The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1974-04-18, Page 4OUR OINT OF VIEW
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Spring clean-up'
• Your opinions solicited
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SUBSCRIPTION RATES;
Justice needlessly delayed
If justice delayed is justice denied, then
it's high time something was done to im-
prove the workings of provincial courts.
Last Friday's special court sitting in Ex-
eter, for instance, was almost a complete
waste of time for numerous people in-
volved.
There were a total of 17 names on the
court docket and of those, only three had
their charges settled.
Present at court were one judge, one
crown attorney, one duty counsel, one
defence lawyer, about half a dozen
policemen, one court stenographer, most of
the accused people, and at least one crown
witness,
The number of man hours involved -
and the cost of those man hours - would be
staggering, especially when one considers
some of the "high priced help" involved are
in the $30,000 plus salary brackets.
Court was scheduled to start at 10:30
a.m. It got underway at 10:50, At 11:45
a,m., a recess of 20 minutes was called. The
recess lasted until 12:15 and then court sat
for another 15 minutes, being adjourned for
the day at 12:30.
That's an actual working time of one
hour and 10 minutes.
The main result of the court sitting, as
it turned out, was to set trial dates for most
of the accused people. Some were set aside
until as late as July 23 on the basis, there
wasn't time on court sittings prior to that to
hear the cases.
It should be rather obviOus that some
extremely poor planning is involved.
While court officials were decrying the.
long delay in hearing cases due to time
problems, almost an entire -day was
"wasted." Many of the trials could have
proceeded on that very day if someone had
taken the time to do a bit of planning.
Multiply it by the number of other
"wasted" days and it becomes evident that.
many of the delays in fulfilling the task of
the court are needless.
Surely, some one must be responsible
for this poor planning, and someone must
be responsible for making the necessary
alterations to end the absurdity,
Another of the basic problems is the
fact that courts are manipulated by a great
extent by defence lawyers, most of whom
follow the basic philosophy that delaying
tactics are among the best forms of
defence.
After all, the longer you delay a trial,
the more difficult it becomes for witnesses
to identify suspects, In some cases,
witnesses even die or move away.
Defence lawyers of course, appear to
be able to delay cases in some courts for
long periods of time.
For instance, the cases of a group of
Windsor motorcyclists charged with rape
last Victoria Day weekend, probably won't
be settled until long after this Victoria Day
weekend. The memories of crown
witnesses will be seriously dulled with such
long delays, all to the benefit of the accused
people, and indirectly, to the defence
lawyers.
That's not justice!
"Remember that gold watch we gave Smithers, the janitor, when he retired?
Well, hg melted it down and bought us out!"
Government for the people
two-mile stretch on one street,
there must have been almost a
dozen of them,
There was the home of the "Big
Mac", the "Big Boy", and even
the "Whopper".
Most appeared to be busy,
indicating that convenience is
profitable even in these times
when many people complain
about the high cost of eating,
+ + +
You can well imagine their
embarrassment in having this
happen when the local newspaper
editor was sitting in a car in the
next lane.
We had our camera already to
snap a shot of them being led
away for questioning, but alas
they were freed to proceed after a
cursory glance through the trunk.
The blackbirds are back
nesting in the carport, We wit-
ness their return each year with
groans of 'Oh, no, not them
again. '
They're so bold. Not once have
they asked if we minded them
moving in bearing bushels of
straw and twigs to shore up their
already overstuffed walls, Their
every action implies we should be
overjoyed to have them, It's
never occurred to them, ap-
parently, we might object to
them kicking out their litter on
the floor and splattering up the
car with their mess.
If they'd been well mannered
robins, or cheerful song sparrows
perhaps we wouldn't have
minded, But those bad tempered,.
scolding blackbirds well,
they're just too much.
Every spring I'd say to one of
the boys, "Now, you get right out
there and tear down that nest, We
just can't put with that mess
again." So, the boy would go out,
returning in a little while with a
sheepish look.
"Did you do the job?" I'd
demand.
"Well, I got the ladder and
started to take the nest down
but gosh, Mom, there were eggs
in it and I really couldn't
One year I went out and
supervised the razing myself but
the old birds were so stricken and
heartbroken I went around for
days with my head hung low
feeling like a murderer.
So now we just let them come
and we sweep up the straw and
wipe up the mess until the babies
have flown away. It's easier that
way.
Besides, they set off the signal
that Spring has arrived and time
for me to rustle around and stir
up my own nest.
