HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1955-02-11, Page 2HURON EXPOSITOR
Established 1860
Published at Seaforth, Ontario,
every Thursday morning by McLean
Bros.
A. Y. McLean, Editor
Member of Canadian
Weekly Newspapers
Association.
PHONE 41
Authorized as Second Class Mail
Post Office Department. Ottawa
SEAFORTH, Friday, February 11
Farm Income Means
More Jobs
No matter how aware we may be
of certain truths, it seems it is nec-,
essary to remind ourselves from
time to time because otherwise hu-
man nature being what it is, we
would soon forget.
It was .for this realn then, we
were glad to see a farm Ieader speak
out recently and remind the public
of the relation between farm income
and city jobs. The speaker was W.
B. Rettie, of Fergus, retiring chair-
man of the Ontario Cream Produc-
ers' Marketing Board, who appealed
to city workers to join the farmer in
his struggle for improvements in
agriculture, since such improvements
would be to the benefit of both.
"When the farmer's income starts
to dwindle," said Mr. Rettie, "he buts
off as long as possible the buying of
a new car, truck, tractor, combine,
or even shoes.
"And, since the farmer provides
the market for a good percentage of
these products, the effect is soon felt
in industrial centres. When the
farmer's buying slackens, it isn't
long until industrial workers find
themselves faced with layoffs."
There is no doubt that the average
city worker realizes the extent to
which he depends on the farmer for
his food. There will be fewer, how-
ever, who realize the relation be -
between jobs and the farm. Mr. Ret -
tie's warning will do much to remind
the public the extent to which 'the
farmer's welfare affects the national
economy.
On the Farm
The extent to which programs de-
signed to provide farm youth with
a greater appreciation of activities
of the community at large have re-
sulted in an apparent change in the
way in which these same young peo-
ple regard a career on the farm, is
scorning increasingly apparent. Not
only have the programs had the ef-
fect of indicating the place which
farm youth should occupy in the
community, they also have shown
how an increased knowledge can
make possible a more productive ex-
istence.
The Rural Scene, noting the chang-
ed situation, has this to say: "The
best farm youth of Canada are de-
veloping themselves through con-
4structive competition and intelligent
co-operation in their own activities
which comes to public attention
through local, provincial and nation-
al fairs.
"The betterment of farm people
and farm life is the objective of these
capable, self-reliant young folk who
are employing science and intelli-
gence to increase their rewards by
better production and greater co-
operation.
"Building a better life and improv-
ing their environment are personal
and co-operative achievements. As
they apply the lessons learned
through participation in agricultur-
al and home projects, they discover
the possibilities of free personal
growth. They are planning their
own futures and forming the future
of Canadian agriculture as they
Make individual progress on their
home farms. They are learning that
it requires unusual intelligence to
earn the unequalled rewards of farm
life lived to the full" -
WHAT OTHER PAPERS SAY:
seriously enough to adopt it. Across
the border something is being done
about it. A New York State senator
has introduced legislation requiring
safety belts and pads in all cars and
trucks used in the State. It will be
interesting to note which way this
bill goes.
.CHEESE WITH YOUR APPLE.
PIE
(Ottawa Journal)
This is not a new issue, but it is
good to see that in all this talk of
aggression and defence and nuclear
weapons such a basic question as
how to get cheese with your pie is
not being overlooked. A correspon-
dent of another newspaper puts the
whole thing neatly: "When you go
to a restaurant you can find a pretty
good piece of pie, but to find a piece
of cheese to accompany that pie is
another matter."
' Pie, and especially apple pie, with-
out cheese, is like bacon without
eggs or coffee without cream, but
hosts of people still have to make
themselves familiar with this culin- ,
ary refinement. One might say that
a good apple pie is cookery's finest
flower, but add a slab .of good cheese
and it becomes clear that even the
lily can be gilded.
