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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1965-04-01, Page 9• The Decision Is. Too Slim After weeks of effort to determine as far as humanly possible the wishes of the residents of Huron in regard to the erection of a new county home, the Huron ✓ County Council voted last Wednesday to erect the building adjacent to the present home at Clinton. The newspapers of both Wingham and Exeter had demonstrated beyond a sha- dow of doubt that a tremendous number of Huron residents believed the home k should be built in either the north or the south of the county, so that it would be closer to the families of the older people who will live in the institution. On Wednesday morning delegations from the north and the south presented reasonable and convincing briefs to the council, • pointing out the wishes of this very large body of taxpayers—all to no avail. A vote on Wednesday afternoon brought exactly the same result as the one taken in January -20 in favor of building at Clinton and 19 in favor of another site elsewhere. There is no point in going over the reasons why serious minds considered a new site advisable. These reasons were pointed out to county council in detail. The important point of the whole matter is that council intends to. proceed with the building on the authorization of a ' one -vote majority. To say the very least, the fact that the motion carried by only one vote at both January and March ses- sions would indicate that the problem should have been delayed for further study. The taxpayers of this county are • • • clearly aware that the new home is being rammed through before there is time for reconsideration, Time after time we have heard muni- cipal and county councillors complain that they never get enough guidarlce from the ratepayers, They feel that all too often decisions have to be made in coun- cil and that criticism starts after the decisions have been made, Never in the history of county council has an elected body been given clearer guidance by the people they represent. Some 1800 adults in the county took the trouble to express their opinion in favor of a new site for the home through opinion polls in the Ex- eter and Wingham papers. Municipal reeves were approached time after time by taxpayers concerned about the decision county council was to make. , The arguments which were presented to council in favor of building at Clinton sounded extremely valid on the surface, including statements which indicated that a much better sort of care could be given at Clinton. These arguments, however, failed to mention that the advice of ex- perts in the field of care of the aged from outside the county was that the home should not be built at the central location. This advice, from people who are thor- oughly conversant with the question was simply disregarded. The people of Huron County will have many years to consider the consequences of the decision which was made at Goderich last Wednesday. He Will Need Co-operation We believe that the Recreation Com- mittee and the town council have made a wise decision in hiring a recreation dir- ector for this community. The new man will fill a position of great importance, and if he proves capable and reliable should do great things for our younger people and the town of Wingham as a whole. It might be a good idea to hark back to the days, some 12 years ago, when the last recreation director left town. We can recall little about the factors which were involved at that time, but we do re- member that the rec. director became the butt of a tremendous amount of criticism before he left. Perhaps this attitude was justified, but it does point up a require- ment on the part of parents and the gen- eral public. A recreation director, because he must work with so many elements of the com- munity, and because he is, in point of fact, employed by all of us, is in a very vulnerable position. There will be times when the man, regardless of how well he does his job, will not make decisions satisfactory to everyone. The rec. director's position is some- thing like that of a minister, whose every act and utterance are open to public dis- cussion. Ivan Kersell must have the understanding and co-operation .of the people of Wingham if he is to do the job for which he has been engaged. Let's give it to him from the first week he is in town. Progress Requires Imagination You may have wondered why we car- ried that article Last week on the pro- gress which has been made in a small Florida city. You may have felt that it had little application to a town the size of ours. Actually, we carried the story in the hope that it might fire a few imaginations. Travelling in Germany we were deeply im- pressed by the bustle of business activity in a country which only 20 years ago lay smoking in ruins. On every side we saw evidence of the terrific results which can be achieved when the members of the business community have some faith in the future and sufficient imagination to get into action. The shopping sections of most West German towns present such an attractive appearance that the potential buyer—in- deed even those who have little opportun- • ity to shop, can scarcely resist the im- pulse. Store windows are crowded with the finest of merchandise. The business- men are so keen to attract buyers that even second storey store fronts have dis- play windows in which furniture, elec- trical goods, even cars appear. A few months ago we listened with in- terest while one of our merchants sug- gested a new look for Wingham's main street. He thought a row of small trees along our sidewalks might be worthwhile. His idea didn't last long. We have never had trees along the main street, so natur- ally the proposal met with little support. If we want better business in this town we had better use our heads. We are living in a new and rapidly -changing age. Competition is keener than it has ever been before—and business is going to those merchants who plan and