HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1967-10-12, Page 2Scree 1860, Suitt i e edwanZunity Ffrst
Published at-BEAD:MIR ONTARIO. every Thursday mambas by WAN BROS; Petlishers. Ltd,
ANDREW Y. AIOLEAte, Editor
Member Canadian Weekly Newspapers Association,
Ontario Weekly Newspapers -Association
Audit Bureau of Circulation
• Subscription Rates"
Canada (in advance) 0.00 a Year
• • Outside Canada (in' advance) $6.50 a Year
ti 4 tb•44% SWOT R. COPIES 12 C1,KNTS EMR ,
Authorized as Second Chea Mall. Post Office Department, Ottawa
SEAFORTR, ONTARIO, OCTOBER 12, 1967
Re fort'- Confirms Tax Problems
Long years in office inevitably en-
courage an attitude of satisfaction —
and an inability on -the part of a gov-
ernment
overnment to 'assess, in an objective way,
the job it is attempting to do.
The years tend to encourage such
long entrenched governments to paint a
bright picture of :its policies not in
keeping with the assessment which in-
dependent bodies are apt to apply.
The Conservative goAernment in
power• in Ontario for nearly a quarter
of a century some years ago named
an Ontario committee on taxation to
look at the implications of its taxing
and assessment policies.
The .Smith report — as it is known —�
follows a million . dollar five-year studb'
of the practises of the Onfhrio Conser-
vative government. The report came up
with many pages of comments must of
which have been• last in the govern-
ment's rush to act on two of the more
costly proposals.
Little if any reference has been made
by the government to many of the
Smith Report findings which reflect
long years of neglect of problems fac-
' ing Ontario.
Typical are these excerps:
On the damini oration of provincial
grant policies (page 433, section' 103) -
° "If nothimg.else, the uitfathamable maze
of ' grant programs a7ramined in this
chapter is testimony to the fact that
no co-ordination' of provinci4 fiscal
transfers to local government 'has ever
been attempted-"
The next section reads: "We eaasii -
er the establishment of machinery to
co-ordinate Fant programs and assess
their impact `on loeai finance to be a
matter of the highest and most urgent
priority."
Page 410 (section three) : "The sit-
uation with respect to provincial gram
to toe l aarthorities in Ontario is — and
we chose the word carefully — chaotic.
It is not even possible to enumerate
readily the grant programs currently
in force."
On road grants (page 417, section
22) : "The actual operation of the On-
tario road grants system; `by ossifying
municipal .stator, has if anything, en-
hanced inequities in road finance."
On recreation grants (page 435, sec-
tion 83): "We find all existing grants
•
on behalf of recreation and community
services gravely deficient."
And section 84,' commenting on the
bulk of grants for recreation and com-
munity services, says "We are com-
pelted to point out that they run afoul
of virtually every principle that in our
opinion should underlie an equitable
system of provincial-Ibcal fiscal rela-
tions."
On assessing properties (page 205 )
"One result of our study "and analysis
has been a growing conviction that ex-
treme inequalities in property assess-
ment, with resulting inequitiee in fan-
ation, have been hidden from view."
And on page 210, section 25: "The
survisv' produced other startling evi-
dence of poor assessmeirt practice such
"as assessable properties missing from
the roll; stammer cottages assessed for
business assessment ,and what must be
termed deliberate over and under as-
sessmerit;.'of property-: 'It. is safe to say
that if the ariministration of the tax
base by the senior levels of government
were as -inadequately administered, the
nation would probably be bankrupt"
On property assessment appeals
(page 360, section 4) : "The present ap-
peal procedbre is not only protracted,
cumbersome and bewildering, but its .
outcome is ever in doubt."
And, finally, the report of the On-
tario Committee on Taxation — a com-
mittee appointed by the government
says:
"Vistages of the arbitrary techniques
-and attitudes of the monarchs of old .i
have' remained the rule in the admin-
istration and collection of our rev-
enues."
It is the persistent, ignoring of- basic
problems such as those indicated by
the government appointed committee,
that has contributed to the difficulties
which the local municipality faces to=
day. It is 'these problems which in turn
contribute to the tax burden which
property owners face in an ever in-
creasing amount.
A basic,•exemption allowance and the
takeover by the province of the costs
of the administration of justice — an-
nounced on the eve of ay election —
won,'t make these prime problems dis-
appear, •
Sugar and Spice
By Bill Smiley —
TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS
There's an old superstition
that things, good or bad, run in
sequences of three. I'm • in-
clined to respect it.
