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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Citizens News, 1971-10-07, Page 4PAGE 4 ZURICH CITIZENS NEWS THURSDAY OCTOBER 7, 1971 Thanksgiving A celebration closing the harvest season, when "all is safely gathered in, " traces back to earliest recorded history. Ceremon- ies under priestly auspices featured sacrifices to the deity or deities worshipped at Ole times and places involved. Despite moving ever farther from the agriculture -based econ- omy in which the farmer saw plainly more than his own efforts involved in producing a good crop; despite increasing seculariz- ation and fading belief in supernatural powers to which we owe our blessings, we still retain a dim instinct that at Thanksgiving we acknowledge a debt of gratitude, though we are far frpm certain to whom.. On the purely humanistic side, an assertion that wS are acknowledging our interdependence on each other, or diving due thanks to those from whom we have received gifts or fa'ors is apt to meet scornful rejoinders from a sceptical younget, generat- ion that has only contempt for the architects of this present world of poverty, injustice, pollution and war. Nevertheless, Thanksgiving continues in the autumn, calendar, though admittedly degenerated into one of thos e "long weekends" featuring sports' spectaculars and gloomy estimates of the numbers likely to die in traffic accidents --forecasts often exceeded by the facts. In fact, Thanksgiving can only be explained and justified on its original terms, that fact that on his emergence as a perceptive thinking being, Man found himself on a fair, green planet of clean air, pure water and fertile soil, well meriting his gratitude to whatever power or process put him there. (Unchurched editorial) Man's aim in life! In this rushing nuclear age, when the skies and seas are being polluted by the works of mankind, many scientists are beginning to ask whether technological progress is not out -pacing man's basic aims. Most men hope to lead useful, healthy, happy lives. They wish to fulfill their own aspirations and when possible, help others. But in grasping for more wealth, North Americans in particul- ar are endangering their environment, and clearly their own happiness. The United States, for instance, with a mere 6%, of the world's population, used 40?fo of the globe's wood pulp and 36% of its fossil fuels. So much oil is spilled taking petroleum products to North America across the Atlantic, that oceanogr;tphers are appalled. One recent study suggested that there is enough oil pollution in the Atlantic alone to produce an irridescent slick over the entire surface of the world's oceans. The frightening effects of pollution have affected wild life, fisheries and human beings in the most remote parts of the earth. In our cities, too many people symbolize the growing pol- lution problem. It is becoming abundantly clear that even today, the world's resources are being strained by less than four billion people, yet the global population is expected to double by early next century. In the coming decades, men must learn to master technology, and not to become slaves to the kind of technological advances that destroy the environment. And the first, most urgent need is to reduce population growth around the world. For unless this vital task is tackled realistically, all other efforts to control pollution and urban overcrowding will fail. (Unchurched Editorial) Russian style marriage! The western world is showing an increasing disregard for the romantic and religious aspects of marriage. Even in Quebec, a civil marriage, sans church ceremony, has become acceptable, In Russia, they've learned from experience to value the glamorous and traditional aspects of marriage, which in the early days of the USSR was little more than engagement in a personal contract. Russia's Bridal Palaces - once the palatial homes of Russian nobility --represent that country's rather successful substitute for the once traditional church wedding. A decree of 1944 made obligatory that marriages, to be valid, had to be registered. This measure was deliberately taken to stabilize and strengthen the moral foundations of Soviet marriage and the family. In Moscow, a city of three and one-half million people, three such Bridal Palaces celebrate from 39-40 marriages each day. Russian brides are much like excited brides anywhere in the world. They are extremely lovely with their white veils, glam- orous wedding gowns, hovering bridesmaids --and of course, the nervous grooms. Probably such bridal couples aren't thinking too much of the social significance of the ceremony they're participating in. But Russian authorities are contributing everything possible to make it a memorable occasion in a magnificent setting. The marriage is performed by an impressive woman dignitary. She addresses the couple, emphasizing to them the seriousness of the step they are taking, and its importance to the State, in that their union involves the possible future responsibilities of family life. (Unchurched Editorial) ZURICH Citizens NEWS PRINTED BY SOUTH HURON PUBLISHERS LIMITED, ZURICH HERB TURKHEIM, Publisher Second Class Mail Registration Number 1385 pa Member: ��tl�~�� Canadian, Weekly Newspapers Association�;�.i.i.'