The Goderich Signal-Star, 1972-05-04, Page 2EI 'lC8` SIGN.
..STAR, THURSDAY,, MAY 4, .162`
E[)1T0R1ALS
•1
Make alt haste
It was evident from the public '
meeting held in GDCr's small „gym
Tuesday evening that the issue under
discussion by about 40 Goderich
citizens, the members of town
council, Bruce Sully, landscape
architectJohn, Burrows; Dan Murphy
and Burns Ross was not whether or not
another park should be built in the
municipality.,
The issue -was not even whether or
notthearea in question --the triangle
bounded by Wellesley, Cobourg arid
Lighthouse Streets --should be made
�4 t9 -a
park:, - ._
'There were really only two,issues°
at hand. They were the proposed
closing of ' part of Cobourg Street
thereby shutting off access by
automobile to the favorite vantage
point of many, many people; and the
proposed closing of the part of
Wellesley -Street which runs past the
private home of Bruce Sully and the
deeding of about 66 -feet of that road
allowance to him.
Persons -who pleaded for access to
the area by automobile presented
their case in a logical and very
persuasive manner. They suggested
that for at least seven out of the twelve
months in a year, a pedestrian park,
such as was proposed by the Sully .
Foundation would have f.ew
pedestrians. - n
It was pointed out that many of
Goderi:ch's residents — particularly
the more elderly ones appreciate
the .present ability to drive along the
top of the lake bank and to sit in their
heated cars +.o look down '-upon the
beach and harbor area. It seems many •
citizens '. make this drive' along
Cobourg St. a regular outing and would
• be sorely offended if the privi lege was
taken away from them.
Andwe bel i eve that Bruce Sul iy and
hi•s architect John Burrows, were
impressed by . this request. In fact,
Burrows told the ' meeting 'the
preliminary drawings could .;be
altered to permit autornobi le access -
to the park in a way which would be
agreeable to all concerned: He said
there would be •"a number of yyays to
manipulate -that:''
The peop'l'e Who opposed the closing
of Wellesley Street did nota present
such a'strong case. They were notable
to convince the meeting that Wellesley
Streetwas' a heavily travelled
thoroughfare and that byclosing it off,
council would be inconveniencing a
great many citizens.
Not one person at the .meeting could
prove that his egress or ingress woul d
be-affectedby the street closing. The
closest anyone came to a valid
argument against the closing of
Wellesley Street 'was oto suggest that
because Lighthouse was a, narrower
street that' either Wellesley or
Cobourg, it was'fol I,y to bel ieve that al I_.
the traffic could be re-routed onto
Lighthouse without widening that
street.
Most arguments: were weak ones
such as the street has been open since
Goderich was founded; the street
should remain open as atribute to the
well -loved Dr. Ure who once hived in
the -present Sully home sane people
travel that street everyday and would
not like to take an alternate route.
There was some indication that the
real reason. for opposing the street
closing was left unsaid. There was a
definite undercurrent to lead one to
believe that many sought only , to
deprive Bruce Sully from having' his
way in this—instance, fearful perhaps
that Sully was "taking" the town in
some sinister but as yet uncovered
plot.
We bel ieve the Sul I Foundation has
laid the cards face -up on the table. It
has repeatedly been stated that
the Sully Foundation wi I I donate a park
— free of charge - to the town of
Goderich..ln return, a"buffer zone
to be zoned as a buffer zone, is to be
deeded to Bruce Sully. There will be
no trust fund tp cover the expense of
maintenance. f That will be a town
expenditure:
We believeSolicitor Dan Murphy
has shown that the municipal ity wi I I be
protected and assured that the plans
for the proposed park wi I I be carried
out to the letter.
• We believe that some amicable
'arrangement can •be made whereby
Goderich citizens and their .guests
will' Still be able to drive along the top
of the lakebank to view the beach and
harbor area from the comfort of thei r�
cars. ,
• We further believe there is small
justification for the .battle to keep
Wel Lesley Street between Lighthouse
and Cobourg Streets open to the
public.'
