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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWingham Advance-Times, 1977-06-08, Page 13tr: .r. Pi IMES_. - A page of editorial- opinion tip: ...................................................... .... Well ...rote anyway! Perhaps you are like thousands of other people you know. We didn't need an election and you don't really care enough about the whole 'thing to get out and vote on Thursday. Well, if that's' what you are thinking, you are dead wrong. Perhaps you are rightabout our not needing another election. You may be fed up to the ears with election promises that you know will never -be met once the voting is over. Maybe you think politics has become a pain in the neck. Never mind all that ... just get out there and vote anyway. Whether or not the election was necessary is no longer the point. Once an election has been called the door to representative government has been flung open and one of those three parties will walk through and become your government for the next several years. If you ignore the whole thing) you are voting, whether or not you like the idea. Lack of a representative percentage of votes in any election is an effective ballot in favor of poor government. You can cast only one ballot, but you must bear in mind the fact that you actually vote for three separate and distinct choices . . . the candidate whose name you endorse, the party leader who will become the next premier and the party whose policies will shape the course of future events in this province. The choice is yours and it is a choice that most people in this world do not .have. Not all are agree Ever since the ,November 15 election in Quebec news stories seemed to indicate that virtually all French-speaking Canadians (except the Liberal opposition) were hell-bent for separation of that province from the rest of Canada. However a recent open letter addressed to Premier Rene Levesque and Cultural Affairs Minister Camille Laurin reveals the deep divisions which exist in Quebec. The letter, signed by no less that 300 of the most prominent businessmen in the province, expresses profound disagreement with the provisions of Bill One, the act which sets such stringent Limitations on the use of English and the enforced enrollment of newcomers to Quebec in French -language schools. Among the signators of fhat letter are Paul Demarais, president of the Power Corporation and one of the country's most powerful business leaders, the president of Bell Canada and Jean vBeliveau, former Ca dians hockey star and now an executive of tha team's management body. Rememb tng that all of the 300 who •signed the letter are themselves French- speaking, it is indeed significant that so many successful and obviously intelligent business leaders are well aware that the restrictive course set by the Parti Quebecois is not only disastrous for confederation, but for the future of their own province as well, Still another group of French-speaking Canadians has voiced opposition tothe separation ideal ... and this time they are people with an inarguable right to speak.. They are the members of the Quebec branches of the Royal Canadian Legion. They -are the men and women who offered their lives for a country they believed tb be their homeland. The fact that they want to continue to live as Canadians should surely say something of importance to their fellowkQuebecois. Money down the drain Last week's decision by Huron County council to authorize a $1,000 study of the county's role inhealth care is an exercise in futility. The councillors voted in favor of paying a Goderich man to write a brief to support a claim that the county should take on the responsibility for all health cane within Huron. For several reasons the county coun- cil is neither equipped for nor entitled to such a role. A steering committee composed of people who represented not only medical and health care personnel but the general public as well, came to the conclusion that Huron and Perth Counties should not set up a district health ,council. They opted, in fact, to continue direct communication with the provincial ministry of health. If the two counties combined are not considered clout enough to operate a joint health council, what would make Huron alone a viable health care area? In fact Huron people were told two or three years ago that the population of the county would not be adequate. 'as a basis for a health council. Secondly, and more importance, what background or experience would make the county council a suitable body to take on decisions in the field of health care?' The previous experience of most county councillors has been in the field of municipal politics and, aside from the few who have served on hospital boards, they know nothing of the problems involved in hospital operation. Despite the fact that the county is responsible for the public health, unit, it is at the hospital level that the critical decisions have to be made. It may be fairly assumed that one of the compelling reasons for the steering com- mittee's decision to stay away from a district health unit was the acknowledgment that members of 'hospital boards, doctors and hospital administrators would eventual- ly be shunted aside as the decisions came down from a.district authority. That, in face of the fact that a district health council would have contained representatives from the various bodies and professions who do have considerable experience in the health care field. Now Huron County council is proposing to assume this sort of responsibility without any experience at all. It -is true, of course, that the county approves funds for local hospitals, but the amounts in which they deal are pin money compared to the sums which are allocated annually by the Ontario ministry of health. It is nothing short of naive to assume that the county could have any realistic role when the vital, funding still has to be approved in Toronto. One would think the county has its hand quite full looking after highways and libraries and Huronview and all the other functions for which it is responsible. To - spend $1,000 in an effort to grasp for a new set of concerns is patently foolish. Are we all idiots? Election promises, at best, are only, a statement that small businesses can easily slightly believeable. In the lust for votes afford such an increase ... approximately 50 candidates and party leaders alike are prone