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The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1949-10-13, Page 2AGO25 YEARS J, Melvin Southcott THURSDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 13, 1949 and 10'.A X Horton lost a and some small quantity of articles. area to in ,Con- October number of tools, three driving implements and other artciles. Mr. hay Reprinted from the Ausable Valley Conservation Report, this is the story of the development of»the area served by The Times-Advocate. This history is not only aixthoritive, but it also contains, many interest­ ing features never ^before published for public consumption. The nar- rative will be produced in a series. Times Established 1873 Amalgamated November 1924 Advocate Established 1881 Published Each Thursday Morning at Exeter, Ontario An Independent Newspaper Devoted to the Interests of tlie Village of Exeter and District Authorized as Second Class Mail, Post Office Department, Ottawa Member of the Canadian Weekly Newspaper Association Member of the Ontario-Quebec Division, ofc the CWNA Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation Paid-In-Advance Circulation As Of September 30, 1948 — 2,276 SUBSCRIPTION RATES Canada, in advance, $2.50 a year United States, in advance, $3.00 Single Copies 6 Cents Each Publishers THE TIMES-APVPCATE, EXETER, ONTARIO, THURSDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 13, 1949 A "SOR NEVER SETS—! •i 70 Robert Southcott views, Among the first changes the son made was to substitute a gasoline truck fox* his father’s sturdy, if somewhat slow-mov­ ing horse. Be it known that the “vagon” Shonny had bought,was not of the highly efficient variety that we now see. Sprocket wheels and chains were in evidence fox* transmission purposes, The contraption eas­ ily got out of order and certainly did 'not “pay”. Something somewhat approaching the modern truck was substituted and all went fairly well, Shonny was on the right track axxd soon demonstrated the soundness of his principle. We recall the installation of a sewerage system in one of our large towns about sixty years ago. What shovell- „ xng and dirty work! What accidents and what misery generally! Just last <veax’ the same town installed some new sewerage' pipes. The contrast between the old and the new was so great'and so startling as to be incredible if not witnessed. The old system did not pay. The new system proved to be both cheaper and better. The new one paid. We congratulated a farmer on the installa­ tion of a modern milking machine. “I 'had been stepping up my dairy hex’d for some time and found that it was taking too much time from my farm work,” Jie commented. “I put in the machine and found that it paid for itself in less than one season. I put in axiy equipment1 that I believe will pay. One has to use his head in this sort of thing.” A merchant. was doing a small business in a country store some sixty years ago. He moved to a larger business centre and succeeded but not well enough to*suit him. Next he moved to a big city and divided his business into departments, a x’eal venture in those days. Latex* he*put a man in charge of each department. “Make it pay or oxxt you go!” were his brief orders. “Make it pay,” is the motto of that firm the world ovex;. In the present world muddle the motto must be “Will it pay?”. “They get their man” is said to be the motto of a world renowned police force. “We’d better” was the comment o'f one of its prominent and highly efficient officers. No coxnment on his remark is necessary un­ less it is that that force is about the most difficult body to get into and the easiest in the world to get out of. “Make” must be our motto, if we are not to become the laughing stock of creation. This means all of us, including the school and the church, • A Few Simple Rules Everyone fears that we are in for a higher cost of living. Here are four rules that a New EnglandUphilosopher says guid­ ed New England in the ways when the practice of extreme frugality alone saved the. day for his countrymen. First: Eat it up—the philosophy of the clean plate. Second: Make it du—the philosophy of the mother and her shears. Third: Wear it out—the phosopliy that there still is life in the old dog. Fourth: Do without*—the philosophy of self-control. * * Merchants: Take Notice Parking has always been a subject for keen debating in Exeter. We’ll add this to the side of those in favour of doing some­ thing about it: We were talking to a district farmer * whose story is typical. Arriving in town on a Saturday night? he is usually unable to find a downtown- parking place. And if he does, it is difficult? to say the least, to back out again into the traffic. He intimates that he would prefer driving a little further to a town where conditions are slightly im­ proved ... Merchants: V. Those Prices The buying public is sick at heart and peevish to the point of hot anger at the way in which prices for essential articles have been maintained and even added to. This is a simple fact that must "be recog­ nized and practically dealt with if prosper­ ity and good