Clinton News-Record, 1975-04-10, Page 4PA :E 4 O$ , 4, V
lbeithe
We all know that theredre two i s--
to every story. rollowing, an editorial:
in the News.Reccrd some weeks, , +$O r'
that also appeared in the Brussels Past
criticizing county `,council members,
theoPost received a call from Morris
Reeve and former Huron Warden sill
Elston with his side Of the story.
In an effort to balance our criticism,
we want to give ' Reeve Elston's
cotnments "equal 'time". The reeve's
main point was that county councillors
have not fixed things so that they get
paid for attending two full county,
meetings per day.
It would be hard for the average
county councillor to have two meetings
scheduled in one day, the reeve said.
But when they are, the most . coun-
cillors could get paid would be the
regular $25 for a half day meeting and
then another $7 if they had to attend
another meeting on the same day, he
said.
There is no way that county council
members would get paid a full day's
rate plus half for attending two
meetings, in one day, as the editorial
implied, 'Reeve Elston said.
The reeve said that if this editor
could show him one place last year
where this did happen, he would like to
know about it --- an honest, above
board attitude on the part of an elected
official, we thought.
The former warden went on to say
Hurnor and healing
A' API 1l
Stephen Leacock defined humor as
"the kindly contemplation of the in-
congruities of life, and the artistic
expression thereof." But kindliness
does not,seem a dominant quality of
much of our humor today. Popular
humor often makes fun of 'the other
person's weaknesses and failures, even
of hik ,ar her, deformities of body and
mind. It del igh''s in the embarrassment
and discomfort of others and in well -
honed sarcasm at their expense. Much
humor today is an exercise in self-
aggrandizement: its practitioners
seem to think that they will stand so
much the taller if they can cut someone
down, says the United Church.
The form of humor called satire can
be an effective means of attacking
ct
u� u
evi'is
injustices, exposing p rin 9
pomposities. But, r, rany� Qf,,today's
satirists seem to be simply saying,
"See how very clever we are, you
1975
: t.ha.t` yes, county •,ceun.Alilors get
mileage -to and from meetings whether
they drive their own cars or not. Butho
said many county counclilors put lots
of mile5 on their cars representing the
county T» looking; over a 'bridge or
attending a fiftieth wedding an.
niversary celebration, for example, *--
for, which they never claim any
mileage. Reeve Elston figures that it
all evens out.
It's fairy rare that c6uuh Wars from
the same area have coun council
committee meetings on the sa a day
because they are usually on diff rent
committees, Reeve Elston said. But h
agreed that they do sometimes travel\,
together tofu!! county council sessions,
and each councillor gets paid mileage.
Unfortunately there will probably
always be a few people who are in-
volved in public business for personal
gain and who try to freeload at the
taxpayers` expense. But there are
many, many more elected people who
do more work than they will ever be
paid for.
We want to keep the lines of com-
munication open between elected
people and this newspaper and hope,
that others, like Reeve Elston, will feel
free to call us when " they have a
complaint or some information that
they want to get out to the public.
Keeping people informed about both
sides of the story is as important to us
as it is to them.
stupid sods out there!"
We need more of the humor which
has a dominant element of kindliness
in it, the kindwhich helps us accept
life's little ironies and idiocies and
everyday incongruities, the kind which
can be healing balm for the hurts of our
hearts. The late Gordon W. Allport, one
of the more influential psychologists of
our time, studied the role of humor in
mental health and came to this con-
clusion: "We have grounds for sup-
posing a person's sense of humor is
closely related to his degree of self-
insight. ... One who can laugh at
himself is unlikely to feel greatly
superior to others. ... Humor tells us
that our total horizon of life is too wide
td 13-0,`'s
d.
numo�
7et
t
y# tt
laugh at himself may be on the way to
self-management, perhaps to cure."
Sugar and Spite/By Bill Smiley
A fall marks winter's end
AROUND here, it's one of
those grand end -of -
March days, with the sun
pouring down, the air posi-
tively balmy (about 40
degrees), the defeated snow
slinging grimly to the
shadowed corners, and that
lovely smell of rotten earth
that, precludes spring..
If it were fall, of course,
and the temperature were •
the same, we'd be saying:
"By, George! Nippy enough,
ain't it,. Looks like winter's
not far off."
