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The Brussels Post, 1975-07-16, Page 2PW, ad Out to pasture Amen by Karl SChuessler I'm a law and order sort of a fellow. I mean I believe in red lights. When I see one, I stop, When the sign says yield, I give way. I. squeeze left. I slow. I pass with care: Now maybe my foot does get a little heavy when I 'see a yellow light. But all in all I'm decent about these things. I comply. But I found myself getting a little ugly yesterday when I was on the tennis court. For tennis, you see, has its own set of road rules when you travel around on their kind of blacktop. Many times the clubs post their rules right up there on the metal screens. But I've learned. That's not all. There's many unwritten ones too. And the guy who patrols the tennis beat is called the pro. "HMMMM," he said when he walked over to me, "I see you're.not wearing a white shirt. It's club regulations you know." "But that's all I happen to have on me," I said. He shook his head, "White is right." "But mine are all in the wash. They're coming clean," 1 assured him, "Next time, for sure, I'll wear one. "Alright this time. But remember. I told you. 1 warned you. I could get in trouble for this. That's why the club hires me. To enforce their rules." He walked off. And I settled down to a game of tennis. My partner tried to console me. That's oday. And I'm okay. It's just the rules that aren't so hot. Not long ago, he said, they quibbled over shoes. Those Adida tennis shoe that sport a blue strip down the side. Sure it's only trim, but it's blue. And the rules say white. All white. Anything else is blight. I hoped I hadn't embarrassed my partner. I was his guest on the court. Possibly I was a potential member. Not ev eryone gets to be a member. What with all the waiting lists. Now that tennis is a popular sport. Sure the clubs want more members. But not just any kind of member. They want to look you over -- on the court and off. "It's not just ,, your game. But are you a good mixer? ager? Are you sociable off the court? Are you willing to put in hours for the club? Are you a gentleman? All the way? In every way? And when I kidded my partner from the far side of the court about his wissing two serves in a row, he signaled me up to the net. "Cool it, Karl," he said, "Don't talk so loud. You're disturbing the other players. This is serious play.This isn't play play. This is real play. Like work. "They don't want you to put any josh into the game. You're ruining it." So we settled down to silent play. Grim. Sober. Serious. This serious business of tennis. My partner wore me out. We walked back to the club house. I took off my shirt. My blue shirt now drenched shades darker with sweat. The pro looked at me. "You'il have to get that shirt back on," he said, "No one in here with out shirts. Club rules." I felt my limp shirt. All wet. I didn't want it on my back. "Okay", I said, "I'm on my way down to the shower room." "But don't start undressing up here," he reminded me. And when I finished my shower, I threw in my towel. knew. I didn't pass. But then. Sometimes it doesn't matter. I wouldn't want to pass anyway. Mr, visite Curti Wing Mr s. week( Mrs. Tara, and 5 vi edil cinch ordoi olida; epela Mr. eceiv( the ilnie Mr, umni c ken cNall t. Ca a Pent MI maim Visit seph rs, r, ar kit* rdnai he If you're big enough to stand on your own two feet you should be smart enough to run on them. /2aorirocritlf; TKO banadiAii movement for personal fitness, NITARLISRIEP 1172 russels Post ORUSSELS WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 1975 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 15 cents each. Our 33rd year with the Tories? Two or three months ago, no one would have believed it. If this past Spring some daring soothsayer was to have predicted that the Ontario Tories would win the next provincial election by a good majority, most people's reactions would have been "You've got to be kidding." The provincial government, under Premier Bill Davis has just come through one of its worst winters ,since the long Tory reign in Ontario started. Cabinet ministers were being accused of improprieties right and left. There was some evidence of hanky panky in the provincially controlled Ontario Hydro. There was great dissatisfaction, especially in rural areas over the way Ontario Hydro was after farmer's land for hydro towers. There was a continual increase in provincial debt. The Mustard Report and provincial health plans which seemed to be saying goodbye to local control over medical care were bringing the wrath of the electorate down on the PC government. But voters perhaps have short memories and it now appears from a recent poll that the Tories are gaining. "Goodies" for all of us are flying fast and furious from Queens Park as the Tories prepare to fight the coming election as only a government in power can. The April provincial budget offered $1500 to first time home buyers and a reduction in sales tax to all of us - a large group of voters who can be expected to express their thanks with the ballot. Last week's mini budget which provides for sales tax rebates for those who buy North American made cars is another example of sudden provincial largesse. All these gifts expire on December 31, but by then the election will be over. Political budgets, sure, but people are usually not adverse to being bought presents with their own money. Premier Davis has taken advantage of the June budget of the federal Liberals which he claims is unfair to Ontario, not against his local opposition, but against Ottawa. As a national, political commentator said, Premier Dak?is should hire federal finance minister John Turner as a consultant. When people get angry, they sometimes don't bother to distinguish between provincial and federal politics. And people are unhappy about. the 10c a gallon gas increase that the federal Liberals introduced. Bill Davis can set himself up as the good guy, fighting for preference for rich Ontario and against Ottawa's attempts to deal equally with all Canadians across Canada. Ontario NDP leader Stephen- Lewis said tongue I n gill Cheek i,r that the Ottawa Liberalt are the bett friends Davishag, gOL N OW if the provincial Tories can conCentrate. on telling' us about the fro nt Liberals' sins and keep• attention away from their own unpopular policies -- like. regional gOVertinieht -- eight here in this province, perhaps a fter. the election We'll be.. rolling 106 our '8.ed year of uninterrupted Tory government in -Ontario, Is this What We want? I., * t. r, • 11 *!