will are to be maintained. During the years when people were,, con­ tending fox’ the preservation of their free­ dom they were content to put up with something like hardship. They swallowed the remark “there’s a war on” with a good deal of patience though, even in Those try­ ing years the buying public entertained the grim thought that they were being made the goat for business greed. Then followed the complacent explanation given the pur­ chaser as the war pass'ed into history, “There must be a levelling off, you know,” though there was a gnawing feeling that the levelling off was the purchaser’s pocket book. Occasionally there was a slight drop in prices that encouraged the. consumer to believe that he was going to find it easier, only to conclude as prices again rose that the reduction in price was but a bone thrown through the window to ease the gnawings in the stomach of hungry dogs. Just now the consuming public is sick of the price situation. Organized selfishness has had a long day of it. In a spirit of fair play it should now get down to first principles and give the buyer a square deal. Labour is called upon from ten thousand firesides to stop, look and think what it is doing. When the consumer ask^ nowa­ days why prices are high. lie is told that labour has a great deal to do with it. What is to be feared is that the present system of price regulation is driving the nations to something like business collapse. What is to be even more greatly feared is that the price situation will prove the opportunity for some demagogue with honeyed words who will blow upon the present heart sick­ ness till the gravest trouble will result. We look to parliament to take the first step. The Stoppers The mere passers-on are warned by men who know, that their practice is self­ limiting and self-destructive. That poor worm, the ultimate consumer,# and his friends, have a way of turning when the passers-on become oppressive. Just now the nations who gave good promise of provid­ ing Canada, a good market simply will not buy at Canadian prices. Tor far too long the “producers have not given sufficient at­ tention to the buyer’s point of view but have kept profits as the end-all and the be-all of trade. Lately consumers are giv­ ing very practical consideration to getting on without the goods offered at inconven­ iently high prices. The men are marked who take advantage of the buyer’s necessi­ ties and are passing them by when it comes to anything like, steady dealing. Instead of taking the goods they sought at the higher price asked they'simply do without. & V # ^Inefficient And Outmoded” Europe’s western nation s. including Britain, are working hard enough but their shops and systems and tools are inefficient and outmoded. How true is this of Canada and Exeter and of John Smith and John Doe and Tommy Roe? We had better get the answer and get it soon. Hand-me-downs are all very good when it comes to some home clothing but it won’t do when we are out on the job. The old Highland Mary plow won’t hold up with the modern plow. The old Queen Ann musket served a great purpose in the days of Mailborough but is of little use on a modern battlefield. Be it known that some of the highest paid men in modern industry are the men who are ■on the watch to save motion for both men and machinery. Power must be conserved and the conservation is to be made in the tiniest shop as well as in the biggest manu­ facturing plant on the continent. Britain has come nearer to ruin than we dream because she let her shops and methods be­ come outmoded and her tools inefficient. Stupidity is no proof of good sense? though some people in all walks of life act as if it were. & ❖ The Watershed Since 1875 * The tailure of the banks .must have had its effect oix the other villages, and.'On part of the farm­ ing community . at least. The years aftex* 1878 were a period of prosperity for the farmers, but were followed between 1885 and 1S95 by'ten years of hard times. These were reflected in sharp declines in the acreage of crops and increase in the area of pasture in xnost of tlie town­ ships. Wheat production dropped sharply after 1880 and there was was a marked loss of populatioxi in all townships and most of the villages. There was a return of .. agricultural prosperity before \the end of the century, but the drain . of population from the townships has continued steadily without relation to the fluctua­ tions pf the markets fox* farm produce. With the improvements in farm machinery .about 1S90, fax* fewer hands were needed to repder a given acreage product­ ive and the growing shortage of labour hastened .the mechaniza­ tion, which in turix lessened the need for a large farm population. In the northern part of the watershed, the decline was on much the same scale as iix other parts of the province, but in the southerxx part, particularly in Williams East and West, the de­ population has been unusually rapid and continued until 1945. These two townships had fewer inhabitants in 1948, tejx 'to fif­ teen years after the settlement. Biddulph has also fewex* inhabit* ants thaxi it had a century ago, but since this township was then <8 $ It’s your move! ■sfc :‘,5 Note and Comment t;.