W€s believe future generations in
"`Goderich INi ft be grateful for such -a
well -located and well -furnished park
as proposed by , the Sully
Foundation... and cheated if the gift is
• rejected.
We believe Goderich Town Council
shoul•d'accept the offer of the Sully
Foundation -and proceed with.. the
project 'as quickly as legal
. entanglements. ,can b•e. resolved.
It is all an attitude
In a .comparatively prosperous
those who are not mentally ill When
�
country i
are known to be emotionally
disturbed, many of them seriously,
the magnitude of The. work" of. the
Canadian Mental Health Association
cannot be calculated. Nor can the
difficulties under which it must
continue to operate.
One of :the greatest stumbling
blocks to a 'More dynamic. functioning -
is the perpetuation of the nineteenth
century attitudes of many people
towards mental illness.
Public attitudes 'towards drug
addition, alcoholism, crime, prison
reform, poverty and other pressing
social problems, ' have • changed
enormously over the last decade. BLit
they have not changed ,to the same
degree in relation to Canada's most
pressing of all social problems— .
mental illness. Certainly not to the
degree that helps -to' make the work. of
Mental Health --Canada as al I -
..
embracing,, as vigorous, and as
salutary as it should be.
Mental -Health—Canada has
'Constantly to struggle with attitudes of •
p ww.
..
chi Ids-en� __-- ;
' orrn and assist them.
in coping with a member of the family
who is.
Every • physician, psychiatrist,'
nurse has experienced this struggle
with outmoded attitudes at some time
or another, and knows the delays,
sometimes crucial, that it often
causes. in both prevention and •
treatment for those Nho are'
emotionally disturbedor mentally i I I.
Even the disease of cancer is
gradually emerging from the gloom,
shame and fear that used to surround
it.
Now is the'time that the prejudices,
fears and outright misconceptions
regarding mental illness, still darkly
imbedded in many minds, should be
brought into the light and examined
rationally and fearlessly., Only then
will the fight against Canada's number
one disease—mental i I Iness--take on
the momentum and the vigor so vitally
necessary to • the work of Mental ,
Health Canada,..
MENTAL HEALTH WEEK MAY 1=•
MAY
•
Fiddle-duddle
Hospital care
Cities, states and rulers- in
early times 'supported hospitals
as places of rest and
convalescence for surviving
wounded soldidrs. Rich
patricians and patrons of the Holy
Romantmpire built and endowed
hospitals for the poor -sick. And
so it continued up until the latter
part 'of the 19th Century, with
most of the hospitals'operated as
charity institutions by religious
orders and supported, by •
donations of the wealthy.
'Altioughie lacking modern
hospital techniques and a
knowledge of infection control,
these hospitals did offer tender.
,and usually loving, care to the
sick. Around the middle '1800's
however, increasing nwmbers of •
public institutions for, indigents
were established. Too often they,
were staffed- by underpaid,
unskilled and uncaring lay people
wit() mistreated the sick and gave
the hospitals of that day a black
eve.
As medical 'and surgical
science progressed, along with
'the ."acceptance of Florence
Nightjngale's more orderly and
hygienic hospital methods, more
community hospitals were
establishedby grants from
governments and . by ,. public-
spjrited 'citizens who chipped into
build needed health facilities.
Despite this government support,,
however:, hospitals. • were still
The staff at The Goderich Signaii Star needs your co-
operation.
We plan to offerfree copies of "How To Drown -Proof Your
Family" to as many readers as woyldlike to have them. The
trouble is, we don't know even ttie'"`a iproxiTmate—number ..r f...
pamphlets to"order. ,
If you. are interested in having a copy of this informative
booklet, would you please take the time to telephone our office
to tell us? We will then order a sufficient number of booklets to
coverthe need and you will be'notified as soon as they have
arrived."
who days for it
considered primarily places, Df
'charity, with the biggest share of
operating and building costs
supplied by donations and fund
raising drives, •_ ,
As the growing complexity of
hospitals made them big
business, employing , hundreds
and even thousands of skilled and
semi -skilled worker, the
hospital' frequently 'became the
biggest building and the biggest
employer in town. The steadily -
rising cost of hospital services
inevitably reached the point when
it.became impossible for
hospitals to continue operating as
charitable institutions for the
poor. - ;.
