Times-Advocate, 1982-02-03, Page 2Times -Advocate, February 3, 1932
Board needs ratepayer opinions
School head salaries, blood clinics, farm wives are'topics of letters
To Our Fellow Ratepayers
Huron -Perth Separate
School Board
Dear Editor:
We beleive the time has
come when the ratepayers'
opinion should be heard on
the issue of Salary increases
for our Director of Education
Education
and the Superintendent of
] duration. • •
We note with disbelief and
alarm the offers made by the
Trustees who represent us of
$49,500 for the Director, a 6.4
percent increase and
$44,040.00 for the
Superintendent a 7.3 per-
cent increase were
'respectfully declined". The
reasons given by the
director, the offers did not
keep pace with inflation and
did not match on a per-
centage basis increases
given to other persons during
the past three years. He also
pointe out the salary of the
director of education has
fallen behind $7,000.00 In the
actual cost of living in the
past ten years and in the
same time the superin-
tendents salary has fallen
$2,400.00 behind.
We have watched
education costs in our
system soar 700 percent in
twelve years. We are
reminded almost daily by
the leaders of our country
that if we are going to
prevent economic disaster In
our society we must all be
prepared to show restraint.
To beat inflation is our
number one goal we are
told. We must accept high
interest rates and record
unemployment as a means of
SIGN IN FOR HURON CUP.— Despite blustery weather conditions
weekend were successful. Above, Gerry Willert of Hensall signs in with
photo
By Jack Riddell MPP
Stuart Smith made his last
speech in the Ontario
Legislature, as Leader of the
Official Opposition, and as
the M.P.P. for Hamilton
West in December.
In this speech, he stressed
1 the' vita importhnnce of an
effective Opposition in our
parliamentary system. "As
we see plainly in Poland,"
he said. "in some ways•the
job of opposition is more im-
portant, more intrinsic to
democracy, than the job of
government. Lots of coun-
tries have governments but
only democracies have op-
positions.
' He also stated that one key
question has puzzled him for
years - our inability to
harness the "vitality of our
people sb that we truly
compete with "the best the
industrialized world has to
offer".
While we are supposedly
the manufacturing centre of
Canada. this country has
amassed a deficit in inter-
national trade and manufac-
tured end products of $23
billion. "What this means is
that, generally speaking, in
the industry of making
things we are having the
pants beaten off us..."
• "How did this happen?
Why with such great people
are we not utilizing our
human resources to compete
with the rest of the world"?
Stuart stated that his first
conclusion. about five years
ago. was that there was too
much confrontation between
government. business and
labour. However, he had
realized that this was "more
a symptom ofthe situation
than the root cause,"
He had then concluded
that the problem was over
branch -plant economy. In
this connection. he had noted
that even when the dollar
fell Canada did not benefit.
because branch plants still
imported their components
from the head office, at an
agreed price
"Why." Stuart asked.
"are we so branch -plant
oriented? Why are we the
only country in the world
that has such huge foreign
control of our manufac-
turing enterprises and our
industries generally 7...
the Huron Cup rc'mpntitinns nt Kill,/ Gully over the
Randy Collin‘ Snnd,n nirI nns rind Becky Collins.T-A
Jack's jottings
Smith's Iast '
speech
Why are we somehow
satisfied to be on the fringe
of great industrial enter-
prises elsewhere and take
the spinoff and let them set
up branches here, rather
than getting in there with_a
burning desire to start our
own enterprises and take on
everybody in the world, the
Americans, the Japanese,
the Europeans? Why do we
somehow not have that fire
in our bellies that would
enable us to go out there and
be competitive.?"
Stuart expressed the view
that one factor which cannot
be overlooked is that we
have been able "to be
relatively complacent, and
we have been able to live
very well on dur resources,
essentially, and on the
spinoff ,and spillover from
our rich friends in the United
States of America."
