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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1979-01-31, Page 4.' J. r -N1 TME ADVAnCE-TIMES 1 A page of editorial opinion Wednesday, January 31 }' (\�C���a�� �����'�♦� \��v .\�♦. �...:�..u:4.:.:.:.::..:........:..:..:...:..::.w....�.:..:..:.,.�....:.::.::.::.::.:•.•.:•.:�.:.::.:....:..�...:.:.,..:. ..•......:..:.............. ......... .:.:.:.s:r:. •:�. �vv.. ...v.... :. ..... ;..,....-:..:..:.:..:♦ � .v....:..:..:..:..:..:..:..:.:...:..:..:..:. .,:••'.•..•:`.•�..'��:.}.. .}:•}}Y•}}:. tv.. .v}'.�.X}}..4 }. ..\:vi•: .... ?C:?v'i?tii?..v. ..Y .x ?.k.i. }v+.i}.:.}. +L•v ..,✓,.r ;. .nf'. ti:{�ti� 4.}}, •N: %':�•kv�C�:{'}:: hazard from the Trespassing outsiders who .::......:,..v. .::.:. ... try in the search for deep snow. A certain ..0}��ti\l .v:yC;: A thankless job One of the most thankless tasks in Canada must be service on a royal commis- sion or a government -appointed study com- mittee. Years of hard work are usually shelved and forgotten. They have served their prime purpose as a means of quieting public concern long enough to take "the heat" off elected politicians. As an example, have you heard anything at all in the way of L. . /.. action as a result of the LaMarsh Commission on Violence In the Media? The same fate may be awaiting the report of the Task Force on Canadian Unity which turned In Its report last week after two years of concentrated attention to remedies for Canada's bleeding national wounds. Co- chaired by two outstanding Canadians, Jean Luc Pepin and John Robarts, we may as- sume from the outset that the study was a conscientious work, guided by two highly intelligent men. That is not to say that their recom- mendations should be or will be unanimously agreeable to Canadians of whatever cultural background. The very nature of the prob- lems to which the study was addressed rflakes unanimity impossible. However, one would assume that the prime minister, the man who Initiated the task force and Its work, might have been prepared to allow some time and thought before branding one of its most important recommendations as he did. The task force report recommended that each province be granted total control over language within Its boundaries. Frankly, we, too, believe that Messrs. Pepin and Robarts are trusting rather too much to the good will and generosity of future provincial governments, but that does not alter the fact that such a hasty and scathing rebuttal by Mr. Trudeau has done little to give the remainder of the report the Health care curtailed The recently announced cut In hospital beds is tantamount to admission that the hospital insurance plan which has been serving the people of Ontario for over 20 years is a semi -failure. It was set up as a universal scheme of health care which would serve all citizens who needed it. The arbi- trary chopping of beds without thought for local conditions in any area is an admission that the plan has failed. It cannot, in fact, care for all the sick people. It is a plain statement that some of the sick will have to make out as best they can without hospital service. There is no consideration for areas In which older people represent a larger than average segment of the population; there is no allowance for seasonal upswings in the illness rate. There is nothing but a cold formula which states there will be no more than 3.5 hospital beds for every thousand residents. The famous "user fee" will be applied, not to the short term patients whose daily bill for service would seldom amount to a serious burden; no, the special fee is to be charged to the old folks who have chronic Illnesses and usually limited incomes. The abruptness of the bed cut announce- ment and the lack of consideration for individual circumstances is reminiscent of former Health Minister Frank Miller's announcement that several hospitals would be permanently closed. That decision was a political bombshell and the ministry never did make It stick. The repercussions of the bed cut measure may be just as far-reach- ing. Canadians are crabby Here are a few observations by the edl- Uw- of The Glengarry News: it wasn't much of a revelation, but, just the same, no one likes seeing it in black and white. According to a study released by the Council for Canadian Unity, Canadians are a crabby lot who care only about their own regional .. .. and couldn't give a tinker's damn about the nation as a whole. The. council reached this conclusion after conducting 500 interviews throughout the country. Most