The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1975-05-22, Page 4 (2)OUR POINT OF VIEW
Fail to heed advice
Exeter council members have again
failed to follow their own advice in ex-
pediting . the setting of the municipal tax
rate.
In essence they've conducted five
months of their business without any
budget guidelines and it becomes obvious
that this is a most impractical method of
operation of such a sizeable business ven-
ture.
Private business can not hope to
operate successfully without budgets es-
tablished at the commencement of their
business year and certainly it has to be con-
sidered equally difficult for public
businesses as well.
It's a problem of all municipal coun-
cils, of course, although Exeter appears to
each year come close to being the final
community in which a budget is approved.
Unfortunately, this often dictates that
monies are allotted in the budget not on
what council members have carefully con-
sidered and established as priorities for the
Year but often on what they have spent nt in
bits and pieces before the budget is es-
tablished.
The budget must be the priority item
for council each year and yet it never
seems to reach that plateau, despite the
often repeated "we must do it earlier next
year" comments that arise.
Council must also realize that the delay
causes problems for others, particularly
RAP in the case of Exeter council.
There have been strong hints that
RAP's proposed budget for the current
year will be slashed by council, and yet
RAP members too have gone through close
to half their year without those necessary
guidelines.
Any chops that are made now have to
be made solely on programs that come up
in the final six months of the year, while
those in the first half go unscathed. This is
not particularly fair to those involved in
programs at the latter part of the year nor
is it necessarily how RAP would make cut-
backs if they were required by council.
All in all, a budget in late May or early
June is most unrealistic and certainly con-
trary to the business acumen that the
ratepayers should expect from those who
run the large financial operations which
now surround municipal activities.
Finance committees may be well ad-
vised to start looking at next year's budget
as soon as the 1975 figures are approved so
next year things will be done in a more
businesslike fashion.
Let's haue the election
Some time, sooner or later this year,
we're going to have a provincial election.
Let's hope it's sooner.
Election year is not a pleasant time for
the public. We're faced with hearing har-
ping criticism from opposition party
politicians hoping to make the government
look bad. We're given the old smooth talk
by the government, hoping to make us
forget its past misdeeds.
Under such conditions we all tend to
get a little cynical. Was, for instance,
Premier Davis' strong stand against higher
oil prices at the recent federal -provincial
conference based on the realities of the
situation, or simply on the knowledge that
he had to appear the friend of the Ontario
consumer in an election year? Was the
budget designed to stimulate the lagging
economy or simply buy votes? Was the Op-
position's concern over the southern On-
tario floods motivated by compassion for
the victims or the thought there might be a
chance to make the government look bad?
This atmosphere of distrust is exactly
what we don't need at a time when the
province is in a mess. Let's have the elec-
tion and get it over with so we can get back
to business.
(The Blyth Standard)
Tough times for teachers
This week I had the chore of
sorting through a huge pile of
applications for a job on our high
school staff teaching English.
One job and about 80 ap-
plications. That's the way things
are these days in the teaching
game.
it's a cruel world for young
people trying to break into the
profession. Armed with their
pieces of paper on which it says
right there in print that they are
now qualified teachers. they sally
forth to put into practice their
high ideals. their warm per-
sonalities, their love for young
people. and the results of four or
five years of university slugging.
And what do they find? A vast
indifference. Nobody wants
o
them. Princtpais want people
with experience. But how do you
get experience if you can't get a
job? It's an old story in the world
of free enterprise, but it's still a
sad one for those caught in the
vicious circle.
it's exactly like another facet
of the system of which we are so
proud: banking. If you're broke
and need money, a bank won't
loan it to you. if you're rich and
don't need money, you have to
beat off the bankers with a stick.
I couldn't help thinking. as I sat
toying with people's lives, of the
vast change that has taken place
since 1 began teaching, about 15
years ago.
Those were the days when the
great post-war baby boom was
hitting the high schools.
Principals were raiding in-
dustry for technical teachers,
business for commercial
teachers.
If you had a university degree,
it was as much as your lite was
worth to walk past a school. A
lasso would snake out, you'd find
Tames Established 1 873
yourself getting a hot sales pitch
in a principal's office, and next
thing you knew were standing in
front of 35 kids with your mouth
hanging open.
