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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1979-12-13, Page 4PAGE 4—GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1979 Goderich 1 SIGNAL®STAR The County Town Newspaper of Huron Founded in 1$40 and published every Thursday a, Goderich, Ontario. Member of the CCNA and OWNA. Advertising rotes on request. Subscriptions payable In advance '16.00 in Canada, '35.00 to L.S.A., '75.00 to oil other countries. single Copies 15'. Oiselay advertising rates available on request. Please ask for Rote Card No. 9 effective Sept. 1. 1979. Second class mall Registration Number 0716, Advertising Is accepted on the condition that In the event of typographical error. the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with reasonable allowance for tignature, will not be charged for but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. In the event of a typographical error edvortlsing goods or services at a wrong. price -goods-orservfce may nolle sold. Advertising Is merely an offer to sell, and may be withdrawn at any time. The Signol-Star is not responsible for the loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts or photos. Business and Editorial Office TELEPHONE 524-8331 area code 519 Published by Signal -Star Publishing Ltd. ROBERT G. SHRIER — president and publisher SHIRLEY J. KELLER - editor DONALO M. HUBICK advertising, manager Mailing Address: P.O. BOX 220, Industrial Park, Goderich Second class mail registration number r— 0716 Much needed legislation Hooray for town council, and hooray for the _heritage district conservation plan now in place in Goderich. After years of dilly-dallying over the pros ,and cons, council has finally seen the wisdom of preservation, not destruction. It may be that a letter to the editor which ap- peared in The Goderich Signal -Star November 29, may have made some sort of impact on some council members. That letter, written by Canada's own Pierre Berton, who is chairman of the board for Heritage Canada, told very succinctly exactly what is being accomplished by those in favor of preservation of Canadian heritage. Berton said the private charitable foundation worked to push through heritage legislation in most provinces, invested heavily in various conservation areas in major Canadian commuhities, acted as a' catalyst to spark heritage preservation in Halifax, Montreal, Annapolis Royal, Ottawa and Van- couver, launched a massive education campaign to train or re-train artists, developers and architects in the techniques of preservation, published books and magazines on the subjelct and are presently experimenting in pilot projects to find -new uses for old buildings, to preserve streetscapes, to engage the private sector in new forms of profitmaking preservation. But perhaps the most interesting problem being tackled by Heritage Canada is the one fostered through the income tax act - the one that makes it more profitable tax wise to destroy a building than to save it. There is no doubt that hard-nosed businessmen have found it impossible to be sym- pathetic to saving buildings when their business sense told them they would be earning money by demolition. And Who can blame them? 1 Still, preservation of what is unique and good about Canadian heritage must be a priority. Even Heritage Canada would not want to save absolutely everything from the past. That would be folly. But basically sturdy buildings with the facade of a rich Canadian history must be saved for future generations in much the same wayas family heirlooms are handed downfrom old to young over and over. How many°inexpensive trinkets become priceless treasures through time? Once levelled, historical buildings and reminders of the past cannot usually be restored. They are gone, forever. Thankfully, here in Goderich, council has seen fit. to take action t� preserve the architecturalrbeauty of The Square - what's left of it. The pity is the law wasn't in force years ago to prevent those modern interruptions here and there around the octogon. - SJK See -hg Is-believ Since the last meeting of. the board of Alexandra Marine and General Hospital, thi"s' newspaper has had a couple"of complaints about the handling of the stories from that meeting. Interestingly enough, the complaints came not from board members Who attended the meeting, but from staff members at AM&G who were not there. Normally, this newspaper doesn't overplay the complair%ts of readers. They are usually published without comment, unless of course, an apology is requested. In that case, if the complaint is justified, an apology is made. However, in the case of recent complaints from the hospital, the inference has been that this newspaper and the hospital administration' are interested only in the "monetary items" while "improving standards of patient care" is all but ignored. To regular readers of The Signal -Star, this will be immediately recognized as a crock. Patient care is very definitely uppermost on this newspaper's list of priorities at AM&G. In fact, itis the only concern. , Unfortunately, monetary items in many cases, play a major role in the provision of high quality stan- dards of patient care. m There is always a tendency on the part of em- ployees who are unfamiliar with mana 'ent, to imagine that money is readily available for salaries and equipment'if only it were spent more wisely. In reality,' it is only occasionally that mismanagement of funds creates totally un- necessary hardships. In the. case of the board at AM&G, requests for better salaries and new equipment are all met with a genuine desire to provide the best possible patient care'while at the same time; . living within a budget that is deter- mined by a complicated Ministry of Health for- mula. The two aren't easily reconciled and one needs only to sit in on a few meetings to determine that truth. This newspaper is proud -of the hospital and the standard of patient care provided by the staff that is employed there. That fact