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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1983-10-05, Page 7Wttg l(4114 0 44', DER 5, IOW ab YKES rl 2 lit I may be the least bit presumptuous and peak in vague, sweeping generalltleo, 1 would suggest that everyone, at one time or another, has had oc .slot) to have certain items in their posse • ver : illegally. That is to say, h i, " an I do this i ,rlltel ?, that most people have taken the I„i. d trinket or piece of personal property. Call it stealing, call it pilfering or Inad- vertent possession of other people's per- sonal property, we have all experienced It in some form. You may have innocently tasted a few peanuts at the bulk food section, or perhaps a pen or pencil may have accidentally followed you home from work. In the business world it is known as pilfering, and while it may be done Inadvertantly and without malice of forethought, the evidence does not lie. It is still wrong. It happens all the time and while I hate to cast any doubt on my sincerity and moral integrity, I will have to admit to b ,ging in possession of certain company property. Signal -Star property, to be exact. Just to clear the air, I do not pay for newspapers. It's a fringe benefit, I suppose. I rarely take one hoarse, but when I do, it's on the house. My publisher is a generous sort. But if one was to scan the contents of my dresser, glove compartment, back seat and other assorted hiding places, one would be able to produce 149 rolls of unused black and white film and at least 829 ball point pens, most of which didn't work in the first place. Technically, I suppose, the boss could have me put away for theft of the minor variety. It's petty stuff, to be sure, and could be classified as innocent pilfering. At the end of each rigorous work day the pen in my shirt pocket may be idly tossed on the dresser before the shirt is discarded in the clothes hamper, I intended to return the pen, it just slips my mind. Soon there is a mound of pens, As for the film, I like to have plenty of it on hand in ease of emergency. There is nothing quite as embarassing as rushing off to an assignment withouth flim in the camera, It's never happened to this veteran, of course, but I have been privy to certain horror stories. en from the ofAnyway, ficeor if cheated oou've n your extaken apense se ac- count, don't feel guilty -it's good for you a sociologist study claims. Cheatingapparently increases job satisfaction, raises work production and makes ford a healthier economy a study on workplace crime has found. The statements were a result of more than 10 years of research in more than 30 jobs. The sociologist divided cheating workers into four distinct categories; wolves - garbage collectors and other workers who cheat in packs; vultures -waiters who hunt individually; hawks -lawyers, politicians, academics and journalists, ifrho are in- dividualists happy to bend a few rules and finally donkeys -these are workers who have a keen sense of group loyalty and share the takings. So now I have come to the realization my job satisfaction grows proportionately with the pile of pens on the dresser and the • unused films in the back seat of the ear. I am rather relieved to learn that Offering is condoned in the work place. I would not. suggest however, that anyone take home a grader, for instance, or in the case of a bank employee, an inch of twenty dollar bills. There is a limit ‘to job satisfaction. Member. •CNA Second class mail registration number 0716 BLUE RIBBON AWARD 1983 THE NEWS PORT FOR GODERICH & DISTRICT SINCE 1848 Founded in 1848 and published every Wednesday at f3oderich, Ontario. Member of the CUNA. OCNA and ABB Audit Bureau of Circulations. Subscriptions payable in advance '20.95, (Senior Citizens '17.95 privilege card number required) in ;anode, '55. to U.S.A., '55. to all other countries. Single copies 50'. Display, National and Classified advertising rates alienable on request. please ash for Rate Card No. 14 effective October 1, 1893. Advertising is accepted on the condition that in the went of typographical error, the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with resaonebls allowance for signature, will not be charged for but that Wants of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. In the event of a typographical error advertising goods or services at a wrong price, goods or services may not be said. Advertising is merely en offer to sell, end may be withdrawn K any time. The Signal -Star is not responsible for the loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other materials used for reproducing purposes. PUBLISHED BY: SIGNAL -STAR PUBLISHING LIMITED ROBERT G. SHRIER - President and Publisher DON HUBICK - Advertising Manager DAVE SYKES - Editor l, • P.O. BOX 220r%Aleeproduci HUCKINB ST. 000ERIINDUSTCIPARK\GN OOOERICH, ONT. N7A 486 FOR BUSINESS OR EDITORIAL OFFICES...please phone (519) 1524-1133t11 No money for board school The Huron -Perth Separate School Board is angry, angry because it seems unable to get funding from any source for additions to some of its schools. And the aren't frivolous additions, no grandiose ideas ' here. The board wants to build some general purpose rooms which are smaller sized gyms common in elementary schools across the province. Library resource rooms are another feature needed in some of the separate schools throughout the two counties. The project cost is $1.5 million and would benefit five schools. In some cases these needs are presently being supplied by portables. Some portables, considered temporary facilities, have been on site for 13 or more years. One school in particular was built as a two -room structure, which has had to have three portables added. To look back, all the present schools in the Huron -Perth system were built prior to 1969, when county boards were formed. In some schools the only common facilities - used by students of all grades - are the hallways and washrooms. Like most boards, this board has followed normal routes in an