HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1963-01-24, Page 2. Since 1860, Serving the Community First
Published at SEAFORTH, ONTARIO, every Thursday morning by McLEAN p.IiOS., Publishers
ANDREW Y. McLEAN, Editor:;,1 _
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SEAFORTH, ONTARIO, JANUARY 24, 1963
Plow Operators Face Big Task
It takes weather such as we have had
during recent days to bring home how
dependent we are on the modern snow-
plow.
There was a time when we were pre-
pared every winter for several periods
that involved much shovelling• and, in
many- cases, much walking when the
depth of snow prevented traffic from
moving. But those days have gone. To-
day the snowplow, like electricity and
the TV, has become a vital part of our
lives. Unless the roads are open we
cancel our community gatherings ; we
close our schools, and Eskimo -like shut
ourselves up in our homes.
Despite the complaints that arise
when the plows fail to clear a particu-
lar road, it is amazing how excellent is
the job which is done in the face of
overwhelming odds.
Operating long hours in their battle
to keep the roads open, the men
on the plows are subject to ev-
erything that the elements can pro-
duce. While it is true modern equip-
ment provides certain comforts that
were denied pioneer plow operators, the
fact remains that those engaged in
keeping our roads open are faced with
fatigue, bitter cold and are under a
never-ending strain. Add to this the
ever present danger of injury and ac-
cident when swirling snow makes visi-
bility impossible. It was just such con-
ditions that last week sent three area
plow operators to hospital withserious
injuries received in separate accidents.
Each year equipment improves, op-
erator ability advances, and the per-
iods when roads are closed become few-
er. Typical is the condition this winter
of Seaforth streets. Despite the heav-
iest of snowfalls, the street department
has streets throughout the town ready
for traffic with no appreciable loss of
time. Snow which at one time was pil-
ed to great heights -along the length
of Main Street, now disappears in a
matter of hours, thanks to efficient
removal equipment and the know-how
of an experienced staff.
Despite better designed equipment
which does wonders moving snow ec-
onomically and quickly, no one has dis-
covered a way to control blowing snow
which at times prevents drivers see-
ing more than a few feet ahead. Until
it is possible to control such blinding
snow, winter driving will remain haz-
ardous and will demand every atten-
tion of motorists if accidents are to be
avoided.
Progress Slow in Parliament
Parliament reconvened this week
after a recess of several weeks, faced
with a backlog of legislation introduc-
ed by the government, but not brought
forward for consideration, in addition
to other legislation promised but not in-
troduced. Then, too, there is the mat-
ter of approval for many millions of
expenditures for the current year
which have not been considered by par-
liament.
Add to this the presentation of a
budget and the problems facing a min-
ority government in its fight to survive
and we have the possibility of another
session of little accomplishment.
How little was 'accomplished during
the 60 -day session last fall ,is evident
when the schedule of that session is
examined.
In all, 17 items of government leg-
islation were not acted on. These in -
eluded :
• Manpower
safety ;
World Exhibition Corporation ;
• Several acts implementing measures
introduced in the April 10 budget of
former Finance Minister Donald
Fleming;
• Acts to expand export credits insur-
ance and farm credit;
• An act to change drug procedures
and outlaw the drug, thalidomide ;
• Several other minor pieces of gov-
ernment legislation.
As parliament reconvenes the gov-
ernment promises still more legislation.
Unless there is more thought given' to
the work of parliament and 'of the
country and less tothe intricacies of
staying inoffice, the newly promised
legislation may have no better success
than those various pieces which were
left by the wayside at .the Christmas
recess.
adjustment and labor
• Amendment to various acts includ-
ing the Post Office Act, the New-
foundland Savings Bank Act, the
Canada Evidence Act, the Aeronau-
tics Act and other government leg-
islation ;
• Acts dealing with the Senate ;
• An amendment to the BNA Act deal-
ing with Pensions ;
• An Act covering CNR expenditures;
• Creation of an Indian Claims Com-
mission ;
Legislation promised but not intro=
duced included :
• Action on the Royal Commission on
Publications;
• Creation of new northern provinces;
• Changes for Industrial Development
) Bank;
.•,Columbia River Treaty;
• Action of Gill Report on Unemploy-
ment Insurance;
• Creation of a medical research coun-
cil.
