The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1966-08-11, Page 4`fie exeferZimaAkasocafe
SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND
Member: C.W.N.A., O.W,N.A., C.C.N.R, and ABC
Publishers: J. M. Southcott, R. M. Southcott
Editor: Bill Batten
Advertising Manager: Val Baltkalns
Phone 2354331
More than economic loss
Summer
reading
schools and brought the area many
scholastic records. Their background of
periodic travel made us more cosmo-
politan in our thinking as we lived with
them.
We could go on at great length
to expound on the enjoyment and bene-
fits we derived from them, but perhaps
it is suffice to say "they were good
neighbors and friends". From this
standpoint alone they will be missed.
While many personnel from Cen-
tralia have departed in the past 20
years without any great fanfare, the
mass exodus that is presently planned
warrants some mention, and we are
certain this newspaper speaks for ev-
eryone in the area in extending best
wishes for the future to all the fam-
ilies leaving.
We trust they too will always have
a warm spot in their hearts for this
area and will certainly be most wel-
come visitors at any time.
Within the next few weeks, this
area will witness the "disappearance"
of many familiar faces as military per-
sonnel from CFB Centralia pack up
their belongings to head for their new
bases.
While the economic plight that
may face the area has already been
noted, there is certainly another great
loss; that being the many personnel
who have played an integral part in
the many facets of the life of this area.
In the past 20 years, we have come
to rely upon the personnel at Centralia
for more than the economic value they
represented as they lived among us.
They coached our minor athletes,
played for some of our teams and pro-
vided opposition for others. They
joined in our social activities and at-
tended our churches. They were con-
genial hosts to us as private citizens
as well as to our service groups.
Their children attended our
Time they were trained
study of one of North America's
most acute diseases, His conclu-
sion that we are producing a
more rigid class structure than
ever before mime sense when
we see suburbs springing up
where the residents are all from
the same economic group.
6) The American Way of Death
by Jessica Mitford. The faint-
hearted or the sentimental should
not read this book, This is the
most vicious attack ever made on
North American funeral customs.
It should, however, be required
reading for all ministers, funeral
directors and everyone who feels
that enough is enough already.
There is probably no more
sensitive, sacrosanct and un-
touchable area of our life and
thought than this one. She rips
the veil in the holy of holies.
Like the movie, "The Loved
Ones" I believe she goes too
far but it is a fact of life that
one extreme inevitably produces
an extreme reaction, I personal-
ly hope that this book and the
reaction it has created — it came
out in 1963 — will bring us all to
a more sane approach in this
sensitive area,
As I close this column my
sincere thanks to Philip Gandon,
Harold Currie, Terry McCauley
and Douglas Palmer who made it
possible for me to have a holi-
day from this column.
2
HI
At the present time, most of the
persons assigned these duties appear
to have no knowledge of their respon-
sibilities at all, and their lackadasical
attitude usually leaves the motorist
strictly on his own to guess whether
he should proceed around heavy con-
struction equipment or assume the
right-of-way through one-way stretches.
The fact is, the type of flagmen
one sees on TV commercials sponsored
by accident prevention associations,
bear no resemblance whatever to the
men who are actually employed on con-
struction jobs. In most cases, the guid-
ance given motorists is non-existent.
It's high time someone started to
train people in this type of work.
By Val Baltkains Rugged beauty near Vancouver, B.C.
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"That's probably Mrs. Car-
stairs calling to thank you for
the haircut I gave her little
girl."
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With most of this country's high-
ways appearing to be under a constant
state of construction or reconstruction,
it is encouraging to note that a firm
has been established in Vancouver to
train flagmen on such construction
jobs.
Many of the students in the course
are young, single women, and all must
pass written and practical tests before
they are assigned to a job.
While the idea of being flagged
down by a pretty girl would make
such inconveniences less annoying, the
very fact that someone has seen the
need for training such people is of
even greater importance.
