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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1965-12-09, Page 9• Railways Offer Last Chance Though the thought was not expressed in so many words, it would appear pretty definite that passenger service on the Ca- nadian National line through Wingham is being offered its final chance for survival. At a meeting in the Wingham District High School last Wednesday evening offi- cials of the railway outlined the steps which will be recommended to the Board of Transport Commissioners to improve the service on this line. If approved, the trains will run at hours which should be acceptable to the greatest number of pa- trons. A train leaving Wingham at 7:38 a.m. would reach Toronto at 10:40 and for the return journey in the evening de- parture time from Toronto would be 6:00 o'clock, arriving here at about nine o'clock. There is no doubt whatever that the railway is making every effort to provide the most satisfactory kind of service. Similar efforts have been made previously but the line still continued to lose $6.00 for every dollar of revenue. The stark facts of the case make the company's position pretty clear. If any privately -owned corporation found itself losing money at the rate CN does, the shareholders would close it up without delay. Canadian National is publicly -own- ed, which accounts for the fact that it has been permitted to lose money on a grand scale for so long. The speakers last Wednesday evening pointed out that a daily average of only 10 passengers avail themselves of the ser- vice on our line, The revenue from ticket sales in a year would scarcely pay the salary of one single station agent along the way, not to mention the rest of the non-operating personnel, the cost of equipment and its operation. It is true, of course, that the same agents and similar type employees, the same buildings and the same lines of steel are required for freight service, but the total picture remains one of constant losses—losses so high that the decision has already been made to recommend the abandonment of the lines to Goderich and Owen Sound. If a revision and improve- ment of service on the Kincardine line does not materially reduce the imbalance we may confidently expect that passenger service will be dropped here as well. None of us who live in the towns along these feeder lines like the idea of admit- ting that we are not important enough to merit a railway passenger service. How- ever, when we stepped into the auditor- ium at the school the other night and saw that there were only two people from Wingham in attendance, and less than 20 from all the towns on the line, we had some second thoughts about the justice of continued criticism of the railway. The obvious fact of the matter is that if only ten people a day are using the rail- way as a means of travel, the service is certainly not very badly needed. On the other hand, if we really do believe that passenger service is so all -fired import- ant, let's use it and prove our point. Brink of Disaster So accustomed have we become to ten- sions and dangers in the conduct of inter- national affairs that we all but overlook the more significant news items. Perhaps there has never been a time since the Suez crisis when the world was in greater danger of toppling into the abyss than right at the present time, Things have been depressingly bad for many months as the war in Viet Nam has escalated from a comparatively small "holding" operation into a major conflict costing hundreds of lives and millions of dollars a month. Now there is a threat of wide -spread war in Africa as the recently -freed African nations demand that Britain move in troops to crush the white government of Rhodesia. The British Government has emphatically stated that it will not use troops to fight the white residents of Rhodesia and the colored nations threaten war against the break -away regime of Prime Minister Ian Smith if Britain does not intervene. In short, there is a strong possibility of a race war in East Africa which could engulf the entire continent and might mean annihilation for its white popula- tion. Gloomy, you say? Yes, it is a gloomy prospect. We hope that the crisis will pass as so many others have done in the past two or three years, but it is well to face reality and admit that the world is in a badly tangled mess at the moment. And all this while man is reaching for the moon! How Long Can It Last? There has been a good deal of talk in recent months about the possibility of far- reaching changes in municipal govern- ment. The experts are openly saying that we will have to depart from the outmoded forms of town, village and township gov- ernment which have prevailed for 100 years in Ontario, and swing into some larger and more efficient form of public control. Though most of the noises we hear in this regard have taken the form of un- founded rumours, or statements by those of independent position, experience indi, cates that the murmurings are quite likely the forerunners of some far-reaching pro- nouncements by the provincial authorities. The complexities of progress in