The Wingham Advance-Times, 1965-02-04, Page 2Page 2 - Wingham Advance -Times, Thursday, February 4, 1905
Library Is A Barometer
Reports presented to the annual meet-
ing of the Library Board bring a few en-
couraging thoughts to mind, most prom-
inent of which is the fact that good books
still form an important part of our daily
life,
The librarian's figures showed that
no less than 1,790 people, young and old,
regularly use the services of the library
and during last year they read 25,663
books—an average of 13 each.
Naturally, the traffic at the public
library indicates only a portion, perhaps
a small one, of the total reading within
the community. Add the newspapers,
both weekly and daily, the periodicals
and the books secured through other
sources and the total becomes impres-
sive indeed.
In many ways the reading habits of
an individual are a definite indication of
his or her intelligence. Formal education
in our schools has never attempted to
supply all the knowledge one is likely to
need throughout a lifetime. Rather, the
years of our schooling are intended to
supply us with the tools for our own
further education, Personal experience
after the school years adds tremendously
to our store of knowledge, but it is
largely through our reading that we
achieve mature intelligence.
The Wingham library offers a choice
of over ten thousand volumes, many of
which are circulated or replaced at in-
tervals. It is our privilege to use this
vast store of information at only token
cost. We are indeed fortunate.
Waiting for Details
Recent press releases from the On-
tario Department of Labour have an-
nounced ambitious plans for a re -shaping
of the employment picture to provide
new and greater opportunities for the
working people of this province. Look-•
ing back upon the program of courag-
eous and well-balanced legislation which
has been implemented since the Robarts
regime has been in power, we are pre-
pared to take Labour Minister Rown-
tree's word for the improvements—but
we are looking forward to details.
A great step was taken with the pass-
ing of a new minimum wage law a few
months ago ... a law which should ef-
fectively prevent exploitation of work-
ers, both male and female, by unscrupu-
lous employers. The minimum wage law,
however, failed to recognize one or two
categories of employment which are of
great benefit to the economic climate of
the province, and which do not neces-
sarily merit minimum wages.
The most obvious oversight was the
status of job trainees, thousands of
whom enter industry every year to learn
the skills which are so vital to the general
business and employment structure of
Ontario. Under the minimum wage
legislation such trainees must be paid at
least 80 cents an hour as a starting wage
(soon to be 90c)—despite the fact that
the employer has to provide the equip-
ment and the instructor.
In years gone by the arrangement
worked very well. In return for an op-
portunity to learn a skilled trade, the be-
ginner filled in as errand boy or even
janitor around the plant. There has been
little danger since the war that such
trainees would be exploited, for the em-
ployer was usually in urgent need of the
skills which were being taught, and the
competition for skilled labor was so
keen that in a short time the trainee
could walk out on his instructors if he
wasn't treated properly.
Perhaps the most insidious oversight
in the minimum wage law was the regu-
lation which stated that only one trainee
could be employed for every five skilled
workers. The entire trainee program is,
of course, at sharp variance with the
policy of the Department of Education
which has sanctioned the expenditure of
millions of dollars for vocational wings
on our high schools, in which to teach
as many young people as possible a few
—very few—basic skills.
It seems incredible that Education
Minister Davis should be beating. his
brains out to provide trades training in
one department, while Labour Minister
Rowntree is erecting barriers against even
more valuable training in his bailiwick.
The reference to trades training last week
is doubly interesting because of this con-
tradiction in policy, and it is to be hoped
that the labour minister will come up
with some concrete suggestions encourag-
ing employers to continue in their role
as trades instructors. Their contribution
to the alleviation of unemployment is
vastly greater than vocational schools can
ever be.
What's So Bad About Colonialism?
Perhaps we're one of those die-hard
Britishers — in fact we will admit it.
Nevertheless • we are getting tired of all
the remarks which have been published
recently, many of them made by men who
are supposed to be leaders, to the effect
that there is something smelly about any
touch of colonialism in our national
heritage.
Certainly Canada was once a British
colony — just as Quebec was once a
French colony. Without the colonizing
efforts of these two great nations this
land would still be solid bush with a
scattering of redskins. The former Bri-
tish and French colonies in Canada were
the children which became the Canadian
family.
Let us remember, too, that as former
colonials, we have little to complain of
in the treatment we received from Britain,
the mother country. This fact should be
borne in mind particularly by French
Canadians. Their forebears, though con-
quered by Britain were freely granted
political and religious liberty—which is
more than France would have offered if
the case had been reversed. if you
doubt ft, think back only two or three
years to the French colonies in North
Africa or Southeast Asia.
We should recall, a bit of our own
history as well. When the French and
British colonials expressed displeasure
with British rule in 1837 the mother
country made arrangements for home
rule and within a few years for complete
autonomy — as soon as we were agreed
on what form of government we wanted.
Do you recall even one instance in which
the British government resisted our at-
tempts to become a free nation?
There are two sides to a colonial sy-
stem. On the one hand the mother coun-
try usually expects monetary rewards for
its interest in the colony, but on the
other hand the colony is given protec-
tion and assistance in its development.
