HomeMy WebLinkAboutWingham Advance-Times, 1980-07-02, Page 4•
4.
}
en need for caution
By Barry Wenger
Something I find extremely ditfi-
cult to understand is the increasing
caption of the board of governors of the
Wingham and District Hospital. A mo-
tion passed et the hospital association's
annual meeting, which ratified -an ear-
lier board decision, will permit only a
few designated persons to make any
statements about hospital business.
During 19 years of service on that
same hospital board, four of them as
vice-chairman and chairman, 1 can re-
call no occasion on which It was
deemed necessary to Impose any rule
of silence on board members. Those
members are either elected or appoint-
ed to the board as representatives'of
the various municipalities and organ-
izationaon which the hospital depends,
for support. Thus they have not only the
right, but the obligation to -speak openly
to any of their constituents when ques-
tions are asked.
Obviously some a pects of hospital,
administration must be held in confl
deuce:-_ personal matters • relative to
staff problems and discussions of any
business which is in process of being
resolved at a future date. However, in
either such instance the appropriate
ctiehrnittee should be dealing with the
subject arid committee deliberations
are, quite properly held in „camera.
Only the final report of the committee
need be presented to the open board.
Quite frankly, had any , such
restriction of silence been imposed
upon me as a board member I would
have refused to comply, even at the
risk of "impeachment", mentioned as
a possibility. During those 19 years on
the hospital board 1 represented the
people of Wingham and recognized my
responsibility to keep all who were in-
terested fully informed about board
decisions.
At the annual meeting it was stated
that "The hospital ... is counting on the
wholehearted support of the com-
munity." And again, the need for "fi-
nancial and moral 'support from the
public" in•order to provide health ser-
vices.
1 certainly do not suggest that the
hospital board is attempting to do busi-
ness in secret, nor that there are inef-
ficiencies to be kept under wraps. It is
for that very reason that I totally dis-
agree with a regulation which enforces
silence on the majority of board mem-
bers. The general public will inevitably
come to, the wrong conclusions about
the conduct of hospital business at the
very time when public support and
confidence are so obviously needed.
Good buy or bad mistake
After several years of study and
deliberation Canada: finally settled on
the McDonnell Doug' las F -18A as the
fighter aircraft to,lto1'ster Its long -since
obsbolete'defensi„vieequipment. The deal
was for 137 machines at a cost of some-
thirigover#t million each, for a total of
$4 #fitlaon' plus.' • It appears that the
chefce Of the F ;18A was determined by
the: fact that it was lower Iin price than
its nearest competitor.
1t1. the United States, where the
plane will ;.be manufactured; there are
sortie people with grave doubts about
the wisdom tof that decision. One 'con-
gressman who has made a detailed
study of the *F -18A, says that there" re
serious flaws. in its mechanical excel-.
lance and' grave doubts about its final
Cost. He Is Concerned because`'the U S.
Naiiky.has.ordele ;,Med. ver a thopsafld
of�ese'�lanes. a is `"anditilg a foil'
congressional' ;committee re=assess-
ment of the aircraft. '
Among many i. 'weaknesses he
claims that the acceleration rate of the
plane is,considerable less than promis-
ed, primarlly;because'modifications of
the original specifications have_ added
some; 2,000 pounds to• its weight''. He also
claims that •it _will; have considerably
less .range thanpromised. There.. has
been trouble with the elevating devices
on the nose wheel, the weaponry is
faulty and the prototype craft has a
tendency to wing flutter at certain
speeds.
However, that's not all. He predicts
that the final cost of the'plane will
probably escalate from the original S7
million to $24 million. In that case Can-
ada's purchase would not look like
much af;a bargain .The $4 billion would
•
becomesomething iikesl4 billion. That
would be 'about $700 for every man,
woman and child in Canada.
the purchasing of military hard-
ware;;'particularly ..aircraft, is a diffi-
cult task indeed.The decision has to be
based not: on visual and tested tier-
formance of the actual craft, but by the
predictions and promises of the menu-
facturer. The planeatself may not come
,a off( ,tile{stinal. assembhf :.line .:for
three -or finre. years -'.. by which time
some or even most of its corticepts may
have become obsolete. •
The saddest part 'of the Canadian
deal is that (the purchase agreement
carries an escalation clause which ef-
feetively,guarantees there is no‘ Way of
knowing what the final -price will be.