Canadians are quite prepared to get rich at the expense of their compatriots in other parts of the country. "The net effect of this Is that they want a bigger piece of a pie that has ceased growing, regardless of whose share will be diminished by what they gain." Surprisingly, It was�hot Quebec but On- tario that earned the unanimous scorn of the remaining nine provinces. Residents from every other province ganged up to blast Ontario for treating everyone like second class citizens. Some of the complaints were as follows: "We are branch plants of Ontario; we've been on the periphery of power too long; the CBC and Globe & Mail are the mainstream institutions and they take their cues from Ontario; we are tired of subsidizing On- tario's manufacturing industry." Attitudes to Ontario were "pervasively fiierce", says the report and there was a general crabbiness in the relationship be- tween the regions and the provinces. Western Canada resented Quebec for being what the respondents considered the biggest beneficiary in confederation. West- erners thought of Ontario as the next big beneficiary and all other areas, including Ontario itself, view Ontario as the best treat- ed. The federal government's attempts at encouraging Quebec to remain in confedera- tion are soundly pooh-poohed. Apparently most Canadians feel Quebecers should be left to themselves to decide their fate. Scare stories about economic declines will likely do more harm than good, the report indicates. Many Canadians feel these "appeals to Quebec ... are irrelevant and even destruc- tive," it states. "If Quebec elects to remain in confederation it will do so out of desire, not fear, and arguments based on calculations of benefits from federation should be discard- ed, for the balance sheets have a habit of changing from year to year." Nations are made of "blood and affec- tion, not of money and contracts," the report says. Those familiar with the history of Can- ada, and particularly with the power wielded by the financial czars of the fur -trading, mining and railways industries of the 19th and 20th centuries would not be as quick to dismiss "money" as a primary factor in the growth of this nation. In fact, economic con- cerns were very much a major factor in 1867 when confederation took place. They earn their keep Those busy little snowmobiles and their farmers over whose lands they have re - devoted owners have truly earned their ceived trail rights. Now they face a new place in our society. A few years back a hazard from the Trespassing outsiders who great many people were ready to curse them bring their machines to our part of the coun- out of existence for their nuisance value. The try in the search for deep snow. A certain passage of time, however, has seen the amount of policing by club members will be transition from joy -riding idiocy to- respon- necessary, not only to protect the trails they sible use and pleasurable recreation. have groomed with such care, but also to If anyone doubts the overall merits of prevent careless misuse of private lands by snowmobilers one has only to read of the the visitors. .snowerama at the weekend and the money raised for Ontario's crippled children. The Sadly enough, the incidence of snow - day wasn't by any means ideal as far as mobile injuries and fatalities continues, but probably on no higher percentage level than snow conditions were concerned, but that did not deter the hardy breed of sportsmen who isy the case for motorists. As with cars, took off on their 100 -mile jaunts. excessive speed and lack of caution will con - As you probably noticed through a story tinue to take lives. In last week's Advance -Times, the organized Snowmobilers, particularly those band - snowmobile clubs have made a determined ed into clubs, have proven their worth and effort to protect the property of- those we owe most of them a real debt of gratitude. J*A THE WINGHAM ADVANCE-TIMESPublished at Wingham, Ontario, by Wenger Bros. Limited Barry Wenger, President, Robert 0. Wenger. Sec-Treas. Member Audit Bureau of Circulations 1978 Member - Canadian Community Newspaper Assns Ontario Weekly Newspaper Assoc Subscription $14.00 per year Six months $7.50 Second ('lass Mail Registration No. Oft21 Return postage guaranteed 1 � Eo.,w�."tel "Set up an extra guard — there are rumors some pensioners are going to attempt to break in tonight. " News Items from 1 es JANUARY 1932 Orville Tiffin of near Whitechurch had the misfortune to have his fine L-shaped barn burned Thursday evening when a