The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1974-12-05, Page 4It's our 50th birthday
The fun of botching it
English is our language.
A recent meeting of 300 high, school and
college English teachers brought out some
pretty harsh criticisms of the language
skills possessed by the average high school
graduate. Several of the teachers com-
plained that Ontario secondary school
students are often "literate cripples, bare-
ly capable of filling out a job application
form".
Malcolm Kay of Fanshawe College
said, "Large numbers of communications
casualties are discovered in their first year
in college. By the time they reach us they
are on the verge of being terminal."
Judith O'Shea, who heads the remedial
English program at the University of
Western Ontario, told the meeting that
language skills among some students and
even faculty members are so bad as to be
unbelievable.
The teachers place the blame for the
situation on the ministry of education
which, five years ago, eliminated English
as a mandatory credit for high school
students.
It is unlikely that high school teachers
would wholeheartedly agree with the
college teachers' assessment of this basic
lack of communications skills, but in our
own experience as employers of those
who depend on the use of English for their
L STILL KEEP MONEY IN THE SUGAR 13014L- THE SUGAR, I KEEP IN THE .5Fife.
living, and who therefore must be presum-
ed to have given language special priority,
the college teachers are right. Nor would
we limit our observation to high school
students. Elementary schools, in many
cases, are graduating students who can
neither spell adequately nor construct a
basic English sentence correctly.
Concepts in education have gone
through some drastic changes in the past 25
years. In many circles "memory work"
has become a dirty phrase. Consequently
spelling, and even mathematical tables
were downgraded—and youngsters were
bereft of the essential tools of the learning
process. It is now apparent that these dis-
ciplines must be learned early in life, for
students are too busy in the secondary
school grades to go back to the humdrum of
memorization,
Although the field of human knowledge
has broadened miraculously in the past
decade or two, and despite the fact that
today's students will be required to know a
great deal more than their parents, there
will never be a time in history when society
can function without an accurate and un-
derstandable means of communicating
thoughts. And that is what the study of
language is all about.
Wingham Advance-Times
High cost of low living
Poor quality
While most people have realized by
now that Bell Canada has increased rates,
they no doubt wonder why the company in
turn had to reduce the quality of this year's
telephone directory.
The glue appears to have been watered
down drastically and many of the direc-
tories have fallen apart.
Trying to keep loose pages in their
proper order is difficult enough, but those
people who are accustomed to hanging
their books conveniently near the phone
have been completely thwarted.
Hopefully Mother Bell will get enough
complaints about the problem and send out
some better bound copies in the near
future.
Otherwise we suspect they'll be notic-
ing a vast increase in the number of people
who have to solicit numbers from the infor-
mation operators as they fail to find the
directory pages which have gone astray.
Now that we're paying for directory
assistance that could add to customers'
bills.
Several years ago when I was
leading a class of young people,
the subject of having a good
reputation was brought up. I
stated my case as strongly as I
could quoting from Proverbs: "If
you must choose, take a good
name rather than great riches;
for to be held in loving esteem is
better than silver and gold."
Continuing, I stressed the
importance of being careful
about choosing one's companions
and guarding one's actions and
words.
A hue and cry went up from the ,
class accusing me of
'hypocracy', of beinginterested'in
only what other people think.' A
noisy debate ensued and I guess
neither side wan, for I confess
those teenagers didn't seem to be
impressed with my arguments,
and I certainly wasn't changed
by their's.
It's interesting to note, that ten
years later, most of them have
attained excellent reputations
and I sometimes wonder what
kind of discussion we would have
on the subject now if we could all
get together once more,
For my part, I'm still con-
vinced a good reputation is one of
the few things we can choose for
ourselves.
There are many things over
which we exercise no choice. We
cannot choose our parents. We do
not choose our race, nor our sex.
We are not accorded the privilege
of deciding which generation
we'll be born into. We do not
select our I.Q. We do not
prearrange our social strata, our
religious background, nor can we
choose our ancestors or culture.
While we cannot choose these
and many other things, we do
have the choice of either ac-
cepting life to the fullest and
developing it, or by our actions
and deeds rejecting it and ruining
it.
One writer has put it this way,
"Dishonor is worse than death.
Living a life of perpetual failure
is worse than death. Those who
live out their days never
responding to the love of God, are
barely living."