During the war, casnalties
on my squadron always seemed
to -follow the- pattern. We'd
lose a pilot today, perhaps two
the next day, then none for a
week Then three more.
It happened to me. One day I
was shot to ribbons by flak.
Had to land at 140 miles an
hour. No flaps, no brakes.
Fortunately, I remembered a
movie. Jammed on throttle,
pumped 'oft the rudder, and
groundlooped' just short of i
nasty ditch.
-T days laterriehad.a bomb
hang-up, and had to land with
a 500 -Ib. bomb, fused and
ready to go, dangling from my
left wing. That was- the
smoothest landing ever made
in World War IL The only
thing that a bit, disconcert-
ing was that the control tower
made Inc land, not on the land-
ing strip, but on the grass be-
side it, so that I wouldn't rutin
their runway when I blew up.
The very nett day I was
shot down.
This business of things hap-.
.p'ening in theca is still. going
OIL MonOny the tartlet* goes
On the tliitl. sVtiegdaiti your
w get8 net idbot t tb gttr�
bag +br trims,, Wedn
day, some jerk creases your
car in the parking lot.
Even the good things come
in threes. And that's what hap-
pened to me this 'week. Three This is one Fve been waiting
delightful opportunities for the for for years. I've judged essay
weekend, and I can take in only contests, public speaking con -
one of them. Sickening. tests, apple pie contests at the
First of all, • I signed up to fall fair, afid for three years
help supervise a trip to Expo have been' a judge for the•Lea-
from our schooL This in itself
ure, , when number three came
up. An invitation to be a judge
in a beauty contest on Satur-
day.
should prove a fairly hairy ex-
perience. Can't you see me
marching up and down the
halls of a monastery in the mid-
dle of the night," in my pyjamas
and raincoat, trying to prevent
boys from being boys: and
girls from being girls?
I d just committed thyself to
this when old Australian bud-
dy, `fbutch," phoned to remind
cock Award for humor.
But I've never had a chance
to just sit there' and gawp at
those cute kids, leering inside
and pretending I chose the wine
ner because of her talent, rath-
er than the way she parts her
chest.
.All I can say - is, "Shucks!"
And all I need now is for Mike
Pearson to tall up and say Fve
been , appointed to the Senate,
tree that _thin _mss the weekend- provided I carr • be there Satur-.
of that ancient and honorable i, meg to be sworn ia'
flash known as the Canadian Oh, I haven't given up en -
Fighter Pilots; reunion, Same tirely. I could go wtth the kids
place: Montreal. And he had to Expo, slide over to the fight -
booked me on a flight to and er pilots' party,, skip .the bus
from' the flesh -pots of that fair ri•
dd home and. este i a plane to
city the beauty Contest.
But 1 think they'd probably
I was sorely teinptec}, to With- bury me -the next. day. On the
draw from 'the kiddies' excur- other hand that migbt not be
sion, go to the wing -ding. and a bad idea. I'm not long for
take two weeks to get over it. this world anyway. Not unless
as usdaI. But my wife said, my wife cools it out a bit about
"You're not -going. You always going to college.
come home looking like a skate- Last Friday night she came
ton." And that Was that.
home all fired up about her
signed, ,and feeling •gusto course. At 4 a.m. -Saturday, I
noble, was packing alt. stn1f"e•was fending the part of Socra-
for 0%, * o Trip, and patting tes its Plato's Dialogues. And
my4s if on the bank for ottrg Ravi to rise at seve:rt to get isrt.
the t'itftjr`i "rat ley Ann flity- pleas» to lief~ bits ',for rittussg let On,
TO T'DE EIMTOR
From The Candiates
i
The Years Agone
From Thi Huron Sspgsiter The death occurred of mail-
., be. 9 .. 1942 as Kidd, one of the very 014
et—Ode/as of Seaforth. He Was
burn in'- Dublin, Ireland, and
came to this country 75 years
ago. For forty years be; was
one of the foremost business-
men of the community,, being
interested in the mappfacture
of salt.
Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Chesney
and Miss Ella have returned
from an extended visit; through-
out the -west to the coast.
Thames Fraser of Stanley has
sold his 100 acre farm to•Mr.
Calwell of Tuekersmith, who
gets possession in the spring.
