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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1987-05-06, Page 2A2 — THE HURON EXPOSITOR, MAY 6, 1987' y Huron E- xpositor *11.11.1111110, SINCE 1860, SERVING THE COMMUNITY FIRST Incorporating Brussels Post 10 MainStreet 527-0240 Published in SEAFORTH,ONTARIO Every Wednesday morning ED' BYRSKI,.General Manager HEATHER McILWRAITH•, Editor The Expositor is brought to you eac, week by the of nr s of: Pat Armes, Bessie Broome, Marlene Charters, Joan Guichelaar, Dianne McGrath, Lois. McLlwaln, Bob McMillan and Cathy Melody A r1• BLUE RIBBON AWARD 1985 H, D,sw CA MyH wry, •Ff w,n� ,Fp tiE WSPAl PE KscOM7E1' Member Canadian Community Newspaper' Assoc. Ontario Community Newspaper, Association Ontario Press Council ' Commonwealth Press Union • International Press Institute Subscription .rates; Canada $20.00 a year, in advance Outside•Canada $60.00 a year, in advance,.' • Single Copies - 50 cents each • Second class.•mailregisiratiun Number 0696' Mom's the Word There's nothing quite like motherhood. Indeed, the very Word "mother" says that this woman, whatever her other interests, dreams and goals, has a unique relationship to us alone, Today, few of us realize that Mother's Day, as we know it, has been in ex- istence for nearly 75 years. •A day for honoring mothers, known as "Mothering Sunday" was observ- ed in Victorian England: Falling in mid -Lent, this day was dedicated to wor- ship of, the mother of Christ. During this time, children working as domestics were allowed to return to their families and visit their mother.. Julia' Ward Howe made the first known suggestion for a Mother's Day in the United States in 1872. She suggested the people observe a, Mother's Day on June 2 as a day dedicated to peace. For several years, she held an annual Mother's Day meeting in Boston, But it wasn't .until 1907, that Anna Jarvis of West Virginia launched a, . widespread campaign for Mother's Day that eventually achieved national recognition and support. , Before her death, Anna's own mother Maintained that a day honoring mothers might help to bind a nation still bitterly divided after the American Civil War. Anna took on this labor of love in her mother's memory. Over the next few years, Anna wrote thousands of letters to public of- ficials eliciting support. Within time, state after state joined the movement. Even the normally unsentimental Mark Twain wrote, "I do not know how many more anniversaries of Mother's Day 1 will see, but on those that i have remaining I will wear a white flower, the emblem of purity and my mother's love." Anna's corespondence mounted. She took a leave of absence from her, job and never returned. Memoralizing mother became her life and in December,1912, she incorporated herself as the Mother's Day International Association. Politicians were willing to take a firm position in favor of motherhood and on May 10, 1913, the House unanimously passed a resolution to make the observance of Mother's Day official. The President and all other officials of the Federal Government were required to wear a white carnation on the se- cond Sunday in May in observance of Mother's Day. And it wasn't long after that Canadians joined in the spirit of this special day. Anna hoped this declaration would inspire gestures of love and affection: a card or letter to mother, a carnation in the lapel -.mementos that enable "rich and poor alike to keep the day dedicated to the being whose name is first lisped by a little child and last . whispered by the dying soldier, 'Mother'." SENSE AND NONSENSE SL' . by Ron Wassink Decision very "Wise" John Wise, federal minister of agriculture, had barely finished announcing that he was lifting the moratorium on Farm Credit Corporation (FCC) mortgages, than farmers, particularly in Bruce and Grey counties, started making threats of farm gate defenses. I, for one, consider Wise's announcement last Week a good one. The moratorium, which gave financially, strapped farmers a period of grace, was in place for 19 months. The action was put in place after govern- ment was pressured to make such a move. The moratorium. movement was initiated by the Bruce County Federation of Agriculture in September 1985. The action meant that farmers, teetering on the verge of bankruptcy and liquidation, were given an opportunity to get their houses in order. The