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The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1968-04-11, Page 4One of bitter pills Members of the Exeter Teen Town executive were most perturbed ,Over the 'news story last week in which members of1.;otor .council expressed, concern over drinking at local 'dances.. Their reaction is understandable 4ecause people .of all age levels suffer from general comments about persons within 'their age levels or groups, We knout the position well, be, cause we suffer through those periodic attacks made on "the press" when in fact people are referring to only one or two newspapers. We should also point out to the teenagers that mem, bers of Exeter council also face this unpleasant situation and are criticized in general terms when the criticism should really only go to one or two members who have voiced unpopular opinions. This is one of those "bitter pills" we all face in life and our teenagers will have to be accustomed to it, be- cause in future years they will have to, live with criticisms made of their groups in general because of the action of small groups, whether it be as uni- versity students, doctors, teachers, pol- iticians, trade unionists, etc., etc. Getting back to last week's coun- cil session, concern was expressed over rumors of drinking among patrons at- tending Teen Town dances. These ru- mors are prevalent in the community and we doubt that any of the teen-- agers will deny that there are certain people who are under the influence of alcohol at local dances. This being the case, council mem- bers are to be commended for urging the police to watch the situation more Closely so this undesirable element will be discouraged in attending local dances and giving Teen Town an unfavorable reputation. This newpaper made the situation public so parents would be made aware that teenagers are drinking in the hope that some of those parents will take steps to make certain their children Are not among those involved. ObVir wrong it's. most' difficult to correct wrong if people don't lcoow the wrong existS. A suggestion has been made by some teenagers that council should have discussed the problem with them, and we should explain this: was sug. gested but members of the Teen TolVII executive had departed from their meeting next door' before the subject was discussed, Otherwise, this might have been done. However,. we hope the teenagers realize that the discussion was not held in an effort to put them. in a bad light in the community. In fact, the matter was approached 'in an effort to nate the unwanted drinking element from the dance and make Teen Town the better for it. This community has watched with pride the activities of Teen Town in re, cent years, and some of the staunchest supporters are members of council and the -discussion last week was an indica- tion of that fact because councillors do not want to see the group degenerate through the actions of a certain ele- ment who attend their dances. * Councillor Ted Wright's statement that some parents were considering the formation of a new Teen Town be- cause the dances run by the present one are rowdy is difficult to explain. We suspect his choice of the word "rowdy" may have been incorrect, be- cause in our appearances as a chap- eron we have never found this to be the case. Oh yes, it's noisy and the dance steps are constituted of flailing arms and legs, and we suppose there are those who would consider it rowdy up- on a casual observation. But excluding the noise and dance styles, the action of the kids is no dif- ferent than what could have been wit- nessed at dances in any bygone days. . . . And they is us Events taking place within a few, short miles of us are of the most fright- ening nature and almost impossible to comprehend. Much the same feeling existed when the riot of last summer broke out in Detroit, but the situation as it ex- ists now with scores of major U.S. cities under siege at the same time presents a picture that is nothing short of a nightmare. Mention is made of civil war and chaos and one wonders just where our neighbors to the south are heading. For their own well being, and to a great extent ours as well, it is to be hoped reason soon returns. In one of his last interviews before his senseless murder, Dr. Martin Luther King mentioned that "human nature is frail". He no doubt would be shocked to see just how frail it can be in that a shot fired by a mad man could put an entire nation on the brink of disas- ter. During one of the marches on Sun- day, one placard