Acts passed included : •
• An act to create the Atlantic Devel-
opment Board ;
• An act authorizing a CNR branch
line in New Brunswick;
• An act establishing the Canadian
In One Word
A heart specialist is trying to popu-
larize repudiation of the Five Western
Excesses as an alternative to the Seven
Deadly Sins. They are: Excess food.
Excess gasoline. Excess tobacco. Ex-
cess eiectl"icity. Excess alcohol. The
bid irxiethod sunned them all Up in. one:.
xftittotit Petekborouoli gxtti'iAtet,
Big Business
"Thegovernment of Canada," says
the first volume of the Glassco commis-
sion report, "is the largest purchaser
°and user of office furniture in the coun-
try."
It is a statement that should hardly
bring the reader up with a start, but it
does. The federal- government is the
biggest business in the country by any
yardstick. -St. Catharines Standard.
IN THE YEARS AGONE
Interesting items gleaned from
The Expositor of 25, 50
and 75 years ago.
From The Huron Expositor
January 21, 1938
The annual meeting of the
McKillop Municipal Telephone
System was held in Winthrop
Hall, when the retiring com-
missioner, Matthew Armstrong,
vas re-elected for three years.
Officers re-elected were:. chair-
man, M. Armstrong; secretary,
Ross Murdie; treasurer, J. M.
Eckert.
The Seaforth Badminton Club
entertained members of the
Goderich Club on Monday eve-
ning, when about 50 players
took part in the tournament.
Repairs costing not more
than $1800 are recommended to
Better Selection
A good-sized slate of candidates at
election time is always desirable, and
when the voters are called upon to
choose from among many, rather than
a few, their interest in affairs seems
to sharpen considerably — St. Marys
Journal -Argus.
Horns Help
Horns are generally considered a
liability on cattle, but a British farm-
er, Jack Collingwood, of Durham Coun.D
ty, has another angle. He bought five
Highland cows to frighten holiday-
makers off his farm. "Highland cows
are docile, but the vicious -looking horns
do the trick," he says.—Family Herald.
Sold As Is
The Admiralty has sold the wreck of
HMS Ramilies for "a few pounds." It
has been lying on the seabed off -Bolt
Tail off the south Devon coast for 200
years, and now becomes the property
of a., private „individual. The Rainilies
sank int a gale in 1740 with the loss of
li�'eetraeeiv_gevietto_ . _. ..
"I presume you know that 'A' stands for 'All Right'—'B' is for
—'C' is for 'Colossal' and 'D' is 'Daggone Good! . . ."
A MACDUFF OTTAWA REPORT
MR. PEARSON'S BOMB
OTTAWA—The Liberal Par-
ty's declaration to accept nu-
clear weapons, if it does noth-
ing else, may serve the useful
purpose• of jolting Canadian
politicians out of what is hard
to describe otherwise than their
hypocritical stance.
Hypocrisy, in fact, has been
the politician's badge of office
for too long, in defence asin
other matters.
The Government with its left
hand trades avariciously with
Communist nations, and with
its right hand prepares a Unit-
ed Nations resolution condemn-
ing Soviet imperialism.
The Liberals condemn the
Government for failing to do
all the things the Liberals left
undone in 22 years of power.
The New Democrats subscribe
out of'the sides of their mouths
to an ill-defined, two -nations
thesis and to Provincial rights
while dedicating the party to
strong central Government and
directed planning.
The Social Credit say they
would die for monetary reform,
and they retain in power a Con-
servative Government which
even more than the Liberals
denies their basic tenents.
And up until recently, the
two major parties could not
make up their minds about nu-
clear weapons for Canadian
troops. Even as they wavered
and waffled, Canada bought
weapons to carry nuclear war-
heads and sold uranium to the
bomb -makers.
The other two parties, while
meekly declining nuclear wea-
pons, sloughed off Canada's
share of •Western responsibility
in the thermonuclear `age. This
catalogue of hyprocrisy may ap-
ply to the general public as
well. But probably not.
Choices, well-defined . choices,
have not been offered the Cana-
dian public in recent year and
nowhere has this lack of lead-
ership been more evident than
in the field of defence.