Any pie is improved by the addi-
tion of a bit of cheese, but it is 'true
that some are more adaptable than
others to this treatment There is
something rugged about cheese
which might seem to clash with the
frivolous and unsubstantial type of
pie that goes under the name of chif-
fon. A juicy berry pie paints the
cheese in unfamiliar purple, it may
be, though the flavor remains. But
the blend of apple pie and cheese is
perfection itself: there is harmony
in the color scheme as well as in the
taste and each of them in the pres-
ence and co-operation of the other
comes to its true glory.
SAFETY BELTS
(St. Catharines Standard)
"lacing safety elts and crash pads
in ears is a good idea. In fact, it has
been widely advocated for some time,
t automobile manufacturers do
hp. ear to take the suggestions--
�rr
de�elo ed in trade o�rna l —
f
lir�
j.
ONE WORLD WORD: OK
(From the Aramco World)
There was a time when one word
enjoyed the distinction of being the
same in any language and in any
country and that was the French
originated "passport". While this
still holds true (even the Russians
use it), it is now sharing its distinc-
tion with a fine old American term,
"OK"
The sands of Arabia, the deserts
of Egypt, the South Sea Islands—no
place has remained aloof from OK's
encroachment. Possibly American
-soldiers did much to further its use
in the places where they served dur-
ing World War II.
All of Europe knows it. People of
remote villages in the east, as well
as those in the larger cities, have
incorporated it in their vocabularies,
and children and their elders alike
use it with a free and authentic in-
flection.
Perhaps to many an American
bent on presenting our cultural stan-
dards abroad, the prevalence of OK,
as well as the addiction to that other
all-American institution, chewing
gum, has caused sincere wincing of
the soul and spirit. But it is a flex-
ible, useful little word that adapts
well to the moods and attitudes of
many different people.
Best of all, OK has a charm all its
own that is essentially American and
introduces, wherever it is used, a
typical relaxed American freedom
from anything strait laced or pom-
pous.
And where did the term OK orig-
inate?
rig-
inate?
One legendhas it that it probably
o
sprang from the Choctawp Indian
language where oke or hoke means
"Yes, it is". Another story relates
that Andrew Jackson, as a youth,
was employed marking boxes for a
shipper, and could not grapple with
the spelling of "all correct" which
was supposed to clear each shipment.
So he abbreviated it to OK.
Still another source is attributed
to the OK club, a Democratic organ-
ization of the last century. The club
was supporting President Martin
Van Buren in 1840 for re-election.
This president was born in Old Kin-
derhook, N.Y., hence the initials of
his supporting faction.
To an American far from home,
the term has a reassuring sound.
Wherever in the world he is, when
he hears OK he knows that there is
room for international understand-
ing. He also feels, in a way, that OK
achieves what linguists have defined
to be the fundamental requirements
of an international language
.�d
TIt? UURON EXPOSITOR
SEEN IN THE COUNTY PAPERS
May Organize Spotter Group
Organization of an aircraft ob-
servation group in Exeter as part
of the civil defence program is
being considered by the Exeter
Legion. Similar groups have been
organized in the district. The Leg-
ion recently donated $50 towards
the expenses of the New York City
trip being planned by South Hur-
on District High School. — Exeter
Times -Advocate.
Wages Set For Town Employees
Wages for town employees were
set by council meeting in special
session last Friday night. The road
foreman receives no increase, but
receives two weeks' vacation with
pay. Assistant to the foreman
works 46.5 hours per week at $40,
and one remains on call over the
weekend. The janitor is to receive
$40 per week, assist in caring for
the Community Par, — Clinton
News -Record.
Breaks Hip in Fall
Mrs. George Stewart, Bruce St.,
was taken to Victoria Hospital in
London for treatment last Satur-
day after she slipped on a floor
at her home and suffered a brok-
en hip. Mrs. Stewart, who lives
alone, was resting on the chester-
field when the doorbell rang.
When she got up to answer the
bell, she slipped on the living
room floor, but was able to call
the visitors, who came to her as-
sistance.—Goderich Signal -Star.
