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The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1975-01-16, Page 4Exeter council didn't face too much difficulty in deciding whether to lease the former post office for municipal offices or to sign up as tenants in a new commercial building being planned by two local businessmen. The cost factor was just too much of a gap, with the former costing around $2,200 and the latter in the neighborhood of $10,000 to $12,000 per year. The third alternative of building a new town facility also appears out of the ques- tion in view of the low rate being suggested for the rental of the former post office. However, a more difficult decision appears evident in comments by Reeve Derry Boyle that the old post office would not provide adequate space to house the local police department. This may boil down to a matter of priorities with the choice being whether to include the police department or a council chamber. From an economic standpoint, it would appear wiser to include the police and let council find accommodation elsewhere for their twice-monthly meetings. The number of facilities available for small meetings of this nature are plentiful and are becoming even more numerous with the considera- tion of a day care centre and senior citizen facilities in two locations. School libraries are also available. If the proposed commercial building proceeds and the justice department becomes a tenant, the court room facilities could also be available. There is certainly some merit in hav- ing a council room at the same location as the clerk's office, but experience over the past years indicates it is far from a necessity. If councillors deem it an absolute necessity, they then should consider the possibility of renting space in the proposed commercial building for the police depart- ment. Ideally such a decision should be held in abeyance until the future of the town hall has been determined, which necessitates some quick action in that regard as well. The entire situation regarding town facilities must be placed in top priority by council At last year's inaugural, a committee was named to bring in a report on the use of the post office and the renovations re- quired, That has not even been done yet. An architect was hired to draw up plans for a new town hall and nothing came out of that report. An engineering firm did a study of the existing town hall and pointed out that the lack of maintenance was the main reason for its deterioration. Nothing was done to correct that situation. It's now time for some action! Expensive proposition It's only natural that people should complain about pot holes in the roads, heaves in the sidewalks and improper drains. They constitute more than slight nuisances and certainly lead to a majority of complaints received by elected officials in most communities. One of the major reasons for the com- plaints is lack of money. Councils just can't proceed with projects to correct these situations as quickly as ratepayers expect. At last week's inaugural of Exeter council, it was interesting to hear a report on the present cost of supplying these ser- vices to ratepayers. Clerk Eric Carscadden and works superintendent Glenn Kells had taken the time to detail the cost involved in a recent project and the figures were slightly staggering. The two explained that it costs $70 per foot to have new drains and sidewalks in- stalled and roads reconstructed and paved. If you live on a street where the lots have an average frontage of 50 feet, that means it costs $3,500 to install those ser- vices. In new subdivisions, where lot fron- tages may go to 60 or 70 feet, the cost jumps to $4,200 'or $4,900 to run those ser- vices past your property. That should help explain to some ratepayers why they have to put up with pot holes in roads, heaves in sidewalks and im- proper drains. Best things in life are free A small boy found a bright copper cent glistening in the grass. He seized it eager- ly; it was his, and it has cost him nothing. There after, wherever he went, he walked head downward, eyes glued to the ground, searching for further treasure. During his lifetime he found 313 pen- nies, 61 nickles, 22 dimes, 14 quarters, seven half dollars and one lovely paper dollar bill - a total of 516.38. The money cost him nothing - save that he had missed the fiery splendor of 25,550 sunsets; the glow of millions of stars in in- numerable nights; the singing of birds in the trees; the smiles of friends he could have had if he had not passed them by. He spent a lifetime missing the han- diwork of God. How many people do the same? How often do men and women become so occupied with the business of living that they fail to appreciate the beauty of nature, the love of family and the companionship of friends? Next week's column is going to be a real smasher, but in the meantime. I'm going to clear up a lot of Christmas things. most of them personal. If you don't like personal stuff, turn to another page. First of all. thanks to my Uncle Ivan for a cheery note. He is now the patriarch of the clan, on my mother's side. I am supposed to look like him, and act like him. I hope it's true, and that I do. I'd like to be a patriarch of something. When you are a patriarch, you are old and wise and everybody pays attention to you. I am old and stupid and nobody pays attention to me. Ex- cept my wife and gradbahby and students. Bless you, Ursula Brady of Vancouver. Remember how we kissed behind the car while Bob White and Pappy Warren and Dinny McManus tried to get it out of the snow bank. Don't blush. It was beautiful. Thanks, Norm Lightford of Ot- tawa. You always remember. Do you remember the room we shared at college, with the bay window and the fireplace? Cannel coal on Sunday after- noons, stripped to the shorts, talking about life and women and stuff. And'do you remember that I left in the