Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1984-05-02, Page 41 a ODbe Published Barry Wenp:er. President Hens) Mess. Editor in.gjjani rbbancem Gimc at Wiughan,. Ontario, P.O.. Bo» 390 • No(; MO hs Wenger Bros. l.irited Robert O. Wenger. Sac. Treas. Audre> ('urrtc. AdWrttsing Manager Member Audil Bureau of Circulations Member — (unadian ('ummunitNewspaper Assoc. Ontario Commit' t" Newspaper Assoc. Suhserimions 5220.00 per Vi ear Second ('lass Mull Registration Nu. 082 1 Flaw in the process The convention delegates who will select the new leader of a political party In Canada are vitally Important -- to the democratic process. In the normal course of events the man they choose may well become prime minis- ter of the nation or the premier of a province. It is thus evident that the selection of official delegates to a leadership convention is a vitally im- pertant first step in the democratic process. Unfortunately, the strict rules which govern the election of members. of parliament do not apply to the selec- tion of delegates to a leadership con- vention. During the Multroney cam- paign for leadership of the federalPro- gressive Conservative party what might properly be termed "dirty tricks" were employed to load the con- vention with delegates supporting one candidate or another. It was reported that entire groups of last-minute party members had been secured to vote as 51+c.months 811.50 Return postage guaranteed ��l�lt1EN EEamie eito 1 11ieHj'ER Y / DIDN'T e?EAGe ` E IVA$ /1900N /A/ TO " they were told. The blame for this,totally undemo- cratic trickery cannot be laid at the door of the leadership. candidates themselves, but is instigated by party workers at the riding level. Nor is this practice of loading the vote confined to the PCs. Last week a Liberal delegate selection meeting in Kitchener was dominated by the in- terests of one particular ethnic group who pushed in several hand -selected delegates who were directed to attend the leadership convention and vote for one particular man. One of the women thus selected as a voting party member was unable to so much as name the candidate for leadership. Canadian election regulations are strict; they are designed to assure that the will of the people is never com- promised. Yet the very first arld most basic step in the democratic process remains open to flagrant abuse. Play by the rules Most of us who live in rural Ontario are well aware that farmers have undergone very tough economic times in the past few years. Since a healthy farm economy is vital to small busi- nesses in our communities we can sympathize with farm people caught in the .financial squeeze. That does not mean, however, that we can agree with some of the tactics presently employed by the Farm Survival group. The famous "penny auction" staged at Gowanstown several months ago might have been excused on the grounds that it did bring public atten- tion to bear on farm problems. The Survivors' occupation of the Farm Credit Corporation's offices in Guelph last week is something else again. It was an act of outright illegality. Had any other group of dissenters resorted to the same tactics in, let's say, a bank, the police would have been called in to remove the trespassers. A good many of us both within and outside the ranks of farm borrowers think that today's interest rates are too high. Almost every small businessman would like to have access to funds at lower cost, but very few would attempt to bully a lender by sheer force -and in- terference. If farmers find credit hard to se- cure nowadays they can thank people like Allen Wilford and his supporters for their plight. Press council serves all Newspapers and the general public are now served by press councils from coast to coast. In caseyou are not aware of the function of press councils you may find it Interesting to know that they have been established to provide a sounding board for complaints of un- fair press coverage, or lack of it, as the case may be. This newspaper carries the necessary information by which any reader may conplain of perceived unfair treatment by the paper. The Ontario Press Council, of which all Wenger Publications are members, is composed of 10 public members and 10 newspaper repre- sentatives. The chairman is J. Allyn Taylor of London, former businessman and former chancellor of the Univer- sity of Western Ontario. The public members are people who have had distinguished careers in business and public life. The news- paper representatives are publishers or editors of nine daily newspapers and ,one representative from the weekly press, Barry Wenger, president of Wenger Publications. Membership on the press councils across the country was accelerated by the proposed Newspaper Act, under which the federal government pro- posed the formation of a compulsory governing body to regulate the news- paper industry. The Act was never passed, chiefly because many of the nation's newspapers selected . volun- tary .membership in press councils. Press councils are established not only to judge the validity of readers' complaints against newspapers, but may also adjudicate complaints by newspapers in cases where public in- formation is being withheld from them. Representatives from all the press councils in Canada will meet in Toronto this week to exchange information on their various methods of procedure as well as the possible formation of a loose federation so that inter -council discus- sions may be continued on a regular basis. A worthwhile gift While donating body organs may be repugnant to some people, says The Exeter Times -Advocate, a