HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1979-03-07, Page 4TNS ADVA(ICIE -TIMG-S
F11
Yes, we are pleased
As the publisher of The Advance -Times I
am writing this particular comment in the
first person for the very good reason that I
want to extend my personal thanks to mem-
bers of my staff.
Elsewhere in this issue you will learn
that this newspaper has won three awards In
the Ontario Weekly Newspapers Assocla-
tion's annual competitions. The Advance -
Times placed second In the general excel-
lency category for Class Two papers; first
for editorial page and first for news and
features.
This is not the first time that your com-
munity newspaper has won awards, but it is
the first time that so much of the credit be-
longs to our employees. The general excel-
lence of the paper and certainly the news and
features are a tribute to the diligent work
and journalistic capabilities of Henry Hess,
his assistant, David Dineen, reporter and
Lavonne Baliagh, columnist and social
editor. Lynne Pinnegar of our Mount Forest
staff regularly contributes features as do
other staff people from time to time.
Our Mount Forest paper was close be-
hind The Advance -Times, in third place for
general excellence. Our congratulations go
to The Midland Times which placed first In
the same category.
Our thanks, as well to all the gther
employees whose faithfulness is vital in the
weekly task of producing a high quality
newspaper for our readers.
Last, but certainly not least is my per-
sonal tribute to my wife, Jean Wenger. With-
out her Invaluable help over the past years
no worthwhile achievement would have been
possible. At various times she has served as
typesetter, advertising sales person, histori-
cal researcher and composing room super-
Intendent. She is presently responsibile for
typesetting production in our Listowel plant,
as well as the design and assembly of the
pages of The Advance -Times and Cross-
roads.
If you are wondering what is left for the
old man himself, that's a good question. But
then, why would the boss have to work with a
gang like that around him?
Where should the money go?
Because the threatened loss of hospital
beds in smaller communities has given rise_
to some sharp thinking about the disposition
of public funds we have heard some Interest-
ing comments from people on the street in
recent weeks. Although there are dozens of
ideas abouthoW and where tax and lottery
money should go, one particular thought
seems to be prevalent.
In one form or another we have heard
many people exclaiming about the avail-
ability of large handouts to non-essential
causes such as professional sports, while the
chop falls on vital needs like health services.
Of course the obvious answer from poli-
ticians is that money produced by a national
lottery cannot be used for a provincial re-
sponsibility such as hospitals.
That is quite true, but the people who
They don't
provide the funds are all taxpaying citizens.
They don't really care who does the collect-
ing. They see that their own money, whether
paid to the municipality, to the provincial
government or to the federal authorities is
being used for purposes they consider trivial
compared to the pressing need for services
in their own communities.
-Nor are they so far from the truth. After
all, one of the reasons for the cutbacks in
spending by the provincial ministry of health
is the curtailment of federal grants to the
provinces for health care needs. It is true
that money raised through the federal lot-
tery is earmarked for sports and recreation,
but if the federal minister has enough money
available to promise $18 million to arenas In
the large cities to aid the enfranchsement of
NHL hockey teams, perhaps it is time to
alter the earmarks.
think alike
Warren Alimand, federal minister of
consumer affairs, is all riled up about the
spiraling cost of food in this country. So
much so, in fact, that he is.pushing for a bill
to restore competition in the marketplace.
He says he is "fed up" with the rising cost of
food prices, which have recently hit an an-
nual inflation rate of 23 per cent.
Too bad these upper level politicians
can't get their act together. On more than
one occasion Allmand's cabinet colleague,
Agriculture Minister Eugene Whelan, has
expressed his contempt for Canadians who
whine about the high cost of eating. His
sentiments were echoed only a few weeks
ago by Ontario's minister of agriculture and
food, Bill Newman, who also impatiently
pointed out our childishness. Both cited the
fact that it takes less cents from a Canadian
dollar to put food on the table than anywhere
else in the world.
Both of these ministers, of course, were
playing up to their farmer supporters . . .
making heroes of themselves to the sons and
daughters of the soil. Both are forgetting
that the agriculture portfolio in any cabinet
carries a responsibility not only to farmers
but to all the citizens of the nation or the
province. They are ministers not only of food
production but also of food availability to
consumers and consequently should be con-
cerned about its price.