choices farmers faced were simple. The moratorium gave them time to, A) refinance their operations; "B) get out of business; or C) do nothing. Unfortunately, the ones who chose to do nothing are the farmers who decided to risk taking a chance that higher comiiiodity prices (hoping that prices would soar) would be sufficient to stave off foreclosure. In some cases farmers did hit the jackpot. Pork prices went so high that farmers hoped they'd never come down. But that was the extent of "fair return on investment". Beef prices• stayed, about the same, and cash crops, "articular) corn, lummetted. P " o farme s` are gamblers– probably 1 recognize that the biggest in the world. Not only do they face uncertain commodity prices, but they Must also deal with a variety of fac- tors, like the weather. Though all farmers think the same, always hoping that prices will get better, not all did the same in the late 19708 as some. When prices rose, rose, rose, many said they would never fall. Land prices, in turn, doubled and tripled. It was a time to expand'. d Though some had some savings that went into their operations, others borrowed a gainst inflated prices. Because their farm- ing operation was worth more, on paper, than say, 10 years ago, they were eligible to Just a kid of the wrong age Remember the pogo stick? I do. In fact, I remember gettitigto be quite good with one, hopping up and down driveways and in and out of doorways, •until either I was bored with the entire exercise, or too exhausted to continue. But, that was some years ago and now it seems pogo sticks, like a number of other toys from my childhood, have outgrown their popularity, One rarely sees the ,pogo stick anymore. Oh, the concept itself is not dead, it's merely been fashionably updated, Kids to- day, it seems, want something new and almost different from the . antiquatedp playthings, we older "kids" had. • The newest toy on the market, I discovered on the• weekend, is not a pogo stick, but rather a pogo ball. Operating on the same:principle as the pogo stick the similarly named ball, requires that the child bounce up and down on, it in order to make it operational. Once it is operational it's'sup- posed to be fun. Fun?I can't see it myself. Unlike the pogo stick,' the pogo ball offers the rider nothing to hold on to. The result is a pair of arms and hands flailing uselessly through the air, if and when you do manage to get the ball operational. Tf, in fact, :you SWEAT SOCKS by Heather Mcilwraith. don't, then I will. admit the arms and hands come in very' handy as a means of stopping your body from plummeting into the - cement. The pogo ball,' is indeed, difficult to' get operational. For one thing, the contraption, which looks something like a frisbee shoved between two plastic balls, won't stand still long enough to allow someone to mounrit- And if you do manage to mount it, you have to start hopping'. . almost ' immediately because there's no hope of keeping your balance for very long. But that too, is an impossible task, As I discovered, time is an important criteria when establishing thefooting needed to start the ball in motion, There are no foot straps or anything of the sort. One is ex- pected instead to squeeze their ankles around the' toy's 'top sphere, then hop. I found it difficult to even get both my feet on the frisbee at the sametime, let alone anchored: In fact it wasn't until I'used my car to lean ' on that I' managed to get even a hop out of this toy, which is apparently taking cities by storm. Kids I'm told are not only mastering the artof mounting this pogo ball, but are suc- ceeding in getting themselves and it off the ground as well. And not in the usual fashion. Apparently=these-same-kids-are-compoun- ding the difficulty of' the pogo ball by learn- ing'to skip and play numerous other games while still attached to the contraption. Myself, I can't figure out how theydo it, and •I don't think I'm going to research the subject any. further: It's too dangerous., Because even though I may consider myself "just d. kid at heart" it's obvious the secret of this particular toy, will remain ex- clusive to those under the age of.25. • As for those of us who have surpassed that figure, perhaps it's best if we stick with the STICK - the toy' designed with us specifically in mind, gII NI4'� HI .y�yp%iMYIi •' Half afraid to "flick his bic" it's getting