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The Lucknow Sentinel, 1982-06-23, Page 6LUCINO ENTINEL 'Ilia. Sam Town" Eatebllahod 1/173 THOMAS A. THOMPSON • Advertising Manager SHARON J DIETZ • Editor PAT LIVINGSTON - Office Manager JOAN HELM • Compositor MERLE ELLiOTT = Typesettot Lucknow Sentinel, Wednesday, June 23, .1982—Page 6 Business arid Editorial Office Telephone 528.2822 Mailing Address P.O. Bo;. 400; Lucknow, NOG 2110 Second Class Mail Registration Number 0847 Subscription rate, S14.50 per year in advance Senior Citizen rate, 512.00 per year In advance U.S.A. and Foreign, $3&.00 per year In advance Sr. Ch. U.S.A. and Foreign, 536.00 per year In aditance editorial We needed that It was something we needed. It was something that lifted our spirits for at least part of a gloomy first day of summer, full of bad economic news and Canadian crisis, 'It was some- thing that brought a . smile to our lips when everything altnd us seems, depressing and frightening, 'w,�1f he birth of an infant prince to our own Prince and Princess of Wales, Charles and. Diana, was a joy for nearly .everyone in Canada. An heir to the .British throne is born. Some things just never seem to change, and that's time for celebration. -SJK. Lu 7.7 Good news It must surely be a relief to the people of Ontario to hear from Ontario Hydro Chairman Hugh Macauley that the rumoured 22 per cent increase for senior executives at Hydro is just that a rumour. According to Macaulay, no. such increase was ever planned, projected or budgeted for 1983. • In fact, Macaulay has announced a decision by Hydro's board of directors to rescind even the meagre:. 12 or 13 per cent salary increase that had been planned for managers, and to freeze the salaries of its 600 managers. In a letter to staff, Hydro President Milan Nastich said: "Canada is facing its worst economic crisis in 50. years and the Ontario; economy is among the hardest hit by industrial cutbacks and layoffs. Simply put, times are tough now, and it looks like;. they will stay tough for some time. We must respond to the challenge with greater efficiency and lower Costs." Praise be. It's some initial indication that even the public sector is beginning to pull : back ' from its . selfish demands on the taxpayers' vulnerability. It won't mean a reduction . in cost to the thousands of electricity customers throughout Ontario who are scramb- ling to pay hydro bills every month or so, but it does provide a treasure of hope in a time when hope is fading for all but the financially secure. SJK. Just a memory The Kinloss Karishea Women's .Institute had mighty t- imely motto at its recent meeting.. The subject A dollar won't do as much for us now as it used to because we don't do as much for a dollar -.certainly hits the proverbial nail on the head. It . was easy in good times to argue that Canadians generally are labouring just as hard as ever, and . are deserving of the higher salaries they have been demanding all over the country. But the proofis that it is simply not true - that Canadians are generally under -productive and over -paid. All, one needs to do is look at the factories and businessesthat are closing because Canada's goods are not competitive in the world market place. There's no doubt much of the 'blame ,I must rest with governments which are more interested in getting re-elect- ed than making the unpopular decisions that should have been made long ago to keep Canada moving forward. Much of the responsibility too, must be laid at the feet of labour unions that have become over -protective of employees' rights and .privileges just to demonstrate some need for existence. Even union leaders have to eat. 'But the biggest share of the blame remains squarely on the shoulders ' of ordinary people in the cities, towns, villages and rural routes all across this land. We are the real culprits for we have allowed ourselves to become greedy, lazy and sloppy. We. have tossed our lot in with philosophy which says: Take all the traffic can bear and give as little as possible to get it. ' Looks like -the buggy -ride is over. Looks like. it is time to get back to giving an honest day's effort. for an honest day's pay. And the cost of living allowance will be nothing but a hazy memory. —:SJK. Good luck seniors This week is Senior Citizens' Week in Canada and the Lucknow Sentinel wishes to extend a hearty hello and best wishes to all senior citizens in our neighbourhood' Time was when old age was a fearful prospect meaning separation from family, poor