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The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1974-10-17, Page 4.5449419 Wate/14 9eciv,a '71/deemtea Be hatched or go bad Nothing to 'crow' about SWANIEMEVE312P1W;A: 'r ;"'?y; ,UCKWAEN.WarAIMMERAVIM Times Established 1873 Advocate Established 1 881 Amalgamated 1924 treferZimesainsocafe SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND C.W.N.A., 0.W.N.A. CLASS 'A' and ABC Editor — Bill Batten — Advertising Manager Assistant Editor Ross Haugh Women's Editor — Terri Irvine Phone 235-1331 Published Each Thursday Morning at Exeter, Ontario Second Class Mail Registration Number 0386 Paid in Advance Circulation March 81, 1974, 5,309 SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada $9.00 Per Year; USA $11.00 711,,,kaikMit:MISKAMERIVAZOMMi v ............... Gabian Stone * Calcium Chloride in 100 pound baggy * Sand & Stone * Gravel * Stone for Weeping Beds EARL LIPPERT TRUCKING Crediton 234.6382 I- While some residents may 15e disap- pointed in council's decision to not have a question regarding the fate of the Exeter town hall on the December election ballots, their decision is most wise. There is just no way that the ratepayers can decide such an issue without being given an idea of the costs in- volved and the purpose for which the building would be used if it was restored. A vote without such information would have been strictly an emotional one that would have done little to settle the issue. In the same regard, we trust the town hall issue will not be used as a political football by any of the candidates in the up- coming election. That too would be strictly drawing on emotions and would serve no useful pur- pose. The question of the future of the town hall can not be resolved—nor' even debated—until someone comes up with some concrete plans for its use and the amount of money that will be required to achieve that purpose, Then, and only then, will the ratepayers be able to decide intelligently whether they are in favor of a restoration program. The same holds true before any deci- sion is made to completely abandon the building. Conf licting goals Two important projections have come from two most reputable institutions in re- cent weeks. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says that within a decade the poorer countries will face an increase of about $18 billion in their annual food import bill. The increase in the demand for grain in these nations will be more than 900 million tons by 1985. The Brookings Institution came up with a very different forecast. Brookings, a very prestigious American organization, predicted in a study that U.S, military spending would reach $142 billion a year by 1980 if it continues rising at the present rate. The United States is not alone in splurging on the military. Most other large powers are equally guilty. The studies may seem unrelated. And yet these two forecasts do highlight for a puzzled world the strangely conflicting goals being pursued by the rich and the mighty nations. They have the affluence to produce all the food their peo- ple can eat, and they feel obliged to appease their military commanders, who always want more and better weapons — just in case there is a war. But the wealthy should try to see the global goal more clearly. Today we need tractors instead of tanks, ships that carry grain instead of shells for guns, Perhaps the rich still can afford guns as well as butter. The poor sur- ely can't. The ever-growing military budgets in too many nations mean there will be less funds for irrigation and agriculture, fertilizer and transport. The world already is the home of too many hungry people, and richer nations therefore should not squander their valuable resources on arms. Contributed A doctor a day? Inflation is never a funny situation, but no matter how bad things get, someone always comes through with a sense of humor to at least brighten things momen- tarily. Hence our welcoming the suggestion recently that with the rampant increase in the price of food, it is now almost cheaper to visit your doctor daily than eat that proverbial apple. This is particularly true when the doc- tor's bill is, in most cases, primarily prepaid. So the "apple a day keeps the doctor away" adage is almost being inflated from existence the same way as the "a penny for your thoughts". wise decision. At lat, things are looking Things at last seem to be looking up for Canadian writers, after generations of neglect by their own countrymen. With a few notable exceptions, it used to be that to be a writer in Canada was almost on a par with being an Untouchable in India. If you were not openly scorned, you were quietly ignored, which was worse. The big publishers, most of them British or American, with an affiliate in Canada, shied away from Canadian writers as though they had the plague, at the same time fostering insignificant American and British writers. . One of the exceptions was Stephen Leacock, who made a lot of money and became a well- known character in this country, after his first book had been accepted by a British publisher. Typically, Leacock was ignored, if not despised, by the people of Orillia, Ont., when he was alive. He had a summer home there. Many Orillians detested him because he poked wicked fun at some of their leading citizens in his Mariposa tales. Not so today. Some sharp people finally realized that Leacock was commercially viable as a tourist attraction. Nowadays you'd think Leacock had walked down from a mountain with stone tablets, into Orillia. It is the in-thing to belong to the Leacock Society. There is a Leacock Museum, with a full- time curator, There is a Leacock annual award for humour, a Leacock medal, a Leacock weekend culminating