so a guy is afraid to "flick his Bic" in the privacy of his own home anymore. What with the government banning smoking in public places, government of- fices and just about everywhere except your Uncle Jack's back yard, nicotine ad- dicts must be getting more nervous and fidgety then they already were. What's next? A complete ban on tobbac- co product advertising? Sorry, that's already in the works. The government is now in the hypocritcal position of allowing a product to be cultivated, processed and `sold relatively unrestricted, while at the same time denying the producers the right to market their product in the same man- ner as everyone else. The City of Toronto has even gone'so far as to consider a ban on smoking even in outdoor sports stadiums, such as Exhibi- tion Stadium, where a non-smoker would have to inhale very hard indeed in order to noticabiy blacken his lungs with nicotine. vmommoomessonume FROM THIS ANGLE by Patrick Raftis MMS` Since the postion of the smoker, the tobacco grower and everyone else associated with the production of coffin nails, is practically indefensible – they pollute the air, cause cancer and heart disease, and are mean to small children and animals -- i won't even try to make a case in their favor. Or, should I say our favor, as I am stili unfortunately nunibered among the defilers of atmosphere. Instead, I am going to suggest the government go all the way – make it outright illegal to smoke, fume, combust, or even get a little hot around the'collar. Of course such a drastic measure would require an equally' drastic means of en- vinwaimismoliiiiiiiiialimir forcement. We would need to create a whole new law enforcement agency. The. RCMT (Reduction of Cigarette Misuse Team), better know as "The Weed Police," would be charged with the ap- prehending and extinguishing those suspected of felony tobacco posession and distribution. Armed with high compression water pistols and truncheons, the Weed Cops would wear white uniforms, ride in non- polluting electric -powered vehicles and carry badges displaying a picture a a perfect set of pink little lungs. They would be trained to spot carriers of concealed stogies by the tell-tale yellowish stains on Turn to page 8A • borrow more money towards expansion. The problem is prices did fall, land prices fell, and many far were left with huge debt. For exar -ler who had an operation worth $600,e,,,,, uorrowed against that total. With falling land values and low prices, his operation, today, may only be worth half that, even less. But he still has to carry a huge debt-Ioad. The., result was farming operations star- ting falling like dominoes in the early 1080s. The cycle continues. Farmers are optimists–they have to be to stay ih business. But the ones who threw caution to the wind are now in trouble, if they already haven't gone out of business. Orte thing I can't understand is why a farmer, who has borrowed till he can't bor- row anymore, continues to fight a losing bat- tle. It's like trying to climb a mountain, but always moving backwards. There doesn't seem to be any sense to it. To top it off, the farm activists force them to stay in business by not allowing banks on the property to close the operation down. Some friends. The best thing that could happen for a farmer, who is in extreme financial distress, is to walk away and start over. Why put up with the worry, anguish, sleepless nights? • Why work for someone else? And if they do, will they ever own it? That is probably the hardest thing to do. It's admitting you failed, but if a farmer can say afterwards that he learned from the ex- perience, he'sit. It will erience all the richer for pro- bably never happen again. This is also a crucial time where a farmer needs moral support. He doesn't need it when he's going broke, but when he's opt and ready to start over. Farmers have been vocal in fighting for the right to stay en family farms. They've been successful to the point where govern - h . problems and meats have listened to their concerns. Provincial and federal govern - merits are helping, though some say it isn't enough, No matter how much farmers receive in Turn to page 6A • Man shoots big eagle in 887 MAY 6,1887 Mr. C.F. McIntosh, of the -6th concession of Hullett, has sold his farm to his son for $6,000. The farm contains 100 acres. James Mitchell, of Grey, shot an eagle last week