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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1983-01-26, Page 4ACE �s A page of editorial opinion kiBB� N 1 8) Published at Wingham, Ontario, bo Wenger Bros. 1-imitdd Barry Wenger, President Henry Hess, Editor Robert O. Wenger. Sec.-Treas. • Audrey Currie, Advertising Manager • Member Audit Bureau of Circulations Member — Canadian Community Newspaper Assoc. Ontario Community Newspaper Assoc. Subscriptions $20.00 peF year Second Class Mail Registration No. 0821 Six months $11.50 Return postage guaranteed Let's lend a hand Itis not often that a town the size of Wingham produces athletes of national championship calibre. Two local boys, Curtis and Mark Moore, sons of -Mr. and Mrs. Fred Moore, fall Into that dis- tinguished category. Curtis, with his partner, Debbie Horton of Goderich, was first in the novice dance figure skating class at divisional trials held in Timmins two weeks ago. Brother Mark placed sec- ond in the class for novice men. The wins entitle the young skaters to com- pete at the national competition in Montreal, starting February 5. During the years these young skaters were perfecting their skills they have taken part in many competi- tions, some of them a considerable dis- tance from their home. We have no way of knowing what sort of costs are en- tailed in such a long period of training, but it may be assumed that the parents have spent liberally on that program of development, The Wingham Figure Skating Club is now undertaking a fund-raising campaign to assist the young skaters with the expenses involved in compet- ing at Montreal. Since there is a very good chance that this community may soon be widely known as the home of a pair of champions, there should be ready support for the campaign. Donations to The fund will be an evidence of the pride we have in these young skaters and a pledge of our en- couragement and good wishes as they enter the national competition. Go metric ... or else! A group of. 36 Progressive Conserv- ative members of parliament are con- tinuing with plans to have an Ottawa station sell gasoline by the gallon instead of by the litre. They are hoping thatthe federal authorities will take legal action and thus bring the matter of compulsory use of the metric system before a court. In Toronto a butcher is defying the metric regulations and selling his meat by the pond. There is much more concerned in these casesthan mere irritation about a change in systems of measurement. What is really at stake is the govern- ment's arrogant intrusion into the daily. lives of the general public without any deep concern for the wishes of the people. • It must be admitted that the metric system,' once fully established, is.. a more log5ca1" way cif handling weig>~ita and measures. Very few of us would be happy with a change" in our, present metric currency, to the pounds, shil- lings and pence of colonial times. How- ever, the change to metric at all levels of business has been far more drastic than necessary. If a butcher wants to sell his meat by the pound and his customers want to buy it that way, why should government be telling both the seller and the buyer they are breaking the law? Today's school children are learn- ing their weights and measures in metric — and that's fine. But older people who have lived all their lives calculating their meat in pounds and their gasoline in gallons find It ex- tremely difficult to make the switch. In, fact, some of them never will. Nor is everyone equipped with one of those hinky-dinky little electronic converters that tell you there are 4.54 litres in a gallon. The compulsory conversion to metric is but one more evidence of the pervasive change which has taken place in government over the past 20 years. When any one party stays in power year after year the conviction that they can do as they wish with people's personal lives becomes an instinctive part of their reasoning. More and more important laws are de- cided by the bureaucracy and fewer and fewer are opened for debate in parliament or legislature. There is a very fine line between democracy and dictatorship, Public totally confused For many years the Province of Ontario's trust companies occupied a respected position in the field of fi- nance. The chartered banks were as safe as the government . itself, struc- tured and limited as they were by strict regulations which protected depositors and the money they entrusted to the banks. The trust companies wereron the other hand, less hampered by gov- ernment regulation. For instance, many of them were formed for the pre- cise purpose of funding the mortgage market in a day when the banks were not permitted to deal in mortgages. A few generations passed before any major trust company met disaster, proving that they were vulnerable to economic pressure or mismanage- ment. Most notable example was the catastrophic demise of one of the "biggies", British Mortgage and Trust. Within the past few weeks the general public has watched the drama of dollars unfold as Crown Trust, one of the most reliable companies in the field, along with two others, Greymac and Seaway Trust, became Involved in transactions which were terminated when they were taken over by the gov- ernment of the province. The pivotal point was the rumored sale of nearly 11,000 Toronto apartment units to the Saudi Arabians. It would take a finan- cial wizard to follow the wheeling and dealing which led up to the fiasco and as things stand at present, such a wizard has failed to materialize. How many investors will lose money there is nd telling. Whether there was criminal action in any of the deals remains to be seen. But one con- sequence is already clear. There Is bound to be a loss of credibility in the trust companies generally. Depositors seeking safe havens for their savings will, in many cases, decide to stick to the chartered banks. Although such reaction is