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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1978-05-18, Page 4..e PAGE 4--GODERICH SIGNAL -SITAR, THURSDAY, MAY 18, 1978 Goderich� SIGNAL-STAR The County Town Newspaper of Huron Pounded In 1000 and published every Thursday of Goderich, Ontario. Member of the CWNA and OWNA. Advertising rotas on request. 'Subscriptions payable In advance 43.00 In Canada, '17.11 to Y.S.A., 40.110 to all other countries, single copies 70 cents. Display adver- tising rotes available on request. Please ask for Rata Cord No. 0 effective Oct. 1, 1077. Second class mall Reglstrotlon Number 0710. Advertising is accepted on the rendition that, In the event of typogrophlcal error, the adverting(' space occupied by tho erroneous Item, together wlth'reosonable allowance for signature. will not bo charged for but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for of the applicable rote. In the event of a typographical error advertising goods or services at a wrong price, goods or service may nae be sold. Advertising is merely an offer to sell. and may be withdrawn at any rime. Tho gnat -Star 1s not responsible for the loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts or photos. Business and Editorial Office TELEPHONE 524-8331 area code 519 Published by Signal -Star Publishing Ltd. ROBERT G. SHRIER — president and publisher SHIRLEY J. KELLER — editor EDWARD J. BYRSKI — advertising manager Mailing Address: P.O. BOX 220, Industrial Park, Goderich Second class mail registration number — 0716 The bull goes free Property tax reform, perhaps one of the most explosive subjects to hit government circles in some time, appears to be further away from reality now than it ever has. It is more than 11 years since the first talk of property tax reform was heard, and even though there is a crying need to overhaul the.existing property tax system, it is clear that to make the move would bring screams of protest from many quarters in Ontario. Political dynamite is what property tax reform has become .... and nobody, absolutely nobody wants to light the.fuse. Property tax reform is a complex issue. It is tied to market value assessment and it is related to the provincial grant system. It means a total shakeup in the system as Ontario citizens now know it ... and the impact across the province would be tremendous. Just as one example, if all residential properties in Metro Toronto were taxed at 50 per cent of market value in 1976,.,the tax hike would be 12.5 per cent ... or $92 a year for the average single family home. That, compared to an average decrease elsewhere in Ontario of about $100 would clearly be political suicide. Small business, too,would suffer, especially in Metro Toronto. There is some evidence to suggest that taxes will more than double for many small retail mer- chants in Metro Toronto if the new tax system is instituted. Provincial politicians feel there is a danger, too, that small business. throughout northern Ontario would be especially hard hit. The new taxation proposed for vacant land -100 per cent of market value - is seen as deadly for individuals, small developers, and association and land -intensive small businesses. It is estimated that resort owners in areas like Muskoka fear they would be forced to close down. Car parks, which fall within the commercial and in- dustrial category, would also suffer ad- verse effects. Parking lots, including shopping plaza lots, would face increases of over 60 per cent. -Experts also believe that if property tax reform is implemented at the same time as the province is increasing the financial burden on municipalities and school boards, local governments will be hard- pressed for funds and, therefore, forced to raise mill rates or cut services. As a result, tax benefits or additional costs which result from the change to market value assessment would not be evident to the people of Ontario. Taxpayers would not know who to hold accountable for what. In the meantime, right here in Huron County, many inequities exist that could be corrected through property tax reform. In the town of Goderich, there are homes valued at $80,000 paying taxes of $200 or less, while at the same time, new homes valued at $45,000 are stuck with tax bills approaching $700. It is definitely unfair. There is need for property tax reform and provincial politicians should get off their duffs and find a solution. But the real truth is that to change the system would be a administrative nightmare resulting, in chaos and bitter resentment from corner to corner in this province. Who will grab the bull by the -horns in those conditions? - SJK Bag up - or pay Goderich town council is sticking to its decision. There will not be an extra pickup this spring and next fall for garden refuse. Homeowners will have to find alternate methods for disposing of these discards ,., or prove to town council they are