attempt to get capital funding. This route is through the Ministry of Education at budget time. Only twice in the past six years has any construction money been sent to the board, and that because the school conditions deteriorated so badly. Dr. Bette Stephenson, minister of education, said this school system is a lower priority for capital funds on a Province -wide basis. So, who's getting the money? According to the minister, 90 per cent of capital funding is going to areas where there is an increase in the student population. Peel region is one place where student population is rising. Back here in Huron and Perth, granted the classrooms aren't crowded, but there is a lack of facilities to house programs which Dr. Stephenson wants across the pro- vince. These programs include, physical education, special education, French and library services. "No funding available,” is a phrase heard too often by the separate school board. Granted public boards in the area are receiving similar rejections, but they do have a larger tax base from which they are funded. The board must feel as though it is banging its head against a brick wall. But to give the board credit, it isn't giving up. With other government make-work projects be- ing implemented, there might yet be a chance for this pro- ject and board administration is investigating this angle. It's interesting to note that both Dr. Stephenson and Premier William Davis have supported in principle this project. The only thing missing is money. Speaking of depression Sometimes Canadians feel there is too much control in air lives. We often complain about the way government s s to intrude into so many of the things we seek to accomplish. True, perhaps, but we really don't know what r 4pression is all about. For a startling example of how the other hali is forced to live we should take a look at Romania, the eastern European country which has been under communist domination ever since the end of World War II. Angered by a flood of anti-government pamphlets, the officials of that nation have set up a control system to register and take printed samples from all privately - owned typewriters in the country. Henceforth any person who feels moved to criticize the government, even in the secrecy of his own attic, may well be hounded down and end his days in a prison cell. Does that give you any thoughts about freedom of the press in this country and why a free press is absolutely essential to a free society ( Mount Forest Confederate) Last respects By Dave Sykes DEAR READERS SHIRLEY KELLER It has taken well over 400 years, but the dream of Martin Luther appears now to be within reach. Many members of the Christian Church rejoiced this past weekend to see a story in The London Free Press announcing that Lutherans and Roman Catholics - in North America at least - are agreed finally that man cannot buy or earn eternal salvation. It is a free gift of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, proclaimed the story. It is a fitting story for this time of year. October 31, generally thought of as Hallowe'en, is Reformation Day in the Protestant Church. It is the anniversary of the date in 1517 when the German monk Martin Luther published his 95 Theses which condemned The Roman Church on many counts. This year, 1983, is exactly 500 years since the birth of Martin Luther who is sometimes referred to as the Father of the Protestant Church. Today's Lutherans, of course, take their name from Martin Luther. And while Lutherans in general in 1983 are somewhat divided among themselves on a few doctrinal issues, they all claim to follow Luther's Catechism, written in 1529. The outspoken Luther, according to historical data, was despondent as a young monk because of his sins. Luther felt he simply could not do enough penance as required by the church, to adequately atone fore blot out - his daily tran- sgressions. The story is told that young Luther mistreated himself with regular persistence and diligence, hoping to feel forgiven by God. But nothing helped. The suffering monk was sent on a kind of sabbatical to help him over his problems ... to redirect his thinking so to speak. He became a scholar to study the Holy Scriptures from the original texts. While pouring over the Writings, Luther became fascinated by them and fully engrossed in them. Before long he was convinced that some of the practices of The Roman Church of that day were in direct conflict with the Word of God. The practice that most disgusted Luther was the one of selling "indulgences" to anyone with money to buy. The purchasers were given a sheet of paper, promising certain entry into heaven at their death. The receipts from these sales went directly to the coffers of The Church, to pay for real estate and costly renovations and adornments. • In his studies, Luther had discovered what God said about such things. For instance: "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life." And by way of response, Luther wrote: "I know and accept the Christ of the Bible as my personal Saviour and trust only in Him for my salvation." I't was heresy in The Roman Church at that time, but Luther had found the peace of mind and the joy in God he sought. Needless to say, The Church wasn't ready for Luther's radical views and he was eventually thrown out of the Church and lived in exile from The Church until his death in 1546. But Luther had developed a following of men and women who accepted his teachings - and that group has grown and grown until today, Lutheranism is one of the largest Protestant denominations in the world. Obviously, others have taken up Luther's work of bringing peace and union between The Roman Church and Lutherans. With the recent an- nouncement that Roman Catholics and Lutherans are not only talking but are resolving old grievances, there now seems reason to believe that Martin Luther was indeed a great man ahead of his time. • But what of church unity? Did Martin Luther envision one church on earth? Probably. In fact, there's no evidence