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HomeMy WebLinkAboutWingham Advance-Times, 1980-01-16, Page 4R:. SI ADVRA.0 E Timis A page of editorial opii'1ion Wednesday, Janua .:........... �:. .... _,..,.;: .; ...:. ... ...... ...:.-.•:.;� „-:::::•., 1' . u: t 5. t 4 '..• ,:, ' ,',\4 1 t "+'\\11\,11',vy •p,,,'{.4y�,,.,r.., ..v.y:: `aa'. 1,>•y• „Y'•Y {�.a:5:.;{.p,•F •,.;,,•v G ,1 •::Lw.v.\ \ 1 �4 � '1 '\ t••\.ii .� \. , \. 1'1 \ 1 .rY , .,.x.1'{::: '{ .:{• Iry ' $. .,V ,......• \1\. {'. i}. , ��'�•Yi lv yr ..fi.:• h . , � • \ \ \\\\ . , •. ♦'{- . \`, 1, \. .1 \ , .. .1•r] ::r •,v..... •: ^M1i'a r: v .\ '4::: •A\ � } n ''} , 4 ,r �:a, v,i'. . n :$•y� r . • A' .{ .lir � ��a'�\'�\`.v.r\1�, 1,1 �{1,•`�,��>.`•'•. ' �1t'\\•.:;\1y',1•.���:,11:•}'r\}:{,1\���it.•:i•:,„'111\�,.,•::i:h'^Y .. . 1A:^b'r.n.'�Y. n Wise Wingham Town Council's decision to study a new building code by jaw and to submit It to theisublic for comment before final passage is a wise one. Regulations which may be enforced to rid the community of dangerous or unsightly structures are necessary, but they must be tempered with Common sense. - Council's experience last spring, when it adopted and passed a bylaw formulated in en thee. community was undoubtedly Cfl- Iightening. Some sixty irate citizens appear- ed before council to express their opposition to the bylaw in very certain terms. The Intent of that same bylaw was excellent, dir- ected at the realization of a safer and more attractive town. However, the person who wrote that law in the first place was appar- ently unable to distinguish between the Im- lfertant and the irrelevant and thus produced an unenforceable law. If the new regulations meet the criterion of common sense they should not be opposed. For years on end three derelict buildings disgraced one of the residential intersections of the town, detracting In no small way from the real estate values of their well -tended neighboring inn residences — a situation which obviously dPmanded the force of law to be applies' illy the new and revised buildinc 'I°meet that need without in- fringing on the rights of property owners to make their own decisions when neighbors are not affected. Looking over the edge There is little doubt about the possibility of a third world war. We have never been closer to the brink since the second war end- ed nearly thirty years ago. The Soviets are not playing some cutesy little game in Afghanistan. They -are deadly serious about the opportunity they see to take advantage of the United States' preoc- cupation with its confrontation in Iran.iTwo possible motives may be responsible for the naked egression against the Moslem pop- ulace of Afghanistan. The USSR has long craved a warm water port to the south of its vast European and Asian territories, for the obvious reason that Russian warships could patrol the waters of the Indian Ocean and its adjoining seas — areas which are at present domin- ated by American and British naval forces. If an Indian Ocean port is indeed one of the Russions objectives the probability of total war is, alarming indeed. The path from Afghanistan to the Indian Ocean lies through Pakistan and right on India's door step. The second purpose i of the invasion of Afghanistan is quite probably , to move a giant step closer to the oil fields of Iran. The Soviets -have, thus far, been self-reliant as far as oil reserves are concerned, but It is believed that within a year or two they will require imports to keep their economy on the move, and above all,'fo fuel the vast array of mechanized arms which they possess. With Iran in a state of near -chaos since its recent revolution, the temptation presented to Its next-door neighbor, the USSR, is obvious. Middle East oil is bound to be the prize of prizes in any future conflict. A third motive'may well have been the urge to provide an object lesson to Moslem populations within the Soviet Union which might possibly contemplate an uprising pat- terned on the Iranian revolution. Russia has fifty million Moslems under her sway and there is every indication that the entire Mos- lem world is in a state "of foment. Yes, it does sound gloomy, but we are staring hard facts right in the face and•there