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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1984-05-30, Page 4TssIP,9"....,17'.5.,"*W4F1s,S.P;;Nds,',141” - • s"S • , ; • " 4 • ••,',"••••'!-.N••• • ' • 4. itoricti Barr Weotter.Preident I{enrHos.Lot as. is. , tAZIMCO 4. ilt19014440x 390 • N0E. W� 1910111r41:11.1nallvtl Robert 0. Wenger. See.,Treas. , . . Audi:0-Currie. Atherusing Manager Member Audit (3.4„%ka (iNulalions st Member Canadian Conimunity Nok %paper Ato;oo: Ontario t'oritnioniq Newspaper Assts.:. Subscriptions S20.00 per year 123 SIN months S11.50 Second (lass Mail Registration No. 0821 Return postage guaranteed A look at the biggies Living as we do in 'a world where thecost of staying alive leaps ever sky- ward, the average taxpayer or house- holder has little knowledge on which to, base his complaints about the rates and fees he is obliged to pay. Many of the services which we must pay for are controlled and supplied by monopolies, particularly in the fields of public util- ities and communications. Last week -the Canadian Radio and Telecommunications Commission re- fused to grant Bell Canada a six per cent increase In rates as that corpora- tion had requested. No doubt that de- cision brings a sigh of relief to house- holders whO are happy to avold even a small jump in living costs. However, few individuals actually understand the full implications of the overall re- sults of even such an apparently minor price hike. The real cost of such system -wide increases is spread over virtually every item the consumer must pur- chase. Six per cent isn't too drastic on a $20 -a -month phone bill, but for the • manufacturer, distributor or retailer whose bill already runs into hundreds, even thousands of dollars every month, six per cent is a big bite — a bite which must be spread over the price of his goods and services. Does Bell really need the increase? Few of us know enough about big busi- ness operations to comment, but Fi- nancial Post Magazine lists Bell Enter- prises at the top.of the list of largest profit makers last year, with $745,200,- 000 to put in the bank. The telephone division of Bell Enterprises, of course, is only one of its sources of profit, but it does not appear the corporation is in immediate danger of economic col- lapse. Ontario Hydro, which is incredibly money -hungry if we are to believe our utility bills, was fourth on the Financial Post list of big profit makers at $471,- 651,000. Carrying a stupendous debt load, Hydro perhaps needs that sort of operating profit it pay its interest charges. The significant point is that both these corporations are monopolies which do not face the restraining influ- -ence of competition, although Bell Canada's sails have been trimmed to some degree in. recent years. Whether or not the denial of an in- crease to Bell will be anything more than a short-term reprieve for its customers remains to be seen. Prob- ably by this fall they will be back to the CRTC with another and more success- ful bid for higher prices. Read it your own way Finally the federal government has deigned to listen to the voice of the public. It is now permissible for food • - Stores to advertise their prices in 'both Imperial and metric measurements. • (Not a great change for those who have been doing just that all along). One of the friends of rnetriCialciin a TV Interview last week that the greatest -mistake ;II the conversion pro- gram was made when officialdom de- cided to ease into the change -over rather than making metric the only legal system of measurement in one fell swoop. This despite the fact that both Britain and the United States have been taking the less drastic approach for several years. Metric measurement makes sense. It is certainly a more efficient way to measure anything, since all its 'cal- culations are based9n multiples of ten. • Many Canadians fail to realize that we have been using the metric system for many years as it applies to our cur- rency — 190 cents to the dqllar, for ex- ample, rather .than :1 2., pencerto,the ah I I - ling. Ou'r children are learning to use metric with no trouble, since it is being taught in our schools. By the time they reach adulthood metric as the one legal form of measurement will be quite ac- ceptable. But in the meantime we of the older generation deserve the consid- eration of a system we can use with confidence. What about the other guys? A group of veterans of the Vietnam war have won a class action lawsuit against the manufacturers of the chemical known as Agent Orange, which was used to defoliate thousands of square miles of forest during the war in that country. The soldiers who had to handle the chemical have developed various ill- nesses, including cancer and their chil- dren have been born with defective limbs and other abnormalities. The manufacturer must pay $180 million to the victims. • That decision, it would appear, is only fair, considering the fact that the men were told that contact with Agent Orange was perfectly safe. But, we wonder how the Vietnamese who had to live through those aerial sprayings feel about the whole thing. If the Americans who only had to load and spray the chemical have serious problems, what about the men, women and children who were living under that rain of de- struction? Sure. They were the enemy, so we see no mention whatever of their fate. Great world, isn't it? A question of conscience A few days ago a national refer- endum was held in