The Huron Expositor, 1978-03-16, Page 2Ott run
Since 1860, Serving the Community ill's' t*-"-
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SEAFORTH, ONTARIO, THURSDAY, MARCH 16, 1978
•
No matter who is right or wrong in
the present school board - teacher
impasse one thing is Clear. The
innocent third party - the students -
are suffering.
On .the surface, the difference
apars to be clear. .The teachers
want. two provisions in , Last year's
t ontr ct to' remain. They want to
determine class sizes and work loads
-arid secondly they want a sick leavEL
gratuity - hard cash in place of sick
leave not used up - and they want to
be able to cash in any accumulated
sick leave on resigning or retiring
after age .42. •
The 'board, as. the' 'elected repre-
sentatives of Huron taxpayers,
Considers the size of clas es- in other
words the quality of an'.,degree of
education which Huron pupils re- ,
ceive, to be its responsibility. It
doesn't want to eliminate sick leave
credit, but believes a teacher shoUld
be at least 50 and have given 12
years -of service to receive the '
payment.
Out front issues
These are the out •in front issues.
Underneath however; are a number of •
factors - neither side talks about but
which certainly loon, large in the
thinking of each side.
The root of the. matter. is ..declining
enrollment. Teachers fear they may
be redundant as school populations
decline. They want to protect
themselves against this possibility by
having the right to determine the
number, of, students they are in
contact with in a day - in Other words
class size. As the number of students
becomes less, the number of classes
increases but the number of teachers.
'required remains the same.
Of course the-conscientious teacher
is conderned for the kids and lowered
standards which" might flow .from
larger classes, but deep down they :
are also concerned about job security.
The board is concerned that as
school population dwindles it may
have to keep teachers on to service..
ever smaller classes. No ddubt - it •
agr'eeS, a pupil teacher ratio of
perhaps 1-10 would be great for the
students, but it properly asks "Can
we afford it?"
Who decides?
Who is to decide the degree to
which a job is to be carried out? Does
the employee accept a position and
then have the right to decidehow and
the extent to which he or she ,will fill
it. Or has management -'the employer
- a responsibility to define the basis
on which the job will be carried out? '
The teachers understandably - are
upset because they feel they are
losing something they alreqdy have.
Historically the labor, movement has
had to fight long and hard to prevent
action it regards as' the thin edge of a
wedge born of depression, or at, in
this case, fewer pupils, stripping from
it hard won gains. Probably there:Istkre
many among the teachers who would
rather be teaching but who are
standing on that principle:
The teachers aro quite right in
thinking that the 'board, is trying to
take away something that previously
had,, been given them. ittit it was
given in the good old days when
boards thought or were encouraged I.
think that there was no liinit to the
Money they Could spend. It was a tin*
when . everyone connected- With
education - from the itiihiStry dOwn -
had only to ask for in•order to receive.
Boards were easy - easier than
busineSs would have been - end they
are paying the price.
All this leaS; to what, for this
•
newspaper and for many people in
Huron county, is the crux of the
matter and this is that teachers in '
Htirdn in. recent years have been
treated most fairly, most generously
True the teachers information •
pamphlet states "The dispute has
nothing to do with what we are paid."
No it• doesn't, badause after all our-
secondary school teachers who
average about •$23,000: are paid, as.,
Exeter timeS Advocate editor Bill
Batten points out, twice at-least what
the average , Huron County taxpayer.
makes. ,
A hard job
We are the first to grant that
teaching is a hard, demanding Mi.
For. the conscientious teacher, there is
a lot of extra out of class work that
goes unrewarded •and unnoticed but
ao there is for the concerned citizen,
be he -merchant or mechanic, who
assumes responsibility in organiza-
tions in his community. In the case of
the teachers perhaps, the
unrecognized contributions are
balanced by the • Christmas, the
Easter and the summer holidays that
are peculiar to the profession.
Our teachers, we submit, make
enough and are well enough treated
by their employers, the taxpayers,
that theY cart affordlo give in on even
such -an important princiPle as class
'size and the dollar and cents issue of
sick leave. It's not that they are going
to lose anything if they really are sick.