is no point in pretending otherwise. The 1980s will see changes in our way of life that few of us can visualize as yet. Within our own coun- try and throughout the rest of the world the old patternsare about to be altered. Discussionpaper or uitirna-tiirn Important developments come so rapid- ly nowadays that we almost miss the signifi- eance of some of them. Obscured to some deiree by events in Asia, the manifesto issued by Claude Ryan, lea:•osof tt,e Que } Liberals deserves at lea i' is : l - Issued in time to take smile of the punch of Rene .evesque's referendum 'question, the Ryan paper would: seem at first reading to pose almost as much threat_ to Canadian unity, as the PQ's separation target. In its present form the Ryan manifesto would leave Quebec within the Canadian federa- tion, but would leave the federalgovernment with little mere than defense and foreign af- fairs in °its jurisdiction. Prime intent of the Ryan plan is to Change Canada from a united nation with a strong federal authority, into a loosely amalgamated association of ...prov- inces— English as well as French Speak- ing. However there is one important differ- ence between then PQ and the Liberal posi- tions. The Ryan plan acknowledges, how- ever limited, the validity of the federal system, which the Levesque proposals do not. This being the case, the Ryan paper leaves room for face-to-face negotiation, and perhaps that is exactly what Mr. Ryan intends. Naturally, since negotiations are to follow, he makes his first proposals very firm so there will be room for bargaining. Of course nobody really knows how far Mr. Ryan and his followers would be pre- pared to deviate from their stated intentions, but the mere fact that he is proposing some pretty drastic changes In our national struc- ture should be neither surprising nor totally discouraging. Students of our national struc- - ture have acknowledged long since that our country has outlived the original_ purpose of its founding fathers. Events of the twentieth century have made some changes impera- " 'tive. Perhaps a new gathering of latter-day fathers of confederation will be required to reweid Canada into a nation which can be expected to fulfill its destiny Ina world where global rules are being rewritten. Early iarni'ng .needed The tragic deaths of three persons in a farm home near Lucknow last week empha- sizes the importance of installing adequate warning systems in every residence. Luck - now Fire Chief Whitby said that in all prob- ability mother, daughter and young grand- son died of smoke inhalation in the early stages of the fire. Of recent years there has been a new awareness of the dangers of smoke and fire and as a result many homes are now pro- tected by comparatively inexpensive smoke detectors. These battery -powered instru- ments emit a piercing whistle when smoke reaches them, a warning certainly loud enough to awaken even a very sound sleeper. If fire extinguishers are also installed the' occupant of an endangered building has a very good chance of saving not only his own life, but the building as well. The recent tragedy in a small Quebec community hall underlines the danger of in- adequate safety precautions, particularly in public buildings. Many city apartment block o'wner's now forbid the use of natural Christ- mas trees and evergreen decorations, which were the main factor in the Quebec fire and the deaths of over -40 party -goers. Natural trees are also forbidden in many •public buildings in Ontario. One shudders to recall the danger posed by the evergreen Christ- mas trees of yesteryear, illuminated by lighted candles. There are many makes of smoke detec- tors and probably some are more efficient than others. Buyers would be well advised to seek the guidance of consumers' organiza- tions or at ieast to test such equipment be- fore final installation. There is no doubt, however, that many of these devices could well mean the difference between Ilfe and death and thus reduce the gruesome toll of lives every winter brings to us. Quit too soon The decision to abandon passenger serv- ice by the railways which served Western Ontario some fifteen years ago may yet prove to have been a monumental exercise in