Farmers are finding] it slow
work harvesting their beans.
a s s
Dan, the* 14 -year-old son of
Mr. and. Mrs. Joseph Gruminett
of Harpurhey Itas .received a
certificate of merit and cash
prize of $ .00 for originality
and excellence of work in mak-
ing chairs. Dan also made sev-
eral chairs of his own plan-
ning which were up to a high
standard.
AC I Dillon, a seeing student
pilot from Camp Borden,
grounded his plane in a field
on the farm of Keith Webster.
Hugh McMillan, who has re-
tired from the office of tax
collector for Tuckersmith Town-
ship was given a bonus of $25
in appreciation of his long and
eff3eient- services. A. by-law was
passed appointing Mr. Edwin
P. Chesney, the present trea-
surer, as collector of taxes for
i42,at a salary of $175.00.
Miss Sally L Wood, who re-
signed from the staff of the
Seaforth Collegiate Institute at
the close of the summer term,
has been appointed to the staff
of the British Ministry of Sup-
ply Mission in Washington, DC.
John L8u Johnston of Man -
les;re
(Candidates in Huron express their opinion of the issues facing the voters) far has purchased theBch50 oaod,
farm sop;�h of Beechwood,
known as 'the O'Reilly home -
Conservative Liberal T.D.P.
Smith
mith
stead from his uncle D. J. O'-
Now is the time for all of us
to consider carefully what is
happening to our.:-Prtifincial
Government. It is beebining
more and more remote from the
people, and as- it grows older
in office, more and more dicta-
torial
The high-handed fumblings
of the Conservatives ,are caus-
ing even staunch supporters to
have uneasy qualms. Ask any
farmer ,or businessman of the
multiple restrictions that are
,closing in on his operations,
and demanding more and more
of his thue in making reports
and returns, all at .his own ex-
pense.
You have observed the cover-
up methods used by the Con'
servatives — public enquiries
and commissions, most of which
appear at electftnn time. These
bodies 'of course do 'not report
until after ,the, iejectio'u, when
people hate -.forgotten the cir-
cumstances.
They have whittled away at
local autonomy, • because strong
Iocai government frustrates
their dictatorial actions. They
have reduced municipalities to
serfdoms by their control of
finance, and: dictations fent the
Department of Municipal ,Af-
fairs and the Ontario Municipal
Board. Now they have proposed
to do away With county coun-
cils, without first strengthening
the hands of municipalities, and
without consultation. The aie
is raised. and will,- only drop
after the election. ' •
This Conservative government
has been the most profligate
spender we have ever bad. They
are forced ter buy their way out
of troubles. They bribe the vot-
er into acquiescence. With the
biggest deficit in Ontario's his-
tory. ss-ith a soaring Public debt,
and with inflation kindled by
government waste, they com-
pound matters by handing out
electionoodies. We have seen
how thef raised eases in the
past four years, and this trend
is only held up temporarily un-
til after the election. They have
plucked the plums from the
Smith report, and did not read.
further ---.-and they hope the
public did not read further —
about the sharp rise in all taxes
that Will be needed, to pay for
their irresponsibility.
We are aware of the bungling
methods in • which they here
handled education since the war.
They shave allowed Ontario's
standard tee slip behind that of
the four western provinces.
They have perpetuated the in-
equality of rural and urban ed-
ucation, and ,have failed to pro-
vide advice and leadership for
. school° -boards.
After twenty-four years, the
Conservatives have grown tired
in office. They have entrenched
themselves In positions of pow.-
er,
ow-er, which comes only from a
complacency` mat- allows them
to disregard public criticiser.
They have wasted government
money to bolster their position,
and have built up an empire
of civil servants whose first
duty is to the Conservative hier-
areby. Their government con
tracts have been pointed at
gaining Conservative support
rather than economy and effic-
iency.:
To make a democracy It
properly, a balance rate be
maintained in the two partial
Oitiy' the controls and les
unposed by ah alert elegorate
• Co ensure .good . gm, t,
artd'*bea the voter is apt is
about tange:r and inproretnetat,
By C. S. MacNaughton
Most people, -it seems, are
saying there are no serious is -
in this election. I couldn't
d gi-ee more.
The basic question in • this
campaign — and all of us must
face it squarely _ is the man
agement of Ontario's financial
resources and its e#ect on' this
province's future.
I I tow 'it isn't a popular
theme — and that's probably
why it hasn't hit the headlines.