A salary cut?
if the disruption in the. Huron
educational program is really about
class size and quality of education,
would the teachers agree to salary
cuts that would . recognize the
lessened work load that 'smaller
,classes ,would result in ),Business
people and farmers and factory
workers have accepted reductions in
income before now to maintain their
lobs_
if they would, the cynicism of a tot
of Huron people conceening the
validity of teacher demands which
unfortunately have gained ground in
recent years, would fast disappear.
This strike's a whole lot bigger than
Huron CoUnty. Boards across Ontario
and OSSTF people from across the
province have a, lot at stake in what
happens' in Huron.
The province, is overstocked with
teachers and understocked with
'pupils. Teachers are seeking to hold
onto job security while board$ want to
make sure they have room 'to
manouever, even when that means
fewer jobs when cost cutting is
necessary.
Arbitrator.
Wed like to see the arbitrator the
teachers have called for. We don't
like the impression we're getting that
• the board is content to let tfie teachers
and our kids, stew until .the province
steps in.
But on the issues, both-those up
front and those that are hidden, we
have to say we support the board.
That being said, let's see the two •
parties stay at the-table and keep
taking until the teachers are back in
the classroom.
•N Events this Week indicate that talks
Nye returned and at press time, the
, teachers are continuing to consider a
further board proposal. That is good.
Ht/t0(1 teachers In ,the main: -are a
dedicated lot and •like thOsei serving
on the bbard are Seriously beiticerned
-- -.about the Students and what is best
for them.
There are few absolutes in modern life and
Morality doesn't appear to be one of them. '
The recent national convention of the
Liberal party for instance, passed a resolution '
• calling for. the decriininalization-of marijuana
use. The convention didn't go so far as to say
that the use of the, drug should becorbe legal,
but it did. say the penalty for use should be
reduced 'As few as five Oars ago that would
have been unthinkable for a major Canadian
political' party to take 'such ti,stand.
Some will sec.:the...move as healthy. Some;
will think it didn't go far enough. Some
experts argue that marijitana is no more
dangerous than regular cigarettes or alcohol
and these are not only legal b a major source
of government incoMe. FranklY1 don't know
much about the issue and I don't ears much
one way or another what is done about it. •
There's one aspect of the decision,
however, that is troubling. The Liberal party's
• resolution on marijuana seems to show once
again that we. have no definition of what is.
right or wrong other than the majority's
wishes, on any particular subject. Five years - '-
ago, use of drugs such as marijuana was ,
considereek-major moral problem. The'main
argument for' changing the law seems to be
not so much that we've found 'put that
marijuana is not as strong a drUg as we
thought, but -that so many people are now
Using it. It seemed to be quite all right to haVe'
harsh treatment of those caught using the
drug as long as it was only a relatively small •
number of long-haired creeps. But today more.
respectable people like lawyefs and professors
are also`using it so we need to soften the law:
- 'We saw the same 1610 Of-tbihg -With the '"
changing of abortion laws'in Canada. Abortion
didn't become legal becauSe suddenly we
came up with a more safe way to perform .the
operation. It didn't' come about because of a
drastic need (ironically abortion became legal
at a time when for the first time in history
there were fool-proof contraceptive methods).
The change in the abortion law .came about
because a large proportion of, the population
came to the point of wanting to make use of
abortion. There was .no real decision of right
or wrong; simply a political decision of how'
many were for and how many against.
Now you may agree or disagree with these -
law changes but the prospect mo ality by
majority rule remains a very tingerous one.
We are drawing ever close to the issue of
euthanasia North America. It seems
By Debbie Ranney
With federal government parties discussing
which is the more important issue in Canada
today-separation or unemployment,
Expositor Asks thought it might be interesting
to get local opinion on that--same question-
-Mrs. Ron Harris of 83 John St., Seaforth
said,' "1 , would say unemployment because
there's so many peopl unemployed right at
the moment."