Car Plates To Be Purchased
Clinton Fire Brigade at their
regular monthly meeting on Mon-
day evening re-elected their offi-
cers for another year. Identifica-
tion plates that will be attached to
the license plates of cars belong-
ing to the members of the com-
pany will be purchased. The
plates are resigned to help police
who are directing traffic near a
fire to identify firemen's cars and
so aid them in traffic. Chief Rath
was directed to purchase the
plates as soon as a supplier could
be contacted. — Clinton News -Re-
cord.
Hospital To Discuss Action
A special joint meeting of the
Wingham General Hospital board
and the board's publicity commit-
tee was held at the hospital on
Friday night to discuss the future
role of the publicity committee.
During the past two ,years the
publicity committee has been ac-
tive in raising money for the new
hospital wing under the pro -rata
scheme. Several members of
the committee felt that their job
has been completed since the var-
ious municipalities in the hospital
area agreed to underwrite the pro -
rata scheme with payments to the
hospital building fund.—Wingham
Advance -Times.
Huron Jobless Up 19 Per Cent
Number of unemployed- in Hur-
on is up about 19 per cent over
Iast year, J. D. McLeod, manager
of the Goderich office of the
National Employment Service
said Tuesday. Total on claim as
of January 31 is 735, compared to
619 last year. This year's figure
includes 541 male and 70 female.
Mr. McLeod said he expected that
the construction industry will
speed up quite a bit in the near
future in Goderich and Clinton,
Some of the unemployment is a
result of the strike at the Ford
plants as quite a number of the
feeder plants had to lay off. These
will probably be called back soon.
—Exeter Times -Advocate.
Cash Proposal Out
Proposal of the South Huron
District High School Boars] to pay
cash instead of issuing debentures
for construction of an addition,
has been quashed by the Ontario
government. The province, which
pays 75 per cent of the costs of
high school construction, said it
could not afford to pay this
amount in a lump sum. It con-
tributed grants over the period of
the debenture issue. Board Chair-
man C.'S. MacNaughton made the
announcement to the board. He
interviewed the Department of Ed-
ucation last week on the proposal.
If the government approved the
scheme, the board intended to
interview municipalities to see if
they were willing to raise their
share of the costs during the next
two years.—Exeter Times -Advo-
cate.
Says $600,000 Provided in Budget
One of the largest amounts in
several years, $600,000 for harbor
repairs at Goderich, is provided in.
Federal Government estimates for
the 1955-56 fiscal year tabled in
the House of Commons. The
amount includes $206,500 voted by
Ottawa a year ago, but not spent.
Included in the work proposed by
the Engineering Branch of the De-
partment of Public Works are re-
pairs to the north breakwater, re-
construction of 640 feet of the
south pier in steel sheet piling,
and tied back sheet wall, 700 feet
in length, in front of the harbor
wall, and dredging. According to
the estimates, the government in-
tends to spend $2,124,000 in harbor
and wharf imrrnvements at West-
ern Ontario r' ts. The amount to
be spent here is t!:e largest. Also
included in the estimates is a vote
of $38,000 for extension of a re-
taining waII at Bayfield.—Goderich
Signal -Star.
Agricultural Society Elects
At the annual meeting of the
Blyth Agricultural Society, held
in the Memorial Hall, Blyth, on
Monday afternoon, William Gow,
of Auburn, was elected to succeed
Simon P. Hallahan as president of
the society. The complete list of
officers are as follows: president,
William Gow; past president, S.
P. Hallahan; first vice, Wallace
Bell; second vice, Walter Scott;
secretary -treasurer, Mrs. Jean
Berthot; directors: Bruce Falcon-
er, Archie Young, Orval McGow-
an, George Watt, James Coultes,
Keith Webster, James Walpole, A.
Bacon and Bill Taylor; honorary
directors, Gilbert Nethery, Harry
Sturdy, Orval Taylor; auditor,
Frank Tamblyn.. ..Various com-
mittees will bet set up at a direc-
tors' meeting to be held at a later
date. The election of officers was
presided over by Harold Baker,
assistant agricultural representa-
tive.—Blyth Standard.