large ma- jority probably have no qualms about what is removed after their death. In fact, many indicate that they would consider it worthwhile to have those organs used to improve the quality of life for some recipient. However, statistics indicate that there still remains a critical shortage of such organs as kidneys for the couple of hundred Ontario residents who could be spared from the costly and time-consuming ordeal of dialysis If there were sufficient donors. A London kidney specialist, ap- pointed co-chairman of a task force de- signed to raise awareness of the need for kidney donations, says the problem is not that people don't want to help, but that they can't face the idea of death. As a result they don't give their consent on the optional portion of their driver's licence to donate their organs in case of death. Therefore, half the people in On- tario requiring kidney transplants each year have to continue enduring dialysis treatments. Thanks to new drugs which reduce rejection rates, kidney transplants Are close to 90 per cent successful. Trans- plants represent a one-time cost of $15,000 to $20,000 in comparison to the annual cost of $30,000 for dialysis done in hospitals. Successful transplants also mean patients can be healthy, pro- ductive people again. Given that set of circumstances, it Is rather disappointing that so few willing donors are available. Think about itl Why haven't you. signed the consent form on your driver's licence? Water time The snow Is gone; the birds are singing; the sun is warm. It's time to go to the park. Time, that 1s, if there was anything to look at except muddy river bottom and old stumps. Come on boys. Let's have some water. n Items from Old Fil MAY 1937 . Mr. and Mrs. F. B. Allen moved on Saturday to a farm near Sarnia. Mr. Allen has been employed here by the Supertest Company for the past two years. At 10 a.m. Coronation Day 12 trees will be planted by , Mayor John W. Hanna in the Horticultural Park in commemoration of this historic event. The engagementis an- nounced of Catherine 'Margaret, Fry, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Norman L. Fry, Wingham, to John Ronald Rae, son of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Rae, Wingham. Duncan Kennedy has purchased Ernie Jackson's residence on the corner of Patrick and Shuter Streets. He will get possession the end of May. Mrs. W. J. Henderson was elected president of the Wingham Women's Institute, with her vice presidents to be Mrs. W. Barbour and Mrs. W. S. Hall. Mrs. Richard Clegg is secretary and Mrs. W. H. Fraser treasurer: Three projects, a new race track, an arena and a post office, are under con- sideration for Lucknow. The cost of the completed track is placed at $1,500. The post office is expected to cost about $15,000. Property at Campbell and Ingles Streets is suggested as the likely site for the building. MAY 1949 Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent disclosed that the general election will be held Monday, June 27. Mrs. James Walpole was re-elected president of the Wingham Women's Insti- tute. At the Annual meet- ing it was decided that the local membership fee would be raised to 50 cents to cover rising expenses. At the convention of the Progressive Conservative party at Toronto, Leslie Frost, provincial treasurer from Lindsay, scored a decisive victory in the four - man contest for the leadership of the party and the job that goes with it, the premiership of Ontario. William Austin has pur- chased Cecil Day's farm north of the village of Gorrie. A. Byers of Toronto has bought Mr. Austin's farm near Orange Hill. Rev. G. Murray Wyatt, recently of Stratford, assumed his new duties in Trinity Anglican Church, Belgrave, on Sunday. A quiet wedding was solemnized at the Presby- terian manse when Rev. A. Nimmo united in marriage Treva Belle, second daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Montgomery of Wingham, and John Stanley Jamieson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Jamieson of Whitechurch. Police chief helped in time of trouble Dear Editor, I am not a resident of Wingham, but feel I must have my say. I read ,d the letters to the editor against your police chief. I .was talking to a friend in° Wingham and heard about the councillor quitting. My family was in Wingham one time and in trouble. The police chief was the one on duty. He was so much help to us we won't forget it. He was very patient and understanding when we didn't understand all the legal stuff. Hehad to explain things many times. He ex- plained things till we did understand. We were always a little shy of policemen till 'then. 'Now we know that it should be "peace officer", not "police officer", or maybe it should be "friend". The bit about the coun- cillor saying maybe the paper should pay the money the police need is stupid. But if I had it I would gladly pay it. When the councillor quit because a raise in pay was too much, I liked her stand. But it's easy to spout off about something then quit. What we need is those with staying power. She ran for office because she would like to do some good, I expect. You can't do any good if you are a quitter. If everyone was like that the country would be in a worse mess than it is now. You haw a nice, peaceful, friendly, safe town. Don't screw it up. I' am sorry about my writing,' but I don't write much anymore. Mrs. V. Hughes Work to improve the town Dear Editor, Instead of Council in- creasing their wages, let's work to build up our town by means of industry, ap- pearance and community ways and not what we can get out of it but