This is exactly what occurred in Canada
and if all the drawbacks and benefits of
the system were stacked up for compari-
son it is highly possible that Canada
would be discovered as the winner by a
long margin.
This eternal quibbling about any sign
of colonialism is reminiscent of the teen-
ager who insists he is a man before he
has quite learned how to handle his own
affairs.
THE WINGHAM ADVANCE - TIMES
Published at Wingham, Ontario, by Wenger Bros. Limited
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SUGAR
AND SPICE
by Bill Smiley
He Was Forever England
With his usual superb sense of
timing, Winston Churchill chose
to die during a rather dull win-
ter period when it was possible
to attract the attention of the,
entire world without fear of
anyone stealing the scene from
him.
It was time to go. There is
nothing more pitiable than a
great man reduced to dotage
and senility. He was spared this.
Despite the avalanche of anec-
dotes and eulogies and reprints
of his speeches, I don't think
there was deep and widespread
sorrow at his demise. Certainly,
there was none of the heart -in -
throat grief that accompanied
the death of President Kennedy.
It was more of a nostalgic
sadness, a sense of the loss of
an institution. One can imagine
the English feeling like this
when Queen Victoria died, after
60 -odd years on the throne.
Quite a man was Sir Winston.
And just that. Not a superman,
but a man.
And that was why he was able
to seize and shake and
straighten the hearts of the
free world, with his courage
and his tears, his defiance and
his prayers, during those days
when Europe, and the world,
were threatened with "a thous-
and years of darkness."
Most of us have several ele-
ments in our character. Chur-
chill was a kaleidoscope of the
colors of life. He was reactiona-
ry and reformer; he was earthly
realist and poet; he was dream-
er and doer; he was selfish and
selfless; he was arrogant and
humble. He was part pirate,
part prophet; part imperialist
and part imp. He was ruthless,
but he wept easily. He was a
hundred other things, just as
contradictory.
I was 19 when the "phoney
war" ended, anti the German le-
gions smashed through Belgium,
and life suddenly became very
real. And I shall never forget
the thrill, the sense of hope and
of resolution, that surged
through us when the lion's growl
rasped over the Atlantic on the
airwaves, "We shall never sur-
render." It's difficult to realize
that he was 65 then, an age
when most men are retiring
from life and the struggle.
I saw the old fire-eater once,
and was almost trampled to
death in the process. It was on
an airstrip in Normandy, in the
summer of 1944, a few weeks
after the invasion.
We were drawn up on parade
in the dust and heat, officers in
front, other ranks in the rear,
and we stood there, muttering
curses, for half an hour.
Suddenly a little two-seater
scout plane popped over the hor-
izon and squatted 60 feet in front
• of us. The pilot climbed out. We
could see his air-vice-marshall's
stripes and grumbled our dis-
gust for all brass. Then the back
cockpit opened and a vast,
cherubic visage, with a cigar in
it, beamed at us,
He came out of the thing like
a baby whale coming out of a
chicken's egg. He stood on the
wing, grinning. He stuck up two
fingers in the world-famous V-
sign, but with just a suggestion
of the service -man's naughty
gesture which looked much the
same but meant something quite
different.
Then he waved, an embracing
wave that said, "Come on in
closer." Our total complement
of officer pilots was almost
wiped out when the rear ranks
surged through, around and
over us, to cluster within touch-
ing distance of the old war-
horse.
He talked for five minutes,
earthy vocabulary Caesar em-
ployed when addressing his le-
gions. And then he was off, the
incredibly foolish and gallant
old man, hopping to another air-
field, risking his skin to have a
look at us and let us have a look
at him.
And human he was! My favor-
ite story is the one involving
Lady Astor, the hard-nosed, asp -
tongued old aristrocrat. She be-
came enraged during an argu-
ment with Churchill, and fired
what she thought was the part-
ing shot, "If you were my hus-
band, I'd poison your coffee."
To which the great man replied
promptly and politely, "Mad-
ame, if you were my wife, I'd
drink it."
We shall not see his like
again.
Reminiscing
FEBRUARY 1915
Arrangements have been
made whereby the ordinary rate
of two cents per ounce applic-
able to all letters sent from
Canada to the United Kingdom
will apply to letters addressed
to British and Canadian troops
on the continent. The rate an
ordinary letters from Canada
for the continent is five cents
for the first ounce, and three
cents for each subsequent ounce,
so that this extension of the two
cents an ounce rate to letters
addressed to our soldiers on the
continent, is a decided reduc-
tion in favour of correspondence
going to the soldiers.
FEBRUARY 1929
Dresden, Ont., News of
February 7th, announces a
change of business whereby the
firm of Coyle and Galbraith
sold out their gent's furnishings
business to the Men's and Boy's
Outfitters. In part it says:"Mr.