The sweepstakes myth "My daughter's baby-sitting
here tomorrow night and she
asked me to check your set."
During holidays I like to change
the pace. For me this means
more time with the family, wor-
shipping in the Roman Catholic
Church a couple of times, paint-
ing the cottage, a lot of swim-
ming, a little golf, woodchopping
and a couple of ball games in
Detroit,
I also usually read books I
don't get the time to read the
other eleven months of the yeer.
Inspite of—or perhaps because
of the beautiful, buoyant weath-
er of July, I found it enjoyable
to read some books that are, by
and large, depressing because of
their hard core realism. It is
perhaps a little sad that much of
our best writing today tends to
be tinged with bitterness — there
is much to be bitter about!
The six books I choose to re-
commend for your reading are all
available in cheap paper back
editions. They will shock, enrage,
anger, challenge — in short they
will stimulate you,
1) Cry The Beloved Country
by Alan Paton. This was by far
the best novel of a dozen or so
I read in July. Although it was
written in 1948 it should still be
compulsory reading for anyone
concerned about racial relations.
It's setting is South Africa and
the writer is a white South Afri-
can. To quote from the introduc-
tion, "It stands by itself; it
creates rather than follows a
tradition. It is at once unas h-
amedly innocent and subtly soph-
isticated. It is a story; it is a
prophesy; it is a psalm. It is
passionately African; it is uni-
versal".
2) The Quiet American by Gra-
ham Greene. This man is prob-
ably the best mystery writer in
the business and this book is a
good introduction to his writing.
The story is set in Viet Nam in
the early 1950's — published first
in 1955.
It's amazing that its theme is
even more relevant in 1966 than
it was prior to the full scale
American involvement there.
This novel is good background
for a better understanding of the
present mess.
3) The Heart of the Matter by
Graham Greene. Here is a dev-
astating analysis of boredom,
adultery, suicide and more. Here
Greene is a second Dostoievsky.
4) More Joy In Heaven by Mor-
ley Callaghan. In this old novel
a Canadian author dissects and
analyzes much of the hypocrisy
and shallowness of "do-good-
ism". As the introduction has it,
"Like Graham Greene's psychol-
ogical melodramas it is both an
effective thriller and a searching
examination of society's stricken
heart".
5) The Status Seekers by Vance
Packard, This is an in depth
The Hon. C. S. MacNaughton
may not have hit any homers at
the official opening of the new
floodlights at the Exeter Com-
munity Park last week, but he's
still rated as a "power hitter"
by a writer for the Toronto Daily
Star.
In a series on "The men a-
round John Roberts", Perry Ang-
lin concluded by naming High-
ways Minister MacNaughton, Ag-
riculture Minister Bill Stewart,
Education Minister William Da-
vis and Provincial Treasurer
James Allan, as "the four pow-
ers behind the throne".
In general comments about the
four men, Anglin stated that they
have powers extending far beyond
their own departments and "more
than anyone else in provincial
politics, they decide how govern-
ment affects our lives."
He claims they overshadow
most of their colleagues who
are preoccupied with the burden
of complex portfolios, zealously
trying to demonstrate ability in
minor portfolios; or simply
coasting along out of sight.
"Like Robarts' close advisers
in the Conservative party and the
civil service, they are closer to
the premier than ordinary cabinet
ministers," he explains.
He says MacNaughton and his
neighbor, William Stewart, are
considered influential beyond
their own departments because
they are personally close to the
premier.
A visit to
the hometown
Anglin explained MacNaughton
and Stewart are seatmates in the
Legislature; both are in their
early 50s; both are highly able
and shrewd administrators of
politically important depart-
ments; and both are intensely
political.
"A clue to their close relation-
ship with Robarts is that each
was a key figure in the Roberts'
campaign for the provincial lead-
ership in 1961 — and both come
from Robartsland, southwestern
Ontario," the article reported.