Anyone who was not obviously
drunk or noticeably retarded had
a pretty fair chance of winding up
in teaching.
One daily newspaper ran pages
and pages of teacher -wanted
advertisements each spring, and
, school boards spent hundreds of
thousands of dollars on ad-
vertising.
i remember one spring when i
could have taken my pick of 28
jobs as an English department
head, by picking up the phone.
Those were fat times for the
young graduating teachers, too.
Armed with nothing more than a
puny B.A., they could pretty well
pick and choose where they
wanted to work and live.
Each spring there was an event
which came to be known rather
cynically as "the cattle market."
School boards from all over the
province would take over a big
hotel in the city. Potential
teachers would flock in by the
thousands. It was a seller's
market.
The student teacher walked the
halls, checked the signs on doors.
If he deigned to knock, he was
snatched through the door by a
principal, had coffee or
something stronger forced on
him, generally given the glad
hand and usually assured a job,
even if"he"happened to be a bald
female with green teeth.
Of course, the pay wasn't much
then, about $4,000 to start, but
that was worth more than twice
as much as it is' how.
When f was hired, i wrote a
letter applying for the only
English teaching job left in the
Advocate Established 1881
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The right
The initial reaction to the news
that Exeter won't he fielding any
all-star minor baseball teams
this year would be to heap
criticism on the adults who have
let the boys down by not coming
forth to volunteer as coaches and
managers.
That criticism
is deserving.
because it is the only ingredient
lacking to ensure that the youth
of our community enjoy the
pleasures and -competition of
inter -town baseball.
However. on more careful
analysis of the situation, it is also
necessary to question whether
RAE' has taken the necessary
steps to solve the problem.
To our knowledge, their par-
ticipation was limited to calling a
meeting of anyone interested in
assisting with minor baseball.
This is certainly a valid initial
step. but should not be the final
one if that meeting faits to
generate the interest required.
Experience through the years
has shown that to secure the
services of volunteers for such
activities it is necessary' to go
knocking on doors. pleading and
issuing challenges.
It also appears necessary that
those contacted be ensured that
they will he given plenty of
support. A prospective candidate
may be willing to assume the
position if he knows there will be
three or tout' other naen sc ()Eking
with him and that too percent
attendance at games and
practices will not be required.
This writer remains to be
convinced that adult support is
non-existent. but will agree that it
requires some extra efforts on
the part of 1(Al''s staff members
to ferret out those who may be
interested if they
proachcd dareclly.
By the same token. it should be
noted that many minor sports
and arts activities function
without adult volunteers in the
community and perhaps the time
has come when RAI' must give
baseball players the same con-
sideration they give to
playground. swimming. ballet
and gymnastic participants
Leaders for these activities are
paid for their efforts. and with the
exception of the playground. all
the programs run primarily 'm a
sell -sustaining basis.
Registration fees provide the
province. The principal was on
the phone the minute he got my
letter. He couldn't believe that 1
had an honor degree in English.
Apparently I was the only person
left in Canada with such a degree
who wasn't teaching.
Just two years later, i had a
department headship forced on
me. 1 didn't particularly want it.
Ryerson Institute wanted me to
go there and teach journalism
The president of Waterloo
University wanted me to go there
and handle public relations and
teach some English.
if i were fired tomorrow, with
my honors degree and 15 years
experince, I'd be lucky to get a
job in Nooknik. teaching
English As A Second Language to
Eskimo kids.
1 checked with five of my
colleagues in the English
department. who entered
teaching during those halcyon
years. Three of the five were
hired by phone. sight unseen
Now, we sort through a vast
sheaf of applications. Here's a
guy with a B.A.. M.A.. and Ph.D.
in English. Discard him.
Overeducated, no experience.
Here's one with an honor degree.
excellent recommendations, just
out of teacher's college. Discard
her. No experience.
And when we narrow it down to
six or eight, they have to show up
for a gruelling interview
(gruelling for me tool and may
have driven 300 miles for it, and
drive home with nothing to show
for it but a hearty "Thank you for
coming."
The whole thing makes me
sick. There's a great waste of
talented young teachers, many of
Amalgamated 1924
pitch been used?