Galbraith will certainly be miss-
ed by the United Church Sunday
School, he having led the boys'
orchestra of the school, as well
as assisting the teachers with
interesting blackboard drawings
and lectures. Mr. Galbraith has
an artistic gift that he has used
to great advantage in show card
writing and other ways."
Mr. R. Galbraith is a brother
of Mr. John Galbraith of town,
and has taken up his residence
here.
One of ten young ladies who
expect to graduate in medicine
at Toronto University this year,
and who were guests at a din-
ner tendered by the Medical
Alumnae last week was Miss
Mary Cosens who is a daughter
of Mr. Abner Cosens of Wing -
ham.
111
1841 Publication Tells about Canada
Bill Forsyth loaned us the
remnants of two interesting
booklets "Canadian Scenery
Illustrated", which his mother
found in a trunk at her home in
England. She brought them
with her the last time she visit-
ed her family here.
They were published as a
series in 1841. The writer re-
counted his impressions of Can-
ada when he came here as a
young man with his parents in
1820.
He described the society of
Quebec as more gay and polish-
ed than usual in colonial cities.
Besides merchants there were
a number of British civil and
military officers, and a body
of French noblesse, living on
their domains. The French,
though superior in manners and
habits, were in some degree
disdained by the ruling people.
Among the English themselves,
the chief test of rank was to be
introduced at the castle. With-
out this introduction strangers
would often find themselves
placed below those whom they
would have been classed above
in the mother country.
The writer mentions the
"Falls of Montmorenci", east
of Quebec, as one of the most
picturesque places in all Amer-
ica. " They do not indeed pour
down that immense flood of
water which renders Niagara
so wonderful; but the height is
greater, being 240 feet, and
the stream descends the whole
of this vast steep in one white
sheet of foam. It is received
into a vast basin, whence arise
clouds of vapour that display
the most brilliant tints of the
rainbow. In winter, when the
falling waters congeal into
icicles, these accumulate .
above each other, till they, on
some occasions, swell to an
amazing magnitude and present
a most curious spectacle. About
50 years ago General Haldi-
mand, then governor of Canada
built a house close to the fall.
This was afterwards occupied
by the Duke of Kent and is now
the residence of Mr. Paterson,
who has erected upon the river
an extensive range of sawmills:
FEBRUARY 1940
Mrs, R. W. (Cara) Hoffman
and son, Donalu, of Toronto,
have moved to Wingham and
are residing in the Elliott home
on Victoria Street. Her other
son is attending 0 A. C. Guelph
Her husband, Dr. Hoffman, is
a Captain in the Canadian Army,
Dental Corp, so the family will
live here for the duration of the
war. Mrs. Hoffman is no stran-
ger to Wingham, her mother is
Mrs. John Kerr, and Mrs. Ben-
son Cruikshank is a sister.
At the Senior Cub Pack
meeting last week, Bill Kress
was presented with the profi-
ciency badge for swimming and
toy making. George Town also
won the badge in proficiency in
swimming. At the Junior Pack
meeting, Maitland Breen, Six-
er for the Brownies, won the
neckerchief presented to the
six winning the sixers' compe-
tition,
Jack Gard played the final
5 minutes of the game on Mon-
day night against Walkerton
with a broken skate. He only
had about three inches of the
front part of the skate to use.
This is a good trick at any time
but when in a fast game one
would imagine it would be al-
most impossible to carry on.
Mrs. Minnie J. Cloakey, of
London, a former resident of
Wingham, spent a few days in
town last week. While here,
she sold her house in Pleasant
Valley to Mr. J. Wesley Walt-
ers.
FEBRUARY 1951
Mrs. D. S. MacNaughton of
Wroxeter, knows that wishes
can come true, sometimes in a
most unexpected fashion. At-
tending the Ice Follies with her
sister at the Maple Leaf Gardens
last week the two ladies were
shown to their box near the ice
surface, and as they settled
down to watch the performance,
Mrs. MacNaughton said, "This
would be just perfect if Barbara
Ann Scott were skating in the
show." As a young lady and her
escort stepped into the box to
occupy the other two seats, Mrs.
MacNaughton's sister whispered,
"You won't see her skating, but
you're going to sit with Barbara
Ann Scott for this evening."
Mr. Merrill Cantelon of
town has accepted a full time
position with the editorial
department of the London Free
Press. Mr. Cantelon has been
appointed news photographer
for the Huron -Bruce district and
will work in conjunction with
the correspondents covering
these areas, with headquarters
at Wingham.
Two local rinks composed of
Ron Rae, skip, Lloyd Casemore,
Norman Rintoul and Jack Walk-
er and C. Renwick, skip, Geo-
rge Inglis, Ivan Haskins and
William Elliott, reached the
finals of the Governor General's
trophy in Toronto on Friday
last. They were defeated by
Oshawa 30-28. Wingham elim-
inated Gravenhurst in the first
round 25-18.
MONTMORENCY BRIDGE was drawn by W. H. Bartlett
and pubiished by George Virtue, of London, in Canadian
Scenery Illustrated in 1841, The booklet was loaned to
us by Bill Forsyth, of Wingham,
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