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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1965-06-24, Page 9• A 9 • That's the Spirit Three cheers for the woman in North Bay who managed to shake a fair section • of the federal government with her ob- servations about the security precautions, or lack of them, at the NORAD missile base near her home city. Apparently she submitted a story on the subject to both Maclean's Magazine and The Toronto Globe & Mail) but the editors of these publications declined the story because they were fearful of reper- cussions from the Department of National Defence. Weeks later the RCMP called at her home and demanded the manu- script for her story. The strange part of the entire epi - w sode is that her article contained no in- formation except what was provided in a "press kit" handed out by the relations people at the missile base, plus her own • • • • • a observations on a visit there. Frankly, we think it is encouraging that an ordinary citizen, and a housewife at that, is both interested enough and intelligent enough to point out obvious shortcomings in a project of such magni- tude and importance. The Mounties have a way of discharg- ing their duties in a manner which, to say the least, is somewhat high-handed, although in this case a government spokesman has denied that there was any suggestion from the police that the wo- man's story transgressed the boundaries of secret information. Certainly if she was able to write a story which betrayed anything important or secret, security at the base must, in- deed, be lax. On the Road to War? Countless millions of people all over the world, including many in the United States are deeply concerned over Ameri- can armed participation in Viet Nam and the Dominican Republic. They are naturally alarmed that American inter- vention may aggravate the Communist countries to the point where a world nu- clear war becomes inevitable. Obviously the American leaders con- sider the threat to freedom is such that they are forced to take a calculated risk in order to stop the advance of com- munism while there is still time. And they may be right. Though ordinary folks like ourselves must defer to President Johnson's super- ior wisdom in his far-reaching decisions because we do not have enough of the facts to prove he is wrong, it would ap- pear that many other world leaders who do have such facts believe he is indeed wrong. The subject is of such interest inter- nationally that the Commonwealth Prime Ministers' Conference in London placed Viet Nam at the top of its agenda. President Johnson has made it clear that he is very easily annoyed by those who would offer advice on the subject of American armed intervention. Our own Prime Minister seems to have suffered a pretty definite rebuff when he tried to suggest a pause in U.S. military actions. How far the Americans have come from the day when they angrily called a halt to British and French intervention in the Suez crisis. They were quick to assert their right to call a halt to the landings because they deemed the action a threat to world peace. President Johnson would do well to be a bit more liberal with explanations about American policy. The rest of the world is just as interested in maintaining the peace as he is. Trees Would Make the Difference Several months ago, when we were talking over some methods to stimulate the economy and business life of the com- munity one of the more progressive re- tailers suggested that a row of trees along the main business blocks would be a re- freshing addition. Though no one took the suggestion very seriously, we do believe that he had a good point. Within recent weeks 8 or 10 foot trees have been planted along several blocks of Front Street in down- town Toronto and their presence has completely transformed what was other- wise a drab and unattractive mercantile area. Apparently it is not too hard to do since the development of modern fertiliz- ing methods. Perhaps it would be too ex- pensive to tackle on a full-scale basis in one year, but it might be interesting to investigate the possibilities and to carry out such a plan over a number of seasons. New Role for E.M.O. At a recent conference of Emergency Measures planners it was admitted that • the role of the organization is no longer focused on preparation for war disasters, but rather seeks to orient itself toward the type of misfortunes which may arise from fire, flood and other such calamities. Whether this change of purpose will attract any more public interest remains to be seen, but we doubt it. Recalling the history of Civil Defence and its suc- cessor, Emergency