Clinton News-Record, 1975-03-27, Page 4PAGEA 1IN *" ON �!I
CORD, THURSDAY, P4ARC 27,1975'
Need to clean up the act
Bili Batten,,editor of the Exeter
Tines -Advocate, has the excellent
habit of hitting the nail on the head,
and in his column in thatpaper last
week, he asks some very embarrassing
questions of our local politicians.
"In case you missed it, the Huron -
Perth Separate School board voted
recently to pay themselves 16 cents per
mile travelled on board business.
"That, of ' course, is a rather fair
price considering the cost of gasoline,
cars, upkeep, etc., but the rather
surprising aspect is that members
receive the mileage allowance whether
They drive their own vehicles or not.
"So, if the board members decide to
form car pools to get to meetings or
attend board events, each member in
the car pool receives the 16 cents per
mile, despite the fact only one has the
expense.
"It wasn't a unanimous decision, as
half the board members felt it unfair,
but the deciding vote was cast in favor
of providing the allowance regardless
of how members travel.
"What justification there can be for
such a decision is beyond our com-
prehension.
"We wonder what board mernbers
would do if teachers decided they
should get paid regardless of whether
they teach or not. It's about the'same
situation.
A•
k•A
sessions later in the morning so they
can continue past the magic hour.
"They are then adjourned and some
members take off for committee
meetin��SS� for the balance of the af-
ternooW -where they receive pay for
attending another half-day session.
"So, it would appear that residents of
our area communities don't have to
look to Watergates and dredging
scandals. We appear to have some
rather. dubious prractices of our own
right at home. a;
"Come now, ladies and gentlemen.
Let's clean up the act!"
"However, before you Protestants
start laughing up your sleeve, we
should point out that this has been a
common practice among county
council members for some time.
"They too get paid for mileage
regardless of how they get to the
meetings and several of them travel
together and each gets the mileage
allowance.
"In addition, we've been told that
recently some, members of county
council have been working out a deal
whereby they get paid for one and a
half meetings per day (night not in-
cluded.)
"Members decided that to get the
full daily stipend, the meetings had to
last past 2 p.m. So, now they start their
Excuse me sir, is this pour purse
When the news first broke that well-
dressed men would carry handbags,
who would have believed it? But ac-
cording to Impetus, the magazine of
The Financial Post, at least one major
Montreal retailer catering to the
carriage trade has sold out his entire
stock -- twice in a year. And not at
bargainbasement prices.
Fashioned from calfskin, with a
choice of shoulder,or; wrist straps, the
ba" s retailed by Brisson &'.Br"r '`".
rage from $40 o $120. They are, sans
Impetus, an ideal tote for travelers
with passports, street maps, airline
tickets and boarding passes, and are
also proving a boon for everyday use.
For instance; all the clutter -- cheque
books, bill folds, pens, creditcard
holders and small change -- that makes
ugly bulges in good suits and jackets
can now be stored in a handbag.
'Who's buying? Executives. Amongst
the under -45's). says, retailer r) ob
Brisson, "The ag i46,nOW $cpetaitiOas
the briefcase.'"'
Sugar and Spice/By Bill Smiley
The Ides are upon us
This is the time of year that everybody wishes
somebody would do something about, but nobody
does. The Ides of March.
Some people think the Ides are little creatures
like leprechauns who bore holes in your rubbers
and whisper into tots' ears that that 18 -inch
puddle won't go over the tops of their six-inch
rubber boots.
• Others, like my wife, • think they are
malevolent beings who enjoy scaring the liver
out of you. The other night, there was a great
rumble, a crash, and all the lights went out. I
thought it was maybe the second coming. She
leaped a foot. "It's the Ides of March," she
screamed.
As a matter of fact, it was the ice off the.roof,
which tore away the main cable into the house.
But it could just as well have been the Ides.
Around the first of March, we decided we'd
start cross-country skiing. Bought two sets of
skis, boots, the works. It rained for the next
week. That was the Ides.
It's been going on for at least 2,000 years. Its
first victim of any import was Julius Caesar.
Now, Big Julie was no slouch as an emperor.
He had, in his day, a bigger empire than Queen
Victoria had, althoughhe wasn't as fat.
