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Zurich Citizens News, 1969-07-24, Page 4PAGE FOUR ZURICH CITIZENS NEWS Cdda4hi.I Ca�une4 Hardly Reasonable With centralization and regional government such frequently discussed topics—and since the general public is so illinformed on these subjects, it is rather interesting to look back a few years to a concrete example of what centralization can do. The libraries in Huron County were taken over by the county council several years ago. Local boards con- tinued to meet, but as far as we can find out they did not have any real power of decision. Last week's meet- ing of county council confirmed that assumption. Answering a question put by Reeve Borden Cook of Blyth, the county Librarian, Miss Carolyn Croke said that open hours for most of the small libraries have been cut. Hensall library has been cut from 15 to 12 hours; Brussels and Zurich from 10 to 6 hours; Blyth from 10 to 3 hours and Bayfield from 9 to 5 hours. Miss Croke pointed out that the shortened hours have been made necessary by the tight budget under which she must operate her department. When members of council asked whether local municipalities could put up the funds required for longer hours Miss Croke said "No." and added that either the county library board make the decisions or there is no board. She referred to the possibility that the Department of Labour might get stern with the County Library Board if longer hours per mitted, whether paid for by the local municipalities or donated by the local librarians. Unquestionably Miss Croke is trying to do her job under trying circumstances—but the fact remains that a situation under local boards, which permitted a some- what relaxed and friendly atmosphere to prevail' in our libraries, has changed to one in which rules and regu- lations are to be enforced no matter what the taxpay- ers prefer. We can certainly agree that the Department of Labour comes up with some very queer rulings—but if we have reached the stage where hours can be limited even though someone else is willing to pay the additional costs its time to take a second lok at centralization --of libraries or anything else. (Wingham Advance -Times) Tax -Breaking Point Where taxes are concerned, there is growing reason to believe that the back of the Canadian camel is near- ing breaking -point. Certainly, on all sides, at every income level and in every part of the country reports abound of a rising chorus of protest. It is protest which is not directed at any one par- ticular government but at all of them—Ottawa, the pro- vinces, the municipalities and the school boards. Its message can be summed up in one word—"Enough!" Even the people responsible for raising the taxes are complaining. A case in point is the Leamington town council which struck a tax rate 15 mills higher than last year with the anguished knowledge that it controlled less than 29 per cent of the money it was collecting. Mayor Ralph Nicol heard from a lady who said she didn't intend to pay that portion of her municipal taxes destined for school purposes. And with the education levy accounting to 11 mills of that 15 -mill ,tax increase. the mayor could be sympathetic to her viewpoint. The typical Canadian is by now thoroughly fed up with the demands which have in recent years meant an inexorable escalation in the percentage of his earnings taken from him in taxes of one kind or another. He is fed up with interminable wrangling between the various levels of government over who should get what and who should pay what. Fed up with having to finance one dubious expendi- ture after another. Fed up with being required to sub- sidize waste and extravagance at every level of govern- ment. Fed up, in a sentence, with forever being asked for more and more and more—and knowing with awful cer- tainty that it will still be not enough. (The Leamington (Ont.) Post) In funs on "Bar the door, Matilda, and close them shutters! Henry, look to your flintlock! The In- juns are on the war -path!" Let's hope it doesn't come to that, but the Indians of Can- ada, a quarter -million of the natives of this vast continent, have blood in their eye, wheth- er it's a product of politics or bean wine. ,And they don't need toma- hawks, bows and arrows, and rusty muskets this time. They have two weapons which bring them right into the nuclear age. One is the white man's guilt complex, with which they belabor him at every opportu- nity. The other is the mass media, which they are using with a skill that would make a public relations man turn green. There are some facts that have led up to the current confrontation. First of all, the ZURICH Citizens NEWS PRINTED BY SOUTH HURON PUBLISHERS LIMITED, ZURICH HERB TURKHEIM, Publisher Second Class Mail Registration Number 1385 pn rr 1� EF Member: `= Canadian Weekly Newspapers Association �iOW1Bn p Ontario Weekly Newspapers Association 1021110"0tit Subscription Rates: $3.50 per year in advance in Canada; $4.50 in United States and Foreign; single copies 10 cents Huron Board Makes Further Appointments the warpath Indians were victims of one of the greatest con jobs in history when the various treaties were drawn up. Have you ever read one? They sound great, full of poet- ic stuff like," As long as the rivers run to the sea and the grass grows to the sky and the mountains do not fall down ..' etc., etc." Then comes the crunch, in the small print, As long as the Indian stays on his reserve, and out of the white man's hair (especially the scalp), he and his children and his children's children shall re- ceive an annual bounty from the Great White Queen across the Big Water. For a whole Indian band, it might be 1,000 pounds ster- ling. Not cash annually, but only the interest thereon. Fig- ure out sometime what the in- terest is on 1,000 pounds