Zurich Citizens News, 1969-11-13, Page 1No. 45 --FIRST WITH THE LOCAL NEWS
ZURICH, ONTARIO, THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1969
10 CENTS PER COPY
REMEMBRANCE DAY SERVICE - Members of the Royal Canadian Legion, Hensall, along with
the Legion Ladies Auxiliary, observed Remembrance Day on Sunday morning with a parade and
the placing of wreaths at the Cenotaph, followed by a memorial service at Carmel Presbyter-
ian Church. Shown here is Mrs. Mary Taylor, a veteran member of the Legion Ladies Auxil-
iary and a mother who lost two sons in the last world war, as she places the Province of
Ontario wreath at the Cenotaph. Eight other wreaths were placed at the Cenotaph by represen-
tatives of various municipalities and organizations throughout the area.
Less Teachers
Importance of standardizing
the pupil -teacher ratio in the
five secondary schools of Huron
County, was impressed very
strongly on the new assistant
superintendent of schools, F.E.
Madill, at last week's meeting
of Huron County Board of Educ-
ation in Central Huron Second-
ary School.
The chairman of the Board,
John B. Lavis, Clinton, after
perusing the secondary school
enrolment for September, asked
Save Taxpayers $
Mr. Madill what conclusions he
would draw from the report with
respect to pupil:teacher ratio.
"I think the type of operation
in the school is important, based
on numbers, "Mr. Madill. replied.
He felt that 20.1 would be reas-
onable for Seaforth with no tech-
nical classes, with 17.1 for any
of the others. Wingham's ratio
of 18.5 :1 indicated that the
classes were very large,
This brought the Board chair-
man into rhe picture.
Varna Area Farmer Elected Presid -nt
f int rio Federation of r grkculture
A Huron County Fanner, who
once strongly opposed the Ont-
ario Federation of Agriculture,
Became its president Tuesday in
a major shake-up of the feder-
ation's executive.
Gordon Hill, 43, of Varna,
who was president of the rival
Ontario' Farmers Union from
1958 to 1960, won the presiden-
cy, defeating the federation's
second vice-president, Roy
Coulter of Campbellville.
In his nomination speech, he
made it clear to delegates at
the OFA's annual convention
he was not always a staunch sup-
porter of the OFA, but has al-
ways been a staunch supporter
of organized farmers.
The Ontario Federation of
Agriculture is now the only pro-
vincial farm organization we
have, but I want to let you know
in advance that a major over-
haul of the structure is needed,
starting from the grass through
the staff to the brass, he said.
"We must become aggressive
and militant.
"It is important that the OFA
do the job that the marketing
boards want and if we can't do
it, there is not much sense in
existing."
In and interview latex, Mr.
Hill said the OFA must look at
how it represents farmers and
find out if the method of pro-
viding a dialogue with fanners
needs to be changed. He said
a system must be devised to get
the ideas and comments of far-
mers into head office immed-
iately so they can be handled
quickly.
He said the federation must
decide what staff capabilities
are and what the federation re-
quires. He made it clear he was
not advocating a wholesale staff
cleanout.
Mr. Hill succeeds Charles Mure
ro of Embro, who served for the
past three years and is now pres-
ident of the Canadian Federation
of Agriculture.
Also gone from a top position
besides Mr. Coulter, is Torn
Robson of Leamington, the first
vice-president who declined to
seek re-election.
"Why bring down the Wingham
ratio? he queried. "Why not
bring up the others to the ,Wing -
ham level?"
In the report, the Clinton ratio
as given was 16.1:1, Goderich
17.5:1: Seaforth, 20.0:1: and
Exeter, 17.0:1.
rt was pointed out that more
pupils can be accommodated
per teacher in the clases in arts
and science, than in business
and commercial, or science,
technology and trades.
Mr. Lavis pointed out that
18. 5:1, his calculations produced
the following results if the Wing -
ham ratio were adopted in pro-
portion in the other secondary
schools;
Central Huron Secondary
School, Clinton (now 16.1;1);
teaching staff could be reduced
from 63.5 by eight;
Goderich District Collegiate
Institute (now 17.5:1): teaching
staff could be reduced from 48
by six; Seaforrh District High
School (now 20. 0:1): teaching
staff could be reduced from 26
by three; South Huron District
High School, Exeter (now 17. 0:1)
teaching staff could be reduced
from 56 by seven,
Adding therm all up: eight plus
six plus three plus seven totals
24 teachers!