willing to pay extra taxes to have their branches and clippings picked up loose at the curb. Councillors John Doherty and Stan Profit are right. It wasn't clearly spelled out by works chairman Dave Gower last fall that all garbage with the exception of extremely large items (stoves, chesterfields etc.) would have to be containerized. That ad- ditional bit of information really became evident when piles of uncontainerized garbage were left at the curb as usual by householders who didn't understand that the rules had been changed. But that is really a minor point. What. does matter is that some householders are clearly enraged about them having to con- tainerize their garden ,;refuse and are bucking the new system every step of the way. Some piles of garden refuse still remain at the curb inopen defiance of the municipal direction that it must be bagged or boxed or tied together for ease of han- dling. Many piles were small enough to fit into a garbage bag without any difficulty, but it appears to be a matter of principle with a few householders to hold out against this municipal decision. There is little doubt that some householders will find it a nuisance to containerize garden refuse, or to find an alternate way of disposing -of it. Citizens with large properties and a zest for gar- dening accumulate mounds of garden refuse spring and fall. How convenient it was to simply carry it to the curb, leave it' in a large heap and wait for the town crews to cart it away. • But those days are gone, and as Coun- cillor Dave Gower put it, people will have to be educated to the new system. Perhaps some enterprizing citizens will find a garden refuse pickup - spring and fall - a lucrative business for a few days. If it is true that people would rather pay a little extra out of their pockets to avoid the task of containerizing garbage, they might be happy to pay someone to pick lip their garbage loose at the curb for a fee .... or even bag their refuse ready for the garbage man. Whatever the solution for individual homeowners in' Goderich, it appears that curb service for loose garbage is a thing of the past. It now behooves good citizens to accept the inevitable, find an alterhative that is satisfactory to them and prepare to pay more taxes if they want the service reinstituted by a future council. - SJK Miss the mark In a smart looking color -processed folder came the news about this season's program at Ontario Place on Lake Ontario at Toronto. The promotional materials tell that Ontario Place is •an "internationally acclaimed cultural, leisure, entertainment complex" which attracts 3,000,000 visitors each year. It is a "96 -acre parkland of lakes, lagoons, beautifully landscaped islands and canals" the brochure says, and offers "pleasant quiet areas, waterside walkways, delightful scenes along the ship's promenade and 'a variety of out- standing entertainment that is all free with admission". As if all that wasn't enough, Ontario Place is, according to the Ministry of Industry and Tourism, "a great family attraction vlith the popular and unique children's village, exciting giant screen and multi -media theatres, the forum, a bandshell, pedal boats and a -season of special events and activities". A quick glance over the program at the forum shows that this season's "headliners" will include Natalie Cole, Stan Kenton, Paul Williams, Murray McLauchlan, Ray Charles, Oscar Peter- son, Earl Scruggs, Tommy. Dorsey, the Hamilton Philharmonic, Maynard Ferguson, the Nationd`i"'Ballet, Neil Sedaka and Moe Koffman. Impressive and ex- citing. It all sounds great .... and for many people it is great. But then there are others .,, the folks who notice the difficulty of getting from one place to another in the park, especially if one is not a good walker or worse yet, confined to a wheelchair; the unkept appearance of this provincial at- traction; the disorganization which exhausts all but the hearty; the lack of real things to do anytime except on special days; the high cost of meals and souvenirs. Ontario Place is an Ontario effort at entertainment whioh just misses the mark for a variety of reasons. Perhaps it is because it is so strictly Canadian that it ignores the desires of people and is too proud to take a page from the USA notebook on how"to attract crowds, handle people and hold their attention time and' tinte'again. , S i BY SHIRLEY J. KELLER The copy for last week's column was barely out of the editor's typewriter When the - headlines hit: "Suggest women should be paid to have babies". After a whole column on the emerging rights -for -children legislation and some suggestions that parenting was becoming a state-controlled function, the news that more babies will be needed in the future was just a little startling. The problem can be stated simply. The country is not reproducing itself. The national birth rate is 1.8 children per couple. Zero population growth is