But at this time of year,
the weather is more a state
of mind than a matter of
temperature, and all across
the land Canadians go
slightly hysterical with the
jubilant certainty that once
more they have made it ,
through that masochist's
delight — a Canadian
winter.
With the first relaxing of
those icy. tQntaeles, we,.go a
bit haywire'. - Rubbers-- are
kicked into a corner. Sweat-
ers and scarves are hurled
into closets. Babies are
plunged into prams. Arid
we all come down with a
spring cold that is only
slightly worse than the
vicious one we nursed all,
winter.
Typical example. This
morning was garbage day.
Just because the sun was
shining and it wasn't snow-
ing, 1 nipped out in my
pajamas and slippers to
deposit the plastic bags.
It was a trifle nippy, but
the sun was shining and
there was that ineluctable
essence in the air. ''I winked
at a sexy squirrel in the
cedar tree.. I made a V -for -
Victory sign at Old Sot I
hallooed at a beautiful (crow.
I stopped to stroke the cat,
who was lying in the mud,
basking. And I've been
sneezing and blowing ever
since.
No matter. Winter is
over. Those long black
nights and those short white
days are gone for another
six months„ and, as far as
I'm concerned, fill up the
bowls and let joy resign
unconfined.
Usually, we straggle into
spring with nothing more
hilarious than a slight
lessening of despair, but this
year the old lady and I ended •
winter with a gallant fillip.
Some would. call it a flip..
As you know, if you are
keeping up with the social
news, we "took up" cross-
country skiing this spring.
Most people take up sports
during the season, but we
don't operate that way. As I
recall, we took up golf in the
fall, after the leaves had
begun to tumble.
Anyway, we took to
skiing like a cat takes to nip,
and in no time we were
arguing about what kind of
wax to use (we have two
kinds, red and black) and
clumping around in our
hoots like real skiers.
titning,w4s4IFfeetr..:,,..-
an what turned outlo he the
last day of • skiing for the
season, we took a shot at a
hill. Or maybe it was the
other way around.
It was a long, straight hill:
no trees, no rocks, nothing
that a capable six-year-old
couldn't handle with both
hands in his pockets.
• We were certainly polite
enough. It was: "You go
first, you're the man." And:
"No, no, dear. Ladies first,
you know."
As usual, 1 was out-
manoeuvred. 1 steeled my-
self with recollections of
driving a bicycle head-on
into a cow during an English
black out, of diving into a
hell -fire of German anti-
aircraft fire.
I took off. One thing 1
dislike about skiing is that
there are no brakes. You
can't even drag your feet.
Well, sir, the only way I.
can describe my descent of
that slope is hell-bent.
Squatting like., kangaroo in
labor, eyes rolling, I went
down thereat what 1 reckon
was about 140 mph.
And I made it. No ig
Irtminious tumble. No .splits;,
Thirty feet from the end of
the run, all danger behind, I
straightened up, waved one
ski -pole *nonchalantly and
turned my head to see if The
Chicken was impressed.
Just then the snow, with
unbelievable crust, rose up
and smote me a " mighty
smite on the head. My cap
flew off. I knew I wasn't in
hell, but I sure felt bent. I
lay there, quietly uttering
word's I haven't heard since
my Dad used to go down and
beat the coal furrhace with a.
shovel.
I heard a scream. "At
least she knows I'm dying," I
thought bitterly. "Boy, is
she going to he sorry for
some of the things she said
to me, over the years."
Then I heard another
scream. "13i11, get out of the
way! I'm going to run over
you!"
Wrenching my broken
neck around, 'I looked uphill.
There was a dark figure
flying toward me. It looked
like a witch, but it was
riding t2W(ib-hroom'sticks,
instead of tine. Then the
broomsticks began to part,
in what seemed slow motion,
and I knew the witch was
going to split right up the
middle unless the nightmare
ended.
It did. I woke up. The
witch was dead. One
broomstick pointed straight
in the air. The other was
pointed hack up the hill.
There was silence.
Then: "Are you all rights
And: "1 don't knoll. Are
you.'" And: "i dunno. I
think I'm gonna cry'." ITh.at
was me).