SERVING CANADA'S BEST FARMLAND
C.W.N.A., O.W.N.A. and ABC
Publisher — Robert Southcott
Editor — Bill Batten — Advertising Manager
Assistant Editor — Ross Haugh
Plant Manager — Les Webb
Composition Manager — David Worby
Phone 235-1331
Published Each Thursday Morning
at Exeter, Ontario
Second Class Mail
Registration Number 0386
Poid in Advance Circulation
March 31, 1974, 5.309
Canada $9.00 Per Year USA $11.00
•{�,p yYy
SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
KIW
CCNA
rlUt RIBBON
AWARD
IVO
were ap-
revenue to cover the costs in-
volved and there is no reason to
suggest that the same principles
can't be applied to minor
baseball.
it's most unfortunate if the
community has to hire people to
provide boys with an opportunity
to play baseball, but it is a
feasible solution based on the
precedent now followed by RAP
in the operation of other ac -
)IN itie`;.
That appears to be no dif-
ference in hiring a personto teach
gymnastics or someone to coach
baseball, and if all else fails, it
would appear that RAP have an
obligation to the young ball
players to at least attempt this
.alternative.
whom. in disguesl, go into some
other way of making a living.
There's a whole slew of old
teachers still in harness. who are
hanging on because archaic
regulations make them hang on
until they are too old and sick and
stupid and tired to be of any use
to anyone. merely to draw their
pensions.
Surely in a country with our
resources. and in an age when the
computer can make • accurate
projections. we can do better
than use this outmoded system of
supply and demand. which may
be all right for the cattle market.
hut all wrong for human beings.
I want to remarry you
for my money!
+ +
Massive increases, current or
pending. by most of Canada's
electric utilities have left local
power authorities and large in-
dustrial users almost speechless.
However, hydro customers
may be surprised to be told that
electric power is still one of the
country's greatest bargains.
In the US, for instance, it costs
about 45 cents a day to operate a
refrigerator. In Canada, the
sante appliance averages about
Very
Important
People
•
r'
it*t✓•
People of :JI ages and all walks
of bled() imtr,rtant and essential
j,ihs as lied Uri iss volunteers.
YOU CAN HELP T00.
eight cents. Color TV uses three
cents an hour worth of power in
New York, across Canada it
works out to about half a cent.
Canadian utility rates average
only. 50 percent of comparable
rates in Europe.
When massive rate increases of
30 percent are mentioned, it is
easy to overlook the relative
cheapness of Canadian power
and obviously if the increases
continue it may not be true for
much longer.
+ + +
Not only is the pay raise for
Canadian MPs too high and a
show of complete lack of
leadership during our current
economic woes, the raise is
illegal.
At least according to in-
formation we received this week
from the Financial Post.
A provision in the British North
American Act grants our
Parliament the right to define by
statue the privileges, immunities
and powers of its members, but
concludes by stipulating that
these shall not exceed those held,
enjoyed and exercised by
members of the British House of
Commons at the time of the
passing of any hill.
Canadian MPs were already
double the pay of their British
counterparts and the new pay
raise widens that differential
substantially and only worsens
.,n already unacceptable breach
of the law.
The least Parliament could do
would be repeal the limitation
on their salary that is spelled out
in Section 18 of the
BNA Act, suggests the Financial
Post.
Sus y,K 2e4ie4ell
Treasures overflowing
In the gospel of St. Matthew
here are two parables about
treasure. One likens the Kingdom
of Heaven to a treasure hidden in
a field, the other to a merchant
seeking pearls. Luke talks about
'a treasure in the heavens that
faileth not'; again he quotes
Christ as saying, "For where
your treasure is, there will be
your heart also".
God gives us many treasures,
or gifts if you prefer ... love,
health, happiness, tolerance,
wisdom, guidance, forgiveness to
name only a few. He also gives us
the gift of free will and He never
insists we accept the gifts He
offers.
I came upon a modern parable
about treasures which I would
like to share with you. A certain
man had a huge vault packed
from floor to ceiling with
precious gems. There were
diamonds, rubies, sapphires,
opals, emeralds ... each one
valuable in itself, but added
together, they became priceless.
He was prompted to give this
treasure away so going into the
street he stopped the first three
persons he met and invited them
to come to his storehouse full of
treasure to help themselves. He
made it clear there were no
conditions attached, they could
take as many or as few as they
wished.
