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The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1972-10-19, Page 4OUR POINT OF VI Could be chaotic YAM MAIO HADOPARitt 1/6. L141/111. lAtftit MIr MIK leS *mit WI "First the good news from our survey — 54 per cent 01 the people polled never heard of you . . Ratepayers' Meeting Wed., Nov. 1 8:00 p.m. EXETER TOWN HALL Come Out And Discuss The Operation of the Town With the 1971-72 Council. NOTE — THIS IS NOT A NOMINATION MEETING SIto ed4 7-4 ad, Wrong approach Ontario's Environment Department recently announced it would spend $150,000 on advertising to get people to pick up their litter. Shortly afterward the Consumers Association of Canada criticized this method of controlling litter and asked for legislation instead. However, unless the legislation was enforced it wouldn't work either. We have anti-noise laws now but do you ever see a policeman stopping a car racing and roaring up the street without a muffler, or are there any fewer noisy motorcycles or sports cars disturbing the peace on residential areas? Unless some attempt is made to enforce legislation by authorities such as the police or by citizens groups through protest, the problem will continue. We have highway signs now reading $50.00 Fine for Dumping Trash" ori,. some other such warning. 'Does'-it stop people from dumping trash? Obviously not. Most intelligent people today are aware of our serious environmental problems and are likely to regard the Ontario Environment advertising campaign as a feeble gesture in the wrong place. If instead they spent the money on cooperative programs with industry to recycle tin cans, bottles and paper, offering some benefit to the public for collecting these and turning them in at government supported depots in turn, to be transported to industry, this service would benefit everyone. Without intelligent planning to follow up litter collection, although unsightly, it might just as well lie on the camp ground, the park, or the ravine to be recycled eventually by Nature. The problem is disposal and $150,000 of taxpayers money should be directed towards the solution to THAT rather than into advertising to tell us that we are litter-bugs. Contributed I rest in bed and look at me Times Established 1873 Advocate Established 1881 Amalgamated 1924 exeleames-ifitiorafe SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND C.W.N.A., O.W.N.A., CLASS 'A' and ABC Editor — Bill Batten — Advertising Manager Assistant Editor — Ross Haugh Women's Editor — Gwyn Whilsmith Phone 235.1331 Published Each Thursday Morning at Exeter, Ontario Second Class Mail Registration Number 0386 Paid in Advance Circulation, March 31, 1972, 5,037 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada $8.00 Per Year; USA $10.00 When you want money to build or to buy, come directly where money is. Come to your friendly local branch of Victoria and Grey Trust. Eighty years of training and experience in serving people like you are behind the sage counsel and advice you'll get at Victoria and Grey — the same place you get the money you need. Come in today — direct to Victoria and Grey. VG The senior Trust Company devoted entirely to serving the people of Ontario. WCTORM and GREY TRUST COMPANY SINCE 1889 The Best of Both Worlds! Fashion PLUS Warmth et Vf s), ei We Have An Exciting Array of WINTER COATS and JACKETS Rugged • Fashionable • Warm They come in leather, suedine, nylon, rawhide and plaids. SEE OUR SELECTION TODAY George men 33 etioppe Vriese WAIN ST, The Store With the Stock EXETER Municipal election procedures have always been dictated by the provincial government, and rightly so. Some rules and regulations had to be set up to bring some continuity to the procedure. However, the provincial powers over-stepped their marks with their sweeping changes for this year's provincial elections, The result could be complete chaos. The problem is that what works in Toronto or some other metropolitan area will not necessarily work in rural Ontario. Many city council members are paid to the point that it is a full-time job with them. Elected officials in smaller communities perform their tasks out of a sense of dedication and the pittance they receive in no way covers the amount of time and abuse with which they are faced. Be that as it may, changes have been made and we'll have to put up with it. No longer will municipal officials be nominated at a ratepayers' meeting. Those wishing to run for office must have the signatures of 10 qualified voters and submit their nominations to the clerk's office. A nomination meeting will not be held. In past years, rural communities have had problems attracting candidates. On many occasions one's attendance at a nomination meeting was the sole criteria on which he was presented for office. lie was "talked into it" by others at the meeting who realized there were vacancies to be filled. On occasions, "undesirable" candidates got themselves nominated at such meetings and others at the meeting then took steps to make certain there would be an election to keep these undesirable candidates out of office, These situations will not present themselves this year. The onus is strictly on the candidate to make up his own mind and then get the required signatures. However, it also puts considerable onus on ratepayers to make certain that people who would make strong administrators are urged to seek office. It's not too early to be looking about for such people, or to consider running yourself. Certainly, the new regulations require that all diligent ratepayers keep abreast of what is going on so they can take whatever steps are open to them to keep local council posts filled by capable persons. Payment is the big issue It takes some people a long time to realize that they are completely dispensable. I realized it years ago, but keep