Even the "American congresstryan is
shaking his head about Canada's
choice.
ative�tes have a Dint
peop (.
if recent Dews reports are true the
Canadian government does not intend
toainclude our native peoples (Indians
and Eskimos) in the talks which are to
bee prelude to drawing up a new con-
stitution.
It would be hard to imagine any
Canadians who have a better right to a
share in decisions about the future of
this country. They were here long be-
fore the Anglo-Saxon settlers, indeed
thousands of years before the first
Frenchman set foot on our 'soil. The
European newcomers simply walked in
and took what they pleased,. evenutally
herding the natives into reservations
which, all too frequently, provided the
real Canadian with neither game to
hunt nor land fit to till. As a conse-
V A
y p
quence our Indian population has; to a
large,�extent, degenerated,into ignor-
ance and .alcoholism, with an un-
employment rate that is a national dis-
grace. Infant mortality on many res-
ervations is four or five times as high
as it is in the nearby white populations.
The British government has ex-
pressed its willingness to hand back to
us the Tong -outdated ' British North
America Act, but last week some
Brliish parliamentarians balked at
doing so unless our native peoples are
invited to the conference table. Their
attitude is entirely in keeping with the
vaunted character of British justice.
The same British attitude, prevailed
when Britain was returning its erst-
while colonies to the native peoples in
Asia and Africa.
Go-ahead for pipeline
At long last after at least two years
of wrangling and indecision, the
American Senate has given its formal
approval for the\ construction of a na-
tural gas pipeline from Alaska over
Canadian territory. The president and
the Congress are expected to follow
suit.
With work to commence this sum-
mer there is a cheering prospect of jobs
for Canadians — not only in the con-
struction zone, but in steel mills and
other suppliers of material right across
the country. Approval of the project,
one of the largest construction jobs
ever to be undertaken, comes at a time
when it should be appreciated. Any
reduction in unemployment figures will
be "welcome indeed.
On another cheering note, a deal
has been consumated to sell several
trillion cubit feet of natural gas from
Canada's Arctic islands to the United
States. In actual fact the Americans
will be sold gas from the Canadian
West in equivalent amounts to the gas
coming from the Far North. The latter,
in liquified form, will be shipped by
tanker to Canada's east coast ports;
there -by reducing the transportation
costs of the commodity to both Canada
and the States.
Now, if someone would get on with
the job of converting our cars so they
could use some of this abundant na-
tural gas instead of scarce and dostly
gasoline we would be away to the
races.
THE WIMGHAM ADVANCE -TIMES
Published at 6b'iz gham. Ontario. by Wenger Bros. Limited
Barry Wenger, President
Member Audit Bureau of Circulations
1•
Member — Canadian Community Newspaper Assoc Ontario Weekly Newspaper Assoc
Robert 0 Wenger. Sec Treas,
Subscription $15.00 per year
Second Class Mail Registration No 0821
Six months 00
Bourn post age guaranteed
Ll
;r
fwo ?LJEyi2 A/D ONGu RD. "
DROPPED FRO 1 stili tJAL
ANTHEM - _ 114.‘00 1-14.411._.
G000ozoi fEETAAw11/4'c;ivE ®'
8`
;s book s ie_..
• gaveup}her
what itlis.r,
governor.
candidat.
ews Ite
JULY 1933
The Wingham Chamber of
Commercehas recom-
mended to town council that
a bylaw be passed per-
mitting town council to
purchase the Wingham
Arena at a price of $7,000. A
further recommendation
states that a board of
trustees be appointed to
manage: and operate the
arena. - .