Nobody in this part of the world is sug-
gesting that farmers are getting fat and
wealthy at the expense of the town and "city
people., But many sound thinking farmers
are deeply concerned about the vaulting
price of food products on their way to the
table. They don't like paying $3 a pound for
beef any more than the rest of us do.
Allmand is right. Whatever the means
we must find out why the route from feedlot
to dining room is so expensive. When
ministers fail to understand the complaints
about high food prices it's a sure sign they
are out of touch with the people who elect
them. It reminds one of Marie Antoinette's
famous remark to the starving mobs of
Paris: "Let them eat cake".
Perhaps the quickest road to under-
standing would be to put Mrs. Whelan and
Mrs. Newman on a budget of $40 a week for
food purchases. Eugene and Bill would find
themselves without very much beefsteak.
And then, on the other hand
There are usually two sides to every
story. While Mr. Allmand is pressing for a
chance to put a stop to the growth and con-
trol of big, non-competitive food chains,ins
,
there is plenty of evidence that business in
this country already'suffers from too much
government interference.
Robert Naegele, president of Dow
Chemical of Canada at Sarnia, says that he
will recommend his company not spend $100
million in this country for expansion of Its
facilities. Naegele cites the attitude of the
Canadian government as his reason. He says
government's interference In the conduct of
business, Its action in rolling back the profits
of corporations make Canada a poor place In
which to Invest business capital.
The fact that jobs are created by capi-
talists investing their money in profit -mak -
Ing ventures often seems to be lost on the so-
cialists and the more greedy of the labor
unions. Profits are the compelling factor In
the business world, whether we like It or not.
WithoutP rofits there is no em , yment ...
and goodness knows we could And quite a
bit more employment right now.
Another interesting factor came to light
the other day in a report on the economic
condition of the nation. Productivity, or the
amount produced by the average individual
worker is lowest in the poor provinces of the
nation. There were some Interesting com-
parisons between the number of trees felled
In British Columbia and in the Maritimes.
After all the factors of better equipment,
etc., were taken Into consideration 1t was
evident that the eastern workers simply
don't like to work 'as diligently as the
westerners. And the relative wealth of the
two areas bears a direct relationship.
`
JA THE WINGHAM ADVANCE -TIMES
Published at Wingham, Ontario, by Wenger Bros. Limited
Barry Wenger, President Robert n. Wenger, Sec. Tress.
Member Audit Bureau of Circulations
. i
Member — Canadian Community Newspaper Assoc. Ontario Weekly Newspaper Assoc.
Subscription $14.00 per year Six months $7.50
Second Glass Mail Registratkxi No. 082121 Return postage guaranteed
A
A page of editorial opinion
Wednesday, March 7
.. _... r,r r r r rI r I&I 1iiiiM+r rI m a r c III, III r
MUSEUM
MUSINGS
The parking probhem has beenme
with us for a long time. In days
)gone by at times parking a horse
was maybe more u'ouuio i sam
parking a car today.
When Wingham had numerous
hotels, the hotel stables as well as
the livery stables were available.
In 1801-1802 a new Methodist
Church (row United) was built.
The old frame church was con-
verted into a shed where
members could put their horses.
The Baptista had a small open
shed and in 1816 the Anglicans
built a new shed behind their
church for their members'
horses.
In the same year C. E. Lepard
of the Exchange Hotel built a new
shed, 140 feet long by 60 feet wide,
behind the hotel. It was equipped
with electric lights and had the
entrance on Victoria Street. A
warm waiting room with toilets
was located in the hotel for shed
customers. This service was
available for rive dollars a year.
This accommodation, along with
the livery stables and church
sheds, was adequate for some
years.
As cars became more .popular
the' hotel stables and liveries
were either closed or torn down.
The Exchange Hotel was torn
down and replaced with a service
station and the shed was closed.
Later it was a garage and then an
implement shop before it too was
torn down. The only place left
was the United Church shed.
Parking horses at that time was a
bit difficult. Even though the
sleighs and cutters were parked
on both sides of Minnie Street
while the horses were tied up in
nd the shed, there was not enough
it room. >
his About 1939 Clayton Fryfogle
if purchased the Beattie Livery
be_ building on Diagonal Road and
en opened it for the use of farmers.
m This was just in time because C.