forgetting until something jolts me, Today it's the mother and father of all colds. I haven't missed a day's work in about three years, at times tottering off to the job with one foot in the grave. For some reason, I had the conceit to imagine that the entire English department, if not the whole school system, would crack, crumble and collapse if I weren't there. Common sense tells me that if I were ill for a month, nobody would know the difference, and that if I dropped dead this moment the human race would not falter for a second in its pursuit of folly, happiness and all the other things that make it tick. So, here I am surrounded by soggy kleenex, coughing up chunks of lung, and sweating like a mule-skinner every time I do anything more vigourous than blink my eyes. But it's not all bad, My wife is dancing attendance . on me, something she rarely does because I'm almost never ill. I have a good, foolish detective story which I'd normally never have time to read. And perhaps most important of all, I have this lazy, hazy feeling that I have stopped the world and got off, even if only for twenty- four hours. My wife has just forced on me, quite against my will, a large libation of hot water, lemon, sugar and some sort of cough medicine with the odd name of Teachers' Highland Cream. It makes me sweat, but certainly eases the cough. In fact, it makes life look almost rosy. I hope she doesn't run out of lemons. And stuff. Isn't it a pity, though, that we go through life, or the biggest part of it, with this feeling that we're so important, when we're less than ants on the face of the earth? Businessmen flog themselves daily to meet the competition. Executives and lawyers drag home their brief cases. Doctors burn themselves out in twenty years of inordinately long hours, Teachers develop ulcers or quietly go mad. Why don't we all relax a little more often and let the earth take a few spins without us? Perhaps the most guilty of all are politicians. Right now the country resembles a disturbed bee-hive as our politicians hurtle about, every one of them con- vinced that his constituency, his party, and his country will go to the dogs if he, personally, is not elected. God forbid, but what would actually happen if Trudeau, Stanfield, Lewis and Caouette had a four-way air collision, which is not an impossibility at the rate they're haring about their homeland? Would we just have to throw up our hands and sell the country to the highest bidder? Fat chance. There'd be enough power-hungry men and women, or just plain idiots, to fill their shoes before the bits were picked up, Nobody is irreplaceable. The sky didn't fall in when the British kicked their great war-time leader, Winston Churchill, out of office. The States didn't disin- tegrate after, the deaths of Lin- coln, Roosevelt, Kennedy. When Joe Stalin finally expired, Russia didn't exactly hit the skids. It seems that the only way to stay Off that treadmill of feeling While unemployment is becoming one of the main planks of the opposition parties in the federal election, most people appear to be more concerned with the situation regarding unemployment insurance and some welfare schemes. The point is, that many Canadians are convinced that a large number on the unem- ployment statistics are there by their own choosing anctAittle sympathy is expressed. Many Canadians are also vexed over some of the money spent by the Trudeau govern- ment in creating jobs; par- ticularly some of the schemes for which funds have been made available under the Opportunities for Youth program. The question then arises as to just how many Canadian families are in dire need from lack of jobs. Even in this community, there are people receiving unem- ployment benefits who don't have the least desire to get a job. They have been employed in seasonal work to augment their income and are not interested in full-time employment. Having paid into the unem- ployment insurance fund, they naturally feel they are entitled to the benefits as long as they are eligible and few will deny their right to that position. It is apparent that a more detailed study is required on unemployment figures and perhaps new guidelines established for those wishing to draw benefits. The Canandian public will not have much sympathy for those unemployed as long as they continue to hear stories about people making unusually high wages.for seasonal work and then heading south for the winter while drawing unemployment insurance. + +.+. The unemployment insurance scheme, and not unemployment itself, is one of the main com- plaints we hear from area residents. Local employers have dif- ficulty filling jobs, with part of the reason being the fact people aren't interested in working for $100 to $125 per week when they can draw $100 a week for not working. In some cases they get paid more for not working. The work incentive has been taken away. While many people toss the indispensable is to be poor. The fewer our possessions, the freer we are to step off the merry-go- round, take a look at the won- derful world we live in, and realize that we are about as in- dividually important as grains of sand, I have a fellow just like that sitting downstairs talking to his mother. He drifted in this mor- ning from Montreal. He's off to Alaska to spread the Baha'i faith. How is he going to get there? Well, if he can get to Penticton by Friday, he'll catch a ride north with some friends. I point out that there is no way, short of flying, of getting to Penticton in two days. Oh, well, he may hitch-hike, going through northern Saskatchewan. (He got the hint that I wasn't going to loan him air fare.) Whatwas he going to take? Well, he has a sleeping bag and, a sweater and jeans and boots, and it's only about three thousands miles, so there's no problem, He's been to Mexico, New Orleans, New York and across Canada from coast to coast, His total assets are those listed aboife Physical, that is, On the other hand, he's completely bilingual and has an education no University could provide. Best Of all, he knows clearly that he is not indispensable. blame directly at the govern- ment, it is not their fault alone. A great portion of the problem stems from the fact too many people are willing to take ad- vantage of the system and also to take advantage of those who do work to pay their benefits. Prime Minister Trudeau has inserted "Canadian integrity" into his campaign, and while it is a rather vague term in the opinion of most Canadians, it may have been much better had he appealed to the integrity of Canadians, In many cases the integrity of Canadians is disappointing. +. +.