He had a penchant for over -running and over-
hearing. He over -ran the Spaniards, the French,
"Belgians, Belgians! I'm sick of looting Belgian
towns. All they got is gloves and tapesti"ies. My
old Trouble 'n Strife back 'ome 'as 32 pairs of kid
gloves an' enough tapestries to make a shawl for
the Sphinx."
Another veteran, equally grizzled, agreed.
"Me' too. And them Belgian broads; I swear they
got fetlocks. In another 1,500 years, they'll be
callin' 'em Percherons."
A third veteran legionary, even more grizzled
than the other two, concurred. "Right. An
howbout that there Belgian beer. So watery ya
gotta drink it in the latrine or yer caught short.
I'd give my eye tooth to get a whack at some
Limeys or Frogs or Krauts fer a change. Wooden
even mine goin' backta Iddaly and wipin' up
somma them Wops we're workin' for."
(It might be noted, in the interests of historical
accuracy, that the third legionnaire, like so
many of them, was not an ancient Roman. He
was an Old Pole, who'had been conscripted after
he had been shot out from under his horse during
an attack on Wvabldnschvtz.)
Anyway, overhearing his grizzled, grizzling
veterans, Caesar decided to act. He made a
speech to his legions that had them in tears. This
was after a double rum ration. Then he put down
the Belgians for the eighth time, and to make his
the Germans, the British and the Belgians, not to intentions clear, cut off the right hand of each
mention the Slobs, in the east. male Belgian. This was the origin of the phrase
And he over -heard. It was his custom to prowl "putting me down" and also the reason you see
_— itrrrothe hm frres,utirtgttand4i14e o-us:x_,),nanylett-handed
Belgians
disgruntled veterans. He didn't bother much mer p w�e�tro-yed -ab
it. Yery�et�ll,.p _
to the Ides of March. One day, early in March,
with the gruntled veterans. back in '16 (or was it' 17?) B.C., Julius was on his
He did it, of course, incognito. He wore a kilt, way to the Colosseum to make sure everything
extra-lgng, to cover his pot and his knees. On his was in order four the Games. He had already
head, to mask his baldness.,�he wore a German checked with Zeus and Mayor Drapeau, but you
helmet, captured in the epic battle of never know, do you?
Scheissinkellar. His chest was disguised by a
chest -disguiser, captured from an Amazon He was in his chariot, with his wife, California.
chieftainess who had joined Women's Lib and She was attended by her maid, Florida, and on
decided to go braless. • the running -board were three old friends of
(It is tempting for the dedicated historian to Caesar: Cassius, Nauslous and Brutus.
disgress here, but I will make only two concise Suddenly, a stentorian voice rang out, as
points. One, the kilt was stripped from a Scot stentorian voices do. Some ring out like a great,
who had strayed -south to found the Bank of bronze bell. Others just ring out a sort of ding -a -
England, had been conscripted into the army of ling.
the Ancient Britons and had died gallantly, This was a bearded, ding -a -ling type stentor.
shouting "Usquebaugh and Andrew Carnegie!" "Beware the Ides' of March!" he trilled.
The helmet had been torn from auntil thoughtrtunately., the sooth-sayer was deaf in whatthey called
ne ear. He
squarehead and was rather uncomfortablewas a soap
Julius discovered that the cow's horn on the front the ding -a -ling in those days),
unscrewed, was hollow, and contained 13 ounces salesman witlt a new jingle, something about
Of schnapps. From that time on, he found it washing with Tide -and starch, Naturally, he
comf'ortable. Of the Amazon breastworks, I will waved him away', muttering something about
'say nothing. There's enough sex and violence in California using nothing but arctic power.
history, without dwelling on it. Besides it is, or March days
ara s later,
right youto thknday,w he rest.
sBogf
was, pointless.) '
At any rate, strolling anonymously ("Oh! Oh!, Julie was assassinated.
here comes Himself!") he over -heard the His friend Cassius crowned hien with a
rumblings of discontent among his troops. It was cassock, his pal Nauslous breathed garlic in his
railer difficult to distinguish them from the face, and hi hiebeltiVed Brutus stabbed him in the
other rumblings associated with the rude and rotunda.
licentious soldiery, but he had a Trained Ear as one
r tete went Caesarhat at 154 pounds and
came out of that
well as a Roman Nose. heavy
He and his legions had just put down the came out with 16 daggers in him.
seventh uprising by some Belgian tribe. So all 1 can suggest is that you keep an eye out
One grizzled veteran was heard to say: for those Ides.