carried the slogan, "we have seen the enemy and they is us". Herein 'lies the crux of the prob- lem. Whites and blacks must realize that the "enemy" can not be overcome by forceful methods, but only by adopt- ing policies to eradicate the problems that have been allowed to exist and grow through many years of doing nothing. The guidelines have already been prepared, and while originally turned down because they were considered too costly, it is now clearly evident that to ignore them is really too costly. More signs of spring Sign that spring is here to stay are the many additions to the sheep population at the farm of Gerald Dearing on Concession 2 in Stephen Township. Gerald is carrying on the tradition of his father Preston of taking most of the awards at district fairs. Above, Ann, peter and preston Dearing are shown with a trio of the new lambs. T-A photo Davies Grant & Patterson CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS Municipal Auditors • DEVON BUILDING PH 235-0120 EXETER • Office Hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. this Sunday, Wednesday afternoon. and Ourina the 0'1,111110 througheUt the week. Snell Bros, I • • High value • mortgage loans Need money to buy, build, improve or refinance? We have it. Let our experienced mortgage specialists tailor-fit a mortgage loan to help you. Your repayment plans can be spread to meet your needs with easy payments over twenty years. There's a nearby office of Victoria and Grey to serve you. Talk it over today with Victoria and Grey. VICTORIA AND GREY TRUST SERVICE PRICE VMain Street, Eketer Phone 235.15g2 Since 1889 4 • %do:awl*/ . Nicola PINE Tyee CEDAR Each panel is random planked, with V- grooves to accentuate the effect, The sur- face is factory finished With a hard, clear synthetic resin which needs no treatment of any kind; no sealing, staining, sanding, oiling, waking or varnishing. Furthermore, the lustrous, satin-smooth finish is highly resistant to dents, scratches and hard usage and can be cleaned easily with a damp cloth. 4 x 8''A" panels VC 95 While they last. Only NI each BEAVER LUMBER • • • Asks readers to settle debate v he leads those 'idiots' Received aletter recently from the Managing Editor, no less, of the Petrolla (Ont.) Advertiser- Topic, one of the papers that runs my column. Gee, I Wish I were a Managing Editor, and could dash off memos that would make people shake in their shoes. Once Upon a time I was a Managing Editor. It Meant that I was allowed to carry the bags of newspapers up to the post office on press day. But 1 never got to write any terse memos. The letter reads: "Smiley: I'm getting so weary of those columns on education and teen- agers. Talk about adults. I dis- trust teachers who talk about school and students. You're bet- ter as a non-ekpott. One more education column and I cancel. Regards, Chas. WhiPP" Now, who could resist answer- ing such a belle lettre? I couldn't. "My Dear Mr. Whipp: Thank you for your warm and courteous letter. It brightened up my whole day. But I think you have me confused with columnist Richard Needham of the Globe and Mail, who preaches rank anarchy day after day, exhorting students to drop out, see the world, forget about a forrrial education, live and love. I'm as straight and square as they come, as my daughter (whoops, there's a teen-ager) will assure you. 1 deplore the Use of drink, drugs and demon- strations by students. I Urge them to drop in, not out, and find out what the mysteties of life are all about, Now, let's have a look. Yon're weary of columns oh education and teen=agers. Why? Were you or.ce bitten (or bitten) by a teach- er when you were a teen-ager? Second, education takes about half your tax dollars. And within a couple of decades, adults will be outnumbered by adolescents. A couple of horrible thoughts, but surely worth a column occas- ionally. Third, my columns about these topics bring more mail than any others, The letters are funny, poignant, sympathetic, tragic, One lady wrote telling me I'd helped her son. Another poured out her heart over the death of her 16-year-old. Fourth, I think a check would reveal that these topics are far from dominating the column. I'd get sick of them if they did. Why not let your readers decide? All your readers not justa couple of cranks. You know, I do write about sports, the family, the church, politics, the seasons and 'W. • . Amalgamated 1924 class --A tOtitiOunity The Liberal party has made its choice in electing Pierre Elliott Trudeau as their new leader and as such our new Prime