+ Unfortunately, political campaigns are such that leaders of the opposition parties find it difficult to be positive in their campaigns. Obviously, Robert Stanfield is not going to indicate that unemployment insurance benefits are going to be with- drawn from a great many people. something like seven per- cent unemployed, it would cost him most of those votes if the unemployed thought the PC party was going to reduce or curtail their benefits, 'So, he goes about speaking only in generalities or criticising the government. Unfortunately, it gives the uncommitted voter no op- portunity to know exactly where the opposition parties stand on this major issue and it is one of the main problems with election campaigns. The voters know where the 50 Years Ago On Tuesday of this week, the Exeter Times purchased the Hensall Observer printing plant. 'The first snow of the season fell on Wednesday but soon dis- appeared. The hot fowl supper served by the ladies of the Trivitt Memorial Church in the Dome Rink on Wednesday evening was a decided success. Following the supper, the choir of the Presbyterian Church, Seaforth put on musical entertainment of a high order. Caven Presbyterian Church held a successful anniversary service on Sunday last. The church was filled in the morning and the evening service was held at Trivitt Memorial Church. A union choir composed of members from the different choirs of town furnished some splendid music, Rev. C. E. Evans, of St. Marys conducted the services. Rev. C. W. Down of the Saskatchewan Conference was a delegate to the General Conference in Toronto. 25 Years Ago Exeter Public School trustees have secured an extra room in the Exeter Legion Hall to relieve the congestion in the over- crowded classrooms of the school. Boy Scouts under their leader, Ted Buswell, gathered eight tons of scrap paper on Saturday. The Athletic Society of Exeter High School held a sweatersvving in Exeter Arena to pay for the athletes' trip to the W,O.S.S,A. Meet in London. Evelyn Desjardine, Grand Bend, carried off the gold medal in elocution at the contest spon- sored by tire W.C.T.U. A meeting to wind up the operations of Exeter District War Time Committee is being held in the council chambers on Priday, government stands on certain issues and they should expect the opposition parties to present their alternatives and not merely their criticisms. + +. +. One of the boys in blue at the OPP station advised us this week we could be facing an end to our facial foliage if the problems now growing in England arrive in Canada. Seems that across the pond an infestation of lice is reported among students. The problem is being placed squarely upon the shoulders of those who wear long hair, par- ticularly the males. It is noted that boys have not yet learned to live with their flowing locks and don't give it the attention required. Some get a shampoo only when it rains or when they, go swimming. . • Our concern of the epidemic spreading to these shores is.,the, fact there is only one cure for lice. You have to shave off every last scrap of hair and start from scratch—both literally and figuratively. Similar to wartime conditions, it may be necessary to set up "de- licing" stations for visitors arriving from abroad. Meanwhile, stay a good arm's length away from anyone you happen to spot doing an unusual amount of scratching. He may have 'em! 15 Years Ago The opening of the new $120,000 Hensall Public School Friday evening was attended by students, parents and interested citizens. A former teacher, Miss Mattie Ellis, with 36 years of service in the teaching profession had the honor of cutting the rib- bon to the new school. Joseph McCann, 34, RR 3, Dashwood was seriously injured Saturday morning when he was run over by a tractor. His left leg was fractured and he received numerous cuts about the head and right leg. Principal Greta Lavender of Zurich Public School cut the rib- bon to officially open a new $40,- 000 two-room addition to the school. Bill Batten was elected presi- dent of the Mid-Western Zone of the Christian Young Councillors Convention at a rally in Owen Sound this weekend. 10 Years Ago Exeter District Co-op announced this week it plans to erect a new store and office facilities at its location near the CNR station, A 30-foot extension will be added to the new warehouse, erected last year on the east side of Station street. Harvey Pfaff, Exeter , post- master, has resigned as area co- ordinator for the emergency measures organization. John Snell, president of the Exeter teen town was named editor of the Ink Spot at an elec- tion held among the students at SHDHS Tuesday. The 17-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs, Russ Snell will head the nine-member ex- ecutive who will handle the work of the school's annual year book. A private airplane flipped on its back Wednesday while making a landing on the Haigrneier farm south of Grand Bend, None of the occupants was injured, The craft came from the Tillsonburg area and mechanics flew up to disassemble the craft. For mortgages see us first!