middle of the year, and left you as sports editor of Torontonensis, and you flunked your year? George and Elda Cadogan. Do you remember the night you had a party for all the sharp young editors and their wives whom you had met at the newspaper convention? And it was the night of Hurrican Hazel? And only about four of us made it? Hello out there to a couple of characters. First, my "TV repairman." Six times a year I get a pungent comment from him, but there is no identification beyond that. He lives in West- port. Ont, It is always signed the same way. "Your TV repair man." Here's his Christmas card, in part. "Merry Christmas, Smiley, and the biggest surprise of all, I like your column, You, I'm not so sure about. Are you trying to make us think you are old, with that grandpa bit? My kids are in their 50s and I'm not old." And more of the same. How do you deal with that old reprobate? And hello to another nut: Lt. Col. John McEwing, who sends Times Established 1873 Advocate Established 1881 Amalgamated 1924 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 Etherington Phone 235-1331 Published Each Thursday Morning at Exeter, Ontario Second Class Mail Registration Number 0386 Paid in Advance Circulation March 31, 1974, 5,309 SUBSCRIPTION RATES:"Canada $9.00 Per Year; USA $11.00 2:,,Ldk*etz:27.)M517,47'" Here's a personal column The staff is sharp this year Our response to now By ELMOR E BOOMER Counsellor for Information South Huron For appointment pnone: 235-2715 or 235-2474 The prophetic stance First of many decisions Colour-fast faith Periodically this newspaper receives requests from ad- vertisers to have their ad- vertisements inserted upside down or sideways or something else unusual to draw particular attention to it. We turn down most of those requests, because you can well imagine how the newspaper would look if it wasn't planned in some orderly fashion. Readers would be continually standing on their heads or leaning sideways to read it and they would soon pass along their complaints. However, once a year the writer does put through one request for something unusual, not to please an advertiser, but to test the people who put this newspaper together each week. So, last week, we agreed to have the name of one advertiser inserted upside down in his ad. The gal who made up the ad in the back shop followed the in- structions explicitly and then the problems started. The proof readers, yes, we have them, noticed the "error" and attempted to have' it an annual picture- of his pipe band in, of all places, Spokane, Washington. This year's card is a splendid thing with four brilliant- ly colored quarters. I wish I could include the description of the coat of arms, but space for- bids. Here's a sample: "The parti- colored shield Azure (Blue) and Gules (Red) is quartered saltire- wise by a St. Andrew's Cross, Argent (Silver), taken from the old Flag of Scotland." That's the essence, By some wild reach of logic and probabili- ty, the remainder of the coat of arms drags in such disparities as the United States Air Force, the Cairn of the MacCrimmons, and Canada, "the home of many fine pipers." The Colonel winds up his message with: "I continue to greatly enjoy your writing. I have been told that whiskey im- proved with age." Thank you sir, and if you are correct in translating the Gaelic motto "Suas Leis A'Phiob Mhoir" as "Up with the Great Highland Bagpipe," I couldn't agree with you more. You might be interested, sir, in knowing that our local pipe band, including our favorite paper- hanger, Alastair Milligan, who sounds Irish but doggedly avers he is a Scot, is off to Miami with a pipe band, to play at some foot- ball Bowl or other, Perhaps the last Bowel of the Scots. Or the last Bowel of the Smileys, if he reads this. But I wander. I wanted to say that I am pretty disappointed in some people. Not a word from Butch Kleimeyer. He usually asks me to the Last Reunion of the Last Fighter Pilots, Not a word this year. Maybe I'm the last, and they're all gone. I wouldn't be surprised. Last time I went to one, I returned on my last legs. I'm a little piqued that I haven't heard from Gene Mac- donald, the man from Glengarry, last of the big-time spenders; and Pete Hvidsten of Uxbridge, last of the vital virile Vikings. These are old newspaper friends. Probably they both think I'm dead. May I am, and I'm typing this in heaven, God forbid. Finally, thanks to Mary and Alan, George and Win, John and Helen, Bill and Joan, Karl and Michelle, and a host of others. By the way, the Acton Free Press is about to be a hundred years old. A hearty to Kay, Dave and Kathy Dills. And to everyone, fight a good fight in 1975. It's the only fight in town. corrected until they were advised that it had been planned. Then the paste-up gal who put the page together noticed the "error" and drew it to our attention. The composing room foreman happened to spot the mistake as well and had to be assured it was planned. The keen-eyed darkroom man who shoots the pages on the camera returned it to the pasteup department to correct the mistake and then the platemaker spotted the upside down name on the negative and brought it back for correction. The writer completed his task for the evening and was enjoying a minor hockey game at the local ice palace when he was called to the telephone. It was the pressroom staff in London. They had noticed that one word was upside down in an advertisement and wanted to know if they should remake the plate and correct it. However, it's an ill wind that doesn't blow some good. of course and readers can now see how ;astute and 'keen-eyed' the T-A staff is at 'the'outset of 1975. They'll obviously have no excuses for any errors in the upcoming weeks and readers can rest assured that each and every error will be spotted long before the paper rolls off the press, Otherwise they'll have a lot of explaining to do! + + +, The fact building