But it's by far the most nipor-
tant aspect of chis election.
' The hard fact is that On-
tario, its municipalities, ' and
our Federal .Government collee.
tively have. reached the limit
in the spending of public funds
and in lavation.
The total tax burden -on the
people of our Provipnpce is .high
enough in terms of clic pre-
sent economic level.
The time 'has come to put the
brakes on spending_ and to hold
the line on taxes..
fin sorry. if I'm repeating
myself here — because this is
the same message I've given to
several Huron Riding audiences
and indeed to audiences all
across. this Province in the past
four weeks.
But I can't apologize for em-
pha_siziee as often •as I •can
what I am firmly convinced -is
the real issue of this election_
You,must have noticed in the
newspapers izeenntly that the
Government at Ottawa has now
realized this point too. They
have undertaken major cuts in
spencting in an effort, to avoid
higher taxes.
I welcome this move because
it recognizes the position that
Premier John Roberts and I
have taken on behalf of On-
tario at a.1 of our recent fed-
eral -provincial finane.al confer-
erces.
All gcvernmer.t� — ar I. •:l
citizens — of this country must
realize that Canada just ean't
undertake all the projects and
all the programs wanted by all
the people all at once.
We must control our govern-
ment activities — et all levels
— to keep our taxes in tune
with, our progress. We must con-
centrate our spending on the
prograuis•-that will give us the
best returns Tor our investment.
And we must insist on cutting
-costs, wherever possible.
The opposition parties • are
proposing that Ontario should
undertake a great number of
new programs — • and some of
their ideas are good ones which
we can all support.
. But, as responsible 'citizens,
all of us must took at` the price
tag associated with them.
The Liberal Party has pro-
posed many well-intentioned
changes but it's fair to warn
you that they are costly. To as-
sume 80% of the cost of edu-
cation, as they advocate, would
cosi � million. Their north-
erns devehi invent program has
a price tage of $100 rriillion:
universal medicare, another
$100 million; other projects,
well over $150 million, That's
a total of $70a million- — and
we just can't afford it!
The NDP asks you to support
compulsory auto insurance,
guaranteed annual income and
many other programs that
would involve the establishment
of 41 new departments, boards
or `commissions of gogernment.
Event though some of these sug-
gestions may seem attractive to
some people, I submit this ins -
portant question: Who is going
to pay' -for theist and how?
soiitiititedi on page 1)
By Sohn C. Boyne
The Robarts government can
pot boast about progress in the
vital matter of farm income.
1O% of our people work on
farms in Ontario and they get
5% of the income. Net farm in-
come is lower in Ontario than
it is in Canada as a whole. 60%
of Ontario farmers have a faro
ily -income of less than $3,750
per year which has been defin-
Reilly.
In bettor of Mrs. Wilfred
Klopp, nee Miss Enid Parkes,
.a recent bride. Miss Edna Sun-
dercock was a hostess at her.
home at Hensall. She was pre-
sented with a lovely array of
miscellaneous gifts and an ad-
dress was read by Miss Gladys
- Luker.
Members of_ the CWL• of 'St.
James' Church met at the home
ed by ARDA as the poverty fine
The Roberts government in this
area as in others has taken the
old laissez-faire line — better
defined as do nothing untag the
crisis is so acute you have to
-react — therefoi a Vineland, the
RedlinMenzies Report and the
Farm Income Study group —
all not part of a long-range plan-
ning programme but a belated,
too little, too, late reaction to
the farm income problem. Sure-
ly after 24 years of a lack of
co-ordinated planning it is.
time to elect a group of people
who believe in economic plan-
ning in agriculture as in other
areas.
Our present member went on
public record at 'a party picnic
as opposing wage demands
which amounted to 10% a year
over 3 years:- This Was after
years of rising profits and divi-
dend payments which had in
fat outstripped Iabous. income.
However, I heard nothing from
him . -:about the threat to the
economy front a 25% increase
in doctors' fees in one year. I
submit that the worker in Hur-
ota County is not threatening
our economy. I therefore -whole-
heartedly support the organiz-
ed attempts" o workers to ob-
.tale a living wage and a fair
share of the total wealth. Here-
too
eretoo it is time labour asked ser-
ious questions about its pre-
sent representation in the house.
