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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Citizens News, 1966-06-23, Page 2PAGE TWO ZURICH CITIZENS NEWS THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 1900 €dda4sai Carnrne#d Menace If you are a male human being, 16 to 25 years old, then this editorial is written especially for you. If you are the parent of a boy in this age group then you too should find this editorial of interest. To be quite blunt about it, you young gentle- men are the worst drivers in the world. This fact is bad enough but what makes it worse is that you think you are the best drivers in the world. Nothing, however, could be further from the truth as any insurance agent will tell you. Don't get the idea that the reason for your high in- surance rates is that you are being dis- criminated against. This is not so. The insurance companies' rates are in an exact ratio with the statistics that they have on car accidents. Most insurance agents don't even want your insurance at any cost but usually end up taking it because your dad is a good customer of theirs and they feel that they owe him this. By now you are no doubt crawling the walls and you are saying to yourself this is all rubbish, after all between the ages of 16 and 25 our reflexes are at their best, our vision is at its best and further we know how to take four barrel carburetors apart with our eyes closed. This is all true but you lack one vital ingredient which can be summed up simply as "judgment". Your judgment stinks, you have an overrid- ing desire to show off. You think that you can prove you are a man to your girl friend, or to the other fellows by fast and reckless driving. In fact all you are doing is proving that you have no right to have a driver's license at all. If your parents don't believe me then take a drive around town some Friday between one and three o'clock in the morning and see for your- self, We hear a lot these days about build- ing safer cars. This is good but the fact remains that the large majority of acci- dents are -caused by human failure, not Car failure. You're asking by now how come he knows so much about the way we drive. The answer is simple, for it's not so long ago that I was in your particular age group. I was lucky, I am still alive and when I hear of accidents involving young people I think of myself, "There' but for the grace of God, go I". Another reason that I am still alive is that when I was your age my '39 Dodge had a maximum down- hill. wind -behind -me speed of 65 m.p.h. Whereas today you are driving cars that are capable of up to 100 m,p:h. What steps can be taken to curb this senseless slaughter on our highways? Firstly, by raising the age that you can get a driver's license to 18, and secondly, by having a mental aptitude test as well as a writen and practical test. If you are still with me please don't take this as a personal attack because I know that many of you are good, compe- tent drivers. The unfortunate thing is that you have to take the blame for those in your age group that are not, you also have to pay for their accidents by paying higher insurance rates than anyone else, Next time you are behind the wheel of a car, please, for everyone's sake use good judgment.—The Boissevain (Man.) Recorder Did You Lock Your Car? Did you lock your car when you Left it on the street yesterday? If so, you may have stopped a youngster from starting on a life of crime. The Ontario Safety League quotes U.S. reports that more than two-thirds of all cars stolen are taken by school-age young- sters. oungsters. Police records show that some boys begin taking cars for "joy rides" when as young as 10 years old, but the real prob- lems begins at 13 or 14 and tapers off sharply after 17. Authorities who deal closely with ju- venile auto thefts blame much of it on the casual attitude of the car -owning public. It is almost invariably the unlocked cars that get stolen; many of them with the keys left dangling in the ignition. Normal parking precautions can offer little defence against the determined, pro- fessional auto thief. But a large propor- tion of illegally removed cars are taken by juveniles who delude themselves that it is not really stealing to drive away in a car that has been left open, whereas they would hesitate to break into locked car. Most stolen cars are recovered, They are abandoned at the end of the "joy ride" or when the gas runs out. Often they are unharmed, and the owners suffer nothing worse than anxiety and inconvenece. But •too often they are recovered after •damage and bloodshed, resulting from incompe- tent, reckless or panic driving. Surveys have shown that ear thefts drop as much as two-thirds after strict en- forcement of key removal laws. The OSL asks all drivers to help protect the public, as well as their own property, by making their cars as secure as possible when left parked. Perils of Being An Editor There are many things we like about editing a newspaper and some things we don't enjoy. Last week we came up against two in- stances which made us feel that there might be better vocations than being an editor but we could do nothing about it. One gentleman came in with the de- mand that we never print his name in this newspaper, no mater what happened. He had a gripe about omitting the name of someone else who was in the news. We told him that if there ever was an occasion to use his name or the name of any member of his family it would be used, regardless •of his •demand. We told him we never make news --we only endeavor to print it. Another fine old gentleman, who said