per cent above present minimum wage of to let imagination supersede reason. At best, $2.65. the programs promised by each of these In the first place, what in the world does hopefuls would be either impossible of Mr. Lewis know about the average small performance or costly in the extreme. Few businessman's ability to pay higher wages? of us are so gullible that we fail to recognize In the second place who does he think he's the fact that it is the voters who would have fooling anyway? to pay the bills for each of these slices of a If a businessman intends to stay,. in dream world. business he has to meet higher costs in the However, the practice of promising that only way he can ... with higher prices. So, in some wealthy group or other will be bled to fact, all Mr. Lewis, was proposing was that pay for new privileges for the downtrodden he would be responsible for the biggest jump classes is an insult fp the intelligence. Last in the inflation rate this province has seen in week NDP leader Stephen Lewis came up 20 years. A tremendous gift to his electors with that old chestnut. He promised that if indeed! elected he would raise the minimum wage to Apparently the voters of Ontario are con - $4.00 per hour. That would be ,a wage of sidered so feeble-minded that they are $160.00 a week for every person on the incapable of the simple arithmetic involved. bottom rung,of the ladder .. . and those on Also, according to the Lewis theory, all the the higher rungs would no doubt benefit busines'smen are'such rogues ¥hat they have accordingly. been salting away vast reserves out of which The icing on this piece of cake was the they could meet his political blackmail. THE WINGHAM ADVANCE -TIMES Published at Wingham, Ontario, by Wenger Bros. Limited Barry Wenger, President Robert O. Wenger, Secretary-Treasbrer Member Audit Bureau of Circulations Member — Canadian Community Newspapels Assoc. Subscription $12.00 per year Second Class Mail Registration No. 0821 Ontario Weekly Newspapers Assoc. Six months $6.50 Return postage guaranteed "He stopped to think about the consequences of the Berger and Hall commission reports and can't get started again." ettneiday, Ju�ae Letters to the Editor Friendly dvice for students B & J Acres, Bluevale, Ontario NOG 1G0 June 2, 1977 Wingham Advance -Times Dear Editor: I have just finished reading the "Madill Mirror" (their final edi- tion) in last week's paper...I have •read this page almost every week and have often felt moved to write to the editor in response to some of the student editorials. Somehow, the moment of inspira- tion passed, the chores mounted up and the paper went out into the woodshed. For this lack of re- sponse, I apologize. As you al- ready know, this is one of the burdens,which editors must learn to bear. First of all, I would like to con- , gratulate the entire school edi- torial staff for producing an in- teresting page which seems to re- flect the interests and philoso- phies of today's teenager — the page is well named. In my opinion, your writing abilities have improved since your first editions. Perhaps some of you should be considering a career in journalism. Should any of you be heading for further education in agriculture, you might. bear in mind that there is a crying need for well educated and informed agricultural journalists in a world where the urban dweller is becoming increasingly con- cerned about the production of food. Secondly, to those of your stu- dent readers who are worried about getting a job in this time of high unemployment: you should realize that there is always a place in this world for excellence — and I do not necessarily mean grades. The job applicant who has acquired the habit of going' the extra mile will always be in demand: When I graduated from college in 1951, many of the returning war veterans were flooding the job market. They were older, more mature and had theirrwar records to recommend them. Now THAT was competi- tion. There are so many ways to demonstrate excellence. When asked to sweep the floor, the excellent worker will get into every corner and will then wash the floor to make it look even better than was expected. When learning to type in a class where the passing grade is 50 wpm, the excellent worker will acquire a skill of 55-60 lvpm just to demon- strate that he -she is prepared to work harder than the average person. The excellent worker will listen carefully to instructions (or read them carefully), will ask for clarification where necessary and will then follow theinstruc- tions to a "T". The excellent worker will try to finish a job faster than is expected of him and will then ask for additional work. The biggest compliment a boss can pay a worker is, "I just can't keep him busy enough." This worker is going to get the juicier assignments which often open the doors to promotion. The excellent worker is not afraid to "start at the bottom" no matter how much education he -she has completed. If you can just get your foot in the door and you are prepared to work intelligently and consistent- ly you will be noticed by the boss because you will stand out in the crowd. Little things- like punctuality, "please" and thank you", a ready smile, an eager willingness to do anything (within the law), a pleasing personal appearance, an. energetic spring to your step — .'these all will make a difference and you can demonstrate these things in an interview. I once rode in a "seat and hands" class (English saddle) at a horse show and there was a: large entry of excellent riders. I -still believe that the reason I won was be- cause I kept a relaxed smile on my face and I looked like I was enjoying the competition, even though I was quivering inside. Learn to concentrate, to think logically (there are courses and books on logic) and remember: it will not be your peer group who offers ybu a job. You do net have to have the looks of a Paul'New- man or the personality of Julie Andrews (my age is showing) to make an impression. A firm' hand -shake, looking directly at a person when speaking, simply stating, "My name is Sam Smith and I am lookng for a job," will make a positive initial impres- sion (I should know — for 12 years I was in industrial person- nel work and I interviewed thou- sands of people). Well, that's enough lecturing. In closing I would like to com- ment especially on Doug Kuyven- hoven's editorial on the death penalty. It was well thought out and could not help but