While Mama Blackbird flaps
around bossing Paper Blackbird
into fixing up their house I rush
out to buy paint and brushes and
coax my husband into helping
decorate the bedrooms, wash the
windows and dig into Corners
until the whole house shines.
We work with a right good will
because it's the time for
freshening the renewal inside and
out.
Long ago the psalmist wrote
about it. 'Thou renewest the face
of the earth, 0 Lord,' he sang, He
had another song, too, 'Create in
me a clean heart, 0 God; and
renew a right spirit within me,'
This is a good time of year to
clean out our hearts as well as
our houses, Sweep down the
sticky old cobwebs of resentment
jealousy or selfishness.
When you throw away the trash
you've collected over the year,
toss out the other useless things
you've been hoarding like old
fears, hurt feelings, touchy
dispositions and unforgiving
spirits.
Perhaps there's a hole to be
mended in the upholstery of your
favorite chair. Now might be the
time to try to mend a broken
relationship with a friend or a
member of your family.
Most of us need to scrub out our
inner selves the same as we do
our houses; and just as the earth
is transformed each spring from
a bleak, cold lifeless time to
green, sun and blossom-filled
days so we can be changed into
radiant, sparkling people.
It's worth the effort, for Jesus
plainly- said, 'Unless a man be
born again (changed and made'
new) he cannot see the Kingdom
• of God'.
Most of us aren't up to this
massive clean-up job on our-
selves so He stands by to assist.
We only have to sincerely ask and
He will help to clear out the
ugliness and clutter of our lives.
Rejoice in the Springtime of the
year; let there be springtime in
our hearts!
The rights of
marriec women
But how does a master regain control of
a 'monster' that he himself created?
By cutting him down to size—a size the
individual can cope with and understand.
For a start, let the Department of
Education establish, branch offices of
jurisdiction in each municipality, with per-
sonnel who can communicate personally
with teachers, parents and taxpayers.
In like manner, re-establish branch
police offices in the same municipalities,
with personnel who will 'walk the beat' and
communicate with residents on a first-
name basis.
Give ; increased jurisdiction to
municipal councils—the members who kndw
the area and the people they serve. .
That's what the electorate is asking of
Queen's Park— government for(not from)
the people,
Are you listening Bill Davis?
—Stouffville Tribune
By ELMORE BOOMER
• - ,COunsellor for
Inf uriation South Huron
Fdrappointment
phone: 235-2715
or 235-2474
Some weeks ago, it was the
contention of the writer that the
Exeter Board of Trade should
conduct a survey among con-
sumers to determine their
wishes, rather than merely
subscribe to the opinions of local
merchants.
The point was that stores
depend on shoppers and therefore
the wishes of shoppers were, in
fact, of equal importance in
setting store hours and outlining
viewpoints on such things as
parking, congenial places to
shop, selection, goods and ser-
vices, etc.
Some members of the Board of
Trade executive had the same
idea and last week a consumer
survey was printed in this
newspaper to enable shoppers to
make their views known.
We trust readers will take the
time to fill out thequestionnaire,
so the number of returns will give
the merchants a base on which to
make decisions.
The survey is quite simple and
,will %.only" take a couple- of
minutes. ..!
So, dig out last week's paper,
fill out the form and deliver it to
the addresses listed,
+ + + (This week, K. I. McLean,
Exeter lawyer, is the guest
columnist for Mr. Boomer.)
Ask the local politician. Speak to the
once-local police constable. Talk to any
public or high school teacher. Speak to the
honest trustee.
Their stories are all the same, in any
area throughout the Region of York-
disillusionment, discontent, disgust.
Why? Because the V.I.P.'s at Queen's
Park are still obsessed with the theory that
`bigness is better'. We say bigness is not
better, at least not in an area like York
where personal contact still means so
much.
But still the 'peoples' Premier and his
cohorts press omprimArl;u1 ther,r9se-J1k
ment that s building up.
This hostilityOCCiirring. _because,.
more and more people are affected. No
longer is it only the individual who's caught
in the bureaucratic web of impersonal
authority and red tape, but the masses.
The once small trickle of discontent is
now a flood.
Despite the high cost of eating,
there appears to be no end to the
number of thriving businesses
providing quick meals.
The drive-in chains for chicken,
hamburgs, fish 'n chips, steaks,
pancakes, etc. have spots on
practically every block in most
cities and more and more are
springing up in, smaller com-
munities as well.
