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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1965-11-25, Page 91 • t Municipal Government at Stake Change is in the air— change in the way we live, the way our children grow up, the modes by which we travel. The greatest changes of all have not yet been made. Several proposals and suggestions have been put forward for drastic alter- ations in the bodies which govern our daily lives: the school boards, public utili- ties commissions and municipal councils. Public reaction to these suggested changes is varied, depending on the in- dividual's viewpoint. The amalgamation of rural schools, as an example, has led to some bitter arguments, The sugges- tion that public utilities commissions be eliminated and their powers vested in municipal councils is likely to be opposed with vigour. The proposal which has received the least publicity, but nonetheless carries the gravest implications is the quiet sugges- tion that town, village and township councils are outdated; that their respon- sibilities and duties should be bundled up and placed in the lap of a newly - designated county council, There are many sensible arguments in favor of this type of amalgamation. The strongest reason for such a change would be increased efficiency. The ability of a wider -based and more strongly financed council to achieve lasting and beneficial results where a group of smaller govern- ing bodies fail is self evident. The efficiency quotient cannot be denied. Nor can one deny that Hitler was able to run Germany at a higher peak of efficiency when he took all power into his own hands and virtually elimin- ated democratic processes. Democracy, we must admit, is not a particularly ef- ficient form of government. Nevertheless, a lot of fine men have died for the principle that personal free- dom even at the sacrifice of a certain amount of efficiency, is preferable to regi- mentation. So far their faith has been borne out, not only at the council tables of the free world, but on the battlefields, as well, It seems there is something in- destructible about the unfettered human spirit which defies the logic of the econo- mists and the professors. We are very sure that if a representa- tive of the provincial government were to appear on the platform at the nomin- ation meeting this Thursday evening, or at any of the nominations in the town- ships in this area, with a proposal to eliminate the local councils, or to limit their powers, there would be a tremend- ous outcry—from the few dozen interest- ed citizens who happened to show up for the meeting, It is all well and good to express re- sentment when the provincial authorities decide on a take-over, but we should bear in mind that we ourselves have created the two basic factors which provide evi- dence that the concentration of power at a higher level is advisable: in the first place we expect the senior governments to foot most of our bilis; and in the sec- ond instance we fail to show any real interest in the local governments we pro- fess to love so much. As this column has warned for many years ---freedoms are not free gifts. They are possessions which must be kept alive and vital if we want to retain them. Perhaps the freedom to govern our own small communities is outmoded. Maybe the planners are right in their as- sumption that it is time to change the basic structure. However, as in so many cases today the trouble lies not so much in the idea itself as in the manner of its presentation. We are not being asked for an opinion, we are being told what to do. It is high time that responsible citi- zens interested themselves in the course of their own future. The Designation Is Too Sharp Just before Parliament was dissolved the federal government passed legislation which was designed to provide encour- agement for industry to locate in certain areas of the province where unemploy- ment was higher than average. The encouragement was provided in the form of breath -taking 33 1/3 percent outright grants to those firms which chose to lo- cate or expend within the "designated" areas. The implications of this system are tremendous. The firms which benefit under the plan are not necessarily poor or short of credit. The only stipulation is that, in general, their investments will increase employment opportunities. We do not argue the basic principle of the plan. The government decided to pro- vide an incentive and they made it a very realistic one. What we are concerned about was the method of deciding what areas were to be designated. As an ex- ample, the section of the province just north of us was included and the decision, we hear, was based on unemployment figures in the Kincardine office of the National Employment Service. On cur- sory examination such figures would in- deed appear to be a sound indication of need, but in actual fact they do not. A much broader survey should have been employed and it would have indicated not just a band around Georgian Bay in need of industrial incentive, but rather the entire area north of No. 8 Highway. Anyone who has lived in this area since the war years can tell you that though progress here has been steady, there has been very little movement of worthwhile industry into this section. There are notable exceptions, of course in a limited number of communities. The latest