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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Citizens News, 1977-11-24, Page 4Page 4 Citizens News, November 24, 1977 J11111111111111111111111II1lin 1111111111111111111111111111111111111111I1111IIIllllllllltllllll1111111111111111111111111111116111111111111111111fi111111111II111111f111111111111_ s,,,.' - .i? *. •*:c 3,,'? �` ay". q}s., �:?s : ta�.;r �Ylp►. ;J;�r� .,: :^ng;.,.. ZeCQAT a �,Illlllllilllllllll11111161111!11tiE111111111111111l1111161iitllflllflflllil11I111lIIIItItlilI1111lI111111111111111Illlllllllillillllllllllt0111i1116111111IIIIIIIIlIIIIIIIIIiIr neation The suggestion by a York University professor that tuition fees for post secon- dary education be increased "as rapidly as politically feasible" is alarming and poten- tially harmful to the well being of Ontario's educational system. Professor John Buttrick in a report conducted for the Ontario Economic Coun- cil states that he finds little reason for the governmental subsidation of education beyond the secondary school level. Buttrick assumes the position that there is too much public subsidy for educa- tion and that the public support for post- secondary education has resulted in the oversupply of personnel for certain sectors of the economy. If any of Buttrick's suggestions were implemented, it would set back the Ontario educational system 25 years. Once again post -secondary education would become the domain of the privileged few. While the consequences of such a move in a rural area such as Zurich would at first appear to be minimal, an examination of average incomes for residents of Huron County would indicate that a sudden in- crease in tuition for post -secondary educa- tion be it university, community college or agricultural college, would affect a large percentage of the under 21 population. To attempt to soften this blow, But - trick proposes the establishment of publically funded scholarships for 10 per- cent of a school's grade 12 class plus the availability of student loans at the prevail- ing market interest rate. The costs that would be incurred if the above suggestion were implemented would far outweigh the benefits. On what criteria would these scholarships be awarded? Educational proficiency? Financial needs? Who would administer the scholarships? The local boards of education? A provincial secretariat? To make a young adult pay the going in- terest rate on government funded money for his education, would result in little cost saving for the province and serve to inflict severe financial hardships on a segment of society which can least afford it. Another unwanted related consequence of this action is that the province could end up making money on student loans if taking into consideration the fact the province borrows at a rate which is considerably less than the commercial borrowing rate. The most ludicrous of all of Buttrick's ideas is that each institution should charge what it wants for each course or faculty "with mandatory public accounting for all costs." Picture tuning on the TV to watch your favorite program; the inevitable break for a commercialbccurs and low and behold its John Robarts" speaking on behalf of the University of Western Ontario. Five minutes later its Russ Jackson promoting the merits of Queens. "Mandatory public accounting" would mean another 150 provincial civil service jobs and another trip to the financiers of New York City. Its an interesting point than that But - trick is an economics professor and that what he has basically done, is a cost -benefit analysis of post -secondary education. Of all the ways to judge the value of an education system, this has to be one of worst?Educa- tion is much more related to the social aspect of life than to dollars and cents. While this paper does not support the stand of the Ontario Federation of Students which calls for the abolition of tuition fees, public support for post -secondary educa- tion in Ontario should be maintained, at least, at present levels. '`k\ FIRST WITH LOCAL NEWS Published Each Wladnosdaay By J.N. Eedy Publications Ltd. Member: Canadian Weekly *CNA' y News rD p para Association Ontario Weekly Newspapers Association News Editor - Tom Creech Second Class Mail Registration Number 1385 Subscription Rates: $7.00 per year in advance in Canada $18.00 per year outside Canada Single copies 20¢ :JIIIIIIII111111111111111111Iillillllllll111111I1111I11IIII111111111 Miscellaneous Rumblings By TOM CREECH Thoughts about newspapers The avowed intent of newspapers is to present an in- teresting mix of news, and advertising with as little distor- tion of the facts as possible. Expanding somewhat further on this, Andy. MacLean past president of the Canadian Weekly Newspapers Association and publisher of the Huron Expositor told the CWNA at its 1970 convention that "The role of the weekly newspaper is to mirror faithfully and conscientiously, the community to the community, to provoke it where necessary to praise it whenever possible, to defend it faithfully but always to serve it best by penetrating with the local news to a depth not possible with any other media." Although this may sound somewhat high handed, MacLean has captured the essence of what weekly newspapers in this part of the country strive for. As a newspaper is a business and not a non profit cor- poration (although some newspaper owners might dispute this), a balance between news and advertising must be achieved. In a brief presented by the CWNA in 1970 to the Special Senate Committee on Mass Media it was suggested that a weekly on the average would require about 55 percent advertising content before it could show a profit. In a small survey of weekly newspapers conducted by this writer in the summer of 1975, this percentage had risen to about 60 percent. Speaking as a comparative newcomer to this newspaper business and as a person who'll read anything that's legible, this area has some of the finest weeklies in Canada. Its always disheartening to receive a weekly from the other side of Canada and find it impossible to read a story or to pick out in a photograph which is the queen or king of a high school formal. You might think when you buy a copy of the Citizens News that the price which you pay covers the cost of prin- ting the paper. Mr. MacLean in a submission to the same Senate committee said that "the majority of weeklies charge their readers nearly 3c less than the actual cost of the paper." Its a pretty fair bet that the newsstand price might just pay for the cost of distribution with a very few cents left over. Like everyone else inflation has hit newspapers; two or three years ago the price of newsprint went up in leaps and bounds. Price rises have moderated some in the past few years but you know that a price of a box of "Kleenex" is not what it used to be. The role of a weekly newspaper continues to be basical- ly the same as it always has been but as in anything where technological change has caused such upheaval, problems have and will to continueoccur•Sometimes we leave out ads like we did last week, sometimes news gets chopped because of lack of space or time considerations. If you don't like what we are doing in this newspaper, say so. That's one ability that most newspaper people have (and need to have if they have any intentions of surviving); the ability to listen. A captain is only as good as his crew and its the same way with a newspaper and community which it serves. 25 YEARS AGO November, 1952 The Hay Township nomination was held in the Township Hall on Friday afternoon last with a very light attendance. The 1953 coun- cil is: reeve -Earl Campbell; councillors, V. Becker, L,II. Rader, Gus Roche and Irwin Willert. For three school trustees Elmer Rowe, Leonard Erb, Lloyd Hendrick and E.B. Horner. The latter who has been a member on the board since its inaugurationdid not wish to stand and so was excused from office. The nomination for Zurich Police Village was held in the town hall in the evening with a Tears Ago... N{. fair attendance. Five names were nominated; old members- J.M. Turkheim, Lloyd O'Brien, Milfred Schilbe and two new ones Reg IllsleY and Milt Dietz. 10 YEARS AGO November, 1967 Plans are now practically com- plete for the official reopening and dedication of the Babe Siebert Memorial Arena and Zurich Community Centre. Only a few minor details remain to be worked out. New manager of the Bank of Montreal's Hensall branch is Eric R. Luther, formerly manager in Markham, replacing Victor Pyette, who becomes manager of the bank's Dundas and MacDonalds Street office in Belleville,