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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1976-05-27, Page 11t fi I THE ilDukInCE �TJMJS A page of editorial opinion Thursday May 27, 1976 Vfo '}� ; :'.Pr% . ,g'C+;•� r .' / , ri.Jfih' •'' if ..on slow f�f3{irll!• �S%/.G a : Labor asks a new role Meeting In Quebec City last week the executive of the 2.2 million member Cana- dian Labor Congress proposed a new role for organized labor In Canada. Rather than con- centrating solely on demands for higher wages and softer working conditions, the executive wants labor to sit in on the nation's economic deliberations. They would I;ke an equal voice with government and business corporations when decisions are being made which will affect the economy of the country. Well, goody, goody, goody! Isn't that just what we've been waiting to hear? Or- ganized labor admitting that its members are both contributors to and the beneficia- ries of whatever jpys or ills the rest of the nation lives through. , There are, however, some further con- siderations. The CLC is, indeed, a mighty force. Two and one-fifth million union members should, indeed, have a voice in the country's plarming sessions. But what about a voice for the 12 or 14 mill ion Canadians who are not and never will be members of any union—the housewives, the farmers, the senior citizens, the kids at school, the taxi drivers, the fishermen, the clergymen and women, the trappers, the Indians and Eski- mos—yes, and the derelicts and bums and alcoholics too? Will organized labor bring to the plan- ning councils recognition of the fact that a sound economy cannot afford high and ever higher wages for shoddy workmanship for malingering and featherbedding? Will labor face the fact that employers are not Merely exploiters; that business owners find the money and take all the risks to provide stores and shops and factories and tools and machines with which union members can fill jobs? Will labor admit that when prices sag and demand for goods and services falls off wages must decline proportionately? Will labor understand that strikes in the essential services like police forces and fire brigades and hospital staffs are actually blackmailt? If, in fact, organized labor can come to the councils of the economic planners with a clear understanding of all these complex fac- tors and with a sincere will to work toward the best interests of all Canadians a great step forward will have been achieved. Let's give them the benefit of the doubt. The doctors. have a point At last week's meeting of the Ontario Medical Association the doctors of the prov- ince made it clear that they want to be con- sulted before any more hospitals are ordered closed..Quite logically they contend that offi- cials in the ministry of health do not have the first-hand knowledge of health care problems that the doctors possess. The doctors' request is so obviously valid that we are again reminded of the un- believably poor judgment with which the ministry acted in February. The closing of ten hospitals was ordered apparently without any detailed studies of the impact these closures would have on the communi- ties in which the doomed hospitals were lo- cated. It is equally plain that there was no in - ss "I hear our next project is to try to change gold into gasoline." depth research in regard to the ministry's legal position, as the Ontario Supremg.Court has since decided. And now it is clear that the medical profession—the very people who te'rs. O e l O Ede do the day-by-day work in the health care e field, were never consulted. On top of all that lack of knowledge, the Ein ew Books the Librury RICH FRIENDS by Jacquelin Briskiin This novel spans two genera- tions in the lives of a prominent South California family opening in the summer of 1918. T%e war was just over but life was just beginning for Em and Caroline, heiresses of the powerful Van Vliet family. As the limousines swept up to the elegant garden reception, the future appeared to hold every promise for Em and her new almost -acceptable hus- band. A Very Double Life by C. P. Stacey Scholars have long known that our longest -serving prime min- ister was in some ways very odd. But although Mackenzie King has enjoyed ample attention from biographers it has been left to Stacey to reveal publicly, what has long been private knowledge. Besides exposing King's eccen- tricities and peccadillos he pro- vides the clearest view so far of the bachelor's relations with his family and his innumerable wo- men friends. The Burning Wood by David Wil- liams Set in the modern Canadian west this novel explores the con- flict between Indians and whites. Joshua, the young