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The Seaforth News, 1961-05-11, Page 3Those Racketeers Are Still Busy, A New Jersey housewife, weak "in mathematics, thought she sniffed a bargain whets two rough-and-ready strangers rang her doorbell and offered to Ap- ply fertilizer to the lawn. for ' a mere" 5 cents a senile' fuut, Stunned by the bill ee $200 for her modest 40 by 10Q -foot plot -- she waited too long to stop pay- ment on her cheque, learned eventually that her lawn had been coated with little more than water and sand, In St. Louis, travelling entrepreneurs who "guaranteed" to make asphalt driveways as good as new were simply applying old crankcase oil, collecting fat fees, and mov- ing on, leaving, unimproved drives that remained sticky for weeks. A San Bruno, Calif., householder, suing a painter ue- cause the house paint ran off :n the first rain and ruined his shrubbery, learned that the shrubbery would have withered in any case; it was virtually rin- growable, purveyed by a root- less "nurseryman" who had since vanished. • From coast to coast, the warm- ing sun of spring was producing the annual crop of seasonal swindlers who prey on the ii S. homeowner in his most vulner- 4 "'able moments. Bemused weth r thoughts of grass and gardens, - uncertain about winter's ravages, thousands of Americans needed only the nudge of a promised bargain to be easy pickings - and the pickers came in endless variety. Some sharpsters promo ed "home repairs," collecting exor- bitant fees for fixing nonexistent "roof damage," exterminating imaginary, mice, selling cheap screens or peeling paint jobs. Others were closer to nature if not to virtue; unwary customers will plant bulbs that never sprout, have trees mangled by quack "tree surgeons," or idly tons of worthless "fertilizer" and "topsoil" (impressively, if mean- inglessly, black) from unscrupu- lous merchants, While' some of the rackets -are outright criminal fraud, the most costly are simply sharp business practices that leave victims no legal remedy. A prevalent case in point involves high-pressure salesmen of aluminum'house sid- ings who sell • cheap materials and workmanship, talk custom- ers into contracts as high_ as $7,000 for a modest -size house, often taking a second mortgage on the house itself as security. The "contractors" develop sales leads with boiler -room telephone operations or blatant TV com- e mercials. "There 's no hard sell here, folks," runs a Los. Angeles version, "Just helpful advice." Once in the doof, a salesman may offer rebates for referral sales to other neighbors or even offer siding• free as a "demon, stration model" for the neighbor- hood. He requires only that the householder sign a "few papers" since it is "illegal" to give things away, The papers, of course, are are a complex and ultimately expensive contract. Others offer to pay off all a homeowner's debts if he signs for a contract, then add these to the price. Atlanta's Better Business Bu- reau estimates that no less than 90 "contractors" were operating in that city last month. Cali- fornia officials have started a special drive against such phon- ies, whose take "is running into Millions of dollars." Special "breaks" for "refer- rals" or "demonstrations" are a common gimmick with sharpies whose aim is to get their mer- chandise installed and then eon - front. the victim with accom- plished fact and the small print of the contract. Taking an op- posite Molt, repair .gyps neay Of- fer minor roof or chimney re- pairs for a sniall fee, wreak.real damage with a sledge hammer, and quote a new price for a jpb that "is bigger than we thought," Some other approaches; The Lawn Shark: Spreading. bad seed and fertilizer (often harmful waste from chemical plants), and contrasting sharply with the slick types who sell home renovations, this operator "always dresses real dirty and acts real ignorant," according to W. C. Stewart of Atlanta's Ste- wart Pet & Garden Supply Co. "He'll say 'help me add these here figures' so the .customer: will think he's taking advantage of some poor country man," The Mortar Mice: Chicago houswives have been plagued by "exterminators" who' asic to ex- amine the chimney, feign alarm, and reappear with a dead mouse whose brethren are allegedly "eating the mortar." In a Detroit variation, the• strangers release live white