act boldly to keep up with the times. The sort of town planning which was carried out in the Florida city can be done in Wingham too—admittedly on a smaller scale, but with equally dramatic results. As an initial move we would suggest that two or three carloads of Wingham ' merchants drive to St. Thomas the first nice Wednesday afternoon in April and see for themselves what has been done in a community which not so long ago had one of the drabbest main streets in the province. Thanks for the Kind Words This week's Advance -Times carries, we promise you, the last of our story about a recent trip to Europe. If you have been patient enough to read the whole thing you are indeed faithful. If not, we sug- gest you take the trip yourself so you can write your own story. Frankly we always hesitate to write at length about the place we have been, lest it appear that we are a little top -lofty about our experiences. However, when we do leave such tales out of the paper there are usually queries about their ab- sence. So it's up to the readers to take the stuff or leave it alone, We would like to say thanks to the readers who have already told us they en- joyed the story of the trip, Maybe we can make it to Japan next time. THE WINGHAM ADVANCE - TIMES Published at Wingham, Ontario, by Wenger Bros. Limited W. Barry Wenger, President - Robert O. Wenger, Secretary -Treasurer 141ember Audit Bureau of Circulation; Member Canadian Weekly Newspapers Associ- ation; Member Canadian Community Newspapers Representatives Authorized by the Post Office Department as Second Class Mail and for payment of postage in cash Subscription Rate: One Year, $4.00; Six Months, $2.25, in advance U.S.A., $5.00 per year; Foreign rate, $5.00 per year Advertising Rates on application National Roundup There are few weeks in the year when national news could be considered dull or uninterest- ing. ninteresting. At times we wish it were a bit more commonplace, 0--0--0 Total death total may not be known for weeks or even months as the consequence of an earthquake in Central Chile at the week -end. Greatest loss of life came when a 230 -foot dam broke during the violent tremors, releasing a deluge of mud and rocks upon a village in the valley below. o --o--0 A climax was reached at long last in the bitter racial struggles which have tortured the American South. Shocked and angered by the violence and bloodshed in Alabama, President Johnson addressed the nation on a television network and called for the abolition of the infamous Ku Klux Klan, four of whose members were arrested for the brutal shooting •of a Detroit mother. She was taking part in the freedom demonstrations when gunmen shot her from a passing car. Rev. Martin. Luther King, leader of the Negro equality movement, took another step forward in his campaign to force recognition of Negro vot- ing.rights. He called for a nation-wide boycott of Alabama products for a limited time. 0--0--0 The Princess Royal,daughter of the late King George V and Queen Mary, died at her home near Leeds, England. An aunt of Queen Elizabeth, she was more familiarly known as Prin- cess Mary. She was 67 years of age, and married to the Earl of Harewood, who died in 1947. 0--0--0 Perhaps the biggest news of the week for Canadians was the passage of the Canada pension plan, which will provide pen- sions for all contributors at age 65. Though it has been under debate for months, Canadians are still confused about the final details of Jhe scheme. Favorable votes were cast by 159 members of the Commons, the only opposition coming from 7 Creditistes from Quebec and 5 Progressive Conservatives from the Prairies. ANOTHER SCENE FROM the history of East Wawanosh Township is this picture of Cyrus Scott (deceased), plowing on lot 36, concession 7, the farm now owned by Walter Scott. A group of three can be seen in the background • behind the team of oxen. Walter and David Scott, who each took up 200 acres of crown deed land in 1857, walked here from Milton. Their farms were side by side and today are both the property of Walter Scott. ingbam Ithtianctiamt Wingham, Ontario, Thursday, Apr. 1, 1965 SECOND SECTION The international scene was further complicated by a power- ful explosion in the U.S. Em- bassy in Saigon, capital of war-torn South Viet Nam on Tuesday. Reports of the num- ber killed and injured were not finalized by mid -week, but it was known that several hun- dred employees worked in the five -storey structure. o --o--0 Members of the Ontario Legislature were assured of an increase in pay by the passage of legislation to up both in- demnities and expense allow- ances. Expense allotments will vary according to the member's distance from home while ser- ving in Toronto. Maximum pay and expenses for ordinary mem- bers will be $12, 000 in place of the total of $7, 000 which now prevails. Cabinet ministers will get about $25, 000 and the prime minister about $30, 000, Reminiscing APRIL 1915 Mr. Henry T. Thompson has moved into his residence pur- chased from Mr. Geo. Denyer. Mr. Ed Smith, who has tak- en a good position in Stratford, will move his family there Easter week. Mr. T. T. McDonald, who has been confined to his home with Lagrippe, is improving 'and hopes to be able to return to business soon. Mr. Thos. Brandon has pur- chased the residence, in which he was living, from Mr. Wil- liam Bone. The transfer was made by Mr. Frank McConnell'; Real Estate Agency. Mr. Aaron Posliff has been given the contract for street watering for six months, from April 1st to Oct. 1st, for $315.