Amid a
eharming setting
of. ...,summer%-flowerel an
Lucknow Presbyterian
Church, . Grace Lockhart
became the bride of John
Elwell Webster. They will
reside in Wingham.
While gleaning a suit with:
•
gasoline ,Mr. Oberle, who ,
lives back of his grocery
store on Josephine Street, lit
a match which ignited the
gasoline. 'In • attempting' to
throw the burning gasoline
gout the door, the curtains on
the door and window caught
fire but by the time the fire
truck arrived the blaze had
been extinguished.
Greer's `'Shoe Store has
been appointed agent for the'
famous , ;,I ocksvedgey N
which .are; dei gned°
approved , by Dr. M. W.
Locke of Williamsburg,
.. Ontario, known throughout
North America for his
treatment of the. feet.
F. Davidson okWingham: is
MUSEUM
r
drilling ?a' welt on the
property of R. Grainger at..
the store in Gerrie. He has
just completed one at the
rear of the bake and butcher
shop on. the Leech property.
Tice. trustees of SS No. 5,
Morris, at ~ their meeting
Monday, engaged Miss
Helen Grasby as teacher.
A quiet wedding was
solemnized inr Fordwich
when' Elsie. Isabel Thornton
of b orirs and-Alvin=D:Snmthki..
of',Bluevale,exchanged vows.,
They will reside in Bluevale.
JULY 1945
Congratulations to
Warrant Officer Gibson' E.
Areastrong, son of Mr. and
Mrs. David Armstrong of
Belgrave, who has received
his commission, having been .
promoted to the rank of Pilot
Officer.
Jack -Heal, who recently
' tttended his.second
he Ontario School ofofmEm-
i i MUSINGS y balming, Toronto, was
By John Pattison
By what was written in the
Toronto and American
papers in early 1896, Wing -
ham appeared to be a setni-
barbarous hamlet. Citizens
riding the trains were
taunted as being from "Ly
nch Town". This was as a re-
sult of what was known as
the "Wingham Outrage".
There is an old Irish saying
that it is unwise to speak of
the rope in the house of one
whose father has been
hanged, but this is a part of
the history of Wingham�n,,.
On the night of March 10,
1896 a group of Lower Wing -
ham men met in a barn to
discuss their line of attack on
one of their neighbors, a
Wingham businessman.
After blackening their faces
they proceeded to break into
his house and drag him out
into the and, clad only in a
shirt. One man held a pistol
to the head of the victim's
son, while this was taking
place. They continued their
assualt by tarring and
feathering him, followed by
a whipping.
The next morning the son
was told that they were sorry
but it had been necessary.
He was advised to tell his
father to leave for a week or
two until tempers cooled.
Later that day the son drove
his father to Belgrave, where
he caught the train for Lon-
don. Ip London after some
heavy drinking he was 'ad-
mitted to a hospital where he
died from pneumonia.
By March 27 the Ontario
government sent Detective
Rogers to Wingham to in-
vestigate. An inquest was
held in London. NO witnesses
were called from Wingham.
Only what happened in Lon,
don was taken • into con-
sideration. Dr. Waugh testi-
fied that the post mortem
showed he had died from ex-
posure and blood poisoning
in his feet, caused by his feet
having been frozen.
Bailiff Gundry of Goderieh
came to Wingham, and
arrested five men and took
them by train to Goderich
jail'. The charge was murder.
In Clinton on April 14, two
more Winghami'tes appeared
in court, charged with mur-
der. It was held that they
were present in the barn
when the plans were made,
so they were bound over for
trial.
Out of the seven arrested
for murder, five appeared in
Goderich on May 13 'charged
with manslaughter. With
'much trouble a jury was
picked with no one from the
northern part of the county
on it. After some evidence
was heard the trail ended a
2:20 p.m. when the prisoners
agreed to plead guilty to
assault with intent to do grie-
vous bodily harm. The jury
was dismissed and the judge
passed sentence. Two . men
received three years each in
prison, two received two
years and the fifth man was
given six months.
