The Huron Expositor, 1975-09-18, Page 1$10,.9Q in Advance.
Single copy 2S. cents..:. FIRST SEOTIQN PAGES
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OPEN WIDE—. Mervyn Lettnhardt, left, and Carl Vock exchanged heaping
spoonsful of sauerkraut and pork hocks at the Beodhagen Chamber of Commerce
first big Fall Festival-Friday-night. A large crowd came out in spite of the rain to eat
the frontier style food. (Staff Photo)
300 in attentive audience
EXPERT CHECKS FOR FINGER PRINTS — An .
OPP officer from the Mount Forest Detachment
checks the Seaforth I.G.A. safe for prints. Store
manager Ken McLean found the safe overturned and
the Store office upset when he came In to work
Wednesday Morning. After fingerprints were taken,
the safe was opened and police found nothing was
taken. (Staff Photo)
The voters had a chance to
question all three Huron Middle-
sex candidates at a meeting
sponsored by the Huron Federa-
tion of Agriculture Thursday
night in Exeter.
And from the questions that
some of the about 300 'in the
audience asked, voters here are
concerned about farm land use,
gas and food prices, education,
Ontario Hydro policies, county
torestrecturifig and rights for the
civil service. If they, have other,.
concernsthe audience of ,farmers
and urban people didn't ask Paul
Carroll, Jim Hayter and Jack
Riddell about, them.
Each candidate gave a short
speech, then a rebuttal and then
Huron OFA president Doug For-
tune of Wingham threw the
meeting open to questions from
e floor.The first question came
Erim Blyth area farmer and
former columnist Adrian Vos,
who asked candidates for their
personal and party positions on
the proposed nuclear plant in
Huron county.
PC candidate Hayter said that
he would stand on an assurance
that he got by letter from
pi provincial Engery Minister, Den-
nis Timbrell that there will not be
a nuclear plant here at least until
1990.
"If it hadn't been for the NDP
candidate in 1973, you wouldn't
even be talking about a nuclear
plant her because you wouldn't
know about it," said Paul Carroll
of the NDP. Mr. Carroll broke the
story about Ontario Hydro's local
iv plans two years ago when he was
running in the provincial by-
election. He added that the NDP
are categorically opposed to
nuclear power plant
Liberal candidate *ack Riddell
said that despite government
assurances to the contrary, he
had learned that a power plant
along Lake Huron's shore is still
in Ontario Hydro's long range
forecasts. If 'people don't take a
Pk stand against it, Huron could face
disruptions like the Kincardine
area has and interference with
farming.
The Liberals believe, Mr. Rid-
dell said, that power plants
should be built on the Canadian
Shield, "no farther that Goderich
is from Toronto." He said the
north is crying for industry.
A Binge
The people of Northern Ontario
don't want nuclear plants there
either, Mr. Carroll saidi "The
real problem is that Ontario
Hydro is on an energy binge."
Hydro estimates would mean
doubling the province's energy
use every 10 years, he said.
The nuclear plants give off
plutonium, which the NDP midi-
* date called "the most lethal man
made substance on earth" as
waste. This waste has to be
looked after for 750,000 years.
"How ,much will that cost", he
asked.
Another, kind of energy bother-
ed John fiazlitt, Ontario Bean
Producers Marketing `Board
Member. He asked candidates to
comment on his prediction that
after the Oittario gals and oil price
freeze, Whith he called an elec-
(By Wilma Oke)
Plagued by an ailing
accounting-billing machine which
has to be pushed along by hand
each• time the billing is done, the
Seaforth Public Utilities
Commission at its September
meeting decided to seek the use
of a computer service.
The commission authorized
manager Walter' Scott to contact
the Stratford PUC to see if he
could engage their services to do
the billing. Mr.,Scott said it would
take several months to set up the
Seaforth billing for the computer
system.
The present accounting-billing
machine requires repairs that
would cost more than the machine
is worth.
The commission authorized the
purchase of a unit costing $295.55
to facilitate making up the PUC
payroll which will go into action.
the first of the' year. Mr. Scott ,
said Ontario Hydro approves this
unit and the main saving is in
office procedure from seven steps
to one step.
.Reserve
The commission will seek to
establish with town council
approval, a capital expenditure
reserve fund to get some money
tax, the opposite of a capital gains
tax.
