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The Huron Expositor, 1983-05-18, Page 2uron fxpositor ' Since 1860, Serving the Community first Incorporating BTII$se.Is Post founded 1872 '12 Main St. 527-0240 Published at SEAFORTH, ONTARIO every Wednesday morning Suean White, Managing Editor Jocelyn A. Shrler, Publisher ®plledor GRAPE SEVEN students at Seaforth public;` chool,tj9nytad their time and energy last week to cut lawns, trim ehruba and waah windows at Kllbarohan Nursing Home. Carol Anne Glanville, below, received a helping paw from Toby. Kathy Blake, right, washed windows and Darren Akei,$nd Joe Smith painted benches. TrlmmlnQ a shrub le Ruth Brown. _ _ (Wasalnkphotoe)*. Member Canadian Community Newspaper Association, Ontario Community Newspaper Association and Audit Bureau of Circulation A member of the Ontario Press Council Subscription rates: Canada $17,75 a year (in advance) outside Canada 550. a year (In advance) Single Copies - 50 cents each SEAFORTH. ONTARIO, WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 1983 Second class mall registration number0696 Is this bare bones? First of all, let's give credit where credit is due. Both the. Huron County Board of Education and the Huron Perth Roman Catholic Separate School Board have announced spending increases that are a few percentage points less than last year's increases. All taxpayers paid 13.8 per cent more to run the Huron schools in 1982 than In 1981. This year we'll pay 10.5 per cent more than that. Similarly, separate school supporters paid for a budget that increased by 14 per cent in 1982. This year the increase has been held to 12.5 per cent. And we say "held to" deliberately: the people who run both education systems honestly feel that as much paring and cutting as possible has been done. Both 1983 forecasts were presented and adopted as bare bones budgets. But an increase that's a bit less than last year's increase is .not good enough during a time of restraint. Provincial and federal guidelines have the effect of holding most peoples' pay increases to five and six per cent. Plenty of self-employed people and farmers have taken pay cuts over the last year, and feel they are losing equity almost daily Municipalities in our area were careful to hold employee pay raises to provincial maximums. School boards didn't have that option because contracts were settled before the guidelines were introduced. School boards too are faced with keeping up the same buildings, operating the same buses, with fewer students. ..-✓ None of it is easy. Everybody has overhead and almost all of it has increased by more than six per cent. But many municipalities have cut and agonized in an attempt to keep local expenses close to the guidelines - Grey Township has no increase; McKillop has 10 per cent; Brussels has a decrease. We're sure school trustees feel the same process has been followed with their budgets. But the general reader oing carefully through a comparison of the Huron County board's 1983 expenses with last year's actual costs might have a few doubts. Example: In the secondary school area, although capital project costs drop 78.7 per cent, staff travel and improvement costs will increase 44.7 per cent. Sure the money spent on staff travel and improvement is small potatoes in a budget of more than $11 million. And no one would argue that it's not important for staff members to keep up-to-date, to travel to the schools often and to wherever' they need to within reason in order to do a better job. But surely in tough times that's exactly the sort of discretionary expense that has ,to, go,Bans on ,convention and meeting attendance, slashing of travel budgets, even cutting of mileage rates haven't been uncommon in private business as companies struggle to stay alive. There are always cuts that can be made. In some cases they don't make sense if they just detayc-for example, costly repairs that will just get more so. But other expenses, not absolutely essential for survival,, can be cut. Staff can share skills with each other. Improvement of already talented people does not have to cost money. It's true that the Huron board, with salaries accounting for more than 60 per cent of its budget, doesn't have a lot of room to cut. But the administration centre's 22 per cent increase is another hike that might bear a closer look. Municipalities naturally resent acting as tax collectors for the boards when they have no say in what is spent. They do their own cost cutting; they want to be assured that the boards are being just as careful. School boards have a reputation of being otherwise. Big increases for items like the admin centre and staff travel and improvement do nothing to change that impression. -SW Coming to us Apathy? I can't get too excited about it Most of us 'are short of money. We're also short of time, patience and good humor. One of the few commodities we've got plenty of is news. Even though •it's contradictory for someone in the communica- tions business to says I'm getting tired of the information explosion. And I don't think that rection is all that rare. Oh sure, the dailies' leltters to the eanor columns are full of writings from people with strong, tough opinions on almost any suHjeet."t And a mild conversation at a party of coffee break will turn into an argument quickly 'if you make a foreceful statement abqut just about anything. i• But the huge amount of information (personal stuff as well as what is in the media) we are all bombarded with on issues and happenings, large and small, has resulted in many of us deciding to pick our fights with extreme care. We opt to let the vast majority of news slide right by. Our opinion? We don't much care. OUR OWN LISTS My list of the stuff I can't get too excited about is likely different than yours. Rightly so. That's how democracy works: if we all got hot under the collar about the same things, we'd be in either a constant state of war or a A big mother's day crowd had a whale of a time. The occasion was one afternoon of a two week visit of an assortment