Minister. Six months ago, one would have been considered slightly off his rocker to even suggest that Mr, Trudeau would win the confidence of the Liberals at a leadership convention, without even taking into consideration the fact he called them a "bunch of idiots" as recently as 1962. However, this virtually un- known was quickly backed by a few major figures in the party, and quickly captured the imag- ination of people from coast to coast during his campaign. "In a nation where politicians usually come in shades of gray, Trudeau is different", wrote one leading U.S. magazine before the convention. An unashamed swinger, he is, at the same time an intellectual. He drives fast cars, writes boOks, squires beautiful women about the capital, skis, skin dives, and is a brown-belt judo expert. This made him an instant hit with the younger generation, al- though no doubt lost him votes from some staid members of the party who doubt this is the type of man one needs to lead a country. * * * * While we haven't had that much opportunity to listen to the new Liberal leader, a TV show Sun- day night did give us an insight into this man and we liked what we saw. He appears to have an unique ability to pick a time to play and a time to be serious and his quick wit and infectious smile will do much to win votes. anything else that is part of Modern life, Next, you say, "Talk about adults." I do. But adults are merely teen-agers our of their teens. I've nothing against them. Some of my best friends are adults. But how would you like yeti' sister to marry one? Then you say, "I disttUet teachers who talk about school and students." I don't distrust Managing Editors who talk about newspapers or dentists who talk about dentutes. Who would you trust to talk about school and students? Managing editors? Plumbers? Doctors? Hair dres- sers? Again, 4+You're better as a tion-eXpett," Dear Mr. W., that's exactly What I ant, in the field of education, and arty Other field you can mention. And I think that's why 86 many other 'nen,. experts read the column. They're a little disillusioned with the glib solutions of the experts and identify With the amateur, like me. Finally,, you threaten to cancel Itnlett I comply. Others have tried to lean On me 'before: politicians, advertisers, preaCh- ors, the educational eetablieh.- trient, to name a feW, But never before a managing tditor. Maybe I should be flattered. But I don't flatter, or flatten, that easily: Education, SCh661, students, teeti,agert. Thete,tive Said all the dirty words. It's free Country, CanCel if you will, N'eve'r mind 'about my wife and btaint, And regards 'without rancour to YOU, dear Chat. Bill Smiley." Ys Mr. Whipp right? I'M Often V7rOfit. iteadert Are Invited to glue their opinions to shim at the paint, Vetrollif Ont., Or the, at 303 Hugel Ave., Midland ; ont., or to their looal 'editor. Let's hear it, In the matter of personalities, there is little in common be- tween Trudeau and PC chief Robert Stanfield, although there is no doubt that each will gain support on the very basis of his personality. It's a simple fact that regard- less of a man's virtues or per- sonality, he can expect to at- tract as well as lost voters be- cause of them. Both major parties are now on equal grounds in having new leaders who are not well known across Canada. Their parties' conventions have done much to stimulate interest in politics across the nation and both lead- ers have been heralded by the public in general. Most expect a federal elec- tion later this year and the two men will face busy schedules as they attempt to push their parties to new heights. politics has shed its faces of the past decade and which of the new faces will emerge as the greater remains to be seen. * * * Similar to the PC convention, the Liberal event was filled with excitement and color and a great number of reporters who often appear unable to come up with realistic questions. However, it is still a fact that those of'.us at home knew more of what was going on than those in attendance at the con- vention. For instance, we were the first to know that Mr. Trudeau enjoyed eating grapes and that Mr. Greene was an apple lover. Many experts were on hand to analyze the results of each ballot and to indicate what the 50 YEARS AGO The town fathers have erected notices on the outskirts of Cred- iton warning the public not to drive more than 12 miles an hour through the corporation. This notice should be observed as there is too much epeeding. One man in Exeter Saturday evening at a given hour counted 80 automobiles parked on the business section of Main Street. They are more common than horses and rigs ever were. The fine brick residence owned by James Walters on Albert St., was sold Monday to Mr. W. W. Taman of town who takes pos- session immediately. Mr. Linden Harvey has taken first class third year honors in philosophy at Toronto University and has gone to Wild Rose, Sask. to take charge of a mission for the summer. 