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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1972-03-09, Page 9to 1 If the Book Says It -You've Had It Democracy is a wonderful state in which to five --until all the people who thrive in its warm spirit'of self-determination begin to strangle in the endless red tape without which no."free" society seems able to oper- ate. The Advance -Times- has recently .com- pleted one of those exercises in .utter futility which are fast becoming the rule rather than the exception in the Canadian way of doing things. It was a battle of common sense ver- sus the rules in the handbook—and the book won, of course. Printing firms, along with thousand's of other Canadian businesses, are expected to read and memorize all the sections and sub- sections of a dozen varying provincial and federal acts. They range all the way from advertising which falls under the labor code to the collection of sales tax—and in the lat- ter case the printer is supposed to act as policeman for the two governments. A few years back some changes were made in the federal` sales tax act which ex- cluded books printed for educational pur- posesfrom the 12 per cent levy which applies to most other printed matter. We rather naturally concluded that the prize list which we print each year for the Belgrave School Fair would fall into this category, since the i Lair is intended purely for the educational benefit of the school children in the town- ships of Morris and East Wawanosh. Because The Advance -Times is an en- thusiastic supporter of the type of practical education which the tair has provided for the past 52 years, we were happy to enter the printing in our records as a tax-free item and -thus save the hard-pressed directors a badly - needed $40 or. $50 a year. Our belief in the validity of the fair has led us to consistently price the job at cost or considerably less than 4t that figure. , All was fine .until: last year, when a well- mannered young inspector for the federal saa, authority looked over our records and decided that the book was, in fact, a tax- able item and assfssed the Al" an amount equal to three years' sales tax at 12 per cent—about $145..00. Reason for the decision was basest on the fact that advertisements are sold to help cover the. cot of the book's production. We explained that the money collected ,,from advertising sales 'is not for the purpose of making a profit, but .only as an added source of financial support for a very worthy educational enterprise. All to no avail. The young man .was sympathetic, but he quite rightly stated that the law said the prize li%t was taxable. However, he suggested that we submit the question to his superior in Lon- don, which we did—and got the same an- swer. A few weeks ago we repeated the sub- mission to London, including a letter of ex- planation, pointing out thet the Belgrave School Fair hangs on the brink of collapse because of meagre financial support. The ruling was the same. The Act says that if the prize list contains paid advertising it is sub- ject to taxation. Neither the inspector nor the district of- fice in London is wrong. They are correctly • interpreting the regulatiohs of the Act. The unfortunate' aspect is that common sense says the Act should not apply in this case— and our system_of regulations appears to be so inflexible that there is no room left, for .`''common sense.. There may come a day when we will all suffocate in the sea of printed matter we have produced to enforce the rules of our particular kind of self-government. Price for Planning Runs High One of the subjects under warm discus- sion at the session of Huron County Council last week was membership in the Mid -West- ern Development Council. At the February council meeting a month previous, serious objection had been raised to 'continuing membership in MDC because Hue-on'was not represented on the board of directors. In the interval it was agreed by the board that such representation would be granted, and as a consequence the Huron council voted to re- new its membership in MDC 'for another year. One of the reasons for doubt about af- • filiation with the four -count development association is the fact that Huron has set up its own planning department: Total costs for MDC and the Huron County project will run to about $10.7,000. ' . Aso - reeve, ,Jack Alexander, pointed out, MRC has originated new plans and will embark on projects which may be of con- siderable benefit to this county. As long as there is any possibility of productive activity in the Huron area the investment in MDC membership should be maintained. However,on the basis of past perform- ance it does, behoove the Huron council to look sharply at the dollars required for MDC. Our county has, of course, benefited to some degree from the promotions sponsored by MODA in the past, but it'is.q.uite obvious that the major IIenefits have always" been re- ceived by- the Waterloo -Wellington areae which is more attractive to industry. At the end of this year Huron County should be Making_a detailed assessment .of what has actually been done for this county. The Stuff We Pay For! If you missed Bill Smiley's comments on the Jalna series in last week's issue of this newspaper, dig out your copy and read his remarks. What he has to say about a drama- - tic fiasco should be tacked up over your TV set for future