RS HL EE Page 4 Oakville - Trafalgar Journal Member Published Every Qakville-Trafalgar Publishers, 7 DUNN STREET NORTH S. Casey Wood, Jr. Managing Editor Bill Cotton, Canadian Weekly Newspapers Association Thursday Morning in Oakville, Ont, by Lid. Vincent H. Barrey Advertising Manager Assistant Editorial PHONE 1298 Thursd; A Summer On Ice With the announcement of the plans for the arena this summer, Oakville is assured of: an inter- esting, and profitable warm-weather use of the arena. - This summer school for figure skaters has been moving from town to town for the past few years, and in every case it has been a successful operation financially for the arenas concerned--and an inter- esting experience for the townsfolk. Skaters froni all over the country come to the school--and the Sunday night free displays often have a big-name performer running through their work. These displays will be open to the public, and with the interest in figure skating as revealed by membership in our local club, they should -be well attended. ith The three nights of public skating may, at first glance seem somewhat out of place . . . for residents of this district haven't been able to plan skating even during the winters previously. But there is nothing to say that the summer sport program will be off-beat because a pastime usually reserved for winter will be added to the summer list. On a hot evening in July, an evening on skates in an arena which will be cool, should have a great deal of appeal. There is another feature of this use of the arena which should not be overlooked.¢ Our merchants will benefit from having the pupils here attending the school. There will be money spent among them that would not otherwise come their way. And ad- ditional revenue is usually profit revenue. They should feel that their investment, by way of a donation to the building fund of the arena, is paying off in a way they did not expect. In previous editorials we pointed out that Oak- ville was ideally situated to have an arena that would be profitable. Certainly the summer figure skating school should be more successful for its promoters because a great number of pupils must be available in Toronto and Hamilton, to commute daily to the school, whereas this was.not the case in previous locations. The more successful the school, the bet- ter chance it will be repeated in following years. It would seem that our contention that Oakville was a most suitable spot for an arena is being borne out by these events. Stopping tourists in Oakville so that they will shop here and so leave dollars among our merchants has always been a problem. A problem in the sense that tourists only stop if there is something worth- while to see. We would suggest that the town au- thorities, in conjunction with the arena board and the town merchants, take steps to utilize the figure skating school as such a drawing card, if this can be done. We believe a great number of Americans would stop to see the skating, and if the announce- ment beside the road calling their atténtion to it, also stressed merchandise available in town that they would be interested in, a successful circle would be completed. But those who will chiefly benefit from this sum- mer use of the arena are the residents, who can skate during the summer and see famous skaters perform in the regular Sunday night display periods which are a feature of the course. We Should Get Out More Right now is the time to take the above advice, instead of sitting inside reading this. You'd be bet- ter off, and you've got the time now between what you were doing before, and what you've got to do afterwards. And last week-end's weather must have invited you out into it like anything. But most people like it better inside, although "they won't admit it. If they didn't, as civilization developed, and we got a secure grip on our way o: life so we could decide where we'd be, so many peo- ple wouldn't sit around indoors saying they should get out more. Indoors is easier on our bodies--and certainly our weakness of character doesn't get the revealing illumination indoors that it does outside. That's probably because indoors there are not so many things that should be done "around the place." Also, somehow it seems easier not to have to look at the sky and the trees, because doing that has a habit of starting us thinking about "Whys" and "Where- fores" and that's hard on one's character, because once started you feel a weakling if you stop without some reasonable explanations for those questions-- and getting reasonable answers for the way the world is going todayis going today is certainly only pos- is going today is certainly only possible if we have a great deal of character--the kind of chin-out stuff that is so uncomfortable to live with. No, indoors is the place to be, either playing canasta without a thought of character challenge. .. or writing this. We must get outdoors more, though. t's For Children The Rotary club are asking for the support of all residents through Easter Seals. The club's main activity is the assistance of crippled children, and the annual drive for the Ontario Society for Crippled Children is handled locally by the club. If you have not sent your contribution in the envelope--won't you do it now? There is no more deserving cause than the lightening of suffering and broadening of life for a child so crippled that normal life is not possible for it. Your contribution is an allowable income tax deduction. sters get at" Merrywood and Children camps is the above pictu the annual the Rotary club. Ray Manbert, appeal. Cheques may be forwarded Toronto branch here. ILLUSTRATING THE close-to- other Ontario Easter Seals drive, which normal recreation crippled young- Society for Crippled re. These camps are supported by. is being sponsored locally by chairman of the club's campaign committee, this week urged residents to contribute generously to the to Mr. Manbert or to the Bank of BY BESSIE CAIRNS _ TRAFALGAR TALES OH! TO BE YOUNG AGAIN! of the many witty remarks ade by Winston Churchill I m particularly enjoyed the one giv- en before a: gathering of learned scientists at the M.LT. (No doubt you heard the broadcast). Voicing his regrets at not having had a college education he said, "I just picked up a little knowledge here and there" That was surefy the prize pleco' of understatement; but college education or: other- 'wise, with the years we all "pick up. a little knowledge here, and there." > I am concerned, however, with the little gaffers who are taking their first drive into the sea of