more congested areas, such as Waterloo County are creating the necessity for change. Rural and urban problems are becoming so intermixed that it does appear regional government is the only solution. If, how- ever, legislation is passed to look after the problems in Waterloo, it will inevitab- ly create changes in Huron as well. When we look over the scattering of ratepayers who turn out for a local nom- ination meeting we can see the handwrit- ing plainly on the walls of the old town hall, Electors are apathetic in the ex- treme. Every mayor who has held the office in Wingham for years and years has been placed in the chair by acclamation. Nobody really cares whether we have an election for council or not. Local government is quite like a hu- man arm or leg. If you don't use it and keep it exercised it becomes powerless. Next Minister of Agriculture Western Canada's voters, by being in- hospitable to the Liberals, have given Prime Minister Pearson the opportunity of naming, for the first time in years, some- one from Central or Eastern Canada as Minister of Agriculture, suggests The Financial Post. There is serious rural poverty and agricultural inefficiency in Central Canada and the Maritimes. The federal govern- ment has recently published maps which document this situation graphically. These show a high concentration of low-income farm in Central and Eastern Canada, low education levels and even high infant mor- tality on these farms. Another study by Ottawa shows that a third of Maritime farms and 29% of Quebec farms (compared to 20% of prairie farms) are uneconomic. This is compelling evidence for the case that the next minister of agriculture should be a man who, if not an Easterner at least has a first-rate understanding of eastern farm poverty and problems. THE WINGHAM ADVANCE - TIMES Published at Wingham, Ontario, by Wenger Bros, Limited W. Barry Wenger, President - Robert 0. 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 RIVER ON THE RAMPAGE—This photo of the floods in the spring of 1947 was taken from the CN high level bridge, looking toward the McKenzie Bridge. It provides ample evidence of the damage which has resulted from flooding in times past. The spillway and control gates at present being erected by Mowbray Construction at the north end of the Howson Dam are for the express pur- pose of preventing this sort of thing in the future. barn AbbancoEinu Wingham, Ontario, Thursday, Dec, 9, 1965 SECOND SECTION REMINISCING DECEMBER 1915 A short three act comedy, entitled "Our Neighbours" was presented in the Sunday school room of the United Church on Tuesday evening, by the mem- bers of the Victory Mission Cir- cle. A short program which was also appreciated was given be- fore the play and also in be- tween the acts, consisting of an instrumental by Mr. Arnold Vint, a solo by Mrs. J. M. Mc- Kay, a reading by Mrs. Forbes, an instrumental by Misses M. Garniss and G. Robertson, and solos by Mr. Jack Reavie, Wingham Lodge A.F.& A. M. No. 286, G.R.C. at their regular communication on Tues- day night, accepted with re- gret the resignation of T. McK. Smith, secretary, who is leav- ing town for London after the New Year. W. Bro. G. El. Ross nicely expressed the sentiment of the brethren for the long and efficient services rendered by Bro. Smith. A unique example of a sun- dial, one of the very oldest methods of determining the time of day, is to be found on One Moment Please BY REV. F. A. LOWMAN Teeswater, Ontario "A MIRACULOUS CHRISTMAS" Did you ever think of the miracles that God performed that first Christmas? There was the miracle of the star which drew the Gen- tile gazers from afar. There was the miracle of the angelic appearances to the Shepherds and to Joseph and Mary and the Wise Men; the miracle of a time and place to fulfil the Old Prophecies; the miracle of the preservation of the young child from the wrath of Herod. There was the miracle of Christ's birth by a Virgin, and grelrrest of all the miracle of God taking a human body to become our substitute and Sav- iour. God still works miracles. Do you need a miracle? Why not pray and ask Ilim; you will be surprised at the answer you will receive, The greatest miracle a than can know is when Christ is born anew itt the human heart to become a per- sonal Saviour, What a wonderful Christmas it would be if this happened to you. the farm of L. Duff, Bluevale, where it was built some sixty years ago. DECEMBER 1929 The Ontario Government is sending out a demonstration car which will arrive in Wingham 11.45 a.m. on the 16th of De- cember and leave at 11.59 a.m. on the following day. The citizens of both town and coun- try should avail themselves of this opportunity. At a well attended meeting of L.O.L. No. 794 on Friday evening the following officers were elected for the year 1916: W.M. , H. E. Isard; D. M. , Rev. J. W. Hibbert; chaplain, Josh- ua Scott; Fin. -Sec., Allan Fra - lick; Rec. -Sec., A. G. Smith; Treas., J. G. Stewart; D. of C., Robt. Deyell; lecturer,Wil- liam Guest. Mr. Alex. Monnoch is spending a few days at the Queens' Hotel. Mr. nionnoch has returned wounded from the front where he has