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!