He cited also the fact that,
"The people who make the
fundamental decisions in
this country are quite
prepared to lend money to
large American enterprises
to come in and exploit or
manufacture our resources
when these same people are
not prepared to put their ef-
fort behind a struggling
Canadian company that
might be interested in the
same field of endeavour.
"They honestly believe the
dollar knows no boundaries
and that. living beside the
United States of America
and being a country with a
relatively small market, we
really have no choice but to
link ourselves in industry to
a continental view and to re-
tain our autonomy by the use
of our resources..."
"Unless we change the at-
titude which says we will
live on our resources and let
the Americans take the risks
for us in terms of branch
plants. I say right now - and I
am not saying this to get
votes, because I.cannet get
any more - we will decline
just as the North-East of the
United States has declined.
We must turn our attention
away from this dependence.
on foreign capital; foreign
ownership, foreign ideas and
foreign development and de-
pend on our people and their
abilities..."
"Look at the great pro-
jects in our history, all the
ones we talk about, such as
the Canadian Pacific
Railway or the great im-
provements in the Algoma
Alter road priorities
In view of complying with
a request from Stephen
council to undertake the
reconstruction of Waterloo
St., Exeter council members
have altered the priorities
for road and sewer con-
struction this year.
The Waterloo St. project
now tops the priorities and
the costs will be shared with
the township. It is expected
to cost each municipality
$38,000 and Exeter will ex-
pend an additional $35,000 to
provide sanitary sewers.
Roads committee chair-
man Don MacGregor said
sewer laterals would be run
News from
Crediton East
By MRS. STAN PRESZCATOR
Master Robert England
Huron Park .spent the
weekend with his grand-
parents Mr. and Mrs. Stan
Preszcator and girls and
Sunday supper guests were
Mr. and Mrs. Robt England
and family, Huron Park.
Mr. and Mrs. Leonard
Wein visited with the letters
brother Mr. Eber Lewis
Thursday .at . Clinton
llaspital.
Mrs. Charles Browning is
convalescingwith a sore knee
at home.
PECK APPLIANCES
"IN THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN VARNA-
•FILTER QUEEN SALES & SERVICE
•VACUUM CLEANERS-,sa,es ar Service to
Most Makes,
•FM COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS
For Farm i business
'SPEED QUEEN APPLIANCES
•MOFFAT APPLIANCES
•INSECT LIGHTS & FLY KILLING UNITS
•GIFTS
'MANY OTHER ITEMS
VARNA, ONT. 482-:7103
to the lot line of the
properties on the Stephen
side so that if the area is ever
annexed by Exeter, the
residents would have sewer
services provided without
having to rip up the street.
He suggested any an-
nexation consideration was
probably "10 to 20 years
down the road."
. Other priorities include
storm drainage for Huron St.
W. and Mill St. in the area
west of the CNR tracks,
reconstruction of
Marlborough St. from
Wellington to Victoria and
Huron to Ann as well as
resurfacing several streets
in the south-east section of
town.
It was indicated the total
estimated cost of the
projects would be $405,000
and the ministry of tran-
sportation and com-
munication reported they
would allow subsidies
totalling $106,000 in 1982.
This would leave almost
$300.000 to be raised through
taxation.
Mayor Bruce Shaw noted
that the figure suggested for
road and sewer construction
was about $166.000 more than
last year.
The priorities from the list
of projects will be set when
the 1982 budget is approved.
The roads committee also
announced that four people
would be attending. the Good
Roads convention in Toronto
at the end of the month.
MacGregor and Humphreys
will be attending on Sunday
and Monday and Epp will be
attending from Monday to
Wednesday. Superintendent
Glenn Kells will be in at-
tendance from Sunday to
Wednesday.
Council approved a
committee recommendation
to replace 15 fluorescent
lights in the Dow subdivision
with sodium vapor
luminaires at an estimated
cost of $202 per unit.
Central Railway and the
forest products industry
which grew up in North-
Western Ontario. In almost
every instance, thank God
not all, these were foreign
inspired, sometimes using
government money, of
course, but they were
foreign -inspired ideas
brought by thinkers from
other lands...