rats to dramatize their message. rhe Landscape Artist: Equip- ped with color slides of brilliant floral scenes, this specialist sells an expensive "landscape re- design" contract that actually gives the customer 'little snore than a few packs of cheap seeds. Others run deceptive mall -order ads for "exotic plants" such as the "tree of heaven" (the alien - thus, or stink -tree) and the Chrysanthemum maximum (the common daisy). The Williamsons: A group of interrelated itinerants, these hit- and-run gyps make a regular. spring pilgrimage through the Midwest wrecking chimneys, selling rootless shrubs, and working a 'dozen other time - proven gimmicks, How can a homeowner guard against the predators of the venal equinox? The best rules, as Better Business, Bureaus have been repeating for years, are to buy supplies and services from established dealers; distrust ex- ceptional "bargains," particular- ly those offered by strangers! sign nothing without reading it carefully, and never sign a blank contract. Another springtime de- fense, failing all others: A good sense of humus. From NEWS - WEEK. POSTAL ODDITIES 'People frequently travel many miles to buy a stamp at the post office in Richardson Grove, Cali- fornia. Because it is inside a tree -one of America's great red- wood trees, some of which grow to a height of 300 ft. and have a circumference of up to 90 ft. The entrance is through a split in the trunk of the tree and two other giant redwoods serve as the front walls for the main building behind. The world's loneliest post of- fice was established on Floreana Island, about six hundred miles west of Ecuador, South America, It consisted of a large barrel standing on the shore. The islanders dropped their letters into it and passing ships called and collected them, put- ting back into , the barrel any post:.1rgm the mainland. Among other progressive steps in today's world wenote a re- cently announced four -handled shovel built for ground -breaking ceremonies of companies that have an eight -handed executive board, FLYING LOW -- These young chimpanzees make, their first flight - in an airline bag. The chimps look concerned about how they are transferred from winter' to summer quarters at the Frankfurt, Germany, zoo. RINGS AROUND THE WORLD - The earth resembles a huge unraveling ball of string in this space-age exhibit at Case Institute of Technology, Centerpiece of the display is a model of the earth showing the orbits of all 'but the most recent satellites sent into space by the U.S. and Russia, The show, put topether by National Aeronautics and Space Administration, cost more than $50,000 and is the most complete exhibition of space vehicles ever assembled under one roof. TllflA1&1 FRONT School Superintendent by day, poultry farmer by night, C. R. Thompson of Iowa enjoys the best of two worlds. He has prey- ed that a man can manage a 10,000 -chicken operation success- fully and still, keep his place in. the educational field. He was helping two you'''ng girls wijh their shorthand when we met him ' in his office at the Milford Township High Sohool. As the noon hour was approach- ing, he excused the girls and was ready to answer our ques- tions about his unusual side line. * * * How did he get into it? ' "Well, our family liked fried. chicken," he said with a twinkle in' his eye. "I started with a few broilers for our own use. Then I got interested and kept ex- panding." Mr. Thompson now has a $50,000 investment in his hen houses and equipment. He took us over to see his plant at Roland, not many miles away. In addition to some 6,000 lay- ers in conventional houses, he cares for 4,000 more hens in in- dividual cages, These are sup- plied him on a contract arrange- ment with the Ames In -Cross Hatchery. For each of these a daily egg production record must be kept. The records enable the hatchery pedple to single out the best producers for breeding pur- poses. •Mr•. Thompson sells their eggs, as the hatchery has no use for them. ;, 4,, * Seeing all these vigorous red - combed white hens (a Leghorn cross), you naturally wonder who looks after them. Obviously there is a great deal of work in- volved, too much for a. school superintendent even if he is an energetic one, Mr. Thompsnn says he employs his brother and' sister-in-law at the present time. Before his sons went to col- lege, they did much