. 'The hospital had to be paid for
.the serifiees • provided to its
patients in order to"stay in
existence, and it had to adopt
business'practices.. The cost of a
patient's board and room 'Were
figured, along with nursing care,
on awbasis of so much per day.
Medicine,' operating rooms and
special services were figured at
cost. This meant the appointment
of a ,business manager, and bill-
collecting, a job hospitals,
particularly,' did not relish but
• hadto dO.`OT-course, this did not
,„„,„,...,.
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it be diabetic!)
SIGNAL—STAR
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SHURLEY J. KELLER--editorial staff
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EDWARD J. BY' RSKI adver't"ising manager
Visitor. snaps
fishermen on
opening day
mean the complete end of hospital
charity. No needy patients were
turned away for lack of funds. But
many of those,patients who wanted
to pay their'own way, found they
couldn't without seriously
depleting their savings, or
mortgaging their property. 'this
early realization that the cost of
hospital care could be prohibitive
to all but the wealthiest led to the
inevitable development - of
"mutual help" plans, ' the
forerunners of Blue Cross and the
government hospitalization
schemes we have today. •
First Pre -Payment Plan
In 1878, St. Joseph's Hospital in
Victoria, B.C., became the first
Canadian hospital to offer .its, would likely cause rising tax
services on a pre -payment plan— rates. , -
•
"gratuitous admissfon, visits of Rev..J. C. Boyne of Exeter was
the doctor at reduced rates, and named the NDP candidate for the
medicines free of charge"—for a anticipated Federal election at
monthly• subscription of one . the party'synorriination night held
dollar. As early as 1883, the Nova . in Clinton.
Scotia Provincial Workers' With' complete returns not •
Association were making talliedindications were that the
deductions from - wages for, Goderich Cancer. Fund drive Was
doctor's services and'.hospital - a big success with $2,943 as an
care; and in other mining and incomplete total al,eady•
lumbering centres across Canada recorded.
similar arrangements were
70 YEARS AGO
MAY 4, 1902
The Provincial election of 1902
was called for Thursday. May 29.10
The, returning officers for the
, election were named. For West
Ijirron it was William Robertson
of Wingham, Sherriff Reynolds
for East Huron and John La. Porte
of Drysdale for South Huron.
Fred Davis, the new 'proprietor
of the Bedford Hotel in Goderich
was tendered a banquet by friends
from Mitchell. •
Discussion was developing into
argument over a suggestion that a
new library building for Goderich
be constructed on the market
grounds. •
A large audience gathered at.
Victoria Ope>a House in Goderich
for the concert staged by George
Fox- and--MfLLs--Leado JarneL, ----
Kennedy. Mr: Fox was a master of
the violin and Mrs. Kennedy a top
vocalist.
The Goderich High School cadet
corps announced they would be
entering a rifle team_in the silver
shield competitions for
marksmanship sponsored 'by the
mayor of London.'
The- steamer `Advance''
cleared Goderich harbour bound
for Fort William after leaving a
cargo of 44,200 bushels of wheat
at the local storage elevators.
25 YEARS AGO
A former Huron County
farmer, who had come td be known
internationally as a poultry
expert, Fred Elford. died and was
buriethin Ottawa. ,
Reeve J. D. Beecroft of East
Wawanosh township was appoined
chairman' of County Council's
Agriculture Committee:
A Provincial Campaign was
being organized to help send much
needed • relief , to residents in
Britain where there was a severe
shortage of clothing. foodand
cash.
The members of the parish of
St. Peter's in Goderich pledged
$16,000 to the Bishop's Diocesan
fund of the London Diocese of the
Roman Catholic church' in a
special campaign.