Hoy. am 1 I;lad W. spring.
and then,',. no more 'skiing
until December.
But skiing certainly tones
you up. I ran now tourh my
,loess with no problem at all.
1 use a yardstick. And 'my
wife can knit like a demon
with one hand. She got
good at it while her left arm
was in a sling,
Another invasion
The tiny wax effigy I keep on my desk, fashioned in the image
of the Toronto advertising man who is hoping to establish
"talking billboards" across our fair dominion, now has a
companion figure, suitable for piercing regularly with sharp
pins.
This latest object of my bile is the guy who proposes to use the
beauties of nature as a backdrop for commercials and to use
the lovers of the beauties of nature as his captive victims. ,
It may be that you, too, haven't heard about an outfit called
"The Ski-Lift"Ad re rtising Co. The details of this awful en-
terprise have only just reached me soif you are learning of this
for the first time I urge you to fasten your seat belts, take a firm
grip on your • tempers and lock away any lethal weapons
Murder is too good for this boy.
The company's aim, in a nutshell, is to invade the quiet and
virginal woodlands with a sales pitch. Mother filature's lovely
domain is to become, in the words of the advance brochure,
"the new selling medium." And may the Lord have mercy on
their soul.
But let us keep very calm about this and, to begin, we quote
from the company's introductory message:
"Here's a completely new .wa*Of advertising your products
and services. It's a new adve icing medium seen by an
audience•of more than 300, t,t e? t ,every year. As.theytravel
'51d , , t d s own the '` ; } t hi a holi'aay mood,
relh ed-aird'''ha They' '
pry. • �e , o � • : �hered by noise, hurry or
bustle ---or by the distraction of any other kind of advertising."
Here, as you may plainly see, is an idea that makes talking
highway billboards seem, by comparison, no more than a
passing irritant. The monstrous notion of rows of signs tucked
in among the trees, of brilliant -hued "selling copy" on sheets of
metal placed precisely to obscure the very views that cause
lovers of the outdoors to make that pilgrimage --well, there
..: elf •} • '� �••
goes my gorge again.
The company offers its clients "concentration and
amination." Well it might. For this is surely as savage an
in sion as a singing commercial for laxatives in the middle of
a Be : thoven concert.
The ery mood of the forest -lover ---relaxed, happy, rife with
the dig and introspection of the scene ---is exploited and so
this becom -s not merely an invasion of privacy, but a denial of
a way of life. ' nd that is anarchy.
This is not actly a new philosophy in advertising. The
billboards that •'sfigure our country roads pioneered all too
effectively in that eld. And yet the calculating concentration
on customers who a e captive because they are in pursuit of
specific, soulful exper •flees, is such a diabolical refinement
that it opens uli a vast . riety of new avenues for salesman-
ship.
The friend who brought th ski -lift idea to.my attention, for
example, suggests that the r.. idly -increasing popularity of
boating offers a push -over for exploitation. Those simple
seekers after pleasure, out on the . arkling water, cannot be
allowed to escape. How about giant, 00 -foot billboards along
every shore?
It takes no great imagination to envisa:: every mountain dell
ringed by signs, perhaps even those w' ed for sound as
proposedbythe Toronto man, to see giant col bottles mo
unted
on the peaks, to picture the leafy trails ne tly lensed by
billboards, the still waters mirroring the neon bla • ishments of
Dr. Scholl's foot deodorants.
Why, the church, itself, is the logical place for th Ski -Lift
Advertising Co. to expand for there, too; is the aptive
audience, unbothered by noise, hurry, bustle or the distra ions
of less imaginative advertising, capable of being Concentra ed
and dominated just as completely as those worshippers of t
outdoors whose place of religion may be defiled.
From our early files ... .
• •
• i •
.10 YEARS AGO
April 15, 1965
A Centennial Project similar in
scope to the one proposed by the
committee in Clinton has been
approved for Timmins. That
centre has received sanction
from the Ontario and federal
governments to proceed with the
construction of an ice skating
arena. So far, Clinton has done
nothing beyond submitting the
plans.
What the owners claim will be
the most modern grocery outlet
in Huron County is. now being
built on Huron Street, Clinton.
The owners are Maynard F.