Mrs. Douglas Cook of 75 Richmond St.,
Hensall said, "Well I- think probably the
unemployment because it crosses the two
cultures." '
Mrs. John Scott of R. R. #2, Seaforth said.
"As far as I'm concerned, it would be
unemployment. If they (Quebec) want to
separate they can. I feel myself that Canada
can get along without Quebec quite well but I
don't think Quebec can get along without '
Canada."
She said separation is a big issue but
compared with unemployment, unemploy-
ment came first And separation came second.
Mrs. George L. Smith of R. R. #4, Walton
thought both Issues were very important but
she thought trying to keep Canada together
would be most -important.
• "I think it would be a very strange country -
if one part were 'taken out,' she said.
••
fantastic to us now, but what if the majority of
people, felt it was better to 'end the lives of:
people' once theyhad passed their
"'productive" age? What if, instead of getting
a gold watch on retirement, you got a cyanide
pill? Under our present manner .of deciding
the morality of society, it could one day come
true. We are„" after all, reaching a point where
the number of people older than the
retirement age will become so large that it will
put a heavy economic bUrden on society. The
generktion today that is deciding the•
.pOt is fine and abortion is all right will some
day be in a position when they will be a
burden on younger members of society. They
might well find themselves in a position of
finding that the new majority,, the people still
"productive" think it quite all right that
Grandma and Grandpa be' snuffed out, (oh
slept.)
ehumanely course,. perhaps while they
Yes it seems preposterous but then 20 years
ago it seemed impossible that, abortion would
ever become' legal and 10 years ago few would
have seen a major .Political party taking 'a
softer stand on marijuana. If majority rule is
Acceptable for moral issues it •seems- quite
p6ssible that if the majority of people felt it
was 'all •right to murder your neighbour than
the law would be rewritten,
There's one large counter-measure to the
present trend 'however. All polls show that•if
there was-'a plebiscite-on capital punishment
the majority of people would be for it. Yet our
legislators continue to, vote against the, issue
whenever •'1 decision must be ;made in the
-Patliatilefit: What -thi-s seems to slew is that
it's not so much what the majority feels on
moral issues but what the majority of the elite
group that Makes up our legislators feet
Members of' Parliament have a remarkably
similar background. The majority arelawyers
and nearly all come, from relatively wealthy,
middle-class backgrounds. The morality of
this group then can often decide the morality
of the nation, at least as far as legal mean
morality. Thus marijuana became more
acceptable when the ' iniddle-class
professionals accepted it. Thus abortion .
became legal when middle class professionals
accepted it,
Lord help us if the lawyers decide that it's
quite all right for people to be beaten to within
an inch Of their lives, for non-payment of law
fees.
She alsO thought it would shut the
Maritimes off from the rest• of Canada.
Mrs. David Cooper-of R. R.#3, Kippen said,
"Probably separation. I think if Quebec
pulls out of Confederation all of us will suffer
andour-econonty will falter mud Tot ial ty-t tbhik
we'll all suffer'. •
She said she realized that unemployment
was also a serious problem but said, "If the
country was secure and stable the federal
government could tat all its efforts. toward
remedying the unemployment situation."
Martin Murray of R. R. #1, Dublin, said, "I
think the separatiOnissue is the gfeatest. I
think unemployment will look after itself. It's
a cycle we're going through."
Ruth Campbell -of R. R. #1, Seaffh said
this bit about separation irritates her. She said
she thinks not all the poeple in Quebec, but
the ones who are making the most noise really
want to hear-:themselves just for being heard.
"I can't see a problem with the way things
were before. I don't figure they should force it
(French) oh us," she said.
' She said neither the separation nor the
unemployment issue affects her directly,
,
She
feels that unemployment is the more
ittipottant issue right now but she thought that
in the summertime there would probably be
more jobs again.
