The Brussels Post, 1975-02-26, Page 2riC
cic es
Amen
By Karl Schuessler
I was talking on the phone to a woman in
New York city. Business. Business in New
York.
And when she asked me my address, I said,
"Bornholm, Ontario."
"Is that all?" she said.
"Yes, that's all you need," I said, "Spell it
B-o-r-n -h-o-/-m."
"1 can't believe it," she said, "It's
absolutely amazing."
"It's out in the country, " I went on,
"Maybe that's why some people want to spell
it B-a-r-n-h-o-l-m. But no matter. Whether it's
Bornholm or Barnholm, that's all the address
you need."
''I still can't get over it," she insisted, "Are
you sure you'll get my letter from New York
City?"
"Yes, ma'am, Write me one and try it."
"In a big place like Canada I suppose you
can get away with only that one line? It's
amazing."
"Sure. Sure," I tried to reassure her once
again. The mail lady knows where I live."
"Well,•if you say so," her voice trailed off
ratherlimp, still can't believe it."
And she hung up in disbelief.
But I'm waiting for her letter. To retore her
faith in our great postal system. Our great
country postal system.
I didn't want to confuse the matter with all
this Nok 1A0 business. That scramble of
letters and numbers I've never been able to
sort out --even after a year now.
I must admit. I wanted to impress her. To
let her know how uncomplicated life can be.
How the mails do go through. In such utter
simplicity when you live on a rural post line.
In the suburbs we thought the post office
was going modern when a few mailmen
started to deliver the mail in motor carts.
But our rural mail lady Minnie Vock has
been doing it for yeats.
And she just doesn't deliver the mail either'.
She takes it away. And if you don't have the
stamps, money in the mailbox will do as well.
And when the package is too big for the'
box, there's none of this po .St card to tell me
all about it = and it's mind, if I go to the post
office and claim it.
None of that.
She honks her horn. I know her beep. And if
I miss it one day; she beeps the next.
And back at the rural post office, there's
other great things going.
"Mrs. Postmistress," I'll ring up early in
the morning, "I'm going to the city today.
Will you hold my mail? I'll pick it up in a half
hour." And Margaret Morrison will do it.
And where else but a country post office
could 'my daughter get a letter delivered to
her with only "Sarah" written on it? Her last
name forgotten by her little pen pal.
And where else but a country post office
would the postmistress know where to delilver
a Christmas card? Written in maiden name to
a girl now five years married.
Where else? But in a rural post office!
My mail ladies know what they're doing.
Because they know about all the people
they're doing for.
I figure my mail ladies know all about me.
My monthly bills. My insurance premiums.
The book clubs I belong to. The magazines I
subscribe td. The parking tickets I pay. The
newspapers I write for. The property taxes I
pay., The people I work for.
Where my, grown-up sons live. Who my
banker is. My doetor. My dentist. My church.
My favorite charity, My overdue library
books.
Why, my mail lady must have a full profile
on every mailbox oWner. She has to be a
goldmine. A natural resolute. An unwritten
encyclopedia of people plus.
J'enot complaining, Don't get me Wrong. I
thi.ift want off her line.
.Because I never want to give up my lute. My
one line.
Bornholm, Ontario.
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ESTAISLIVIED
1172
Brussels Post
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26,1975
BRUSSELS
ONTARIO.
Serving Brussels and, the surrounding community,.
Published each Wednesday afternoon at Brussels, Ontario
by McLean Bros.Publishers, Limited.
Evelyn Kennedy - Editor Dave Robb Advertising
Member Canadian Community Newspaper Association and
Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association.
Subscriptions (in advance) Canada $6.00 a year, Others
CCNA $8.00 a year, Single Copies i$ cents each,
wN CO
•CNA
•••
•••10.kri I, C.
vewiFieo
kRCULATION
Ulcers for farmers?
Last week's predictions made at the Agricultural
Outlook Conference are going to cause more than a
few ulcers among the local farming population.
According to the Conference, even though the
gross farm receipts will rise by four percent, the net
farm income will nose-dive by nearly 12 percent,
mostly because of rising costs.
We find it incredible, with everyone else seeking
cost of living increases, that the farmer, the single
most important man in our society, should be taking
a pay cut! Outrageous!
We indeed live in a society with a warped value
system. On the one hand we pay some "jock"
$100,000 a year for six months work to bang a piece
of rubber around on an ice surface, but can't even
give the man who keeps us all eating, the farmer, a
decent wage.
According to the Federal Agriculture Minister,
Eugene Whelan, every single thing the farmer will
'buy this year will cost more, from feed to fertilizer,
from machinery to fuel.
Mr. Whelan was optimistic that the farmers could
"iron out the peaks and troughs", but we can't agree
with him.
In Huron County there isn't that much to be
hopeful about. The farm population is decreasing
each year at an alarming rate, so much so that by the
turn of the century they may be as few as 1,000 in the
whole county.
The average. age of area farmers is in the fifties,
and what happens when they retire, because
according to the Canadian Bankers Association, it
cost an average of $85,000 to get into farming last
year.. And with such a poor return on the investment,
who can afford it?
Both the Federal and Provincial governments,
along with the mass media are myopic. By
demanding that producers take the slimest of profits
or in many cases a loss, they are jeopardizing the
future of the whole country. And without food, we
are nothing.
(Clinton News Record)
To the Editor
Voice of the people
May I take this opportunity to congratulate you on your
Editorial in the January 15th issue of The. Brussels Post, the
heading read "Change for the Better". In my opinion I felt y our
comments were excellent, and that the new members of council
gavc,every indication that old formalities can be changed for the
better.
Your Editorial in the issue dated February 19th "Complain out
loud", should create considerable interest, and I support your
suggestions titled "Town Topics" or "Voice of the People", (I
prefer the latter), as it will serve as a means to criticize or
comment on any local issue, and the person should be named.
Your reporting on Council meetings has been very informing,
and I know the readers of the Post appreciate your good work,
the comments prove this point.
As a former member of Council I have been asked "What is
. By Law No. one?" Let us start the question box, and see what
answers or comments to the following
1, By-Law Number one - What does it do, and how important
is it?
2, There is a rule book called "The Municipal Act". It
eitplaihs Municipal procedute for a City, Town, Village, County,
Township, etc. In Municipal business do you use the rule book,
or do you use "precedent?"
See you all at the next Council meeting.
Herb StrettOil
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