inevit- able, it Is at the same time regrettable. The trust companies have served a very useful purpose over the years and there is still a viable place for them In our system. Obviously the Ontario gov- ernment will have to draft new and stiffer rules for the operation of trust companies. It has already made the first move by requiring deposit insur- ance for $60,000, increased last week from the prevailing $20,000. Perhaps the greatest need is for an up -dated system of reporting by trust companies to the responsible sectors of government. In the case of Crown- Greymac-Seaway the questionable deals had proceeded too far for author- ities to intervene. The only course left open was to freeze them in their (racks. We predict that within a few weeks new regulations will be announced, and depositors will once more be able to deal with the trust companies In full confidence that their savings are in re- liable hands. Getting the message Even public boards which handle tax money are beginning to get the message that they should be careful how that money is spent. A couple of weeks ago the Grey County board of education voted, al- most unanimously, to pay expenses for only one delegate attending out -of - province conventions and seminars. Previously two delegates were permit- ted expense money. Not only that; ex- penses were paid for spouses who wanted to tag along. Now, if wifey wants to go, her husband will have to foot the extra bilis. It would be interesting indeed to have a full and accurate list of all the "perks" quietly paid for out of public funds. Boards of education are not the only guilty ones. County councils were, at one time, very generous with travel allowances, as well as many other elected bodies. Tough times do indeed sharpen awareness of what tax dollars are in- tended to cover. We have all been so fat and happy for so many years that we forgot to be vigilant. Would that the same message might filter through to those upper levels where the dollars seem to belong to anybody but the,, people who dug them out of their wal- lets in the first place. IM INDEPENDENTt BUT I'LL SAY ONE TF & A=•UT LIBERALS 71eY'E roitai 9N ciao CREArfO/t m/ 11, M1111111111111111' 111111II Why 's new at Huronview? On Friday Mr. and Mrs. Lionel Reeves, evangelists from Lucknow, and Norman Hoy of Goderich conducted a worship service in song. Unfortunately the audience 'was small. Mr. Reeves, with guitar accompaniment, sang several duets with his wife, who also sang two beautiful solos, "In the Garden" and "When Jesus Comes". Elsie Henderson played the piano for the worship and Sarah Carter repeated the 23rd Psalm. Mr. Hoy spoke briefly and gave his testimony. Each Friday evening at 6:30 p.m. the Reeves family will be here for a worship in song. Everyone is cordially invited to attend. Sunday morning service was held in the chapel with Rev. Norman Pick. The lovely flowers in the sane - Bring sandwiches to benefit dance Dear Editor, In my letter last week regarding a benefit dance to be held for figure skaters Curtis and Mark Moore at the Wingham Legion Hall this Friday, I was mistaken in stating that a lunch would be provided. It should have read, "Ladies, please bring sandwiches." The dance is to help raise funds to send the two local skaters to compete at the Canadian Figure Skating Championships. Dianne Simpson Wingham tuary were placed through the kindness of Sarah Carter and Margaret McQueen. Rev. Pick's message was taken from Luke and told of the influence John the Baptist had on Jesus. The anthem by the choir was "The Blood that Stained the Old Rugged Cross". If you like the rhythm of old-time music, the place to be was the new auditorium Monday afternoon. Warren Whitmore, - Wilson Mc- Cartney, Ston Hillen, Ray Catitelon Stewart McCaul, Bill Marshall, Jim Ruddick with Gladys VanEgmond at the piano entertained the residents. They played several old-time favorites with a fast-moving pace. Mrs. VanEgmond delight- ed everyone with her accor- dion solos: Special Care friends met Tuesday after- noon for a social hour. They listened to music from the stereo and enjoyed freshly popped corn, coffee and cookies. Peg Coombs of Seaforth held the winning ticket on the painting. The lovely picture is the work of Grace Peck and was donated by the Residents' Council. Wednesday afternoon there was a spelling match, which turned out to be a lot of fun. Mary VanCamp was commentator and put every- one's power of thinking to use. Mark Sproat and Grace Peck were finalists and Grace was the winner. We warmly welcome Angus Alexander Ross from Lucknow, who has come to live at Huronview. Huron federation to meet Feb. 3 A monthly meeting of the Huron County Federation of Agriculture will be held at the Londesboro Community Hall Feb. 3 at 8 p.m. A preliminary working paper on restructuring of the Ontario Federation off Agriculture will be brought to this meeting and there will be a chance to discuss the paper and ask questions. There also will be a representative on hand from the Ontario Motor Vehicle Fuel Tax Department to speak and answer questions about the use of dye in diesel fuel as well as questions about filing for the fuel tax rebate. -r-----, Sacred jHeart _ _ Mailbox Grade 1 • to Grade 8 gathered around a visitor, "Smoking Sam" last Friday. They were able to see the effects of - tar and nicotine from a cigarette that "Sam" smoked. After that, Grades 5-8 saw some slides about •--chtii' es we have to make on smoking. Now that we have some snow, the students have taken to the hills once again, sliding on their crazy car- pets. Many are hoping for more snow so they can cross- country ski. "He shoots; he scores!" Grades 3-6 are involved in intramural netball. It is an active, fast -paced game enjoyed by all. gri. New Books in the Library THE GOD PROJECT by John Saul Something is happening to the children of Eastbury, Massachusetts; something that causes healthy babies to turn cold in their