The Goderich Signal-Star, 1981-02-04, Page 4PAGE 4 - GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUAIIY 4,1981
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Editors of small town weekly newspapers
across the country created a mild wind
disturbance this week with the simultaneous
issuance of a resounding Wheeeewh.
The sigh was in the manner of relief when
the Ontario Labour Relations Board with-
drew a contempt ruling against a weedy
newspaper editor who had, refused to
disclose the sources of news story. The
editor faced. a three-udonthjail sentence but
remained defiant in defence of his source.
Understandibly your rural newspaper folk
around the country are somewhat relieved
at the stay of execution. It's like the
governor making that last minute phone call
as they're about to pull the switch on the
electric chair.
But the editor'' in question was fully
prepared to serve his time in jail while
protecting his source. An admirable gesture
to be sure_
The whole affair achieved a het of
notoriety with the aid of the able press and
was even given air time on The National.
Obviously it's pretty heady stuff.
So the entire story led staff at your
favorite weekly to ponder the predicament
and -the course of action yours truly may
have taken in the same situationlNaturally
the suggestion met with much guffawing
about the newsroom as cohorts intimated
that T lacked the integrity of the above
mentioned editor.
The nerve of some"people. In fact visions
of this editor deflecting the judicious efforts
of the courts caused many to break into fits
of raucous laughter and- bouts of knee
slapping. Ha, ha, ha.
Well in defence of my moral convictions,
let it be stated unequivocally, that this
truculent typer would rather withstand the
most arduous bodily torture in preservation
of a matter of principle. I mean editors are
generally insane in that respect.
Could one assume then, that I would not
utter a word even under extreme duress, the
threat of an excruciating half nelson, if they
tapped my knees with rubber hoses for
extendedperiods, let water drip on my nose
or twisted my little toe.
My bold claims would substantiate that
deduction. But then again I am not a big fan
of physical intimidation and even the most
hardened spy has been known to wianper
after application of the previously men-
tioned torture methods.
There is a chance I would buckle under
such pressure although it admittedly
detracts from the esteem in which I am held
for, making that admission.
Ij is really in conceivable that the courts
would send newspaper editors to jail in the
first place. Journalistic folk are prone to
vagary and are despicalbe characters at
best.
Simply the penal system would . likely
relent i,nr kind and I would st4,btnit that the
fi
criminal element would abandon their
profession rather than face confinement
with a newspaper gang. We manage to af-
fect people that way.
Hopefully this humble correspondent will
not be put in. a position of having to dodge
legal authorities. I take a poor picture and
.my fingerprints are sloppy.
However, 'paper colleagues are of the •
opinion that I would more readily turn in my
own mother or" mother-in-law -rather than
face a jail sentence and take a firm stand on
moral convictions.
I readily take exception to their precon-
ceived notions about my integrity but may
never get the chance to prove my worth. The
public looks to the press to uphold their
basic rights of freedom of speech, sort of
champions of justice.
But 1=get the impression a judge wouldn't
put much credence to the fact that my
source of information is Canadian Club.
SINCE 184
THE NEWS PORT FOR GODER!CI & DISTRICT
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PUBLISHED BY: SIGNAL -STAR PUBLISHING LIMITED '
ROBERT G. SHRIER = President and Publisher
.DONALD M. HUBICK,- Advertising Manager
DAVID SYKES - Editor
P.O. BOX 220. tri
HUCK INS ST.Go
IS
GODERICH NTA �B6
FOR BUSINESS OR EDITORIAL OFFICES please phone (319) 324-8331
INDUSTRIAL PAR
ough. decisi
Anyone for an election?
The good electorate of this country appear to be going to
the polls with increasing regularity. In the last four years
there have been numerous elections beginning with the
provincial election in 1971 which slashed the Conservative
Governmentmajority.
Jnbelween taxpayers have faced two municipal elec.'!"
tions, a federal election that propelled Joe Clark and the
Conservatives to power and an election six months later
that, subsequently reduced the Clark government to an
opposition role in February 1979.
And it's bade to the polls again. ,
On Monday Premier William Davis made a visit to the
Lieutenant Governor's office and asked Jolla Black. Aird
EC- fit= "iiicecz'as@ican of the lacrialature. The r cqu st as
granted and an election -was called for Thursday, March
19. .
Premier William Davis has said that the main issue in
the election will be effective leadership to spring Ontario
in the 1980s. But with that leadership question there is an
overriding urgency to economic recovery.
Perhaps.voters cannot look to any one party or leader to
place a-healinng -salve on the province's economic per-
formance, but it's obvious new measures are needed to
stimulate growth.
