The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1966-08-25, Page 4Riding the
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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 235-1331
Advice should be heeded
Wedding
business
Salmon fishing near Vancouver, B.C. By Val Baltkalns
pe,metuertea9, ecuteidet
Earlier this summer, the body of
a Goderich youth was pulled from the
municipal swimming pool in, that com-
munity and the coroner's jury investi-
gating his death recommended that a
resuscitator be kept at the pool at all
times.
The jury attached no blame in the
death and commended the lifeguards
for acting with speed and efficiency,
but were of the opinion that had a
resuscitator been available on the site,
they may have had a better oppor-
tunity of reviving the youth.
An identical situation exists in
Exeter as the town's resuscitator is safe-
ly guarded at the local fire hall
and is not readily available to the life-
guards and instructors at the pool.
A telephone is installed at the pool
and a phone call would bring the po-
lice running with the life saving equip-
ment IF the police were at the office
when the call came through.
However, the odds on the police
being in their office at such a time are
much too slim to make this a workable
arrangement and there is every possi-
bility that a life could be lost while
this invaluable piece of equipment sat
idle in the police station.
The recommendation of the Gode-
rich coroner's jury should be studied
very carefully by local recreation and
town officials. It provides sound advice
and should be acted upon immediately.
It may be true that the equipment
may be needed by the local police or
fire department, and certainly arrange-
ments should be made whereby it
would be readily available to them.
The police should be given a key
to the pool office so they could pick
the equipment up at any time, and it
may also be a sound idea to have a
key left with the fire brigade with a
plan set up so that it is the responsi-
bility of one man to pick the equip-
ment up at the pool before proceeding
to a fire.
In short, the fact that the resusci-
tator is merely available is not good
enough. It must be READILY available,
because every mintue lost in giving
artificial respiration greatly dims the
hopes of reviving a person.
Unfortunately, we are apt to be-
come too lax on the basis that the
equipment has not been needed in the
past. Perhaps this is very fortunate,
because we doubt that it could have
been made available in time to do much
good anyhow under the present ar-
rangement.
However, we have been given
ample warning from the Goderich trag-
edy. Failure to heed it could be dis-
trous.
Going a bit further on the same
subject, this newspaper learned that
only one person working at the pool
this summer knows how to use the
resuscitator, and she indicated her lone
instruction had come last year and
while she could operate it in an emer-
gency, admitted she would like to
have had a refresher course this sum-
mer.
This situation should not be al-
lowed to exist and RAP officials should
be certain that every member of the
pool staff has at least two lessons on
the equipment each summer.
We question how long it has been
since anyone in town took the time to
run through the procedure with the
equipment, or just how many actually
do know how it operates.
Council's protection to persons and
property committee should review that
question periodically.
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It has many attributes
mental stimulation and the cultivation
of concentrated study habits. It is the
last year that most students are under
parental guidance—and have the bene-
fit of a personal contact with their
teachers—before they advance into in-
stitutions of higher learning where they
are on their own.
The self-discipline required in
Grade 13 stands them in good stead for
this important move as they just can't
drift into university, other institutions
of learning or into exacting jobs with-
out having been put to the test some-
where along the line.
If Ontario does adopt a 12-year
system, we suggest that it not be the
top grade that is lopped off. Elemen-
tary schooling could be compressed in-
to seven years instead of eight. This
would still leave five years of high
schooling and the final year should still
contain some of the attributes that are
now found in Grade 13.
There was even a pamphlet
that stated, "Now that you're
getting married it's time to think
about a grave site for you and
your husband to be".
How to explain the growing
waste? There is the pressure
of the industry, the new pros-
perity of many people who per-
haps had simple weddings and
Want to shoot the works on their
children.
Prosperity and status-seek-
ing play a large role. As one
Jewish rabbi put it, "The lavish
wedding has become a display
like a limousine or a swimming
pool, with which a father can
demonstrate that he might be
better than the next guy. Wheth-
er they can afford an expensive
wedding or not lots of people
seem to have to prove some-
thing to their friends, relatives
and business contacts".