permits issued last year totalled almost $2,500,000 in Exeter indicates a steady growth in the community, although it must be noted that a sizeable portion of that was for the addition to Exeter Public School. However the total was still up considerably over the 1973 total of $1,302,905, "While it may be difficult to reach any conclusions on the value of building permits issued in a community, we note with interest that the total in Clinton last year was only $683,743, The news report from that community indicates that the figures were down over the 50 Years Ago Jonah H. Pedlar aged 90 years and 5 months died at the home of his brother John. Miss Fannie Hatter of Chicago has returned to her home after visiting in Exeter owing to the serious illness of her brother Will. Garnet McFalls who recently underwent an operation for apendicitis returned to his home Thursday, Miss Ann Allison who had been visiting her parents, Mr. & Mrs. J. T. Allison returned to New York, Caleb Heywood 'suffered a paralytic stroke while in the barber shop of Norman Hockey, 25 Years Ago Mr. C. S. MacNaughton is in Chicago to attend the mid-winter meeting of the American Seed Trade Association. Provincial Constable Charles Salter has been transferred from Blyth to Kitchener. Mri. Salter and Jane will move shortly, Two smart new arenas were officially opened last Friday night, one in Henson and the other in Zurich, Over 6,000 pullets were smothered to death Monday evening in a fire which broke out at the Lakeview Hatchery in Exeter. 15 Years Ago Dial telephone is coming to Crediton, W. W. Haysori, Bell manager announced this week "record" year of 1973 in Clinton when permits issued were worth $1,043,636. Exeter's figures are much higher for both years, indicating a greater growth rate than our neighbours in the hub of Huron County. + + + Received a press release from a new company in Toronto reporting they had investments available for people wishing to secure "potential hedges against inflation." It will be of interest to our readers to note that one of the suggestions is to purchase cognac. .Yes, that is some type of booze! Now how that can serve as a hedge against inflation is beyond our comprehension, Most of the people we'know would find it a very poor investment, because they would end up drinking their so-called "hedge." However, that may have some benefit, because disposal of an investment of that nature, if it should ' also become worthless, would be more enjoyable than merely sitting around looking at diamonds or gold, which are also included on the list of "hedges." Perhaps we shouldn't take the subject so light-hearted though.Cognac purchased in 1968 increased in value some 299 percent in the next five'years. That's even allowing for an evaporation factor of three percent each year. + + + A note from our printing firm in London this week reported that newsprint has increased another $25 per ton as of January 1. The price is now something around $300 per ton. In 1950 the price was $101 and had only in- creased to $157 by 1971. But over the last two years, monthly in- creases. have not been un- common, We're still trying to hold the line on our subscription and advertising rates, but as you can see, it's a tough chore. that plans are under way for the opening of a new dial exchange in Crediton in 1961, Conklin Lumber Ltd., Kingsville announced this week to erect two large retail lumber stores in this district as part of a half million dollar merchandizing program in Huron County. Ronald Horne, Exeter, has been appointed manager of the Lyric Theatre in Exeter, it was announced by S. L. Berman of Onyx Theatres Ltd. At the AOTS supper meeting in James St. United Church W. H. Pollen was installed as president for the coming year. 10 Years Ago One of Exeter's most prominent business and church leaders J. Hubert Jones died suddenly as the result of a heart attack. Born in Winchelsea Mr. Jones moved to Exeter and in 1911 started full time in the dry goods and grocery store of Jones and May which his father had founded. Fire did considerable damage to the William Street welding shop of Don MacGregor when it burst into flames at noon Mon- day, Damages were estimated at $3,000. Skating at the Exeter arena attracted a record high Sunday afternoon when 382 paid ad- mission, Mr. & Mrs, Harvey Turner of Some time ago, a friend sat across from me at the kitchen table, distraught with troubles and now knowing where to turn, Finally, she burst out, "Please, tell me where you get this faith of yours!" What is faith and where does it come from? Many moderns are genuinely interested in finding out if we Christians have a faith that works. They want to know what kind of performance they can expect from faith. If it works well in other lives they may be interested; if they cannot see the effects of faith in the actions of their fellow' beings, they are likely to question its reality, Unfortunately, the faith of many of us is of uncertain quality, There is nothing much more distressful to a housewife than to wash a bright, new garment and find that the material 'runs'. Some of us have this kind of faith . it looks fine until it gets put 'through the wash' and then it fades out miserably. Even the disciples were confident until a squall hit their fishing craft. Then they became panic stricken, waking Jesus and crying, "Lord, carest thou not that we perish?" For some of us our religious experience is too often governed by our feelings, which in turn are frequently ruled by our state of health or circumstances. True faith is believing in the presence and the power of God, regardless of in what condition we find ourselves. All of us want a faith like that but few know how to attain it. The trouble is we think more about the subject, of faith than the object of faith. Columnist Jane Scott says, "We pray for a greater faith when we ought to be praying for and working for