in a huge dinner at which the saint is paid proper homage. I'll bet the old guy is doubled up in his grave laughing. It was all so Canadian, in its approach to writing, that it would be funny, if it weren't a little sad. Canadians are builders. They'll spend billions on railroads and transcontinental highways and canals and dams. But when it comes to culture, the approach is always a two-bit one, A few dedicated souls formed the Leacock Society. They had no money, But every year, they'd persuade a few people to act as judges, and these idiots would pick out the funniest book published in Canada that year. I know. I was one of those idiots for about four years, which gave me some insight into Canadian humour. Most of the books submitted were about as funny as a broken leg. Let's say you are Eric Nicol of Vancouver (a very funny writer, by the way), This would be about 15 years ago. You are informed by wire that you have won the Leacock Award for Humour and are asked to attend the Leacock up Dinner, receive the Leacock Medal (worth ,about 60 cents in a pawnshop), and make a witty speech which will take you hours to write. The dinner is absolutely free, but you pay your own way from and back to Vancouver. Today of course, it's different. The dinner price has gone up from $2.50 to $7.50 and the drinks from 45 cents to whatever. I believe that at long last; some brewer has actually put up $1,000 to go with the Medal, Big deal. So much for that. I digress, During the long, painful aridity of the '20s, '30s and '40s, the names of Canadian writers were not exactly household words. A few writers toiled on in the Canadian desert. Morley Callaghan, a fine writer with an international reputation, plugged away. When he produced a new novel, it would be avidly snatched up by as many as six or seven hundred of his fellow coun- trymen. To make a living, he had to do hack work in journalism, radio, and later TV, Ironically, Callaghan, at about the age of 70, was given two whopping great cash prizes by a brewer and a bank for his con- tribution to Canadian literature. He was also awarded a Canada Medal or something like that, which he refused, in disgust, And In mid-September, the editor received a letter from one of our readers and at that time it was difficult to know how to handle the said communication. The letter was written at 6:55 p.m. on September 19 (the tim- ing was important and therefore duly noted) and contained a prediction regarding the Canada- Russia hockey series. Ardent sports fans may recall that the time mentioned above was a couple of hours before the start of the second game between the two teams in Toron- to. "Lest I be accused of hind- sight, I now categorically state, without reservation (plus some other profound words the editor couldn't understand) that Canada will win the majority of the games in the series," the letter writer pronounced. The letter went on to point out that Team Canada '74 had such stalwarts as all-stars Gordie Howe, Bobby Hull, Frank Mahovolich, Rejean Houle, Marc Tardiff, J.C. Tremblay Jerry Cheevers, Pat Stapleton, John Mackenzie, Mark Howe and Paul Henderson and suggested the many millions of dollars in talent each line represented . con- tradicted any suggestion that the team was second-rate, "Don't look now experts, but come October 8, I told you so," the writer announced and then added this P.S.—"I have not now, nor expect at any later date to eat crow." Well, as all readers will know, the writer of that particular letter is indeed forced to eat crow and while we hesitate to subject the author to public mockery, suffice it to say that the congregation at Caven Presbyterian Church should keep good for him. Then, after the war came, not a spate, but at least a surge, of new writers, bold writers: Hugh Garner, Mordechai Richter, Pierre Berton, Farley Mowat. They knew they were good, and they demanded recognition. And money. And they got it, though it was like prying diamonds out of rock. After them came another rash of writers: Alden Nowlan, Al Purdy, Robert Kroetch, Margaret Atwood. A few courageous independent publishers gage them a voice, They sell, Now the younger ones are coming on, pell-mell. After years in a cultural desert, oases are springing up everywhere. This entire diatribe was triggered by an announcement sent out to English department heads from an outfit called Platform for the Arts. It will send "poets, novelists, journalists and playwrights" right into our classrooms to read and discuss their works with the students, Good show. At only $30 each. Yet they can pay these people $75 a day and expenses, owing to government grants. One paragraph in the letter fascinates me. "Please indicate whether you would like a poet, prose writer, or playwright to visit your school. Choose one, two or all three separate tours," Okay, chaps. Send us a poet, and I. don't want Ethel Kartoffeln of Hayfork Centre. Send a hand- some guy with a smashing beard. And one blonde playwright with a large bosom. That'll keep the students of both sexes happy. As for a journalist, send along any old one. I'll handle him or her, In this field, you can scarcely distinguish between the sexes, anyway. Say, At a second look, that whole tour looks pretty good, at $75 per diem and expenses. I'm a journalist, of sorts, if you want to stretch a point or three. Maybe I'll quit teaching and join the tour, a close eye on their pastor to see if he shows any sign of stomach problems after swallowing all that crow. * * It was indeed a pleasure to see Deputy-Reeve Helen Jermyn back in her seat at last week's council meeting, after her absence due to illness. In addition to her many abilities and her clear-thinking as a member of council, Mrs. Jermyn has a most noticeable effect on the