cribs; something that strikes at the heart of every parent's darkest fear that somehow he may have passed on to his child some terrible, life - taking . flaw; something signalled by a single, in- nocent -looking word stamped on a school record. RIDE THE WIND by Lucia St. Clair Robson In 1836 when site wasinne years old, Cynthia Ann Parker was kidnapped from her family's settlement by Commanche Indians. She grew up with them, mastered their ways and married one of their leaders. Except for her brilliant blue eyes and golden mane, Cynthia was in every way a Commanche woman. Contract awarded for two highways Cox Construction Ltd. of Guelph has been awarded a $1 million contract for resurfacing portions of High- ways 86 and 23 in the Strat- ford district. The contract calls for resurfacing` Highway 86 from Huron County Road 12 easterly for 20.7 km, and resurfacing Highway 23 from Highway 89 easterly for 8.9 km. It includes widening of the pavement, partial and full paving of shoulders where necessary, and in- tersection and entrance treatment. January 26, 1983 Items from Old Files JANUARY 1936 Residents of Wingham and its " town council were shocked and incensed when government officials closed down the town's customs office last week. The office was closed as an economic belt -tightening measure by the government, but it will inconvenience Wingham merchants and area far- mers. Commissioner A. J. Walker was re-elected to his post as chairman of the Wingham Public Utilities Commission after an ab- sence of two years from the position. Town council entertained retiring councillors and its appointees at a dinner held at the Brunswick Hotel following the inaugural meeting of council. Huron County Council is debating whether or not to purchase a snowplow for plowing roads in the county. Some members are in favor of purchasing a heavy truck which could be used winter and summer. Dan Arbuckle returned to Toronto after spending the Christmas holiday with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Arbuckle and family of East Wawanosh. JANUARY 1948 Wingham's Teen Town Council needs a comfortable place to meet with a games room included Councillor Gregg told members at the group's January meeting. Mrs. S. Heisler was in- stalled as the new president of the Women's Missionary Society at the Wingham United Church. The inaugural meeting of the new Wingham High School Area Board was held at the town. hall with Wilfred French of Wingham elected chairman. _ -Mr. and Mrs. Walter Davidson of ' Bluevale celebrated 50 years of married life. Mrs. I. Morrey super- intendent of the Wing - ham hospital, reported 1947 was a good year at the hospital to the annual meeting of the hospital auxiliary. A by-election is scheduled for the county Feb. 16 following the untimely death of MPP Dr. R. Hobbs Taylor of Dashwood. JANUARY 1959 Roy Bennett was elected chairman of the Wingham Public School Board. Mr. Bennett succeeds Scott Reid, also of Wingham, who held the position for the past four years. Turnberry and Morris Township children per- formed at a variety concert held last week in the Bluevale Hall with proceeds going toward the Bluevale Library. Enrollment is higher than usual this year at the Wingham Figure Skating Club and the club is progressing well under the leadership of Harold "Shorty" Brooks. Police Chief T. W. (Bert) Platt offered his resignation to Wingham Twon Council. Gordon Deyell, former night constable, will take over the chief's position. JANUARY 1969' Two teachers at the Wingham and District High School, Danny Stuckey of Wingham and R. G. Wareham of Blyth, are fathers of the two babies vying for the title of New Year's 'baby for the town. But little Suzanne Lynn Wareham won out and was born at 12:02 a.m., Jan. 1. Janot Stuckey came into the world just after 1 a.m. Snow has fallen steadily for the past week and caused a rash of accidents, both in town and in the surrounding countryside, Snow has fallen every day except Sunday. The Whitechurch post office closed this week after 104 years of service to that community. Carol Eva MacDonald, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Alex MacDonald of Wingham, wed William Cameron Edgar in St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church. Plow match planned for late August The Huron County Plow- men's Association is plan- ning a change in the usual date of the county plowing match. Usually held in mid-Sep- tember, the association, is planning the event for late August. The decision was made at the group's annual. meeting held recently. Secretary -treasurer of the organization, Graeme Craig, of IR 1, Walton, said the or- ganization has to consider the dates—of the plowing matches of neighboring counties to avoid conflicting. times. The match itself, if pos- sible, may be held in the south end of the county. It has been in the north end of Huron County for the past three years. The executive of the as- sociation was named at the annual meeting. Allan Campbell of RR. 1, Seaforth continues as president, with other executive members in- cluding: first vice-president Ken Duncan of Kirkton, sec- ond vice-president Ross Eedy, of Dungannon, secre- tary -treasurer Mr. Craig, Ontario Plowmen's Associa- tion director Neil McGabin of RR 4, Walton and OPA assistant director, Bill Leeming of Seaforth. i MEDAL -WINNING TEAM—The Wingham Lions Midgets are having a fine year on the ice this season. in addition to their good league record, they have captured two medals in tournament play, a bronze at Kincardine and gold at w urford. The Lions are coached by Bob Sangster and Jon Bateson, Players are (back) Jim Dennis, Jason r 144. Goodall, Tim Brown, Doug Wood, Rob Willis, Byron Thompson, Bill Haines, Murray Houghton, Ed Sweeney, Jeff Cameron; (front) Paul Kenyon, Steve Nicholson, Mitch Doug BraunMcFarl, Brett anCameronv✓itha ,broken Rob Schistand Mark Foxton and Paul Robinson. Absent are , leg, and Doug Stephenson,