« * # O a The Test “Well? I hope that Shonny vill make dot vagon pay.” Shonnny had bought out his father’s sash and door factory a little more than half a century ago. The. old gentleman had built up a nice business but was was sold feeling that the business, like himself, falling by the wayside. Accordingly he out to his son? who held progressive f**. While we may find it difficult to secure oranges and grapefruit, first class apples are abundant. All excitement over the devaluating of the dollar has subsided. Of course, the ‘ cost of living still is with us. # Everything is nice and brotherly there in Ottawa? but we do not learn a great deal is being accomplished, • ■>> . They are fixing up a fine house for the prime minister in which he may enter­ tain the notables from foreign lands. But what is the big establishment of Kideau Hall kept up for? high over that Hensail Council Tlxe regular meeting of the Village Council was held Sept. 27, 1949, at 10:20 pan. aftex* the Court of Revision of the Assess­ ment roll of 1950 with all mem­ bers being present. The minutes of the .previous meeting were read. Hoy and Jones moved that the Council minutes of the previous meeting be adopted as read. Carried. Mr. Riley and Mr, Irvin ap­ peared as delegates from the Chamber of Commerce asking for th© privilege of .placing the cottage that was donated, to them on the old Bowling Green proy- erty, and offering to maintain the same for a period of five years. Parke and Tudor moved that permission be granted the Chamber of Commerce to place the cottage on the old Bowling Green property, tlie Chamber of Commerce to maintain the sable for five years, carried. J. A. Patterson reported re the costs of the Fire Brigade fight­ ing the two fires in Usboriie Township received from the Us- borne & Hibbert Fire insurance Co. Correspondence was read from the following: Ray Lammie, Crown Attorney E. G, Hays, Can­ ada Trust Co., C.N.R. Workmen’s Compensation Board, Bell ’tele­ phone Co., Dept, of Highways, J. Reid, same considered and filed. Bills and accounts were vead as follows: Lowe Martin Co. Ltd., supplies, $31.21); J. Beiigougli, pump jack, $126.40. Total $157.*- 60, Moved by Park and Jones that the bills and accounts as read be paid. Carried. Tudor and .Hoy moved that the Clerk he instructed to order sufficient packing to pack the Fire Engine at least once. Car­ ried. ; Moved by Jones and Hoy that: the most populous of those drain­ ed by the watershed, the present density of population is much greater in Biddulph than in’ the Williams, and about equal to that of the Northern townships of the area (25 to the square mile approximately). McGillivray Township, h o w e v e r, although more populops than in 1S49 has now the same density as the two Williams Townships. The decline in rural population is very evi­ dent in . many parts of these three townships. It is not un­ usual on some roads to pass a number of comfortable farm houses standing empty, , their barns torn down to the founda­ tions with the disused concrete silos standing beside then;. The style of these houses and the growth of their wind-break of spruce trees indicate that they were built between forty and fifty years ago, when the country side had recovered from the bad times abound 1890 and was en­ joying a period of prosperity, under a system of mixed farm­ ing. This has been replaced by extensive grazing of cattle and whole farms or groups of farms have been thrown into pasture. In other places, the buildings have completely disappeared. There is some indication that this process has reached its limits and that the depopulation of these areas has been arrested. Its’ townships would soon have been nearly as empty of inhabit­ ants as when Asa Townsend first built his shanty in the wilderness of Williams West. the garbage be collected on Oct. 12 and 13. Carried. . Parke and Jones moved that notices be sent to each ratepayer prohibiting the burning of leaves or rubbish on the ashpalt roads ill the village. Carried. Jones and Parke moved that the meeting be adjourned, 11:45 p.rn. Carried. Hensail Court Of Revision Court of Revision,on the 1950 Assessment Roll Was held Sept. 27, 1949, at 8 an. in the Council Chamber with all members pres­ ent, all having taken,their Oath of Office before the Clerk. Mr. A, Alexander, the County Assessor, and D. Eh McKinnon, the local Assessor, .were present. The minutes of the last Court were read and adopted. The appeal of E. J. Carlisle was heard and Assessment sus­ tained; the appeal of Miss C. Mitchell, who was present, was heard and the Assessment sus­ tained; the appeal of Mrs. J. .13. McMurtrie, who was represented by J. McMurtrie, was heard and the land Assessment reduced $175.00-; the appeal of J, .Elder was heard and the business As- sesssment struck off; the appeal of F. Cantelon was heard .and Assessment sustained; the appeal of Mrs. M. Turner, who was pres­ ent was heard and the Assess­ ment sustained; the appeal of E. Wilier, who was present, was heard and Assessment sustained; the appeal of L. Noakes, who was present, was heard and As­ sessment on buildings reduced $450.00. -Adjournment at 10.20 p,m. Mr. Roftee: ’“This is my photo­ graph, with my two French poodles, You recognize me?” - Miss Cane—-“I think so. Yon are the one with the hat on, are you not?’