protagonist, is raised in a strict fundamentalist family but to his relatives' hor- ror, is gradually seduced by the passionate Indian world around him. In the wake of a disaster, Joshua discovers the meaning of hi f '1 ' est and tries to government blatant) ignored the dire It g y g poli- OPEN LETTER seems a little unfair that the ones ing as much or more as the aver- has been those of us in town who s ami y s p bridge the chasm between the tical consequences involved. They failed to TO THE PREMIER already paying have to pay more age worker. Those who cannot have had to continue to pay for races. understand the place the local hospital oc- Advance -Times, to cover those who are not. meet these demands should ap- the continuing maintenance of Wingham, Ontario. cupies in the loyalties of a small community. its moral teachings on sex should I would suggest that each adult peal to the government and prove the pool together with its upkeep. be discarded. Certainly health care costs must The Hon. William Davis, must havesomesourceof income their need for assistance. This we do through our taxes. In g Binding With, Briars; Sex and Sin trimmed. No one is denying that fact. But i Parliament Buildings, and should a his way from that pay Y Forim rovi improving, 1975, six r per cent of the Town's in the Catholic Church by R. family finds' itself running into insurmount- T>Sonto, Ontario. source, if the are dependent on , Y i� government mane ement, g total budget went to support our Ginder able debt, mother and father usually find TDDAYS the government, such as welfare, L. Walker. Recreation Program. No monies The author, who has been a better ways of meeting the problem than Dear Mr. Davis: mother's allowance or olds e, g tinent during two years of an were received (or requested) priest for the past 35 ears, be - p p Y the kids. You announced recently that pension, these should be adjusted those living outside the Town from the surrounding muni- lieves that the time is long over- shooting shooting some of .11th t to th 1 h d all our programs, country parti- were the decisive phase of the ci lities With ever mountin d' 1 h ' th The blessing we never count Poor old England never seems to be out sof trouble. If it isn't labor strife it's the dwindling value of the pound. Now they have something else to contend with. The country is suffering from the worst drought in 250 years. News stories from Old Blighty tell us that the upper reaches of the Thames are a river of mud. There are serious shortages of water in Wales and Yorkshire, as well as in several other areas. It is feared that even the City of London will soon have to curtail water supplies. All of which leads to the thought that we in Ontario seldom pay any attention to the abundant supplies of crystal clear water with which we are so richly blessed. We think nothing of letting the tap run for a few minutes so we can enjoy a cold drink. We drain the run-off from' our fields into the nearest river and send it rushing off to the salty Atlantic. We never hesitate to use a hundred gallons to wash a dusty car. Have you ever paused to imagine what life would be like without water, or even with a scarcity of water? A few years back we read a fascinating pair of books about the Bushmen of Southwest Africa. These hardy people live in a cold desert and their exist- ence makes the Eskimos of the far north look like millionaires. Water is so scarce that these natives have developed photographic memories of any possible sources of mois- ture. If, in their wanderings, they see a tiny melon plant early in the season its location is never forgotten. At the time when it will be ripe and succulent with its own moisture a Bushman will get up from his camp fire and run to the place he saw the plant—not just out to the garden or over the nearest hill, but often as far as 60 miles. That's what thirst can do. As for baths, the Bushmen use sand, not water. To bring the comparisons closer, think of the place water had in the pioneer homes. In the early days every drop had to be carried from the nearest river or spring. That is why we find our present-day towns located so frequently in flood -prone areas along the banks of rivers. Then you can step forward a generation or two, Even when there was a well in every door yard somebody had to do the pumping and the carrying. It was a great day for farmers when the windmill pump was in- vented and the labor of pumping by hand for two or three hours a day was left behind. Can you imagine having to pump the water for a modern beef or dairy herd? We take it for granted that we will al- ways have water to throw away—but that careless attitude may someday catch up with