Switzerland. The question? Whether or not the great banking houses located in that country should continue to be permitted total secrecy about the sources of their de- posits. The Swiss people said yes, they should be allowed to carry on business as usual. The very words "numbered Swiss bank account" are synonymous with trickery. III -gained money from nearly every country in the world Is banked in Switzerland where no amount of prying will disclose the name of a depositor. The "secret" bank account origin- ated in the humane Swiss attitude that in this way some of the Jews who were being hounded out of pre-war Germany might take their money with them,. The plan began to backfire when the same secrecy was afforded Nazis fleeing their homeland as the war drew to close. Now the situation takes on a com- pletely Immoral aspect, as the dictat- ors of starving African and other Third World countries amass billions of dol- lars while their people subsist on next to nothing. Emperor Halle Selassie Is reported to have shipped 500 kilograms of gold a year to Switzerland and by the time he lost his throne was estimated to have something like $460 million In number- ed 'Swiss bank accounts. During the • great famine of 1973 more than 100,000 of his subjects died. President Mobutu of Zaire is believed to have about $4 bil- lion in Swiss banks. Average income for the people of his country is $210 a year. SO cases are legion under the prestaInt Swiss system of banking se- crecy. The Swiss people are a bit con- science-stricken — but apparently not enough to call allalt. And switzerland is the motherland of the Red Cross. •IVKAgalee/V kiWEZAii 7ve 'VCR 4ROPECT JV? 77-15 Priatie 7R0616/1 builds up that•.404, dance. Other ehildrert, in his adopting family should be older, god be aware of his need to learn fromjhom. • To inquire 4400 adopting Roddy, splease write to Today's Child, Ministry of CoMminlity & Social Servieen, Box 888, Station K, Toronto. , Describe„ your 10001qt, family and your experi- ence with children. • Which wiH ritterii sear None It a com- plaint 900 be r,MSQlved with Me,".rictii :000er, , it should 00 se_otttithe On- tado Press'Ohundit, 151 Slater $t„ Suite 798, Ot- tawa, Ont. kl P 5H3. SPOTLIGHT Swimmers warned of diving dangers Just play it cool Swimmers in Ontario are warned to practice extra care when diving this summer as part of a safe diving campaign geared to heightening public awareness and reducing tragic diving accidents. "In 1979, the last year that total Ontario statistics on diving accidents are available, 54 spinal injuries were recorded. In 1983, the Toronto.Sunnybrook Medical Centre alone recorded is _ cases of spinal cord injury due to diving," said Con- sumer Minister Dr. Robert Elgie recently. "That is a tragic statistic, especially when you consider that such diving accidents could be avoided." Ontario has the second- highest rate in the world of Commenting publicly on Russian threats of possible retaliation, Presi- dent Reagan demonstrates to his people that it's always wise to keep your cool. When the Soviets warned that they have a fleet of submarine nu- clear missile launchers lying in readi- ness off the coast of the United States Mr. Reagan said that he and his Mili- tary people are quite aware of the presence of the U-boats and described the situation as "no particular threat." The Soviets state that In the event of hostilities the missiles from the subs could be on their way to every mayor American city within_oight to 10 Min- utes. If that isn't a real threat we've never heard of one. spinal cord injuries resulting from diving accidents, the minister reported. "In one decade, the incidence of quadraplegia and paraplegia from diving accidents has risen by 264 per cent." Most victims are men between the ages of 13 and 30 and many recorded incidents involved the use of alcohol or drugs. The majority of such diving tragedies took place in backyard pools. • "Afteri:Niiat—ida,- victims invariably say they didn't think to check for a safe diving depth or for sub- merged rocks or other ob- jects in the water," said Dr. • Eigie. "Regrets after the • fact, however, won't save them from the consequences of a careless dive." Antique autos to be on display Relive the days of goggles and dusters, Packards and Model Ts at the Ontario Agricultural Museum's "Tin Lizzies and Rumble Seats" this Sunday. It is the national judging meet of the Historical Automobile So'ciety of Canada and will feature over 100 antique automobiles. The meet is a first-class event, with a number of activities taking place. Judging of vehicles starts at 10:30 a.m. and 16 classes will be featured, ranging from 1898 to 1964. A "People's Choice" trophy will give visitors an opportunity to select their favorite vehicle. The days events promise to provide a perfect outing for the whole family to see glamorous automobiles of the past. Visitors can also explore the museum's 32 - hectare site and tour more than 30 buildings and displays. Daily demon- strations feature spinning, wheelwrighting, black- smithing and more. TODAY'S CHILD BY JUDITH ADAMS Roddy is as likeable as he looks, and he loves nothing better than .praise for a task well done. Now that he's ten, he is a relaxed, pleasant youngster who has responded by leaps and bounds to the positive encouragement he receives in a structured • family setting. He has much more confidence than he used to and is tryiing '4o make • new friends as,a result. 