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The Wingham Advance-Times, 1984-09-26, Page 4Published at Wingham, Ontario, P.Q. Sox 390. NOG 2W0 by Wenger Bros., Limited Barry Wenger. President Henry Hess, Editor Robert 0. Wenger, Sec.-Treas. Audrey Currie, Advertising Manager Member Audit Bureau &Circulations Member—Canadian Community Newspaper Assoc. Subscriptions $20.00 per year Second Class Mail Registration No. 0821 Ontario Community Newspaper Assoc. Six months $11.50 Return postage guaranteed Priorities reversed A news release received last week detailed plans by the Ontarib Ministry of Correctional Services to convert the now -empty. Bluewater Regional Centre Into a correctional centre for young of- fenders. While there is good news In the fact that the centre will once again be used and will provide jobs for area residents, the announcement reflects a lamentable sense of priorities at work in the province's corridors of power. Without taking anything away from the need to deal. effectively and compassionately with young offenders, it does seem odd that the government apparently had no difficulty finding $10.4 million to refurbish the centre and untold millions more to staff and oper- ate it as a correctional centre, but was not able to find the funds to continue its operation as a centre for the develop- mentally handicapped. It is further interesting to note that there is seemingly no difficulty in find-' ing the money to pay the salaries of the more than 150 staff who will supervise and care for the up to 120 16 and 17- year-olds who have run afoul of the law, while at the same time funds are being,withdrawn from day care centres and other support services for families and the very young. It is commendable that our gov- ernment recognizes the need to provide the sort of rehabilitative programs, employing psychologists, psychia- trists, educators and social workers, that will help a young offender come to grips with the problems that brought him or her into conflict with the law. If these programs help to set a young person on the road to a happy, and pro- ductive life, we all benefit. Waiting to deal with the problems until they have brought an individual into open conflict with society is, how- ever, both costlier and less effective than tackling them at an earlier stage. There isc n old saying, "A stitch in time save nine:' More support for programs such as day care and the Huron Centre for Children and Youth might help to eliminate the need for young offenders' centres, both here and elsewhere. We should be told In almost every case of labor un- rest,. both management and unions seem loath to discuss actual wage levels in public.,Both sides are anxious to leave the impression that their par- • ticular cause is just. Public opinion and `,support are necessary to win the battle of'the labor front, but many strikes are fought without the public having any firm knowledge of the prevailingrates of pay for the workers. In some cases the strikers are right in their demand for better wages — but in many other instances (heir" demand are simply unreal istic.h• A week ago workers at the' Im- perial Tobacco plant in Guelph were threatening strike action. Were they justified in their claim that present wages are unfair? Hardly. The pre- vailing wage rate is an avera9e $14 per hour or nearly $29,000 per year. Canada Post is presently engaged in negotiations with the Canadian Union of Postal workers (CUPW)- The Kitchener -Waterloo Record claims to have obtained a document which shows that the postal workers are asking for a wage increase of $1.25 per hour begin- ning October 1, as well as an additional 88 cents a year later. The Record says that the union is also seeking a cut in the 371/2 -hour work week with no loss of pay. Mail handlers now get $12.53 an hour. A <47 per centincrease would bring that figure up to $14.66 per hour in the second year, but coupled with a 32- " hour week the comparison with present wage rates would be $17.18. No doubt these figures will be denied as the talks proceed, but it is very evident that public sympathy and support for such demands will be rare indeed. Worth repeating A letter from a ratepayer to mem- bers of a nearby municipal council last week should provide food for thought for all those whose hands are on the strings of the public purse. Comment- ing on a trend toward free -spending and grandiose projects, both in Turn- berry and eisewhere, the writer con- cludes: "Council members should bear in mind that the money they are spending comes from people (who) have recent- ly been hit with inflation, unemploy- ment (and) ruinous interest rates .: . "In these uncertain times, surely a responsible government body, having the interests of its ratepayers in mind, should refrain from excessive spending and avoid going into .debt at all costs. There is not, after all, a