.4 A
Tot Ft LOOKS
CAM)Lita 6' T r
CAN'T ►Mit Tett
P►Rtdt
SE?rlist E 'ROOMS,
The Waiters
Modesty to one side, I often feel that it was a serious loss to
laboratory science when I left school to become a professional
berry -picker.
My patience in any form of research involving meditative,
lengthy observation—say, keeping an eye on penicillin molds—
might well have made me another Pasteur, Banting or
Fiedelhumph. (Fiedelhumph, you'll remember, isolated seven
secret ingredients in hair tonics.)
Trouble is, that when I bend my talents to analytical study, as
I happen to have been doing all morning, the subject is seldom
scientific and so never one that promises to lead to the Nobel
prize.
I suppose you might even say that there's • something
frivolous about the paper I could now prepare on the behaviour
pattern of people meeting other people at our town's busiest
intersection. "But what does it prove?" I can hear you asking.
And I can only justify it with the reminder/that it is the spirit of
enquiry that's the important thing.
But here I am, you see, in a splendid hotel room with a pic-
ture window looking down on this favorite meeting spot and for
better than two hours now I have been watching and making
notes on what takes place pretty well all day long.
.v One of the mile intere in ph canena'to be observed here is
�% � t Z , f h� VF, f�
*that approxim:aitel' lit d t of efsons;uv i are n rriet
"are women. In other words almost all the waiters who are there
first are men! In other words almost all the waiters who are th
Scientifically, this means that either (a) the chances of women
being late are statistically highly probable or (b) men are more
likely to be early or (c) it was just a kind of funny day to be
studying the whole question in the first place.
The Waiters
It was evident, too, that mere are by far the more impatient
waiters. Almost all, of them go through a sort of ritualistic
pantomime. Several (five) were seen to repeatedly lift their
arms, shoot their cuffs in an exaggerated, irritated manner and
intently consult their wrist watches.
Men are also Paper-Thwackers (striking the leg with a folded
' newspaper), Head-Swivellers, Arm -Folders, Sidewalk -Pacers
and Toe -Tappers, all of these clearly being forms of gym-
nastics to relieve the accumulating fury of tardiness.
Women waiters, on the other hand, are quite composed and
three out of four turn to the shop windows to admire the mer-
chandise or their serene reflections in the glass. Since most of
these women were waiting for other women it may be deduced
that they were inclined to be fatalistic..
I was able to note, as well, the curious fact that on every
meeting between two women there was, a display of con-
siderable animation and affection, often leaving a distinct
impression that an almost historic reunion was being observed.
A man meeting a man or a man meeting a woman, I noted,
responds only with a small, pleased smile or, if he has been
waiting for any length of time, a sort of wry, aggrieved look. On
occasion this would provoke a brief, cross exchange of words
and I assumed that the woman in question would likely be a
wife.
On the other hand, two women invariably meet with some
sort:of physical embrace and cries of delight. Iran astounding
13 cases I noted that as the women left the corner both ap-
peared to be talking simultaneously with great rapidity and
gaiety.
My deduction was that this is a device used by women to
establish the fact that being late isn't really important, a thing
the male simply does not accept.
This, however, will require further research and I just hope
the Canada Council will provide the necessary grant.
From our early files....
•
•
• i •
10 YEARS AGO
APRIL 1, 1965
There will be no start this year
on the proposed 75 -bed addition to
Huronview, Huron's County
Home for the Aged at Clinton.
The addition has been approved
and they will commence building
in March 1966.
Edward Wise, RR 3 Clinton was
re-elected president of the Huron
County Fruit and Vegetable
Growers' Association at the
annual meeting in Clinton on
Friday.
A record budget and two major
development projects were
approved for the Maitland Valley
Conservation. Authority when
representatives from 29 member
municipalities attended a general
meeting of the Authority in
Brussels recently.
Huron County has been urged
to employ a construction safety
inspector for the county. The law,
requires each county council to
have at least one inspector to
enforce the Construction Safety
Act.