Council Refuses Requests
In special session Iast Friday
night, Clinton Council refused a
request for a raise in wages to
the town's constables, and voted
six to–two in favor of an earlier
agreement which lowers the per
hour wage (approximately) seven
cents. The motion made by Depu-
ty Reeve Burton Stanley' and sec-
onded by Reeve Mel. Crich, stat-
ed "having due consideration to
the general wages in Clinton, the
increase in the overall casts for
the police department in the Last
• five years and the mill rate in
Clinton be it resolved that the
wages and conditions as set out in
the letter to the police constables
on January 1.4, be adhered to."
These conditions stipulate that the
annual wage of $2,450 per man be
raised $50; that each member of
the force maintain a telephone in
his residence at his own expense;
, that the three men give complete
24-hour a day protection to the
town; two weeks holidays with
pay; each man on duty to be in
the office when not patrolling the
streets. The agreement setting
forth these conditions had ,been
handed to the constables with the
i request that they either sign the
agreement, or resign. — Clinton
News -Record.
CROSSROADS
(By JAMES SCOTT)
THOSE HEAVY DRINKERS
For a long time now I hdve been
somewhat disturbed by the ac-
counts which I keep reading about
of how our forefathers had a tre-
mendous capacity for alcohol in
almost any form you could imag-
ine—and in quite a few concoctions
which you might never even
dream about. As far as the pio-
neer records go, there is no doubt
whatsoever that grog—in copious
quantities—was present at every
celebration and gathering of any
kind, except church and prayer
meeting. At any bee or barn rais-
ing or dance or social meeting,
the whiskey flowed like water and
our ancestors drank it down by
the tumblerful.
The taverns were at every cross-
roads and they all had a bar. When
a pioneer wanted to be hospitable
he usually .passed the refreshment
around by the bucketful and his
guests ladelled out their potions
by the dipperful.
This is what the records say, and
yet Well, I know that it is
quite likely that we are not the
men our forebears were, but
somehow I have always been a lit-
tle suspicious of those mighty
draughts which the men of yore
were supposed to consume. It has
always seemed to me to be in-
credible that the heroic men who
tamed this vast wilderness manag-
ed to do it on a diet of raw whis-
key. It just doesn't seem to be
physically possible.
But now at long last, the mys-
stery has now,
cleared up. I hate
to tell about this because with it
will go a legend which has been
long in the annals of Canadian pio-
neer life, but there comes a time
when the record must be kept
straight.
My friend and fellow writer,
Merrill Denison, has been busy
these past few years writing the
history of the MoIson family since
it came to Canada in 1786. As
many a tippler knows, the Molsons
have been making beer for Cana-
dians ever since but not so many
realize that during the nineteenth
ial�at�w, �; liau
century they were also one of the
largest distillers in the country.
Naturally, if one is writing
about the history of a distillery,
he is going to look into how things
were in the early days. Merrill
Denison went right back to the
very beginning of whiskey -making
in this country and he discovered
a remarkable thing. He found out
that what our ancestors called
whiskey was not the same thing
at all as what we know by the
same name today.
In actual fact, whiskey is a rel-
atively new kid of drink. As
late as just one hundred years ago
there was no standard process for
making the stuff. The usual
thing was simply to distill some
alcohol from some kind of cereal
mash and to add any flavor to
suit. There were absolutely no
regulations which specified the
percentage of alcohol which went
into whiskey inthose days at all.
Working back through the Mol -
son's records, Mr. Denison began
to do a little mental arithmetic.
According to his calculations—and
they look accurate—the product
called whiskey which our fore-
fathers drank, was just about the
same potency as what today we
would call a fortified wine.
Since the Molsons were in open
competition with all the other dis-
tillers of the country, and since
they were one of the biggest, it
is only reasonable to conclude that
the whiskey which they made
would be just about the same
strength as that which was made
by everybody else.