has been reported frequently. The board at AM&G is comprised of dedicated citizens who give freely of their time and talents for the provision of high quality of patient care. That fact is. evident at every board meeting. The administration at AM&G is conscientious and informed, . determined to maintain high quality patient care within Ministry guidelines. That fact is demonstrated by all manner of recent im- provements at AM&G. Once again, this newspaper implores the board at AM&G to,open its meetings to the public, so that. this kind of criticism can be minimized by the in- vitation to sit in on a board session and find out for one's self what really does go on there. - SJK Word to the wise? An interesting note for Huron County television viewers is the showing of "Of Mice and Men" which Will be January 5 on TV Ontario's Saturday night movies. "Of Mice and Men" was first a book written by John Steinbeck. That book has been the subject of a good deal of controversy in Huron County in the last year or so. For those who consider the book undesirable as school study material for young adults, it will be little reassurance to note the movie will be running late In the evening .-.. bat .not late enough to discourage most viewers past the age of 14 or so. A word to the wise then. If there is anyone in the Signal -Star readership who feels strongly against the movie, better keep an eye on what the family views January 5. . It hardly seems likely there will be time to get a blackout of the station in Huron County during the showing..- SJK 75 YEARS AGO Two new packages of fine china for Christmas trade have just been received at' Maple Leaf China Hall. James Hays has left for Kincardine where he has �Srul;iLt�Liit •1 liver y business and will hen- ceforth reside. Mr. Hays, while in the same business here and during • his residence of several years, made many friends. Tenrperar'tcc rally day in the Sundaytscfiools of town was observed last Sunday, the Presbyterian LOOKING BACK anti Baptist ,(mauls joining • with the Methodists in North Street Church, On Tuesday evening the Inverness Canip, S.O.S., gave an oyster supper and musical entertainment in Odd Fellows' Hall. S1 v'Cn 71—leachers In training at the .Goderich Model School have secured positions for I 905. r Mrs. George Evans and daughterMissFrances, who returned a couple .r>f weeks ago,. from the World's Fair, were pardonably .proud and gratified by the •won- dei'ing atte•nUun with which Canada's exhibits were received. The Goderich Harbor' Lumber .Mill has closed down fur the season but the company will, retain many of its employees as the stuck of lumber on hand is very large.. 25 YEARS AGO Christmas carols sung in both the Dutch and German languages were to he heard at the seventh annual Christmas party for new Canadians held •by the Mapie Leaf Chapter LODE at the tiuderich Pavilion Friday evening. More than 75 new Canadians attended with their families. Ahbut 500 people at- tended the annual • Children's Christmas party of the Do -minion Road Machinery Com- pany Limited at' the —Goderich Pavilion " Tuesday evening. George Feagan was named president 'of the Goderich Trotting and Agricultural Association at the annual meeting of the group Monday night. 14e 'succeeds Ben Gold- th.orpe. Charles Allison was elected ',president of the Goderich •LB 1' awn ow rng Drivers n.eed co-operation There was mixed reaction to an editorial in last week's Signal -Star entitled "Red tape for safety". The editorial dealt with the matter of bus drivers. keeping daily log books on the mechanical and operational fitness of the buses they drive. It was pointed out by the Ministry of Tran- sportation and Communications that the bus drivers would note the problems with the buses and the, maintenance staff ,would initial the log book when the repairs were completed. The issue with the editorial was not so much that the bus drivers were called upon to accept the responsibility for determining the roadworthiness of their vehicles, but that there was no indication in the editorial what the bus drivers could do if the Maintenance work was not carried out. Bob Cunningham at the office of the Huron County Board of Education says that bus drivers in this county who feel their buses are unsafe and that repairs are not being carried out by the bus con- tractors, need only.to-report the matter to him or to the MTC inspectors. Tlie matter then will be dealt with swifty and completely. Cunningham reports that MTC regulations say that all school buses most be inspected twic'e an- nually by a licenced mechanic - and a sticker must be placed in the window of the bus to indicate these, inspections are complete. Once annually, the wheels .are pulled off and a complete' inspection . made of the brake system. _ . In addition to this, Cunningham says MTC in - spectors, all licenced mechanics, arrive unan- nouncedAi,at leastonce each year to inspect every school TYus. He claims these inspectors don coveralls and' get in and under the buses to give a thorough inspection of everything from windshield wipers to exhaust systems. The log books, the board transporat'ion officer feels, is an attempt by the Ministry to plug some other loopholes - such as the irresponsible bus d"river who doesn't concern himself with the safety of his vehicle. While Cunningham believes Huron County enjoys a staff of competent, responsible bus drivers, he acknowledges that in some other areas under MTC jurisdiction, bus drivers may not be so capable. The log book will force bus drivers to take daily concern for their vehicles. And Cunningham believes the log books will absolve the conscientious bus driver of much of the guilt previously felt by them when their bus was less than adequate. In many instances, bus drivers have been pointing out problems with their buses, but there has been no documentation of their complaints. The log books will end that frustration. All in all, the log book system seems to be well received as a useful and necessary piece of legislation. As expressed in the first editorial, if even one school bus disaster is averted by the extra paperwork, it will" be worth the aggravation to the bus drivers who must add that chore to their regular daily duties, - SJK Club at its annual meeting last week. Gross receipts of nearly $300 were taken in by the "Toms" division of the Lions Club in con- nection with the raffling of ten turkeys. Slippery ,streets were _blamed ...for ..a__._.rash of accidents in Goderich and district last weekend. 