- 00. Messrs. Fred and Howard Guest left on Tuesday for Moosejaw, Sask., where they will remain at least for the summer. Mr. and Mrs. A. M. Crawford have returned from an extend- ed trip through the Eastern and Southern States and Mexico and took in the exhibitions at San Francisco and San Diego, at the latter having the honor of dining on one of the U.S. Battleships. On account of the war in Mexico, Alex cut his stay short, believing if he had to fight, that he would prefer to do it in Europe. APRIL 1929 Miss Edna Henderson, of London Normal School, spent the Easter holidays With her parents, Mr.and Mrs.W. J. Henderson, Junction. Among others who were home for the Easter holiday were Jack Fowler, Walton Mc- Kibbon, Wilfred McFadzean,. Miss Mae Perdue and Miss Grace Fry, of London; Miss Ena Currie, Miss Margaret Piper, Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Ansley, Miss Mary Cosens, of Toronto; Mr. and Mrs. Norman Brandon and family of St. Marys, Miss Nellie Pardington of Guelph; Miss Edna Smith of Kitchener, Mr. and Mrs. G. McEwen and family of Goderich; Mr. Fred Manuel of Detroit;MissMildred Perdue, of Windsor, Miss Irene Allan, of Cottam; Miss Velma Johnston of London; Miss Mar- jorie Gibson of Molesworth;Mr. Orval Struthers, of Grimsby. APRIL 1940 At a meeting of the Council Monday evening, consideration was given to the leasing of Fryfogle's barn on Diagonal road for the accommodation of farmers' horses. The plans also included a room which the farmers could use as a waiting room. On Monday, Traffic Officer Turner paid a visit to town and was kept busy taking down the names of car owners who were still using last year's markers. The 1939 markers expired mid- night Sunday. To suddenly plunge 20 feet off a snow bank onto the ice - covered Maitland river, was the harrowing experience of little Freda Cook, 3 -year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Cook, 9th Concession of East Wawanosh. As the ice was heavily covered with snow, Freda escaped injury and is none the worse after the acci- dent. Freda and her sister, Aud- rey, set off to meet a couple of girl friends who were to visit for the afternoon. The sleigh on which Freda was riding got away and dropped over a twenty -foot drift to the river below. SUGAR AND SPICE by Bill Smiley Don't Knock The Teens A columnist on a big city daily recently fired a salvo at high school students. The intrepid journalist gave them both bar- rels, with no holds barred, as an Irishman might put it. He had been speaking to groups of high school students from middle and upper-income homes. He took a very dim view of the kids, suggesting that: they haven't learned manners, have no sense of adventure, are terribly sheltered, terribly staid, terribly sad, and empty. I'm sorry he received this impression of today's youth. It is not at all the one I have re- ceived in five years as a high school teacher , and several years as a parent of teenagers. In the same column, he man- aged to convey the idea that he was none of those things of which he accused the students, that he was, in fact, a hell of a fella who had lived life to the full. Let's face the charges, one by one. Bad manners. My personal experience is that their man- ners, on the whole, are better than those of their parents. They can be cruel, when they are thoughtless, but generally, they are more sensitive to the feel- ings of others than are adults. No sense of adventure? He's all wet. One of my students headed across the continent on a bicycle. Others plan to go to Af- rica or Asia for the Peace Corps. Another swiped his old man's car, picked up two side- kicks, and took off for Mexico. APRIL 1951 A large crowd witnessed the Wingham Kinsmen Karni- val last Thursday in the Wing - ham arena. Fancy dress, "Dol- ly" Bennet, Judy Lunn; comic dress, Billie Maclntyre, Mary Ann McKibbon, and Gail Col- vin; best national costume, Douglas Lockridge, Donna Lan- caster; comic dress, boys and girls 10 years and under, Mary Lou Jamieson, Ruth Fry and Claudia Haselgrove, Jean Ann Gurney; speed skating races, boys under 14 years, George Wain, Jim Lockridge, Douglas Murray; girls, 14 years and under, Alice Hayden, Mary Francis Currie, Barbara Merr- ick; boys, 10 years and under, Rae Hetherington, Jim Howson, Billie Maclntyre; bicycle race on ice, Reggie Spielvogel, Douglas Murray, Ian Hether- ington. My own son ran away last sum- mer and hitch -hiked to Quebec, after I'd expressly forbidden such a jaunt. From every direction come wails of alarm that students will try anything: hot cars, drinks, drugs, sex. And this man says they've no sense of adventure! What they have is too much of it. Terribly sheltered, he says. Nonsense. We try to shelter them from the sordid, the harm- ful, the evil, as we see them. But the only teenager who is sheltered in this age is a kid who lives in a trapper's shack in the wilderness with two maiden aunts ,and is kept chained to his bed until he's 20. They're a lot less sheltered than I was at that age, and a lot better able to cope with reality, as a result. Terribly staid, he says. Pop- pycock. They're conformists, I'll admit, as far as fads and fashi- ons go. But I scarcely think I'd call those writhing, screaming masses at a Beatle show staid. They're almost as unstaid as their old ladies were, swooning over Sinatra. Or their grannies, wilting over Bing Crosby. Terribly sad, he says. Balo- ney. Admitted, they can be dee- p 1 y touched, because the hearts are not yet hardened. They can be terribly sad, some- times. But they can be wildly exultant, too. How long is it since you've been truly joyful, Jack? The kids are much more h u m a n, emotionally, than adults, because they have not learned those grown-up horrors: the control, the stiff upper lip, the smothering of the flame. And he claims they are emp- ty. Empty of what? Dishonesty, greed, self- delusion, cruelty, selfishness, ruthlessness? I'm afraid he's right. But they are full of a lot of things that have pretty well gone out of style with adults: pity, love, joy, fun, unselfishness, honesty, idealism, loyalty. Don't worry, I'm not soft on teenagers. I have two of my own, and sometimes they drive me right up the wall, across the ceiling, and down the other side. I teach about 140 of them daily, and there are days when I could go into class with a tommy gun and mow them all down. But they're people. And if I have to associate with people, I think I'd as soon associate with them as with any other class of the spe- cies.