Times-Advocate, 1980-01-16, Page 4,.,•••-raW*Whmle,*Wern6W**011***,,,,,,,,,,Meo*.k.**0.110Mw.**.**111***Wfx....p,...w.y.
;iivkiferi mertionf ne)
Page 4 Tirmoo-Advocate, January 14, 1909
...sessiSSWASSeleablelt
Areoilienated, 1924
L
i!ainstream Canada
5101Vtlei3 FANA0A1 UST FAIthitAND
ctAss W and ABC
Published 1py J. W.leede Publications Limited.
LORNE EEDY, P4411$hlEit
A Question of National Will
Editor.- -,Bill Batten
Assistant Editor — Bats Haugh
Advertising.Manager Jim Beckett
Composition Manager,-. Hurry CieVries
Nosiness Manager Plck„lorigliind Published Each Wednesday Morning
Phone 2 35-1331 at exeigeOntario,
Second chew Moil
.0teitietranon Number 0386
SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
Canada $11.00 Pot Yaar; USA $30.00
Levelling off good
A gobd nag has value
Exeter residents would not be
totally correct in assuming that the
sizeable drop in building permits issued
last year indicates that the local
economy is drastically waning. ,
They are figures that must be put
into perspective and the fact is that the
1978 record total of $3,858,545 was one
that would be virtually impossible to
maintain without some major in-
dustrial growth in the community.
Figures from neighbouring towns
of comparable size are not yet
available from 1979, but it is a good bet
that Exeter's $2,179,571 will be far
beyond that of any other.
Area municipal officials are again
joining the mass exodus to the annual
Good Roads convention. While that
event is still over a month away, the
delegates have entirely filled the Royal
York hotel and are now spilling into
neighbouring accommodation.
For years,' the Good Roads event
has held a special interest for council
members, not the least of which is that
it is a good opportunity to get out of
town during the dreary winter months
and let your hair down a bit.
While there can be little argument
over municipal officials dipping into
the coffers once a year to enjoy a con-
vention, the event seldom provides
enough return in view of the number
Politicians' wives seem to suffer
particularly from an illusive sense of
self-worth.
Margaret Trudeau has been on a
long, public, and often tedious quest to
find herself. Joan Kennedy and Betty
Ford suffer variations of the same trip.
Although Joe Clark's wife,
Maureen, appears to enjoy her first
lady role, she carefully keeps all op-
tions open retaining her maiden name,
aiming to continue her law career and
even run for office. The quest for self
isn't exclusively a female problem as
Prince Philip and Britain's Prime
Minister Margaret Thatcher's husband
can testify.
Philip lets off steam playing polo,
flying planes, and taking pot-shots at
cheeky journalists. Ian Thatcher stolid-
ly kept up his own career (he's rich),
and delicately circumvested the wives'
,Areemaremsm,,A,,,vg•
By
SYD FLETCHER
Christmas is over again
for another year and things
are gradually getting back to
normal, whatever that,
means. If I can adjust to
getting up early again after
the holidays, I'll be all set.
I've never noticed stores
being sold out the way they
Were this year. Empty
shelves all over the place.
Music records, Toys.
Completely Wiped out. A
lady in the jeWellery depart-
ment of a large store said
they had sold two hundred of
the new digital watches, at
forty dollars a piece, in one
week alone, just before
Christmas. I became a little
cynical When I see
quotations in the newspaper
about Canada going into a
recession. Perhaps
The figures do suggest, however,
that there is a levelling off in residen-
tial and commercial growth and that in
itself may be welcome news for many
local officials who found it difficult to
explain the rampant grOwth that has
been experienced in the past three
years in this community.
A continuation of that magnitude of
growth could have created problems
for many particularly at the commer-
cial level, and this levelling off is in
feat welcomed when it appeared there
was a risk that it could have quickly
reached over-saturation . At the rate
it was going.
from each municipality attending.
The point is that there are
numerous other municipal conventions
and seminars which should attract
more attendance to broaden the infor-
mation available to those who help ad-
minister area municipalities.
It appears unfortunate that a
realistic maximum is not placed on the
number who can attend the Good Roads
convention. It could conceivably then
make it necessary for more members
to consider some of the other events,
which they no doubt would find just as
informative.
They may not reach the social en-
joyment, but then that has always been
up to the individual to attain.
inevitable round of cocktails, shopping
and hospital tours during a recent Com-
monwealth conference in Zambia by, as
the press put it, "playing a great deal of
golf."
