Times-Advocate, 1979-05-16, Page 4Page 4 Times-Advocate, May 16, 1979
Times Established 1873 Advocate Established 1 881
ajmes - Advocate
*** Hw**' ************ u»Ue* line* M?1
.. ...
. a, ^4 m.
.<&*........w
Amalgamated 1924
SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND
C.W.N-A., O.W.N.A. CLASS 'A' and ABC
Published by J. W. Eedy Publications Limited
LORNE EEDY, PUBLISHER
Editor — Bill Batten
Assistant Editor — Ross Haugh
Advertising Manager — Jim Beckett
Composition Manager — Harry DeVries
Business Manager — Dick Jongkind published Each Wednesday Morning
___Phone 235-1331 at Exeter, Ontario
Second Class Mail
Registration Number 0386(♦CNA
SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada $11.00 Per Year; USA $22.00
J
Still in doubt
As Canadians get set to head to the
polls this week, the only thing certain
about the outcome, is that it is still
very much uncertain.
Even the pollsters have been un
able to get an accurate pulse,indicating
that many Canadians won’t know how
they’re going to vote until they take
pencil in hand and have to mark their
ballot.
At the outset of the campaign, it
appeared that the Progressive Conser
vatives under Joe Clark had a slight
edge, but he has been unable to dispel
many of the questions about his
leadership qualities while wooing the
voters. The negative aspects of the PC
advertising campaign have probably
been more of a hinderance than a help
in that respect.
Voters must surely be wondering if
Clark doesn’t have a few good qualities
that could have been promoted as op
posed to merely attacking Prime
Minister Trudeau.
Trudeau, on the other hand, is still
plagued by the state of the economy, in
flation and unemployment. Regardless
of his election promises, voters still
recognize the fact that he was at the
helm of the ship when it started to
flounder and it is on that record that
they must judge him.
The New Democrats have certain
ly not mustered enough strength to be
considered as serious challangers and
their renewed support from labor will
probably cost them as many votes as it
gains.
That all leaves voters with little
room in which to manipulate and
probably sets the stage for a minority
government when all the ballots are
counted. We give the odds to Clark to
head that minority.
While that has some disadvan
tages, it is not without some advan
tages; not the least of which is it will
keep the government on its toes and
result in some much-needed
housecleaning among those who really
run this country — the civil service.
“The doctor cured my insomnia — he's got me following the election campaign.”
BATTN AROUND ........... with the editor
Using the negative approach
A warm welcome
It’s not always complimentary to
advise people their reputation precedes
them, but it’s certainly on the positive
side that we join the community in
welcoming the visiting group of
campers to Exeter this weekend.
The community has been privileged
to play host to previous camp groups
and it has been a pleasant association
that will undoubtedly be duplicated
over this first summer holiday
weekend.
In extending to them our best
wishes for a successful and fun-filled
weekend, we do so in the knowledge
that the local organizers of the event
have worked hard to ensure that
success.
Irv and Lois Armstrong in par
ticular should be singled out for their
endeavours, not only from the stand
point of the campers, but in boosting
the town’s reputation as a congenial
host.
We know the residents and
businessmen of the community won’t
let the organizers down in touting Ex
eter as a great place and the only
regret may be that their stay with us
will be all too short.
Have fun and come back and visit
us again.
Something fishy
Remember when sports
enthusiasts in the Province of Ontario
used to eagerly await the opening of the
fishing season and the fishing
regulations as they pertained to the
various sections of the province each
year?
There’s something about fishing
that puts a spring in the step of the old
man or old woman (the Queen Mom for
example is an excellent and avid fly
fisherman, or fisherwoman if you so
prefer); and plasters a grin across the
face of a youngster.lt doesn’t matter
what the calendar says, spring has
arrived when the fish are nibbling, the
sun is hot enough to make you want to
peel off that long-sleeved shirt and the
only thing stopping you from doing so
are the black flies and the mosquitoes.
At least that’s how it used to be in
this place to stand and place to grow.
Now we find that such an elemen
tal pleasure as fishing is no longer a
simple matter. Along with fishing
regulations we now receive three color
ful booklets from the Ministry of the
Environment and the Ministry of
Natural Resources.