OMSIP is a truncated mis-
guided attempt to keep the doc-
tors, and insurance companies
happy. It is a costly silly alter-
native to the Saskatchewan.
plan which fulfi9ls all the rec-
ommendations of the Egli Cops -
mission.' On this score the fed`
•eral liberals appear to be re-
neging again on their promise
in leis erea so perhaps the prow
inelal conservatives will stay in
step with them after all -- but
not with us.
Over 200 companies in the
field in Ontario pay out only
67% of the premium dollar on
claims. The Saskatchewan plan
over many year has paid out
86% of every premiun dollar
on claims because of simplified
procedures and lower ov
costs.
The property tax base for
education further strains the
resources of the farmer, the
labourer and the person on fix-
ed
ixed income. It iss an unprogres-
sive tax we propose to shift
the burden of education costs
to where it belongs — to those
with the ability to pay — with
highei in tomes.
Both , levels of -'government
have neglected housing until
the problem has reached crisis
proportions in many areas. The
best the Conservative govern-
ment has done is introduce the
HOME pleb which Dr. Morton
Shulman has defined as HOME
Ownership Made Expensive. The
best the Liberal federal gov-
erment has done is to raise
the mortgage rate to a fantas-
tically exlfenaive 8% thus mak
stag Ai< wen more expensive to
buy a home. Surely the dousing
Oreiblein.. retYtt rns We insights
aria plotting ati, po1i�es of
itlt' nt}
NO .3):.
: of Mrs. T. D. O'Neill and pre-
sented her with a beautiful
rosary in appreciation of her
-,splendid work in the league,
before leaving for her--- new
home in Toronto.
Sgt. Harry McLeod has been
promoted to the rank of 'Corp-
spany Sgt. Major. He is an in-.
stru*tor, with the Canadian Regi-
ment ._ t Camp Borden where
be has been stationed for some
time. -
s * *
From The Huron Expositor .,
Oct. 12, 1917
Four times during the past
nineteen days,' the British have
delivered smashing blows' again-
st the German lines on the Wes-
tern front, gaining much ground
at each blow and taking thou-
sands of prisoners.
The only good showing of ap-
ples we •have seen this season
was in the orchard of Ed Pryce
of Leadbuuy.
John E. McEwan of the Lon-
don Road, Hensall, recently de-
livered a pig for which he re-
ceived the sum of $82.50.
Robert Laird and Nelson Gov-
eneeck of Camp ' Borden are
spending a ten. day leave here.
•
From The Huron Expositor
Oct •7, 1892
A pleasant event took place
at the residence of Rev. Graham
Clifton, .Egmoedviljg, the oc-
casion being the 25th anniver-
sary of their marriage.
The customary annual mil-
linery displays marking the
opening Q,f the fall season were
given by the merchants, Misses
Hoffman, McFaui and, Pickard.
- lr. McFaul, who bas been
practising in town for some
time, intends going to Toronto,
where he will engage in the
practice_of 'his profession.
The fit snow of the season
put in an appearanceon on Wed-
nesday morning.
Messrs. Scott Bros. have. pur-
chased from the executors of
the estate of Robert Scott,
Scott's block and the grain
storehouse at the' station and
Mr.' John. Scott has purchased
the two hundred acre farm at
Roxboro
The barn on the farm of
Thomas Murphy 7th concession
of Hullett, near Kinburn was de-
stroyed by fire. The barn con-
tained all of this season's crop
together with a span of horses,
all of which were burned.
Stanbury Brothers of Stanley
delivered to Messrs. Chas. Mas-
on and P. McGregor of Bruce -
field; an exceedingly fine team
of three-year-old geldings which
weighed 1,560 and, 1,660 lbs.
D. Stewart of Hensel', -this
year raised 130 busheof on-
ions on less than % of an acre
of land. As onions are worth
80 cents per bushel, his crop
should realize him over $100.
Preparations are being made
to renovate - St. Andrew's
Church, at Kippen.
The citizens of Varna were
startled by the cry of fire. 'It
was soon ascertained that Mr.
Morrow's store was on fire. The
loss is estmiated at $1,000,°ful-
ly covered by insurance.
The sports on Tuesday after-
noon brought out a good crowd.
The running horse race was
won by the party of Mr.. John
Grieve, V.S., with Mr. Wesley
Beattie's second and Mr. Rob-
ert Charter's third.
THE HOME TPA
•
e
A
ti
•
I
•
r
notal p, clamor*acnerrhydei