Journalist-broadcaster, Michele
Landsberg, wife of former Ontario
ND? Leader Stephen Lewis, who has
been there herself, says no matter how
she acts and what she says a political
wife can't win. The only solution she
sees is to pay wives a salary and spell
out their duties and treat them with'the
impersonal respect accorded public
servants - if wives are to play a public
role and be publicly accountable.
, Landsberg warns a political wife's
job is ... "a muddle of conflicting
demands and ambiguous rewards. No
one elects her and no one pays her."
Maybe it's time the beleaguered
wife of the politician got equal pay for
equal work!
In case you're interested, a recent
item in a well known Canadian publica-
tion indicated that the horse population
in this country is growing by leaps and
bounds.
In the past four years, the horse pop-
lation has almost doubled in some
breeds, specifically draught horses
that are being used by those back-to-
nature exponents • who attempt to
transform their small acreages into
self-sustaining operations.
On a less appetizing note, more
horses are being raised for food too, but
we'll not get into that bit.
As gasoline supplies dwindle and
prices keep mounting, there is every in-
dication that a good nag may come in
handy in the not too distant future for
those who do not enjoy walking or jogg-
ing.
That may appear to be a turn for the
worse for most readers, but alas such
is not the case.
In 1905, it was determined that horse-
drawn traffic in New York city moved
at an average rate of 12 miles per hour.
According to recent studies,
automobile traffic in that city now
travels at an average speed of eight
miles per hour.
You can translate that into
kilometers if you so desire, but the
point is that old Dobbin moved more
steadily under some conditions, and the
pollution problem was at least good for
the garden.
Some readers may suggest in addi-
tion that there wasn't as much problem
with drinking drivers, but that may not
be entirely the case.
Looking through back issues of this
newspaper, there are numerous ac-
counts of runaway horses or those
which created problems when they
were in the hands of drivers who had
imbibed too greatly.
Seems they have yet to come up with
any satisfactory solution to that
problem.
* *
Continuing on that topic, many coun-
u ar an
Dispe sad by SMiley
Well, our children are gone, and our
children's children. I can scarce
forbear to tell you what a legacy they
left us. A flat wallet. A bowl of
sunflower seeds. A guitar with a hole in
the body. A telephone that defies the ef-
forts of the repair man. A toilet that
overflows. And so on.
But all you need is love, As they say.
Well, as I sit here remembering the
Hades that is a Canadian bus terminal
at holiday time, I am forced to wonder.
Were all those crapulous old
gentlemen and indignant elderly ladies
who kept screaming, "What about
me?" full of love? Or perhaps those
boisterous teenagers who kept trampl-
ing the crapulous old men and the indig-
nant elderly ladies?
Since I don't even want to think about
anyone under the age of 48 for at least
six months, I'll leave 'er lay, I won't
even mention that my daughter got her
suitcase on the wrong bus, and my son
got himself on the bus my daughter Was
not on, with all the rest of her luggage.
C'est le bus business.
No. I'm sick of the young. I want to
deal, in this column, with a couple of
oldsters. One of them takes a very dim
view of me, and the other takes a
gleeful, healthy look at life.
For years I've been receiving Christ-
mas cards from someone who signs
himself Your TV Repair, It drove me a
little nuts, The messages were always
lively and salty and blunt.
This year, the TV Repair man came
out of the closet. But not completely.
He still wouldn't sign his name.
In the same mait, I received a copy of
a long letter written to the editor of the
Gazette-Reporter, Rivers, Man,
Both letters dealt with a particular
column I'd written. Comparing them
might give the gentle reader a cross-
section of the philosophy of Canadians.
I'll print parts of them, sticking my
tries have set drastic punishments for
impaired drivers, ranging from
automatic jail terms to severe fines.
New Zealand is one such country and
the care taken by citizens to avoid the
penalties are well portrayed in the
story of a policeman who went to in-
vestigate a situation where he saw six
obviously intoxicated men pushing a
car along a city street late at night.
While he thought they were trying to
start the vehicle they assured him
otherwise.
"Not so," said one, "we're all too
drunk to drive, so we're pushing the car
home."
* * *
Don't be surprised to learn that your
automobile insurance company may do
a credit check on you before issuing a
policy. All they're attempting to do is
determine your driving capabilities.