folly. Although temporary abandonment of a service which was so patently unprofitable may be condoned, the subsequent sale or demolition of station properties and neglect of rights-of-way is something else. There is much talk today of the need for public trans- port to °replace energy -consuming cars and their single occupants. Surely such a situa- tion points to the need for a public transit system which could serve the rural areas of the province as well as the suburban and urban sectors. It takes a lot of gasoline to get a car to Toronto and back. An efficient bus service on rails may yet proVV to be the answer to a dwindling fuel supply. •• •♦... .r ••.`!'► i•••• -.<►••.•••••••••••~l:•••• •.rg.,••••••+Z•. :rt•y• •••••:a•••,•. THE WINGHAM ADVANCE -TIMES Published at Winghalp, Ontario, by Wenger Bros. Limited Barry Wenger, President ffobert O. Wenger, Sec.-Treas. Member Audit Bureau of Circulations Member - Canadian Community Newspaper Assoc Ontario Weekly Newspaper Assoc. Silt months $8.00 Second Class Mail Registration No. 0821 Return postage guaranteed Subscription $15.00 per year t4;•�lr•;+`y:tf'ia�1,'1,•iy�S•Si.:'it1,i'S•2tl.'� •PirTi,ltr�l•l,,:"f1:•:'•4 f(':r'`:7e•�1e-�.::tf�ai:Qt: fiIlli,ts •'•:�tr,.YS;p%y.�'%'e+m••°'GtirL'.vt•;`ti.iAt.Voj.°�e�r•'�'eii.•%y�'¢ �LdL►t{,,;1.41:47:11171:;. `i•nJ jy,4:12:1:7;e• 1:. 4 `veep •�,M'�+�•,4aL�Y t. K 'vett- k. /;?i.J ri1 uJr.§T{r�;i, '�,•i veeerceit z•toe a •'n� 'y tl+w•�;•e?,tilt el � jar hee t t:►a t C 4, l.• T1 4^ S i d. 1 � i ° Y •< fi • 7 {{ t.S ! t+'1os •"�11Lil;!"4}K�a3`'.•met rtr P6 °i.1 NPiL lJ r�rpi ••'Sm}� -1 1. t ,.a 81 .tea,. v ti Rr h.• moi•• 7 tee•:v •. c, 3 �,. r i ri t s h� r •rr P'4r L r J r!i .•fir,, � L•� 11`y':�r'iy'��'P•'� \ 1Vat:'r �q+rts: •a nR,+2 iPZSLs�4a,•. r m ° ? M AJ•'� y(i sP •' ° 1 .PGI t }; P, foLv ryE LinlE PLEA5E Letters to the Editor My ancestors were boat people Dear Editor, when done by one's own country - One of the most talked about men with a different ideology. subjects of 1979 was, the plight of If these people can't agree the boat people of Indonesia. among themselves how do they These refugees are the result of expect to get along withthe unstable governments in Viet- people of a new country? Do they nam, Cambodia and Laos which expect to 'convert their new are moving' people out of their' ,masters with their way of life? countries to make way for theirrt.0While we feel sorry for them in ideologies and stripping thelq: gf `l their plight, especially their their property. children, it is a very touchy We have seen hideous pictures of starving children who had no say as to why or where they were born. Starvation seems to be one method being used to elim the people who are the inns°'a t victims. The war in Vietnam was to solve the problem of the spread of communism, but instead of doing that it has created other problems which are more dif- ficult to solve. It was my privilege to visit much of this area—Hong Kong, - Thailand, Korea and Malaysia— on a conducted tour in 1978 and I know some of the situations which exist there, In Hong Kong, a British colony established as a trading post to do business on the mainland of China, boat people are part of the way of life. In the harbor there are hundreds of sampans, par- tially covered boats, on which the ` people eat, sleep, are born and die. To these boat people it is a way of life. It is to this port that many of the people pushed out of Vietnam and Cambodia come for refuge before finding a home somewhere., Also in Bangkok, Thailand, the boat people are part of the way of life. Many of the streets are canals and are a' way of trans- portation from place to place. Boats may be a way of life, but to be sent out to sea and told never,to return presents a horrifing picture, especially situation for them and those who accept them. ' ' This seemstp be a long way from'the title of my story, but I d.so elil} it tOtenake a com- parison. I have in front of me a passenger contract ticket dated July, 1851, which brought the Farrish family from Liverpool to New York City. The ticket contracts that, "the parties herein named shall be provided with a steerage passage to the Port of New York in the United States of America ... for the sum