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ZURICH CITIZENS NEWS
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1972
As we
Ives...
We believe the following comments to be only too true.
While many people still pride themselves on being "out of
debt", there is always someone to whom something is owed,
however indirectly.
And we recognize that we are indebted to the Canadian
Consumer Loan Association and Federated Council of Sales
Finance Companies for the assimilation and recording of
these remarks:
Many people who claim to be debt free do not realize
that from the moment they are born they are in debt in one
way or another.
For instance, the moment an expectant mother reaches the
maternity ward, social capital in the form of hospital ser-
vice is involved.
Even father's dash to the hospital door calls for social cap-
ital. The roads he takes, the police escort he may require,
the stop signs, are there only because of money borrowed by
various levels of government to pay for their existence and
maintenance.
In 1969 (latest statistics available) the Government of
Canada was in debt to the tune of $24 billion. Debt at the pro-
vincial government level totalled $20 billion across Canada.
Municipal debt was somewhat lower at $6 billion, The total
of government debt was over $50 billion ..,, roughly $2400.
per person, This is a debt which no one expects to be repaid.
Through these debts, Canadians are provided with na-
tional defence, a judicial system, roads, police and fire pro-
tection, parks,' recreation, education, welfare, postal and
other communications systems .... the list is endless.
All Canadians are involved. Therefore -all Canadians are
in debt.
Looking at debt in another way, it may be said that children
owe their parents a debt if only for their very existence on
earth.
Historically we owe a debt to the people who discovered,
explored and settled Canada. For our freedom we owe those
who signed the Magna Carta: it was paid for in blood.
Many of us tend to look at debt as merely unpaid bills. We
clean them up once or twice a month and we think we're out
of debt.
What do they involve? Mortgage payments, medical and
dental expenses, or payments on consumer goods purchased .
through credit.
This is just the beginning of our real debt. The total picture
extends far beyond these horizons.
•
"I am buying my car through a finance company but I
would rather pay cash and not be'in debt."
"Why?"
"I would like to have it paid off. I don't like being in debt."
"Don't you have any debts?"
"No - well, perhaps I owe the dentist $80.
"That's a kind of debt — a debt for services — incurred
largely for convenience. Are you in debt in any other way?"
"No."
"Let's look at your situation and see. If you were renting
your house would you be in debt?"
"No."
"If you were buying the house on a mortgage would you be
in debt?"
"Yes."
"If you leased the house would you be in debt?"
"i'm not sure."
This conversation demonstrates some of the foggy think-
ing about what "debt" is. In the above case you could be
paying exactly the same amount permonth and have the use
of exactly the same house. Yet for all practical purposes,
you are as much in "debt" when you lease or rent as when
you buy using debt.
For example, the apartment -dweller owes the apartment
owner for the use of shelter and facilities just as much as
the car -buyer owes money to the finance company which has
advanced the money to facilitate the purchase.
"Well, not exactly, because if I rent I'm not legally bound
to pay."
"Neither ate you when you use recognized forms of debt.
You have options you can take. For instance, the house
you bought using mortgage debt can be sold and the mort-
gage retired or transferred to another party. In the case of
the car purchased on credit, you can sell the car and either
retire or transfer the debt."
The fact is, wherever we turn we are using our credit. We
have learned to use it to advantage and live in relative com-
fort because of it. Even if we fail to recognize the subtle
forms credit may take it's still there.
ZURICH Citizens NEWS
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Early Autumn, when the
weather behaves itself, is a
time when no Canadian in his
right mind would care to live
anywhere else.
This fall, after a moody
summer, has been as close to
perfection as anything this side
of heaven. Golden days to sit
around and listen to the acorns
fall.
Weeks of frostless nights
when it was sheer delight to be
out and breathing that ineffable
scent of fall.
Golf course almost deserted
and offering magnificent vistas
of golden trees and lush fairways
and off in the distance, vivid
blue water of the bay.