Bill Davidson comments, "And
so fathers struggle for years to
make up for their few, few hours
of ego satisfaction and the na-
tion's matrimonial expenditures
swell FAR BEYOND ITS EX-
PENDITURES ON HIGHER EDU-
CATION".
He says, "The greatest fact-
or of all in the restoration of
some measure of sanity to the
wedding madness is the rising
indignation of many clergymen".
He quotes one Presbyterian
minister who found his Church
nearly smothered in $3,000 worth
of orchids imported from Hawaii
by the father of the bride—'There
was so much foliage that the
Church looked like the upper
reaches of the Amazon valley
and some wag had put a sign on
my lectern reading 'no hunting
allowed'. After that I instituted
strict rules about the decoration
of the Church. Protestantism has
given way too much to individual
whim and pomp and ceremony
and this is eroding away any
meaning the Church might have'.
An Episcopalian minister is
even more frank — "I sometimes
think that the Church is just
used to provide a beautiful set-
ting and it is unwittingly used to
justify the overcommercializa-
tion and the excesses. Marriage
is an intimate experience and
only intimate friends and family
should be at the wedding. The
real job of the clergy is not just
presiding over the pomp and
ceremony of the launching — like
blessing the shrimp fleet — but to
help keep the marriage together
six months after the bride and
groom learn what living with
each other is really like".
There are a lot of people con-
cerned that we find our way back
to more simple services and re-
ceptions. 1, for one, want to add
my voice with the many who would
like to maintain and strengthen
the simplicity and natural beauty
of the marriage. It can be beauti-
ful without going broke in the
process.
The Saturday Fvening Post of
August 13, carried an excellent
study called, 'Nothing's Too Good
For My Daughter'. It Was sub-
titled, ;Ten foot wedding cakes,
$1,800. dresses, sound and color
movies, caviar in sculpted ice
and caged doves add up to a $7
billion dollar wedding business—
and near bankruptcy for the fath-
er of the bride'.
Bill Davidson writes, "The
simple quiet little wedding is
rapidly being replaced as an
American tradition by the big,
lavish, noisy bash".
In the U.S. "according to the
Department of Commerce wed-
dings and their accompanying
activities are costing Americans
$7.2 billion annually. Of this
about $3 billion is for the father
of the bride's direct wedding day
expenses or an average of $1,666
each for the record number of
1.8 million weddings that will
take place this year.
"But since the figure of $1,666
includes many thousands of
simple punch and cookie wedding
receptions in church basements
across the land it fails toportray
the flamboyance and extravag-
ance that are now the common
indulgence of the American mid-
dle class".
The author quotes many weird
and wonderful examples— "In
Los Angeles a newsstand operat-
or went in debt recently to give
his daughter a $3,000 wedding
and he lost his house and car.
Asked why he allowed himself
to overspend he replied, "I owed
her a decent wedding. I didn't
want to be ashamed'.
Bill Davidson goes on "Not
that extravagance is discouraged
by the wedding industry — a loose
term for caterers, clothiers,
ballroom managers, musicians,
florists and all the other adorn-
ers and fanc y-fulfillers w ho
serve the national wish for lav-
ish marriages".
"From the moment the en-
gagement announcement appears
in the newspaper the bride to be
and her family are subjected to a
high pressure selling campaign
which is virtually unequalled any-
where else in American busi-
ness".
Josephine Carroccio is a 20
year old student nurse who mail-
ed a coupon requesting informa-
tion on a silver pattern that in-
terested her even though she was
not yet considering marriage.
To this day she is receiving
swatches of wedding gown fab-
rics, birth control pamphlets,
invitations to visit tropical re-
sorts and ads for mother of the
bride dresses, lighting fixtures
for her new home, a well digging
service, gifts for bridesmaids
and ushers, wedding novelties,
prefabricated houses, rugs, fur-
niture and a heart shaped femin-
ine hygiene kit to take on her
honeymoon.
The shining standards attained by
this year's Grade 13 class at SHDHS
are certainly worthy of commendation,
with special congratulations to the five
from this area who attained an average
of over 80% to qualify as Ontario
Scholars.
Now that the 70 graduates have
been through the mill of what has been
termed a year of pressure, they will
probably admit that it wasn't so bad
after all, although there is no doubt
they had to work diligently to attain
the standards recorded here.