During the past weekend, the ,
Batten clan holidayed at Port
Huron and found an abundance of
locations at which to "dine". In a
+ + +
Our sympathy goes out this
week to all those who failed to
have their dream of becoming a
millionaire fulfilled in Monday's
Olympic lottery draw.
Despite the odds, it would be
interesting to know just how
many people had that "feeling"
they were going to have one of the
top prize winners.
Many no doubt had visions of
how the money would be spent,
but they'll have to wait now for
'the second draw in July.
Hoivever, with all the kid-
. riappingsia round, the world, there
is a suggestion ,you may-'have
been lucky to not win a million
bucks.
Your family would possibly end
up paying it all out in ransom.
But, then again they may not
think you're worth that much.
Personally, we couldn't stand
to have that much money. Just
think of all the fun you'd
miss . . there'd be no challenge
in knowing how you were going to
pay your bills each month.
What's• life without a
challenge?
Before leaving for home
Sunday morning, we set about the
task of totalling up our purchases
during the weekend to make our
declaration at the border.
The Canadian official at the
Bluewater bridge asked the
normal questions about our
length.of stay and the nature and
quantity of our purchases.
However, he then surprised us
by advising that we were free to
proceed without going into the
customs office to make a
declaration.
We assumed it was just 'our
honest appearance that. had
prompted such action, be t .some
friends who had spent the
weekend in Michigan reported
the same treatment, despite
having told the official they had
each purchased their allotted $25
in merchandise.
This is not to suggest entirely
they have not honest ap-
pearances too, but it is worth
noting that on the way across the
border on Friday they happened
to be the only people in a long
lineup that had to open their
trunk for the customs official.
Guess what? I'm a V.I.P.
A. Dixon of the Exeter High
School, together with two
students, Evelyn Desjardine and
Charles Cowen, attended OEA
convention in Toronto.
50 Years Ago
Mr. William Kernick en-
tertained about 65 youngsters of
Exeter to a maple taffy pull at his
sugar bush on the third con-
cession of Usborne on Good
Friday afternoon. The
youngsters had all the taffy they
could eat and needless to say had
a very jolly time.
Mr. Bruce Medd, who has
completed his year at the Guelph
O.A.0 leaves the latter part of the
week for Walkerville where he
has secured a position for the
summer with , Walkerside
Limited.
Mr. C. F. Hooper has pur-
chased a new Ford truck for his
egg business.
Miss Dorothy Balkwill, of
Stratford Normal, and Miss
Marguerite Kuntz of London
Normal School are spending the
Easter holidays at their
respective homes in town.
15 Years Ago
In a plebiscite, Wednesday,
Lucan residents will decide if
they wish to have• a government
liquour store established.
Thieves stole cash and mer-
chandise with a total value of $500
from GaschoBros. and Stade and
Weido hardware Friday night,
One hundred and sixty persons
sat down to dinner at the father
and son banquet for Boy Scouts of
Exeter, Wednesday.
Monday night was ladies night
at the ACTS men's club of James
St. United Church. Guest speaker
was Mrs. Bren deVries.
Exeter Mohawks won the
Western Ontario Athletic
Association Intermediate 'B'
hockey championship. Mohawks
chalked up 30 victories as against
five defeats throughout the
league and playoff action over
the season.
happy in the forces, and keen on
their jobs. It was quite a change
from the "rude and licentious
soldiery" of wartime, with its
constant grousing and grum-
bling.
I began my pilgrimage as a
VUP (Very Unimportant Per-
son), just my usual self. Up at
7:30 and a long, cold, boring bus
ride to Trenton. Hours to wait for
my flight. Nothing to do. Tired
already. Blizzard outside.
Everything fairly typical in other
words.
In despair I asked a couple of
ladies at an information desk if
there- were anywhere I could lie
down for a while. One of them -
she must have been my fairy
godmother said there was a
VIP lounge.
I went into it, expecting to be
thrown out, and a handsome
young pilot in there looked a bit
surprised, but pleasantly asked if
I'd like some coffee. We ex-
changed a few remarks. I told
him who I was and where I was
going. And suddenly, to my utter
incredulity I discovered that I
was a VIP.
Have you ever been a VIP? As
a matter of democratic principle,
I'm solidly against special
treatment for anybody. But when
it came to practice, I found it
delightful, and wondered what
the poor people were doing
tonight.