Jack S. Fulcher has started a
branch of the Huron School of
Drivingin„ Ctlntgn,-
Mrs. William Shaddic-k has
returned from Sarnia where she
attended the christening of her
granddaughter..-. Judith Ann
Macaulay on Sunday, March 21.
Mr. and Mrs. Tom Arkell,
Joanne and Kenny, who have
spent several weeks with his
parents since returning from
Australia, left on Saturday for
Toronto. On Monday they left for
London, England where Mr.
Arkell will start his next
assignment.
25 YEARS AGO
March 30. 1950
Top grade hardwood flooring is
now being produced in Clinton's
newest factory - Clinton Flooring
Mill - owned and operated by an
experienced hand in the mill
business, Fred J. Hudie. Eight
nen are employed and 2,000
finished feet of flooring a day is
being produced.
Ball and Mutch have a fine new
showroom in their spacious store
in Clinton and are carrying a fine
stock of furniture and household
items.
Mrs. C. Sturdy, RR 2, Clinton,
has been re-elected president of
Clinton Women's Institute for the
new year.
J.G. Diefenbaker, M.P. for
Lake Centre, Sask., was the chief
speaker for the annual con-
vention of the Young Progressive
Conservatives of ' Western
Ontario in London on Saturday.
Fire broke out in the rear of
the War Surplus clothing store on
Isaac Street near the main in-
tersection on Sunday and for a
time threatened Clinton's .main
business section. Extensive
damage was done to the building
and contents. Mrs. Gordon
Cudmore is the 'owner of the
building and the store was rented
to A. Fe ingold of Toronto.
So far, Easter Seals have
produced $712 and the drive is
still on.
50 YEARS AGO
April 2, 1925
The Dominion Stores Limited
have erected a fine new sign over '
their local place of business.
Mr. A. J. McMurray sold a ten -
foot International binder to a
-farmer near Forest the other
day. It is said this is the first
binder of its kind in this width to
be sold in Eastern Canada.
Pure Linen tea towelling was
advertised at Irwin's at 6 yards
for $1; 8 lbs. seedless raisins for
$1 was noted in W. O'Neil's ad,
and at Sutter and Perdue's',
aluminum kettles were going for
$1 each. These were all specials
George Bayley of Hullett has
purchased the Taylor house on
Princess Street. Mrs. Taylor
intends moving to Toronto where
a son and daughter reside.
The Silent Policeman has
begun his work of directing
traffic at the main corner for the
summer months.
75 YEARS AGO •
March 30, 19600
On Saturday evening, March
24th, a pleasantevent took place
at the residence of Mr. and Mrs.
John Wightman, Westfield, when
a large number of relatives and
friends assembled to celebrate
their 25 wedding anniversary.
A petition is in circulation this
week for the formation of a new
school section on the 10th and llth
conc. from lot 17 to 30 each side of
the road, the school to be placed
in or near Londesboro.
Donald McKellar of Tucker -
smith, who sold his 150 -acre farm
last year to John Hay, of North
E-asthope; has purchased a 50 -
acre farm in Stanley and has
moved his household goods and
implements there.
Prior to his departure for the
Northwest, a number of boys in
fvr ihton-1 llar,Days ._.- ; -tile or an factcfty, where;:he was.
Londesboro station was broken
into on Friday night, but little
was taken. A shin plaster and a
few coppers were missing, but
must have been considered
worthless as they were thrown
• outside. No clues have been found
to identify the thieves.
engaged in the - office, took ad-
vantage of the occasion to show
Walter Jackson their affection
and good will py asking him to be
presentat the Commercial hotel
on Monday evening, when he was
presented with a gold ring - the
golden band of affection.
Granted
Dear Editor:
Some of the saddest words
ever penned appeared in a
letter last week "the things we
take for granted". Isn't this
exactly what is wrong with us?
"The things we take for •
granted." Many go a step
further and regard these things
as a "right", not a service for
which we should be grateful but
a "right". Nothing is a "right"
until we have earned it and by
our efforts made it so.
We teach our young people
the insidious doctrine to get as
much as they can for the least
possible work —= not a hard
day's work for a decent wage.