reference. The CBC's production of a highly adver- tised dramatic series, based on novels by the • Canadian writer, Mazo de la Roche, has turned out to be nothing better than a hope- less jig -saw puzzle. By the time the first epi- sode was on the air one of the chartered banks which helped to sponsor the series, had recognized its bewildering characteris- tics and was offering little folders in its branches all across Canada so that the view- ers could sort out the characters. The original books left no such confusion O in the minds of the readers. They provided a fascinating story of an English -Canadian family in their Eastern Ontario home. With typical urge to "improve" on a successful author's efforts, the CBC team managed to • mince the original story intoa thousand un- related pieces and stir, with their now - familiar spoon, all in the name of "art". The result is a bewildering stew in which the po- tatoes are indistinguishable from the meat. Perhaps we could -laugh it off if someone else was paying the bill for this confusing en- ° -'tertainment. It is unlikely we will ever learr the total amount—but the CBC went dowr the drain formany thousand& of dollars tc produce only' a pilot first episode. . The Jalna series would fare badly in a dollar -by -dollar comparison with the Britisl- production of "The. Wives of Henry VIII", a masterful series based on the matrimonia affair's of the 16th century English king. A hard-working young BBC producer, his wif( and a couple of assistants managed to get thf. entire series on air for $35,000. • • It would be highly interesting to knov% the actual cost of the Jalna series and wha percentage of the cost was met by advertis ing revenue, because the Canadian public has to pony -up for the difference. Picket Lin�s #t the Front Door It's only a matter o (Eine. In the past generation, Joe Nobody, you and I, have suffere4 from every conceivable ty'pe,of Strike that the warped little . human mind can conceive. You name it: from dockwallop- ers to doctors, from technicians to teachers, everybody see, to have had a whack at try • o strangle a few more bucks er privileges out of the innocent by- stander. That's you and I. I'm getting pretty sour about the whole nonsense, Somehow, I can't fathom either the eco- nomics or the ethics of a man who., is worth $1.25 an hour, and is get- ting $2.75, demanding that he be paid $4.00 and another -$2.00 in fringe benefits. Strikes are annoying, frustrat- ing and usually pointless, in these days. The worker gets a raise and it takes him two years to get back to where he was, financially. The employer merely raises his prices, or taxes.Therest of us get it in two painful places; the neck and the pocket -book. But that's all common know- ledge, and beside the point. One of these fine days, the most po- tent work force in the country is going to realize what a powerful weapon is the strike, and hit the picket line. When it does, we'll look back with nostalgia and longing to the good old days when a strike merely meant you couldn't take that trip, or there was a shortage of sanitary napkins, or some similar calamity was thrust upon us. That will be the day the house- wives of the country, inflamed by Women's Lib, dull husbands and rotten kids, walk out the doors demanding more money, better working conditions and vast fringe benefits. That will be tie day that will make the present vast tie-ups due to strikes look like tiddleywinks. That will be a day that might sig- nal the end of civilization as we know it. I'm not kidding, and I'm defi- nitely not exaggerating. If the housel.vives of this nation with- drew such elementary items as cooking and cleaning, sex Ansi sewing from our lives, the whole -- foundation of our society would collapse. Not immediately, of course. For perhaps two days, ;husbands would chortle, "She'll soon cone around. She knows when she has a good thing." And kids would roar with laughter, "Is your old lady on this strike kick too? It's a riot. But she won't last. She needs us.„ - After a week, the comments would change tone. Husbands: "What the hell is wrong with that crazy woman? I've given her the est years of my life." And kids: "Look, if she doesn't come back, she's in for trouble. I haven't had a decent meal or a clean pair. of socks for days. And Dad is get-: ting nasty. Wants me to do the dishes and garbage and things like that." In two weeks the "innocent by- standers" would be on their knees. And the'garbage would be up to their knees. . Husbands: "Listen, kid. You go out and tell your mother that I'll give her eight, no, ten dollars a month to blow on herself. Sky's the limit." Kids: ."Listen Dad, this is all your fault. We need that woman, even if she is only our mother. All our buttons are off, and the sink's full of dishes, and the dishes are full of crud." In a month, the hospitals and the mental institutions would be overflowing. The take-home chicken joints and the delicates- sens would be booming, but the supermarkets would be heading for bankruptcy. Family axe -mur- ders would be so common they wouldn't even rate twa inches oh Page 38. - There's only one thing that will prevent this catastrophe. As• we all know, housewives are ex- treme individualists. They can't even agree on the texture of toilet paper. How could they agree on such delicate matters as fringe benefits. Some would want forty cents to sew on