a wider knowledge and a greater love of God.Faith is "To suggest various forms of birth control, including abortion and sterilization as warp of preventing unwanted pregnancies, is at very best a makeshift solution to the problem. "It is better to instruct people on the proper forms of abstinence and virtue, with faithfulness within marriage, and then giving people the resources by which they can fulfill these high ideals, for then they shall enter into the life style that is God-ordained, and indeed brings mental, spiritual, emotional and even physical health." Such thoughts are not popular with most people. We feel we have come to a level of sophistication which make such enunciations totally irrelevant. The above remarks run counter to the tinor of the times. But to find them in the Correspondence Section of the Bulletin of the Family Planning Federation of Canada is even more remarkable. The minister who wrote them was taking the stance of a prophet. He gave expression to his convictions irrespective to current trends. The Jewish prophets were the mouth pieces of God, relaying the corrective messages of God to the people in times they could understand. So many of the prophets' messages were un- popular. They inveighed against the superficial religion of the day, the corruption of justice and society', the falseness of popular myths and fantasies, These men spoke bluntly using sarcasm, effectual figures of speech, persuasion, historical parallelisms, and outright rebuke. They were considered to be troublesome, un- sophisticated, unpatriotic, deluded creatures, sons of madness, a spot on the usual social order. • Today is a time of much protest, demonstration against the status quo, violent activities, feverish propagandors, and immense and far-reaching exasperations. New causes spring up with tireless regularity and new loyalties are begotten in many people over night. But one wonders whether there is much of a prophetic stance in all this startling movement, It seems so easy to be caught up in the temper of our age, to be Kippen celebrated their 50th anniversary, A survey showed that there would be 450 more students in the area served by SHDHS by 1972. a by-product of knowledge and love." So many people put their faith in money, knowledge, property, friends or position to eventually find out these will betray them sooner or later. These things are alright as long as you possess them and they don't possess you; but if you want the Kingdom of God, you must be prepared to withdraw your faith from them and put it where it belongs. Our faith in God grows as we advance in knowledge of Him, We must stop thinking about faith and think upon God and His great provision for us, and our faith will then take care of itself, It will develop in proportion to our love and knowledge, We can really only develop our faith in God as we get to know Him; and one of the best ways. I know of getting to know Him is to read the Bible. The Bible may be one of the world's best sellers but it is not the world's best-known book as far as its content is concerned. Many tell me they don't read it because they can't understand it, but there's little excuse for that now with all the excellent modern English ver- sions available, But how few people will give even a half hour a week for serious reading and study of the Bible. It is essential we know the truths and promises in the Word of God to obtain a robust, fast- colour faith. Simple but profound promises like: "I am the Lord; I change not." "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee," "Fear not; for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine, Wien thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned." This is where faith comes from. carried along by the roaring tides of human enthusiasms. It. mat- ters little the cause we esponse. The important thing is to have a placard and do picket duty. The greeting is "See you later, Demonstrator!" To be a prophet one must have some settled convictions, some terms of reference which are basic to his life. He must know truth. The coincidence of prophetic activity and religious experience is thus very reasonable. The man with settled convictions can speak boldly without being a mere demon- strator, a rebel for rebellion's sake. The prophet is not only tremendously active and in- volved but he is one who is quiet within himself, is one who with- draws often to dwell with the truth which he has embraced. He is shaped by the inward con- viction to meet meaningfully the reality of the day. The one who is a prophet cannot help but speak when occasion demands. He cannot help but he involved in the necessities of his day. He rises to the riotous situation with clear voice. He stands in the exposed position. He does not count first the floods of popular opinion, He who would take prophetic stance is not one who takes sides irrevocably and sings "My country right or wrong." Rather he sees injustice where it is and pollution in the place of disfigurement. He spares not his friends and is ready to praise goodness and the praiseworthy in those who could be counted his foes. The prophet does not change course when the wind blows cold. He does not mute his voice if he should be alone. He speaks with convincing authority. He is the one who by his very presence demands a following. He is the one to whom the malice of the offended is but a pin-prick to be brushed aside. How expedient and com- fortable we are! William Wilberforce the man who led the parliamentary debate in Great Britain which resulted in the abolition of slavery wrote: "It is in part, at least, because we ourselves overflow with com- forts, that we are so indifferent to the happiness of others. Business, pleasure, engagements, the in- terests and feelings of the hours, leavelittle time for reflection." The world looks for reflective persons who will speak well as the times require.