In other words, the plain truth
of the matter is that if one of our
so-called hard -drinking forebears
was to take a swig of the stuff
which is on sale today, he would
probably be knocked for a loop.
I must say that this has shaken
me considerably. There goes an-
other long -cherished myth but,
just the same, I'm glad to know
that the men who settled the Hur-
on Tract Were not a bunch of
soaks after all.
YEARS AGONE
Interesting Items Picked
from The Huron Expositor of
25 and 50 Years Ago.
From The Huron Expositor
February 14, 1930
Mr. Clifford Broadfoot, Bruce•
field, has purchased the garage
business from Mr. L. Forrest.
Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Adams,
Constance, have installed a new
radio.
Miss Mildred Hillborn, Blyth,
went to Kitchener on Monday to
attend the golden wedding cele-
bration of her uncle and aunt, Mr.
and Mrs. Isaac Hillborn. She will
also visit her sister, Mrs. A. Lak-
ing, of Freelton, before returning.
Austin Dilling, west of Hensall,
is stopping with his sister, Mrs.
Maurice Quance, while attending
the short course on machinery,
etc., being held in the Town Hall,
Exeter, this week.
Milton Brock, a farmer who
lives east of Exeter, near Zion, has
a flock of 450 White Leghorn pul-
lets, from which he has been get-
ting from nine to eleven dozen
eggs per day. This is considered
good from a young flock for this
season of the year.
Miss Jean Barbour, Staffa, spent
the weekend with her sister, Mrs.
William Drake, Stratford.
Mrs. Andrew McLellan, Staffa,
is visiting her daughter, Mrs. R.
Buttonham, in Hamilton.
Messrs. Richard and Daniel
Kinsman, of the West, arrived in
Chiselhurst on Saturday, bringing
with them two carloads of horses
and a carload of cattle.
Mr. Percy Manning, Londesboro,
purchased two very fine cattle
from Mr. Frank Wood last week.
Miss Anna Love, of Hillsgreen,
spent a few days recently with her
brother, Mr. Stanley Love, of near
Kippen.
1fr. William Jarrott, Hillsgreen,
is attending the threshermen's
convention in London.
Mr. and Mrs. Henry McGavin.
celebrated the 66th anniversary of
their marriage on Saturday, Feb.
8, at their home in Tuckersmith.
Mr. and Mrs. F. W. Hess, of
Hensall, are spendingo the week
with relatives and friends in Zur-
ich. Mrs. Hess is assisting at
the home of Mrs. Gertrude Hess,
who is seriously ill at present. The
latter celebrated her 87th birth-
day on Monday and received the
good wishes of her many friends.
Miss Eileen Eckert, of Manley,
left Monday for Oakville to visit
with Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Eckert.
Mrs. Hugh McEwen, Hensall,
left on Thursday for an extended
trip to the West Indies and South
America, sailing from New York
on Tuesday on the C.P.R. steam-
er, Duchess of Bedford. Mrs. Mc-
Ewen expects to be away about
six weeks.
Miss Byrl Ashton, of Gorrie, has
been visiting her sister, Mrs. E. A.
Radford, in Walton,
Mr. and Mrs. Carl Stapleton and
babe, of Marden, spent Sunday
with Mrs. M. Meagher and other
friends in Dublin.
•
FEBRUARY 11, 1955
CANADA'S WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS
(Some weeks ago editorial refer-
ence was made to a Royal Bank
News Letter which discussed the
part the weekly newspaper plays
in its community. Queries receiv-
ed suggested a wide interest in
the subject, and for this reason
the New Letter is now being re-
printed in full.)
Canada has 963 weekly news-
papers, with a combined circula-
tion of 2,475,140. Some distribute
a few hundred copies every week,
while others have circulation in
the thousands. Singly or taken to-
gether, these weekly newspapers
have a great influence on the
thought and action of our people.