Seems that a study done recently in
the U.S. has indicated there may be
some correlation between poor drivers
and persons having poor credit records.
The study shows that people with a
poor credit record had more accidents
and more violations of traffic laws than
people with good credit ratings.
The sad news may be that as in-
surance costs continue to escalate,
there will be more credit risks on the
road and therefore more accident
risks. Hopefully, the correlation
doesn't work out that way as more peo-
ple get behind the inflation eight-ball.
* «
And speaking of drivers (notice how
we're meshing this potpourri
together?) many of them, along with
some passengers, have learned to their
chagrin that the local OPP are crack-
ing dawn on people who fail to wear
seat belts.
CpI. Dave Woodward has mounted an
extensive campaign in this regard and
many have been forking over $28.00 for
being nabbed in his roadside checks.
Our associate in the next office, who
has now been stopped three times by
own oar in whenever I dang well feel
like it.
Here's the TV Repair Mah: "Hello
Smiley - ,Merry Christmas. It's that
time so here we go again. You really
shocked me with this year's Armistice
Day column. I have always looked
forward to, and backward to, that
column. To me, Armistice Day is the
most important holiday except Christ-
mas,
"I lost a lot of close friends in both
world wars, You said you thought you
had said it all and then wound up with
the best one of all. You have never said
it all nor ever will,
"I have enjoyed your column for
many years (thanks TVRM) so maybe
you'd like to wade through this, I won't
take long and you canscrapeyour shoes
when you're through.
"First, I am an old man - 78 last
month. (Hell, that's just a boy,
TVRM). Second, I am no more TV
repair man than you are auto
mechanic. Third I am the richest man
in the world, if you count friends. (Yes,
mah, I count friends.) I live alone in a
shanty I built myself and have
everything I need or want and enough
pension that I can help people now and
then that need it.
"Like yourself, I have grandchildren
that are my pride and joy and opened
up a whole new life for me. I taught
them to swim, fiSh, skate, garden, you
name it, and like you I am proud as hell
of them. If that ain't happiness, forget
it,"
That's a happy guy, the old TVR1VI.
The other letter is full of cliches, bom-
bast, and another word beginning with
B: "Sacrifices; terrible price; home
and country; fallen comrades." Etc.
Fallen comrades my bent They
didn't fall, Mr'. G. Mathison of Larding,
Man. They were killed.
More of the same pap. "Where was
Mr. Smiley when teen-agers were dy-
Dave and at least twice by an officer in
Lucan, has managed to escape by being
properly buckled in on each occasion.
That's a net saving of $1401 Buckling
up is obviously a good investment in
more ways than one.
The Lucan officer no doubt thought
he had him in a test after Christmas,
assuming (almost correctly) that he
would have eaten too much to get the
seat'belts on. But, alas, he had let out a
couple of extra inches on the strap and
escaped once again.
* * *
Seen any good shows lately? Judging
from the comments of many people
who headed for theatres over the
Christmas holiday period, the fare was
sparce in terms of good entertainment.
However, that doesn't hold true for
those who take in the regular perfor-
mances at Theatre London, a visit
which is worth the price of admission
alone just to see the tremendous job
done in renovating and modernizing
that facility.
Live performances always seem
much more exciting and entertaining
than the silver screen and the Theatre
has a list of hits for the current season,
including the upcoming Equus. It's
even a little risque' with one scene of
total nudity.
Last week the Writer attended Eric
Donkin's. hilarious one-man presenta-
tion of Sarah Binks, bringing us the
memorable poetry of The Sweet
Songstress of Saskatchewan.
It was billed as a "very • funny
evening" and certainly didn't fall short
of accomplishing that goal, even for the
city-slickers, although it appeared that
the farmers in the crowd had their
funny-bones touched a little more deep-
ly.
If you're looking for a night out to
cure the winter blahs, you can't do
much better thane visit to Theatre Lon-
don,
ing on the beach at Benny Se Mer?" I
presume he means Beny Sur Mer, Well;
Mr. M., I was about five miles away, at
Ste, Mer E'glise, shooting and bombing
the daylights out of the guys who were
shooting at the guys who were dying on
the so-called beach. Some beach.
"Where was he when the children
were coming out of Caen while it was
being bombed, hungry children, alone,
afraid and with nothing but a black sky
full of cold rain to succour them?" Mr.