Corrie, R.R. 5, Clinton and his son
David, 25. Rattenbury Street
East..
The Law store on the north side
of Huron Street, west of the Royal
Bank of Canada will be operated
as a Red and White Foodmaster.
Janet Gornall, a grade 12
student at Central Huron
.-S:e eondary ' Solicoo r .0 1ton :
topped the senior secondary
school division of the district
Royal Canadian Legion contest in
Hanover on Saturday.
Miss Gayle Ttrrner, who is in
training at South`Huron Hospital,
Exeter, returned there Monday
evening after spending a long
weekend with the parents, Mr.
and Mrs. Robert Turner,
Bayfield.
Mrs. J.E. Howard has just
returned home from a month long
motoring trip in the United States
with her brother-in-law Rev. H.
G.E. Cosby and Mrs. Crosby and
Mrs. Cunningham, Mooretown.
'They travelled a total of .5020
miles.
25 YEARS AGO
April 13, 1950
Clinton Toyyn Council granted
building perits as follows: to
extend a building on Beech St.,
for laundry purposes, 12 x 20 ft.
insulbrick to Antoine Garon; to
erect a dwelling on Princess St.
East at a cost of about 85,000 to
Wilbur Martin, bright veneer, 28
x 34 feet. one -and -a -half storeys;
and to Ball and Mutch to build a
storage garage on High St.
Fire destroyed the interigr of
the brick residence of J, Bart
Lavis on the south side of Joseph
St. Mr. and Mrs. Lavis were in
London at the time and the fire
had a good start before it was
discovered.
A new truck was found with the
window broken and unlocked,
minus license plates near
Murphy's Garage. On checking it
was found to belong to Goderich
Motors and had• been stolen off
their parking lot, but had not
been missed before it was•found.
Gordon Grigg, Francis
Denomme of Clinton and Douglas
McBeth, Brucefield attended the
rocky game in Detroit on Sunday
evening - they returned the'same
night driving 330 to and from
Detroit. Others from the• com-
munity went but stayed over-
night.
Easter Seal Drive totals to date
have been $1090.
Churches were well attended
for Easter Sunday, even though
the weather was more suitable
for fur coats than spring finery.
50 YEARS AGO
April 16, 1925
Quite a-`�n""`u�
bei• «of -'farmers'
have completed their seeding in
Goderich Township. It is the
earliest seeding in some years.
Miss Jean *oods of Bayfield
has been chosen Valedictorian
for the Stratford Normal School
for this term. Also Miss Betty
Stewart of Clinton will be Queen
of the May bay Festival. Our
local graduates of Clinton
Collegiate are indeed popular in
Stratford.
The Lions Juvenile hockey
team captured the runner-up
trophy from Midland. It is on
display in the Agricultural Office.
Midland had a better team and
they were on their home ice -
seems the teams all play better
hockey in their own backyards. '
The packing plant at Exeter is
being remodelled this year and it
is their intention to double the
pack this year if possible.
Canadian General Electric
have put out a new iron at a price
of $5.50. It has a new thumb rest
on which is an exclusive hotpoint
feature.
Miss Norma Bently of London
spent the weekend in town.
Minard's Liniment was ad-
vertised as good for sore throat,
for sore feet, fine for the hair,
also for chapped hands and
mixed with sweet oil as a shaving
lation.
75 YEARS AGO
April 13, 1900
Albert Townsend who has been
the employee of Edward Wise for
the past two years has moved to
Bayfield. Albert intends going
farming with the Herd Bros.,
Stanley.
The assessors in the town and
township are on their rounds now
and we call the attention of the
electors, young men especially to
hand in their names and see they
are entered on the roll wherein
they reside. All residents 21 years
and over are entitled to manhood
franchise.
John McLaughlin, who has
lived on Mr. Wm. Fowler's farm,
on the Huron Road, west of
Seaforth, for the past three years,
has removed to Blyth, having
rented another farm.
R. Graham, of Inglewood has
been in town for the past week•in
connection with electric light
business. It may be that the
ownership—will— change-4waends
shiirti as• sevit-1 riches vt:d're-
here looking over the plant with a
view to purchase.