Anglie had this to say: "Char-
ley" MacNaughton is a congenial,
charming politician, who indulges
occasionally in hot debate in the
Legislature and who isn't ad-
verse to wearing a sharp, light
colored sports coat in the House.
The manager of an Exeter seed
company, he came into politics
as a high school board chairman
and right-hand man of a former
Huron MPP, Thomas pryde.
His department, highways, is
the second biggest spender (after
education) in the government; and
MacNaughton has taken over oth-
er sensitive jobs with energy
and enthusiasm such as the
Burlington to Dunbarton com-
muter train to serve Metro Tor-
onto — thereby completely over-
shadowing his colleague in trans-
port, Irwin Haskett.
However, Anglin noted that
Stewart has had a less happy
and trim will be 35e; shave 15e
and children under 12, 25e.
cabinet career. "He enjoyed a
honeymoon with Ontario farmers
after Robarts made the London
township farmer his agriculture
minister five years ago. But this
year he came under increasing
hot attacks from farmers repre-
senting their failure to achieve
affluence which the e c o no m i c
boom has brought city workers
and small businessmen.
The turning point seemed to
come when 1,200 farmers march-
ed on Queen's Park this year,
booing and hissing Stewart into
awkward retreat.
His handling of the farm dis-
content as pressure mounted
when tractors took to the roads
was uncharacteristically feeble.
His arguments and efforts
smacked to many farmers of
arrogance although a folksier
agriculture minister might well
have earned farm sympathy with
the same stand.
For Stewart, as one Queen's
Park veteran pointed out, is a
farmer with a high school edu-
cation who looks more like a
lawyer, and easier to imagine
spraying himself with deodorant
than chewing a straw, (The same
man suggested federal agricul-
ture minister "Joe" Greene is a
lawyer who looks more like a
farmer.)
And this year Stewart renamed
his department the Department of
Agriculture and Food, to em-
phasise its broad responsibili-
ties, But the new name has an
urban ring doing little to en-
dear Stewart in the politically
potent farm areas.
An idea that keeps cropping up
is that sweepstakes would be a pain-
less, efficient way to raise all the mon-
ey needed for new hospital construc-
tion in Canada. It may be an attractive
idea, but it is pure myth.
The most recent support for the
idea comes from James Walker, Lib-
eral MP for Toronto's York Centre rid-
ing. Ottawa-operated sweeps, the press
reports him as saying, could pull in
more than $50,000,000 a year for fed-
eral hospital building grants.
Aside from the fact that this sum
would be only half of what is being
spent annually on hospital construction,
if a lottery could provide that amount
the most surprised people in the world
would be those who operate the Irish
hospital sweeps, the most successful
such undertaking in the world.
After paying for prizes and ex-
penses the Irish sweepstakes turns 21
per cent of its ticket money over to
the hospitals. Over a 33-year period
the payment to the hospitals has aver-
aged $4,270,000 annually. Even with
its worldwide selling campaign, the
gross sales of this very successful
sweepstakes has averaged only $20,-
000,000.
For a Canadian lottery to provide
$50,000,000 a year, as Mr. Walker sug-
gests, the gross sales would have to
be about a quarter of a billion dollars
a year. That would be about 13 times
the ticket sales of the Irish or, to put
it another way, we would have to have
the equivalent of an Irish sweeps about
every four weeks.
It might be argued that a Canad-
ian lottery could devote less of its in-
come to prizes and more to hospitals
but the fact is that if it were to com-
pete with the Irish lottery, as it would
have to, it could not offer smaller
prizes.
Even the fact that lotteries would
produce so little revenue is not the
most compelling argument against their
legalization. It is often said that it is
hyprocritical to permit race track bet-
ting and yet prohibit other forms of
gambling. But by that logic we should
permit all forms of gambling—sweep-
stakes, slot machines, gaming tables,
and so on. Few of those who want
legalized sweepstakes would support
that argument.