1 Roddy likes being outdoors, biking and skating. He used to be terrified of water but after a gradual intro- duction to swimming,, he has overcome his fear and now really enjoys it. He used to miss a lot of school so he is now in a special education class. If he can catch up on the basic knowledge he missed earlier, he won't have to stay in a special education class. He responds well to the respect and love he feels from his foster parents, and after a very rocky childhood, is looking forward to • having his own "mom •and dad" through .adoption They will .have to be equal to the challenges Roddy is likely to pres- ent. He can be moody ) ss A and not very deinstrative. He can become confused easily and forget things. And he is now getting free of the habit of feigning sickness, which he had used freely and which helped him to miss all that school in the past. Roddy has many beha- vious that are common to children who have recieved too little early stimulation: rocking and chanting and talk- ing to himself, but he stops when he is told to. He has responded so well to the loving but disciplined home life he has enjoyed in foster care, that it is very likely he will improve in these areas too with the right adopting fam- ily. They must be very giving people who don't expect too much in return, yet can keep supporting Roddy as he fe"sofs.•';4:•-'. • „.,,A•ess&Ase. TRACK AND FIELD WINNERS from Turnberry Central School were presented with their Individual trophies last week. They will compete at the North Huron Track and Field Meet this Thursday and Friday at the Howick Cen- tral School. Turnberry champions are: back, Jason Bloomberg, Atom boys, Brett Martin, Bantam boys, Tammy Storm, Bantam girls, Kelly Leachman, Atom girls; front, Dwayne Patterson, Tyke boys, Noah Train, Mite boys, Janice Nicholson, Mite girls, Kerry Dickert, Tyke Os. PETER CHANDLER of RR 3, W.Ingharn, has been making violins for the past three years at his East Wawanosh home. Last year he dis- played.one of his instruments at the Van Eg- mond House near Seaforth and this year he. will enter the Durham Wood Show. • Peter Chandler has made. ''r • ' violins for past three year's • By Margaret Arbuckle • You've heard of the Stradivarius violin? Well , maybe someday the name Chandler will be synonymous with violin -making, at least if Peter Chandler of RR 3, Wingham, has anything to say about it. Mr. Chandler has been making violins for the past three years and said he is starting to incorporate a few of his own ideas into the instruments he makes. That is all well and good, .he adds wryly, except for the unfortunate fact that it often takes 200 or 300 years to make a name for yourself in the field of violin -making. Born and raised in England, Mr. Chandler spent his childhood at London before going out into the English countryside to work on farms as a young man. He said he always wanted to farm, but the cost of farmland in Britain was sky-high, so he decided to try hiS luck in Canada. Mr. Chandler arrived in Canada in 1949 and took • up, farming in the Oxford County area. He married his wife Sybil in 1951 and they have resided on their East Wawanosh farm for the past 19 years. They have five children. Three years ago Mr. Chandler was holidaying in Calgary and while there he met a man who made violins. Mr. Chandler always enjoyed working with wood and was intrigued by the idea of violin making. So he followed the man from Calgary's advice and went home, took the top off a violin and copied its pattern. • That first violin was a rough model, Mr. Chandler admits. It was made from the floorboards of their farm's kitchen floor. They knew those boards were close to 100 years old because the Chandlers found several old newspapers of the day which mentioned the Riel Rebellion of the early 1880s. His first attempt may not have been perfect, but it gave Mr. Chandler a starting point. He began reading about the subject and got copies of plans from the famous Italian violin maker of the 1600s Stradivari. Today Mr. Chandler imports well -seasoned wood from Switzerland and Germany. He uses wood and metal templates, or patterns, and can scale each instrument up or down, from the tiniest child's violin to the large cello. The finger board is made of ebony and the strings are metal. The beauty of the violin, he said, is that it can play so many types of music. Violins are used ex- tensively in classical music, which Mr. Chandler enjoys very much, but at the same time, they are also used in country and "oldtime" By the way, a violin and a fiddle are the same instrument, said Mr. Chandler. The only difference is in the way the player holds his or her fingers on the fingerboard to determine the type of sound. He admits his instruments are not cheap, but he has sold one and has made two for his grand- children. He started taking lessons last year himself and enjoys playing in his spare time. Mr. Chandler hopes to get more exposure this summer at a wood show at Durham and plans to attend a convention of the Violin Society of America • this November at Ottawa. One of his instruments was displayed last sum- mer at the Van Egmond House near Seaforth. In addition to violin -making, Mr. Chandler also is quite interested in aircraft and has built a plane in the basement of his house. That same model is in Sault Ste. Marie now at the home of his son-in-law. ' The Chandlers also are very involved in a local square and round dance group and have taught square dancing.