Alderman Johnston, chairman
of the street committee, has had
men cutting down trees where
they seem to be too thick. The
committee should be encouraged
to go over the town to attend to
this matter and also do pruning
where needed. We should think
that Mr. Seale- will be pleased to
see the trees looked after.
Mr. and Mrs. L. Manning. Mill
St., Clinton celebrated their 50th
anniversary.
100 YEARS AGO
April 15, 1875
The farm owned by the late
Jas. Snell, on the 7th con. of
Hullett, consisting of 75 acres,
has been sold to Mr. D. Hogart; a
former resident of the township.
Mr. Hogart spent five yed"rs
farming in the state of Illinois but
decided to return to Canada.
Mr. Steep has just opened out a
good and splendid stock of boots
and shoes, which will be found
cheap and suitable.
As an. evidence of the severe
frost of the past winter, we are
informed that frost was found in
the township of Hay to a depth of
five and one half feet.
,� _�earylr: •
coUr t" to tr pc+ssr" 11Ysir
opinla s In letters to the editor.
however, such opinions do not
necessarily represent the
opinions of the News -Record.
Pseudonyms may be used by
letter writers, but no letter wIN
be published unless It can be
verified by phone.
Breweries,
Dear Editor:
At the present time I am
engaged in historical research
on the topic of pioneer industry
in Ontario during the 19th
century with particular interest
in early breweries and brewers
in the province. Perhaps a
number, of your readers would
know of family papers or
business records relating to the
following breweries or brewers
operating in your area in the
1870's: Colbert, Henry
(Egmondville) ; Roth,
Valentine (Bayfield) ; Wells,
Henry (Colborne). •
I would appreciate them
contacting me at the following
address: 23 Weller Crescent,
Maple, Ontario. -
Thank you very much for
your help in this matter.
Yours truly,
Dr. James M. Cameron,
Associate Professor,
University of Yorlf
Accuracy
Dear Editor: '
I am not familiar with the
rules and regulations of good
reporting but I should think
that accuracy should be (if it is
not already) of prime im-
portance. I refer specifically to
the inaccuracies and distortion
of comments contained in the
story on my retirement which
appeared in last week's edition
of your'paper.
Firstly, when your reporter
asked what my position had
been at Goderich Psychiatric
Hospital, my reply was that I
had been secretary to the
superintendent until September
1974 when the superintendent's
duties were divided between a
newly -appointed hospital ad-
ministrator and a medical
director, at which time I
remained as secretary to the
medical director. The story
refers to the position as being
'secretary to the ad -
m
• 31 n
I 1
rr�lstrator -.� .
Secondly, . the 'paragraph.- :.
"There are so many aspects to
the job that I had to learn that
other secretaries would never
have to understand" infers, to
my mind, that I considered
myself a case apart whereas, in
effect, all secretaries in
hospitals everywhere (and in
other fields of endeavour as
well) encounter a diver-
s ication of duties from
pr ious positions. What I said
to y. ur reporter was that I
person: lly had been exposed to
areas of owledge which I had
not c' •ne : cross in any other
position and at I felt the years
spent at the hospital had been
an education ich I had felt
fortunate to have •xperienced.
In no way did I int d to infer
that secretaries other
positions were les \ well-
educated just because th • had
not been employed i a
hospital. What a difference 'n
meaning the twist of a fe
words can make!
Thirdly, we have four sons
which was reported correctly,
but only three are maria' ,1
distinctly recall saying twice r.6
the course of the conversation
that Larry, the youngest, is
unmarried and working in
Toronto yet the story reads
"Four of Mrs. Pearsdn's sons
are married".
These are the main
T1afilnlftfilf7�ced.4111e
sand I fir ay believe that -suEh
lack of care in accurate
reporting can cause much
dissatisfaction, and even
embarrassment, amongst your
,headers.
Yours sincerely,
(Mrs.) A. H. Pearson,
Clinton
THE CI.IN I ON NEW ERA
Established 065
e.,,.
Member, Canadian
Community Nawspapar
Association
THE HURON NEWS -RECORD
Established 1881
Clinton News-Reeorcl
'Published every Thursday
at Clinton, Ontario
editor - Jamas E. Fitzgerald
General Manage#,
J. Howard Aitken
HUB Of HURON COUNTY
"";l.