proceedings in other ways as well. We've noted that in her absence, some of the talk around the table has been less guarded and the language of the male contingent slips a bit. With a lady present, the men are less apt to use profanity to punctuate their arguments and debates are therefore less heated. It is a quirk of human nature that profanity can be added almost sub-consciously when men get together, while at the same time it can be deleted almost sub-consciously when a (, lady is present. This is not to suggest that profanity is all that frequent at council meetings, but it does oc- cur more readily when no ladies are present. * One young steno to another: I prefer an older man—someone I won't have to put through college! * * * We pass along our thanks, publicly, to Mrs. M.C. Fletcher for the delightful children's story she provided for our readers in the Thanksgiving issue. Many of our readers have previously enjoyed her "The Lit- tle Horse Nobody Wanted" and the book that was published after the story appeared in our newspaper is now on many bookshelves in area homes. Taking time to share one's talents is indeed a most en- joyable pastime and one we know from which Mrs. Fletcher 50 Years Ago A little girl at Exeter gave Santa Claus a real poser today as he passed on his way to London. "What would you like for Christ- mas little girl?" the great man inquired benevolently, "I want some teeth for our new baby" the little miss replied. Mrs. J. Blatchford, who for many years has presided at the organ of Main St. Methodist Church has tendered her resigna- tion and leaves shortly for Toron- to to reside. About twenty cottages on the London side of the summer resort at Grand Bend have been entered and much clothing, bedding and foodstuffs stolen. 25 Years Ago One year from the time that the first bulldozers were brought in to break ground for the new South Huron District High School, fire started in the boilers to test the new heating system. Thursday evening in an im- pressive ceremony in the Grand Bend Town Hall, the Grand Bend branch of the Canadian Legion No. 498 received its official charter, Mrs, Frank Whilsmith has returned from a four-month visit with relatives in England and Scotland. Beginning November 1, the barber shops of Exeter will he closed all day Wednesday. 15 Years Ago Rev, Bren de Vries, Exeter who opposed a resolution Tues- day urging retention of the Cana- dian Temperance Act, stated he receives a great deal of pleasure. Our thanks also to Jenny Bayley of Hensall who provided the drawing for the feature. Readers may be interested to know that Jenny drew the il- lustration in short-order fashion with no instructions as to the story except that Patrick looked after seven orphans. Even with such sketchy in- structions she captured the story most remarkably. The work of the two ladies gives evidence once more of the fantastic talent that is readily available in this community. In the business world, an ex- ecutive knows something about everything, a technician knows everything about something, and the switchboard operator knows everything, * * * If you've ever had any doubt about the repeated claim that Huron is the leading agricultural county in Ontario, they should be dispelled if you, glance throw h• the recent agricultural statistics: brochure published by tEe' ministry of agriculture and food- for 1973. In total area, Huron ranks about 16th for total land area, but we're third in the number of cen- sus farms and first in the number of commercial farms with a total of 3,563 covering a total of 69,244 acres. Commercial farms being those which report $2,500 or more of sales in agricultural products during the year, Huron is first in improved farm land acreage and third in improved pasture acreage, ranks seventh in winter wheat produc- tion, 14th for oats, first for barley, second for mixed grains, first for dry beans, fourth for shelled corn, first for fodder corn and third for hay. The county also ranks high in livestock production as well and on average easily tops the list in overall production and market value. could not support the CTA as it now stands. Simon Nagle, son of Mr. & Mrs. Gurt Nagle, Huron Street, has won third prize in an essay contest conducted among grade 12 students in all London schools. Miss Alice Claypole, Mrs. Lee Learn, Miss Maxine Reeder and Mrs. Fred Dobbs attended the Ontario Hospital Association Convention held in the Royal York Hotel, Toronto earlier this week. Public School inspector John Goman climaxed official playing activities for Exeter Golf Club members last weekend when he downed Hal Hooke two and one to capture the Consolation Round Championship, 10 Years Ago On Wednesday RAP appointed arena manager Alvin Willert as acting recreation director. Reeve Glen Fisher, Mayor Simmons, Derry Boyle and Norm Ferguson, all present members of Exeter town council indicated Monday night they will not be seeking re-election this year, Only three members of council indicated definitely they would seek re-election, Council decided Monday night to call a meeting with Canadian Canners officials and the Ontario Water Resources Commission over the problems with the lagoon at the canning plant. A projected scheme for a 100- boat capatity marina in the old river bed at Grand Bend was presented for consideration to G13 council Monday night by four members of the club. All of us have a favorite writer, and I guess the author who has contributed the most in helping me along my Christian pilgrimage is C, S. Lewis. I have talked to others who claim Lewis 'does nothing' for them, but for some reason or other, perhaps because he and I share many of the same sins, no one else seems to hit the nail on the head as hard for me as does Lewis. For instance, when