never-ending supply of dollars in taxpayers' pockets. And I for one am sick to death of prac- tising restraint by'buying smaller cars or heating my house with wood in order to save money, only to have it swelled up by an ever-increasing tax load in- curred by irresponsible administrat- ors." It is a sentiment which is echoed by many. Crying- for revenge Three Toronto area policemen have been murdered within three weeks. Two more officers were shot down in the Ottawa area. Policemen all over the land are crying out for return of the death penalty. More than thirty-five hundred policemen from across Canada attended the latest funeral in Toronto - an obvious demonstration in favor of the death penalty. The fear and grief of police officers is understandable, but the remedy they are asking Is illogical. There is ample evidence that the death penalty has little usefulness as a deterrent to murder. , In many states of the American union the death penalty has been rein- stated. The methods[ texecution range through the Whig squad, the electric chair, the gas chambers, the noose, and even lethal Injections. Despite this re - m A A4 turn to the ultimate deterrent, how- ever, Americans still lead the world when it comes to murder and other vio- lent crimes. The death penalty has failed. It has done nothing to arrest a growing murder rate. Donald Marshall, now 30 years of age, Is still trying to get compensation for the 11 years he spent inrison after he was convicted of a murder charge in Nova Scotia: After those long years it was found that another man had com- mitted the murder for which Marshall was paying the price. Had the death penalty been in- voked Marshall would have been 10 years in his grave. As the free press develops, the paramount point Is whether the jour- nalist, like the scientist or scholar, puts truth in the first •place or In the second. —Walter Lippman t. 26 page o editorial opinion inion r . _ v.. I WOULD HAVE !BEEN) I4ERlE, OONER, BUT DOME CI IP POPPED pVER 10 7b1E /1O05E AND!!C-GEST- - i D A POSTPONEMENT .............. Items from SEPTEMBER 1937 It was decided at a joint meeting of Wingham and Turnberry Councils to have Reeve Grain of Turnberry and Reeve Davidson of town interview the Ontario, De- partment of Highwaysre= garding what arrangements can be made in having the road from the end of Jose- phine Street to the cemetery resurfaced. At a meeting of the high school students, the Literary Society elected John Gear president. Vice presidents are Verne Walker and Bill Burgman; secretary is Marie Kelly and treasurer John Lamb. A former student at the local high school, Dan Arbuckle, son of Mr. -and Mrs. W. J. Arbuckle of East Wawanosh, was called to the bar last week. He has takena position in the law office of I. B. Lucas of Markdale. George Mason has ac- cepted a position with the Anderson Book and Stationery Store at New Liskeard. The 1938 motor vehicle permits and operators' licenses will go on sale throughout the province immediately. The new plates are of attractive design, with `crown and orange figures on blue background. There are no letter prefixes. School re -opened in Wroxeter with a good at- tendance in both public and continuation schools. The teaching staff is composed of H. Knight and Miss Archibald of Seaforth in the continuation school, Miss Gilkinson of Wingham and Miss E:' Stocks of Wroxeter on the public school staff. SEPTEMBER 1949 Past President Art Loucks was presented with a past president's pin and a beautiful silver tea tray by fellow members of the Wingham Kinsmen Club. Art is leaving Wingham, resigning from his present job to open a new business venture in his hometown of Napanee. The Wingham High School Glee Club held its first meeting of the year and elected as officers Barbara° Gaunt, Desmond Brophy and Mary Ann Cleland. Pianists are Barbara Gaunt, Ann Chamney, Eleanor Wight - man and Currie Burchill. Wingham Juveniles captured the WOAA softball crown by downing Atwood 18-14 on their home diamond on Saturday. PRFSS COUNCIL The Advance -Times is a member of the Ontario Press Council which will consider written com- plaints about the publica- tion of news, opinions and advertising. If a com- plaint can't be resolved with the newspaper, it should be sent to,the On- tario Press Council, 151 Slater St., Suite 708, Ot- tawa, Ont. K1P'5H3 The engagement is an- nounced of Evelyn Roe, daughter of Mrs. Clara Scott and the late W. J. Scott, to James Anderson Mair, son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Mair of Chesley. The marriage will take place the early part of October. Miss Jean Adair left for Guelph where she will attend MacDonald Institute to study Household Economics. A new Rebekah Lodge was formed in Wingham and new officers were elected. Mrs. Jean Aitchison was named Noble Grand and her sup- porting officers include Mrs. Iva Rutherford, Mrs. Jean