Everybody, in a sense, lives two
lives, one in a small and the other
in a great circle. He belongs by
birth or choice to various intimate
groups, like his family, bis neigh-
borhood, and his cluster of friends.
He is also a member of the whole
society of Canada, and he is liv-
ing within an interdependent sys-
tem of nations. The weekly news-
paper belongs to his intimacy.
It is not safe to generalize about
newspaper, because of the wide
difference in the thoroughness
with which newspapers fulfil their
function. We are not without jour-
nals that debase public taste and
warp public opinion. It can be
said, however, that the majority
of Canadian weekly newspapers
conscientiously maintain the high-
est standards.
Every newspaper is at one and
the same time a business enter-
prise on which the owner and his
family depend for their daily bread
and an agency of mass communi-
cation bearing public responsibil-
ity. In this land, where the press
has freedom under the law, the
weekly newspapers discharge their
public functions with credit to
themselves and benefit to the
country.
The average paper represented
in the Canadian Weekly News-
paper Association, said William H.
Cranston, publisher of the Midland
Free Press Herald, in- an article
he wrote for. The Financial Post
last August, covers 82 per cent- of
the homes in its trading area, has
a net paid circulation of under
1,500 copies a week, and is pro-
duced by a staff of fewer than ten.
The staff usually includes the
owner, who may be publisher, edi-
tor, printing foreman, advertising
salesman and general caretaker
combined.
There are few millionaires
among the 535 publishers who are
members of the C.W.N.A., but
every weekly newspaper repres-
ents a respectable amount of capi-
tal for the size of its town. It is,
usually, a family enterprise with
strong bonds of community loyal-
ty. Mr. Cranston pointed out that
95 per cent of editors of weekly,
twice -weekly and tri -weekly news-
papers had served one or more
terms as president of the local
Chamber of Commerce or Board
of Trade; 45 per cent had been
mayor or reeve, or had held other
high elective office; 97 per cent
were members of a service club,
and 90 per -cent had served as club
president.
From The Huron Expositor
February 10, 1905
Mr. John Arnold, Beechwood, is
suffering from a bad case of blood
poisoning. It got quite a start be-
fore medical aid was summoned.
The patient is suffering greatly,
but we hope to hear soon of an
improvement.
Mr. John Holla.rid, Beechwood3ois
fitting up the shop for chopping
and grinding and will be ready
shortly, He guarantees to give the
best satisfaction.
Mr. John Dale, of the Huron
Road, near Clinton, has let the
contract for the building of a new
residence to Mr. S. S. Cooper, of
Clinton.
Messrs. Richmond, of Blyth,
have obtained a patent for their
combined cutting and threshing
machine.
Mr. Samuel Carter, Brussels, has
purchased the house and lot on
Elizabeth St. from Robert Ander-
son, paying $350 for it.
Mr. Robert McMillan, of Kin -
burn, visited Mr. J. King, Blue -
vale, last week. Mr. McMillan
was on his way up north to speak
at a Farmers' Institute meeting.
Mr. Richard Wright, of Seaforth,
imerly of Hensall, has been
spending the past week or so with
relatives in Hensall.
The people of Hensall are pleas-
ed to see that Mr. Bernard Thom-
son, who got his leg so painfully
bruised while teaming some weeks
ago, through an accident, is get-
ting around nicely and like Dr.
Chesney, is almost ready for a
foot race.
Floy Edwards, Bayfield, met
with a painful accident on Friday
morning last. Just as she was
ready to leave for home, she slip-
ped on the "airway, falling three
or four steps, two other girls fall-
ing with her, with the result that
her leg was broken.
Mrs. H. Stelck, of Blake;last
week sent us her 34th renewal
subscription to The Expositor.
This is the kind of friends we like.
Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Chesney,
of Cartwright, Man., who have
been visiting friends in Seaforth
and vicinity for several weeks, left
for their home on Tuesday. Mr.
Chesney has a large farm adjoin-
ing the village of Cartwright. He
has been in Manitoba for 13 years.