Huron Board Hod lose ,r
Sessions To Make Decisions
(by Richmond Atkey)
Huron County Board of Ed-
ucation conducts a good deal
of its business and makes many
decisions in committee of the
whole meetings which are bar-
red to the press and public. Of-
ficials claim this is necessary in
order to get through a very large
work load.
For example, at the last meet-
ing on November 5, in Central
Huron Secondary School, a
motion was passed, without dis-
cussion in open Board meeting,
adopted the report of the com-
mittee of the whole held on
October 20, at the time of the
previous regular meeting, con-
taining no less than eleven sep-
arate items.
No discussion or explanation
was offered for the benefit of
the press, although rhe chair-
man, John B. Lavis, Clinton,
said later that the members of
the press could always ask for
explanations if they so desired.
The eleven items carried in
committee were listed as fol-
lows: 1. Established the overtime
rate for personnel required to be
on duty outside of their regular
working hours for the purpose of
supervising board property, at
$3. 00 per hour, with a minimum
guarantee of $5.00; such over-
time to be certified by the prin-
cipal of the school concerned.
2. Established an overtime rate
for salaried office personnel
earning less than $7, 000 per an-
num who are required to work
more than two hours beyond
their usual quitting time at any
given rime at the rate of time -
and -a -half; such overtinie to be
authorized by the principal and
the business administrator. 3.
Established an overtime rate for
salaried office employees earn-
ing less than $7, 000 per annum,
who are required to be present
at board of committee meetings
for the pnrpose of recording the
proceedings at time or time off
in lieu of remuneration. 4. Es-
tablished rhe overtime rate for
custodians and engineers who
are required to perform emerg-
ency repairs or services at times
outside their regular working
hours, at time- and- a -half; the
need for such overtime to be
certified by the business admin-
istrator or his delegate. 5. Auth-
orized the making of an offer
to purchase on a piece of prop-
erty. (The press learned on in-
quiry that the property ment-
ioned is at Seaforth. )6. Auth-
orized the advertising for sale
by sealed tender of the Victor
Lauriston Public School, God-
erich. (R,13. Dunlop, business
administrator, said the property
had been advertised in the God-
erich paper and that four tenders
had been received. He also stat-
ed that by the original deed, the
Town of Goderich would have
first choice at a price of $17, 000
which had been set when transfer
had been made from the town
to the school board.7. Agreed
on the price to be paid for the
contracted caretaking at Howick
Central Public School. 8. Grant-
ed salary increases of $10 and $20
per week to Miss Karen Coutts
and Miss Margaret Gordon, re-
spectively; (employees of the
board at head office in Clinton.)
9. Established a fringe benefit
plan for regular part-time em-
ployees working in excess of
24 hours per week: (a) superan-
nuation: In the event that this
group was able to achieve re-
quired percentage, the board
would subsidize participation in
Ontario Municipal Employees'
Retirement System; (Sick leave
credits: Each employee to be
allowed 12 days' sick leave per
year with 100 per cent of the un-
used balance being accumulative
to a maximum of 120 days;) (c)
(continued on page 6)
0
Provincial Police
Check Accidents
Seven accidents were invest-
igated last week by the Exeter
detachment of the Ontario
Provincial Police. There were
only two injuries reported. The
accidents were as follows; On
Sunday, November 2, at 8.15
p.m. cars operated by Kenneth
B. Wildfong of Exeter and Robert
S. Farquhar of Clinton collided
on No. 4 County Road at the
junction of No. 21 County road.
Damage was estimated at $175,
Provincial Constable D.A. La-
mont investigated.
On Tuesday, November 4, at
5.10 p.m. a truck operated by
Richard H. Thiel of Zurich col-
lided with the rear of a buggy
pulled by a horse on No. 2
County Road south of Zurich.
Gerald L. Zehr of Zurich, age
12, riding in the buggy, was nor
injured. Damage was estimated
at $150. Provincial Constable
F.L. Giffin, investigated.
On Tuesday, November 4, at
7.10 p.m, cars operated by
Verne Smith of Exeter, and
Alfred Vincent of R.R.2 Grand
Bend, collided on No. 83 high-
way west of Exeter. Damage
was estimated at $900. Provin-
cial Constable F. L. Giffin in-
vestigated.
(continued on pa•e 8)
EXETER LEGION PIPE BAND LEAD PARADE AT HENSALL ON SUNDAY MORNING TO OBSERVE REMEMBRANCE DAY