of super exhibits from the Ontario Science Centre. The place was The Livery, the old building near The Square in Goderich that's being restored for community use. And the whole thing was free. Kids and parents had a ball with, hands-on experiments in everything from making paper to retea ing a hot air balloon. A large number of Seaforth and area people were there; showing that a small high ceilinged building like The Livery can benefit the whole area, not only those who live in or near Goderich. The enjoyment on the faces of young and old also proves the Science Centre's outreach attempt is appreciated by those of us who live in Huron County. It can get frustrating to read about exciting things going on in tax -supported institutions in far-off Toronto. No matter how much we in rural Ontario would like to, we can't just pack up the kids and head to the big city so that they can experience the educational things that are open to city kids. Events that bring city opportunity right here, events litre the Science Circus, fill an important gap. Thanks, Science Centre, and thanks tri the folks at The Livery too. iOGu�i @AllAwg i�0 �CQy by Mo,(:)fh WhOt® constant state of burnout. In an effort to get dialogue going here, I'll teltYOU, MMY fitfttlenr.peeveso Let's hear yours; - they'd make an interesting future'coluthn:' t' Despite the fact that budget leaks from two'' levels of government recently have taken up hours and pages -of news time and space, these leaks don't bother .me much. Yes, 1 understand that leaks are a no -no because someone might benefit from advance info, but no one did. And 1 find it interesting, not to say amazing, that so many people can get worked up about 1) the•media's dastardly conduct and 2) whether or not the ministers should resign. Next? Metric. Although you've got to respect people who feel so strongly about the metric system that they practise civil disobedience rather than sell gas in litres, to me it's no big deal. A change that will make our lives simpler if anything. Sure 1 have to think for a minute when someone tells us it's 12 degrees "outside.,but that's not one of the world's Worst filightk. • •• • 'QUICK LEARNERS Kids learning French in the schools. As far as I can see it s just great when kids learn anything. Anywhere. Many of the small ones seem to pick up another language quickly and with a great deal of pride in their accomplishment. The little dears may indeed stick their feet beyond uni-lingual Western Ontario when they grow up and then any knowledge of any language will help them. The NHL playoffs. Now that they extend well into baseball season, can anyone but the most devoted hockey fan get too excited about whether Wayne Gretzky can win the Stanley Cup single-handed? And even the most devoted hockey fans have families who'd like to see them unglued from the 'w set once in a while. Meetings. In the interests of improved mental health for the majority of the population, 1 propose that another method of getting things done be 'found. 1 don't feel strongly enough about this to crusade for it, mind you. I'm just saying that an invitation to a meeting of any sort does not make my heart beat fast with anticipation. Government in general. I'm aware that this is.the most serious item -An my list. And also that it coul&be the Ode -most people agree with. It's sad but true -Most of us feel that most of what goes on at any level of government has little to do with our day-to-day lives. Except when it's time to pay the piper. Somebody ought to crusade about this cynicism and powerlessness: 1 can't get Mo excited about it. The "ain't it awful" brigade. It's fashion- able to criticize people who sit around, moan and groan but take no action to change whatever it is that bugs 'em so much. Really, so what else is new? ' • tiny percentage of the population has atwa s made most of the changes. The rest of us b tch. before and after the fact. That way both the doers and the hard -done -by get satisfaction. Some day ('11 tell you about the issues that really get my goat. Right now I can't get too excited about them. ., why have we lost our faith in the law? I've been trying to get some of my students interested in writing essays for money, instead of grinding them out for the teacher. The local Bar Association offers a $100 prize for an essay on The Rule of Law. The Leacock Association offers $50 for the best humorous piece by a high school student. Either my students are leery of the law, and have no sense of humor, or they.already have more money than is good for them. There is a resounding lack of interest in both competi• tions. Even great writers have been fascinated by the law. Shakespeare said something like, "Let's hang all the lawyers." The poor man was constantly in the courts, which made him a poorer man. But his sentiment will be readily echoed in many a mind. Dickens said it succinctly: "The law is an ass." An equally popular idea among a fair proportion of the populace. Thoreau too had a word for the law: "Unjust laws exist. Shall we obey them. or shall we endeavour to amend them and obey them until we have succeeded, or 'shall we transgress them at once?" He states further, 4o ti c, *rink Q Harmony Kings were superb Those who went to the high school to see the Harmony Kings were the lucky ones. All the work and arranging does credit to the district. We all enjoyed it so much from start to finish. It was well -pro- duced and the singing was superb. Museum founder w May 1 call your attention to an error in your issue of May 11. In the article on the Huron County Museum, you gave the name of the museum founder as H.G. O'Neil, This is not correct. The museum founder was Herbert Neill, a former resident of Gorrie, who began his collection of artifacts while living here. When Just had to express the pleasure we all felt and heard. Let us have a repeat next year. Sincerely Grace Titford Seaforth as Herbert M Neill „, ., u, a, .,f the mascaui he took his collection with him to Goderich, Some of Mr. Neill's relatives still live in the north end of the county. 