However, they did do it, and it
leads to the question of whether the
plans to eliminate Grade 13 entirely
are completely justified in view of the
fact the final year has been de-fused
to a great extent by a reduced empha-
sis on the June examinations.
It would be unfortunate to sacri-
fice some of the present important at-
tributes of Grade 13—study in depth,
One way to stop is to stop
Prime Minister Wilson of the Unit-
ed Kingdom thinks the way to do a
thing is to do it. So he has decided to
stop inflation in Britain by the effec-
tive means of stopping it. So he is put-
ting into effect or at least trying to
put into effect a law freezing all prices
and wages at their present level. He
is a labor government and one would
think its enactments would be approved
by Labor. Unfortunately that does not
seem to be the case. Mr. Wilson has
asked for only a six-month freeze as a
trial balloon to give general conditions
a chance to level down . . . a sort of
half-year holiday from price increases.
But labor won't agree to that short
respite from strikes and wage boosts.
One of his cabinet ministers, who is
also general secretary of a big labor
union, has deserted him and other La-
bor leaders are actively in opposition.
Nevertheless, it has always been
our belief that sooner or later we would
have to do something of that kind in
Canada if we are to avoid coming down
like a stick after going up like a
could well be if councils, or-
ganizations and private citizens
don't soon give some serious
thought to their activities.
With most organizations get-
ting back into the swing of things
next month, they should give
prime consideration as early as
possible to their plans for 1967.
If reade'r's have the idea that
one centennial project will suf-
fice, we should mention that the
community of St. Paul, Alberta,
has some 56 projects planned.
One of them may be of interest
to the Chamber of Commerce in
Grand Bend. The project is a
centennial sun tan.
Residents of the area have
been supplied with Centennial
shaped decals which are placed
at various locations on the body
while the person is enjoying some
relaxation at the beach or out in
the back yard.
As the tan progresses, the
shape of the decal remains white.
This appears to be the type
of attraction that our modern
youth would relish and the resort
area could receive some good
publicity by promoting such an
activitiy at their beach next sum-
mer.
government. It has the backing of
dental and medical associations
which see dental decay as civil-
ization's most widespread and
costly ailment.
On the basis of the figures
available, it is little wonder that
Exeter's dentists are busy. They
are probably filling and pulling
about three times as many teeth
as they would have to if the com-
munity instituted a fluoridation
campaign.
We suggest that the solution is
not the hiring of another dentist
to continue this unneeded prac-
tice with area residents es-
pecially youngsters. Council
should get the ball rolling to get
fluoridation instead.
* * *
With four months remaining
until Canada's centennial year of-
ficially arrives, our desk is
flooded each day with news about
happenings in regard to Expo 6'7
and also news of the many pro-
jects being undertaken across
this vast country.
One of the most noteworthy
items is the fact that many com-
munities are going all out to
celebrate this important occasion
and they have numerous activities
planned in addition to their one
central project.
Municipalities in this area have
also listed their centennial pro-
ject, but as yet there have been
few reports of any other activi-
ties listed and it indicates that
we may well be taking a back
seat to many in celebrating
throughout 1967.
we trust 1967 won't be a dis-
mal flop in this district, but it
A letter received by Exeter
council last week Indicated a
dental supply firm was interest-
ed in locating office space for
new dentists in Ontario com-
munities and requested informa-
tion in an apparent effort to see
whether Exeter required the ser-
vice of an additional dentist.
One member of council thought
the town could use another dent-
ist, noting the delay which often
arises in getting an appointment
with one of the three now located
here.
There is no question that the
local dentists are kept extremely
busy, but again we qu estion
whether the addition of another
dentist is really the answer to
this problem.
Some weeks ago we printed
some advice from the retiring
Medical Officer of Health for
Huron, Dr. R. M. Aldis, in which
he stated this community was
badly in need of fluoridation.
He predicted that at a cost of
only 15 to 20e per person per
year, tooth decay could be re-
duced by as much as two-thirds.
One of the most convincing
arguments in favour of fluorida-
tion came about by chance in the
Wisconsin city of Antigoa, which
stopped fluoridation after using
it for 10 years.