There are many deserving
people who through no fault of
their own were unable to save
or prepare for old age. These M'
must be helped and indeed are
helped beyond the wildest
dreams of people of yesteryear
to whom no help was for-
thcoming. On the other side of
the ledger there are those who
could have saved but did not
and these too must be provided
for.
' How many know a large sum
of money was spent on the
basement of the library for use
of some '23 men? At latest
count, five people use it.
One of our busiest churches
already set aside Friday af-
ternoon for those who wish it
and the members of the
I.O.D.E. are on hand to drive
them. There are plenty of days
not in use in the various
churches. Surely many of these
with the handicaps mentioned
do not desire a trip down town
every day? And have they not
steps at home?
But spare a thought for those
who made do and saved and
asked no help from any man.
By their efforts, perseverance
and hard work they find
themselves in the middle in-
come bracket. Yet these are the
ones who "pay the shot".
Help for the unfortunate, yes,
they are generous to a fault.
Help for necessities, yes. In the
present state of our crumbling
economy, with inflation
rampant, recession present and
depression imminent, adding to
such conditions at present is all
wrong. Surely there are other
measures for a game of cards,
a cup of tea, a little sociability,
not so costly?
Clinton will have the third The Senior Citizens' centre at
dental parlor. Dr. Holmes, son of this time is a costly luxury.
Rev. J. W. Holmes of London There is no other name for it.
(formerly of Rattenbury Street Fair Play ,
Church) will open up a new y
dentistry in the Smith building Mrs. Frank Fingland,
corner of Isaac and Albert Clinton.
Streets, in the course of a week.
100 YEARS AGO
April 1. 1875
The pasturage on the show
grounds will be offered for sale at . Dear Editor:
Rattenbury's Hotel on Wed-
nesday next at 3 p.m. An estimated 400 million
Parties wishing to purchase a men, women and children face
good residence, with a fine starvation in Asia, Africa and
garden, will find just such a one Latin America. World-wide
as they need, advertised for sale
byM Site
Starvation
crop failures and inflation have
r' Steep
At about noon on Friday last,
la_st"t,, ... been severe and for teeming
the roof of a small frame house multitudes in 33 countries the
occupied by a man named Elliott search for "something to eat"
tioiik fire by a spark from an is a search for life itself.
overhanging stovepipe but it was
fortunately discovered and ex- I appeal to your readers to
tinguished before any damage save the lives of some of these
was done. people by a simple, meaningful
The schools were reopened act: drip one meal a week, or
yesterday after the Easter serve smaller portions or less
holidays, with fair attendance. expensive foods, and send
News -Record readers atr`e en-
couraged to express their
!pinks". In lettere-to the editor.
however. Butch 'Opilitlons dO iittiot
necessarily represent the
opinions of the News -Record.
Pseudonyms may be used by
letter wrltsrs. but no letter will
be published unless It can be
verified by phone,
'money saved to CARE's
emergency "EMPTY PLATE"
A_.
_campaign. "Empty plates"
T ---here will fill the empty plates of
many starving families
overse s. Such contributions
will ebable our experienced
staffs to feed many more than
they are already feeding in
some of the hardest hit areas.
We will also be able to Fend
more seeds, tools and fertilizer
so hungry people can grow the
food they desperately need.
I hope many of your readers
will be moved to make this
crucial weekly act of self-denial
and compassion.
I hope, too, that service clubs
and other local organizations
will distribute "I CARE EM-
PTY PLATE" pledge -and -
contribution envelopes in your
area. These may be obtained
and donations may be mailed to
CARE WORLD HUNGER
FUND, Dept. 4, 63 Sparks
Street Ottawa, Ontario KIP
5A6.
Thousands overseas are
dying of starvation every day,
Time is of the essence.
Sincerely
Thomas Kines
National Director
CARE
rilE CLINTON NEW ERA
Established 1865
Amulgumutrd
1924
THE HURON NE WS&RECORD
Estuhlishcd 1881
Member. Canadian
Community Newspaper
Association
Nambet. °Made Weatdy
tow Aeaaolattan
Clinton N ews- Rec ( )Y( 1
Published *Very Thursday
at .Clinton. Ontario
Editor - James E. Fitzgerald
General Manager,
J. Howard»Aitken ,
Second Clams Mall
lett tion no. II4111
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