The Brussels Post, 1973-04-11, Page 2ugar and Spice
By Bill Smiley
Brussels Post
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 1973
•
-Serving Brussels and the surrounding .community
Piblished, each Wednesday afternoon <at Brussels, Ontario.
by McLean Bros. Publishers, Limited.
Evelyn Kennedy - Editor ;Tom Haley - Advertising
Member Canadian. Community Newspaper Association and
Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association. •
Subscriptions (in advance) Canada $4.00 a year, Others
$5.00 a Year, Single Copies 10 cents each.
Second class mail Registration No. 0562.
Telephone 8876641.
SD, what .'s new?
Huron MP Robert McKinley appar-
tntly thought a recent article by
Ottawa Journal writer Paul Jackson
regarding the number of defeated
Liberal candidates now working in
government jobs worthy of interest
to a number of Huron constituents.
He sent out several copies of
the article indicating that at least
12 defeated Lfberal candidates had
been able to find jobs on the pub.L.
tic payroll.
Mr.-McKinley could have saved
the money he spent on having tke-
article reprinted' and mailed. Po-
litical patronage should surprise
no one.
No doubt the same lengthy list
could have 'been olitmined about
-stalwart PC members working for the
government in Ontario or NOP back-
ers being on the puillic payroll in
Manitoba.
Ironically, the item reached our
desk on the same day an announce-
ment was made in Tomonto that for-
mer Huron MPP Charles MacNaughton
had been named chairman of the
Ontario Racing Commission.
There is no doubt lout what Mr.
MacNaughton will be eLmost competent
chairman and will prepably be fol-
lowed in the positiom by other PC
supporters until sucht‘time as the
Liberals win in Ontario and can
name one of their stalwarts to the
position.
There's lit tie to by gained in
the kettle' cal ling the .pot black.
out that some
conscientious
This newspa
of Ontari o s most
and capable persons
per recently pointed
part in polititS and take an active
system would be our democratic
ned if they Aid not, severely weake
Certainly, the Calibre of appoint-
equally weakened if ments would be
actively enga,ged in • those persons
party or another supporting one
were excluded from accepting those
positiuTis,
(5xeter Times Advocate)
To the Editor
Appreciates the Post.
sir:
I get the (ifIrttSSels Post"
delivered to my place here in
LOriden every week and really
enjoy hearing about all ity
friends in BrtiSsel.S. There is
one section of the Post that I
really love it being "Sugar &
Spice br Bill Smiley". He has ;
brightened up my lonely Otis,
bake by his hunioroits article
, Any day now it will be cheaper to fly'
to Europe, and 'back' than it is to spend a
couple' of 'days in the city.
Air fares are coming down as rapidly
as city prices 'are taking off. This was
borne home to me, as they say, during
a recent brief visit to, the Big Smoke.
And I don't mean. New York. Just an
ordinary Canadian city in the true north,
strong but far from free,
.Our relatives always kindly invite us to
stay with them, •but we visit the bright
lights so seldom that we throw caution to
the wind, let ourselves go deliberately
decadent, and plunge for the hotel room
and all the extras.
It used to be grand feeling: checking
in at the hotel just like the rich people;
tossing the bell hop half a dollar as though
you did it every day; walking into the
luXurious room and turning up the heat
and to hell with the fuel bill; picking up
the phone to call room service; and loftily
asking the Old Lady, "Wonder what
the poor people are doing today?" -
But that semi-annual plunge is no
longer into a warm bath of unaccustomed
luxury and service. Its more like a dive
off the town dock juSt after the ice has
gone out of the bay. Not refreshing; just
numbing.
Things have changed. Now there's a
car jockey to park your car. He can open
the door with one hand and hold out the
Other like a ,profetsional beggar in Cal-
cutta.
Next is the doornian. If you have one
Small bag, he's right there, taking it from
you with one hand, and .holding out the
, other. If you have four heavy bags, he's
busy whistling up a cab for a biOnde.