The NDP has supported a
position similar to Mr. Riddell's
since 1972, Mr. Carroll said. He
said perhaps a land freeze similar
to B.C.'s would be necessary.
"We have to step harder on land
use changes in order to keep land
in food production," he. said:
Where does the compensation
start and stop?, Mr. Hayter
wanted to know. He said the
problem had arisen along the lake
where there are subdivisions and
farms. The 100 acres nearest to
development could be compensat-
ed, but it could go on and on.
There has to be some policy
worked out he said, adding that
he agreed that land should be
protected for food production.
Food Prices
A newspaper column about
food price rip offs •prompted
National Farmers Union official
Lloyd Willert of R.R.1, Dashwood
to ask the candidates for comment
A recent Sound Off column in the
London Free Press said in effect
that food retailers should be able
to realize increase profits 15%
without too much public outcry,
because the public is getting used
to increasing food prices.
Mr. Riddell said he supports
free enterprise but liot price
gouging. He said he'd like to see'
a prices review board with
authority to roll back prices if they
were unjustified. When beef is
down in price to the farmer, you
won't see it down in the store, he
said, adding that he "Fails to
understand what the reason is."
Federal prices review board
head Beryl Plumtree hasn't been
able to establish where the rip off
is,' he said.
Jim Hayter agreed. "We can't
stand 20-30% increases in all
walks of life. We've got to stop
the spiral", he said. He favoured
a review board for the price of
food, labour and other commodi-
ties.
"I'll give you three guesses as
to who talked about a prices
review board first", the NDP's
Carroll said, to laughter from the
audience. He said the Liberals
and the Conversatives vetoed
NDP efforts to put teeth in price
review mechanisms.
We have to pay fair food costs,
Thieves failed Wednesday
morning in their effort to steal a
large safe from Seaforth I.G.A.
The attempt was discovered by
Manager Ken McLean when he
came to work at 7 o'clock that
morning. While moved some
distance from its original location,
the safe was intact. Store owner
Bruce Hoelscher confirmed that
nothing had been taken.
The safe, located in a private
office, had been loaded on a dolly
and moved a distance into the
main store. Furnishings and
contents of the office were
carefully rearranged presumably
built up to do their work
gradually, so that there won't be
a need to go to the costly
debenture system for future
environment
work.
When the tenders for the
Seaforth sewage works are
. opened by the Ministry of the
• commission hopes to have
someone there because as one
commissioner said "if someone
went down you would meet the
people you would be working with
during the project".
Mr. Scott asked "How far
should we go with the MCLaren
study proposed by town council?"
while reminding members a study
was done in 1969.
Mayor BettyCardno, a member
of the three-man commission,
said, "We should not update too
far ahead or some of the things
will be outdated before we get at
them."
Mr. Scott said that one of the
main priorities was a diesel
standby unit for one of the
present pumps " and for the
development of the 'new well site
such as a reservoir, pumping
facilities
`Commissioner Edmund Daly
said it was important that there
he said. "I don't know who the
profiteer is but is isn't the
farmer."
Reeve Gerry Ginn of Goderich
township asked for comments on
his statment that Huron has now
what most regions have, the best
of regional government, and that
was the main reason that county
councillors recently vetoed
restructuring.
Mr. Hayter a former warden,
6 id he had been on county
ncil when restructuring was
first looked at. He said he was
quite satisfied with county council
but suggested that 46 members
for a total population of 50,000
was a little unweidly: He also said
that the administrative structures
for two health units definitely cost
the taxpayers more.
Huron has led the way in
county government, the Liberal
candidate said, adding that if
people want it, perhaps restruct-
uring within county boundaries
could be looked at.
The tax structure is the prob-
lem in county government, Paul
Carroll said. "Using property tax
to finance social services has to be
changed." There have to be more
unconditional grants if • we really
want local autonomy, he added.
Right To Strike
The two oppostion candidates
said they supported giving civil
servants political rights and the
rights to strike, in answer to a
question from Roger Martin,
resources manager of the Ausable
Bayffeld Conservation Authority.
Mr. Hayter said the provincial
law prohibiting civil service parti-
cipation in elections had been
around since 1897. The federal
and otherprovincial governments
haven't removed their prohibition
he said.
"1 just about fell off the back
step", Jack Riddell said, when he
was canvassing Huron Park and
learned that tenants there are
prohibited in their leases from
putting up signs on their lawns.