Trigger, Mrs. Uldene MacKenzie, Mrs. Olive Lewis ' and Mrs. Margaret Bennett. SEPTEMBER 1960 John Congram, son of Mr. and Mrs. W. D. Congram of Wingham, received a $300 Estarl Award at the 45th annual session of Ontario Grand Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star, in Toronto. John is in second year theology at Knox College, Toronto. E. S. Copeland of Fry and Blackhall Limited, has received an order from their Fredericton, N.B..dealer for two 18th century period chairs. The chairs were destined for the home of the newly -elected premier of New Brunswick, Hon. L. J. Robichaud. At a special one -day session, Huron County Council sold the Sky Harbour airport to Keith Hopkinson for $25,000. Mr. Hopkinson has operated a flying in- struction school at the port' for several years. A con- dition of the sale is that the new owner must maintain the property as an airport for at least 25 years. Belgrave residents welcome Mr. and Mrs. Chris Nethery who ' have moved into the house they pur- chased' from Mrs. Mary Wade.A welcome also to Jack Van Camp, Brenda and Raymond, and their housekeeper, Mrs. Zim- merman, and Mr. and Mrs. William Smith, who are residing 'in the apartments owned by Clarence Hanna. At the regular meeting of the volunteer firemen in Wingham, appointment of officers and committees for 1961 resulted in Jim Carr being named chief and D. Crothers assistant. Captains are Bill Bain and Norm Cronkwright and secretary= treasurer is S. Cowan. Ken Gregg of the Toronto - Dominion Bank staff in Wingham has been tran- sferred to Orangeville, and took over his new duties on Monday. SEPTEMBER 1970 Guest speaker at the Wingham Corps 84th an- niversary services at The Salvation Army, was Cap- tain Stanley Newman, former Corps officer. At the evening service, the building was filled to capacity to witness the burning of the Id Files mortgage on the new building. Sr. Major M. Wheeler and Captain Newman were given the privilege of destroying the document. Official opening ceremon- ies were held Sunday at the new Kincardine airport, lo- cated two miles north ofthat town near, Highway 21. A co- operative project between the town of Kincardine and the township of the same name, the airport has cost about $20,000 to date. At a special meeting held in Lakelet to decide on a project for the community recreation development, it was unanimously voted that lights be installed so children cansee to enjoy the outdoors longer. Mr. and Mrs. Garry Calvin Double will reside in Stratford after their marriage at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in Wingham. The bride is the former Shirley Ann Martin of RR 4, Wingham.. At a meeting of the Belmore WMS, Mrs. Ira Leeson was presented with a Life Membership in the Presbyterian Women's Missionary Society by Mrs. Alvin Mundell. At the Huron County Holstein breeders' black and white show held at Seaforth, George Hayden of Gorrie was named Premier Breeder and'' Premier -Exhibitor. A total of 76 Hplsteins brought out by 15 exhibitors c91.1,47OW) "at' the ''silt[ ah''} in- crease of ten head over 1969. New library long overdue Dear Editor, I have been asked to bring the plight of the Public Library to the general public and those in authority to do - something about it. A new library is 10 years overdue. The present one is certainly too small and overcrowded. We exchange bores every week and it is getting to be quite a chore. By the number of names which have been collected in the library there are hun- dreds of people using it, besides all the children. Why can't the old fire hall be renovated for a new library? With those new windows in, it will certainly have to be moved as there is no fresh air getting in. According to what I have heard, those windows are a real occupational health hazard, giving people head- aches and a feeling of nausea. What will that do to people with heart trouble who need clean air to breathe? Any more letter -writers out there? Pickup your pens and get busy. Winnie Taylor RR 1, Wingham Saddened by criticism of Humbard Dear Editor, My heart was saddened as I read the letter sent in by one of your subscribers condemning Rex:;Humbard. God says in his word, "Touch not mine annointed and do my servants no harm" (Psalm 105:15). I believe that Rex is an an- nointed servant of God. It was through beautiful preachers like Rex Humbard that we received the truth and were given the assurance of eternal life. Instead of condemning these people, we need to examine our own lives to see if we are right with the Lord and are prepared to,meet iii. t E c Hewit RR i, Belgrave AN AUTUMN SCENE—There is beauty in the simple things, like these horses grazing under a tree ablaze in fall colors last Friday afternoon on the second concession of Morris Township. Summer drew to a close officially last Saturday, but It went out under warm, sunny skies across the area.