provoke discussion on this difficult ques- tion. To this year's graduates go niy best wishes for success in all of your endeavors: And to next year's editors — watch those prepositions! Thank you, a1T,,`£or an interest- ing year of reading. Sincerely, Beverley Brown APPRECIATION EXPRESSED Wingham Advance -Times, Dear Editor: It is with considerable pleasure that I express, on behalf of- the Huron County. Unit of the Canadian Cancer Society, appre- ciation and gratitude to 'all the residents, industries, business firms and associations of Wing - ham and surroundng area who contributed so generously to the 1977 Cancer Campaign. You have enabled the Wingham Branch to reach and surpass its objective by '14 per cent. tinder the campaign co -lead- ership of Marc Forrest and Ross Proctor and their excellent team of volunteer canvassers, the Wingham Branch is to be con- gratulated on attaining as of May 30 a remarkable total of $9,870. This great achievement com- bined with the other Branches in Huron has enabled the Huron County Unit to exceed its 1977 goal of $35,000. A most important point to consider is that this fine job was done on a voluntary basis which enables the Cancer Society to continue its successful cam - TODAY'S CHILD BY HELEN ALLEN 41* George is seven, a handsome ('ree Indian with light brown hair, big dark eyes and olive skin He is an, engaging youngster, friendly and outgoing, who talks with great animation and expresses himself well. Considered bright, he enjoys school where heis doing well in Grade one Though he had a poor start in life George is now in ex- cellent health He was born prematurely and was prone, to respiratory infections At three it was discovered his left leg was affected by cerebral palsy slack of muscle control) Ile has had surgery to lengthen thF tendon and is faithful about doing prescribed ex-ercises. He walks and runs normally, only limping slightly when he is tired With his happy, amiable disposition George will he a lovable son it will be good, but is not imperative, that he he the youngest child To inquire about adopting George, please write to Today's Child, Ministry of Community and Social Services, Box 888, Station K, Toronto M4P 2112 In your letter tell something of your present family,and your way of life For general adoption, contact your_ local Children's Aid Society. paign for funds at a cost of only five cents for each dollar raised. This five cents covers the cost of campaign posters, films and can- vass kits. Sincere congratulations to all who have made this record pos- sible. This helps to improve the cancer survival rate. Further- more it is the kind of dedication to a cause that will some day beat it altogether. Sincerely, Ross McDaniel, Campaign ;Chairman, Huron County Unit, Canadian Cancer Society. eY New Books in the Library SPEND, SPEND, SPEND by Vivian Nicholson and Stephen Smith Most people speculate now and again about what they would do if they won the pools. This book is the remarkable story of people liming in extreme poverty who suddenly find that the unlikely dream has come' true; they are also soon to discover that unfore- seen trials and calamities come in its wake. It also is a curiously sad and moving story, at the same time bursting with all the exuberance and inimitable can- dour that has kept Vivian Nichol- son in the public eve eier since that fateful day in 1961. ANCIENT MYSTERIES by .,,.% Rupert Furneaux How much do we really know about the ancient mysteries of time and space: Atlantis, Came- lot, the Egyptian pyramids, the ark named in Genesis? Shrouded in mystery and obscured by leg- end, man's prehistory is still largely an enigma. Each year new archaeology and scientific discoveries change our view of the past. Rupert Furneaux's book is a fascinating attempt, based on these discoveries, to unravel the truth. He has travelled all over the world, sifting conclusions about the secrets of our vanished civilizations. THE HAMLYN PRESSURE COOKBOOK by Jane Todd This exciting new cookbook has been written to show you the many advantages of pressure cooking. With the ever-increasing costs of gas and electricity bills nvorynnn is wanting to , i t rinum on the amount of fuel consumed. By cooking foods under pressure you can do exactly that. THE READ -ME -ANOTHER - STORY BOOK by Dorothy Ed- wards There is always a demand for very short stories for reading aloud to children and for children to read themselves, and this col- lection, compiled with great skill perfectly meets that demand. Each tale is just the right length for story -telling, and children will soon be asking for their favorites to be read to them again and again.. Town, area people invited to museum open house event The board of the Wingham and District Heritage and Historical Society is completing arrange- ments for an interesting event which will take the form of an "Open House" at the new museum. The rooms on the second floor of the former post office building on Josephine Street' have been undergoing renovations for some months. The work started when one room was completely redecorated and George Allen's bird carvings were placed on,dis- play. Since that time the remain- ing rooms on the second floor have been renovated and several exhibits have been moved in. On display now are old furni- ture and \ pictures, a quilt on which are embroidered many of the names of former residents of the community, a display of hos- pital equipment used in years gone by in Wingham and some historically significant docu- ments. One ' particularly interesting piece is a painting of the Howson Mill and dam, done by a Mr. Mar - sales, who was an artist of some . note and a former resident here. The museum is open on Tues- day, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday afternoon, and can be visited at other times by groups who make appointments. On Thursday evening, June 16, commencing at 7:00 o'clock, the "Open House" will provide an opportunity for all members of the public to see what has been accomplished 'so far, and learn more about the long-term goals of the society. It should be noted, too, that the museum is not con- fined in either interest or support to the town of Wingham. As the name of the society indicates; the museum is intended to serve the historical interests of the sur- rounding townships as well.'Simi- larly, visitors from the entire area and the nearby towns and villages are most welcome to come to the open house.