And they don't even work for the
proVince, they just live in provin-
cially owned houses, he said.
Hayfield Reeve Ed Oddleifson
challenged Mr. Riddell about
where the money will come from
to produce the services he talke
about. The Liberals would have a
(Continued on Page 14)
so that the thieves would be able
to work in the small area to load
and move the safe.
When discovered the safe Was
on the dolly, upside down. As a
result it was riot possible to open
it to determine whether it had
been broken into until OPP finger
specialists arrived to check' for
prints.
Seaforth • Chief John Cairns,
who is investigating, said at teas
three people must have been
involved considering the size and
weight of the safe.
The investigation is continuing.
tion carrot, is off, within a few
months we'll pay $1 per gallon for
gas.
Jim Hayter said the gas and oil
price freezes and other measures
have helped to stimulate the
economy. Ontario's unemploy-
ment has dropped, while it's up in
all other provinces, he comment-
ed
The oil companies will recoup
any loses they've had because of
the 'freeze, Jack Riddell said, but
.they,should,have to prove they've
lost money and justify price hike6,
to the Ontario Energy Board.
The oil companies are talking
about increases to the royal
commission on energy prices
now, Mr. Carroll said, behind
closed doors. Oil companies had
healthy profits, 22% in the case of
Gulf, 48% for Shell, before price
increases, he said.
It's ,sad that they meet's in
private, "The public has a right to
know", Mr. Carroll concluded.
Mr. Hazlitt also asked PC
candidate Hayter why the govern-
ment allows Ontario Hydro to
dictate the future of industrial
expansion in Ontario. Mr. Hayter
said he couldn't tell why, but that
he would find out if that was the
case. "Somebody has to do it.
Who'd be better than Ontario
Hydro?"
Another questioner asked the
candidates if they favoured the
OFA policy ,that farmers should
be paid compensation when they
lose money as a result of their
land' being zoned permanently
agricultural.
There shouldn't be. this great
screpancy between the
developmental value and the
agricultural value of land, Mr.
Riddell replied. He said he
favoured compensation in the
form of better returns for farm
products and perhaps a negative
Voters question candidates at OFA meeting
Thieves enter I A
can't remove safe
be "co,ordination 'of our work
along with drains and sewers".
Mr. Scott said that once the
sewage tenders are opened the
PUC ' should meet with town
officials to co-ordinate the work
and have the McLaren group
make a limited study on the
immediate needs.
Lease Property
The PUC will sign a lease for a
twenty-year term for $1.00 with
the town for the property on the
extension of Brantford Street
where the new well was drilled
and the site of the future hydro
substation.
Mayor Cardno suggested that
PUC Manager Walter Scott meet
with the Protection to Persons
and Property Comrhittee to
outline the plans for street
lighting and to explain the PUC
request at the last council
meeting for an additional $500 on
top of the $2,500 already allotted
for street light capital by the
street light committee. She said it
was tabled until more ipforniation
was forthcoming. She said council
-wanted to know why the money
was needed because no 'one on
council knew the details,
Mr. Scott said the $500 was
needed to purchase locally the
necessary material for brackets
which the PUC staff would make
up because of the escalating costs
of purchasing the finished
product.
Mr. Scott explained that in
talks with Wayne Ellis, the
chairman of the Protection to
Persons and Property Committee,
the whole thing was discussed. In
fact Mr. Scott said it was Mr.
Ellis who had suggested that the
material be bought and the
brackets made up locally.
Not Outli ned
In addition Mr. Scott produced
a copy of a letter he had sent to
Mr. Ellis outli ning the, plan, for
street lights. He said he could not
understand why Mr. Ellis did n of
outline his letter to council.
.. •
fittOtP -
'048000 tbel •;00b- letters' be
sent 49 • Clerk .RObe# ft1t01410 100 would make a'eoPy for all the
members nt. Comet -And this
misunderstanding; would Out bun:
come up, • •
The Commission named Ed.
Taylor to clean the PUC office ,at
$36 per month.
Mr. Scott reported that the
refund of the provincial tax for
two years was $3,000 and under
consideration was the proposal
that the Seaforth office might get
back the tax for an additional four
years for a refund of a possible..
$8,000.