By comparison our economic output pales against the
progress of other provinces. In Ontario, unemployment
rates can be compared to the worst in the country in view
of plaid shutdowns and layoffs in the auto industry.
ns
Many people are looking forwork and in many cases
Ontario can't provide the jobs. Chrysler is seeking
government loan 'guarantees . to keep the Canadian
operation stable and employees have agreedto wage cuts
to keep jobs.
Maybe concessions have to be made in other industry as
well just to keepthe available jobs.
The province is" losing millions of dollars to educate
young people only to have them, leave Ontario with
promises of jobs and bigger bucks than they could hope to
make here. Many graduates are simply heading west
where jobs, at handsome. salaries too, are readily
eve ilnt le.
Industry in the pravrince is crying far skilled labor and
at rimes must hire '6iiitside the country to fill positions
while many are jobless. Ontario must train its own people
to fill job vacancies. Training people for skilled jobs is a
costly process, one that industry is unwilling to initiate on
its own. '
Government will perhaps have to show leadership in
that sector or skilled jobs will go begging for employees.
Ontario was once a leader in industry and a "have".
province that was envied across the country. But that
enviable position is history.
The economy needs a shot and a government may have
to get tough; band aids don't work. The election will be
fought on tough economic policies and not • paltry
promises. D.S. -a es. ;.
support recreation needs
•People seem to have more leisure time and sub-
sequently the numbers in pursuit of recreational activities
have increased proportinately.
There has been much dialogue, even in this community
in past years, about a municipality's responsibility in
providing for the recreational needs of the community.
Arenas and outdoor facilities are built and recreation
departments are created to provide programs for all ages.
Much of the cost is absorbed in a user -pay system but
generally don't meet fealty. and administration costs:
Simply, recreation is costing Canadians more and those
costs are tritely to rise.
Any parent can tell you a sad tale about the cost of
leisure activities. Costs for minor hockey and figure
skating can be demanding in large families although
Goderich compares favorably with other towns and cities.
On Saturday, February 7 the Goderich Minor. Hockey
Association and. the Figure Skating. Clubare sponsoring a
10 hour skate-a-thon at , the Goderich and Distirct
Memorial Community Centre.
Many youngsters will be making endless rounds of the
ice surface to financially assist the two volunteer
organizations. The groups undertake several fund-raising
projects in the course of a year to remain solvent. Simply,
they need some public support to survive.
Many people are behind the organization of the event
and the kids will provide the leg work in a co-operative
effort. Help the children help themselves and offer sup-
port to the skate-a-thon. D.S.
You certainly cannot judge a book by its
cover, but you can sure as heck figure out
people by the manner in which they do their
laundry.
Do not scoff. As a veteran laundry -matter,
I can vouch for the fact that personalities
come out in the wash. Many of us are not
fortunate enough to be able to wash -rinse -
spin -dry in the privacy 'of our own homes
and as a result, are forced to reveal our
white load and all our idiosyncrasies at the
public Laundromat.
Trained observer that your sensitive
columnist is, I have spent countless touts
studying the habits of hamper -dumpers.
What emerges is a complete anthropological
picture of Western Society which I could
make a fortune out of if I decided to write a
book about it.
Because I fall into the category of young,
single female, much of my observing is
carried out rising young, single males as
euteeets. However, I am quite
knowledgeable with regards to launderers
of all walks of life.
Nearly everyone will admit that they have
a washing routine, which means they do
their laundry the same time each week. My
favorite times are Friday between five and
seven o'clock when you have the partying
type getting cleaned up forthe weekend, and
Sunday' evening when the Laundromat is
deserted and I can turn the time into a social
hour with a few friends.
Monday to Friday evenings feature a
myriad of types and you can never be sure
what will be in there, while the daytimes are
reserved for housewives. Saturdays are
open, but are usually rather hectic what
with screaming children etc. and are to be
avoided a at all cost.,
Launderers of all age and sex can be
broken down into basic categories. First you
have the Novice. The Novice is forever
reading instructions and measuring
Morning's .beauty
Photo by Cath Wooden
0
EAR
READERS
BY SHIRLEY J. KELLER
Much of the time, I wonder just what it is the
readers of this weekly newspaper REALLY want
to read.
1 know. I'm not the editor any more. That
should be Dave Sykes' worry, you say.
And you're right. At least partly.
But in my role as editorial co-ordinator for the
company, I'm still_ vitally interested in the
content of this newspaper. And I am constantly
searching for the truth about what readers
REALLY want to read.
Now before you pick up the telephone to call
me and .tell me what you think .of me and my
paper, just think it over cahnly for a minute or
two.