that measured five feet four in ches from tip to tip. Mr. Mitchell is getting it stuffed. Postmaster Grant is making a number of improvements in the Brussels postoffice, conspicuous among them is 20 additional Iock drawers for the accomodation of the public. This will make 60 drawers in the office. On Saturday of last week Charlie Cor- aek and Airs. W.B. Dickson, of Brussels, started for Minnesota with the hope of change of climate proving beneficial to the declining health of the latter, We trust their brightest expectations may be realized. Mr_ David Clark, of the 14th concession of Grey, recently sold two fat cattle to Thos. Goveniock, which weighed 3,050 lbs. The price was four cents' per pound. The lightning, a few days ago, struck two telegraph poles on the gravel road north of Clinton, near the brick yard, and shivered them to splinters: Rev. John Ross, B.A. of Brussels, opened a Sunday School in School Section No. i last Sabbath. Mr. Peter- Ritchie will be superintendent. A competent staff of teachers have been appointed, MAY 10,1912 Mrs. Hugh Stewart and children left Brussels last week for Gilbert Pains, Manitoba, where they will join Mr. Stewart and make their future home, The population of Brussels according to is 931. the account of the assessor Messrs. Alexander Bros,, of West Wawanbsh, have fourteen ewes which have this year given birth to thirty lambs, and all the lambs ate living and doing nicely. r - IN THE YEARS AGoNE from the Archives . Mr. Thomas Baird of Stanley recently sold two yearling calves to a butcher in Clin- ton for fifty dollars each. Theprice is high, but they were geed stock. y Mr. James Allen, one of the most highly esteemed pioneers of Hullett township, died last week at his home in Clinton. We are sorry to hear of the serious illness of Mr. Jas. Cumming of Egmondville, who has been confined to his bed for some weeks. The Seaforth Fax • Mills Company is preparing to show a Large acreage of flax again this spring. MAY 7, 1937 As a result of a dispute over the payment of a nursey account, William Perry, young farmer of Grey Township, appeared in p Seaforth, Tuesday before Magistrate J.A. Makin, The charge read g . g that he did knock down and hold in the mud by force, Jacob Fischer. The following officers were elected at the recent annual meeting of the Seaforth Horseshoe Club; President, Fred Reeves; secretary -treasurer, Jon. Pullman; grounds eominittee, P. McIver, J. Hotham and Henry Hoggarth; tournament comrnittee, R. Pinkney and George Reeves., .In a paper delivered by Mrs. Harry Caldwell at the Kippen East Women's In- stitute. recently, an„ interesting remind of the history of the Robert Bell Engine and Thresher Co. Ltd., Seaforth, was given. Founded in Hensall in 1899 by the late Robert Bell, the firm was soon noted for its stationary engines and sawmills. Rapidly increasing business forced an enfargemerit and in 1904 the industry was moved to Seaforth an'd became an incorporated litAY 10,1962 One hundred- and thirty-six girls, representing 10 4-H Homemaking clubs from South Huron, taking the project, "Separates for Summer", held a most suc- cessful Achievement Day Saturday in the Seaforth District High School. The Seaforth Minor Baseball Association held their annual organizational meeting Thursday in the Town Hall with John E. Pat- terson as chairman. Officers named for the 1062 season were; President, Leo Hagan; vice-president, Ken Powell, and secretary- reasurer, John E. Patterson. The executive committee includes Gus Boussey, Ray Anstett, Ray Drager, Clare Reith and Jack Eisler. �..� Plans for the construction of a m'orieYft one storey building to house a Speed Wash coin-operated laundromat, were announced this week. The building will be erected on Market Street, near Main Street on a lot inn= mediately west of the Clarke Service Station on the corner. Elston Cardiff, first elected in 1940, was _ again nominated as Conservative candidate in Huron at Clinton Wednesday, Hon. George Hees, Minister of Commerce, was the speaker, McKillop Township voters will go to the polls on Wednesday, June 27, to answer the question of whether men's and women's beverage rooms will be perrnitted in the township. A newly formed Knights of Colutnlius ` Council in' Sea ortln will be known as the Father Stephen Eckert Council, following. a meeting of area Knights in the Legion gall Sunday afternoon.