I was re- reading his Beyond Personality lately I came upon this: "When I come to my evening prayers and try to reckon up the sins of the day, nine times out of ten the most obvious one is some sin against charity; I have sulked or stormed or sneered. And the ex- cuse that immediately springs to my mind is that the provocation was so sudden and unexpected I was caught off my guard and had no time to collect myself." Now, this is exactly what happens to me again and again. I will bite my child's head off over some offense and later excuse myself because he came at me unanticipated when I was tired, or hungry, or worried about something else. Or someone may dump a nas- ty, unexpected problem in my lap which I do not accept graciously and I will excuse my behaviour, once more, by saying they should have given me war- ning about what they were going to do. I keep telling myself if only people would inform me in ad- vance that they are about to be troublesome or irksome or argumentive then I would have time to get myself together and be able to deal with them loving- ly with understanding and "" By DAVO 10065,..) If ,you,.1could„ssignificantly reduce your risk of heart disease and lung cancer, increase your lifespan by several years, guarantee greatly improved respiratory and general health, and save hundreds, maybe thousands, of dollars into the bargain — you would, right? Well, cigarette smokers have precisely that opportunity, but prefer to pass it up, puffing blithely on. Their addiction has been described by one Hamilton physician specializing in preven- tive medicine as "legalized suicide," For despite the curtailment of cigarette advertising and war- nings on cigarette packets, and research findings that smoking is associated with a variety of serious health problems, almost half the Canadian population over the age of 15 continues to smoke. But beneath all the shrill rhetoric about selling cigarettes in separate, liquor-type stores only, or charging three dollars a pack for them, there's, evidence that some progress — albeit rather slow — is being made towards persuading people to quit Statistics Canada reports that in 1972, the latest year for which figures are available, non- smokers made up 53.6 percent of the population over 15 years of age, The figure for 1965 was 50.2. The decline in the number of physicians who use cigarettes is rather more telling: only about 30 percent of MDs still smoke, Most smokers who can't — or won't — quit the habit rationalize that "you've gotta go somehow," or they persuade themselves that using elaborate filtering devices or switching to brands lower in gentleness instead of flying off the handle, as I often do, and be- ing angry, frustrated or im- patient, But, of course, as Lewis points out, these excuses don't hold up at all, Surely, he says, what we do when we are taken off guard is the best evidence for what sort of person we are. Surely what pops out before we have time to put on the disguise is the truth, If you go into a building that has rats you will most likely see them if you go in very suddenly , but the suddenness doesn't create the rats; it only prevents them from hiding. In the same way, Lewis goes on, the suddenness of the provation does not make me an ill- tempered person; it only shows me what an ill-tempered person I am. Now, the Christian very soon realizes he cannot handle his temperament himself. It is only as he grows in Christ, or to put it the other way 'round, allows Christ to grow in him, that he is able to deal with all those mis- erable sins like a red-hot temper, impatience, pride, etc., and get them under control. When Christ says, 'Be perfect' that's what he means and He will tolerate no compromise. It's not easy and is, most often, a long and painful process. But as Mr. Lewis says, 'If may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird, but it would he a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at the present. And you cannot go on in- definitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad'. And the only way we can be hatched into something better is to turn all facets of our lives over to God. tar and nicOtine will make'their habit' safe: But no matter how you look at it, inhaling smoke into the lungs regularly is harmful. Most smokers recognize this and would like to stop doing it. Knowledge of the dangers doesn't seem to be a powerful enough force to elininate cigarette smoking entirely — or to reduce it dramatically. What's needed is motivation, and health educators are recognizing more and more that personal motivation isn't necessarily based on fear ("each cigarette smoked will take seven minutes off your life"), or statistics (which engender only an "it can't happen to me" response), but on the individual smoker. Reasons for smoking — and continuing to smoke in spite of the solid evidence of its harm- fulness — vary from person to person. So persuading people to quit is also a personal matter. A pamphlet recently published by the Ontario Ministry of Health says that quitting is a mind game played by smokers and won by quitters. The pamphlet is available at doctors' offices, hospitals, and pharmacies, and can be obtained by writing to: Resource Centre, Ontario Ministry of Health, 9th Floor, Hepburn Block, Queen's Park, Toronto M7A 1S2, Ontario. What put me into the non- smoking majority, for example, was seeing a picture, in the On- tario Science Centre, of a smoker's lung. That was several months ago and I haven't smoked since; other smokers might have viewed the picture more dis- passionately. Whatever your reasons for breaking the cigarette habit, do it soon. It's the greatest invest- ment in health you can make. TODAY'S HEALTH Giving up smoking offers improved general health •