The problem, really, is to decide
on the degree of gambling that should
be allowed. On that basis, as well as
on the basis that they are no substitute
for taxation, sweepstakes serve no good
purpose.
There is one final point, lotteries
have the longest record of legality of
any form of gambling. Augustus, Nero
and other Roman emporers used them
to finance building projects. In Eng-
land the first legal lottery was held in
1569 with Queen Elizabeth I as patron-
ess. In North America there were lot-
teries as early as the 17th century,
chiefly for the benefit of schools,
churches and public works.
But even as long as there have
been legal lotteries, they have always
been acknowledged as a tax on the
poor. C.J.H.
Fee2MOneeleMeile~- TWORMISINNOWSIONNNINOSOMOM
Times Established 1873 Advocate Established 1881 Amalgamated 1924
50 YEARS AGO
Main St. Sunday School picnic
Was held at Grand Bend Thurs-
day. Five bus loads drove away
from the church about seven
o'clock in the morning as well
as a great many who drove their
own rigs or autos.
Miss Alice Kedwell, telephone
operator, has returned after holi-
daying at her home in Petrolia,
Mr. J, G. Jones and family are
holidaying at their cottage "The
Mayflower", Grand Bend.
George Blatchford, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Francis Blatchford,
was drowned at Goderich Monday
afternoon while there with aSun-
day School picnic from Listowel.
Up until a week previous to his
death he was a member of the
Times staff leaving here for Lis-
towel where he had secured a
position on the Listowel Banner.
15 YEARS AGO
Miss Willa Hunter of Strathroy
has been appointed chief operator
at the local office of the Bell
Telephone Co. Shesucceeds Mrs.
Harold Holtzman who has been
transferred to Sarnia.
The once-prominent home of
James Pickard, one of the pion-
eers of Exeter, is being torn
down. The large brick dwelling
is south of Snell Bros. Ltd and
will be removed for expansion.
The large beige brick front
being erected by Lindenfields Ltd
is almost completed. The south
half formerly housed the oldpost
office.
This week the Exeter Public
School Board called for tenders
for the demolition of the old pub-
lic schbol.
411011112119311100 MO AM 00144r
Published Each Thursday Morning at Exeter, Ont.
Authorized as Second Class Mail, Post Office NO, Ottawa,
and for Payment of Postage in Cash
25 YEARS AGO
The property (house and five
acres of land) of the late Mre.
Saxon Fitton,Main Street S.,
has been sold to Mr. Fred Wild-
man of town, for $2,500,
William E. Sanders and R. G.
Seldon, skip, were winners of
the Tip Top trophy and the cream
colored flannel trousers that go
with it, at the men's double bowl-
ing tournament on the local greens
CIVIC Holiday.
Clerk Joseph Senior, who, for
33 years has been the efficient
clerk andtreesurer Of the village,
has tendered his resignation to
the council.
The tonsorial artiste of this
community are raising their
prices as of August 28. Hair cut
millionaire still slugs bags of
salt and feed into the back of
his '66 model and lugs it out to
feed his cattle. The barber, with
whome you once shared a riotous
Legion zone rally, still quips
with his customers, though he
went off to fight in a war over
50 years ago. The canny Scot
chortles as he tells you his
shore lots are now going over
$4,000. The same waiter insults
the same customers, in the pub.
The same beer barrel in human
form sits in the same seat in the
same pub.
The same people still come to
the same cottages. Except that
the pregnant young matron was
a skinny kid in bare feet last
time you saw her. And the
handsome young chap who
works at the summer store was
a tyke called Johnny-Cake last
time you saw him.
However, it's good to get back
for a visit. And it's never un-
eventful.
Kept my hand in by writing a
few news stories for the paper.
Took the family to the Indian
reserve; same beautiful view
and easy-going inhabitants.
Dropped in on old friends and
got all the latest dope on who
was going crazy, and who was
running around with whom.