Mr. John Ketehen, administra-
tor, of Brucefield, has disposed of
the farm on the second concession
of Stanley, belonging to the estate
of the late Thomas Penfound, to
Mr. S. Thompson, Jr., of the Town-
ship of Hay, for the sum of $5,100.
Inspector Robb, Brussels, con-
templates building three new resi-
dences at the south end of his ter-
race during the coming summer,
and is now asking for tenths.
Editor Bradwin, Blyth, who at-
tended the printers' Convention at
Toronto last week, was elected as-
sistant secretary -treasurer. Mr.
Bradtvin takes a great interest hi
this association, and we have no
doubt before long he will be ap-
pointed president.
Community Worth
In a world where the quiet, in-
timate, stable pattern of the small
community has been so severely
shaken, Canada is fortunate in
the manner of her growth.
Throughout our development, from
isolated farms to clusters of hous-
es in villages serving wide farm-
ing areas, and then on to towns
and a few cities, we have manag-
ed to keep one foot on the soil.
For a time people flowed from
rural communities to the cities.
This response to industrial evolu-
tion built crowded urban centres
that have exploded during the
past ten years particularly, into
myriad suburban satellites, each
with its own interests, prides and
headaches.
Reconstitution of the small (ace-
to -face community can be of sig-
nificant assistance in restoring a
vigorous sense of human dignity
and worth. There is no other en-
vironment that can nourish the
intimate values of life and the acts
of sympathy and mutual aid and
the warm appreciation of person-
ality that together go to make up
the spirit of democracy. It is the
small community that gives root
and reality to what Canada does
in the world of nations.
The weekly newspaper has its
home in such a community. Its
readers are not anonymous crea-
tures in great impersonal aggre-
gations, but the people in the next
house, or the next street, known
and understood.
The weekly newspaper knows
that its great strength lies in get-
ting itself read. To make itself
widely readable the press must
be free, and to he free it must be
self-supporting financially.
Much has been written about
"freedom of the press'. Those
who think , without hysteria.
realize freedom is not
an end in if 'but a means to
the end of
free society. Where
men cannot freely convey their
thoughts to one another, no other
liberty is secure. A "kept" press
has abdicated its function and its
privilege of informing truthfully
and advising honestly.
It can be said that on the whole
the weekly press of Canada re-
alizes its social responsibility, has
maintained itself financially and
economically so as to be able to
withstand official or other inter-
ested pressure, and does its best
to use its freedom actively in the
interests of its community.
The weekly newspaper does not,
as a rule, lose itself in political or
other controversy, but rather seeks
to bridge the.gap between the citi-
zen and his government by direct-
ing its public service enthusiasm
at positive benefits to be sought.
Improvement of health and living
standards, preservation and util-
ization of natural resources, de-
velopment of its neighborhood ac-
cording to the superior qualities
it has: these are domains in which
the weekly press • makes its con-
structive contributions.
Revenue From Advertising
So that it may publish its news
and opinions free from the neces-
sity to eater to some institti'tional
or economic power, the weekly
netwapaper needs to sell advextss•
ing space. As a medium, a good"
Weekly paper provides a unique
way of reaching the public quick-
ly, with thorough coverage of the
market, and with undoubted value
for the dollar cost.
Advertising rates in the weeklies
are low. They are based, mainly,
on steady use of good-sized space
by local advertisers. You can buy
an advertisement ten inches deep
and two columns wide for an av-
erage of $11 per insertion. Some,
of the larger papers - published
weekly, twice • weekly and three
times a week, associated as the
"Class A Newspapers of Canada",
have been cultivating the national
advertising market, and 58 of
them carried a total of 18 million
lines of national display advertis-
ing last year. In the same period
there appeared in their columns
more than 200 million lines of lo-
cal retail advertising. (In news-
paper measurement there are
about 14 "lines" to the inch, one
column wide, so these totals re-
present more than 1,285,000 and
14,285,000 column -inches respec-
tively.
