball. As the shades of evening drew in, all gathered in the house and Miss Helen McGregor gave a special reading. 75 YEARS AGO July la. (906 Miss Milne has been engaged as teacher of the school at Porter's Hill, to succeed Miss Swan. who "says she is going home to help her mother keep hodise:" we know some person who would be mighty glad to have Miss Swan keep housefor them. Mr. R. Norman Jolliffe, who is spending the summer at his home here. is opening a Vocal class in town. Those desirous -of Jlllu�'ui1j WIUi tun ae C'azncu t.0 Call Ylt we Wesley Church parsonage on R.attenbury Street. The people of the ()iitario Street United Church have wisely decided to remove their present driving shed from its location adjoining the church, and have bought 50 feet frontage from the western end of Mr. Rattenbury's lot on Ontario Street, where a fine 100 feet deep cement shed will be erected. It will face the street, and will be erected with sanitary arrangements which will prevent it being any way offensive or objectionable. This site is a good one, and the change has i is a dvantages. loo YEARS AGO July 15, IBM The hill between Goderich Township and Colborne is finished grading and there is full access both ways, which will be a great boon to the farmers of Colborne, thus enabling them to do their trading in Clinton. While a team of horses of Mr. Geo. Weston of Goderich Township were being driven into Goderich, they suddenly got frightened at something and springing to one side threw out Mrs. Weston, breaking both her arms near the wrists. She was taken to Marten's Hotel when medical aid was called in and the arms set. The occasional rains which we have had lately, are very much improving the looks of the crops in this section of the country, and we have every reason to'believe that the harvest will prove satisfactory, not- withstanding so many complaints to the contrary. All persons wishing to test the merits of a great remedy - one that will positively cure Consumption, Coughs, Colds, Asthama, Bronchitis. of any affection fo the Throat and Lungs - are requested to call at J.H. Coombe's Drug Store and get a Trial Bottle of Dr. King's new Discovery for Consumption, free of cost, which will show you what a regular dollar size bottle will do. Farmers. when you come into town always tie your horses. There is danger of them running away. The bulk of the World's writing is done with steel pens. Esterbrook's can be procured from any stationer, and at wholesale from Brown Bros.. Toronto. Clinton's junior cricketers play a game today at Wingham, with the juvenile "knights of the willow" of the northern metropolis. We hope the boys will be en- tirely successful in breaking their goose - eggs and in cracking their several pairs of spectacles. Do you hare an n/,irriorr? , 1411, nal write us a letter It, I/ie editor, and lel erer0•one know. .all letters are published, /)ror•irliilg there is suffirienl space v,railable, �Ap !h• 'v" raft cc fah a're'uie•vd Gad. Iso("rrfl(,r1?'rrr' l/Ien rrirr1I*'O/ are allowed if the leiter is 'signed elsell-llere, /rill all letters are subject et to editing /'r►r length i►r title/. the readers write letters Persistence pays off Dear Editor, The Board of Directors of Town & Coun- try Homemakers has. asked me to express its appreciation of your interest in the agency and its efforts to have Canada Manpower and Conestoga Clinton campus continue the Homemakers program. Thank you for your editorial "Per- sistence Pays Off" in the June 11 edition of your newspaper. As you stated, Town & Country Homemakers supplies a valuable service in Huron County, and trained per- sonnel will be needed to meet the expected increase in demand for in-home services. It is encouraging that the Homemakers course is available to those who are in- terested in this type of work. Thank you for bringing this to the attention of your readers. Yours sincerely, G. I. Fraser for Publicity Committee Town & Country Homemakers Nationwide petition to limit interest rates Dear Editor: Martin Hattersley, leader of the Social Credit Party of Canada has announced the launching of a nation-wide petition to limit interest rates on Mortgages and loans. "The time has come" he said "to wage an all out war on the scandal of high in- terest rates in Canada. Today's ex- cessively high interest rates are forcing small businessmen, farmers and home owners into bankruptcy. Thousands throughout Canada are living in fear of losing all they possess. Thousands more will never be able to own a home of their own." Petition '1,14.. is based on the fact that as i eceiiily as "6,6 7, a was illegal for Canadian banks to lend at a rate higher than six percent. It will be used to petition the Federal Government to take the following immediate action: = (1) Put limits on all interest rates on mortgages and loans; (2) lock -in interest rates; and (3) abolish penalties for early pay -outs. Copies of Petition "6" are available by writing to Box 5851 Postal Station ‘"L". Edmonton, Alberta T6C 4C2 or by phoning (403)455-5707. Maturity? As one matures, it is indeed pleasant to note the increasing respect one receives from those people who know one best. Evidence of this respect can be found in the meaningful verses on greeting cards that arrive annually on one's special day. For example, here are sortie of the platitudes I received. on my birthday this year. "I wanted to make a big fuss over you on your birthday... A truckload of nervous turkeys will be ceremoniously dumped in your bedroom window at 6:00 AM!" "I was going to give you a big ring for your birthday... but somebody Washed out the tub." Dogs were popular this year. One card contained a picture of a sleepy -looking mutt on the Outside and the introduction, "This is George." On the' inside were George and his mischievous master and the explanation, "And this is me. I wanted to wish you a happy birthday, By George!" Another card featured a shaggy dog with hair covering his eyes, a bluebird sitting on his nose and one front paw planted firm- ly in his dog food dish. The inscription read: "Another year older? Smile... it could be worse... You could look it!" Another card had three flaps each bear- ing the instruction "Open." On the final page was the explanation, "I figured we've reached the age where a little exercise would do us good!" The giver mentioned he had a tough time deciding between the latter card and another that said, "Happy 21st Birthday... and all the others since." Another sincere soul came up with the idea of "sending something precious, small and shiny that's found in oysters. Know what it is? Oyster Tongues! Isn't that just precious?" One thoughtful person included an in- surance policy that entitled me to, among other things, "finagle, lie, evade and kib- butz" about my age. I was also given some helpful advice: "Don't think of it as middle -age... think of it as prime time." Such sentimental prose is enough to br- ing a tear to one's eye! Now it's my task to find a suitable greeting card for my sister's birthday. She's even more mature than I am!