as a servant what can we put into it. When we %ad someone like Pat Bailey as Deputy Reeve, who didn't spare herself but worked tirelessly with the interest of the public at large, it's hard to see her go. Pat, you surely deserve to be commended for the battle you were in, and who can fill your shoes? I just don't know. Mrs. Arthur Stapleton MAY 1960 Norman J. Welwood sold his variety store in Lucknow to Nathan Silver who has operated similar businesses in a Toronto, Hensall and Parkhill. Mr. Welwood has operated the Lucknow store as well as his variety store in Wingham for several years. He will continue to own the Wingham business. Mr. and Mrs. Morris Taylor and their two little daughters of Brucefield moved recently to the W. J. Coulter farm near Whitechurch and will be in charge of the chickens put there by a hatchery. Donnybrook Church has changed its time of service from 1 p.m. to 9:45 a.m. Sunday School follows the church service. The Brown Construction Co. of Walkerton started to pour concrete for the basement of Raymond Gowdy's new home on Martin Street in the village of Gorrie. At a meeting of the Turn - berry Township School Area Board, the board engaged the services of Dunlop -Wardell -Matsui - Aitken, architects from Toronto, to draw plans for a new three-room school. The board also decided to pur- chase six acres of land belonging to William McKenzie on Highway 86. S MAY 1970 A new total cost of $3700, for traffic lights on Wingham's main street was reported by Mayor DeWitt Miller at the meeting of town council. Council passed a motion authorizing purchase of the equipment and plans to install the signals will proceed. Mrs. D. S. MacNaughton of Victoria Street was honored when about 40 attended the 0 unit meeting of the Cancer Society. She was thanked for her many years of service ,as leader and organizer of the clinic's work inthis district and presented with a cer- tificate of service by Jack Alexander. Beverley A. Rawn, 19, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Seth Rawn of town, has been accepted as an officer - candidate for the 1970-72 sessions to begin September 15 at The Salvation Army Training College for Officers, Toronto. Long service awards.were presented to road crew members at the April session of Huron County Council. Honored were Harvey Bradshaw, Wroxeter, 25 years; Bob Edgar, Wroxeter, John Seers, Auburn, and Gord Miller, Auburn, 20 years; Bob Brown, Wroxeter, and Tony Middegaal', Blyth, 15 years. TODAY'S CHILD BY JUDITH ADAMS Teddy is a beautiful baby, six months old, who is going to be a joy to the lucky family who adopts him. He's alert and very responsive, full of smiles and coos, and altogether a happy, contented infant. Teddy's Children's Aid Society is looking for an adoptive family for him. They feel he could be a first child, or have older brothers and sisters. Certainly he loves the company of other children, and after a visit from his foster parents' grand- children, he's disap- pointed when they have to leave. A black or mixed race family would be preferred for Teddy, or perhaps a family who has already adopted a Black child. His birth mother has asked that he be raised in a religious family. Except for a little dry skin on his head and legs which clears up with the use of lotion, Teddy has no problems. He's healthy now, having overcome colic as a newborn.,. baby, and he's meeting all his developmental milestones. He loves rattles and bells and any toys that make noise. He enjoys going in the car, and seems to know when the fam- ily is going shopping. Teddy still wakes up about ,4 a.m. for a bot- tle and then goes right back to sleep. He is eating baby food now and isn't sure about the taste of meat and vege- tables, so he needs a little encouragement. His foster parents find him a lovely baby to care for. To inquire about adopting Teddy, please write to Today's Child, Ministry of Community & Social Services, Box 88$, Station K, Toronto. Describe your present family and your way of life. New Books in the Library DEAR NEIGHBOR by Chrystine Brouillet and translated by David Homel As one grisly murder succeeds another, Louise, a young waitress, is terrified and begins to suspect everybody. When a close friend becomes the latest victim, she is convinced the psychopath is also stalking her! A chilling tale for all lovers of "who-dunits". O VATICAN! A Slightly Wicked View of the Holy See by Paul Hofmann The Vatican, still a virtual mystery to most people, often wields more power than countries 20 times its size. This is a rare view of the mighty sovereign state with details of bizarre happenings behind its 12,000 windows. Witty, incisive and often irreverent stories still from the pen of this wisely tolerant author THE LEOPARD HUNTS IN DARKNESS by Wilbur Smith Set once more in Africa, the author continues the story of the Matabele tribe and the political strife in Zimbabwe. The main character, Craig Mellow, is a descendant of the Ballan- tynes who will be recalled by readers of previous novels. The time is now. The time of Mugabe and Nkomo when atrocities still are being committed in the name of justice. The action is fact and we are left breathless with excitement as the tale unfolds...One of Wilbur Smith's most thrilling yet! 1 JUMP ROPE FOR HEART --The Huron Hearts Jump Rope Demonstration team from the Wingham ,Public School has been putting on displays at area schools for the past year. The team members are from Grades 5 and 7 and are: back, Nancy Walton, Brads Crawford, Anna Sakasov, Sean Rathburn, Cheryl Underwood, John MacDonald; front, Angela Kerr and Tiffany Marr. r