YOU totter across the capacious lobby,
and the bellhop relieves you of • your
bags just before you collapse in front of
the desk.
There's one thing that hasn't changed;
the room clerk. He's as snotty as he
Was 20 Years ago in every city and every
country. You'd think he owned the place
as he looks down his nose at your over'.,
coat With the ira,yed cuffs and your big
rubber boots which you wore from the
Country.
•. And beware the poor innocent who
doesn't have a reservation. 11e is the
dessert for the Meal nf thiS tenon typo
ol hyena,
Seine day, When aM old gh and
crotchet} enOtigh, and. haven't had any
kicks for a lei* 'time, and I'Ve driven a
hundred miles and a room clerk smirks
at Me, ii8Orty,, We haven't a thing,,','
I'M going to pull a gun and shoot 'Mtn
right between his cold, Mean little eyes,
And t think a geed lawyer, with an Under,
standing jury, Would get me off Seel free:
Next in the gauntlet is the bellboy .He
doesn't Ing your begS and sweat any more.
He slingS theft biitti a tart. DMA hand
him, with a flourish, the old-time half
dollar. He's liable to hand it back,. with
a'bigger flourish, and snarl, "Here, Mac,
I think you need It more than. I do."
• And he's prObably right. • He's no
"boy". - He's 38 years' old and he owns
three duplexes.
Well, anyway, you've• made it to the
-room. But before 'you flop, on 'the bed,
don't check the room rates on the back
of the door or you won't flop, you'll
swoon.
Holy Old Nellyf 'You must be in the
wrong, room, or they've given you the
Trudeau suite. Shake your ,head, look
around the room, make Sure that lady
isn't Margaret. Same Old room you
swear you paid $19.00 for last time. Same
woman and the price tag is '$30.00.
This is not the time to say, "Oh,
Well: In .for a penny, in for apound."
You knoW what happened to the pound. Your
dollar is suffering the same shrinking
sensations.
Daedly, you call room service, order
some ice, and if you're smart, yo '11
tell them you don't want it transported
by air from the Winter Palace in St.
Petersburg, (U.S.S.R.) even though it
Will take as long and cost as much.
Don't order any glasses. The '11
Cost you more than a new pair at your
faihntrite optometrist's. Drink out Of
your hands, as you did when you were a
boy.
If your wife has a yen for something
sweet when you get back from the theatre
or whatever, dOn't call room service
and order French pastry and Coffee. TWO
sad little pieCeS of stale Christmas cake
or something and, a jug of coffee will set
you back four btickS, plus tip. Take
chocolate bar with you instead.
Don't go to the theatre in the first place.
We took Our daughter and her husband tea
sheik, 'Petit ticketa,, $48. New York
wouldn't have the nerve,.
Don't eat Out. binnet for fent, at,
a iittiOderate" restaurant,, with One cock-
tail, Can run from $25 in $50: SUS the
inevitable .you-know-what. The only result
IS a nagging kelin which may be either
attritia, your pioneer ancestors'
ghosts haunting you in the stomach.
Final ditilluSion. I always spring or
a shoe-shine. it seems reasonable
luitUry, as it One 'of the two' three
tithes a year thy brogues get a brut h, Went
for it thti time, Halfway through, 1.
realized the .poor devil shining my shoes'
WO retarded,
decided to- help, in MY tinall *ay
had my quarter ready, bUt changed it
a fifty -Cent piece Gave it to hint, feel
soit df warm in§idei, He pointed t'
sign 'behind my: head,
It •48hoeshities It Was
then i realized which of lit was retarded,
:fished for another two bit's
IESTAOLMHED
11172
BRUSSELS "
ONTARIO
every week. One can't be sad
with that type of reading.,I
would like you to convey my
appreciation to him for a really
good pleoe of writing Which 'Seine
may take for granted, I really
enjoy and, wait to read his next
Ruthie Minton
45 Regina 84,
tondon,
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