of- 50 pounds, seven shillings, sixpence, including government dues before em- barkation and head money of any at place of landing and every other charge . . In addition to any provisions that the passengers may themselves .bring the following 9uantities ''at least of water and provisions wine- be provided each passenger by the master of the ship. ...and also New Books in the Library FLESH AND SPIRIT by Elizabeth Christman She was a beautiful young nun and he was a struggling graduate student whose wife had left him withtwo little girls to care for. Though his intense blue eyes and melancholy good Looks appealed to her she did not want to fall in love. As she is drawn into ° the conflict of a distraught young father, fighting to hold his, family together, no reader can fail to be moved. - MILLION DOLLAR BABY by Philip Van Rensselaer This is an intimate and ex- clusive portrait of Barbara. Hutton, America's most famous TODAY!SCHILD BY HELEN ALLEN Valerie is a healthy, sturdy little girl of 13 months, with darkeyes, light brown hair and.fail skin. A happy baby, she only 'cries when she is tired or hungry. Otherwise she's a busy girl who gets into everything she can reach. She isn't quite ready to walk but she can manage holding onto furniture, and she scoots all over the house in her walker. It is thought that Valerie will be somewhat below average in ability, and she has been Slow 'developing, though she has made a great deal of progress recently. She needs a family where she will get, a good deal of attention and stimulation, ' It would also be good if Valerie's adopting family had a child not too much older than herself, as well as other brothers and sisters as she is firm friends with a two-year-old where she lives now a d is learning a lot ° through imitating. The right family for Valerie will accept heir completely for what she is, • and not worry about her slow development, iV leeluile about adopting • Valerie,' pieast ire iic iv Today's Child, Ministry of Community and Social Ser- vicer Box -888,• Station K, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2112. In your letter tell something of your present family and your way of life. var heiress, a "poor, little, rich girl" doomed to' failure and tragedy. RUBBER DUCK by Jack Douglas What do you do when you hire a baby nurse—and she turns out to be Attila the Hun? That question could only be posed—and an- swered—by Jack Douglas, the American original who "digs madness". FOR THE CHILDREN EIiGHT CHILDREN AND A BULLDOZER by Anne -Cath. Vestley THE STAMP -PAD - PRINTING BOOK by Florence H. Pettit • • l• fires and places for cooking: "Three quarts of water daily, 21/2 lbs. of bread or biscuits pot inferior in quality of navy biscuit, 1 lb. of wheaten flour, 5 lbs. of oatmeal, 21/2 lbs. rice, 1/2 lb. sugar, 1/2 lb. molasses, 2 ozs. tea per week. Five pounds of good potatoes may at the option of the master of the ship be substituted for 11b. of oatmee or rice in the ships sailing from - Scottish or. Irish ports. Oatmeal. may be substituted in equal quantities for whole or any quantity of the issue of rice." These people were anywhere front four to six weeks on the ocean crossing the. Atlantic, buffeted by - wind and waves, hornesiclirtess,r-and seasickness, eomparedn'to the few; ;hours it takes''td 'fly by` jet ` i ith good meals supplied to cross the Pacific today, and with a definite o place and bed and meals to come too. Our ancestors came to a place covered with forest and a home that had to be built out of logs cut from where the trees had stood. They left their home in Great Britain and Europe to gain a home, something of their very own, to get away from the: feudal system and landlords to whom they . were servants and serfs. Some left Ireland to get away from a potato famine and typhus and • many died before ever landing at their intended desti- nation. We feel sorry for the refugees of Asia today with conditions not of their own making and it is hard to know what the solution is. I am fearful that we in this country and the USA are again returning to the feudal system. We don't call it that, but to the corporate system where resources and Money are again getting into the hands of fewer and fewer people. 