Now, however, the situation
has changed. Liberal Leader
Lester Pearson, a holder of the
Nobel peace prize, has moved
into the void and pledged his
party to the acceptance of nu-
clear weapons at home and
abroad to the extent that this
is dictated by present Canadian
commitments. Such a decision
seems will nigh inevitable in
view of preceding events.
Canada supplies the makings,
the raw materials for atomic
destruction, . on a businesslike
basis. Canada has installed the
dubious Bomarc anti-aircraft
missilebases on its soil, but
has not decided to load them
with nuclear warheads Without
which their efficiency is even
more doubtful. -
Canada has purchased the
American Voodoo intercepter
aircraft for use in NORAD—the
joint U.S.-Canadian arrangement
for North American defence.
Canadian squadrons in NATO
are being equipped with the
American CF -104 Starfighters
which need nuclear weapons to
be effective in their strike role.
The Canadian NATO brigade
has the American Honest John
artillery missiles which again
must have nuclear weapons to
do their job.
Canada, in other words, ac -
1E WAY FAMILY
cepted all the trappings of a
nuclear force but tried to re-
tain a reputation of nuclear
virginity.
Mr. Pearson's decision, right
or wrong, is one of immense
significance for Canada. Its ef-
fect^must be to force long ov-
erdue decisions on defence, not
only by the Government but by
the voters.
Militarily, if Mr. Pearson's
Party wins power and his deci-
sion is implemented, it means
the biggest increase in firepow-
er in Canada's history. It is
thus not surprising that news-
paper headlines dealt with the
decision to accept nuclear arms.
But Pearson made it clearthat
this is not the essence of the
Liberal position. Pearson -actu-
ally said little abopt the mili-
tary value of Canada having nu-
clear arms or of its present
role which requires them. In
fact, the Liberals have strongly
criticized the present Canadian
role and the acquisition of Am-
erican weapons such as the
Bomarc. There is nothing in
the Pearson speech to suggest
any change of the Liberal views
on this.
More than half his speech
dealt with the Canadian de-
fence commitment. What he
was in fact telling Canadians is
that the test of Canadian de-
fence policy is not the military
effectiveness of particular wea-
pons as such, or the present or
absence of nuclear weapons, �s
such, though there is' little
doubt he thinks the preg'ent de-
fence policy to be militarily in-
effective to a large degree and
the absence of nuclear weapons
in Canadian hands desirable,
although perhaps not possible,
if we stay in NATO.
He is saying that Canada is
not a free Sovereign nation in
defence, that it has freely made
commitments in NATO and
NORAD, that ourreal defence
rests not on our weapons but
with our alliances, and that our
defence policy must look to the
strengthening of our alliances
by .,assuming our share of the
burden — something Pearson
holds to be impossible if we
ourselves unilaterally reject
commitments which we have in
substance if not in form accept-
ed.
The view here is that the rea-
son for 'the Pearson announce-
ment, before an election is that
he is deeply concerned about
the future of the Western Alli-
ance and the relative ineffec-
tiveness of Canada's recent role
within it. Cuba and the Ameri-
can cancellation of the Skybolt
missile on which the United
Kingdom was depending shows
the danger of the alliance be-
coming a take -it or leave -it
United States dominated club.
Likewise, French go -it -alone in-
transigence in all things from
nuclear weapons to the United
Kingdom entry into the Com-
mon ..Market are further signs
of the disintegrating forces now
at work in NATO. The first
step to stem this trend, as
Pearson sees it, is for Canada
to take NATO seriously bk,liv-
ing up to its own commitments,
and that it is only when Can-
ada does this that it can begin
to exert its infltience again
within the alliance, to achieve
the political and economic puri
nuance
FLIGHT OF TIME
One day at a sugarhouse in
southern • Lquisiana, where I
was employed as cane weigher
and odd jobs about the office, I
fell into conversation—no van
of cane arriving at the moment
—about the approaching holi-
day season, with the colored
man who ran the cane hoist.
"Which comes first, Christmas
or New Year?" the man asked
me, then smiled broadly when
I replied, "Christmas."