Above all else in the newspaper, what IS it you
enjoy most? The obituaries? The births? The
engagements and weddings? They'll be high on
your list of why you read The Goderich Signal-
Star. Or the classifieds? They'll .:get a good
number of votes. The food store ads you say?
And the entertainment pages? The letters to the
editor?
,Now think again. What is it you enjoy least?
The sports say some; The crab reports say some
more. The church page cry a few. The canned
farm reports complain the farmers.
And somewhere in between rests everything
else - the municipal news, the' community news,
the business news, the school news, the county
news, the editorial page.
In a very general way, this is the way things
MaltalailateMelialWame
stack up. The majority of people have predic-
table and similar likes and dislikes. The
remainder of the news - the bulk of the news in
fact - is what gives editors fits. It is that stuff
about which there's as much disagreement as
agreement.
If I were to take a poll right now, for instance,
I'd wager that less than five percent of our
readers care two hoots whether Huron County
Council and Huron County School Board meeting
reports ever appeared in our paper again.
That knowledge could be mighty upsetting for
county politicians.
But it needn't be. For I'm convinced that it
isn't that our readers aren't interested in the
deliberations of Huron County Council and
Huron County School Board. It is simply that
presented in the form readers now get it - dull as
dishwater reports from deadly boring regular
meetings - there's very little to enthuse them.
I'M also convinced that while politicians might
not like it, the readers would get much more
excited about the news if reporters forgot the
motions and the minutes, and looked for the
behind -the -scenes issues that really affect the
men and women of Huron County.
Let's say the board of education discusses a
new bus contract. Tobe honest, the open board
meeting exchanges on the bus contract fail to
hold the interest of the majority of board
members. Only those board members who ac-
tually served on the bus contract negotiating
team get turned on by the legal jargon of a bus
detergent anu cropping socks and quarters.
Novices are fun to watch but hazardous to be
washing beside. Novices are either college
students, newly divorced men, or home -
washers whose machine has broken down.
Also harzardous are the Unprepareds.
They are always short 'of cha-,e and run-
ning out of bleach and you should never
accidentally catch their eye. They'll borrow
something from you everytime.
Unprepareds are usually single men who
would rather be watching football.
Mistake -makers are a common breed. If
female, Mistake -makers are constantly
suffering from Panyhose Wrap-around and
the pace. If male. M -M's tend to drop a pair of
white underwear in with the jeans. M -M's
will be ,always shrinking things, forgetting
the bleach, or drying wool garments on
'high'. Mistake -makers are amusing.
Then you have your Meticulous Types.
Meticulous Types make me sick. They are
s.' perfect. Never doing anything wrong,
tney separate colours perfectly, choose the
correct water temperature everytime, and
even remember to add the fabric softener in
the rinse cycle. They also attach their socks
together with those little clips.
Not only that, but Meticulous Types are so
organized that they bring things to read
'while they waft- usually the Wall Street
Journal or an Ernest Hemmingwav novel.-
1
ovel:1 fall into the category of Time Killer. We
rune Killers loathe and despise doing the
wash and have a tendency to try anything to
make the hour at the Laundromat a fun time.
We look at other people's underwear. We
compare detergents and bleach with
complete strangers. Often we pretend to
interview people for a hidden camera.
Sometimes a Time Killer will climb inside
a dryer to see. if it is a gbod spot for a nap.
T.K.s check all the vacant machines :for
leftover money in the' bottom And T.K.s are
forever rushing home with damp laundry. ,
contract.
What the average- Huron County resident
wants to know is how it is going to affect his taxes
and his kids who ride the bus.
And it isn't good enough to say, "The new bus
contract will mean a one-half mill increase in
taxes across the county."
The average reader thinks a mill is something,
that grinds pepper. He wants to know what it is
going to mean in actual hard cash: Will it mean
35 cents or $35 to him and the missus?
And he wants to know why his kids have to
walk half a mile to a pickup point when the
neighbor's kids get gateway service. He wants to
know why the bus- isn't equipped with seatbelts
when his car must have seatbelts and he gets
fined if he doesn't buckle up.
And if you're going to talk about bus con-
tractors, the average Huron County resident
doesn't want to hear how much the contract is
for; He wants to know what it costs to run those
confounded buses - real believable figures - and
what margin of profit the contractor is getting of
the taxpayers' money.
And if the profit level is too high in his_opinion,
he wants to know why the board members
haven't done something to get it down to a more
sensible levet -
When I come to think about it, that's the kind of
newspaper, with which I'd like to be associated
too.
The trick will be to sell it to the politicians - and
the editors and reporters who will have to run
angry interference to dig out the facts.
cath
wooden