The first man to accompany
him to the room was at first
overwhelmed at what he saw. But
his wonder soon gave way to
scepticism, saying to himself,
"Nobody gives away things like
this for nothing ... either the
man's a loony or there's a catch
somewhere. To expediate a
graceful exit he carelessly picked
up two stones and stuck them in
his pocket.
The second man was equally
thrown off balance by the•mass of
the treasure. When told he could
wasi� - rr;w.e+f�`E
50 Years Ago
Rev. W. E. Donnelly of James
Street Church. has been trans-
ferred to Wingham, Rev. J. H.
Johnston of Essex will succeed
him.
Exeter District Methodist
Association strongly opposed
Premier Ferguson's new law
allowing 4.4 percent beer. The
meeting said, "the Premier
deliberately repudiated the
fundamental principle of the
British Empire of majority
rights -by lightly ignoring the fact
that 33,000 of a majority stood for
the continuance of the OTA.
Palmer's new grocery store
and confectionery, Hensall,
opened for business on May 20.
25 Years Ago
Grand Bend Women's institute
voted 8300 toward South Huron
Hospital at the May meeting.
The home of the late Richard
Davis, John St., was purchased
by harry Bierling for 84,250.
Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Wilson and
family arrived from Regina over
the weekend. Hugh has accepted
a position with Dinney Furniture.
Alfred Coates has purchased
the residence of Mel Alderson on
Albert St. Mr. Alderson has been
transferred to London.
Anita Datars, Zurich, who has
finished her course at Stratford
Normal. will be engaged at
Kitchener.
Receiving BA degrees at
University of Western Ontario
are Stuart McBride, Marjory
Klopp, Donald Southcott, and
Pauline Haberer.
1S Years Ago
Mrs. Hilton Laing, librarian of
the Exeter Public Library and
Mrs. G. C. Koch, of the library
board, attended the annual
conference of the Ontario Library
Association in London this week.
Tom Arthur, of town, fractured
his arm Monday when he fell
from one of the viners at
Canadian Canners Ltd.
John Anderson of Hensall
became sole owner of the Venner
Trophy over the weekend as he
won the annual Victoria Day
Kippen Gun Club shoot for the
third time.
Town of Exeter's operations
during 1959 resulted in a surplus of
81,443.26 it is reported in the
auditor's report approved by
town council last meeting.
10 Years Ago
Ross Haugh, Stephen Township
clerk became a fireman for a few
minutes at his home.Youngsters
had tossed firecrackers into an
apple tree on his property. Haugh
started a one-man ,bucket
brigade. with a dishpan, and tried
putting the fire out. A neighbour,
Al Smith soon arrived with a
garden hose, but the tree was
destroyed.
Steven Willert, eight-year old
son of Mr. & Mrs. Alvin Willert,
190 Anne St., miraculously
escaped with only minor burns
when the kite he was flying hit a
4,000 -volt hydro line. He had
some 30 burnt on his body, but
was in school the following day,
feeling no ill effects.
For the fourth year in a row,
the SHDHS Bible Club has
walked off with the Tri -County
Youth for Christ trophy for top
marks in the annual Bible quiz.
The team consists of Ray and
Marcia Sauder, Carol Studer,
Lynda Blanchard, Shirley
Sauder, Betty Hamilton and
Sylvia Cann. Edgar Cudmore
was the winning team coach.
•
pick where he liked he hesitated
and then said, "I thank you very
much for your generous offer but
I will take only a few." He filled
two small bags and went on his
way.
The last fellow to come into the
vault came with high spirits. He
seemed to take it for granted the
offer was genuine. "Just a
minute," he said, "I will go and
bring a wheelbarrow and shovel
so i can take as many as I can. I'll
also tell this good news to
everyone I meet so they may pay
you a visit also. Thank you very
much indeed, it's great to get to
know you."
Later, the three met again. The
first bent over laughing at the
third pushing his wheelbarrow.
"You fool," he scoffed, "those
jewels are fake, you know .. .
much good they'll do you!"
"You're wrong," the second
chimed in, "i checked at the
jeweller's . they're genuine
alright. I only wish I'd taken
more but I didn't want to appear
greedy. I thought I'd better leave
some for others."
