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The Citizen, 1994-09-07, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7,1994. C itizenTheNorthHuron P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. N0M1H0 Phone 523-47! FAX 523-9140 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. NOG 1H0 Phone 887-9114 FAX 887-9021 Publisher, Keith Roulston Editor, Bonnie Gropp Sales Representatives, Jeannette McNeil and Julie Mitchell The Citizen is published weekly in Brussels, Ontario by North Huron Publishing Company Inc. Subscriptions are payable in advance at a rate of $20.50/year ($19.16 plus $1.34 G.S.T.) for local; $31.03/year ($29.00 plus $2.03 G.S.T.) for local Iett9r carrier in Goderich, Hanover, Listowel, etc. and out-of-area (40 miles from Brussels); $60.00/year for U.S.A, and Foreign. Advertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, only that portion of the advertisement will be credited. Advertising Deadlines: Monday, 2 p.m. - Brussels; Monday, 4 p.m. - Blyth. We are not responsible for unsolicited newscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright. Publications Mail Registration No. 6968 E ditorial I ....... I All for one and one for all It's easy to understand the reluctance of municipalities like Exeter to pay for planning services from the County of Huron that they don't use but as Hullett Reeve Tom Cunningham points out, it's impossible to bill the county's services on a user­ pay system. Exeter, along with Clinton and Wingham, have been balking at paying the fees for such planning functions as severances and zoning changes to the county. They reason that they do the work involved so why should they split the fees with the county, and why should they charge more to their developers for these services than they think is necessary. The county's system is designed to make developers pay for planning costs rather than have the taxpayers of the county pay the overhead while developers reap the benefits. Not only those from the three towns, but other municipalities as well wonder if the planning department's costs aren't so high they discourage development. But if municipalities are allowed to pick and choose services from the county like shoppers in a supermarket, how can the county function. As Reeve Cunningham points out, what if someone decides they shouldn't pay for libraries because they don't get any benefit. Hullett for instance, will have no library within its boundaries if the Auburn branch is closed as was proposed. A future council might decide that the township shouldn't support the library system if it has no direct benefits. There can never been complete fairness in government, a complete user-pay system. If we want to make the system work we can't be microscopic in our attempts to find inequities. — KR For before common sense Sometimes the formalities of government can get in the way of common sense. When Huron-Bruce MP Paul Steckle spoke to Huron County council Thursday he mentioned that several grants for infrastructure programs had been approved but said he was "not at liberty to disclose" what they were. Neither is anybody else. The announcement process for the program has gone to the point of the absurd. There are programs where the municipality has learned, unofficially that the money is on the way, but can't say anything on the record to let its own taxpayers know. There is the absurd sight of projects that are partially completed but nothing official can be said about the grant being approved. It makes local councils look foolhardy for going ahead without knowledge that the grant is assured. The delay is because the whole publicity apparatus of who gets credit for the grants must be put in place. It must be seen that both the federal and provincial representatives get their moment in the sun giving us our own tax money back. If anyone wonders why people have such a low view of governments it is in episodes such as this. The infrastructure program itself is a blessing for many communities, getting work done that would not otherwise have been done and creating jobs as well. The whole image of the program, however, is being sullied by the very people who are supposed to polish the image. The image makers should just stop worrying about having all the press releases vetted by every bureaucracy in sight, and get on with the announcements. — KR I’m all right Jack Something has gotten way out of line when it is more important that the individual doesn’t lose a fraction of a right gets in the road of the common good. Take a look at the recent teachers settlement in York Region. The teachers' union gloated they had won a victory by getting around the freezes imposed under the Rae government's social contract. An arbitrator agreed with the teachers that when the freeze comes off in 1996, they'll be entitled to all the raises based on experience that they would have been entitled to if the social contract had not been imposed. But someone has to pay the piper and in this case it will be the young teachers who would have been hired and the students of the schools. None of the teachers currently working will be hurt, but when people leave, they won't be replaced. There will be 116 fewer teachers in York Region. It's going to be awfully hard to believe these teachers when they argue, as they will, that we need a lower pupil-teacher ratio. They have shown that they're only really worried about their pay cheques. — KR Photo by Janice Becker Looking Back Through the Years From the files of the Brussels Post, Blyth Standard and The North Huron Citizen 52 YEARS AGO SEPT. 9,1942 A dance was held to raise money for the Overseas Cigarette Fund for Brussels, Morris and Grey. The Department of Munitions and Supply issued a notice that it was now illegal to hoard scrap metal or unusable machinery. Anyone with more than 500 pounds of scrap metal had to have a permit to allow possession. Scrap metal included any machinery, structural steel or other article con­ taining iron or steel which was not of immediate vital purpose. The Ministry of Finance urged residents to insure their homes and property against damages caused by the war. Tenders were called for the con­ struction of a school house at S.S. No. 8 Morris. Mr. Maurice Laycock was appointed principal for Brussels Continuation School. The weed control bill for Grey Township totalled $10.10. The United Church parsonage in Ethel underwent repairs and im­ provements were added. A lax chart indicated that a fami­ ly with two dependents and an income of $5,000 would pay $922 in taxes. A graduated scale showed per­ cent of taxation on increments of taxable income. The first $660 was not taxed then: 30 per cent on next $500; 33 percent, $500; 37 per cent, $1,000; 41 per cent, $1,500; 45 per cent, $1,500; 50 per cent, $3,000; 55 per cent, $5,000; 60 per cent, $7,000; 65 per cent, $10,000; 70 per cent, $20,000; 75 per cent, $20,000; 80 per cent, $20,000 and 85 per cent on any excess over $100,000. Superior Stores offered Keen's mustard for 23 cents a 1/4 lb. tin, 12 oz. of ketchup for 12 cents and three rolls of Cashmere toilet paper for 25 cents. 6 YEARS AGO SEPT. 7,1988 Cheryl Regele of the Winthrop area was named Queen of the Fur­ row at the Huron County Plowing Match, held on the farm of Murray Cardiff of Grey Township. With the retirement of Blyth Fire Chief Irwin Bowes, after 40 years of service, Paul Josling assumed the duties. Huron County released the popu­ lation statistics for the area. Brus­ sels' population was 991 and Blyth's was 889. The Blyth Supermarket had a grand opening. Londcsboro Bantams girls won the B championship. Members of the team were Denise Gross, Anj McCool, Lisa Kennedy, Annette Lockhart, Shannon Duizer, Chris­ tine Potter, Darlene Buffinga, Kathy VanBakel and Tracy Ken­ nedy ■ Letters THE EDITOR, I was delighted to see no turbs in the RCMP musical ride at the opening ceremonies of the Commonwealth Games. Regarding the turban issue - what is truth? A professor of Asian studies at a Canadian university states, "The turban is not one of the Sikhs required "five Kukkas" (religious symbols). It was historically a symbol of power and authority of a warrior caste, to provide recognition from other castes". A columnist also has written "The turban is not one of the mandated requirements for the Sikh religion, but a traditional symbol, one used to distinguish a cultural background and a political statement." * Again I ask - what is truth? Sikhs have hood-winked Continued on page 5