a button; others would settle for a quarter. And if they did form a union, it would take them twelve years to draw up the 'constitution, and everyone would want to be presi- dent. So relax, you neglectful hus- bands and demanding kids. We're probably safe. But give the whole idea a long, deep thought. When a group of older citizens in Venice, Florida complained that .,thp y .anger ePnera.tion drove too fast, the police decided to investigate. They set ° up a radar check and wrote 35 tickets, the Ontario Safety League re- ports. The average age of the speeders was 41.3. Only five of the 35 were teenagers. The oldest was 74. Quite a now Job! At last, after two or three years of rumors, the federal government 'has an- nounced the site of the new Ontario interna- tional airport. It will be located north-east of Toronto in the Pickering-Stouffville area. As recently as two weeks ago there was semi-official word that the terminal would be placed in the Niagara peninsula. Before that we had heard that a site west of Listowel was' under consideration. Another rumor • ' placed it near Wiarton , and later, near 13arrie. Naturally there was need for secrecy, since premature announcement of the de- cision would inevitably' have led to land speculation and resultant inflated prices for the farms which would have to be purchas to make up the vast acreage for a mon jet -port. It would seem, however, that the history of airport planning included not only secrecy quite a few carefully placed red e herrings as well. There may be some regret that the air- port will not be located in Western Ontario, because the plans include the development of a new city in its environs. Perhaps, how- ever, the loss to our own area may well be cancelled out by missing the nuisance value 'which a great airport brings with it., Certain- ly those whose homes are located in a wide area around the airport :will not be very happy about the noise pollution after the port is in operation. The new city will bring busi- ness, true, but it will also bring crowding, destruction' of recreation, areas, traffic haz- ards and a host of ether unwelcome at- tributes of super -civilization. More industry and brisker business we can stated, but most of us are firmly dedi- cated to the sort of place we call home. In a few years' time the people of Pickering Township may be looking for some of the quiet spots in our part of the world. THE WINGHAM ADVANCE -TIMES Published at Wingham, Ontario, by Wenger Bros. Limited. Barry Wenger, President - Robert 0. Wenger, Secretary -Treasurer Member Audit Bureau of Circulations Member Canadian and Ontario Weekly Newspaper Associations. Subscription Rate: Subscription $10.00 a year, $5.25 for six months, in United States $12.50 in advance. , Second Class Mail Registration' No .0821 Return Postage Guaranteed a, BY HELEN ALLEN KEEN ON SPORTS This thoughful boy is Jon, 11 'years old and Oneida Indian in descent. Jon is a handsome lad, as you see, with sparkling brown eyes, black hair and medium complexion.. Jon. is healthy, and active, interested in vigorous contact sports. He plays floor hockey and soccer and he's keen on judo. in summer he plays baseball. He seize' every opportunity to go hunting and fishing. His favorite reading is stories about famous sportsmen. An average student in Grade 6, Jon hes the potential to be above average. His special interests are electricity and science. As a Cub, Jon is always working to earn new badges. The latest is for cooking. Busy as he is, Jon has gig en a lot of thought to his future. He wants very much to have a home of his own with parents who are outdoors enthusiasts. He 'would be gerhappy td have older brothers. Farm `life appeals to him, but he admits there are attractive features about living in town, as long as there is scope for sports and general outdoor activity. He will be a rewarding son for warm, understanding parents who will realize Jon will need time to realize he is really part of a family. To inquire about adopting Jon. please write to Today's Child, Box 888, Station K, Toronto. F°dr genertil adoption information ask your Children's Aid Society. LARGEST FAMILY on skates at the Belgrave carnival were the seven children of Mr. and Mrs. Wilfred Haines; back, J net, Bernie, Laurie, Lynne; front, Edwin, Bill, who holds the prize, and John. —Staff photo, ingbart Abbancoeinve Wingham, Ontario, Thursday, March 9, 1972. SECOND SECTION News Items from Old- Files MARCH 1937 Highway No. 4, from the 6th of Morris to Wingham, will be 'paved this year, according to a telegram received from Charles A. Robertson, MLA. On Sunday Rev. E. M. Loney began his pastorate at the John Street Baptist Church. The employees of the Wingham i.ManufactuTing Company who had been on strike for -five days, returned to work on Friday morning. The arrangements made were the same as those made between Brown Bros. and their. employees, 15' per cent in- crease at once and a further 5 per cent in September - Charles Carter of East Wawa - nosh has purchased the farm of William Wellings on concession 12 of East Wawanosh. - Norman Fry was- named win- ner in the art posters class, Jack Scott was winner in thehealth book essays and Mildred Fitzpat- rick won the bronze medal in the recitation class when the WCTU held its Medal Contest last week. Freddie Templeman won a bronze medal for his, singing. - National Hockey :League