Without thinking of what I
was saying, I had answered with
the name of the day that would
come first without regard to the
seasons and years. As a mat-
ter of fact the divisions of
time that we employ are but
figments of fancy. There is no
division of time. A friend of
my boyhood, with a mixture of
Latin and English, was accus-
tomed to say, "`Tempus do
fugit." But in reality time
does not fly. It . is always with
us. And to us it is always to-
day.
We speak of the past, but no
man can know the past except
through the .wondrous power of
memory. In a few hours today
will be,yesterday with its many
thousand years, and no man will
ever return to one moment of
the past. We speak of the mor-
row but the morrow will never
come. It is always today and
it will be today through all the
ages of eternity.
Just a Thought:
We cannot live in the past.
Try as we may, the proble s
of today sooner or later force
us to recognize them. 'We can
enjoy today, and pave the way
for a better tomorrow, if we
meet our problems consistently
and do not shove them aside to
haunt us another day.
Personality of the Goose
Geese are restless, intelli-
gent, aggressive birds, states
the Encycloperia Americana.
Ganders weigh up to 26 pounds.
Farmers in places where grain
is expensive often keep geese,
because they can graze for a
large part of their food require-
ments.
CANADA'S FIGHTING POET
Charles Mair, writer, born at
Lanark, Ontario, in 1840, and
educated at Queen's University,
Kingston, is recalled by the En-
cyclopedia Americana. He help-
ed to quell the Riel rebellion
and also was an organizer of
the "Canada , First" party.
Mair's work, "Dreamland and
Other Poems," is still remem-
bered, as is his drama, "Tecum-
seh." He died in 1906.
rehabilitate ' Seaforth Public
School.
From The Huron Expositor
January 24, 1913
The bridge on the river run-
ning through Mr. John Goven-
lock's farm, north of Seaforth,
was taken away by the flood
on Friday.
Mr. Ross J. Sproat, Seaforth
grocer, has sold out to Mr. John
Clark, of Tuckersmith, and in-
tends going West.
Mr. John Scott has sold his
farm in Roxoro to Mr. James
R. Scott, of Seaforth.
Early Monday morning the
handsome residence of Mr. Wm.
Cook, Constance, was discover-
ed to be on fire. They could
neither save the building nor
the contents. Mrs. Cook and
Frank •were forced to jump
from an upstairs window.
From The Huron Expositor
January 27, 1888
The first carnival of the, sea
son took place in the Seaforth
rink on Friday night. There
was a large crowd, and the ice
was in fine condition.
Mr. William Elder, of Tuck-
ersmith, who is an enthusiastic
curler, recently received from
the Old Country a trophy of his
skill which he prizes very high-
ly. It is a Caledonian Medal,
won by him before he came to
this country 35 years ago.
Mr. John Dorsey has purchas-
ed Mr. P. Keating's residence
on Victoria St., Seaforth, for
$1,000.
Mr. James R. Wright has
been elected Chief of the Sea -
forth Fire Brigade. -
Do you loathe winter with all
the intensity of your soul? Do
you consider that it is fit only
for Eskimos and abominable
snowmen? Does your spirit
shrink into a cold little gray
lump somewhere in the vicinity
of your liver, when it snows
again? Does your heart grow
hard with hatred when the mer-
cury drops?
Do you shriek, lady, at your
little ones, when they come in,
plastered with snow, just seven
minutes after you have spent
half an hour bundling them up
to go out, and they whimper,
"Mum, I hafta •wee-wee"?
*, * *
Do you take the name of the
Lord in vain, sir, every time you
go out in the morning and dis-
cover that the holy old, jumpin'
jeeazly snowplow has dumped
the daily 10 -ton donations into
your driveway?
Do you wonder, when you re-
ceive your oil bill, if they have
got your bill mixed up with
that • of the Chateau Laurier?
Do you develop a deep, seeth-
ing hostility toward old friends
who announce they are off for
a holiday in the south?
Do your bones ache, your
joints creak, your eyes water
these days? Do you resent get-
ting up in what seems to be
the middle of the night, to go
to work? -
* * *
If the answer to all these
questions is a screaming, homi-
cilad "YES," you may relax,
friend and neighbor. You are
neither neurotic nor odd, per-
verse nor peculiar. There's not
a thing wrong with you. You
are a typical, nortinal, average,
and honest Canadian.