health, no income, little joy and fulfillment. Things are different now. More and more seniors are enjoying a healthy, happy life with all its privileges. More and more are busier in retirement than they ever were before and a growing number of seniors are using their years of experience to good advantage as volunteers and consultants to benefit younger people. Old aeissomething ething• no man escapes unless he dies an untimely death. Thank goodness old age is now something to be savoured, akind of a prized possession after a 65 year race for survival. —SJK. report frorfl queen's park By Murray Elston M.P.P. Huron.Bruce Persistence has paid off at the Legislature. Fallowing lengthy spee- ches by Pat Reid (MPP - Rainy River), Opposition Finance Critic, and Sean Conway (MPP - Renfrew North), the Ontario Government agreed to send the Retail Sales Tax Bill to committee to hold public hearings. . . The breakthrough developed on June 17 when the Conservative Gov- ernment agreed with Opposition Lib- erals and. New Democrats. It is anticipated that the hearings will commence within one week. Jobs For Youth Task Force • An interim report has been released by the. Task Force headed by chairman John. Sweeney (MPP - Kitchener Wilmot). The following is a synopsis of the release: - Latest .unemployment,figures avail- able are those for May which show that 186,000 young people between theages of 15 and 24 are jobless, representing 16.4 per cent of the youth in the labour force. Since established on March 23, the Task Force has discussed the growing cancer of youth unemployment with young people, educators; representa- tives of business and industry. The Interim Report lists 12 alternatives, recommended to and supported by the Task Force. Thesealternatives include more training opportunities for those who are currently unemployed to meet skilled manpower demands, particu- larly in the new technologies, when the economy improves;' incentives and/Or a legislative requirement to encourage on-the-job training by Ontario industry,; a restructured ap- prenticeship :program to permit easier access and reduce the current high dropout rate; and a realistic and concerted attempt to change the public conception of the value and importance of skilled trades, to remove the existing "stigma" of blue ' collar work. • Also recommended is improvement of the. present counsellor to student ratio of 1:400 and in-service oppor- tunities for counsellors to keep abreast of changes in business and industry; introduction of career counselling in , elementary school; re-evaluation of the secondary school curriculum, and mandatory core subjects such as English, Mathematics and Science to ensure that young people are equip- ped to be flexible and adaptable in today's changing labour market. Reader says OHRP: offers work, progress Dear Editor, I would like to extend my appreciation and support to Mrs. Donna Sue McClenaghan. for her ability to investigate' into and bring to public attention the Ontario Home Renewal Program (0.H.R.P.) our town lacks. • Mrs: McClenaghan developed and presented a brief to .council backed with facts on, the program and comparative statements from a local township which has implemented such a program .with little difficulty'. Well done, Mrs. McClenaghan. But, Editor, 1 was VERY disappointed at the first expressions made by our reeve, Mr. George Joynt. His statement seemed'quite negative and condescending in nature. He used an instance from the past stating that few years "ago the people interested in the 0.H.R.P. program were in arrears on their taxes .and hydro bills. The council carefully looked at and listed all the .EXTRA work needed to support the 0.H.R.P. Some members considered the beneficial potential for some local young people. But, did the council examine the program carefully? What would the 0.H.R.P. program, positively speaking, provide the town of Lucknow? Would the loan money be spent in the stores and businesses • of local merchants? Would the . money available ; to home owners create employment for area and local trades persons? .Would the end result of 'the money spent improve the energy, efficiency and safety of a home? Would the retail value of the property increase? • Would local retailers be able to sell vacant homes to prospective people if the 0.H.R.P. program was available? What conclusion havelyeu reached? I ,feel in a ,difficulteconomic time any possibility of improving, even so minor as a few hundred or 'a thousand dollars spent in our local