We live in a society that is
fraught with evil. What are we to
do about it? Well, we can fall in
with it and allow ourselves to be
dragged into depravity; or we
can move out of the world and
into our own private little sphere
and isolate ourselves from the
evil we don't want to face; or we
can stay in the degraded world,
hang unto our convictions, make
a stand and thus serve both God
and man.
We must stand and identify
with all that is morally ac-
ceptable and socially good in our
world. Only by this identifying of
ourselves are we in a position to
influence those around us and be
able to serve them.
I like the story of Daniel in the
old testament. He was taken
captive to Babylon because of his
physical and mental prowess. He
studied the Babylonian
philosophy, their science, their
politics; he became thoroughly
familiar with their language and
customs, and he advanced, step
by step, until he finally reached
the highest position in the empire
next to the king.
He identified but he never
surrendered his convictions.
He had no sooner arrived in the
king's court when he was put to
his first test. He knew he must not
succumb to the eating and
drinking of food and wine offered
to heathen deities, yet how could
he refuse and still survive? He
made up his mind he would stick
to his convictions but he handled
the situation with courtesy,
honorableness and humility, He
requested he and his comrades
be served a different diet on a
trial basis.
Daniel never tried to force his
ideas down the throats of his
captors, but he had that excellent
spirit which is free from fear and
is characterized by power, love
and self-control. He handled
problems with wisdom and
graciousness and he opened the
hearts of his captors com-
manding their respect and ad-
miration.
He rose to Prime Minister and
is a classic example of God's
eternal principle: "Them that
honor me I will honor."
What happened to Daniel was
not as important as what he did
with what happened where he
was. We would never have had
his story had he elected to accept
the low life of his captors. He
knew the cost would be too high.
Our response to now
By ELMORE BOOMER
Counsellor for
Information South Huron
For appointment
pnone: 235-2715 or 235.2474
One of my real pleasures in life
is "hatching it." I've just been
through ten days of it, and have
another stretch coming up. I look
back on the one with nostalgia,
and forward to the other with
anticipation.
There are a lot of men who go
around with a long face when
their wife is going to be away for
a spell, and they'll have to look
after themselves. Some of them
would literally starve to death if
there were no restaurants.
Others actually "miss" their
wives constant babble.
And there are a lot of women
who are convinced that their poor
weaklings of husbands will be
hard done by if they leave them to
fend for themselves for a few
days. There are also a lot of
women who are convinced that
their husbands are going to miss
their presence dreadfully. Both
convictions are erroneous, in my
case.
I love my wife, but oh, you
happy, carefree days of batching
it. I feel the way I used to, about
nine years old, when school is
letting out in June.
For one thing, there's no
teacher at me all the time, trying
to make me behave, clean up
after me, and learn something
new, all at once. This is hard
work, and I'm lazy.
Nope, when I put the old bat-
tleaxe on the bus, or see the car
drive off, I try to look mournful,
and wave a fervent goodbye, then
I give a great sigh of relief, and
feel like a fellow who has just
walked out the jailhouse gates.
I'm not saying that marriage is
synonymous with prison, though
it is a life sentence, I'm just
saying that it's nice to get a
weekend pass once in a while, for
good behaviour.
the latter being a printer's devil
in an after-school chore.
However, we got a big chuckle
out of looking at a couple of issues
prior to the 1949 anniversary
date, to see a picture of a bantam
baseball team which had just won
a championship under the
guidance of Derry Boyle.
Members of that team included
the writer (a substitute for the
substitute) along with Gary
Middleton, Don Wells, John
Hicks, Murray Keys, Jim Haley,
Dick McFalls, Pat Hennessey,
Chuck Parsons, Don Taylor, Bill
Pollen, Bob Pooley, Jim Russell
and Pete Cowen.
We find it of interest that of the
15 people in the picture, eight
have remained in the community
to rise to fame and fortune.
Others who may enjoy looking
back through the T-A files are
reminded that there are
microfilm copies at the local
library and they'd find it a most
interesting way in which to pass a
dull winter's day reviewing their
community and their in-
volvement in it.
usually included. Headlines
seldom were more than two
columns wide, with most being
single columns only.
There were no local pictures on
the inside pages although there
were photos of national interest
that were purchased from a firm
which would supply these photos
to weeklies across the nation.