lantern exploded. T. Y. Smith, a former manager of the Dominion 'Store, has returned to town and is again in charge of the store here. Charles Mason has been in charge of the store since Mr. Smith was moved to Galt. The Wingham Arena is having a tough time this winter. On several occasions ice -making was started but after a day or so of cold weather, the temperature would rise and the results of their efforts were lost. Thomas Fells was elected president when the annual meeting of the Wingham Hor- ticultural Society was held. Other officers include Mrs. N. L. Fry, Mrs. H. Angus, Mrs. E. J. Nash and W. A. Galbraith. It is a sad duty this week to chronical the death of W. Logan Craig, editor of the Advance - Times, which occurred at his residence January 19. Deceased was in his 64th year. Five hundred people crowded the auditorium of the old Methodist Church in Fordwich to witness a court drama. For the first time in the history of Huron County, a woman was charged and convicted of assaulting a man. The charge arose after a Howick Township woman in her 20s assaulted her neighbor, a 50 - year -old man, over the residce of a hired man. The womantas fined ten dollars and costs and wa! bound over in the sum of $200 to keep the peace for one year. _a Howick District Loyal Orange Lodge convened in Gorrie and elected N. Wade, W. W. Strong, Milton Leonard,W. Jacques and R. Harding as its officers for the coming year. Duncan Kennedy of Whitechurch made a trip to London and purchased a new Buckeye cabinet incubator which holds about 10,000 eggs. The incubator is heated by oil with two fans driven by electricity to keep the heat at an even tem- perature. Mr. Kennedy will start to use the incubator next month. JANUARY 1944 In her retiring address at the annual meeting of the Wingham Red Cross Society, Mrs. J. W. McKibbon, who had been president of the society for three years, expressed her ap- preciation for the cooperation she received. Her successor will be Mrs, W. B. McCool. Congratulations to Jack Day, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Day, ninth line of Turnberry, who successfully qualified as an air gunner at Summerside, P.E.I., and has received his wings. Herb Wightman of Vancouver spent the weekend with Mr. and Mrs. John W. Hanna. It is 38 years since M. Wightman left Wingham and at that time he was with Hanna and Co. His last visit here was 18 years ago. The January meeting of the Marion Williamson Girls' Auxiliary of the Presbyterian Church was held at the home of Mrs. S. Bateson. Ruth Gannett was elected president and vice presidents are Helen Carr and Ruth Bradburn. Lorna Dunbar is secretary and Grace Coulter, TODAYS' CHILD BY HELEN ALLEN THE TORONTO Ji.JA SYNDICATE Ruthie is a tin} girl of 17 months, East Indian and G. , , k in descent. Though her general health is good, this baby has z multitude ofproblems so she needs parents who,' -- q , e her not only love but a great deal of patience and understanding. Ruthie was born blind and doctors say nothing can be done to give her sight She is microcephalic, which means her head is smaller than normal. With this condition the brain cannot grow as it should, so the child is usually below average in ability. In addition to all this she has cerebral palsy (lack of mu4de control). She cannot yet sit or hold her head up or take any weight on her feet. Ruthie loves to be held and cuddled, and she explores with her hands anything she can reach. As is natural with blind children, she likes toys that make a noise. Ruthi's foster family spend much time carrying her around and talking to her besides doing exercises with her to strengthen her legs. Dear little Ruthie needs a mother and father with a. deep desire to help a child who has major handicaps. To inquire about adopting Ruthie, please write to Today's Child, Ministry of Community and Social Services, Box RAR, Station K, Toronto M4P 2112. In your letter tell something of yoUr present family and your way of life, treasurer. Mr. and Mrs. Orin De Long, Southampton, wish to announce the engagement of their daughter Wenonah to Norman Elliott, son of Mr. and Mrs. Alex Elliott of Wingham. At the meeting of Wingham Cub Pack, four Cubs .were in- vested having completed their six week course of training. The new Cubs are Bob Wilson, Murray Gerrie, Gerald Gerrie and Kenneth Saxton. Under the auspices of the Ontario Department of Agriculture the Huron Federation of Agriculture and the agricultural committee of county council, a series of two day farm machinery schools has