us. Well -drillers have told us that the water tables—the underground water levels, have dropped alarmingly in the past 20 years. The natural reservoirs which took, perhaps, thousands of years to fill by the slow infiltration of rain through the strata of soil, gravel and rock, are being drained faster than they can refill. New York City has for several decades been piping its water hundreds of miles, from near the Canadian border. Our own City of London depends on a pipeline from Lake Huron and is worried be- cause the Thames River does not carry enough water to handle its sewage. If you think a shortage of oil is a grievous problem, just wait until you open your cold water tap and nothing comes out! Well done The young people who make up the Stu- dents' Council at F. E. Madill Secondary School are to be commended for their gift of $2,500 towards the construction of three new tennis courts on the school grounds. Their, assistance will go far toward the raising of enough money to complete the project this year. The new courts are not for use of students only, but rather by anyone who wants to play this excellent game. In addition, we note that the students at the same school raised no less than $200 for the Canadian Cancer Society. Well done! THE WINGHAM ADVANCE -TIMES Published at Wingham, Ontario, by Wenger Bros. Limited Barry Wenger, President Robert O. Wenger, Secretary -Treasurer Member Audit Bureau of Circulations Member — Canadian Community Newspapers Assoc. Ontario Weekly Newspapers Assoc. Subscription $10.00 per year. Six months $5.25 To United States $20.00 Second Class Mail Registration No. 0821 Return postage guaranteed e care cos a peop e a by the government to cover to be increased by 50 per cent to OHIP. Those with large amounts RECREATION DOOMED Pa el costs, we must now ask for due for a ra rca c anin e Church's attitude towards sex. . cover the overload of health care, of income tax deductions and low WITHOUT SUPPORT "Country" support. This book expresses Ginder's but it seems tome that only about -4ncome tax payable to the Huron. Anglican Church. has We have contacted all Town- view of what went wrong in the 50 per cent of the people in the government should have to pay Advance -Times, ships Councils to advise them of Catholic Church and why many of province are paying OHIP. This their way, as they'may be earn- Wingham, Ontario. our request for their financial its moral teachings on sex should The Law Reform Commission Dear Editor: support. In general, we have re- be discarded. Lord's Day Act, with its stern I read with interest the com- ceived a sympathetic hearing. • the Sabbath• should be repealed ments of Dorothy Coultes with re- We feel that the future will see fi- local and provincial laws have gard to the "Registration Sur- nancial support direct from the The Last European War by John was passed 70 years, ago. Some of Within Guidelipe Limits' rim Cfor HILD charge" which we have instituted those outside the Corporation surrounding townships in relation to the number of children from Lukacs Beginning in September 1939 of enforcement. TDDAYS 0—;^, . of Wingham who make use of our the various areas making use of this history covers an entire con - area have raised about $80.000 to- various Recreation Programs. Wingham recreation programs tinent during two years of an 'BY HELEN ALLEN We welcome participation from and facilities. enormous convulsion. Lukacs �l those living outside the Town With regard to hockey, as with argues thpt the years 1939-41 0—t1-0 limits, and hope this participa- all our programs, country parti- were the decisive phase of the federal government the price of tion will continue. All we ask is cipation is most welcome. All we Second World War and that after that you help us pay for these ser- ask is that our country friends December 1941 a German victory vices on a more equitable basis. help us pay for these programs was impossible He describes the Frankie will soon be five. He is a gentle, happy child with a In particular, we acknowledge and facilities as we in Wingham everyday lives of peoples, armies winning disposition. Big for his age, he has blue eyes, brown hair that out of town donations helped pay each year in our taxes. and the sentiments of entire na- and fair skin. His glasses are to correct weak muscles in his left build our pool, as well as dona- Very truly yours, tions in a style that reflects his eye. Frankie's general health is good but because of his medical tions from within the Town. How- Donald P. Kennedy,' Y. - extraordinary approach to the history there are some unknowns in his future. He has ever, please remember that it Chairman. writing of history. hydrocephalus (aboormal build-up of fluids inside the skull). This has corrected itself and is not expected to recur. There is Also -evidence of a growth in the pituitary area but doctors ad- vise doing nothing unless his condition deteriorates. The cautious medical opinion is that he will continue to function normally ... but the uncertainty is there. Good-natured, affectionate Frankie is . enjoying nursery school. He likes other children and prefers quiet games to rambunctious ones. He likes music and picture books. Frankie is considered a slow learner now but it is felt that after a period in special education he might make fair progress in a regular class. He needs a mother and father who will love him and encourage him while allowing him to progress at his own speed. Older children will be an asset in his adopting family. Child, Ministry of Community and Social Services, Box 888, Station K, Toronto M41? 2142. In your letter tell something of your present family and your way of life. ALWAYS GOOD-NATURED In brief... News of the Nation The Post Office has announced Fire destroyed the most im- gasoline "ill rise by four cents a a four cent increase in first class pressive building on the Expo '67 gallon in September and a further letter rates during the next ten site at Montreal. The structure 21z cents next March. Home months. The present Scent rate was erected to house the United heating oil will increase by the will increase to 10 cents Sept. 1 States exhibit at the world's fair same amount and then to 12 cents next March 1. and was designed by famous 4--w-0 Second class rates, those charged architect Buckminster Fuller at Stratford and Thedford arenas for carrying newspapers and a cost of several million dollars are the latest victims of the new magazines, will be increased by The building was in the form of a federal building code At St. 20 per cent next March. sphere and constructed of alumi- Marys permission to keep the 0-0-0 num tubing and covered with arena in that town open during Transport Minister Otto Lang has placed a ban on all applica- tions of foreign airlines for land- ing rights at the Toronto Inter- national Airport, stating that air space is filled to capacity. Any new landing rights will be con- fined to the Mirabel Airport at Montreal. The government is ob- viously emphasizing the need for a new and larger airport in the Toronto area. Construction work at the Pickering site was dropped last year after continued protests by residents of the area. 0-0-0 Speaking in Listowel last week Dr. Stuart Smith, leader of the provincial Liberal party said that if the Davis government seeks ligislation to support hospital closings the Liberals will vote with the NDP to defeat the government. 0-0-0 The Ontario Supreme Court has ruled that Rev. John MacDonald cannot serve the United Churches at Fordwich and Kurtzville as minister, and further that he may not disturb or interrupt services or assemblies in those churches. 0 acrylic plastic. After Expo the the summer months has been re - city of Montreal became owners. fused. Sparks from a welder's torch are believed to have triggered the Rt. Re% Da% id Ragg. Bishop of blaze which consumed the build- Huron. Anglican Church. has ing in less than 15 minutes. Since criticised Premier William Da\ is the fair it has housed the Mon- for refusal of the pro% racial treal attraction. Man and His government to match 'funds World. raised by %olunteer agencies for 0-4-0 assistance to third worid coup The Law Reform Commission tries of Canada has urged that The - Lord's Day Act, with its stern regulations about observance of the Sabbath• should be repealed Correction The commission contends that local and provincial laws have The article in last week . psi cr largely replaced the Act which entitled "Hospital Rudget Kept was passed 70 years, ago. Some of Within Guidelipe Limits' rim its regulations have become tained two errors A sentence if'. totally outdated and impossible the second paragraph read 'A of enforcement. total of S2',A00 is slated 11 0—;^, . salaries. IV 'cand other ex Residents of the Teeswater penses• 8 per cent within th( area have raised about $80.000 to- guideline." This should ha% e reaii ward the local share of the cost of " 8 )eight -tenths) per cent a:ihin a new arena Total cost is ex- the guideline •' Similarilc' 'The pected to be about $450,000, of sum apportioned for operating which roughly half will have to be expenses is $2,800.000 µhich is ., raised locally per cent beloµ the limit' should 0—t1-0 have read '' 5 per cent heloU the Following a decision by the limit " We apologize for the inac federal government the price of curacies I ilii . - ^_t'. - ­—­ - . — — - - ,.