"Goderich Frosted Foods", a
modern cold storage locker.. plant
opened its doors to the public on
May 3
FIVE YEARS AGO
A report on the town of
Goderich's budget for the year
showed that increasing costs
0r
A
10
adopted. Some companies in " it was felt might. choose to locate
remote areas even established lir' Goderich, decided to locate
their own employee hospitals. • elsewhere duet, , to financial
Such programs became reasons revolving around the cost
increasingly popular and by 1934 . of production in Goderich.
a 'committee of the • Canadian
Medical Association was able to ` Leonard Fisheries announced ,10!
report .27. hospital -sponsored that they had managed to find a
prepaymentplans operating market fosJ.ake Chub in the city_q
provinces. Typical of these was of Toronto and that the first
the Kingston plan which began in shipment of 1,200 pounds, of the
1933- and • provided prepaid small fish was on its way. The fish
services: ,at both the Kingston
General Hospital and the- Hotel
Dieu. - .. • .
Such. plans as' these, of course,
were able to cover only a minute
fraction of the population. Their
comparative success and'
popularity, however accented the
need for more broadly-based
plans which could'... make the
obvious benefits of prepaid
hospital • care available to
everyone who sought thein. The
logical answer to this need came
with the Blue Cross movement,
which had its beginnings in 1929
when a group of faculty members
at Baylor University in Dallas,
Texas, signed an agreement with
.the university FlospitaI.
With the direct backing of the
American Hospital Association,
the idea of non-profit community-
wide coverage spread rapidly
,across the United States and into
Canada during the '30's, Local.
Blue Cross plans were
-established in -states, provinces
and cities, each one enjoying
complete administrative
independrcii but all linked by
their .common purpose and their
adherence to the Blue, Cross
Charter, laid down by the A.H.A.
The biggest of th'e Canadian Blue
Cross plans was established in
-1941 by, the Ontario 1 ospitaI
Association,'" .the • voluntary
organization of all hospitals in the
:province. w
T.he type .of insurance coverage
provided by Canadaws voluntary limb to Tommy's"allergy•stfot at
p 1, L, however, changed
the doctor's or the prescription
sgraiffcantlytiofter �tanuary' 1st, „you take to the corner drug store.
1950• This was tlhe date on which
governrixent road"e' its fexll scaleWhen it comes to prepaying our
entry 'into the tial' of basic � ealth costs, it seems we '
cy�l nealtyd♦�iaYns can't have ton much of
Y P ct ♦ a good thing 1 1 %. '
hosprtal in$ulran
Plans Are Costly As •recently as 1950, l9 per cent
"phare is no dollbt that the plat'i
of C inada's' labor force was
are'costly, 'and growing costlier ,working (li farms..!Toda.y, that
all the time, as new hospital her s figure has dropped to 6.6 per cent,
An unidentified industry, Whieh
Dear Sir:
While..: sitting in the park on
Saturday 1 noticed the first of the
fishermen heading home
apparently empty. handed.
After a short rest and a 'quick
refreshment they headed onward,
As I found them typi4a1
• examples of the first day of trout
season I thought 1 would pass theta
on to you.
Paul Johnston,
192; Burnside Dr. 4,
London, Ont.
were not eaten locally.
are added in their thousands, as
new - and improved hospital
techniques tall • for fabulously
expensive equipment and, 'above
all, as salaries and wages o 'the
,people who staff our hospita 's go
up . and up to keep pace with
community levers.
In 1972 Ontario's hospitals plan
alone will cost an 'ant' ipated
$1,000 million, of whit 75-78
percent will be for salar s and
wages,.
Who' Pay'
So who • pays the cost for .
hospital care? By now the answer
is probably obvious. Practically
everyone of us in Canada is
helping tp pay this huge bill
through taxes And premiums.' ft
may be stretching the point to say
that the system is painless; but it
is fair and it ensures that -no
Canadian has. to mortgage his
home, go into debt, or worst of all,
deny,himself necessary hospital
Bare`because of the bill.
-And what about those Canadians
who want health insurance over 4►
and above the basic governtfient
hospital programs? They are
turning in .ever-increasing
numbers to the Blue Cross plans
and the commercial . insurance
companies, who are offering a
Browing variety of prepaid
°''supplementary" ., • ' benefits,
' r
ivate
r
from a semp
• ranging
hospital room or an artificial
4