been in some thrilling adventures. Ile was a few years ago a traveller in this part of Ontario. DECEMBER 1940 Charlie Lee won the junior table tennis championship in the playdowns which were held here last week. Mr. Earl Groves announces the engagement of his young- est daughter, Betty Mae, to Mr. William Robert Hall, son of Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Hall, Bluevale. The wedding to take place the early part of Decem- ber. Mr. William 11. Golding, member for Huron -Perth, has been elected chairman of the committee on standing orders of the Ilouse of Commons. Two East Wawanosh resi- dents were again elected to be presidents of Ontario Fanner Organizations. R. J. Scott was named a director of the United Farmers' Co -Operative and al- so its president. Mrs. 0. G. Anderson was named president of the United Farm Women of Ontario, DECEMBER 1951 John V. Fischer is the new reeve of Turnherry Township, defeating Iterbcrt Foxton and T. 11. Abraham by a substan- tial majority. Mrs. Robert McGee, a for- mer resident of Bast Wawanosh, Wingham and lllyth, passed away suddenly in Wingham SUGAR AND SPICE by Bill Smiley We Had A Wing -Ding Boy, there's nothing like a week end in the city to relax you. Every so often, rigid with the tension of smalltown living, my family and I tear up the budget, fling it and caution to the winds, and have a wing - ding. At least, last week end, we had a good excuse for a wing - ding. Our baby, the brown - eyed butterball whose diapers we'd changed with delight, the little boy we'd taught to swim and skate, was playing the lead role in his college musical. Everything, as usual with a Smiley fancily wing -ding. went according to plan. We get our plans from the chap who used to write the sketches for the Three Stooges. Night before, had a small party. Next morning, both alarm clocks didn't go off, as they al- ways don't do in such cases. Half an hour late, picked up our passenger, a nun (don't ask me to go into all this), and took off. 1 was glad I'd practised low- flying in the air force. The two hour trip to the city took one hour and 22 minutes. There were almost 3 minutes of that ( I kept count) in which Sister Ste. Bonavenure and my wife were not talking. Excitedly. Checked in at the hotel. The girls went in all directions. I tried a combination of coffee. morning papers, and hair of the dog, w hi c h tasted rather strongly of wing -ding. Boiled wing -ding. Before I'd even begun to wish I were home, the family was there: old woman eager to talk to kids; Kim, full of ideas about things we hadn't time or money for; Hugh, bright-eyed. bushy - tailed, and broke. Lunch. For four. 512.50. Had promised Kim she could buy a guitar with the money she'd earned playing organ at church. Went to music store. Went through half-hour of 70 adoles• cents playing 71) musical instru- hospital on Sunday, after a week's illness. She was the for- mer Elizabeth Menzies, only daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. John Menzies. Orval Taylor was the victor by a small majority of 31 votes over Alex Robertson for the reeveship of East Wawan- osh on Monday. ments, simultaneously. Visit. to one of those wild rec- ord stores, to pick up a Bob Dy- lan record and the latest Rolling Stones (more organ money). I stood outside and watched the ds . Wwere a hood hooandgu had no ished family.1 Scramble back to hotel. All hands try guitar. Fix up faces, Rush by cab to buy roses for leading lady. Leading man broke, still. Fly to theatre. Thrill to brow n -eyed butterball (see above) singing, dancing without disgracing family. Totter back to hotel (brown -eyes off to post- production party which lasted until dawn.) Try to convince Kim (14 and with first eye -shadow on) that it's bedtime, not coffee-house. folk -singing time. Succeed by falling asleep in middle of speech. Wake up to chaps watching late movie. Order tea all round. At 40 cents a tea -bag. Can't sleep with traffic out- side banging, crashing, screech- ing, hooting. and drunks next door laughing, singing, shouting. Four -thirty a.m., the old wom- an smells smoke. Snarl at her. Seven a.m. she wakes me, tri- umphantly. Below is the fire truck. Outside our door are six firemen. Seems there was a blaze in next room, where the drunks were. Try to sleep. Seven -fifty a.m. Kim wants action. A walk, breakfast, any- thing. Snarl at her. Nine a.m.. church tower across street be- gins bonging bell. Snarl at or- ganized religion. Old Battleaxe can't sleep. At 0.30, have to give learned, liter- ary criticism of kid's perform- ance of previous evening. At 10.30, Kim starts binding about going to a movie. At noon, the star turns up hungry, broke. 1 suggested cheap lunch and home. Vetoed. Everyone ants Chinese food. Swinging Chinese dinner at four p.m.. Sunday af- ternoon. Try it: 812.00. Check out. leave On looking lonely. Momma cries. Dad drives 100 utiles home through the light - glare of 7,000 drunken deer - hunters heading back to city. Everyone sleeps on way home. Dad wheels into garage, leaps out, kisses floor of garage. Nothing like a wing -ding in the city to get you away from sinalltown nerves.