1 -do not like to feel pessimistic, but I am afraid we may be get- , ting into a position similar to our ancestors, but worse. We have no new country aro turn to. Elmer J. Farrish : /. : :/ • • fel/.•.v'fv'r:':':•!. .f. +'•f. .:. f. .F. r ..r f /r:..r ... r+rrl,:l::• ry; {?'Si'+: ::f' tire{ f r rJfrr•.'r•::' f.. /. � .. /..: ; .. ,frf .. /. r. /: :;:.j: �.. ..fr ..r.+r,.r, .. .err .t �. •, � !:••/r'r:r�.rlff r`��'+r�ira.•rY•{l/,.'rY>:::•r:+;;••;::•;/;•;,J/�iiir.'••.,.;t� !i �F''•:ff•://r•:•:{.:ti��•:i•rlt�•�:,?,.i:'�F�!:,riy'• •.. k ,�};.y' • •••••••• "R::r.;�v..rt,'�••!, f: r:}�. Aftlaffiltf Aft/SINGS B► John W. Pattison The first electric motor ever installed by Walter Green of the Wingham Electric bight Co. was in the office of the Winghatii Times. It was built by Canadian General Electric and first drove the press to put out thepaper on day June 6, 160?. UP.. to thio time the press had been operated by hand. Could this have been the reason the next week, and from then on the paper was published a day sooner? The public was asked to come and see it work on Monday or Wednesday evenings from 8 to 9 p.m. It had to be' viewed in the evening because that was the only time -the power house in Lower Wingham was in operation in those days. Mant people were amazed that such a small motor could do so much work. 0 --to —0 The council used to, hold an auction saleeveryyear to sell the town scales. The lucky bidder then took over the operation of the scales for that year and collected all the fees. In 1898 R. A. Graham bid $128.75. The pre- vious year the price was only $84. For that reason the council in- creased the fee the auctioneer, Peter Deans, received from two dollars to three, because he ob- tained suchAeod price. 0-0-0 Advertisers in the old days told it like they thought it was. For example, "No old stoves or rotten trash picked out of fence corners used in making the plow points that T. H. Ross sells for 35 cents each. All made hard and tough and tempered in oil." This was a low blow aimed at the local foun- dry that bought scrap iron to make their plow points. 0-0-0 The Western Foundry had asked the town for years to build a footbridge across the river to provide ;a short-cut for the men going to and from work. This was finally thought to be solved in 1909, when the Grand Trunk pro- posed to build a new railroad bridge to handle the heavier •fin gtneg' thhy.'were using • on `kWit : 'freight trai'n's 'goitirg--throtigf'• town. There was to be a sidewalk added to the south side of the bridge for $661.45. The town agreed to pay two thirds if the foundry paid the balance. The only trouble was that the bridge was not built until six years later, and the . cost had gone up to $745.55. The bridge (the present one) was installed in sections, so that- traffic was not interrupt. One casualty was' a concrete mixer that rolled over the bank On the foundry side. It was com- pletely demolished. 0-0—'0 The corner stone of the Holmes Block (McGee Auto Electric) was laid on October 17, 1902. A sealed glass jar with Wingham, Toronto, Montreal newspapers, legal documents and coins, was placed in the stone. 0-0-0 In July of 1894 Thos. Gregory cut his large tenement house known as the "Terrace" on the east side of Francis St. into two parts. He then had them moved back from the street, set on stone foundations, and bricked. They are now No. 197 and No. 203 Fran- cis Street. 0-0-0 And final would Y you believe that the town council granted a franchise for electric street cars in Wingham in August 1901? It is a fact. MNR removing timber at Hullet wildlife area Before flooding about 2,500 acres for marsh development at the Hallett Wildlife Management Area, the Ministry of Natural Resources is conducting a sale of the standing timber. Tenders have been issued for tree removal. Species and volume of the sawlogs and fuelwood in cutting areas have been determined by Winghem district staff. The woodlots designated for removal cover more than 600 acres. The fleet phase consists of removing trees from the north half of the property to allow development of a wetland habitat. A planned dam in the northwest seetion and a series of dikes will create sixpo nds for waterfowl use.