Within four years, tooth decay
among kindergarten pupils rose
92%, among second-graders 183%
and among fourth-graders 100%.
Although fluoridation has been
attacked by many people, every
argument against it has been re-
futed in an exhaustive 16-year
research conducted by the federal
rocket. In the United Kingdom such a
move is even more needed than here.
Britain cannot raise enough food for
her own use and imports must be paid
for by exports. Britain cannot export
goods if her costs are higher than those
in competing countries. But Labor,
neither in Britain nor here, gives a
hoot about that. Its greed must be fed
though its feeding brings death to all
even itself.
The callous attitude of the strik-
ing hospital employees in Quebec to-
ward the unfortunate people under
their care is a splendid example of
the supremacy of greed today.
It is not likely that Ottawa will
take any similar steps to stop the spi-
raling living costs. Politicians can be,
tough when it comes to dealing with'
the sheeplike unorganized taxpayer
but they don't relish locking horns
with the Hoffas, big and little. Our hats
are off to Prime Minister Wilson. We
hope he gets away with it.
— Ridgetown Dominion
LETTERS T E EDITOR
Honor citizen
50 YEARS AGO
Fifteen were ticketed through
to the West on Saturday by Mr.
N. J. Dore, the local agent of
the Grand Trunk.
Jones & May are making ex-
tensive improvements to their
dry goods store. The millinery
department is being removed and
this will be used for a ready-to-
wear dept. The verandah is being
torn down to admit more light.
Bread went up in price Mon-
day morning from five cents to
seven cents.
The Main St. church, Exeter,
congregation had a bee on Tues-
day to draw home cement blocks
for their new shed which is being
erected to replace the frame one
destroyed by fire.
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11101111MNik.
0.01 'mem wirei ,
Published Each Thursday Morning at Exeter, Ont.
Authorized as Second Class Mail, Post Office Dept, Ottawa,
and for Payment of Postage in Cash
Paid in Advance Circulation, March 31, 1966, 4,180
SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada $5.00 Per Year; USA $7.00
25 YEARS AGO
Mr. E. J. Shapton's farm, Con.
Stephen Township has been sold
to Mr. Louis Davey whose farm
has been taken as part of the air-
port. Mr. and Mrs. Shapton will
move to Exeter to live.
Resurfacing of Highway 4 for
a distance of five miles south of
Exeter now is in progress.
Rev. Eric L. and Mrs. Ander-
sen, Lambeth, have announced
the engagement of their daughter
Bernice to Rev. it irOld ie. Currie
BaYfield, son of Mr. and Mrs.
John Currie, Lambeth, the mar-
riage to take place in Lambeth
United Church Saturday, Septem-
ber 6.
Miss Rota Rowe leaves Satur-
day for Blind River where she
has accepted a position on the
public school staff,
15 YEARS AGO
Students at SHDHS are harvest-
ing their garden produce and
packing it in their own home-
made storage accommodation in
the barn so they'll be able to
eat it in the school cafeteria in
the winler months. This is part
of the ag. course being taught by
Andrew Dixon and John Mahon.
Town Council authorized the
removal of boulevards on both
sides of Main Si, north of Huron
st. and the surfacing of the street
to the curb at its meeting Tues-
day.
The first group of RCAF post-
war airwomen will arrive at
Grand Bend airport next week to
enter the only School of Flying
Control in North America. The
airwomen will take the control
assistants course along with air-
men.
Seven buses operated by
Guenther Transport, Dashwood,
will be required to carry 280
pupils to SHDHS this year.
10 YEARS AGO
Ontario Department of Educa-
tion has approved architects
plans for the new $120,000 Hen-
sail Public School, Board Chair-
man Howard Scane announced
this week.
There are 23 contestants for
the "Miss Grand Bend" crown
and a Cash prize of $260 at Grand
Bend for Labor Day.
Town public works department
Started dumping garbage in the
new refuse ground in flay Town-
ship this week, The new dump is
three miles west of town on High-
way 88. '''' aMgdAWERMWESZEZZOV;:alint
Dear Sir:
Life in a small community
takes a great deal out of those
who contribute to its well being
and forward strides. There are
no material rewards and some-
times even public recognition is
slow.
