Loading...
The Lucknow Sentinel, 1983-10-05, Page 6Lucknow Sentinel, Wednesday, October 5, 1983—Page 6 SENTINEL "The Sepoy Town" Established 1873 The Lucknow Sentinel, P.O. Box 400 Lucknow NOG 2H0 Telephone: 528-2822 Thomas Thompson - Advertising Manager Sharon Dietz - Editor Pat Livingston - Office Manager Joan Helm - Compositor Merle Elliott - Typesetter Subscription rates in advance 16 °0anada Outside •4rJ, 'o0 C Senior Citizens 13.60 Outside Canada '43 0° Second class mailing reg. no, 0847 Advertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, the portion of the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid at the applicable rates. editorial Police chases don't make sense High speed police chases cannot be justified. Constable Bruce Crew, 47, of the Goderich detachment of the Ontario Provin- cial Police lost his life as the result of such a chase September 25. His death is a needless waste of human life, Lost is a man described as quiet, fair and respected, an unassuming man who had been active in his community. Since the Goderich town policeman who undertook to chase the black Pontiac Trans Am knew the car had not been involved in either a murder or an armed robbery, common sense would seem to dictate that having taken the license number of the vehicle, the police could have followed up the incident by going to the owner's home. A high speed chase down dark country roads in the early morning, jeopardizes the lives of those involved in the chase, police and civilians, as well as innocent public bystanders who might happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Such police chases are more common in metropolitan areas but only rarely do they end without damage to vehicles or property or injury to people. A high speed chase in the line of duty just isn't worth the risks involved. This is not to say the police are the only ones responsible. The driver of a car, who chooses to evade police by outrunning a persuing police car, is as much responsible for the consequences of this accident as the driver of the cruiser which struck Constable Crew. Unfortunately this chase didn't take place on a television series like Dukes of Hazzard or Chips. The injured don't get up and walk away once the scene is filmed. What is a reasonable fee? A few months ago, says The Exeter Times -Advocate, there was a great public outcry when it was announced that Liberal stalwart Donald McDonald was to be paid some handsome sum for conducting an investigation into the nation's economic woes. Por some strange reason a number of Canadians thought the WO per day price tag for the work was a little on the steep side. Most of those same people will probably raise their eyebrows over the recent news that lawyers involved in the royal commis- sion investigation into the infant deaths at the Hospital for Sick Children are being limited to a fee of $130 an hour and further, can only claim a maximum of 56 hours a week. While that S7,280 per week would satisfy a redtrees great number of people, the list does not include the lawyers involved. They're attempting to get a more "reasonable" fee for services rendered. Those footing the bill will undoubtedly hope that they do, but it wouldn't represent the upward change the lawyers want. Pursuant to the aforementioned rates, those heretofore named who wish to get more therefrom appear to be unjustly ravenous at the public trough whereas the rates herein provided should be deemed reasonable for whatsoever they do hereafter. Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe. —Herbert George Wells —Wingham Advance -Times Foot bridge letter to the editor To the Editor: Black box or no black box, words fail in describing the moments of incredible horror when the world came to an end for 269 people just over a month ago. Instead of 'learning some lessons' from the dark pages of history, the male of our species, to overcome his physical inferiority complex, turned to formal education and frequenting the halls and temples of higher learning without which most of man-made human tragedies would not have happened. Brom an ecological point of view, one can assume that the pressured accumulation of knowledge at the taxpayers' expense has left much of humanity intellectually inferior. Wm. Stephan, Listowel. by don campbell The first stage of Jane Cameron's journey to Rede rees was to terminate at the village of Weston. There was more than one route from Toronto to this little hamlet, but the driver chose to follow Lake Ontario west- wards and then turn off north at a place which was later to be called Sunnyside and along a road called Keele. in the early spring and with so much rain, none of the roads were good. Some creeks could no longer be contained within their banks and the swollen waters flowed across the constructed highway, revealing the logs beneath. Whatever excitement Jane felt on leaving Toronto quickly disappeared in the shaking and bumping she had to endure and she cried out every time the coach took an unusually heavy bounce. Her child, in a wicker basket on the seat beside the wet burse, was totally oblivious to her surround- ings. She had been well filled with the nurse's milk and. it was hoped, with regular feeding and warmth would remain in that blissful state for most of the long and tiring journey. When Jane could no longer bear the roughness of the ride without protest. she put her head out of the coach window and banged on the wooden side of the vehicle with her umbrella. "For the love of God, man," she shouted into the wet wind. "Can't you drive better than this. Don't you know we have a baby in here?" The driver believed that he had Quite enough to contend with„ without the aggra- vating comments of his "posh" passenger. "lm drivin' the bestest way 1 know how. missus," he called back in frustration and anger. "If 1 drive any slower we'll never get through this blasted mud. Let me 'andle the 'orses in my own way. unless you wanna drive the damned coach yerself!" Jane's face flushed with embarrassment for the man's exceptionally rude and impert- inent remarks. & When she arrived at Redtrees she told herself. she would ask her husband to talk to this uncouth individual. No wonder he was only fit to drive horses for a living! By contrast, Maureen Rrady took the journey without comment. indeed, she had little choice. She had gambled in the bitter game of life. had lost all and must now suffer the consequences. She sat quietly and spoke only when spoken to. Brom time to time she covered the child whenever its delicate movements disturbed the small silken cot cover. The journey did not improve. When they left the corduroy road the wheels of the coach sank into soft earth whenever they passed through the hollows. The driver had to use his whip and the horses strained at the harness and whinnied pityfully. Mud was thrown in all directions and appeared as large brown splashes which almost covered the coach windows on the windward side. It was not dark when they reached Weston. but already lights were beginning to appear in the scattered homesteads. The coachman brought his team to a halt beside a rough looking hotel and leapt down from his seat to open the coach door. He was a sorry sight. covered from head to foot in mud. and his face was wet and red from exposure to the cold wind and rain. But it was not the condition of the driver which dismayed Jane. it was the shabby appearance of the hotel. "Is Is this the best lodging for the night to be found in Weston," she asked. the driver enjoyed every moment of her apparent revulsion and it brought a tired but very self -satisfying smile to his face. "The very best madam. 1 can assure you." he said. trying to mock her manner of speech. "Would you like me to drive on?" Whatever the conditions of the hotel. Jane was quite sure that between Weston and Redtrees the hostelries would not improve: she had journeyed down that long road the previous fall! "Very well." she said. in a tone of utter disgust. "But if this is the best there is 1 should hate to see the worst!" She held out her hand reluctantly to the man so that he might help her down the single iron step and onto the woodensidewalk. She recoiled at the very thought of touching him. His hand was wet. filthy and gritty with the sand of the road and he smelt as though he had slept every night of his life in a horse stall! "Bring my night bags inside," she said. and lifting her velvet skirt clear of the rough wet boards. she opened the door to the hotel and swept majestically inside. leaving the driver and the nurse to take care not only of the bags. but the child still asleep in the bassinet. Maureen Brady was much kinder towards the man. "Take no heed of my mistress." she said in her soft Trish brogue. "She is not used to feeling the rough edge of life. although she pretends she is one of those Scottish pioneers from the hills over yonder. Perhaps she may be kinder tomorrow and 1'11 be thanking you Sir. it must have been a terrible journey for you atop o' that coach. " The driver smiled. it was the first little bit of human warmth he had felt all day. in his mind. he would have no hesitation in deciding who was the real lady of the two women. "Hand me the crib miss." he said. "and I'll take care o' the baby until you get down. You must forgive me if i cannot help you. like 1 helped your mistress. but God only gave me one pair of hands!"