of the' work, Actually, it was to give them jobs that Mr. Thompson thought of expanding his Chicken -farm- ing operations in the first place. His boys needed something to do, and they needed to earn money for college. The chickens. provided answers to both re- quirements. * * * The older lad, now a sopho- more at Iowa State University, is still paying his expenses with wages he saved from his chick- en -farm days, his 'father said. Other boys in the neighbour- hood who worked for Mr; Thompson also are using money they earned here to help thesis. through college, writes Dorothea Kahn Jaffe in the Christian Sm- ence Monitoe:' Mr. Thompson has installed automatic feeders to reduce la- bour. They dispense feed by the clock. Still, there is much to be done, Hens must be carefully in - Upsidedown to Prevent Peeking V 0 N 31 DIY 3M 3 A N I 1 0 Id 3Id d.3 V 3 a N 3 3 0 A d V el Sb 3 O O ;L ?J 0 a 3 N 3 V -L 0 a 3 0 N a 5 DIA S 3QOk4 3d D1 NNI V A 1 1:1 3 3 NV011011NV 32f 3e S-1OOa ti.1. .L 3 '1 $ H S V 0 D S 1 4 211 3 spected, houses cleaned and ven- tilated, records must be kept. And, of course, eggs have to be gathered, cleaned, candled (oil sprayed if they are to be put in storage)i and cased. Management can be a part-time job, as it is for Mr. Thompson, but to do the detail work 'full-time em- ployees are needed. * * * It's only . after his eight or more hours in school administra- tion that the superintendent turns to his hens. He finds it relaxing to visit his flocks, ga- ther eggs, plan improvements in production ,or distribtuion. "Fascinating work," he says. When he led us into one of the layer houses and we saw 1,350 flapping hens and a few cocky roosters expressing their individual notions about the ar- rival, of strangers, we could ,un- derstand how he feels. It's easy to drop problems of the day in such an animated scene, * C' * Mr. Thompson is interested in the marketing problems of poul- try producers. At the present time competition is keen and the profit margin small, he says. "An extra penny per dozen in selling price can mean the difference between profit and loss." By selling direct to consumer and eliminating some handling costs, he says, the farmer's profit may be increased. Mr. Thompson sells a consider- able portion of his eggs to the Iowa State University cafeteria. "Hatching eggs," used to produce chicks, he sells at a 10 -cents -a- ' dozen premium to the hatchery. The hatchery sells these eggs not only in many parts of the United States but in severe] countries in Europe, * * ' * Which has paid better, admin- istering an institution of nearly 200 rural youngsters from kin- dergarten through high school or producing eggs? Mr. Thomp- son says that depends upon the egg market, which is variable. The school job is more staple, whatever the return, and he re- gards his school income as sales - factory. But when he retires in the near Nein, he. thinks the poultry business will be a very nice qne to have, He is referring not only to the income it will provide but to the demands it will make upon him for continu- ed activity. To keep stip with modern farm technology requires constant effort, and this Mr. Thompson is prepared to make. * * * The tise of black polyethylene - plastic film as a mulch for strawberry beds promises to double the per acre production of berries in the South, Only about half the increase is due to the plastic itself, by reducing the number of culls, eliminating soil rot, and reducing damage by birds. Hoeing is eliminated, and sav- ings of up to 600 pounds of fer- tilizer per acre are possible by use of the plastic. * * A. N. Brooks, plant patholo- gist, at Florida's Strawberry In- vestigations Laboratory, Plant City, says the cost of the plastic including labour to apply, runs from $85 to $100 an acre, about two-thirds - the cost of hoeing alone. Plastic mulch brings the ber- ries into production about 10 ,days earlier than without it, and Mr. Brooks forecasts that its use will cause a doubling of straw- berry acreage within a year or two. It can be used only in the South or wherever else a single plant row is used rather than the matted -row system. Some . folks remember way back when infiltration meant no- thingmore than flies getting through •a screen door on a hot summer's day. DAY SC/1001 LESSON. By Rev ; It, Barclay Warren B.A., 13.D, Out of the