It has never happened to me
before, and probably never will
again, so I want to get the ex-
perience down here for posterity
and my grandchildren.
It happened during my recent
trip to Germany, courtesy of the
Department of National Defence.
Hold it, you taxpayers. It didn't
cost you a nickel. The plane was
going anyway, and I was told I'd
have to pay my own expenses
overseas. Fair enough.
The invitation was very casual,
and there were no strings at-
tached, though the Department
knew I write a syndicated
column. But I could have gone to
Germany, spent three days in a
beerhall, written nothing, and no
questions asked. I chose to do
otherwise.
Thus I had a quick but
enlightening look at that corn-
paratively recent hybrid, the
Canadian Armed Forces, the
rather pallid name chosen by
Paul Hellyer, when, as Minister
of Defence, he integrated the
Royal Canadian Navy, the
Canadian Army, and the Royal
Canadian Air Force.
Thatwas a bitter time for those
in the service, as each branch
had its special pride and
traditions, and foresaw these
being swept away in the in-
tegration process. Many of them
were, and the bitterness has not
completely dissolved.
But it probably made sense,
There is only one uniform now, a
reasonably attractive dark
green. There are no more Group
Captains or Lieutenant- Com-
manders. Army titles are used
throughout.
At any rate these were the
people I got tangled with for a few
days which I thoroughly enjoyed.
I talked with all ranks from
corporal to Brigadier-General. I
couldn't find a private, and still
wonder if there are any left in the
service. Generally, I found them
friendly, courteous, reasonably
WitikAZSOMMONNIMSEMENNIMMOSNMIMRENEU
Times Established 18/3 e Advocate Established 1881 Amalgamated 1924
eteferVines-Ainsocafe
SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND
0.W,N.A., CLASS 'A' and ABC
Editor — Bill Batten — Advertising Manager.
Assistant Editor — Ross Haugh
Phone 235.1331 Published Each Thursday Morning
at Exeter, Ontario
Second Class Mail
Registration Number 0384
Paid in Advance Circulation,
March 31, 1972, 5,037
aeada 9,00 Per Year, USA 01.00
SNULaagZ0022.5.00.:
Once the wife has proved her
case, the family court judge will
make an order whereby the
husband is obiligated to pay a
sum of money either weekly or
monthly to the wife for herself
and the maintenance of her
children.
Interestly enough, under this
Act the wife could leave the
matrimonial home and bring an
action on behalf of• her children
for maintenance and support. It
is the husband's obligation to
support his children under the
laws of the Province of Ontario.
Upon separation, often a
husband or wife will contact a
solicitor and a separation
agreement is negotiated between
the parties. A separation
agreement does not necessitate
Court approval and it's merely a
contract between the two parties
which can be mutually amended
or terminated at anytime.
A woman's right in the
Province of Ontario with respect
to the termination of her
marriage is governed by the
Divorce Act, which came into
force on the 2nd day of July 1968.
It revealed all previous
statutes in so far as they related
to the dissolution of marriage,
and all other laws respecting
divorce that were in force in
Canada or any province, The
grounds for divorce in Canada
are categorized into two areas.
Firstly seven matrimonial
offenses under Section 3 of The
Act and secondly eight cir-
cumstances of marriage break-
dow nu rider Section 4 of The Act
whereby a divorce can be ob-
tained.
The most frequently used
grounds in Ontario are adultery
and living separate and apart
from your spouse for a three year
period. If at trial the wife
establishes the necessary
grounds for divorce, the Judge
will grant a Decree Nisi. At this
time custody of the children,
maintenance of the children and
established.
maintenance or alimony are
Three months after the Decree
Nisi either party can make an
application for a Decree Absolute
which is the final Decree of
Divorce hi Ontario, After the
DeiethcerreeparAtbyssamluatye
remarry.
obtained,
Turning to the children of the
marriage, the law of Ontario
states that neither parent has a
greater right than the other to the
custody of the children. It is the
law of Ontario as it, is the law of
England, that the welfare and
happiness of the infant iS the
—Please torn to Page 5
In a social sense one can say
that a family is created, at least
at a rudimentary level, whenever
a man and woman share a
common household, or where one
or both parents are sharing such
a household with their minor
children. The family in its legal
sense, however, is a much more'
restricted concept.
Formal ceremonial marriage
is the usual prerequisite of the
legal family, and the law both
restricts freedom of entry into
marriage and even more sharply
inhibits the right to terminate
that legal status.