area and town, offsets the additional work created for administration of the 0.H.R.P. - program. Thank you, • Mrs. Sandy. MacLeod. redtrees Chippy Chisholm drove one of the wagons which made the journey to the Irish settlement near Bolton Town, for the purpose of buying a stock of potatoes to satisfy the needs of the ,•' people of Redtrees for an entire season. Whilst the wagons were away, • the. men left behind in the Highland settlement were frantically digging holes into the ground, to accommodate and preserve whatever supplies the wagons would bring back with them. These underground storage .places were generally known as root cellars. The floors and walls were lined with field stone and equipped with log roofs, on topof which,' the excavated earth was placed as additional insula- tion. The belated digging activities was the result of Jane Cameron's (nee Dove) insistence that they procure sufficient supplies of root vegetables,. and for which she had advanced. the money. The • storage places were at first affectionately known as' "Dove" dens, but human nature being what it is,' the more humorous of thesettlers called the root cellars "Pigeon" holes, a name which persisted for many years. • When' Chippy Chisholm .erected his own log cabin, he incorporated a . basements, or cellar. He was deter- mined that his intended bride (Mrs. Brody) should begin her life as Mrs. Chisholm, in one of the best equipped I cabins in the community: " Chippy's cellar was large enough to store all the vegetables, salt meat barrels and fire- wood, the two' of them would need to survive even the longest winter. The Journey of the wagons moving by don Campbell south down the Sixth Line was cold and uneventful; the smell of the horses wafting back on • a keen south-east breeze, and the wheels crackling through a deep carpet of fallen leaves. At a pace of three or four miles an hour, it was almost noon before they reached the multi -colour- ed slopes, of the hills where the 'Irish had brought a little of the "old sod" to the Ontario .countryside. • : ' Ian.' Jamieson, •the keeper of The Redtrees general store, had gone along with the wagons to negotiate the 'business transactions. if there was any religious prejudice felt by the Irish; it was not noticeable. On the contrary, they seemed most obliging and the, wagons were dispersed to those farms •which grew potatoes for sale.• Chippy Chisholm was directed to a clearing of almost ten acres. A large part of the land was allocated for growing potatoes, as evidenced by the withered stalks , strewn across the surface of the field. Potato growing in those days was a lucrative but back breaking business. There were no digging machines and every single root had to be forked and Lifted I by hand. When Jamieson had completed his deal with the Irish settler, baskets of potatoes were filled from a log storage shed and emptied into Chippy's wagon. It was a case of purchasing by volume rather than weight; even the smallest weigh scales were not an unusual sight in 1843.. A young and attractive woman stood by the wagon and counted aloudthel number of baskets which Chippy received. Her voice fascinated Chippy: Here in the midst of the Irish brogue was the soft speech of a Highland lass. He enquired from the farm Owner, why it was that.a'Scots girl should be. living, amongst the Irish. "She's•a waif. so she is," the man said. "She came in here one day, all by herself. She was after, lookin' for work as a teacher, so she was, but we didn't have any work, for the likes o' •her. She's a domestic now,' so she is.'' "You dinna need a teacher?" Chippy asked in amazement. "Teach- ers are hard tae find in the backwoods o' 1Fanadal" "That they are, my boyo. But she's' not after having the kind o' faith for the• teaching of our children. Her father was a "Pestiteerian". He died o' cholera, so he did, on the boat acomin' o're from Scotland." All the way .back to Redtrees, Chippy Chisholm could notkeep his mind off the young woman. He was ' sure thatsomebody in the Highland settlement would take pity on het, and perhaps, he thought, Jane. Cameron would find her teaching skills espciaily useful. It was however, . not Chippy's perrogative to 'make a decision as to who should, and who should not be, entitled to join the Friendsof Skye. He had a sneaking suspicion, that the Reverend Duncan MacLeod might welcome the good looking daughter of a Presbyterian minister into his fold, and, thought Chippy, chuckling to. himself, perhaps not only far her teaching ability!