desirable. That means that' somebody, somewhere , is going to have to be coaxed into having babies 2 more babies per couple to bring the national average to two children per couple. Now that may seem a little disconcerting to people who believe that having babies is some sort of ecological irresponsibility. But then, if today's' young people don't have babies, who will carry on when they are through: And • even more - importantly for a good many young people who are in- terested in company benefits and money for retirement, who will keep the pension funds solvent? Who will contribute tomorrow when today's youth is aged? +++ It was suggested last week that the reason women aren't having babies, is because it takes two incomes to keep one home going and when the wife is home having babies and caring for the family, husband just can't keep up to expenses. And so, it was only logical to assume that women should be encouraged to stay, home and have the babies the country so desperately needs .,..and should be salaried as an extra incentive. How much is a brood mother worth per week? I" wouldn't know whether minimum wage would cover it, unless, of course, payment was guaranteed for that mother until the children were old enough to make their own way in the world. Now that the government has introduced legislation which assures a woman of her financial rights in a relationship with a man after two years whether she is married or not, having babies could become a nice sideline for her. There's been in- dications that some women will make a profession of taking men to the cleaners because of the new legislation involving common law relationships. For a two year investment of time, a gal could make a decent salary quite legally. If she could put those two years to work having one or two children _ to _ boot,. -and draw a salary for her efforts, she could walk away with enough loot to keep her in style for a decade or longer. What about the kids? Why, leave them with the father ..�. or let the government look 11 DEAR READERS after them. After all, it was the government that wanted them. + + + This may sound a little far- fetched to most people. But to me, it sounds like the sort of thing that really does occur when society begins tam- pering with the natural order of things. Upsetting the balance, if you will. Playing God, perhaps. Let's look at something to which most can relate women's lib. We've heard so much about women's liberation in the past five years it makes most people'flinch just to hear the phrase. At first it sounded innocent enough. Women wanted their rights. They wanted to be recognized as' first class citizens ... equal pay for equal effort and all that. Then women began making what I would call excessive demands .... wanting full control of their own bodies, mastery over men on the job, superiority in the family. - It is women who want this country's abortion laws relaxed to permit abortion on demand. No woman should have to bear a child she does not want, the libs say. Being trapped in an unwanted pregnancy is not necessary, the fibs insist. A woman should have (t!)e say over her own destin a in control of her own body. One would assume that if a woman is so adamant about being in control of her own body, she would be able to prevent conception. But, says the Jibs, the responsibility for birth control should not rest entirely with women. Women should have the same sexual freedom as men, they say, and if pregnancy occurs it should be terminated if the woman prefers it that way. At first, women said they wanted equal pay on the job for equal effort ... and I support that theory whole heartedly. But no woman should expect to be hired as a laborer, for instance, at equal pay with the man on the next shovel, and fail to hold up her end. When it's a heavy lift, a woman should shoulder her Billy Whetstone by Joanne Walters share of the load .... or take less pay. But unfortunately, that isn't happening. Women are - whining because they are being discriminated against in the job market .... and then cashing in on their feminine wiles to be excused from certain aspects of the job when they land it. I don't want any part of that kind of liberation. It is true that women for a long time were little more than servants in some households and deserved a better break in many in- stances where no recognition was given to their con- tributions when the family was split, either through death or divorce or separation. But now, thanks to the libs, the pendulum has swung too far and women are fleecing their men, threatening them with all sorts of financial nightmares and lobbying for the legal clout to accomplish it. Women's lib started out to protect women's rights ... and has ended ' up in the destruction of many of the things this country holds dear. The balance is upset. The home is in crisis. The family is deteriorating. Canada and Canadians are in an