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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Citizens News, 1977-05-18, Page 4Page 4 Citizens News, May 18, 1977 J MAY LPO% POM6 guT 1}NT PPCSWT MEAN PM MAT! "What do I think of the kickbacks by Polysar? — sorry, I'm not a football fan." Cancer Canvass Residents of South Huron should give themselves a collective pat an the back for their generosity to the Cancer canvass as the objective has already reached 138 per- cent and no doubt there will still be ad- ditional funds received when the final few canvassers make their returns. That the canvass has been so successful is a little surprising in view of the fact that area residents have been ask- ed to dig deep on several occasions this year to assist the major appeals for arenas and other community facilities. However, the success was certainly not attained just by luck. Campaign chairmen Carf Cann and Charlie Smith did a tremen- dous amount of work in organizing the event and were backed by almost 300 cap- tains and canvassers, plus some energetic service club members. Everyone involved should be most gratified that their efforts paid off so hand- somely and that area residents were so generous. Cancer continues as one of the leading killers and obviously people in this district are paying their fair share towards the bat- tle to conquer it. No doubt most look at their contribution as an investment and hopefully that investment will soon pay major dividends. Jurors pay A London, Ontario judge was outspoken recently in his criticism of one aspect of our judicial system. He said that the pre- sent rate or remuneration for persons call- ed for jury duty is ridiculous. And he cer- tainly is right. At $10 per day we must be at least 20 years out of step with reality. The judge's remarks were made when a jury was being selected for a trial which is expected to last at least a month. Only 12 men and women will finally be called, but no less than 600 people were summoned for that purpose. The vast majority of those called (and who cannot legally refuse to appear) will be discarded for a thousand and one reasons as the opposing lawyers seek to eliminate all who appear dangerous to one side or the other. At $10 a day the 12 who are finally selected will be kept away from their homes and their jobs at very high financial loss to themselves. The poverty level in this country is supposed to be an income of about $6,000 a year. The ten dollars daily jury fee would provide only $3,650 in a year if it was paid seven days a week. There is only one fair rate of payment for jury duty and that would be a fee equal to the wages which the juror would earn in his regular job. If the juror happens to be a housewife or someone who is not on a payroll a minimum fee should be set ...� and that should be adequate to provide for child and home care or as replacement for whatever normal responsibilities the juror fulfills. The administration of justice has come under considerable criticism in recent years, not only from the public but from members of the legal profession as well. Of necessity changes in such an important area should not be made hastily or without careful consideration, but surely it doesn't take much pondering to realize that private individuals should not be robbed by the very system which is responsible for hones- ty and justice. Wingham Advance Times FIRST WITH LOCAL NEWS Published Each Wednesday By J.W. Eedy Publications Ltd. Member: Canadian Weekly Newspapers Association Ontario Weekly Newspapers Association eNA Manager - Betty O'Brien News Editor - Cathy McKinley Second Class Mail Registration Number.1385 Subscription Rates: $7.00 per year in advance in Canada $14.00 per year outside Canada Single copies 204 by Cathy McKinley Off and running Well, they're off and running. This has to be one of the shortest election campaigns I can remember with just four weeks to the day from both the Liberal and Conservative nominations to the election date. The NDP's nomination is even later. The last election was almost eight weeks from the nomination dates to the election, but in my opinion four weeks is long enough. That way there is less money spent and it shouldn't take anyone longer than four weeks to decide who to vote for. There are a number of ways I can handle this election. As you know by now, my father is running as the Progressive Conservative candidate in this riding which tends to make me somewhat biased as after all, 1 do think he would do an excellent job. The problem is, do I show the bias, try and hide it by leaning the other way or ignore the entire topic of elec- tions? It is a poser, but I think I have reached a com- promise. I will do my best to get all sides of the campaign story in the paper, but I am afraid you will have to understand if my bias shows a little. In all honesty, you must admit it would be rather impossible not to let it show at least a little. 4. 4 The roll-a-thon in the Zurich arena on Saturday was a far cry from what I expected it to be. From the information I had received, I expected the participants would have to be on the surface of the arena at all times except for- the half hour break at 6 p.m. That was a slight misconception as there were skaters all over the arena when I went in on Saturday. It seems the only way a skater could be disqualified was for them to either leave the arena entirely or take their skates off. They had free access to the dressing rooms, snack bar and any other area in the arena they wished to go. There were very few actual skaters on the surface while I was there and somehow the entire thing was somewhat disappointing. In one way I can understand why the rules were so lenient, the roll-a-thon is very early this year and the par- ticipants do not have a lot of skating under their belts to strengthen their legs properly for a 10 hour skating ordeal. However, I feel it might be worth considering in the future to perhaps delay the roll-a-thon until a little later in the roller skating season and be a little stricter about the rules. * * * I hate to harp on a subject I have mentioned numerous times, but this one seems to me to deserve one last try on my part. Bike -riders, please try to remember the dangers of smart -aleck and careless bike riding. I do a lot of driving in this job and have had numerous close calls with young bike riders, and it is not just on the highways where bike riders should be alert. The back roads are even more dangerous as the sudden turning of a wheel or the slipping of loose gravel can send a rider sprawling in a moment. Just this week I was on the highway and noticed two young boys ahead weaving in and out of the white lines in the centre of the road. As I came up behind them, the boys were just heading up a rather steep hill, and rather than pedalling their bikes over to the right hand side of the road in single file, they laughingly swerved into the left hand lane and proceeded up the hill, side by side in the wrong lane. If anything had come over that hill they would have been goners because there was no way either they or the driver would have been able to swerve in time, Luckily, nothing was coming. It only takes one careless minute to lose a life, and the onus can not be completely on the driver. A bicycle rider must have a sense of responsibility, or they may lose their life. It is a serious matter.