news in the industrial field is the decision of the Ford Motor Com- pany to erect a $75 million plant at Talbotville, midway between London and , St. Thomas—in an area which is already expanding at a rapid pace. The only benefit which will be felt this far north will be a certain "backwash" from the booming London area, and it will take several years for it to reach us. If the incentive plan works success- fully for the section to the north, and the rate of present expansion continues in the area to the south, we in this locality may find ourselves in an industrial no -man's land between the two. Should Reconsider Tax With the departure of Hon. Walter Gordon from the federal cabinet it is reasonably safe to assume that his suc- cessor may bring some new thinking to the field of taxation. If, indeed, he does so, it is to be hoped that the imposition of 11% sales tax on production ma- chinery will be eliminated. An 11% sales tax is a whopping add- on for any government to make on any type of consumer goods; and in the case of production machinery it is doubly in- iquitous. "Production machinery" is that type of equipment used to produce the items you buy in the stores of your com- munity, The tax on such machinery is unjust because you will be paying the 11 % tax twice—once in the price charged by the manufacturer who certainly has to recover his tax payment on the machinery if he is to stay in business; and second- ly when the tax is added at the wholesale level on the price of the goods you buy. Double taxation is, theoretically con- trary to the basic principles of our par- ticular system in this country, although this instance is by no means the only one in existence. Another notable example is the imposition of our 3% provincial sales tax, not on the basic cost of a manu- factured article, but calculated after the federal governments 11% has been added. There appears to be good and suf- ficient reason to ask for repeal of the 1 1 % imposition on production machin- ery at the present time. Only last week one government spokesman referred to an "embarrassing" surplus of revenues in the federal treasury over and above the budgets set as recently as last spring. Taxes are always necessary, but let's have them as fair as possible, 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 xf.S.A., $5.00 per year; Foreign rate, $5.00 per year Advertising Rates on application A GROUP OF LOCAL MEN in the 99th Field Battery, RCA, taken at Camp Petawawa in 1938. Back row: Neil Carr, Bert Mitchell, Robert Murray, Allan Small, Jack Sturdy, Raymond Carter, Front: John Preston, Dr. George How- son, Judge R. S. Hetherington, Joe Ellacott. The photo- graph belongs to Doug Aitchison. bran Abbaucieffet Mt Wingham, Ontario, Thursday, Nov. 25, 1965 SECOND SECTION SUGAR AND SPICE by Bill Smiley The Deadliest Of Wars There's a war in progress to smother every flame of ideal- ism with the cold water of what they called "reality." right now that will produce more casualties than the two great world wars. It makes the current cold war look like a Sunday School picnic. It is being fought in the home, in the schools, and in the streets, in every country in the world. The war I'm talking about is the war between youth and age. There has been no declaration of war, no single incident which has provoked hostilities. But the fighting has begun, and its going to be a long, cruel de- structive one before it ends, a war like no other the human race has seen. The tragic thing is that it is not based on hate, but on some- thing closer to love, a complete lack of understanding with a wistful desire for it, on both sides. It is not international or inter -racial war, but civil war, which makes it doubly frighten- ing. In the front lines are not the children and the elderly. Thank goodness for that. No. The op- posing, forces are the young adults, from about 15 to 25, on one side, and the no -longer - youthful adults, from 35 to 55 on the other. What, you may ask, about those between, from 25 to 35? They don't even know the war is on, Busy producing and raising kids, they are blissfully un- aware that they are producing reinforcements for the enemy they must face soon. The war was inevitable. For 5,000 years, the majors man- aged to keep the minors under their thumbs. Through a combi- nation of guile, economic pres- sure and sheer numbers (infant mortality was high), the elders kept the young in check. They convinced them that age and wisdom were synonymous. They assured them that older men made better politicians, preachers, and generals. They kept the young from multiplying by feeding them Cheerfully into the furnaces of whatever war was in progress at the time. White the old boys stayed home and looked after the store. They refused to retire and let the young move up. They urged security rather than seeking. They preeched compromise rather than courage. They tried Oh, the odd one broke through the blanket. Alexander the Great and William Pitt the younger, and Napoleon. But most of them died young. And now, sad to relate, Dad, you and I are reaping the bitter rice. Young people think exactly what I thought when I was a young person: that every living soul over 40 is inevitably op- posed to anything that is fun, frightening or fattening. Five thousand years of grow- ing resentment is bursting forth in all directions. Thanks to