uproar. -1- The The brood mother system won't solve any problems. True, the schools of the future may have more students; the work force for tomorrow would be larger; and the life style of today's youth should be assured for their old age. But what kind of people would we be? What kind of moral misfits and social weaklings would we foster? What tragedies would we invite? Women should get back on track first. They should understand their function in life the reason for their special qualities, so unique fromtnen. They should relish °their natural differences .... and use them for the bet- terment of the nation. The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. That's an old saying that reminds us all that the strength of` any nation rests with mothers and fathers, with homes that are the foundation of life. Women are only destroying their own effectiveness by altering their role in the order of things, Liberation for women will only be achieved when women accept their purpose and follow it with dedication and deter- mination. Look for Letters to the _..... Editor on Page 6 75 YEARS AGO The season at the golf links on the river flats was happily opened yesterday afternoon when fully half a hundred members and friends gathered to celebrate the event. The conference of representatives of Western Ontario municipalities with the G.T.R. authorities held in Toronto last week was at- tended ttended by Jas. Mitchell on behalf of the Goderich Board of Trade. The changes af- fecting Goderich which the railway people have promised to make are the afternoon train will leave here at 3 o'clock instead of 2:30 and a train will leave Toronto at 7 o'clock in the evening and connect at Stratford with the late train for Goderich giving an ad- ditional hour and a half in the city. F. Smeeth has the contract for a new cottage at LOOKING Menesetung Park, which will be erected shortly and also has the contract for the. superstructure of Reg Black's new h' use on Albert Street. Goderich had a visit this week from an eminent musician in the person of Graham P. Moore, professor of the Royal College of Music, South Kensington, London, England. He stayed over in Goderich to examine pupils of Mrs. (Rev.) T. R. McNair of Dungannon. 25 YEARS AGO The new Canadian plant to be started soon for The W. A, Sheaffer Pen Company of Canada Limited at Goderich will mark the first use of The Austin Company's "con- vertible design" in an 'in- dustrial plant outside the U.S. Adoption of this design fpr the manufacturing plant was based on a desire to maintain the best possible, working conditions at all times, ac- cording to W. A. Sheaffer, II, president of the company. Hearing further complaints about dogs running at large on the streets of Goderich, the Town Council last Friday night passed a by-law stating that dogs must be kept on the owner's premises from May 1 to October 1. Any dog .found running at large shall be impounded and the owner must pay $4 to retrieve the animal. After 72 hours, it can be sold or destroyed. Now all that's needed to enforce the bylaw is a dog catcher. Official opening ceremonies were held Tuesday ,afternoon for Goderich's low rental houses, 13 of the 25 having already been built. Metal' netting was laid on Wednesday and plans called for the pouring of a cement top on the south dock in front of the bathing and fish houses. This will con- siderFably facilitate walking BACK in this area. Endorsation of a project undertaken by a Goderich man has come from Prime Minister St. Laurent. The project, one which is receiving nation-wide at- tention, is national "Shut - Ins" Day for which a great deal of planning is being done by Ernest Barker of Goderich. 5 YEARS AGO Goderich Recreation director Mike Dymond and Sailing Club spokesman Pat Shanahan announced this week that the anticipated Ontario Sailing Association instruction `program will be visiting Goderich. The travelling school will be in operation at the local waterfront during the week of July 9 through July 13. The midget girls' overall champion at the Huron -Perth Track and Field meet was 15 - year -old Lisa Scholtz, a second level student at G.D.C.I. Lisa also turned in a record performance in the long jump with a measurement of 15 feet, 11 inches. First place winners from G.D.C.I. at the meet held on Monday in London are Chris Wildgen, midget 80 metre hurdles; Laura Ross, junior 100 yard dash and a record of 13.2 seconds in the 80 metre hurdles; Tim McGee, shotput and javelin (records); Wally Pierson, senior shotput winner; and Tom O'Brien, junior 100 yard dash winner. In a kind of pre -budget preparation address to Goderich Town Council at last Thursday's budget committee meeting, Finance Chairman Dave Gower warned that somewhere council was going to have to either "find or cut" about $350,000. "The taxation picture isn't good," he said. The new Kinsmen Club president is Paul Baechler. He succeeds John Shaddick.