In shades of red, green and blue
they are a Guide to Eating Ontario
Sport Fish in Northern Ontario,
Southern Ontario and the Great Lakes.
The three guide booklets outline the
degree of “contaminants of concern”
contained in the fish, namely Mercury,
PCB, Mirex and DDT, and lets the
reader know whether or not the various
species are safe for human consump
tion.
So much for growing Ontari-ari-
ario. ,, . , „Listowel Banner
One of the most persistent views be
ing expressed as the federal election
day draws nigh is that the campaign
preceding the May 22 date at the polls
has been much too long.
For almost two months we’ve been
subjected to the daily bickerings
between the three national parties and,
of course that time was made appear
even greater due to the fact they spent
the year previous to that talking about
an election.
There’s little doubt that the actual
campaign has been much longer than
required and steps should be taken to
reduce the time alloted for the parties
to woo voters.
Perhaps the ideal solution would be
to initiate a policy touted by most
parents: “if you can’t say something
nice about a person, don’t say
anything”.
If the politicians had to follow that
edict, the length of their speeches
could be drastically curtailed and the
whole campaign would be over in short
order.
The experience of this campaign
would indicate that the leaders
wouldn’t have anything to talk about if
they had to refrain from making nasty
comments about their opponents.
The TV advertising conducted by the
Progressive Conservatives in par
ticular has been totally negative and
has probably led to renewed cynicism
among voters in their attitudes
towards politics and politicians.
Surely Joe Clark must have at least
one quality of leadership that could be
touted by the party, rather than having
to spend all their air time listing some
of the faults of the Prime Minister.
The commercials are even more
hypocritical when viewed through the
eyes of a reporter, because most of the
comments being attributed to Trudeau
are obviously taken out of context.
When the news media members pull
that stunt on politicians, there’s a
great hue and cry about unfair repor
ting.
Oh well, all’s fair in love, war ...and
politics!
* * *
Exeter ratepayers will be interested
in the current debate between council
and the Public Utilities Commission
over the rate to be charged by the
latter for billing the sewar surcharge.
However, while there may be a
winner between the two bodies over the
cost, the taxpayers are still going to be
the losers because presumably they’ll
end up paying the increasing costs of
billing whether it’s through their tax
rate or through their utility bills. It’s
primarily a matter of diciding from
which pocket the money will be ex
tracted.
The debate does point up the great
“waste” of money that is required to
tell people how much they owe and to
then collect that money from them.
That figure amounted to $31,168 in 1978
and council members are correct in
questioning whether that is in fact an
exorbitant amount.
It’s an area that deserves some
scrutiny and hopefully the Com
missioners can come up with some
alternative method of extracting
hydro, water and sewer revenues at a
more reasonable cost.
The undecided voters
Mainstream Canada
Changing The Rules
While they’re waiting for the PUC to
fire the next volley in the debate, coun
cil members could possibly use that
time to figure out how much it costs
them to collect taxes. They may find
that it too is growing at an equally alar
ming rate and represents an area
where some cost cutting could be im
plemented for the benefit of the
beleagured taxpayer.
* * *
The book debate continues in Huron
County, although hopefully the policy
approved by the board of education last
week will help alleviate some of the
controversy,
That policy still provides that a stu
dent can be offered another title if
he/she has an objection with the book
which has been chosen for the class.
The ironical aspect of the whole
situation is that it is very difficult for
any student to have an objection over a
book without having first read their
book; in which case, it then becomes
too late to save the student from
whatever it is that the student wants to
be saved from.
It’S much akin to the little boy
traversing a water puddle. Having
gotten his feet wet, he may as well con
tinue to the other side as turn back.
Wonder what happens when a student
objects to the fact the book he has been
assigned doesn’t contain enough
reference to sex or profanity for his
liking?
/<r B . Roger Worth
There’s little wonder mail)
Canadians are confused and
disturbed about the seemingly
endless maze of sometimes con
tradictory rules and regula
tions emanating from the na
tion's capital.