been organized. The schools will teach care of harness, use of concrete, maintenance of motors and implements and practical use of rope. The Belmore mill is a very busy spot these days, three men being employed. JANUARY 1955 Jimmy Bain, star defenceman with the Midgets and. or Juveniles, has been elected mayor of Teen Town Wingham. Sandra Smith is reeve and Betty Henry secretary -treasurer. Councillors are James Newman, Jim Campbell, Bill Rintoul, Marion Chittick, Gail Colvin and Gwen Brown. There was a capacity audience on hand when Wroxeter's new $36,500 public school was of- ficially opened. The two -room school replaces the one destroyed by fire in March, 1954, and was built in record time. Wingham's fire siren coming as it did at the end of the first verse of a hymn, caused con- fusion at St. Paul's Church Sunday night. As the siren sounded organist Bill Connell thought the organ had developed trouble and made a hasty dive for the plug. Mrs. Carl Procter was reelected president of the Belgrave United Church `choir. Secretary -treasurer is Lois Goll. JANUARY 1965 Plans were approved by the building committee of St. An- drew's Church for the new building. The edifice will be erected on the site of the former church, which was demolished last year after the foundation of the north wall collapsed. It is expected that construction will commence about June. Dave Crothers was elected president of the Wingham Legion Branch 180 and Mrs. Jack Gorrie heads the Legion Ladies' Auxiliary. They were jointly installed at the Legion hall. Dr. W. A. McKibbon of Wingham was elected chairman of the Wingham District High School board at the inaugural meeting. He succeeds Gordon Moir of Gorrie, who held the post for the past two years. Jamieson Pettapiece of Kinloss Township was named vice chairman. Provincial police officers from the Wingham detachment, who patrol this area, which includes the townships of Morris, Turn - berry, Howick, Grey and East Wawanosh, reported a busy year, 165 accidents being investigated in 1964. Three persons lost their lives in accidents under in- vestigation by them. NEEDS PARENTS BADLY .. ,. .. _: -.;. ::{{�� :,}:::.� :• . .<.�' .......... . };Illi.•'t:;ir..�:•'::>r''r'.:?:•.'''.'•r.::?::; i ;}:f•i;iC•.':r:.�r':y>•�•: : •>• The speakers put on the main drag to broadcast Christmas music were put into action on the weekend with just plain nice music. We hear • several mer- chants complained about the effect. It's too bad a couple of complainers put a stop to music which is enjoyed by the shopping public for whom the system was installed. Following a serious ceremony two weeks ago, five new Kinsmen were initiated this week with the usual hijinks. The new members are Ron Wingfield, Clarence Duquette, Elwood Irwin, Ray Galbraith and Keith McClure. Miss Doris Carswell of Ford- wich, who is attending teachers' college in Stratford, was practice teaching last week in Listowel Public School. New Books in the Library THE WILD FRONTIER by Pierre Berton The stories in this book read like the wildest fiction but all are true, the product of careful ar- chival research, much of it previously unpublished. Pierre Berton's theme is the frontier, its affect on Canadians as a whole and on seven remarkable in- dividuals in particular. THE EiSENHOWERS by Steve Neal From a farm during the French and Indian wars to the White House during one of the most turbulent eras of American history, this is the first com- prehensive study of one of America's celebrated families. OVERLOAD by Arthur Halley Imagine the lack of electric power, not for short periods but far longer, This dramatic, timely novel is the story of people and events leading to such a crisis. THE REJUVENATORS by Hugh Miller In the exclusive Blockmann institute in Switzerland the old and raddled can become young again with drugs and skillful surgery. This book explores the sinister implications of plastic surgery taken to extremes and the ethical problems that occur for the highly skilled men and women involved. ADVENTURE by Borden Deal Until recently Harry Ewald had never questioned his identity as a middle-aged, successful dentist and dedicated family man. Now, equipped with a new motor home, Harry's family arrives on their very first camping adventure at a North Carolina national park. Discovering that all campsites are full, Harry enlists the• ser- vices of a disreputable, enigmatic mountain guide and what had begun as an innocent back to nature experience turns into a daringly ng1 Y ill egal trespass on federal land.