Most of the advertisements on
the inside pages were from local
merchants and most of the news
copy was of local interest as well.
A glance through your current
issue will again reveal many
improvements and changes from
both those previous years. The
front page usually has at least
four or five pictures and local
photos abound on the inside pages
as well. On an average week,
your local paper will contain
between 20 and 30 pictures.
So, between 50 to 100 people
have their picture in the
newspaper each week, and when
elementary school graduation
time rolls around, it is not un-
common for us to have the faces
of close to 500 people on the pages
of one single issue.
How many names appear each
week in the T-A? That varies to a
great extent, but unless you want
to take the time to count them
this week, you can take our word
that you'll find somewhere
between 1,000 to 1,500.
It is also worth noting that less
than five percent of those names
are associated with "bad" news,
pointing up once again that the
weekly newspaper is not the
messenger of sad tidings that
people often imply.
Orillia Asylum
+ + +
We're not certain whether the
publisher is going to bake a cake
for the 50th anniversary, but if he
does, we regret we can't invite all
our readers to the event.
You are the people who have
helped the newspaper (remain a
viable part of the entire com-
munity of South Huron and North
Middlesex along with parts of
Perth and Lambton.
Your interest and faithfulness
is as important as any other
aspect, particularly those who
through the years have con-
tributed news items or tips for
our pages.
We hope you'll share our pride
in reaching another milestone.
From the lack of floral tributes,
it is assumed that most of our
faithful readers failed to realize
that this is our 50th birthday.
No, not the editor's .. , the 50th
anniversary of the founding of
The Times-Advocate.
It was on December 1, 1949 that
Exeter dropped from the
category of a two-paper town to a
one-paper town. The Times and
The Advocate amalgamated with
publisher J. M. Southcott
assuming control of the new
publication.
We'll have to excuse our
readers for not knowing of our
anniversary, because actually we
just happened to stumble across
the information by accident while
looking through the 1949 file copy
the other day.
That, of course, marked the
occasion of the 25th anniversary
and it was interesting to note that
the news account proclaimed that
the first issue in December of
that year was the largest paper
on record for a regular issue. It
contained 14 pages.
By comparison, the present
staff turned out 30 pages last
week, which also was a record
number of pages for a regular
issue.
As they say on those TV
commercials: "We've come a
long way, baby"!
The subscription total for the
paper back in 1949 was a grand
total of 2,276, compared to our
present list of readers which now
numbers around 5,700.
Readers may be interested to
know that the T-A is probably the
largest rural weekly newspaper
(from a subscription standpoint)
in Canada.
Inflation is also noteworthy in
comparing figures from the one
published 25 years ago. The price
for a paper at that time was $2.50
per year or six cents per single
copy. If you lived south of the
border you got nicked for another
50 cents per year for a sub-
scription.
Unfortunately, we could find no
comparison figures for the 1924
issues, as the publications.listed
neither subscription or cir-
culation figures.
First thing I ,dO when "the old
girl disappears' over the .torizon
is kick my shoes off, settle down
in a comfortable chair with a
beer and the evening papers. I
read it through with quiet en-
joyment, no interruptions.
Nobody relating how she
changed the beds, did two
washings, called the plumber.
Nobody wanting to talk about
decorating the spare room.
Nobody telling me I had to go
over the bills with her. No, just
me and the paper. I read front
page, editorials, columns, sports
and entertainment. Normally, I
never get past the front page.
Nobody saying, "Dinner's
nearly ready don't open another
beer which would you like like
canned peas or frozen spinach." I
have my dinner when I jolly well
feel like it. Maybe nine p.m., or
ten.
And when I do, it's a gourmet
spread. Unlike some of those
snivelling wretches who can't
boil a cup of water without
spoiling the flavour, I was
brought up in a large family, and
was a pretty good, rough cook
when I married. A far better cook
than the bride, I might add, sotto
voce.
And since then, I've filed off a
number of the rough edges, and
can turn out a good meal. Chops
and sausage, bacon and eggs are
child's play, along with steak. I
can turn out a creditable turkey,
ham, roast of beef, I can make
stuffing, bake a fish.
So, when I'm alone, I don't go
hungry. Oh, not that I roast a
beef, or turn out a golden brown
turkey. That's a bit much for one
average appetite.
But I don't settle for the baked
potato, fried pork chop and
canned corn routine, either.