Had a beer at The Cedar Rail,
most unique bar in the country,
and with the best prices. It's a
shed on a farm, hill of tools and
baled hay. A cedar rail extends
across the front, You stand
there with your farmer friend,
lean on the rail and look at the
lake down below. We've seen
deer and bear from there, and
covered local politics and talked
cattle.
Got stuck in the sand at the
beach, to the rage of my wife.
She went flying off to find a
tow truck, in a friend's car.
While she was away, I was
pulled out easily by a man with
no arms, who had a chain in his
trunk, a wife to drive his car,
and a gaggle of kids to help
push. Sounds like fiction, but
it's fact.
It could only happen in or
around the old hometown.
Paid in Advance Circulation, March 1, 1966, 4,180
SUBSCRIPTION RA'TESl Canada $5.00 Per Year; USA $7.00
Spent a week in the old home-
town recently, and, as usual, it
was anything but a rest. The
weather was perfect, but the
hospitality was exhausting.
It's not really my hometown. I
didn't grow up there, physically.
But I spent a decade there in
the newspaper business, and
maybe I grew up there in other
ways. Anyway, when you walk
down the main street, and every
second person stops to shake
hands and ask about your fam-
ily, and tell you what their kids
are doing now, it's your home-
town.
A smalltown changes and yet
remains the same. A few busi-
nesses have changed hands.
Some of the stores have new
fronts. The paint on the hotel
has been changed from pas-
sionate purple to ghastly green.
The shady, tree-lined street on
which you used to live has been
raped: the stately trees cut to
ugly stumps, as the street is to
be widened.
But the biggest changes are in
the people. The young men you
used to work and play with are
grizeled or as bald as eggs. The
young women you used to look
at with some interest because of
their big eyes are sagging and
dentered. The lovable kids that
your kids used to play with are
hulking adolescents, some of
them delinquents with police
records. And your old partner,
once apparently indestructible,
is taking eight different colors
of pills.
Despite the changes, there is
continuity as comfortable as an
old fishing hat. The Chamber of
Commerce is still fighting over
store hours. The Industrial
Commission is on the verge of
announcing a huge new indus-
try. The fire brigade races per-
iodically to the town d tem p,
where the incinerating process
has got Out of hand because the
caretaker has bogged off for a
beer.
Some of the local characters
have gone to their reward, but
many are still around. The local
lawyer still plays hie electric Or-
gen between clients. The local
While speaking of governments,
we came across an interesting
article noting that the way people
are looking to governments for
answers to their financial and
other difficulties these days, they
must think these bodies are com-
posed of some special type of
genii, able to release rivers of
money at the wave of a wand.
It isn't so. When governments
spend money it's the big stick
they wave over the taxpayer.
It could be just a problem of
words. Maybe we should do away
with all such terms as "grant"
and "subsidy" and instead sub-
stitute "tax money" when we talk
of money coming from govern-
ments.
And instead of "going to the
government" for aseistance, let
us substitute "asking our neigh-
bors".
In the long run, very few gain
an advantage in goVernme nt
grants and subsidies as they
generally balance out across the
nation.
An example of this is the cen-
tennial grant whereby munici-
palities were offered equal
shares from the federal and pro-
vincial governments to proceed
On such projects as building swim
pools, libraries, arenas and fix-
ing parks.
Most communities took ad-
vantage of these generous gifts,
and so everyone really ended up
paying for their own projects.
10 YEARS AGO
A new rock well has been drill-
ed at Crediton to Supply at least
ten houses on Xing Street.
Klondyke Gardens at Grand
Bend is now the Second largest
vegetable-producing marshland
of Ontario.
For the !fret time since the
Huron County Health Unit was or-
ganized, a resident sanitary en-
gineer in the person of Jim
Pinder, Sanders St., Exeter, has
been appointed for the South end
Of the Minty.
Work was started this week on
the $120,000 five-room addition
at SHOJIS by contractors McKay,
Crocker Construction Co., Lop-
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