While minor variations in
rulescan be irritating, the situa
tion becomes downright ridi
culous when one general gov
ernment policy blatantly con
tradicts another.
A case in point.
In the late 1960s Ottawa
became concerned about con
sumers, forcing manufacturers
and retailers to provide more
detailed product and price in-
Roger Worth is Director,
Public Affairs,
Canadian Federation of
Independent Business.
formation on goods. Armed
with the additional knowledge,
consumers would be able to
make more intelligent buying
decisions.
Protection - even coddling
- of consumers became the
order of the day for Ottawa’s
mandarins..
Later, a government-ori
ented program ensured similar
product information would be
made available to people speak
ing either official language.
Both these moves, while ex
pensive and inconvenient for
manufacturers, suppliers and
retailers, were perhaps justi
fied. Consumers, of course,
eventually paid the cost of the
changes, but, according to the
bureaucrats, the public was
finally getting an even break.
Now, though, it appears
the mandarins in at least one
government department have
changed their minds.
The Department of Con
sumer and Corporate Affairs
is proposing a regulation pro
hibiting the use of anything
but metric measurements in
advertising and promotional
information on goods.
If accepted, millions of
Canadian consumers will be
left to fend for themselves in
a world of metres, litres, grams
and kilograms. Inches, feet,
ounces and pounds would be
outlawed.
The Ottawa Metricators be
lieve this would be a neat way
to force Canadians to learn the
new system, conveniently for
getting introduction of the
measurements was supposed
to be voluntary.
What’s interesting to note
is that the bureaucrats seeking
an outright ban on feet and
inches work for Consumer and
Corporate Affairs, the depart
ment that has so jealously
guarded and promoted con
sumer rights.
Suddenly, it seems, the de
partment officials have revers
ed their field. Under the new
mandatory rules, consumers
would be deprived of basic in
formation they need to make
knowledgeable decisions.
What’s sauce for the goose,
it seems, is not sauce for the
gander, at least according to
the bureaucracy’s new rules.
memory lane.
Perspectives
A few weeks ago I got into
a fairly heated discussion
over one of the ten com
mandments as to whether it
was an absolute law or
whether there were some
exceptions to the rule. “Thou
shalt not kill” was the law
under discussion.
In some parts of the world
this rule is taken quite
literally to the extent that a
particular order of Buddhist
monks wear surgical masks
so that they do not inhale
bacteria, thus killing them,
In the Hindu world no
animals are killed because of
their belief in reincarnation.
By killing an animal you
may be killing the spirit of
One of your ancestors.
In ‘Christian’ countries
killing is viewed with much
more tolerance. We cer
tainly devour large quan
tities of meat and capital
punishment is an event of
the not too far distant past in
North America.
Too, we view war as
justifiable homicide, sanc
tioning it by our use of
chaplains on the battlefield,
and frequent defense of wars
in the pulpit (during the war
at least.)
Not having ever been
involved directly with war
it’s pretty difficult for me to
offer a very valid opinion one
way or the other as to
whether killing can ever be
justified.
One incident though, sticks
out in my mind about a man
who was really and truly an
executioner.
I met him near Peter
borough while I was fishing
at a dock, an old Indian
gentlemanwhO'had just come
in on a small boat. He was
carrying a string of fish and
walked with a noticeable
limp. We chatted about the
limp.
“An old war wound,” he
said, with a little pride in his
voice.
“What was your job during
the war?” I asked.
“I was a sniper,” he said.
“I used to sit up in a steeple
or a tree and pick them off,
sometimes three quarters of
a mile away, they were. I’d
line ’em up in the ’scope’s
cross-hairs and that’d be it.
They never knew what hit
’em.”
There was no pride now in
his voice. It was just a
statement of1 fact, a job he’d
had to do and had done well.
There was no trace though of
regret or pain on his face as
he finished telling me about
it.
It’s a queer world isn’t it,
when one of us has a chance
to play God or at the very
least, the angel of death, I’m
just as pleased that I don’t
have to live with his
memories.
For quite a while, I counted myself
among that approximately 30 percent
of Canadian voters who were “un
decided.”