Lloyd and Son had rented the
UP United Church shed for storage.
t a Mr. Fryfogle canvassed the
on- merchants for funds to keep his
ew accommodation open. This
pco_ carried on until the end of the war
u a when Fryfogle sold the building
re to Foxton Dairy.
,ea The Wingham Business
see Association came to the rescue.
The south end of the old Lepard
ker, shed had fallen in and the town
owned the land. The merchants
Job raised the money to buy two old
barns and hired a barn framer to
build a shed out of the timber
10' from the barns.
One morning Robert Galbraith,
the founder of the Red Front,
attended a meeting at the town
hall about the farmers' shed. He
told those present they were
making a big mistake because in
another year no horses,would be
get out and attend open meetings mer can't pay $16,000 for a 135 coming to town. He was laughed
Hospital closure areal threat such as the one held Feb. 21. horsepower tractor in 1975 and at as other wise men have been.
W' Advance -Times proficient and eventually were We must question. We must $32,E for a 135 horsepower The shed was finally completed
Wingham Edi listen. We must di for the truth tractor today without getting and paid for.
Dear Editor, forced to close. Now only un- g more for his produce. Fuel costs It was said after that only one
The le of Wingham and wieldy colossal institutions and we must haunt the govern- P Y
�°p ment with our loud cries of have gone up, interest rates at farmer ever had. need of the
district are very legitimately remain and it is the people who the bank have one u
proud of our local hospital. It has suffer. People are on waiting lists "No! ". Only by continuing to g p, so why facility. In later years the town
proven to be an indispensible extending over years for simple question their supreme right to not farm products? rented it to C. Lloyd and Son for
asset to our community. It is surgical procedures that we now rule our lives do we have a Everyone else gets raises so storage and later sold it to
efficient, well equipped and well take for granted.
chance to prevent this calamity why not farmers? The farmers Canada Packers.
from taking place. respond to a system which lost
staffed. How many of our people We have to stir ourselves from
realize that we are going to lose the apathy in which we are It is our hospital. Let's keep it. them money for four years. They
our hospital? We are. The first mired. This hospital is going to Mrs. Raye Elmslie decreased their breeding stock so Rheumatic diseases, which
step has already been taken. have to close. We have to do a good living could be made in include arthritis, remain one of
The government realized something about it and we havefarming. Food prices cannot go the most important unsolved
during its abortive attempts to to do it NOW. We cannot wait Dont blame down unless everyone else is problems which disease presents
close Durhamand other small until it has dwindled so small that- willing to take less for his job too. to our community. Their serious -
hospitals that the public will not it is not economically efficient. the farmers Mrs. Lynda Fitch ness is due to the large number of
people affected, to the pain and
stand by and meekly allow such Now is the time to act. Now, Wingham Advance -Times Editor's note— If you read this disability involved, and in the
flagrant violations of human while we still have something to Dear Sir, week's editorial comment you vast.economic loss caused. With
rights. So now a new, insidious save. We all have a personal In regards to the article "High will note that we don't see any the exception of rheumatic heart
method has been chosen to interest in this matter so it is up Cost of Eating" in your Feb. 21 farmers rolling in wealth disease, these conditions do not
achieve the same ends. to all of us, not just "somebody issue, I am a farmer's wife and I because of high food prices. Our cause many deaths, yet they rank
This year we lose 14 beds. By else" to write to the Ininistry of get a tittle tired of people concern is with the distribution second only to mental illness in
next year we will have lost 28 health, to our local M�P, and to thinking food is too high. A far- system, not with the producer. the cause of human incapacity.
beds. The reason for this is that
,<
theministry of health »;:;:>;:;:>::: >::::: •:,•:::. •::..:..::::•:.:• #.
r for no «:<:>::z:.:: z:::s:........................ f c. r
valid reason, has chosen the^::::�>:•:.......r:.:......:. ::.:•^
random figure of 3.5 beds per
1,000 of population. This figure is
"not negotiable" according to the
ministry of health as quoted by TODAYFS CHILI)
Hospital Administrator Norman
Hayes. This is regardless of a
study done in Grey County which
proved that areas comparable to �� BY HELEN ALLEN
our own here in Huron County A
require 5.4 beds per 1,000.