Most of the people were
sorry to see their neighbors
go to prison, because it was
very hard on the families
when the breadwinner was
absent. The local MP Dr.
Macdonald .was - asked to'
contact the Minister of Jus-
tice, t� see if they, could be
paroled. Finally On Nov. 9,
1896 a letter from Sir Oliver
Mowat to Dr. Macdonald
was published in the Wing -
ham Times. This was the
first time the reason for the
tar and feathering was told
locally in print. Mowat said,
even though the victim was
probably guilty of incest, the.
treatment was moat. in-
human and no matter how
wicked a man he was, in a
British country, Lynch Lave
and Lynch Justice could not
be tolerated. He would give
no parole but he reduced the
sentences of the four to one
year each. And so ended the
story of the"Wingham
Whitecaps" NO hauler, 61t1
pack drill.
successful in passing his
examinations. He has
received his license which
entitles him to practise any
place in Ontario.
Each' week more of our
lads in the services are
arriving home. Last week
five arrived back in Canada.
They are William Broome,
Charles C. McKibbon,
Stewart Holloway, Harry
Brown and George A.
Stewart.
Wingham lost one of its
veteran businessmen and
highly esteemed residents
when J. Walton McKibbon
passed away at his home in
his 66th year.
Ashfield Township Council
has passed a bylaw
authorizing the formation of
a Township' School Area
which will officially come
into being at the end of this
year.
Teeswater welcomes a
new industry. The H. J.
Heinz Company of Canada
has purchased property near
the CPR station and plans to
commence building im-
mediately.
Rev• and Mrs. House apd
family have settled in 'the
United Church parsonage in
Gorrie, going to that charge
from Lucknow.
JULY 1956
A crowd estimated to
number over 6,000 people
attended the Howick Cen-
tennial celebrations, the
biggest celebration ever to
be held in the township. Mrs.
Robert Hunt was the oldest
resident and Mr. and Mrs.
Ernest King were the couple
married the longest, 62
years.
The Marion Inglis Award
for the highest marks in
Grade VIII at the Wingham
Public School was awarded
to Nancy Slosser. The
General Proficiency Award,
donated by the Lions Club,
went to. Douglas Lockridge.
A program of excellent
music was provided at a
concert of the Winghaln
Lions Boys' and Girls' Band,
held in the Wingham District
High School auditorium. The
• band was under the' baton of
Bandmaster A. C. Robinson.'
Miss Ruby Taylor of •
Gorrie, who is a graduate
this year of the business •
department of.Alma College,
St.•Thomas, leaves this week
to take a position in a London
, <. 1:,J..,
h
aa
un , �, cl r -day,
school, Campbell Brown,
principal of Wroxeter Public
School, was presented with a
gift from his pupils. He will
be principal of Markdale
Public School next term.
,Wingham,, received
provincial honors.
Paul Mitchell, son, Of Mr.
and Mrs. Robert Mitchell of
Gorrie, has 'completed a
training course and will, soon
leave Cornwallis, Nova
Scotia, as hull mechanic with
the ReyalCenadianNavy.
Field til
Friday evening was
special in SS No. 4 section,
West = Wawanosh, when
members of the section,
former pupils and friends of
Miss Beatrice McQuillin
filled St. Helens Community
Hall to honor her upon her
retirement after 26 years of
faithful service.
Three Wroxeter students
of Stratford Teachers'
College have received word
that they have passed
examinations. Marguerite
Ford will teach at Stouff-
ville, Donna Coupland at
Glenannan and Berva
Gallaher at Bluevale.
JULY 1966
During remarks to council,
Mayor DeWitt Miller said
Wingham will get a new post
office, probably next year.
He has been informed that
the government has held an
option on the Wingham
Motors property, which has
expired and will be renewed.
The new building will
probably be constructed in
1967.
Bob McIntyre, a former
Wingham resident and
swimming instructor, ...has
been appointed pool
supervisor for the summer.
Miss Mary Jane Slosser
has been informed that she
has passed examinations at
Stratford Teachers' College.