That's for workaday cooks and
+ + +
Of the present staff, members,
only Robert Southcott and Bob
Nicol were on hand for both the
25th and 50th anniversaries of the
T-A.
Harry DeVries and yours truly
arrived on the scene a couple of
years after the 1949 celebration,
+ + +
workaday appetites and
workaday marriages.
Nor am I one of those fancy-
dans who fool around covering
the essential blandness of their
cooking with a lot of spices and
sauces.
I'm more apt to turn out a nice
mixed grill: bacon, a small fresh
lamb chop, a sausage or two, a bit
of liver, and a gram or two of
kidney. If they're not on hand, I
get the latter two items out of a
can of cat food. It has a distinct,
unique flavour,
When all is sizzling a la per-
fection, as we say, I carefully put
the meat on a paper towel, and
fry two large slices of golden-
brown bread in the drippings. I
top these with tomatoes and
melting cheese. By this time my
stomach can scarcely stand the
aromas mingling.
Then I put the whole works into
the cat's dish, open the
refrigerator, take out a frozen
chicken pie, heat it, and eat it,
garnished with a sprig of cab-
bage. The cat and I are both
happy.
By this time, it's 11.30 p.m., so I
watch a late movie or two, with
no one saying, "Isn't it time for
bed?" I climb into bed at 3.30,
read for an hour, and sleep until 7
a .rn,
Every time my wife comes
home and I've been batching it,
she is appalled by my ap-
pearance. "Your eyes look like
two burned holes in a blanket."
They do, but I've enjoyed every
burn.
Then the inevitable question:
"Did you miss me?" Hah! Miss
her my foot. I didn't miss her any
more than I would my teeth, or
my right arm.
It is, of course, equally in-
teresting to review the formats
and contents of the 1924, 1949 and
1974 issues of this publication.
Fifty years ago, a large portion
of the front page was taken up
with advertisements. The births
and deaths were also included in
the front page items and a great
portion of the inside material was
"canned". That means that the
newspaper purchased pre-
printed pages from a central
source and these contained serial
stories and an abundance of drug
and home remedy ad-
vertisements.
By 1949, the ads had disap-
peared from the front page and
one picture of local interest was
Times Established 1873
15 Years Ago
Several floats will be added this
year to the annual Santa Claus
parade in Exeter which will be
held this Saturday.
Shipka residents crowded the
local school Friday to hear the
children perform and to see a
three act comedy presented by
the young people of the com-
munity.
Billy Armstrong, youngest son
of Mr. & Mrs. Irvin Armstrong,
underwent an operation on his
eye at St. Joseph's Hospital,
London on'Monday. He returned
home on Tuesday.
The appeal of Steven Truscott,
14, sentenced to be hanged for the
rape-slaying of a 12 year old girl
will be heard by the Ontario
Supreme Court January 12.
Advocate Established 1881 Amalgamated 1924
liteereferVinegairuocafe
50 Years Ago
Mr. & Mrs. King and family
have moved into the residence
vacated by Mr. W. Cutbush.
Miss S. Kydd, school teacher of
British Columbia who has been
taking a post-graduate course in
New York has been visiting for
several days with relatives in this
community.
Huron County Council is in
session this week, Reeve W.D.
Sanders of Exeter, Reeve Wm,
Coates, Usborne and Reeve A.
Neeb, and deputy-reeve John
Hayes of Stephen are in at-
tendance.
Officers for a hockey
association were elected Monday
and a team will be entered in the
O.H.A. Officers are : honorary
• pres. - Rev. J. Foote; pres. L.J.
Penhale; vice-pres. - W.J.
Statham; sec-treas. - W. H.
Harness; trainer - A. Delve;
managerand coach- G. Cochrane,
U. Snell, H. Rivers, H. Southcott,
C.L. Wilson, C.P. Harvey and T.
Pryde.
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 — Terri Irvine
Phone 235-1331
Published Each Thursday Morning
at Exeter, Ontario
Second Class Mail
Registration Number 0386
Paid in Advance Cietukilion
March 31, 1974, 5;309
Canada $9.00 Per Year; USA $11.00
RILIF RIAPON
IIWARO
1974
SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
25 Years Ago
After an absence of ten weeks
from his pulpit, owing to injuries
received in an auto accident Rev.