med- ical advances, they now out- number us. Thanks to economic prosperity, they live better than we ever did. Thanks to the co- wardly and conformist world we created for them, they despise us. The hour is come, for them. And you can't blame them much, We are against sex and Iiquor for minors, but think they're dandy for majors. We're against smoking, and puff our way straight into the oxygen tent. We tell them to be honest, and cheat on our incdme tax. We tell them to practise Chris- tian charity, and rip our neigh- bors up the back. We urge them to be mature, and we bicker and squabble in front of them, over trifles. We tell them they have no initia- tive, and refuse to let them do anything that is not safe, sensi- ble and sanitary. We throw up our hands in hor- ror at their likes in dress and in music, at their popular heroes, at their natural desires. When they are polite, we grow pom- pous. When they are insolent, we grow furious. Yep, the war is on. Don't wor- ry. I'm not a traitor. I'll stick with the majors. I've always been a sucker for lost causes. And I have never yet left a sink- ing ship. Mother found the chairs lin- ed up in the living room and the children seated in tows. "We're playing church," an- nounced one boy. "Well, the girls on the end shouldn't be whispering and gig- gling," ig-gling," admonished mother. "Oh it's right," explained the lad, "that's the choir," One Moment, Please BY REV. C. F. JOHNSON Wingham, Ontario Happy is the one who walk- eth not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners; nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful; - And whatsoever he doeth he shall prosper. Psalm 1:1-6. 0--0--0 This psalm shows to the reader three stages which will draw anyone from life's straight and narrow path; namely: to walk, to stand and to sit. REMINISCING NOVEMBER 1929 Mrs. Peter Stewart has re- turned to her home in Hamil- ton, after spending the past few weeks at the home of Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Henderson, Blue - vale Road. Huron Curling Club organiz- ed at an enthusiastic meeting on Monday evening with the following officers chosen for next year: Hon. President, Geo. Spotton, M,P.; President, A. J. Wilson; vice-pres. , Fred Davidson; sec. -treas. , T. H. Gibson; executive, D. J. Rae, J. A. Currie, W. S. Mitchell. NOVEMBER 1940 Mrs. Anna McNevin has purchased the Penfold cottage on the corner of Patrick and Minnie St. The opening meeting of the Baptist Young Peoples Union was held with Marie Kelly pre- siding. The following officers were elected: President, Bruce MacLean; vice-pres. , Marie Kelly; secretary, Shirley Mac- Lean; treas., Reta Stapleton; social con. , Marjorie Falconer; fellowship con. , Vivian Mac- Lean; devotion, Frank Collar; stewardship, Jack McLeod; ser- vice, Rosetta Dennis; pianist, Marjorie Falconer. Miss Betty Rae left on Tues- day for Toronto, where she will enter Toronto General Hospital as a nurse -in -training. Mr. Frank Howson, chair- man of the War Savings Certifi- cate and War Stamp commit- tee, and Mr. W. H. French, President of the Patriotic As- sociation, attended a meeting in Walkerton on Thursday eve- ning which was addressed by Mr. R. V. LeSeur, vice-presi- dent of the Imperial Oil Co. , who is Provincial Chairman of the War Savings Committee. NOVEMBER 1951 Mr. and Mrs. John Thomp- son of Bluevale, wish to an -- 1. Two people meet up and walk along together. The con- versation is of such which sug- gests an evil plot. 2. These two persons meet up with some buddies. They all stand together and discuss the conversation regarding the evil plot. This scheme sounds sufficiently fascinating to all concerned. 3. This group decides to meet in a certain place where they can sit and fully discuss their plans of misbehaviour. Many innocent and seeming- ly upright persons have been trapped in this way; which has brought them a jail or peniten- tiary sentence which lasted for months or even years. The sad part of such a situation is the lowering and weakening of the moral and spiritual life. The character becomes blighted; and the chance of recovery is so often dim. It is not a sin to be tempted to walk, stand and sit in the path of evil; the sin comes when one falls to the tempta- tion. To resist this temptation one is made stronger in charac- ter; higher in morale; and hap- pier in doing those things which are lawful and right. Hence, having the power to fall let us all choose to stand against the wiles of evil. Fight the good fight with all thy might: Christ is thy strength, and Christ thy right: Lay hold on life, and it shall be Thy joy and crown eternally. nounce the engagement of their eldest daughter, Kathleen Elizabeth, to Alwyne Scott Mc- Lennan, son of Mt. and Mrs. R. J. McLennan of Bluevale. Norman Keating of Wing - ham, formerly with the P.U.C. has accepted a position with McGill Radio Service, where he will do service work. Mr. Don Cameron has pur- chased the A. O. Garrett home on Victoria Street and took up residence there. Mr. and Mrs. Fleming Ballagh have purchas- ed the Froome house on Car- ling Terrace and have moved to town from Delmore. We wel- come these new residents. Mrs. Nelson Louttit of John St, North, purchased the residence former- ly owned by Carl Deans, Vic- toria St. and Mr. JamesCarner- on, of Cameron's taxi, has pur- chased Mrs. Louttit's residence.