MARCH 22,187$..', --:—
Mr. Graham, veterinary surgeon. at Winghain, shipped ftOln
the Clinton station on. Tuesday 'te carload of very fine working-
horses. Most of them Were-purehaSOd in this neighbourhood at '
prices ranging from S50. to '$154, -;, •
A meeting was held in the town hall for the purpose of forming '
a hook and ladder company. About thirty signified an intentiOn
to join the company. The folloWing officers were elected: J, H,
Adams, Captain; D, A, McOottd, First Lieutenant; George
Madden,..4sSecond Lieutenant; 'James Whitmarsh, Secietary;
,, William Walker, Treasurer; First": AXeitan, F. liates,;Seconsl . ,
Axernatt-VVilliam Dowling; William Treeve.s, First Hooksmani
William Grassy, Second Hooksman. '
..
Johnathon Carter has purchased frOmStewartiMundell a very
' fine heavy draft 'yntire colt coming two years old this spring. ';°
At tide Suction • sale of James Shaw's' brill - stock in .
Tuckersinith, a thoroughbred 'heifer rising three years old was
sold to E Nichol of Wingham for the sum of $151, J. P, Brine 7,
was the auctioneer. . " ,"
A meeting was held at the §choolhouse #16 in McKillop for the
, purpose of discussing the Grange question. Sev era!, gentlemen
from the Grange were present. Quite a lively time was enjoyed
by all who were present.
-
,
• MARCH 20,1903 ... ,...
' John Moffatt, Kippen diain dealer, has purchasedthe farm of '
Elam Butt of the London Road paying for it the sum of $6,100.
The ploughs have already 'started in the vicinity of Kippen „
which is one of the surest' indications Of a balmy spring.
William Ivison of Kippen is having his &veiling house which -
. was recently. injured by fire, repaired, Mr. Cudmore is doing the
work. ,
3 i C. Reid of Varna shipped two carloads of fine cattle' from
, Brueefielcl le yorento.
William. Colwell, Implement Agent, had the misfortuiae when
handling some machinery, to slip on: the sidewalk and in falling
injured himself :somewhat painfully.
Norman Cook ofHensall, while engaged in fixing same'belting . .. __,
in his father'sflourifig mill had the misfortune to have his hand
caught In the belt; crushing it in-such a manner as not only to
bruise his hand but also to break his-arm. . • '
John G. Troyer of Hensall has sold his neat dwelling to JOseph
HudSen wile -- „recently moved to our village, from Hillsgreen.
JOhn Flannery who has been' employed with John McMann,
has purchased ,H.Barry's part of the old Lennon farm. The farm
contains 75 acres and the price paid- was $4,500. ,
The Dennis brothers of McKillop delivered in Seaforthto D.
Blackwell of London a pair of four year old geldings for which
they receivedthe magnificent price of $500. The Messrs. Dennis
. are good horsemen. They know a good horse When they see one. -
The Tasker farm in Willett has been sold to Lancelot Tasker of
Harpurhey
for the sum of $10,125. . .
William'Elliott, §eaforth town clerk and treasurer, having
disposed of his property in Egmondville, has leased the
'residence On Victoria Square formerly occupied by Dr. Bethune
and wilt remove there shortly. „_,
- Michael Heffernan of the Huron Road, tuckersmith; delivered
in Dublin to Mr. Peter O'Sullivan some very choice fat cattle.,
George Turnbull and Frank Kling have got in two •lots Of very-
handsome carriage and cobb horses yvhich they purchased in the '
' United States and intend•fitting them up for the old country
' • markets. . •
William Copp is busily engaged takingorders for fruit trees.
Will Murdie has.•taen the ,position of bookkeeper at the
Bell Engine Works. Mr. W. Price who has occupied 'that
position for some time is going on the road.
As• Harry Charters was at work raising a building, he slipped -
,and srained his ankle and we're glad to see him around again. t\,
Two ears ago, St: Patrick's. Day, the thermometer was . --
hovering around zero. On TueSday last, we had fine balmy
summer breeze.
• MARCH 16, 1928
A large crowdof members and friends froM Walton assembled
at the home of HarrY and Mrs. Jackson and presented them with
a handsome' clock -and-table prior to their leaving for' the West.