Heart Proverbs 3:1-8; 9:20.23; Luke 6:43-15, Memory Selection: Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of It are the issues of life. Proverbs 4:23. Jeremiah wrote, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" It is from this evil nature of man that sin emerges. Jesus said, "For out of the heart proceed evil thought, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies." In our day we inclines to ex- cuse the individual and blame society. We lift the load off the individual and spread it out on the group and thus blame the sin of the individual on environ- ment, The fact remains that we are persons with a will of our own and 'every pne of us shall give account of himself to God." What is the remedy for man's bad heart? First, we must admit it, Then we can become really concerned about the cure, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil. We may do some reforming on our own, but we can't effect a cleansing of our heart. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and ,lust to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteous- ness." When we repent of our sins, the Holy Spirit will guide us into faith in Jesus Christ; the living active faith that involves our committing ourselves fully to Him, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding, In all they ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." The memory selection exhorts us to guard the heart. When we have been forgiven of all our sins and our heart has been puri- fied by the indwelling Spirit, (Acts 15:9), we need to watch against the wiles of the devil. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the dark- ness of this world, against spiri- tual wickedness in high places." When there is no hostile attitude toward God's will from within, we have full access to God's power that we can overcome the evil forces without, We must keep the heart pure. As we con- tinue walking in the light tll,e blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7). ISSUE 18 - 1961 CROSSWOR PUZZLE ACROSS 1. -evergreen 4, Combines a. Mr. Lincoln 15. Exist l:i. Vagary 14. Metal container 1s. Selling again 17. Betel palms YS. Danish fiord 2u. Self-esteem 51. Pugilist 24. Surrounded by 27, Hostelry' 58. Fag -end • 35. The onion Si. Football position tab 1 32. Corrupt 34. Three -toed sloth 36, Cann'. fashion 37. Reasonable s, Tap. weight 88. Feed the firm 41. Nunnery 43, Feeble-nsind• ed (colloq.) 46. One .(Cres•,) 48. Show fond- ness for 48. Con f'lotions 51. Female rabbit 62: Fast Bohe- ralan dance 64. Tibetan gazelle 66. Peer (c"ntr,i 86. An a'ttiknecli fluid 57, Result. S. Curtain 92. Rind of D Materiel . black tee 9. pplus assent 28. Continuance 10, Bleat '38. Leafless being YY. Abstract parasitic' plasl9 18. Remnant of 28. Fail to follow combustion suit Dant 28, Mandatesio40.2Day's march 1. DistaCholer 21. SeMotion 94. Contend t Ii. Choler 21. Motion 46. Jogging gats 4. Artld Ca to m 46. Netherlands 4. Artistes tots- 22. Cast mass rcommune Ing boardold- 47. Old spelling 6. Common. 28. Corn spikes of Noah logarithm or 26. Land of Ili. 41,. heavens ten castanet 48, Weight 8. Part of the 28. Contaminate K8. Downcast Bible lab.) 29. Light gauzy 68, Left hand 1. Fabricator fabric (tousle) Answer elsewhree on this page FOR EXCELLENCE The largest annual international award for architectural excellence has ' been given to the designers of this striking structure. The firm of Murphy and Mackey will receive the 1961 R. S. Reynolds Memorial Award - $25,000 - for the "Climatron;' a display. greenhouse in the Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, The structure is a geodesic dome, 70 feet high, made of aluminum and glass. /2 - 13/4 a2d la 16 r1 /9• . j }2'�0 .. ...v a'/9.. 22 . . _ .. 23 :`F a \\?• 24 2 .. 27 029 n-9 •, 30 ., 31 35 • Ve ad 36 32. . - 3s \ti 34 `:. :'b 37• 2e:.. 39 40 / 45 .. ,tx.¢g A9 50.. 51 53 55 162 56 3 -IS 7 Answer elsewhree on this page FOR EXCELLENCE The largest annual international award for architectural excellence has ' been given to the designers of this striking structure. The firm of Murphy and Mackey will receive the 1961 R. S. Reynolds Memorial Award - $25,000 - for the "Climatron;' a display. greenhouse in the Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, The structure is a geodesic dome, 70 feet high, made of aluminum and glass.