She has been engaged to
teach Grade 3 in St. Gregory
School, Galt.
Deputy District Governor
Bill Conron installed the new
officers of the Wingham
Lions Club at its annual
Ladies' Night. DeWitt Miller
is the new president; Fred
McGee, Lorne McDonald
and Charles Perrott vice
presidents; Colin Campbell
secretary and Gordon
Sutcliffe treasure'.'.
The people of the Wroxeter
community presented Mr.
and Mrs. Donald Wheeler
with gifts in honor of their
recent marriage.
'At the Huron County 4-11.
Achievement Day, three
local girls, Janette Wright of
RR 1, Clifford, Margaret
Smith, RR 2, Listowel, and
Corinne Kieffer, RR 1,
FM. QF � ,':IEAI CK
TONE by . *Whim lilt,
For*
The. lana ot. Iran is bleak
and unforgiving, well suited { i
in' its harshness to '.be .tile
stage fol',,' the portentous,
revblutio i that has trans.,'
formed the world.;Frotnhere
have come the sboche, that
ended cheap energy, .ignited
OW011i ie1igious palisions;
ended `'ttte Monarchy,' .a,,'.
dangered Soviet-Arherican
relations and turned upside
down Iran's relationships
with •all great nations. Now
the author gives us a kook
awh ch puts into perspective
the fall of the Shah and the `.
,rise of the ayatollah. and the,. '1
people of\ a land which
remains mostly unknown to
the West.
SHOW Ole- FORCE b
CharlesF'D: Taylor
As the 'taro largest, MOS(
powerfully ,.ofjti peed naval!.
fleets in history move slowly -?
toward each other near Islas _.
Piedras, an American
missile site in the Indian
Ocean which threatens
Russia's grip on the Middle
East, two men stand in the ,'
control rooms of their ships.
David Charles and Alex
Kupinsky are worried
because as the admirals•of
these fleets they might be
responsible for all-out
nuclear war.
catg 1
a rfxt. f�: i7:9 Ver• -,7,1,
Dear Editor, r,
An updated catalogue of
suitable field trip sites for
elementary students is being
put together this summer.
Once completed, the
catalogue will' provide
teachers with information
about field trips in and
around Huron County' on
which they could take their
students. The project is part
of an Experience '80
-program funded by the
Ministry of Education
through the Huron County
Board of Education.
Teachers often take their
students on trips to area
farms, businesses and in-
dustries. We are hoping that
more farms can be included
in the new catalogue. Far-
r
n are **wog to Offer
field'tries of their farming
operations to local children
can contact us at the address
belong.
We also would like to thank
all the area businesses and%
factories which already have
helped us by, providing in-
formation. We would
vir.akame.. any other in-
formation on field trips
which may have been
missed. Please feel' free to
contact us. We are working
out of the Exeter Public
School. Our address is:
Experience '80, Box 599,
Exeter, Ontario, NOM 1S0; or
phone 235-2630.
Paul Perry and-
Dorothy,Van Esbroeck
TODAY CHILD
BY HELEN ALLEN
Both Boys are athletic
The difficulties these boys have experienced so far in
their lives don't show on their smiling faces. Wayne, who
is almost 13, and Norman, 14 are from the Carribean,
and came to Canada several years ago to join their
mother. Unfortunately things didn't work out for them,
but despite ..these disappointments, they still want a
family.
Norman is doing well in vocational school, and Wayne,
who Is to special education, is eager to learn and works
hard. Norman is the quieter of the brothers, while Wayne
is more outgoing Both boys are athletic, and play floor
hockey and baseball.
These boys need a home which will give them a sense of
belonging -- a long term foster home, or a foster home
with a view to adoption, or an adoption Bothe. They should,,
be experienced parents with time and patience to help the
.brothers make up for what they missed during their early
Veers.
To inquire about adopting Wayne and Norman, 'pplease
write to Today's Child, Ministry Of Community and -Social
Services, Box. 888, Station iii, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2112.
In your letter tell something of your present family and
your way of life.