A fire which seriously threatened the west ertd of the village of ,--
Brodhagen for a time completely destroyed the garage occupied
by Charles Rode with a loss of about$3,006. Marcellus Hergott
suffered a bad cut on the arm and Charles Rode . fad his hands
severrely burned. Four of the cars belonged to thsgarageand two
others were the property of William Riehl Brodhagen and H.
A. Hingst • of Mitchell. •
The Manse Walton was a scene of a very pretty wedding when.
Eiter Helen, daughter of Mr. and. Mrs. William Kerr became the
bride of George, R. Campbell of McKillop. In the evening a
reception was given to 160 invited guests at the groom's home, A ,
'miscellaneous shOwer was given by Miss Pearl 'Webster , in
honour Of the popular young bride-to-be. '!
'Irwin Trewartha of Winthrop has 'purchased a fine Iiercheron -
horse. Irwin believes in having fine horses.
The weather has turned a little spring-like with heavy
shOwers. Snow is going-away fast. We_ hope that _e_veryone will_
turn out and do their part in putting the roads in good condition.
An old landmark on, the Goshen Line is being removed. The
church known as St. Luke's Anglican Church has been sold thi
Roy McBride. This church 'has stood since the pioneer days,
being built between 65 and 70 years ago. james McClinchey
has sold the 50-acre farni in Stanley Township to Herb Smith for
$2:300. .
• Thomas Turnbull of Zurich-has sold bis fine 103-acre farm on
the Bluewater Highway to his neighbour Albert Hendrick for
$7,000. He will own over 433 acres of farmland in that section of
Hay Township.
Mr. and Mrs. J. P. Rau of Zurich have moved -into the house
recently purchased from L. Kiefer. •
••Villagers of Hensalfand the surrounding district learned with
much sadness of the-terrible fatality that befell William Hay and
daughter Jean of Niagara Falls. While walking home from
church on Sunday night they were struck and instantly killed by
what is termed a hit-and-run motorist.
The thaw on Tuesday was the first break of a week of Storm
and cold.
A. W. Dunlop and his brother of Milverton have opened up a
new garage in the Cheviolet block in Seaforth.
Miss Belle Campbell is in Barrie this week as representative of
the local r,013A at the convention being held there. -
John Hay of Egmondyille has leased Mrs, Geroge Elgie's
farm in Tuckersmith.
• MARCH 20, 1953
The 60-year old history fo the L.O.L. 793, Seaforth has been
charted in a detail drawing fqrming a branching tree by William
Murray of town. The chart contains the name of every officer of ,
the lodge since 1892. Mr. Murray who will be celebrating his
90th" birthday nag" done a fine job of research and fine
penmanship within the last three years,
Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Dale of Tuckers:411th migrates'.
, .
their 45th wedding anniversary. Members of their family and
friends, numbering 125, gathered in Summerhill Hall. On Malt
of the gathering, William Collins presented them vittt an t'
anniversary cake and William Collins presented Mr. and Mrs.
Dale with a purse and Mrs. Collins presented them with an '
anniversary cake.
A distinguRhed teaching career of almost 50years will end in
June when A. A. Naylor, formerly of Seaforth, resigns as
principal of Queen Mary's School in Chatham. He has 'served as
principal at the school for the past 34 years. Born in Huron
County 66 years ago, Mr. Naylor graduated from Goderich
Collegiate and Stratford Normal School.
W. D. Hopper has drilledell for Victor Bisback and had SO
feet of water in a 150 foot well.
Ignatius O'Leary fo the Huron Road East has sold his 100-acre _fart' to Fergus Kelly of Dublin. Mr. and Mrs. O'Leary will move
to London during Taster. Week.
At the Royal Conservatory -of Music, examinations held in
Stratford recently, Dora Ann Stinson, a pupil of Mrs. M. it.
Rennie was successful in Passing-grade 8 in honours.
Russel T. Bolton of Winthrop has purchased the Thomas
Sharman farm east of Winthrop. v
The tea hers and the bociM
In the shadow of the tower
13ellind the scenes
By Keith -R0100n
Fete absolutes
Expositor asks • •
Separation or unemployment, what's most important?