Luther set out to divide The Roman Church - only to make it stronger by pointing it back to the truths of Holy Scripture. Very likely, if Luther were alive today, he'd say there really is only one church on earth - and that's the body of believers who trust implicitly in Jesus Christ for their salvation. From what has been written by and about Luther, it is clear he wasn't hung up on man-made dogmas - only those truths revealed by God Himself through the Holy Scriptures. With more "churches" now than at any other time in history - and more springing up all the time - how can anyone say Luther has ac- complished anything? Along with everything else, Luther is credited with "opening" the Scriptures to the ordinary layman to study and interpret; to believe or disbelieve; to accept or reject. When he tran- slated the entire Bible into German between the years 1521 and 1534, it made the Scriptures available in a new way to people who had previously !leard them only from the mouth of priests. And the translating goes on and on today - into dozens of languages the world over. Now nearly everyone can read for himself - and decide. People may still not agree with Luther, but in his 63 years on this earth, he gave mankind a legacy that is appreciated by millions. And now, 500 years after Luther's birth, he has been vindicated in part by his beloved Roman Church. That's something that would have made Luther very happy - and grateful. As one Roman Catholic priest said to me a few years ago: "Oh yes, Martin Luther. Good man. Too bad we lost him." Ed Giesbrecht and I had an agreement that he should kick my foot under the coun- cil table whenever I talked too long. Ed sat across the table from me. Being a gentleman, he remembers that he actually had to kick me just once. ) probably deserv- ed more. That happened in 1971 and 1972. Ed's first period as councillor lasted five years and he did not run again at the end of 1972 when he moved out of town. After having attended council meetings for about two years as an observer, I was appointed to fill a sudden vacancy in June 1971. That is how I came to sit across the table from Ed Giesbrecht for awhile. After 12 years on the town council, I did not seek re-election last year. Ed Gieshrecht, having his home back in town, won a seat in last year's election. However, much to everybody's regret, circumstances have caused him to submit his reisignation last month. Thus, between the two of us, Ed and I have taken part in local municipal government "then and now", enabling us to reach into the well-worn bag of direct experiences and pull out personal memories and com- parisons in attitudes, methods and developments over a period of some sixteen years. Of course, many things have changed as inevitably as the years have passed, but many good things have remained the same. There are improved services and newly attractive looks on the face of our town, but the safe, clean and quiet atmosphere of a pleasant small town remains. Sometimes major projects (marine construction, core area improvements, heritage awareness, waterfront developments) have had to go through some periods of minor but noisy hostilities, but the events have taken their rightful places in the conscious acceptance of the people. Notable and progressive changes have taken effect in the administrative system of the corporation itself. Even such relatively simple and basic elements of council meetings as each member having an agen- da copy with accompanying materials, have been put in place only within the last decade. The growth of administration in sophistication and size coincided with the in- crease of programs and special funds made available by senior levels of goYernment. All this has resulted in new and better ser- vices to the people. As far as the council is concerned, there are more programs and an increasingly greater bombardment by what I call the "paper war" from all sides. There are stacks and stacks of new briefs and pro- posals, correspondence, reports and all kinds of other literature. And yet - thinking about all this and com- paring the present state of affairs with the conditions of ten years ago, one is tempted to express a strange and probably un- popular contradiction - the individual coun- cil member was actually better informed and more involved ten years ago than his counterpart is today. He had to he - there was nobody to help him or to do the work. The following positions were created within the last ten years: commissioner of works, building inspector, recreation direc- tor, recreation program supervisor, by-law enforcement officer, parks supervisor. Ad- ditional staff has been hired for the offices. However, the fact remains that on a smaller scale things were also done ten, twelve, fifteen years ago; they had to be done by council members themselves much more directly and the members had to know what they were doing, without daily profes- sional help. The advanced system has made gradually life much easier for the council members, but it has also created a certain remoteness from the daily toil. Placing more responsibilities on the very capable administration results in smooth and effi- cient running of the whole machinery of the municipality, but the question is - is the "grassroots" government losing some spark of direct interest and initiative, of per- sonal dedication and even love and in- dividual touch and enthusiasm? Perhaps nobody cares. Another notable change is that now there is not much discussion of matters at the council table; things seem to he "cut and dried" when they arrive. If someone does ask questions or expresses a different opi- nion, he appears to be regarded as a bit of a nuisance and troublemaker. I think it is our loss. For what they are worth, opinion polls show that only a small and decreasing percentage of the population takes an in- terest in the governments on any level. How much of this indifference is caused by the at- titudes and actions of the members of these governments? ELSA HAYDON &Meet...