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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Citizens News, 1977-11-24, Page 1NO.4 FIRST WITH LOCAL NEWS THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1977 Price Per Copy 20 Cents Report distrust between teachers and board In a report virtually identical to the study done on negotiations between the Huron County Board of Education and the local of the Ontario Secondary School Teacher's Federation, Professor J.W. Samuels of the Faculty of Law of the University of Western Ontario in a fact finder's report released last week, stated that negotiations between the board and the branch affiliates of the Federation of Woman's Teachers' Associations of Ontario and the Ontario Public ScTool Men Teachers Federation had reached an impass due to a breakdown in communication. Samuels said in the report that he was convinced that both parties are equally to blame for the poor communications. He said it was the 'overall spirit' which was at fault, claiming the board has not heard what the teachers are sure they have said and the teachers have not heard what the board is sure it has said. 'ln my view each party is sincerely convinced that it has explained its argument to the other and that it is willing to Fined $50,000- on tax evasion A Clinton area farmer, Gordon H. Dale was fined $50,000 in Goderich Provincial court Monday morning on a charge of income tax evasion. In assessing the fine, Judge C. Olmstead of Walkerton said the $50,000 represents 75 percent of the federal tax evaded of $67,542.27 during the years 1971 to 1974 inclusive. Investigation by the Depart- ment of National Revenue established that Dale had failed to report farm and investment income totalling $200,937.95 during the four year period. Judge Olmstead granted Dale one year to pay the fine and provided an alternative of two years in jail in default of payment of the fine. other side would agree to do likewise,' Samuels reported. He added that the negotiations have been a `dialogue of the deaf'. A third party chairman, agreeable to both sides said the avenue which the board and the teachers must pursue if negotiations are to be wor- thwhile, according to Samuels. This third party should open up the lines of communication, stated the report. In terms of salary, the board is using county economics as a basis for its argument on salary increases. It claims that the county per capita income is very low compared to surrounding counties and that the industrial compositex for Huron was low compared to its neighbors. The board argues that the incomes in the county are relevant in the consideration of the ability of the taxpayers in the county to pay teacher's salaries. On another bone of contention, the cost of living allowance, Samuels felt that logic as professed by the board, in that the cost of living affects the middle income wage earner less than those below him, to make little sense but that the inclusion of such a clause in a one year contract also made little sense. Samuels stated that 'over such a short period, the rate of inflation can be predicted fairly ac- curately and this can be taken into account in the establishment of the salary grid.' With regards to pupil -teacher ratio, Samuels made few recommendations aside from the fact that the parties had engaged in little meaningful dialogue on the subject. The teachers desire a P.T.R, of no more than 21 to 1 and that if the P.T.R. is increased, that additional teachers should be hired. The board desires full authority to determine the P.T.R. In his conclusion, Samuels attributes the lack of success in negotiations to mutual distrust between the board and teachers and that the introduction of a third party would appear to be the only way in which negotiations will progress. SANTA CLAUS WITH A HIGH VOICE — Mark Dietz son of Mrs. Minnie Dietz of Hensall wasn't too concerned that jolly old St. Nic's voice had gone up a few octoves. Ms. Santa Claus paid a visit to Drysdale Home Hardware Friday evening. Staff photo GOOD ASSORTMENT — Many goods were offered for sale at the Blue Water Rest Home Bazaar held on Saturday. Looking over some of the items are Mrs. Noah Jantzi of Maplewoods Apartments, Mrs. Alma Southcott of Blue Waterand Miss Olive O'Brien of Zurich. Staff photo Hay township planning Lack of services for village "Our biggest concern is that we just don't have the services" stated George Tieman at the Ur- ban workshop held Thursday at the Hay township hall. The workshop, which was one of a series designed to get input into the proposed Hay township secondary plan, was attended by 40 citizens of Hay and surroun- ding municipalities. Tiernan who is chairman of the board of Trustees for the police village of Dashwood, told the audience that the acquisition of another source of water is becoming more and more crucial every year, if Dashwood is to grow. "Our wells are horrible....75 percent of the water samples coming back are not fit to use." When asked about the quality of Dashwood's septic systems, Tiernan said that there was good underground seepage but it was just that the water was seeping back into the wells. Dashwood has had a water system approved for a number of years but there is no money to finance it according to Tieman. A member of the audience pointed to the groups of farmers in Stephen who were tapping into the Lake Huron Water supply line and inquired that if' a small group of private citizens could do this why could not a village do like wise. George Penfold of the Huron County Planning Department said that "there is a difference between public and private water service. With a private water service, certain construc- tion standards as set down by the Ministry of Environment do not have to be met while water systems that are funded publicly have to meet these standards." On. questions of growth and the kind of services that hamlets and villages provide to townships, one taxpayer was adamant that the township had done very little for these municipalities ' with particular reference to Dashwood. "All we've been get- ting is the runaround." he said. Lloyd Willert president of the local of the National Farmer's Union said that hamlets provide a necessary service for the peo- ple of the rural area. "A shopping mall in Exeter would be awfully hard on businesses and possibly wipe some of these hamlets out. We have to preserve these places." Willert stated. Joe Miller, a former deputy reeve for Hay township felt that townships should buy land that surround the hamlets and villages, sever it into lots and then sell them at cost. He felt that either thissuggestion occur or that developers who purchase large tracts of land and sever them, be limited into what they could charge for a lot. Zurich Reeve Fred Haberer opposed the idea of subdivisions in townships considering the fact that rural municipalities have experienced declines in popula- tion. "70-75 serviced lots are available in Zurich at the present time," Haberer said. On a point raised about strip development in Dashwood, Pen - fold said that if Dashwood was to grow "the back roads of the village must be opened up." Questions about the amount of control which various levels of government have over un- desirable farm operations were raised. Specific reference was made to large scale feed lot and hog operations that produced a con - GRADUATES — John Ziler graduated recently with d Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Western Ontario. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Ziler, Zurich and is on the teaching staff of St. Patrick's Separate School near Lucan. • tinuous undesirable odour. Willert wondered if sub- divisions could be held up because of odours. Penfold stated that certain controls already exist with the Code of Practise for farm operations setting certain guidelines with regards to the number of feet that certain farm operations must be set back from a road. Members of the audience wondered if controls on ownership property could be placed, in order to restrict large company owned feed -lot operations. "You can't control land use with respect to ownership" was Penfold's reply, "but it is possi- ble to set an upper limit on the number of animal units that each operation can have." On the question of mobile homes in the township, Doug Shephard of R.R. 1 Dashwood said he could see few problems with mobile homes in a rural set- ting. He said that they provide relatively inexpensive housing for the young farmer. In terms of trailer parks, he pointed out that they are self- sufficient in that they provide their own roads and services. It was felt by Jim Love that the land on 'which individual trailers sit should not be allowed to be severed as this would allow per- manence for the structure. Next Thursday the workshop is on the natural environment and extractive resources. NAME NEGOTIATOR The Education Relations Commission announced Thur- sday the appointment of Harvey L. Ladd as a third party to assist the Huron County Board of Education and its secondary School teachers in their negotiations. Ladd, who is privately em- ployed as a labour relations consultant, has lectured ex- tensively on the collective bargaining process and has conducted training courses in the field. Among major assignments as a mediator and arbitrator, he was involved in the grain han- dling dispute on the west coast.