In other communities a special
citizen's award recognizes the
efforts of those who have served
their community far above and
beyond the call of duty.
Exeter could institute such an
award in addition to its existing
centennial project and thus it
could serve, through the years,
as a reminder of this occasion.
To make such an award even
more significant a stipend of
$500 to $1,000 might be con-
sidered. The money could come
from service groups or even the
town itself since the ratepayers
whose money would be spent for
such an award, most likely would
have received a full value before-
,hand.
The candidates could be nomi-
nated by individuals, groups,
civic organizations etc., and a
panel or jury could pick the
citizen of the year on the merit
of facts supplied.
Your newspaper, no doubt,
would be quite helpful in dis-
seminating such information.
Even the fact that a Citizen
has been nominated, would mean
a certain honor and recognition.
A plaque or diploma Mild be
presented to those on a special
citizens' night.
I believe this would help to
revive a greater interest in the
community providing also a
record and encouragement for the
future generations.
V.B,
This summer, I've been out in
a boat only twice, but each was
memorable in its fashion.
The first time, old friends
called and told us to be at their
cottage sharp at noon next day.
They were entertaining friends
from the States and wanted us
to join them for a special scenic
ride by chartered boat.
It sounded interesting. And it
was. We drove 50 miles to their
cottage. Light refreshments and
we all piled into two cars and
drove 15 miles to Tobermory.
The boat's skipper was an old
friend, Archie Simpson, and we
exchanged, "Long-time-no-
see's."
Everything went swimmingly.
It was a beautiful afternoon, our
host had provided all the trim-
mings, the company was pleas-
ant and the scenery superb as
we cruised along the rugged north
shore of the Bruce Peninsula.
Then the breeze freshened. We
began to wallow a bit. Nothing
serious, but two of the party
began turning a pale green. Should
We go on or turn back? It was
decided to press on, pull into
Wingfield Basin, and wait for the
breeze to drop.
It didn't. It became a wind.
The skipper said it would be a
rough trip back, The ladies looked
longingly at the shore. After
two hours, our host, stout chap,
borrowed a dinghy and rowed
500 yards to the lighthouse, made
arrangements, and rowed back,
without even suffering a cor-
onary.
We Went ashore. Two cars
Were available. We would drive
to Tobermory, pick up our own
cars, and drive back to the cot-
tage. But who was going to drive
the two cars back to the light-
house?
That was only the beginning
of the coMplications, too Involved
to relate here. 130t1) ears broke
down. The rear end went on one
just as we reached Tobermory,
and the other crept into the
village sans brakes.
The ladies, grimy but glad,
took one of our own cars and
went back to the cottage. My
host, another chap and myself
spent two hours and drove about
80 miles, organizing the return
of the borrowed cars.
But it all ended pleasantly,
with hamburgers at the cottage
about 10 pm. Midnight found me
arguing racial problems with a
big, dumb Norwegian lawyer from
Chicago. He's so dumb he has
only three million dollars to his
name. And we still had to drive
50 miles home.
A memorable boat ride. Ten
miles by boat and 250 by car.
But good clean fun all the way.
The other boat ride was a typ-
ical Smiley event. Kim and I
went out in her uncle's boat,
after a three-minute period of
instruction. She insisted on driv-
ing, though she'd never steered
anything more powerful than a
canoes
We staggered about the lake,
she grinning wildly, I rigid with
fear in the bow. Four miles from
the home dock, we hit bottom.
"Drop the anchor! Man over-
board! Hard astern!" I yelled
these and a few Other salty, sea-
going terms. Too late. We had
sheared a pin, whatever that
means.
I spoke silently to myself for
about five minutes, head bowed
as if in prayer. Then I reached
for the paddle. No paddle. We
Made it ashore in 40 minutes,
using bur hands as paddles.
She stuck with the ship.I waded
rocky shoreline and clambered,
bare-footed, through poison ivy,
seeking help. Three hours after
we had set Out on a 15-ininute
whirl about the lake, we got back
to port. Mama was waiting.
If you're planning a boat trip,
perhaps you shouldn't ask yours
truly along,
ii