* , making a painful Hop in Gidler’s Friday night was upwards of fifty Music was, provid- 50 YEARS AGO (The Exeter Advocate 1899) Castor Willisr son of Mr. Jas, Willis, of Exeter North, while working one of the paring ma­ chines at the evaporator accident- all let liis hand come in contact Witlx the fork, gasli. The Social Opera House well attended being present, ed by the Davidson Orchestra in their usual efficient style and the ’’Mazy Whirl” was not brought to a close until nearly 2 o’clock. About 2:3.Oi Monday afternoon j fire broke out in the stable at the rear of the house occupied by ‘George Anderson and owned by Ed. Gill of Grand Bend. It spread to a stable belonging to William Davidson and from there to William Horton’s stable; a few yards distant, The thfee were soon reduced to ashes, Three‘■oi’ four pigs .were liberated from the Anderson barn. Mr. Davidson lost eight cords of wood, two sets of harness, -buggy cutter, a J I The villages were naturally af­ fected by the drain of population from the areas, which they serv­ ed as markets and business centres. Even Exeter, which suf­ fered less than the others lost more than twenty percent of its population between 189 0 and 192Q, but recovered somewhat in the next years and is now larger than at any time in its Mstory. Hensail, the newest of the villages, reached its peak about 1900! and has not grown since, while Thedford and Arkona have remained at much the same size throughout the last fifty years. The rest of the Ausable villages declined after 1900, the tendency being hastened by the growth of large scale industry in centres outside the watershed. This led to the closing of the small local processing plants, such as woolen and flax mills. The exhaustion of the supplies of timber resulted in the abandon­ ment of many sawmills, though there are still several operating in the watershed. However, new developments such as truck farming in the western part of the watershed and the , tourist development along the lakeshore have helped to offset the loss of other forms of business. The steady fall of, population appears to have ceas­ ed and it is possible that with Wise planning the area, as a whole, may be entering on a phase of prosperity. (To be continued next week) This Family is Fortunate . . through the father’s careful thought and wise decision. Like other lathers, he wants to leave his family more than adequately protected. He has done just that, by a Will, ex­ pertly drawn by his lawyer, appointing The1 Canada Trust Company as executor, fortunateSecure in that knowledge, this family can look to the future with confidence. A friendly discussion of your estate plans wilt be welcomed by one of our Trust Officers. QlnadaTrust « Company W. McLachlan, Trust Officer Dundas at Clarence * London, Ont. :W H. J. CORNISH & CO. CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS < *294 DUNDAS ST, (The Exeter Times 1924) Dr.^Moir, of Hensail, is erect­ ing a new and modern house oh the farm near Rodgerville, Lon­ don Road, Mr. P. Mclssac has moved the telephone central into Mr, G. Kellerman’s building, formerly occupied by the Bank of Com­ merce. The fowl suppers are on and are being well-patronized. . . One of the large brick silos ''at the Exetei* Canning Factory col­ lapsed Wednesday morning. The teachers of this the number of 135 were vention at Goderich on 9 15 YEARS AGO (The Times-Advocate 1934) A Father and ’Son Banquet was held in James Street United Church on Friday evening. Rev. James Findlay of London was guest speaker. The Trivitt Memorial Church < on Friday -afternoon was practic­ ally filled for the funeral service of the late Isaac Carling, K.C. Miss Gladys Penhale of Lon­ don, daughter* of Mr. and Mrs. Asa Penhale, left on .Tuesday for St. Petersburg, Florida, where she "will spend the winter months, returning next June. Miss Ila Hunter has taken a position as clerk at ■ Cole’s Drug- stoi'e Mrs. W. R. Goulding and Mrs. Cecil Stewart were at Staffa Sun­ day morning and assisted with the music at the anniversary of Staffa United Church. 1O YEARS AGO (The Times-Advocate 1939) The first snow of the season fell on Saturday last — there was quite a downfall. On Friday of last week, prin­ cipal J. B. Creech and members of • the public school teaching • staff attended the London and District Teachers’ Institutes re­ gional conference which met in the London Technical School. Mr. and Mrs. William ,H. Pen- hale, of town, celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary on Sunday. Mr. Ken. Hockey has passed with honors his final examina­ tion for an Embalmer’s license. A Boy Scout Troop is being re­ organized in Exeter under the auspices of Exeter Lions Club. E Beatty' Bros. Equipment PRESSURE SYSTEMS WATER BOWLS LITTER CARRIERS Sold and Installed R. B. Williams H * a LONDON, ONT. « r