ster- ling in 1969. Yes, inflation has caught up with the Indian, too. Treaty Day, according to old-timers, used to be a real fair at the reserves. Each In- dian family received its share of the loot and avaricious mer- chants gathered from miles around to separate the Indian and his treaty money as quick- ly as possible. Today, he might be able to buy a few bottles of wine. Second, the Indian culture, or what's left of it, is quite dissimilar to that of the White man's. It is based on commu- nal, rather than cut-throat soci- ety. The romantic refers back to the "noble red man". The pragmatist calls him "a shift- less bum." Neither is anywhere near the truth. He is a human being. He's neither red nor any (by Richmond Atkcy) Iluron County Board of Educat- ion, at its lnecting in the Board Room of Central Iluron Secondary School, Clinton, ,Monday evcnin„ approved three appointments as follows: Teachers on probationary contracts: Airs. iacquclinc Smith, housewife, llowick Central School, half-time: Mrs. Nancy McIntyre, house- wife, North Ashfield, half time. Custodial: Mrs. Aloha Wilson, 11. 11, 1, Walton, for S. S. 0, \lcKillop Township. Three resignations wcrc accept- ed with regret: Mrs. Maxine Miller, from the teaching staff of the Exeter Public School; Mrs. Maryanne Middcgaal, from the office staff of Central Huron Secondary School, Clinton Miss Cora Bennett, assistant cook, from cafeteria staff of F. E. Madill Secondary School, \Vinghanl. 1). .1. Cochrane, director of education, made a report with regard to Mr. and Mrs. J. 1V. A1lason, formerly of Lucknow, now serving as teachers with the Canadian Armed Forces in German. At a previous meet- ing, the board, they had requested an extension of leave. 11c said that Mr. Allason had contacted hint by telephone shortly after ncc last Board meet- ing, and had expressed an un- willinLness to return to 1luron County following expiration of the extension, if granted, as he plans to go to Australia for a few years. The Board approved action Alr. Allasou be advised that under these circumstances, his leave of absence will not be extended beyond this year, but they would be considered for employment as teachers by Iluron Board of Education if they did return to this county. Ilow- cvcr, salary and deductions have been ceased, since their leave has expired. After some discussion, the Board decided against taking out sustaining membership in the Ontario Educational Research Council at a cost of $500. OFF TO TI•IE NETHERLANDS Didi and Maryke DeMooy, daughters of Ivlr. and Mrs. A. DeMooy, Zurich, left Toronto for Amsterdam last Wednesday, July 23, by DC S jet of Canadian Pacific Airlines. They will visit with their grandparents and other relatives during their stay. THURSDAY, JULY 24, 1969 more noble than the rest of us, Third, the paradox exists that the Indian has special privileges (medical care, free education, no taxes on the re- serve, etc.) and yet he is un- derprivileged (inferior housing and education, plus plain old discrimination, social and eco- nomic.) And now, the Federal gov- ernment, with a cold logic that seems to seep down from Mr. Trudeau, says, "Put up or shut up. If you aren't happy about the way we run things, do it yourself!' This, after years of treating reserves with all the largesse and benevolence usually associated with an or- phanage, The Federal government proposes to dump the Indian problem on the provincial gov- ernments and the Indians themselves, all in the course of five years, then fold its tent and steal off into the night. The provincial governments want the Indian problem like they want the Black Plague. So do the Indians. For the latter, the Canadian government's new policy is a smoke -screen to cover failure. For the young Indians, dissolu- tion of the reserves is like burning your boats behind you. For the middle-aged and elder- ly, it is terrifying. Indian leader Wilmer Nadji- won of Cape Croker put it succintly, if over -simply, when he said the new legislation would allow an Indian to sell his property for two bottles of wine. That doesn't solve a problem. It creates one. The Indians don't want as- similation. They want help to get on their feet and some redress for 200 years of being considered second-class Cana- dians. Some reserves are worthless, mere slum areas. Some are ex- tremely valuable as potential resort areas. How does every- body get a fair share if these lands are handed back to the Indians themselves, for dispos- al as they see fit? You're not going to settle that one in five years, Piers Elliott. Business and Professional Directory OPTOMETRISTS J. E. Longstaff OPTOMETRIST SEAFORTH MEDICAL CENTRE 527-1240 Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Sat- urday a.m., Thursday evening CLINTON OFFICE 10 Issac Street 482-7010 Monday and Wednesday Call either office for appointment. Norman Martin OPTOMETRIST Office Hours: 9-12 A,M, — 1:30-6 P.M. Closed all day Wednesday Phone 235-2433 Exeter ACCOUNTANTS Roy N. Bentley PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT GODERICH P.O. Box 478 Dial 524-9521 HURON and ERIE DEBENTURES CANADA TRUST CERTIFICATES J. W. HABERER Authorized Representative WA% for 3 Than 8% for 4 and 5 Years 71/2% for 1 and 2 Years Minimum $100 DIAL 236-4346 -- ZURICH FUNERAL DIRECTORS WESTLAKE Funeral Home AMBULANCE and PORTABLE OXYGEN SERVICE DIAL 236-4364 — ZURICH AUCTIONEERS ALVIN WALPER PROVINCIAL LICENSED AUCTIONEER For your sale, large or small, courteous and efficient service at all times. "Service That Satisfies" DIAL 237-3300 — DASHWOOD INSURANCE For Safety . EVERY FARMER NEEDS Liability Insurance For Information About All Insurance — Call BERT KLOPP DIAL 236-4988 — ZURICH Representing CO-OPERATORS INSURANCE ASSOCIATION Robert F. Westlake Insurance "Specializing in General Insurance" Phone 236-4391 — Zurich