Measures Organization, there is no denying that the entire pro- gram has been one of the monumental flops of all time. The public, from one • end of the land to the other, simply re- fused to take any interest in the program. Many valid reasons may be offered for its failure to gain support, chief of which may well have been a head -in -the -sand unwillingness on the part of the average man and woman to look upon a gloomy future. Natural human optimism and the prevailing prosperity of the past few years have made most people extremely loath to spend time and money on preparations for a war which they did not believe would ever take place. We make no claim that the public was right, nor that its optimism is justified. There is no doubt that we live in an ex- tremely dangerous age—one which could blow us to smithereens at a moment's notice. All we do say is that we might as well face facts. E.M.O. is about the deadest duck one could imagine. Despite the best efforts of the dedicated few who have spent their time trying to make it work, the organization seems likely to wither on, the vine. THE WINGHAM ADVANCE - TIMES Published at Wingham, Ontario, by Wenger Bros: Limited W. Barry Wenger, President - Robert O. Wenger, Secretary,Treasurer Member 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 PART OF THE BUILDING program at the Wingham and District Hospital is shown in this view at the rear of the old section of the building. A new cement block struc- ture is being added to the boiler and laundry rooms. When the three-quarter million dollar project is completed the old hospital building will be demolished. ebie ingbain VorrnoteEimie Wingham, Ontario, Thursday, June 24, 1965 SECOND SECTION Reminiscing JUNE 1915 Mr. D. W. Gunn of Gunn's Limited, spent Tuesday and Wednesday of last week in Wingham with Mr. A. H. Wil- ford in connection with the Fertilizing department of their business. While here Mr. Gunn closed a deal with Mr. Wilford whereby the latter will control the sale of Gunn Fertilizer as far as Stratford and Palmerston. Word has been received here that Harry Whitworth has undergone an operation for appendicitis in Norwich, Eng- land. Mr. Whitworth is well known in Wingham having worked in town for some time. King Bros. have made a very great improvement on Josephine St., by erecting a new high board fence in front of the scene of the fire two years ago, and just south of their store. They have had a very neat sign painted on it. JUNE 1929 Messrs. Roy Porter, J. D. Bee- croft, Bert Armstrong and Mr. and Mrs. Clayton Fryfogle motored to Detroit on Thursday, returning on Friday with three new Essex sedans. JUNE, 1929 - No. 4. Miss Doris Buchanan last week received an official ack- nowledgment from the private secretary of Her Majesty Queen Mary, from Buckingham Palace, to her letter of congraulations upon the occasion of Her Ma- jesty's birthday. St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church on Thursday evening last expressed their apprecia- tion of the distinctive honor conferred on their pastor, Rev. D. Perrie, D. D.,in his election as Moderator of the Presbyter- ian Church in Canada. A very representative gathering, in- cluding many from the vicinity, where Dr. Perrie's activities have long been exercised and appreciated, gathered in the church. JUNE 1940 Miss Velma Lennox, dau- ghter of Mrs.John T. Lennox of town, has been engaged by the local Public School Board, Her duties will commence at the beginning of the lallterm. Miss Lennox will take the place of Miss Beatrice Joynt, who resigned to take a position on the Listowel Public School staff, Miss Lennox has for the past nine years been teaching at Gorrie. Mrs. E. A. Van Stone held a trousseau tea Tuesday after- noon and evening in honor of her niece, Miss Jean McKay, who is being married Thursday of this week. Receiving with Mrs. VanStone were Mrs.J.F. Calvert of London, the groom's mother, and Mrs. H. Ecken- swiller. Assisting were Mrs. W. A. Miller, Mrs. R. L. Stewart, Mrs. E. R. Harrison, Mrs. W. H. French, Miss Alice Reading, Miss Isabel Fox, Miss Helen Bateson and Miss Helen Miller. Graduates at the Stratford Normal held a picnic at God- erich Saturday afternoon. At- tending from here were: Verne Walker, Dorothy Golley, Mar- garet Coulter. Saturday afternoon a group of children put on a play and sold candy and by this means raised a dollar for the Red Cross. They were: Milton Brown, Josie Brown, Lorne West, Donald Henderson, Bill Lock - ridge, Bob Kress, John Hudson, Bill Johnson and Harry Lloyd. JUNE 1951 The largest entry was in the dressed up class which drew plenty of applause at the Lions Club Mutt