"When are we going to
shrug off that colonial men-
tality? When are we finally
going to accept that we have
pools of capital in this coun-
try... we have educated Peo-
ple. technology, science,
training programs and a
population that is capable of
handling,ts own projects of
this kind..."
"Look how we have failed
• to do enough training of our
people. Why is the popula-
tion so complacent about
that? They have not been
bothering the government
about funding universities.
Let us face it, there has not
been much public outcry
about that nor about the lack
of good training programs
for our working people, even
though many of them will
shortly be rendered obsolete 1
by the new technologies.
Well, here we are suffer-
ing from weekend cabin
fever. For the fourth Sunday
in a row we've been snowed
in.
But honestly, we really
shouldn't be complaining
about all this snowing and
blowing. You see, we knew it
was coming. How did we
know? Were we reading our
Farmers Almanac? Have we
been paying extra close
attention to our friend Jay
Campbell?
No, we knew we were in
for a snowy, harsh winter
way back in July when we
traded in our Bronco four-
wheel-drive truck on a light-
weight. two-seater Mercury
LN7.
Just like Murphy's Law
that dictates if anything can
go wrong, it will, there must
be a law which states that as
soon as you get rid of
something you haven't been
using, you're going to need
it.
The sad story of the Bron-
co that never had a good
work-out in snow goes like
this:
We bought our home, near-
ly five years ago, before we
were married. My husband,
Victor, lived here alone for
two years, while I was living
in London. That first winter
(77-'78) was a tough one.
There were two big storms
in December, and things got
worse from there.
Victor wa driving a little
white' Mu t5ng which fre-
quently got stuck in the
snowy roads of our subdivi-
sion. When the winds blew
and the snow drifted over
her. she blended right in.
Sometimes she was lost for
days.
When abandoning the car
in a snow drift and walking
several hundred yards home
became a routine procedure,
he decided it was time for a
change. At Christmas time
hat year, he decided to give
himself a present. He
solving the inflation
problem: Our country is in
financial trouble and we
must all do our part to help.
Let us not talk about
percentages, we all know
how misleading this is. Ltt
us not talk about com-
parisons to the last 3 years or
the last 10 years. We know
that it was excessive wage
demands during this period
that contributed greatly to
our crisis today.
Let us talk about today.
Mary's
musings
By Mary Alderson
ordered a brand new Bronco
four wheel drive. It would
make its way through any
snow drift, and it was bright
red, so it would show up in
the snow.
As in most cases when a
new vehicle is ordered, it
takes a little time for
delivery. The new Bronco
arrived the following April, -
the grass was turning green,
the buds were coming out on
the trees, and there was not
a flake of snow in sight.
Not to worry: we would be
well equipped for the next
winter.
But, think back to those
winters following that cruel
winter of '77-'78. Let's see,
there was the winter of '78-
'79. A couple of snow storms,
but nothing to block the
roads.
And the winter of '79-'80?
Well, we had a green Christ-
mas, and youprobably could
have gone through the whole
winter without snow tires.
Then there was last year -
'80-'81. Folks were com-
plaining because there
wasn't enough snciw for their
snowmobiles, and some peo-
ple didn't even bother put-
ting their motorcycles away.
So this summer we decid-
ed that the Bronco just
hadn't earned its keep. The
amount of gas it was eating
didn't justify its existence,
when we didn't need it for
travelling through snow. We
traded it fbr a low -to -the -
ground sports car.
And of course, we've had
nothing but snow, snow,
snow since December.
Several times our road has
been blocked, not to mention
our lane.
So if there isn't a law that
says "As soon as you get rid
of something you haven't
been using, you're going to
need it," there should be.
And if it doesn't have a
name, we'll call it Alder -
son's law.