M., after bombing Caen about eight
times, and being shot to shreds in the
process, I was in a jeep, visiting Caen,
and giving those kids my chocolate
rations and getting them out of that
hell-hole.
"Does Mr. Smiley really believe that
it is time to forget the para-troopers of
Arnhem, the Third Division Water
Rats, the Red Devils of the First Divi-
sioh or the heroes of the Second at
Dieppe?"
Yes. I was shot down Shortly after
Arhhem. A paratroop doctor bound my
displaced kneecap. I met some of the
Arnhems. They were a tough bunch of
bastards, triumphant in defeat, un-
daunted. The "heroes" at Dieppe were
a poor bunch of misled, misinformed,
undertrained kids led into an impossi-
ble attack by stupid commanders.
"I saw teenagers, like the ones he
is teaching now, die in the mud at
Walcheren (misspelled)... and their
last thought was a yearning for home.
(Canada)."
Well, Mr. C., I saw teenagers go
down in flames, plunge into the ocean,
and though I didn't have an ear to their
chest, as you seem to have had, I heard
their last thoughts, soinetimes, on
radio.
"Jesus. Mom. Help me. Mother!
Help!"
Bp Jean Ldchance
The "accident" which
plunged the country into an-
other election a few weeks ago
could never be called a victory ,
for the Canadian people or a
progressive step in the handling
of the nation's Weirs. Not
by a long shot.
In addition to the 550-60
million the new election will
cost, Canadian voters are being
asked to settle the same diffi-
cult question they faced last
May: who is better equipped
to handle the responsibilities
of government?
It is more of a dilemma than
a question. The real 'choice is
between the erratic and some-
tithes inept Conservatives and
the worn out, decimated
Liberals, although the NDP
could spoil either scenario.
Jean Lachance is Public
Affairs Officer for the
Canadian Federation of
Independent Business
Recent political history in
Canada tells us that a potential
backlash against those who
provoked yet another election
might result in an overwhelm-
ing mandate for the Conserva-
tives. When this last happened
in 195$, parliamentary oppo-
sition virtually ceased to exist
in this country. On the other
hand; the Canadian voter may
well confirm last May's verdict
and perpetuate the existing
instability at the federal level
at a time when Quebec, with
25070 of Canada's population,
is preparing to choose its own
political destiny.
55 Years Ago
Goderich defeated Exeter
by a score of 5-2 in an OHA
game. The line-up for Ex-
eter: goal, Walper; defense,
O'Brienli Knapp; centre. L.
O'Brien; wings, Wells and
Stathffaemy.; subs, Shaddock
and
Andrew Allison of Roland
Manitoba is visiting his
sister, Mrs. Hamilton and
other friends.
Reeve W.D. Sanders, of
Exeter, Reeve John Hanna
of Usborne, Reeve Alex
Neeb and deputy-reeve John
Hayes of Stephen are atten-
ding County Council at
Goderich.
Mrs. J.W. McIntyre and
three children of Watson,
Sask. are visiting with the
former's parents Mr. & Mrs.
Thos, Sanders.
30 Years Ago
The grand opening 'of
Brady's hew laundeteria
with four new automatic
washing machines and two
large dryers will be this
weekend.
Exeter Senior Citizens
marked their first birthday
Tuesday night in the Legion
Hall. ".The Exeter Club is
the model for Ontario" said
Bob Secord, district advisor
for community programs.
Rev, A.E. Holley tendered
his resignation to the official
Board of Main Street United
Church to be effective July
1.
Jim Carter and Marion
Creery won the public speak-
ing contest sponsored by Ex-
eter Lions at SHDHS Mon-
day afternoon.
Dear Editor:
On several occasions dur-
ing the past five years I have
appealed to your readers for
discarded hearing aids. The
response to my appeals has
been richly rewarded as
hearing aids poured in from
cities and towns from coast
to coast.
I have since retired from
the Ontario Ministry of
Education but my interest in
helping hearing impaired
children in the West Indies
has not wahed.
This program.how known
as the' Canadian Inter-
national Hearing Services is
in its fourth year under the
able co-ordination 'of Mr.
Gordon Kerr, a staff
member of Humber College
of Applied Arts in Toronto.
Gordon, along with Dr.
Donald Hood, and
audiologist, and Mrs. Nancy
Hood, a teacher of the deaf,
make an annual pilgrimage
to St. Vihcent, West Indies,
There is no doubt that issues
such as leadership, the Con-
servative budget, and the
voter's appreciation of who is
respensible for the fall of the
government will be considered
by the electorate,
But thereat issue that should
dominate the present election
campaign is one of policy, and
mainly Canada's energy policy.