.,! Ontario Weekly Newspapers Association ":1,,,a pss®o�"" Subscription Rates: VOW per year uffa atkaat1111¢e us (gest ai„ $5.00 in United States and Foreign; single copies 10 cents HERE'S RELIEF FOR TEDIOUS NEWS It is quite an ordeal reading the headlines these days. Pres- ident Nixon's surcharge has thrown the financial world into a panic of sorts. Telephone rates are up and rail fares are going up. Everybody and his brother is either on strike or threatening to strike. More than one out of every ten members of the work force 24 and under is jobless. The government has proved totally incapable of both halting inflation and increasing employ- ment. Welfare costs are soaring. Plants are shutting down. In a boom or bust economic cycle, we certainly don't seem to be headed for a boom. A friend of mine who carne to Canada from Germany told me frankly, "In the 18 years I have been in Canada, for the first time I am scared. John Bassett, financier, wheeler-dealer, and imperious owner of the Toronto Telegram gave that city a rude shock when he announced brusquely that the 95 -year old paper would cease publication because it was losing large sums of money. And there went 1200 jobs. That leaves Toronto, with a population creeping up on the two -million mark, with only two papers. Ottawa, an infant comparatively, has two dailies. Is there something rotten in Denmark? Now don't feel sorry for Mr. Bassett. You won't find him on the welfare rolls for a bit yet, even though the Tely was losing over half a million a year. He owns Toronto Argonauts and has extensive holdings in an audio- visual empire, plus only he and God know what else. But I feel a little guilty when I think of the Telegram going on the rocks. Until just over a year ago, the Telegram Synd- icate distributed my column. Then I switched to another syn- dicate. Is it possible that mer- ely one rat leaving can sink a ship? I lie awake and worry about this at nights. For about 28 seconds. I find that the only way to escape from this pall of gloom and doom is to concentrate on something just as silly as the bickering, whining, recalcit- rant, salty, exuberant human race. One of the silliest things in the world is the English language, But it's also fascinating. Esp- ecially the slang, which changes almost from day to day. I'm not much interested in the thousands of new woods added to the language every year by science, but I have a morbid interest in the abortions that creep into daily usage. Younger readers may stop here, Their elders, those who have a stomach for it, may continue. For example, you take a verb such as "to put", generally meaning to place. They you toss in a preposition and you have a whole new voc- abulary. "You're putting me on." That really means, "You're pulling my leg." Try to explain that to somebody learning English. Why would anybody, except perhaps a chiropracter, want to pull anyone's leg? "You're putting me down" means you are squelching the speaker. "You put me off" means that the person addressed is displeasing to you,. "Will you put me up?" means you want a free place to sleep, "You're always cutting me up" means that you are criticis- ing the speaker, arid is a favor- ite among teenagers. "Cut me off" refers to anything from a conversation to an allowance. "I really cut him down" means that you reduced somebody, either verbally or physically, to your own pigmy proportions, and is usually a prevarication. Or even a lie. The Yanks got in there first with "wise." You take a noun, add "wise" to it, and you have a hermaphrodyte. Can you see the tortured visage of a foreign- er, who has learned to speak impecable English, having to cope with something like, "Sales -wise, he's on the ball, but experience -wise, he's just not with it?" And I wonder how the Depart- ment of Transport words its advertisements when it is seek- ing the services of keepers of light -houses. Who responds if the the ad simply says, "WANTED - LIGHTHOUSE - KEEPERS?" Is the Department swamped with applications from lazy women who want to do only light housekeeping, no scrub- bing? Or does it get buckets of mail from little, skinny guys who don't mind a bit of house- keeping on the side? Fair boggles the mind. Next time you're troubled by the headlines, find something silly, and save your sanity. 0 TOURIST WAGES UP! The minimum wage for all employees in the hotel, motel, tourist resort, restaurant and tavern industry were increased to $1,65 on October 1. The Employment Standards Branch of the Ontario Depart- ment of Labour this week issued a reminder that the new minim- um rates for all employees in the hotel -motel industry were effective on the first day of October. The minimum wage for assist- ant bell captains, bellmen, doormen, waiters, bus boys and waitresses increased from $1. 50 established a year ago, to $1.65 the general minimum rate in Ontario. 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 Robert F. Westlake Insurance "Specializing in General Insurance" Phone 236-4391 — Zurich Guaranteed Trust Certificates 1 Year 2 Years 6% 61% 3 & 4 Years 7% 5 Years 8% J. W. IIABERER ZURICH PHONE 236-4346 AUCTIONEERS PERCY WRIGHT LICENSED AUCTIONEER Kippen, Ont. Auction Sale Service that is most efficient and courteous. CALL THE WRIGHT AUCTIONEER Telephone Hensall (519)262-5515 FUNERAL DIRECTORS WESTLAKE Funeral Home AMBULANCE and PORTABLE OXYGEN SERVICE DIAL 236.4364 — ZURICH ACCOUNTANTS Roy N. Bentley PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT GODERICH P.O. Box 478 Dial 524-9521 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