And speaking of water, I can
scarce believe it, but we swam
at the beach until well into the
first week of October. And
that's no heated swimming pool
dear reader, but the water of
one of the greatest inland lakes
Lutheran women
view dial station
Thirty members of the Luth-
eran Church Women toured the
Hay Municipal Dial building on
Tuesday evening. Mr. Bill
Wagner showed the ladies ar-
ound the building and explained
the operation of the dial system,
The members returned to the
church basement and a devot-
ional period and sing -song was
conducted by the November
committee, Mrs. Elda Wagner
Mrs, William Lawrence and
Mrs. Herb Turkheim, Mrs.
Harvey Hohner, vice-president
conducted the business. A
special offering was taken for
the "Friendship of the Least
Coin".
The members decided to
bring gifts again this year for
the Children's Aid.
Rev. Olsner of Redeemer
Lutheran Church, London, will
be the guest speaker at our
November meeting. He will
show his slides of his visit to
the Holy Land.
Invitations are being sent to
Ilensall United Church, Carmel
Presbyterian Ladies and the
Zurich United Church ladies to
be our guests at this meeting.
Photography
r
Children • Portraits
• weddings •
COLOR or BLACK & WHITE
HADDEN'S
STUDIO
GODERICH
118 St, avid St. 524-8787
reementottmetarelsreemeols
in the world.
The beach in October is
something. No howling kids
who've stubbed their toe on a
rock. No mothers screaming at
kids who have gone out too far.
No beach boys horsing around
with a football. No distracting
bikinis. No fat old ladies with
varicose veins staggering through
the sand carrying more beach
junk - towels, umbrellas, lawn
chiars - than you could load on
a mule, No transistor radios
blattering the latest rock. No
teenagers lying around smoking
dear knows what.
Nothing. Just miles of clean
sand with the odd piece of
drift -wood. The sun is warm,
gentle, not scorching, abrasive.
The water is, uh, refreshing, but
so clear you can stand up to
your belly -button, look down,
and tell whether your toenails
need cutting.
My wife and I and another
couple swam all through Sept-
ember and set our eyes on
breaking the October swim bar-
rier. Usually, by October 1st,
the water would freeze the
brains of a brass monkey.
On the first Saturday in Oct-
ober, we swam and drowsed
and talked and read and argued
for seven hours. Good company
is just the little frill to such a
day, when even the gulls seem
to co-operate by sitting quietly
on the water, bobbing gently,
rather than screaming around
looking for potato chips and
ends of hot dogs, which they do
all summer.
Our friends have children
and many of the same problems
with them that we have had.
She is Scottish, with a lot of
good sense, a good sense of
humour and a refreshing indif-
ference toward owning things
and keeping up with the Joneses,
and what the neighbours think.
Ile is German, and we have
a lot in common. Ile was capt-
ured in North Africa and spent
most of the war in a prison
camp in the States, I was a
prisoner 111 Germany. We comp-
are notes. He is a Doctor of
Philisophy, teaching high
school mathematics. I needle
him by calling him Herr Dokter,
and occasionally click my heels,'
He just plain needles me.
We walked down the deserted
beach. He's a great walker.
He's about six feet two and I
have to take one and a half
strides to his one. He talks
while I puff.
"What is it with these teen-
agers?" he asks. "They talk all
the time about how they love
nature and how they want to
get away from it all, and there's
not one in sight on such a beaut-
iful day." I puffed back that
the'boys were in the poolroom
and the girls were strolling the
main street, in hot pants, trying
to get the boys out of the pool-
room. Perfectly normal.
Then I was betrayed. We
rounded a spit and there was a
male, definitely young, because
his moustache was just a glim-
mer of hope, lying back against
a driftwood log, reading. I
couldn't resist, Asked him what
he was reading. C.S. Lewis,
of all things, a brilliant Engl-
ish writer and theologian. Once
again my faith that young
people are complete hedonists
was shattered. Lewis is tough
reading, as the lad admitted.
This has been a very inconse-
quential column. But when I
think of the way in which nature
can recharge our run-down bat-
teries, all I can say is, "Thanks,
God. You're a pretty decent
sort after all."
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. West!' °. e
Insurance
"Specializing In
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Certificates
9 Year
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6z %
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AUCTIONEERS
PERCY WRIGHT
LICENSED AUCTIONEER
Kippen, Ont.
Auction Sale Service that is
most efficient and courteous.
CALL
THE WRIGHT AUCTIONEER
Telephone Hensel) (519)262-5515
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GODERICH
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