4' f f_
44
.. r 1 s+ v
A SKIING WE WILL GO :— Grade eight students at Exeter Public School enjoyed ckiino
and other winter activities on the river near Riverview park, Wednesday afternoon From
the left ore Laurie McLelland, teacher Sandra Norris and Heather Jamieson T -A phn'n
Town hashealthy
surplus
For the second year in a penditures were under that chairman Bill Mickle
row, Exeter has ended the anticipated. commended Mrs. Bell and
fiscal year with a healthy
surplus and Mayor Bruce Mrs. Bell paid tribute to her staff for the excellent
Shaw said it should result in the department heads and way they managed the
"a minimal tax increase, if council for their con- town's finances.
any, for 1962." scientious control of their
The town began 1981 with budget. and noted that where
8147.000 surplus and this was the casts were more than
set aside as a reserve fund expected, it was due to
for sewage expansion, cit cumstances Oeyund
control. These included
This year's surplus is
expected to be ap. major equipment repairs, a
proximately 162,000 clerk Liz police constable's operation
that left the staff short
Bell reported in giving
handed and an ab
council a summary of the
abundance of
year-end report, Monda anew that created an over -
She noted that revenues run on winter control
were over the bydget in measures.
many cases and ex -Finance committee
The South Huron rec centre
board of management also
ended the year with a sur-
plus and at the same time
wiped out last year's deficit
of about 14,000.
The surplus this year is
expected to be around $7,000.
The town contributed 168,000
to recreation and the
facilities' operating costs in
1981 and Osborne boosted
their contribution by 13,000
to 19,000.
Statistics reveal one million
Canadians are unemployed.
Farmers and businessmen
are fighting for survival.
Farmers must accept prices
for their corn that not only do
not match inflation but are 25
to 30 percent less than last
year. Our people in the
cities, particularly in the
automotive, housing and
farm machinery industries
face lay-offs, short hours and
uncertain futures.
Have our director and
superintendent lost contact
with the rest of society? Is It
too much to ask of them to
accept a 6.4 percent increase
on a salary of$46,500.00and a
7.3 percent increase on a
salary of $41,000.00? They
seem to think so. Are they
exempt when our leaders ask'
us to all do our part. Is it too
much to ask them as men in
positions of responsibility to
show some example? Does '
our society ask too much
from them to live on salaries
of $49,500.00 and $44,000.00.
They have declined this
offer?
We believe in light of
today's economy that our
trustees have made them a
very fair offer. We believe
our trustees should stand
firm on this issue and should
our director and superin-
tendent decide the offer
should be again respectfully
declined, then our trustees
should ask them to
respectfully resign.
We also note passed at the
December meeting by a vote
that was questionable, an
s
a
u
has
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Ra
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ncrease of 20 percent to a
135,000.00 salary for the
uperintendent of business
and finance. We believe the
mount of this increase is
also completely unjustified.
We appeal to you, our
fellow ratepayers to contact
s with your views. Let us
know if you believe the time
come for the ratepayers
pinions to be heard. Please
all us now, time is im-
portant. We want to add your
name to a rapidly growing
st.
You may telephone us at
519) 345-2562.
Signed: Concerned
tepayers.
.J. Maloney RR 5 Seaforth,
ntario Contractor; Fergus
By RR 2 Dublin Ontario
armer, Joe Delaney RR 1
ublin Ontario Farmer,
ouis Maloney Box 67
Dublin, Ontario Feed Mill
Owner; Jerry Murray P.O.
Box 85 Dublin, Ontario
Carpenter; James Maloney
RR 5 Seaforth, Ontario
Farmer, Leon Maloney RR 1
Dublin, Ontario Farmer.
2(
Huron Park, Ont.
Dear Mr. Batten:
I noticed my picture on the
front page of the T -A last
week (January 27). I was
resting after I had donated
blood, in the Huron Park
Annex, at the Red Cross
Blood Donor Clinic. The
C.C.A.T. student was
checking my arm. We were
laughing, as our picture was
being taken. The C.C.A.T.
students are loyal to help
every year, and to donate
blood.
Some people were teasing
me for laughing after giving
blood. I wonder what I was
supposed to do?