star Howie Morenz died Monday night in Montreal after suffering a heart attack. He was 34 years Old and had been a star of the NHL for many years. He was born 'in 'Mitchell. Efforts to get a post office in the town of Lucknow have finally been successful..In the estimates for Public Works for Western On- , tario brought down in the house last week was $15,000 for a new post office in the town. On Thursday at the High School Literary Society meeting an ora- torical contest was held. The win- ner ,,Verne`Walker , who spoke on Russia, received the cup' which was donated to the school for yearly competition by the late John W. King, MP. Willa Reid placed second in the contest. The Alps Golf Club has leased the Alps Golf Course from A. T: Nelles. We hope 1937 will be a banner year for the Club. On Friday morning a big white cat became stuck in a section of drain pipe which hadecome dis- lodged at the home of(David Mc- Gill. Gordon Davidson, with the help of his brother Bill and a pair of pliers, released' the animal' which wandered away in a dazed condition. • MARCH 1947 The local firm of Howson and Howson are expanding their busi- ness, having purchased the mill- ing business of Irving Wallace of Blyth. Dr. Sill Burgman recently re- ceived the appointment of School Dentist for Kirkland Lake. The Huron Old Boys' Associa- tion elected officers for the 47th year of its existance. B. H. Mc- Creath is president ; R. MacKen- zie and Miss Vera Gardiner are vice presidents; secretaries are Mrs. C. Hollingshead and Miss Mary MacGregor and treasurer is E. Hunter. James Angus was chosen full time maintenance man and truck driver for the town of Wingham at the town council 1316eting last week. Chas. Dauphin, who has been unable to return to his mill in Teeswater because of the storm, returned on Sunday afternoon, by skis and made .the trip in 21 hours. Professor A. W. Anderton, who for the past six years has been,or- ganist and choirmaster of the Wingham United Church, h.s re- signed and has accepted a simi-. lar position in St. George's Angli- can Church, Godericit About 70 boys and girls.met in the town hall Friday to form a Junior Fish and Game Club. Arn- old McIntyre was elected presi- dent of the new club and Mary Somers is secretarytreasu er. Directors are Willard Platt; Ger- ald Gerrie, John Hanna and Bill Bain. Ernest Seddon, band leader of the Wingham Town Band, attend- ed the annual convention of the • Canadian Bandmasters' Associa- tion held in Waterloo and was - elected a member of the or- ganization. Trains are expected to arrive in Gorrie Tuesday for the first time since' March 1st. This is the long- est period of time that residents have been without mail for many years. ' In the village of Whitechurch an unusual sight greeted people after the, recent storm. Teen- agers who ski found a grand ., slope, the east side of the Presby- terian Church shed. MARCH 1958 The Traffic Safety campaign which. has been in progress in Wingham schools for several weeks was brought to a climax on Friday evening as winners re- ceived their awards. First prize winners were Dean Balser, Grades .1 to 4; Sandra Cameron, Grades 5 to 8 and Ronald Parker,. high, school. Respective second prize winners were -Gary Reed, Phillip Adams and Fred Steven- son. At an emergency meeting of the council on Monday, Miss Yvonne McPherson was ap- pointed acting clerk -treasurer and tax collector in the absence of W. A. Galbraith Who is` ill. Ken Zinn, who .formerly work- ed at Reavie Motors, left on Sun- day to take a course at the Mo - Hawk Alignment in Toronto. Ken is opening a' business in the Far- rier building on Diag'^al Road on Monday, March 17: . Rev. C. R. Durrant of London is taking charge of the services and congregation at Wingham United Church until a new minister is appointed. Levi . Bieman of the White church area tapped 250 trees on March 1st and reports a good run of sap. Sapper Glenn Austin, a mem- ber of the 4th Field Squadron, , RCE, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Austin of Corrie apd now . „serving with the.4th Cana ian: Iaa� .•a fantry Brigade in Germany, has successfully, completed eight weeks of intensive military train- ing at the Brigade's Junior Non - Commissioned Officer School. He was third in a class of 68. Members of the Howick Town - .ship Council name i'Ernie Dins- more as inspector for warble fly spraying for 1958: Also accepted was the tender Of J.. R. Engeland to do the warble fly spraying. A new, pump was installed at Bob Downie's service station on Josephine Street on Monday. The pump is designed to mix standard gasoline with an, octane concen- trate to deliver the fuel best suited for individual motors. In a ceremony in Elmira on Saturday, the marriage of Betty June Stone and Frederick Walter Lee was solemnized. Honor newlyweds at reception WHITECI-" iRCH On F;•iday evenir g r r eception was neld in the co'r,.ii,unity hall in honor of Mr. a' d Mrs. Thys Kloostra, re- cent newlyweds. Music for dancing and calling off was supplied by Ward's Or- chestra. At- the close of the dance Mr. and Mrs. Kloostra were called to the platform and 'given seats of honor while John Adams gave an address expressing best wishes of the gathering and Wayne Martin presented them, with a gift of money. Mr. and Mrs. Kloostra both ex- - pressed their thanks "HOW COME YOU LE r MOM DRIVE WHEN YOU THINK SO L./TTLE OF WOMEN AeIVsese "