While disappointment and
anger spread over the face of the
first man, the third member of
the trio was obviously well
pleased. With a smile wreathing
his face he spoke, "1 took as
many as i could carry because I
could see there were millions left
for others. Here, good friends,
share mine. I can always go back
for more if I run out."
The parable is finished but the
moral and meaning ring true.
God, who is the eternal source of
supply, offers His treasures to all
who care to partake. This supply
cannot fail. Each may take what
he will and share it with those
who cross his path. God tells us
we are rich beyond our wildest
dreams. We only need make our
needs known to Him, He is
anxious to supply them.
Our response to now
By ELMORE BOOMER
Counsellor for
Information South Huron
For appointment
phone: 228-6291 or 235-0560
Whitsun
Last Sunday, May 10, was
Whitsunday.
Whitsunday is the seventh
Sunday after Easter and is kept
in celebration of the coming of
the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.
Whitsunday is old English for
White Sunday probably referring
to white baptismal gowns worn
on this special day in the English
church of the times.
Along with Easter Sunday kept
in celebration of Christ's
resurrection, Whitsunday with its
emphasis on new found power,
joy. and vitality is a natural
festival of spring.
Christians look to the coming of
the Holy Spirit as one of the great
events of all time. Another
Comforter has come to continue
the ministry of Christ in in-
dividuals and through individuals
in the world today.
As Christ lived and died
redemptively to save from sin
and death so Christian's are
committed to living and dying in
the same way.
The Holy Spirit is our helper in
these matters. He invites us to
commit ourselves to His control,
to be guided, empowered, en-
dowed with special graces for
living, and made happy and
joyful in situations of whatever
nature.
Dr. D. Martin Lloyd Jones
preaching in Westminster
Chapel, London, England
remarked, " ... the essential
characteristic of the Christian
life (is) power ... vigour ... joy
and happiness ... con-
viviality." He goes on to attribute
this "essential characteristic" to
the presence and ministry of
God's Spirit.
For Christians then these are
days of optimism. The inference
in Whitsun is simply that there is
a God who cares for men, that
God sent His Son to be a man
among men, that Christ was a
sacrifice in our place for the
sending away of our sinfulness,
that God sent His Spirit to make
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---...----'
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"I'm sorry, Reverend, but
oar bat estimate rraneeth over
quite a lot."
olowN
try.
,
I
f
Christ's life, death and
resurrection effective in us.
Whereas men are discouraged
by life's pressures, depressed by
the smallness of earth and ear-
thlings. angered by injustice and
suffering, disappointed by per-
sonal weakness, sickened by
death, yet in Christ is hope. And
in the Holy Spirit this hope is
made practical.
Christians fully expect an
enlargement of life, a
"heavenization" of earth, final
righting of wrongs and vin-
dication of rights. and personal
salvation. Many speak of these
things as already present.
But there is a basic pessimism
in this whole celebration. The
inference is very plain. Man by
hitnself is unable to work the
works of freedom, liberty, power
and happiness.
it is a comment on our age that
men strive greatly to . bring
"peace in our time," to analyse
and seek answers to cosmic
problems, to relieve tensions and
make life livable, and to roll
back death from our door steps.
It is a comment on man's ef-
forts that seemingly however
greatly he strives, war continues,
problems increase in size and
number, tensions smother life,
and death stills reaps.
it is a comment on the basic
optimism of mankind that
however great the wars, the
problems, the tensions, the
presence of death yet he goes on
striving.
The Christian explains, "it is
impossible for man to accomplish
what must be done and the only
sane course of action for man is
to acknowledge this fact and
commit himself, his problem, his
workings to God. Only then can
anything of a meaningful nature
be done. The Holy Spirit is our
present guarantee of this."
We come to Whitsun then
reminded that the needs of man
are beyond him.
We come to Whitsun reminded
also that in the present Holy
Spirit is the needed and unique
resource for any redemptive
action.
We come to Whitsun humbled
that we might serve God and in
serving him, that we might serve
men.
There are many questions for a
Christian counsellor to answer
especially in regard to the op-
timistic scientific approach to
human predicament.
It is to be trusted that much
that is offered as help might be
made effective and holy through
the Holy Spirit's activity in us.
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