25 YEARS AGO P/0 Larry snider was one of 23 airmen to whorti honor has been awarded in recognition of their contribution in training pilots, P/C Snider received the Airforce Ctess. He le Stationed at No. 3 Flying Instructors' School at Arnptier. The Exeter Lions Club has planned a victor gatcren and has rented four and a half acres of land from Mr. Van Camp on Huron St, on which string beant for the Canning FactorY will be grown. .. lion. Barry G. Nixon, former provincial secretary in Ontario, was elected to the leadership Of the Liberal PartY at a conVention of theLiberal Association in ter- Onto last Friday. AC2 Joseph Creech has 'com- pleted his course at en 01'6- engine-Mechanic with the RCAF` having headed hie 'elate as honer results suggested, but in the end we learned that they didn't know any more of what was to happen than anyone else. In fact the clearly opposing views of the experts added to the suspense because many people may have been able to figure things out better for them- selves if they hadn't listened to the conflicting point of views ex- pressed. The outcome proved beyond any doubt that the only way to figure out the winner on a secret ballot is to wait until the ballots have been counted. This is not only due to the conflicting opinions of the com- mentators, but also because many delegates don't necessarily vote as they might indicate upon ques- tioning. * * * * In looking back over the per- iod of the past, month or so, we doubt that there have been many times in history when so many major events shook the world. First we had the gold crisis and the ensuing establishment of a double standard; thenPresi- dent Johnson announced he would not contest the next U.S. election and at the same time he reported his plan to help bring peace in Vietnam; this was followed by the shooting of Dr. King and the following riots in many cities; and finally Canada gained a new Prime Minister. The details surrounding each of these could well lead to any one of them becoming the "news 'story" of the year and we still have over eight months to go. We hardly dare to imagine what could lie ahead. student. He is being posted at the St. Thomas TTS as an instructor. 15 YEARS AGO Exeter's tax rate will be 60 Mills—highest in the town's his- tory. Grand Bend will float a$65,000 debenture loan to construct a two- teem addition to its public echool. A carelessly tossed cigarette or match was believed reepen,. sible for fora four-hour grassfire which destroyed the tinder growth of about 300 acres Of The Pinery Wedneeday. Group Captain W. W. RC AF, commanding officer of RCAF, Centralia, announced Wednesday his, station is planning to Cele- brate COrOnatiOn Day June 2 With a special program which will be Open to the public, 10 YEARS AGO Gord Baynhatn, electrician at RCAF Station, Centralia, was elected president of Exeter Kins- men Club for 1958-59 at a meet- ing in the Burkley restaurant, Thursday night. Bruce Tuckey has purchased the 70-acre farm and house of Warten Sanders on Highway 83. Mr. Sanders has purchased a lot from Allan Fraser on Waterloo St. and plans to build a hothe this simmer. Bruce perry, SIIERS teacher, has purchased the home of Ralph SWeitzer, Senior Street. Mr. Sweitzer plans to move to the Win of the late Richard yellow on Thames Road. Eketor Lions sold hundreds of brooms to town householders last week in a "clean sweep" fund-raising drive, Chairman of the campaign was C. S. Mac- Naughton; the PC Candidate in the May 12 by-oleetiOn, Times Established 1873 Advocate Established 1881 exeferZnies-Akfuixafe SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND C.W.N.A., 0.W.N.A., CLASS 'A' and ABC Publishers: .1. M. Southcott, R. M. Southcott Editor: 13111 Batten Advertising Manager: Howie Wright Phone 235-1331 Published Each Thuriday Morning at Exeter, Ontario Authorized as Second Class Mail, Post OffiCe De'p't,Ottawa, and tar Payniefit Postage in Ca'. Paid in Advance Circulation„ September 30, 1467, 4,338 tUttsCRIPTION IZATEtt Canada SSA Per 'Year; USA VOlgtagifinaltkIRUSCAMMUSISiWaPat 4,'":"..:'&41;.•%•:kkt'',A.,`.‘<?VtAii•...:e,i,04k.W..::.12:• • ,„.,..;.fts.WS•n,.4.