John Bulloch, President or
the 55,000 member Canadian
Federation of Independent
Business puts it this way in
his year-end message:
"The issue is how to turn
higher energy costs into a great
Canadian opportunity. Voters
should be asking their political
leaders how the $200 billion to
be spent on resource projects
in the 1980's can be used to
provide maximum long,terna
benefits to Canada."
The point is that if we don't
develop the necessary policies
to protect Canadian interests
in both the small and large busi-
ness sectors, we could find
ourselves with greater foreign
domination of our economy,
a weakened manufacturing
industry, serious shortages of
capital and skilled manpower,
and increased disparities in
income.
Maybe the real question all
Canadians must face in this
election is this; do we have the
national will to shift from the
politics of "immediate grati-
fication" to that of "building
for the future"?
Phenomenal opportunities
exist. Will we hive the sense
and maturity to accept the
challenge, no matter what our
political affiliations are?
20 Years Ago
The Ontario Society for
Crippled Children has an-
nounced the election of W.W,
Haysom, Goderich as chair-
man of district council No. 5
which serves Huron and
Perth.
Bruce Biggart, who has
been in the charge of. the
RCAF and the Grand Bend
branches of the Bank of
Montreal is being
transferred to the Kingston
Branch.
The family of Mr. Lesume
Desjardine, Main Street,
gathered at the home of his
son, Byron Desjardine,
Ailsa Craig to honour him on
his 80th birthday.
Ross Robinson McKay,
principal of Hillsburg school
for over 30 years passed
away on January 6 following
a long illness.
15 Years Ago
Reeve Glenn Webb of
Stephen Township was
elected warden of Huron
county and Reeve Ivan
Hearn of Lucan was elected
warden of Middlesex Coun-
ty. Both men won elections
after being defeated in con-
tests last year.
Douglas Palmer of Wier-
ton has accepted the position
of principal of SHDHS to
succeed ILL. Sturgis who
retires at the end of the
term.
At a meeting in Grand
Bend members of Stephen
Township school area board
agreed to commence
proceedings to have a new
central school erected.
where hearing impaired
children and adults have
been fitted with hearing
aids.
The time has arrived for
this program to be extended
to other West Indian coun-
tries as the need to help their
hearing impaired is equally
great.
Once again I ask your
readers to dig out any old or
discarded hearing aids and
mail them to:
Canadian International
Hearing Services
54 Strathburn Blvd.
Weston, Ont.
1149M 2K7
All contributions will be
acknowledged and receipts
will be issued for all cash
donations.
Thank you, once again, for
'hearing' our appeal made
oh behalf of hearing im-
paired children in the West
Indies.
Sincerely,
George Mason
eNA
Exodus is on
Political playthings
Perspectives
somewhere we are feeling
the pinch of economic
restraint, but it is either a
very gentle tweek or in some
part of the anatomy other
than that nearest the wallet.
A young teenager visited
our house right after Christ-
mas and brought one of his
gifts with him, an expensive-
looking radio-tape recorder
combination which he
proudly displayed to us.
When he left, he forgot the
Machine and I thought, "Oh
well, he'll be back for it
tomorrow since he only lives
a block away." No Way. It's
a week later now and the set
is still sitting there, even
though he was informed of
RS whereabouts,
One lady I talked to
recently mentioned a Christ-
mas day many years ago
when she and her brothers
and sisters got nothing at all
for gifts. There just wasn't
the cash on hand, Another
year each child got only an
orange, a real treat in those
days. Try giving a child an
orange now for Christmas.
I don't think we Canadians
realize how incredibly
wealthy we are in com-
parison to the rest of the
world. I saw one game in a
store, a war game in which
submarines and destroyers
are sunk electronically to
the accompaniment of lights
and sounds. Forty-five
dollars. They were selling
like hotcakes.
Forty-five dollars and a
little more is the median
Wage for families in some
parts of the world, the me-
dian wage for a whole year
as opposed to four or five
hours work in some local
trades. We spend more on a
child's gift than would sup-
port a family for a whole
year.
Is it possible that there is
something incredibly unfair
Or out of kilter in our moral
standards and values in this
a "Christian" country
celebrating Christ's
birthday?
All you need is love
•