that he had been a subscriber for over 50 years, called us on the telephone with the information that his subscription was about expire and that he wanted his name taken off the list "right now". He said that we had "hurt" someone. It wasn't him, he insisted, but another per- son He would not tell us and we don't know who it was, nor which news item or items he had in mind. We never intend to hurt anyone and we are sorry this gentleman won't be read- ing our paper any longer. We'd gladly send him a free subscription for life if we thought he couldn't afford the $4 -per - year subscription price. Again, we fall back behind the plea that we don't "make" news, we "print" it, let the chips fall where they may. Therein lies the perils of the newspaper business. —Sparta (III.) News-Plaindealer. This Is Sport? There's a man down in western On- tario who's importing wild boars from Hun- gary. He already has a male of the species and three females. He plans to breed these four animals. He calls himself a conservationist, but what he plans to do with the offspring of these boars is about as far from the con- servation of animal life as Timbuctoo is from Toronto. His plan is nothing but an organized slaughter. When the young boars are old enough he will let them run wild in a 500 -acre field. He will enclose this field to "pro- tect the public" from these "wild" animals. Then he will charge hunters a fee to shoot the "wild" animals in the enclosed 500 -acre field. "You have to use a high-powered rifle to bring these animals down — a .22 won't do," he says. A hunter with a telescopic sight could sit in a rocking chair in one corner of the field and pick off an animal located kitty- corner without a single rock of his rocking chair. He calls this conservation. You might as well shoot fish in a barrel.—The Era, Newmarket -Aurora, Ont. Zurk'h nuc News PRINTED BY SOUTH HURON PUBLISHERS LIA4rxED, ZMTRICH HERB TURKHElMl„ Publisher J E. HUNT, Plant Superintendent Authorized as Second Class Mail, Post Office Department, Ottawa and far payment of postage in cash. Member: Canadian Weekly Newspapers Association Member; Ontario Weekly Newspapers Association Member: Canadian Community Newspapers Representatives Subscriptions ftates: $3.00 per year in advance, in Canada; $4:00 in United States and and Foreign; single copies 7 cents. 1 From My Window By Shirley Keller WELL, CALL ME MOMMY 1 would suppose that every- thing than can be written about motherhood has been put on paper at one time or another —but when fou are involved personally in the miracle of giving birth, you begin to feel as though it has happened but once and never will come to pass again. Mothers notoriously delight in endless prattle about preg- nancy, delivery and the little bundle of joy they produce. Take any gathering of young mothers, drop the key word "baby" and lengthy detailed orations about everything from toxenmiato hospital menus will ensue. I have not intention of bor- ing you with a descriptive ac- count of the past few months— nor will I risk nauseating you with glowing reports of the physical fitness and mental ap- titude of our new son. It is enough that you know he is hale, hearty and harassing. What has amazed me about the entire episode is the man- ner in which a few relatives and friends have received the news of our blessed event. In shocked, open-mouthed surprise, these startled souls have gazed with wonder at our bouncing boy and exclaimed, "Why didn't you tell me you were expecting?" Queries like these leave me wondering whether they might have prevented the mishap had they known. 1 In any case, what is happen- ing to the tune -honored system of over -the -back -fence commun- ication—or in plainer English, gossip? Time was when absence from ehurch on a single Sunday morning was enough to set the ladies of the congregation to mentally noting dates. Usually, the initial visit to the doctor was sufficient ,cause for interested folk to cast -ap;, iatnanl to; sada vamp/6 velopments". By the time your secret was "out", everyone had known for months of your impending con- finement. Now their favorite topic of conversation centred around the time Bertha Big - waist's arrival was five weeks overdue. Naturally, I .assumed that as I lumbered through the final weeks of waiting, all those who knew me and a few who didn't were as anxious as 1 for the Big Day. Seems 1 was wrong. Could it be we are actually growing so busy that we are neglecting to pass on vital bits of information? Or is it simply that things are happening so rapidly that word-of-mouth broadcasting is outdated. Perhaps birth announcements are old-fashioned and should be replaced with pregnancy proclamations well in •adance, Then, truly we would be fully automated. TRAGEDY: PART ONE We went through .a "beach village" last week -end, on our way to visit the grandparents. You know the sort of place: perhaps 83 year-round resi- dents, and once the weather warms, about 10,000 par -boiled foreigners every week -end and all through July and August. I•t's not my cup of tea, but such a resort has something. There's a carnival excitement for the teenager. And for fam- ily groups and the middle-aged, it means getting away from the city, yet not having to cope with the wild, frightening silence of the real country. Sun and sand and sky at these places are magnificent. So are some of the bronzed, bikini -clad goddesses wriggling past the penny arcades and shooting galleries. But it isn't these things that give the beach village its atmos- phere. No it's a compound of other things that make them fascinating. There are the wonderful smells: hamburgers f r y i n g; stale beer; gasoline fumes; fish; faulty septic tanks. There are the fresh air sounds: eight thousand gulls fighting over garbage; the squeal of tires and vroom of exhausts as the punks scatter kids like quail; the whine of power boats beheading swim- mers. And of course there are the sights. Here the pen falters, Words alone cannot convey the impression of that pink, pot- bellied man in the purple sport shirt, that lavish lady whose slacks match exactly her orange hair. Nor do the beach villages neglect the sense of touch. There's the stove -hot, sticky asphalt underfoot. There's the cool thrill of bare feet on some kid's dropped popsicle. There's the satisfying crunch underfoot of a half -eaten bag of potato chips. I'm not knocking these places. They have their own charm, like zoos. At any rate, there we were, heading for this beach voltage, which lies across our route to Granny's. And sud- denly they started to batter past us, in pairs, to threes, in gag- gles of five or six: the motor- cycle gangs, There were at least three different ones, with such names as The Marauders t across the backs of black Leath- er jackets. "Oops. Looks like a rough n week -end at the beach," says I. My family was enthralled, just watching them fly by, black a jackets, cowboy boots, dark glasses, We stopped in the village to a buy something. The invasion 0 was on. They were everywher The storekeeper groaned whe I mentioned it, "I sure hop they don't start nothin." We got a closer look. M wife was appalled. She'd neve seen such a collection of fe males in her life. Greasy hair dirty .clothes and a built-in chi on the shoulder. I guess it' difficult to stay dainty on th back of a motorbike, but the did look like a jam of tart from a Glasgow slum. The men were equally inter esting. You could tell them from the girls because the hadn't taken off their leathe jackets to expose every inch o legal flesh. They were obviously into the beer already, but they weren't having any fun. They weren` relaxed; they were tense. They didn't walk; they_ swaggered They didn't laugh, they sneered Big, burly brutes, dirty, long haired. 1 must admit they gave me a small, cold chill down the back. Nothing happened. We weren't beaten up or insulted We drove off, glad we weren't staying there. Next day, I heard there'd been quite a rum- ble at that village. On the way home, over the same route, we were wondering whether they had left, There didn't seem to be any sign of them. Then we turned a corner There was a big crowd in the middle of the road. A police- man waved us by. On the pave- ment were two bodies, covered with blankets. But you could see the cowboy boots sticking out. A greasy -haired girl crouched, stroking the face of one of the young men Iying there, I don't know whether they were 'dead. I don't think so, be- cause nobody seemed hysterical, and the cops were calm, even indifferent. It was rather like watching the last scene of a tragedy, when you'd seen only Act I and then had to leave, 0-- -- St. Paul's W.A. St. Paul's W.A., Hensel', held -their monthly meeting at the home of Mrs. Richard Taylor on June 15. After opening de- votions and scriptures read by Mrs. Frank Forrest, Mrs. Tom Lanventler presented a very in- eresting report on Captain Wallace Corrie, of Hamilton, who is their new prayer part- er. Captain Corrie does in- valuabie work amongst drug addicts, alcoholics, homsexuals rid juvenile delinquents. It was decided to have a white elephant sale as well as work table at the bake sale n October 22. BUILDING NEW SILOS—Cook Bros. Milling Co. Ltd., at HensaIl, are busy erecting another couple of new silos for storage facilities. Located on the east side of the -street, the silos are now almost complete, and in this photo work- men are busy putting the finishing touches to the project. HAVE YOU AN AUTO INSURANCE PROBLEM ? Regardless of age or driving record, as long as you have a driver's licence, we can provide insurance for your auto IMMEDIATELY! • Public Liability •' Property Damage • Collision • Comprehensive • Medical Payments Coverage. Monthly Payments Available • Call Us For Fast Service • John J. Payne Insurance Agency MAIN ST. GRAND BEND PHONE 238-2354 or 2111 Business and Professional Director AUCTIONEERS OPTOMETRY J. E. LONGSTAFF OPTOM ETR I ST SEAFORTH .— Phone 791 Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday: 9 a.m. to 12 noon CLINTON -- Dial 482-7010 Monday and Wednesday 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Norman Martin OPTOMETRIST Office Hours: 9-12 A.M. 1:30-8 P.M Cloned ell day Wednesday Phone 235-2433 Exec LEGAL Bell & Laughton BARRISTERS, SOLICITORS & NOTARIES PUBLIC ELMER BELL, Q.C., B.A. C. V. LAUGHTON, Q,C., LLB. Zurich Office Tuesday Afternoons Grand Bend Saturday Mornings by Appointment PHONE 519-235-0440 EXETER For Safety EVERY FARMER NEEDS Liability Insurance For Information About All insurance -.• Coll BERT KLOPP DIAL 236.4988 — ZURICH Representing COOPERATORS INSURANCII ASSOCIATION ALVIN WALPER PROVINCIAL LICENSED AUCTIONEER For your sale, large or small courteous and efficient service at ail times. "Service that Satisfies" PHONE 119 DASHWOOD ACCOUNTANTS ROY N. BENTLEY PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT GODERICH PA. Box 478 Dial 524.9621 J. W. Ha'berer Insurance Agency "All Kinds of Insurance' DIAL 226-4391 -- ZURICH FUNERAL DIRECTORS WESTLAKE Funeral Horne AMBULANCE and PORTABLE OXYGEN SERVICE DIAL 236-4364 ZURICH HURON and ERIE DtBENTURES CANADA TRUST CERTIFICATES J. W. MABERER Aufhortted Representative 6% 3, 4 AND 5 YEARS 5V2% - 1 AND 2 YEARS DIAL 2364346 ZURICH