Use of the weekly newspapers
for advertising has been growing
steadily, not only among local
merchants but among' concerns
that advertise in all parts of the
country. These national advertis-
ers are realizing that the good
coverage given local tradesmen
would be equally good for them.
This is not to say that the week-
ly press is something new, but on-
ly that it is entering upon a new
era, with advertisers and their
agents showing new appreciation
of its worth. The first newspaper
published in Canada was the Hali-
fax Gazette, dated March 23, 1752,
and the first paper printed entire-
ly in French was Le Canadien of
November 22, 1806. The years be-
tween those two dates and today
have witnessed a satisfying growth
in the number and quality of our
newspapers.
What is News?
There is no unanimous agree-
ment among newspapermen on a
definition of news, and when acad-
emic people and philosophers add
their opinions the confusion be-
comes compounded.
For any editor, what is news
depends upon the time and the
place and the people involved and
the significance of what happens,
all viewed through the eyes and
from the environment of his read-
ers. If something occurs at the
other side of the world that vital-
ly affects the lives of people in a
200 -person Canadian village, that
is news, and the weekly paper will
try to extend its readers' kl}owl-
edge by showing the relationship.
There is, however, a further fac
for to be considered: timeliness.
The editor of a weekly that is pub-
lished on Thursday knows that the
events of last Friday were report-
ed in the daily press, by radio and
perhaps on television. They may Y,
even have appeared by now in theme
news reels. While not ignoring the
unlikely fact that some of his read-
ers do not see television, news
reels, or daily newspapers and do•
not listen to the radio news, the
editor will avoid loading his col-
umns with old news, important
though it may be.
An alert editor knows how to
get around this difficulty, as can
be seen in every issue et' a good
weekly newspaper. He cannot
avoid mention of a declaration of
war, the assassination of .a presi-
dent. the destruction of part of a
city by flood. These are news, and
nothing any newspaperman can do
will alter the fact. The thing to do
is to take the news and relate it.
to the people in the territory cov-
ered by the weekly newspaper.
What effect will these events, have
upon local life, economically and
socially? How are community in-.
stitutions affected? What local
families and individuals have been
caught up in the event? Answers
to these questions make the far-
off happening o1' last Friday news
here today.
Another thing known to the alert
editor of a live weekly is that he
cannot sit in his office waiting for
news to come to him. A news
story doesn't just happen. It de-
pends upon organization of sourc-
es, on looking ahead so as to an-
ticipate coming events, on prepar-
ing questions that will bring out
the covert implications, on plan-
ning the routine connected with.
publication so that fitting atten-
tion may be given some unexpect-
ed event near deadline.
He is a wise editor who recog-
nizes and caters to the everyday
interests of his readers in addition
to satisfying their curiosity - about
unexpected happenings and "big"
local events. For example, he will
give space and deserved promin-
ence to regulations designed tot
prevent loss of life, to articles be
believes will contribute to the bet-
terment of living conditions and
the spread of happiness. He will
not ignore so commonplace a thing
as the weather, but he will try to
make it interesting by informing
his readers authoritatively about
its current significance in their
farming and business prospects:
what has the state of the weather
during the past week meant to the
economy of the community?
Local News
In Canada, "news" is still large-
ly local or regional in character.
We inhabit half a continent, and
we cannot possibly keep track of
everything that is happening ev-
erywhere in it. Our interest in
what is near and our preoccupa-
tion with what is familiar is not
parochialism, but a necessity im-
posed upon its by conditions. The
weekly newspaper, if the editor is
a lively, inquisitive person, minis-
ters ideally to our needs.
People in small communities,
whether rural or suburban, have
keen interest in whatever they see
that is out of the ordinary. The
commuter walking home from the
train wants to know why the men
are digging up the street; he is
interested in when the new school
will be opened, how long it will
provide necessary. accommodation
and on what facts and speculation'
the council bases its judgment; he
is curious about every ckange in
his neighborhood? whether i't. is big
or little. There is, in fact, no in -
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