From the time he was chosen leader
and elected 11 years ago, I have
disliked Pierre Trudeau. Perhaps
distrusted would be a better word.
As a Canadian I was used to good,
dull, solid prime ministers like Mike
Pearson, a genial, open internationally
known diplomat; “Uncle Louise” St.
Laurent, a corporate lawyer respected
by men of all parties; John Diefen
baker, a criminal lawyer with great
experience in parliament.
This new guy, Trudeau, was a little
too good to be true. A millionaire’s son
who had never really proved himself in
business, law (his profession) or the
arts. He had no experience in
parliament. He had switched ideals too
easily, from firebrand to national
pacifier. 6
Oh, I could understand the
Trudeaumania. With his casual
clothes, his boutonniere, and his exotic
holidays, he was a regular breath of
fresh air to Canadians, accustomed to
stodginess at the top,
He was photogenic, articulate, and
obviously a man with a considerable
intellect. He had bags of charm, with
the Gallic shrug, the lifted eyebrow. In
his national television speeches he was
a winner, most persuasive.
When he married the lovely
Margaret Sinclair, the fairy tale
seemed complete, only outdone by the
fact they they had three children, bang,
bang, bang, two of them born on
Christmas Day. It would take a
distinguished writer of soap opera to
come up with a better script.
Yet all the time I didn’t trust him.
Too smooth, even slippery, when it
came to a forthright statement about
his views or the country. At first I
thought we might just have a
statesman, but it wasn’t long before he
was a pure politician to the heels. ,
My wife was sore at me for what she
considered my jaundiced view of
Prince Charming. Just as she was sore
at me because I wasn’t altogether sold
on John F. Kennedy ten years earlier,
another guy who had ridden to office on
a few million dollars, a barrel of am
bition, and charm to burn.
My jaundice was justified. Since
Trudeau took over, Canada has slipped
steadily into a stagflation that has
made a hell of a lot of other Canadians
just as jaundiced. He refused to con
sider wage and price controls. A year
later he switched and stole the idea
from the Tories, too late.
His government has done virtually
nothing about: foreign companies
buying Canada; development of the
country; unemployment; pollution and
a hundred other issues of concern.
There was no bold, leadership of
Canadian industry, commerce,
science. There was .a knuckling-under
to militant labour. There was the
panicky War Measures Act in Quebec.
•There was a steady loss of confidence
in Canada on the international level.
When Joe Clark was chosen leader of
the Tories, taking the place of a much
superior man, Robert Stanfield, at
least I had some hope. He was young,
seemed vigorous, and must have
something going for him, even though
barely more than half the Tory
delegates wanted him, or didn’t want
Claude Wagner.
As the months have passed, my
hopes have withered. Clark seems just
the opposite of Trudeau. Not smooth,
but awkward. Not intellectual, though
hardplugging at his homework. Trying
to appear forceful in the televised
House of Commons, but a finger
wagging, jowl-shaking, pale effigy of
old John Diefenbaker at his best.
There’ll be no bold leadership by this
guy, either if he wins. He makes a
statement, then waffles. He dodges a
television confrontation with Trudeau,
and I don’t blame him. He throws out a
hugh bribe to the middle-class voter
with his mortgage interest scheme.
He seems a decent enough chap, as
honest as a politician can be, but he
appears more like a puppet, gyrating
awkwardly to the strings pulled by his
advisors, than a real human being. He
seems to have virtually no sense of
humor, no vision of Canada; nothing
but an enormous desire to become
prime minister.
Clark has never easily accomplished
anything outside of politics. He was a
hardworking and earnest, but un
distinguished member of parliament.
That’s why he got the “Joe Who?”
label after he wiggled into the
leadership.
What a choice! An aging playboy
who has allowed Canada’s national
debt, and Canada’s government, swell
to epic proportions until Ottawa ap
pears a huge complacent blood-sucker
drawing the life out of the rest of the
country. And a hick from High River
whose main motive seems to be pure
political hunger for power. (No
aspersions on High River, whose editor
kept me up until 4 a.m. one morning in
a great intellectual debate).