1t is only fair that he should get credit for his tireless work. and his priceless donations to the county. E.I. Dennis Gorrie ��gcoa? @nd Dear b}y ©666 Sart6h y "If it (a law) requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then. 1 say. break the law." Neatly put. Of course, if everyone followed Thoreau's advice, military law would become a shambles, there'd be no more war, and people would stop killing each other in massive numbers. that, of course, would upsct the economy dreadfully. and where would we be then? Looking back through history. we can see that the law doesn't always appear too squeaky clean. but somehow the resufts weren't too bad. Christ was crucified by the law. and see what that produced. Joan of Arc was condemned as a heretic by ecclersiastical law. and burned as witch by English law. If that hadn't happened, the English wouldn't have been driven out of France, and the populace of that lovely land would have been condemned to a lifetime of eating brussels sprouts instead of truffles. It seems that the law, traditionally blindfolded, works, like God, in mysterious ways its wonders to perform. In modern times, the law is taking something of a battering. Ordinary citizens break the laws freely. especially when it has anything to do with something much more majestic — the automobile. A man who would vomit at the thought of murder. rape. robbery, will cheerfully park illegally. exceed the speed limit, refuse to fasten his seat belt. Because the minions of the law — police and the military — are tools of the establishment, there was a great wave of Lawlessness during the anti-establishment movement of the 60s and 70s. Because the law seemed to have lost its teeth. we have seen unions defying court injunctions. football ff' rioting and vandal- izing, mugging in th' streets. Because we see our once -treasured Mount- ies up to all sorts of nefarious tricks. and see the police closing ranks when some of their members are charged with brutality, we have lost some ofour once -solid faith in the arms of the law. Because we see clearly, every day in the news. that there is one law for the rich and another for the poor, we have lost some of our faith in the courts. Perhaps the most telling sign of the times is a recent news story from England. where the bobbies, traditionally unarmed. are carrying guns in a British city. on a "trial basis". It's not too late. There is still. at least in this country. a healthy respect for the law. an earnest desire to be a lawabiding nation. But a good spring cleaning would burnish the image of the law, which has become somewhat tarnished in the twentieth century. Do they teach garbage sifting at journalism school? Ihis )(Peek your correspondent brings you exclulive news. Not only will you read it here first', you probably will never read it anytti e else. Toron 6: Representatives from several of Canada stop journalism schools have formed a jot committee to protest the Toronto Glob and Mail's decision not to hire any more graduates of journalism. The Globe and Mail. in its prepared statement earlier this week, said Canadian journalism schools are not providing the required training to their students. A representative of the University of Western Ontario journalism department, however, retorted, "We can be as good at garbage as anybody else." A representative from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute said com- mencing in September students would be given intensive training in the investigative procedures of sifting through garbage cans. The protest was prompted when the Globe and Mail announced it would in the future recruit its political reporters from the ranks of the city's garbage collectors. , In a further development, the union representing Metro Toronto sanitary workers announced it would challenge the right of the Newspaper Guild to represent reporters at a*Bond Im@ oc&nw by C3c:� di G°�o�n6�4otm the Giobe and Mail. They obviously belong in our union," the spokesman said, "or they have no business touching our garbage." Montreal: Brian Mulroney Conservative leadership candidate. has charged dirty tricks on the part of Peter Pocklington and has announced he will take steps to fight back if the Conservative party executive does not Mr. Mulroney said he has put in a bid to buy the New York Islanders in an effort to counter the unfair amount of media exposure Mr. Pocklington is getting on national television. "Every time there's a faceoff in the hockey game the camera is on Pockling- ton," Mulroney said. "I'll bet the camera- man is one oT his delegates." Mr. Mulroney said he made the offer to purchase after the C.B.C. had denied his request for equal time to present his profile on camera, Brampton: A Brampton newspaper has announced it is suing a reporter who sold the paper diaries purported to be those kept by Ontario Premier William Davis during the first 10 years in office. The paper says the authenticity of the diaries. in which the Premier is reported to have recorded the agonizing decisions he made, is not in question. The problem is that even if the diaries are true the paper feels it was gyped. Both pages were blank. 4dhG y*Ciez c g@no MAY 18,1883 Mr. Hawkshaw has sold the Commercial hotel to Mr. John Campbell, who assumed proprietorship on Thursday last. Mr. M.P. Hayes of the town has purchased an island in Nipegon Bay. on which he is going to open out a red sandstone quarry. Mr. F.S. Scott will henceforth act as correspondent and agent for the Expositor at Brussels. Business transacted by him will be recognized by us and all orders received by him will receive prompt attention. The quarterly meeting of the Stanley circuit Methodist Episcopal Church was held in Chiselhurst last Saturday and Sunday. The business meeting was on Saturday and was fairly attended. The Methodist question was one of the chief items of interest. The result was a majority against union. MAY 22,1908 Mr. John McGavtn, of Leadbury has purchased from Mr. R.H. Peck and company a beautiful Bell piano. Please turn to page 3 a