You have not only my sym-
pathy, but, my understanding.
I used to `be one' of you. I've
been through the lot. For 40 -
odd years I was a plodder
through slush, a huncher of
shoulders against blizzards, a
snarling payer of fuel bills, a
blasphemous scraper of ice. off
windshields with my fingernails
because my blasted scraper was
missing.
poses of NATO which have al-
ways been to Pear on, as one
of its architects, an important
but neglected field of action.
Politically the implications
are almost as immense as they
are for defence. It could well
be that the two major parties
may now move towards a bi-
partisan policy on this impor-
tant matter — something Pear-
son says he wants.
Now Prince Minister Diefen-
baker has the next mbve. He
May have been heartened by
the immediate and predictable
outburst against the Liberal de-
cision by ban -the -bombers. But
the weight of Canadian opin-
ion on this matter is apparent
ly not well understood among
top Conservatives, and has still
to Take itself felt. '
There are thus many who be-
lieve that the strong Liberal
stand, honoring international
commitments, ending indeci-
sion, may make Lester Pearson
the next Prime Minister.
The ordinary Canadian may
well feel that if we must be
armed, we might as well be
armed with the best possible
weapons. That feeling has prob-
ably increased in Canada since
the Cuban crisis. There is lit-
tle doubt the existence of this
feeling played a part in Mr.
Pearson's final decision. Appar-
ently it is not yet recognized
by Mr. Diefenbaker to the point
where he is prepared to act on
it. Whichever man has best as-
sessed the feelings , of the ma-
jority of Canadians will prob.
Ably 1zc Canada`: next prirne
* * *
Oh, yes, I was one of • you
miserable wretches: •a bent -
backed slave chopping iceoff
the steps, a terrified knocker -
down of big icicles, a puffing
purveyor of garbage cans
through snowdrifts, a furious
shoveller of driveways, a bark-
ing seal when that frosty morn-
ing air first hit the tattered
SUGAR
and
SPICE
By Bill Smiley
lungs, an envious despiser of
the birds with enough money to
migrate into the sun. •
But, I'm sorry, old buddies;
I've left you. That's all behind.
I'm on the other side now. I
got sick of being a rabbit, and
decided to run with the hounds,
As a result, a whole new life
has opened for me.
* * *
Now, I dance blithely to the
window at first light to see
whether anything fell during
the night. I clap my hands and
cry, "Goody!" when I see that
big fresh pile of white stuff in
the driveway. I grumble when
the temperature .rises. I com-
plain bitterly when nothing
white falls from heaven in two
days. I grouch about the win-
ter being so 'short. I sincerely
pity those who have fled to the
tropics.
What's happened? I've been
skiing. Yes sir, they got the
old man out on the skinny
sticks last Saturday, and he
made it down the little kids'
hill 'twice without failing. That
was on the 14th and 21st runs.
* * *
Oh, they laughed when I sat
down the minute I stood up on
the things. But they weren't
laughing an hour later, when I
whizzed down the slopes, yell-
ing "Scheiss!" or whatever it is
skiers .yell, bowling over five-
year -olds like five -pins, and tak-
ing those° eight and 10 -inch
jumps as though I'd been born
within yodelling range of the
Matterhorn. .
It started out as a mere ef-
fort to find out why I bought
about a half interest in a sports
shop, at Christmas, for the kids.
I started out wearing my golf
pants over my deer hunting un-
derwear, and my old fishing
jacket. over my curling sweater.
• * * *
By the end, of the day, I was
ready to sell my golf clubs, try
to get a refund from the curl,
ing club, and attempt to trade
in my waders and my shotgun,
if I could only have one of those
brilliant sweaters, and a pair
of those bullfighters' pants, like
the other skiers, and sit around
in the chalet, drinking coffee,
with the best of them.
No more grumbling about
winter. No more hatred of
snow. No more longing for
spring. You should try it. We
skiers are hooked, but happy.
In fact, I liked my first time
out so well that I can scarcely
wait for next winter (or maybe
the one after) to try it again.
. 1
IIALF-FAST TEEN'
Q....,WELL TAKE TH/S GOAD
Ano' YOU GUYS TAKE
THE OTHER. ••