On the serious side of
donating one pint of blood,
which only takes about fif-
teen minutes, there is a lot to
smile about. You are
donating a valuable sub-
stance that helps other
people. The hospitals are in
dire need of all types of
blood. The average man has
about nine pints of blood, and
the average woman has
about eight pints of blood.
Anyone can go to the blood
donor clinic. If you cannot
give blood for any reason,
example, if you are on
certain types of medication,
they will inform you.
When you go in there are
questions about your health
to read. Make sure you have
eaten a meal that day. They
Phone 235-1597
For Recorded
Information
will give you a glass of
orange juice. You then give
your name and address, or
your blood donor card. (It
was my seventh donation).
Next your finger is picked,
and the blood is tested for
blood type and count
(Hemoglobin).
You are then accompanied
to a bed, where a registered
nurse puts a needle in one
arm. Itis attached by a tube,
to a sterilized pint bag. A
Red Cross Worker then
watches your arm and the
bag, while it fills up with
your blood.
After the bag is full, you
rest on another bed for about
fifteen minutes. A bandaid
is put on your arm. You can
go and sit down, while you
have coffee and cookies.
(You can donate blood once
every three months.)
Then you can go home
feeling contented that you
have helped someone else.
The one pint of blood is
replaced in your body in
twenty-four hours.
Thal's all there is to It.
Keep smiling.
Sincerely,
Susan E. Wilson
RR 4,
Clinton, Ont.
Dear Editor:
In the January 27 column
"One foot in the furrow",
Bob Trotter presents a
picture of "a woman or child
screaming for help in the
middle of a 100 -acre farm"
while the farmer beW them
The farmer is described as
a
frustrated man who kicks Fele
animals and when they are
gone, his famlly.
Mr. Trotter and Mrs
Dianne Harkin (his source)
are both implying that
farmers are disreputable
people who beat their wives.
They blame the government
and the economy.
I say NO! This ridiculous
piece of sensationalism may
be well motivated but it is a
gross exaggeration. A
suspicion of a high incidence
of unreported beating is not a
reliable information source
for a colut'hn.
A sniallminority of far-
mers have been known to
beat their wives. I too
deplore this. However, if we
are to address this issue, let
us not condemn farmers. A
small minority of doctors
and lawyers beat their wives
too. Yes, Mr. Trotter, even
journalists have been known
to beat their wives,
The Canadian farmer is a
businessman who ex-
periences the same
problems as other
businessmen. He is also a
man (or woman) who may
have the same virtues and
faults as other men and
women in our society. As a
farmer, and as a man who is
proud of what I do, I resent
the way Mr. Trotter is
presenting the members of
my profession to the public.
Respectfully yours
Larry Dillon
••
CHECKS MACHINE— John Munn of Hensall checks his snow-
mobile prior to a Huron Cup race at Hully Gully on the
weekend. Schwartzentruber photo
CUSTOM KITCHENS
AND VANITIES
QUALITY HARDWOOD CABINETS
from • by
EXPERT DESIGN SERVICE
NEW CONSTRUCTION OR REMODELING
John Patterson 482-3183
BALL-MACAULAY
LIMITED
SEAFORTH CLINTON HENSALL
527-01910 482-3405 262-2418
Osborne 1 HIMrt Mutual
Fire Insurance Company
(Established in 1876)
Provides Full Insurance
Coverage for Town
Dwellings as well as
Farm Properties
DIRECTORS AND ADJUSTERS
Jack Harrigan
Robert Gardiner
Lloyd Morrison
Lorne Feeney
Ray McCurdy
Robert Choffe,
AGENTS
Ross Hodgert
John Moore
Joseph Uniac
Mrs. Elaine Skinner
Wally,Burton
Woodham
Dublin
Mitchell
Exeter
R.R.3, Lucan
R.R.2, Staff°
R.R.1, St. Marys
R,R.2, Dublin
R.R.1, Kirkton
R.R. # 5, Mitchell
229-6643
345-2512
348-9012
235-1553
235.0350