J. Snell conducted the morning
service at James Street U.C.
Sunday.
Mr. & Mrs. James Lawson and
Mr, & Mrs. William Martyn all of
Exeter, Tuesday celebrated a
double golden wedding jubilee,
The ladies are sisters.
Ed Chambers, Crediton was re-
appointed trustee for the Exeter
District High School for two
years.
A small, eight-page, hand-
printed pamphlet has come to
hand. It is A History of Ontario
Hospital School, Orillia, 1876-
1959. Some excerpts and com-
ments follow,
"The Orillia Asylum for idiots
was primarily located on a plot of
13 acres lying near the northern
boundary of the town of Orillia,
and on the west shore of Lake
Couchiching.
The building was originally
intended for a summer hotel, but
was left unfinished, and was
purchased in 1859 by the Province
of Ontario to be fitted up as a
branch lunatic asylum in con-
nection with the Toronto in-
stitution. In 1860 plans were
prepared for this purpose, and
the structure was completed at a
cost of $18,135. being opened in
1861.
Vacated by the insane in 1870, it
was in 1876 again felted up, with
some additions, to accommodate
150 idiots and, on September 25 of
that year, was opened under the
superintendence of Dr. J. M.
Wallace for the reception of this
class of patients, 25 of whom were
transferred to it from the idiot
department of the London
Asylum, together with several of
the most pressing cases then
incarcerated in goals, bringing
the total up to 44.
On February 9, 1877, Dr.
Wallace having been made
medical superintendent of
Hamilton Asylum, Dr. A. H.
Beaton, a graduate of Victoria
University College in 1864, was
appointed his successor."
After some additions,
enlargements and rebuildings in
1891 "The Asylum consisted of a
main building and two large
three-story cottages. The ground
floor of the former was specially
designed for teaching purposes,
whereby feeble-minded children
could be trained and improved,
so far as their physical im-
perfections and mental status
would permit; the first and
second floors were devoted to
dormitories and sitting rooms for
the same .class.
The main building also con-
tained the administration
quarters and had an amusement
hall sufficiently large to seat
comfortably 1000 persons, The
10 Years Ago
G C L. H. Randall, DFC, CD
was honoured at a mess dinner
Friday when senior officers from
across Canada as well as those
from RCAF Centralia were
present. He retires from the
RCAF on January 25.
Only 857 Exeter residents cast
votes in the municipal election
this week, which represents only
43 percent of the voters.
About 100 children enjoyed a
Christmas party at the Exeter
Legion Hall Sunday when Santa
Claus paid his annual visit,
Ken Gernrnell, RR 2 Kippen,
was awarded the Elston Cardiff
Citizenship Trophy at the annual
Huron County 4-H Achievement
Night held in Winghatn, Friday.
cottages formed the custodial
department for adult idiots and
those unfitted to attend the
school."
There follows a note of
historical interest. "There are
two distinct branches to idiot
asylum management. First, the
merely custodial care of adult
idiots, who are unable to take
care of themselves and have no
friends able, or willing, to take
care of them; and, second, the
care and training of feeble-
minded children, who are thus in
some instances restored to their
friends, not cured, for that is
impossible, but so much im-
proved in intelligence and habits
as to be able to live as other
people do, and be little or no
burden upon those with whom
they are to reside."
In the custodial part of the
work Ontario was the pioneer on
this continent, little or no heed
having been paid to this branch in
the United States, where
however, Special attention bad
for years prior to the ,creation of
the Ontario institution been given
to educational features.
In 1897 Dr. Beaton was asking
for enlarged quarters., He had
139 applications on file. In 1898
the number of applications had
risen to 220.
Of special interest is Dr.
Beaton's remarks concerning the
necessity of custodial care for
"feeble minded" women of child
bearing age.
"There can be no question
about the wisdom of this step, and
until something of the kind is
done, the rapid increase in the
number of feeble-minded will
continue. But if the 600 or 700
feeble-minded women, many of
whom are steadily adding to the
idiotic and otherwise defective
population of the province, were
confined in a custodial asylum,
the number of defectives,
paupers, and petty criminals
would decrease, and in less than
one generation the cost for
maintenance of public in-
stitutions would be greatly
lessened.
"These feeble-minded women
could not only attend to the work
Of their own cottages, but could
be utilized in doing work for the
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