Where to go? I’m lurching to the left,
and I wouldn’t be surprised if many
joined me. I’m no socialist, but
Broadbent at least isn’t making an ass
of himself, has some concrete ideas.
We have a good man in our riding, and
this time I’m going to vote for the man.
55 Years Ago
Mr. S. M. Sanders was in
Chicago last week attending
the International Convention
of Garment Manufacturers.
May 24 opened with a
drizzling rain but cleared
towards the end of the day.
In consequence motor traffic
was curtailed somewhat.
The.usual list of visitors was
not as large as in some
years.
Rev. Linden Harvey of
Coatsworth is spending a few
days with his parents Mr.
and Mrs. Joseph Harvey.
Mr. Bruce Rivers left
Monday for St. Thomas
where he has secured a
position.
30 Years Ago
W. G. Cochrane has moved
into his new house, Senior St.
The Huronia choir won
first prize at the Woodstock
Musical Festival Wednesday
evening.
Winston Shapton
graduated from OAC,
Guelph, at the convocation
exercises last Wednesday.
Ed Hunter-Duvar will open
his new service station at the
south end of town Friday
night with an old and new
time dance.
20 Years Ago
The Exeter Kinettes plan
to purchase a cart of their
own through South Huron
Hospital channels for the
purpose of selling con
fections and sundry articles
to the hospital patients. They
have been doing this for
some time but used a
hospital cart.
The Clandeboye station on
the CNR.railway has been
sold by tender and is to be
removed.
Between campaign
speeches at Wingham and
Stratford, Premier Frost
attended a luncheon meeting
of party workers at Arm
strong’s Restaurant, Exeter,
Wednesday afternoon.
Joanne Mair of Exeter and
Audrey Rhodes, an out
standing Stratford athlete,
whose parents now live in
Exeter, were among the
nurses who graduated from
St. Joseph’s Hospital School
of Nursing, Friday.
15 Years Ago
The sons and daughters of
members of Exeter Lions
swelled attendance to 85 at
their “family night” staged
at the Exeter Legion. Guest
of the evening was Merle
“Ting” Tingley, noted
cartoonist with the London
Free Press.
First official practice for
the Exeter Mohawks, who
have been centered in the
Huron-Perth Baseball loop,
will be held Tuesday night.
Manager Joe Wooden has
extended an invitation to all
ball players in the area to try
out for spots with the club.
Joan Westcott, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Roylance
Westcott graduated from
London Teachers’ College.
She is a SHDHS graduate
and has accepted a position
with the Kitchener public
school board.
Bob Beavers, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Reg Beavers,
broke his right leg while
playing socceratSHDHS.The
bones have had to be reset
and he is in Victoria
Hospital, London.
Attention: Smiley
Your indignus article on
“Society Breaking Up Fast”
has done nothing for the
intellect of the male species.
Your wish to delete woman
from the polls is. pre
posterous. Mrs. Thatcher is
a reflection of that.
Its time for you to step
down from your pedestal and
join the human race. If it
weren’t for men like you,
"Women’s Lib” would be
nonexistent. It stands to
reason that when you suf
focate someone, they fight
for air.
“Year Of The Man” has
exhausted itself over the
past 20,000 years. If you
would teach what you
preach, learn to live and
share with others, the world
would be in better shape for
it.
Jacky Hrudka
Exeter
Dear Editor:
As we approach the most
important federal election in
our history, l am fervently
hoping that Canadians will
judge political candidates on
policies as opposed to such
frivolous items as why Joe
Clark lost his luggage while
on a world tour.
Intelligent Canadians will
immediately cast off such
childish concerns as style
and charisma and will in
stead focus on important
issues such as competence
and fiscal responsibility.
Pierre Trudeau became
Prime Minister in April,
1968. Consider the financial
record of his administration
(source: Public Accounts,
Department of Finance;
percentage figures have
been adjusted to take in
flation into account):
1) in 1968 the gross federal
debt was $33 billion; in 1978 it
was $80 billion, increase 25
percent, (When I asked
Pierre Trudeau to explain
this while he was in
Edmonton last year, he
typically evaded the
question).
2) in 1968 the annual in
Please turn to page 5