5 YEARS AGO 40, Kenneth G. Dunn, chairman of the Board of Alexandra Marine and General Hospital, ,presented a color photograph to Dr. Nor: man Jackson this week on his retirement as Chief of Staff of thehospital after 20 years in- that position. Goderich Mayor Harry Worse]] has announced that a branch of the Toronto -Dominion Bank will situate in the shop- ping plaza now being built on highway 21. Karen Osborne of Chatham and Rusty Ormandy of Goderich wonfthe novice dance title at the Western. Ontario sectionals figure skating' championships Saturday in London. They will go on to the , Central Canadian divisionals at Brandon, Manitoba next month. The First Baptist Church and a neigh- bouring house have been targets for vandalism in recent weeks, receiving damagc•totalling $415. Goderich Police Chief Pat King is warning merchants to beware, of shoplifters now more than any other time of year. W.O. Mills has been elected to another term of office as director of the Ontario Motor League, Bluewater Division. ff E'EAR BY SHIRLEY J.KELLER Everyone in this part of Ontario knows and loves Murray Gaunt. He's the MPP for- Huron -Bruce and though he's a Liberal in a basically Progressive Conservative province, he is returned to office time after time. Murray Gaunt is a politician's politician. He has a great capacity for work, the gift of remembering people's names after only one or two meetings and when he `shakes ydiir hand, its like getting caught in a vise grip. At - the recent Estimates of the Ministry of Energy, Gaunt raised the matter of energy conservation - an important subject for these times, but for the Ministry of 'Energy, a vital subject. Gaunt wanted to talk about a new invention by a Canadian, Andrew MacGuire of Toronto. Apparently, MacGuire has perfected a device that should be on the market this Christmas .. and would be the,absolutely perfect gift for the man or woman who owns a car. It's an add-on piece for the car- buretor of your car, and it reported to save an average of 15 percent on the gas you use. In some tests, it saves even more fuel than that. Sound in- teresting? According to Gaunt, the gadget has been tested by Ford engineers in Europe. They -are so convinced of the merits of this particular device that they are soon to recommend that it be placed on all Ford cars in Europe. Gaunt also says that British Leyland and Weber Carburetion have con- ducted extensive tests on the MacGuire device, and got a 20 percent im- provement in fuel mileage. They are now moving into phase two of the emission standard testing. The University of Belgrade Engineering Faculty is also conducting. tests using the device. Mexico and Chile officials are interested to6. What about Ontario? Well, according to Gaunt the Ontario Ministry of Transportation and Communication has tested the thing and is satisfied it does give increased fuel performance. It's really a simple kind of process, Gaunt claims. -(For him and a few mechanics maybe.) The device creates a homogeneous mix of air and fuel, and creates continuous turbulence to give complete burning even when the motor is cold, Gaunt says. This is the time when the incomplete burning is greatest, Gaunt explains. If you want to get one of these little sweethearts for your husband for Christmas, it will cost about $40. It is beliciied to be distributed by Magna international in Toronto, but so far as I know, the gadget isn't being handled locally. About installation, I'm not clear. Gaunt didn't say mach about that, but I expect any mechanic worth his (or her) salt would he able to follow the easy -to: install instructions which I expect are packaged with theedevice. A If you get one - and get it operating - you won't have to worry about damages to your engine because of it. There are none, Gaunt promises. And what's more, on the basis of testing, car emissions are reduced as well. Bean farmers will be wishing every car on the road ,could be fitted with one of these gadgets. What I don't understand is why the Canadian government doesn't get on the hall and make these wonderous things mandatory on all new ^,ars built from this day forward'- and like in- sulation, a government -subsidized item for older cars. With the gas situation getting so tense that provinces are squabbling and countries are holding hostages and politicians are succumbing under the pressure of dealing with the crisis, one would imagine that Prime Minister Joe Clark would be pulling, all the stops to bring pressure to bear on car munufacturers to include this gadget on every motor coming into this nation. --President Jimmy Carter of the United States would make himself a hero with one swift stroke of the pen if he ordered this gadget become routine equipment on cars. Gaunt points out that Carter has asked Americans to drive three miles less per day than normally, because, Carter says, this would solve their gasoline rationing program. By simply legislating that this device he attached to every American car, Carter could ensure the equivalent to five miles less per day on the average on each car in his country. In terms of overall fuel requirements in Canada, it has been estimated that if this device were used on all cars, we would require 1.5 million gallons of gasoline less per day than is presently consumed. 'How much do you bet, fellas and gals, that this revolutionary gadget will be a long time catching on? No wonder people are speculating whether the energy crisis is as serious as some would have us believe.