Where did this arbitrary Daniel is a friendly 10 -year-old with a pleasant person -
government figure come from? ality. He is a bit small for his age, but active and athletic
Good question. There appears to and in excellent health.
be no answer. So this year we lose Though Daniel speaks some English, his first language
14. Then who will stop the is French and he has always lived in a French setting,
government from calmly attending a French school. It is hoped a French-speaking
lowering its figure from 3.5 to 3.0 family will be found for him.
Tho Daniel is working hard he Is having some
then to 2.5. Once our hospital � g �
gets so small that it cannot difficulties In Grade 4. His teacher is pleased with his
support all the ancillary services attitude, however, and feels he will certainly be able to
which it boasts now, such as finish high school.
Any kind of outdoor activity appeals to this lively
extensive lab work, outside youngster. He plays hockey, baseball and soccer. He is a
specialists, surgeons, con• good swimmer. He enjoys camping, bike riding, tobogan-
sultants, etc., then it will no ning. He is willing and responsible about doing chores.
longer be a viable institution. At Daniel will be a fine son for a mother and father who
that point the government will will want to give him their time along with their love. ,� \
coldly command it to be closed. To inquire about adopting Daniel, please write to
We should learn from the Today's Child, Ministry of Community and Social Ser -
888
mistakesmade Britain where vice, Box , Station K, Toronto, Ontario M4P 2H2. in
your letter tell something of your present family and your
the some pattern evolved. All way of life. ~~"�+�• .-... �...
small hospitals were gradually
to et smaller
forced g and less ffirr'� . �/f'r
THE WINGHAM JOKERS—Front row, left to right, man, the late Alf Lockridge (coach), Pete "Mike"
Murray "Rusty" Kerr, John "Slapshot" Fry, John Carmichael, Bill "Curly" Crawford, Bill "Dilly"
"Turk" Merkley, Doug "Artie" Lockridge, Ray Dallimore, Bill "O" Henry, George "Slim" Skinn, and
"Waxie" Walker. Back row, Gary "Tiny" Temple- the late Hugh Carmichael (Manager).
t $tor
tt r to ee e
February 28,1979 `old-timers" to ice a team. At first I talking to a former Winghamite a
To the Editor:
It is with interest that I've been
following the activities of the various
Centennial Committees as they prepare
for Wingham's 100th Birthday. Being a
former resident of Wingham, I'm look-
ing forward to visiting the `old home
town" during the Centennial celebra-
tions and renewing old friendships, etc.
I recently received an invitation to
participate in an `old-timers" hockey
game on April 7th at Wingham. I've
made a few inquiries, and as`I under-
stand it, Murray Stainton is trying to
round up enough bodies to take on our
old Joker team. I was really excited
about returning to Wingham to par-
ticipate in a game of hockey in the new
arena. But alas! It may not come to be!
I've heard a rumor that Murray is
having problems getting enough old
thought this was just a lame excuse be-
cause, as 1. recall, tin guys in and
around Wingham alwa}le rose up to any
type of challenge. However, the other
night I was flipping through an old
scrapbook and I spotted a picture of our
old Joker hockey team. What a power-
house! We had so much of that "inter-
nal organ" we would take on any or all
comers. Even the Leafs! (maybe beat
them too!)
It was then I realized what a mam-
moth task Murray had taken on in try-
ing to form a team. Murray and his
boys may be getting a little old in the
legs but their memories haven't failed
them. They can recall the games be-
tween the Jokers and the guys from
Wiarton, Port Elgin, Paisley, Kincar-
dine, etc., etc., etc.
But don't despair Murray! I was
i
hockey player. He has heard about
and says he has started to round up
gear. He swears he will get there even
he has to hitchhike! (He can't drive
cause his eyesight is failing.) He's ev
got an old Stainton Spitfire jacket fro
back in the forties!
We've got a few practice dates set
and each of our players has been sen
copy of Roger Neilson's preseason c
ditioning program. We've also got a f
scouts out checking on what's hap
mg in the Stainton camp. I'll drop yo
line later as the scouting reports are
m
ceived and let the Winghaand a
fans know who they might expect to
in the line-ups.
A. Jo
P.S. For the benefit of your read
I've enclosed a picture of our old Jo
Team.
Letters to the Editor
,