The Marriage Act governs
marriage in Ontario. Interestly
enough, in Ontario any person
under the age of 18 years cannot
marry without the written con-
sent of his or her father or
guardian.
If in fact this consent is
unreasonably or arbitrarily
withheld, the party in question
may make an application to the
County Court Judge in which he
or she is situate to obtain an
Order dispensing with the con-
sent.
In Ontario, we live under a
system of separate property as
distinct from a system of com-
munity property. Upon entering
into the marriage, neither the
husband nor the wife gives up his
or her capacity to own property.
Both are in the same positions
after marriage as they were
before. Each still has the
capacity to acquire property in
his or her own name.
What belongs to one is not by
operation of law deemed 'to
belong, either in whole or inpart,
to the other. Any gift given to a
married couple is presumed
given to them equally and usually
upon any subsequent separation,
the gifts given to a husband and
wife are equally divided..
If and when a husband commits
a matrimonial offense, the
Ontario housewife's rights are
clearly defined., The Act most
often resorted to by Solicitors on
behalf of the married woman is
an action under The- Deserted
Wives' and Children's Main-
tenance Act. Under this Act the
husband is brought into Family
Court by Way of a summons,
For the wife to be eligible for
relief under the Act, it is
necessary for the • husband to
commit a Matrimonial offense,
The three most common offenses
are, desertion, physical and
mental cruelty and adultery,
10 Years Ago
Drs. R. W, Read and D. A.
Ecker, Exeter, attended the four-
day scienti' is assembly of the
College of General Practice as
part of a formal program of 100
hours of postgraduate study
every two years,
Town works crew began in-
stallation Monday of the block-
long sewer extensions on William
and Carling streets.
Residential levy in Exeter was
set at 83,7 residential and 91.8 for
commercial.
A $2,000 National Research
Council bursary has been
awarded to Mark D, Bender, RR
2 Hensall, He's the son Of Elton
13ender.
Count de Beaufort,' world-
renowned racing driver and his
sister Joan A. van Limburg Stirm,
were ViSiters over the weekend
with Mr, & Mrs, Ward Fritz,
25 Years Ago
At a meeting in Mitchell, Elgin
McKinley, farmer of Stanley
township, was selected to carry
the Progressive-Conservative
banner for the riding of Huron-
Perth in the next federal election.
Ushering in a new era for
Hensall Bell Telephone users, a
common battery exchange Was
cut into service replacing the
magneto exchange that served
the community for years.
The Exeter Chamber of
Commerce did a good piece of
work when it turned down a
proposition to sell stock for the
establishment of a factory in
Exeter for making electric
freezers. Two men Who were
trying to interest people of
Exeter were convicted of taking
thousands of dollars from the
people Of Waterloo county.
Mr, C. Jinks, Hensall, who has
been in the implement business
for the past 30 years has sold out
to his partner, William Park.
Principal II. L. Sturgis and Mr,
This Captain Hanberg, who
turned out to be the Duty Officer
for the day, looked at my letter of
confirmation for the flight and
went into high gear. Carried my
bag, took me to the officers'
mess, got me a room for a lie-
down, showed me where the bar
was, lined up dinner, drove me
back to the terminal, checked my
bag and ushered me through the
blizzard right onto the plane and
to my seat.
This went on for the next four
days, and never be the same
again.
Crossing was pleasant enough,
though exhaustinglhe forces use
large Boeing 707's (I believe
they have five of them) to shuttle
personnel, baggage, mail and
whatever to Germany, Cyprus
Egypt and back and forth across
Canada. They're fast arid com-
fortable. No drinks and no
movies, but excellent service
from two young ladies, with food
and coffee and snacks,
Can't sleep on planes, so spent
the time exchanging horror
stories with two veterans of
Dieppe who were going to a
Dieppe reunion.
Tottered off the plane at Lahr,
the Canadian base in Germany,
in the Black Forest region.
Walked into the terminal and an
officer walked up: "Are you Bill
Smiley?" I admitted as how I
was. He was Lieutenant-Colonel
Hopkins, the chief padre. His wife
was with him. They both went to
the same high school I did, years
ago, My kid brother had asked
them to meet the plane. "Hop-
pie" calls himself The Vicar of
Lahr. They offered all
hospitality.
With them was a Captain, who
took charge of me, showed me
around the town, got my brother
on the phone, took me to a bank
to change dollars for marks, and
took me to a hotel room he had
— Please turn to Page 5