Show. Judging by the immodest apparel of some of the canines one could rightly exclaim "gone to the dogs." Highlights of the show were the eating ability of Dick Mc- Cutcheon's dog, which finish- ed first in both the largest dog class and the eating contest, and Don Gurney's entry, which took first in the trick class. A unique attraction was the garb worn by Mary Alice Armstrong, that of her great-grandmother, Marion Riehl and her dog, which reminded one of the good old buggy days. Following were some of the final results. Smallest dog, Billie Rintoul; dog with shortest tail, Kirk Vanstone; best dressed dog, Gregory Brent; best trick dog, Donald Gurney, Joan Armi- tage; largest dog, Dick Mc- Cutcheon, Marie James. A miscellaneous shower was held Tuesday evening of last week at the home of Miss Max- ine Cowan for Misslanet Gerrie, whose marriage took place on Monday. SUGAR AND SPICE by Bill Smiley New Breed Well, father, how did you en- joy your day? Personally, Father's Day sad- dened me, as it saddens me each year. The mere existence of such a day is an indication of the new low to which the father has sunk in the family unit. Just a few de- cades ago, every day was fa- ther's day, and there was no fooling about it. When I was a kid, there was none of this nonsense of father helping around the house. Nowa- days fathers scrub the kitchen floor on their day off, and help with the dishes after dinner. In the good old days, father didn't have a day off, in the first place, and mother wouldn't have let him dry the dishes, in the second, because she knew her place, and his. Perhaps it's the increase in leisure time that has turned the head of the house into the foot of the family: a substitute baby- sitter; an unpaid domestic sla- vey; a handy wailing -wall; and in general, a pale reflection of his dignified, respected male forebears. Until a couple of decades ago, father worked a six-day 60 -hour week. But he didn't get ulcers, or drop dead at 45. And do you know why? Because he didn't see as much of his family as the p o o r, cripple -gutted creature who brings home the bacon to- day. Nowadays, father gets a day off. Does he potter in the gar- den? Does he go fishing? Does he play golf with the boys? Would it were so. He is kicked into the street with the children, while mother does whatever modern women do around home, with $2,000 worth of labor- sav- ing machinery. There is nothing more pitiable than the sight of a father, on his day off, wandering forlornly COMPLETES COURSE FOR DIETICIANS Mrs. Ruth E.Johnston of Wingham has successfully pass- ed the course for food super- visors given by the Ontario Dietetic Association, Ontario Hospital Association, Of Pygmies about a supermarket, trailed by two or three whining kids. When my Dad got home from work, he didn't have to set the table, run around looking for the kids, then jump in the car and go to get a quart of milk. Nor did he have to "pick up a few things on the way home," be- cause mother looked after her own shopping. No, sir. When my Dad got home from work, he was greet- ed affectionately, but politely, and left alone. He retired to HIS chair, and read HIS paper, until he was called for supper. During the meal, he was not forced to listen to a 30 -minute monologue about the terrible day mother had. Nor did he have to break up quarrels among the children. They wouldn't have dared squabble. And on the weekend, my Dad wasn't expected to turn into a party boy. He was tired on Sat- urday night, and he went to bed. If he felt like going to church next day, he did. If he didn't, he didn't. But he wasn't pestered all day Sunday by kids wanting to be taken swimming, or wife wanting to go for a drive, or "have somebody in." He made the decisions. If he just wanted to sit on the verandah and look at the grass growing, he did. Not that he was an ogre. Usu- ally, we went for a picnic on Sunday. But there wasn't any dam' foolishness about Dad doing the cooking on an outdoor grill. Mother made the 'lunch, and Dad would sit on a stump, in his Sunday best, gazing with dignity and a certain amount of distaste, at nature. After lunch, he would recline on a blanket, in the shade. He was relaxed, that man. Another reason for his unques- tioned head -of -the -house status was that we didn't argue with him. Now you have to discuss everything with the brats. To- day's father can get into a 20 - minute argument with any kid over the age of five, at the drop of a suggestion. And come out whimpering. One generation has turned fa- thers from giants to pygmies. And now, if you'll pardon me, I have to go and make the beds, while my wife dries lier hair and watches a little TV.