The money is a refund of taxes
charged on equipment the fix
bought which should have been
tax exempt. The tax rebates are
goi ng to PU Cs across the
province, Mr. Scott said, since
the Ontario Municipal Electric
Association successfully
challenged a former provincial
ruling.
HOUSE DESTROYED — .Seaforth Firemen were unable to save the frame home of
Mr. and Mrs. John Chappel near Cromarty on Tuesday. No one was home when the
blaze broke out. Damages were estimated at $35,000. • (Staff Photo)
Farm house levelled by, fire
(By Wilma Oke) •
A Staffa couple was left
homeless Tuesday afternoon
when fire destroyed their
residence on the 10th concession
of Hibbert Township.
No one was home when fire
broke out shortly before four
o'clock, in the house owned by
Mr. and Mrs. John Chappel of
R.R.2, Staffa located 10 miles
southeast of Seaforth. Mr.
Chappel was plowing on the
adjoining farm when he noticed
smoke pouring from under the
roof of his home.
Fearing his wife was in the
house he attempted to find her
but the dense smoke and fire
drove him out.
He summoned the Seaforth
Fire Department from a
neighbour's house,
Mrs.Chappel returned to her
home shortly after the fire broke
out from a shopping trip to
Hensall with her son from Landon
who had picked her up unknown
to her husband.
The Seaforth Firemen were
unable to save the house. None of
the contents. were saved.
Mrs. Chappel said the loss
would be about $35,000, Her
husband said it was partially
covered by insurance. He said it
could not be determined what
caused the fire but he believed it
started in the front of the
two-storey frame house.
Firemen saved food from a
freezer that was not harmed in
the basement plus two chairs and
a bicycle.
From one of the burnt wall
areas Mr. Chappel picked out
some pictures that were stored in
that part of the house, also some
dishes.
Mr. Chappel- said they just got
finished panelling all the rooms
and installing brand new earpet1
on the stairs.
A small group of people have a
lot of plans for raising funds to
finance renovations at Seaforth's
Community Centre.
Although only five people
turned out a meeting to organize
a fund raising campaign,
Seaforth's recreation committee
and a few others haven't been
wasting any time in an effort to
get money coming in.
A roll-a-thon is planned at the
arena this Sunday. Rec Director
Clive Buist says you don't have to
be an experienced roller skater to
participate, people of all ages are
welcome. Skates will be available
free of charge at the arena.
Skating starts at 5 p.m. and will
run until 9. Skaters are collecting
pledges for so much money for
every IS minutes they skate.
Pledge sheets are available at the
rec office, or at the arena and
must be turned in before 4:30 on
Sunday.
Four prizes will be given to
skaters who get the most
accumulated pledges.Those who
don't feel like skating,' but would
like to support someone who
does, can call the rec office to
arrange a pledge.
A monthly 50-50 draw was
decided on at 'Monday night's
fund raising meeting. Tickets will
be on sale at the Fall Fair tonight
and tomorrow and from local
businesses from then on.
Then there's the used sports
equipment auction scheduled for
Saturday, October 4, at the arena.
Mr. Chappel said they would Ed. and Mrs. Chappel who live on
stay at the home of his brother, a neighbouring farm.
Arena fund
ets rolling
George Hildebrand will be
auctioning off everyone's old and
outgrown ska tes, baseball gear,
etc., with all proceeds going to
the arena .fund.
Other fund raising ideas tossed
around at Monday's meeting
included a draw for a brand new
model home, a lottery, a Saturday
dance for the under 18's.
Lloyd Eisler suggested that the
arena could make money by
keeping ice in over the summer
months and renting ice time to
figure skaters and hockey schools
who often just can't get enough
ice anywhere.
Mr. Eisler and Gary Gray
wondered about scrapping
renovation plans and building a
new arena. Both said there was a
lot of support in town for this
idea, . ,
Elva Ellis pointed out that
about $79,000 was spent
upgrading the present arena only
last year. "We can't scrap that",
she said.
Mr. Buist said a new arena
wasn't a guarantee of no
problems. The ice surface part of
Seaforth's arena is really in -good
shape he said, it's the hall part
that desperately needs updating,
including change rooms and
washrooms.
The meeting heard that arena
renovations could cost $200,000.
Buist said that if all aVilitable
grants Were received Pettit'
$80,000 to $100.000 would.loole-tO
be raised by the t:iSitttntiiiityz