knowledge. to there? I'm' gong to! speak per sonally on problems to which I: would appreciate the answers, if they bewilder parents what must they do to a six-year old? When I emerging from the C-A-T spells cat chorus to the phonic stage. As 1 struggle with bu for b and cu for ¢ mother nodded approvingly over my shoulder. We' are now. gather at the age of sight words, where a youngster . must, if not swallow a dictionary, at least memorize one, A child who does not know one sound from another jumps in jig time from "see Sam run" to "all the children had 'a happy holiday." I sit back amaz ed. How long can they keep it up and shall we discard Bernard's Shaw's well conceived plan for a phonetic language? As to writing, junior doesn't write he prints..That at least is an improvement--fortunately Dag- wood speaks in printing and one hurdle is su cleared. was in Junior First reading. was |' IT SEEMS TO ME BY P.'W. THOMPSON We haye just finished reading, in an English periodical, a ragh- er fascinating article entitled | Goblins: and Demons of Old Eng- |i land. One hears but little of such creatures in these enlightened days, but the article reminds the reader that little more than a century 'ago belief in their exis- tence was universal throughout the 'English countryside. In those days all manner of gruesome mon- sters, glant dogs and cats, head- less men and women and other terrifying spectres roamed abroad by night; according to widely held | traditions. Many people not only believed in the existence of these fantastic beings, but lived in Terl terror. of them. Strange as it seems gow, it & only, within the last few gener- < ations that disbelief in such sup- "ernatyral | phenomena has be- come widespread. From time im- memorial a large portion of the human race has believed in the _existerice "of ghosts, spectres and:a variety of: strange, uncan- ny 'beings. 'People have dreaded them 'and' sought to placate them by various. means. It is not so very long ago that harmless old women were burned alive, in quite civilized communities, be- cause they were suspected of practising witchcraft. A less cruel, but equally foolish cus- tom was that of consulting sooth-sayers, who would seek the answers to their clients' prob- lems in the entrails of newly killed "birds or animals. Even kings and others in high places resorted to such practices, andy superstition -and dread of the supernatural played a very large part in people's ilives. During the past century or so beliefs have greatly Geography, surely to the teach- er's relief has been replaced by social studies. Eskimos no longer nurse their wounds in lonely ig- loos, they fly to Winnipeg. What has happened to the map of the world in the last decade is beyond anyones grasp, where is Serbia, Keijo, Persia, Constantinople? In my day any child could spell the latter with a simple two letter word, now it isnit even on a map. Even Churchill must be confused by what has been done to his be- loved British Empire. But social studies lay great stress on our relations with oth- ers going all the way from an in- terest in one's own community to include every race and creed. When 1 taught school we were told to avoid war talk and dis- courage toy guns and tin soldiers. The lovely English toys were dis- couraged if they included brilliant little Hussars . . . mother would be advised to stick to farm ani- mals. The other night as we said our prayers, which as usual in- cluded everybody all over the world, young Ron piped up, "but not the Koreans, they're bad." I was about as evasive and conclus- ive as General MacArthur and the United Nations in, my attempt to separate north from south Kor- declined, although it would be hardly accurate to say that they have become extinct. What has 'Russians and Chinese thrown in for good measure. I trust Ron was more satisfied with the result than I was. 1 ducked the one on, "Mammy when you were in China was it full of bad men and did you like them?" The following day I was deep in "I Leap Over the Wall" and vaguely wondering if there wasn't something to be said for the security of a convent when Ron piped up, "Mammy are the Japanese bad people?" "No dear." "Then what are they chop- ping this man's head off for?" Ron was poring over "Life's Picture History of World War Two." He had already scanned the news- papers in search of current events but the gloss war pictures were more to his liking. I took over then and after searching vainly for a mercy rescue or a two-head- ed calf settled for a highway ac- cident and a beauty queen. By now I trust I have my readers as confused as myself but secretly I believe, if an atom bomb dropped on our chimney young Ron would consider it just something to tell teacher. He too is picking up an eans with United Nations troops, education here and there. * | haps, must be several simple, matter-of-fact ways to water household plants, but so far I haven't been able to discover any of them. Not that I'm a flowerpot gar- dener by choice. Or even very of- ten. But during the past fortnight I became a temporary and not too There successful one by force of cir- cumstance. Pressed Into Service It so happened, you see, that that the wife of a Certain member of town council Sallied off on a visit to Montreal. Now this par- ticular municipal legislator, being chairman of the fire committee, is very adept and conscientious when it conies to spraying water around in the large quantities required to operate Chief Fred Shaw's HbSelines, But when it comes to dealing with the small modicum needed to nourish plant life in the home, his wife has found through bitter experience that his know! ledge is purely superficial and his memory is completely inadequate. Why she should insist on hay- ing him give me a housekey and a request to take over the plant- splashing patrol is more than I can manage to figure out. I don't feel that I look like a horticulturist --except, perhaps, a day or two before my bimonthly haircuts. And T've 'never discovered any traces of a green finger on either hand. But I cheerfully accepted the little chore, because when some- one displays confidence in my ability, I always do my utmost to justify It. Even when I DON'T have any ability. Easy As Pie The first time, it seemed to be #2 1atively easy task. I had very little trouble finding a jug in the kitchen cabinet, and the water tap was right in front of nie. Finding the plants was a bit more difficult, but after an hour's rea- that PUFFS FROM THE COTTON GIN the council, member 'was lyin, within easy réach, and I was ap) to mop up the steadily Widening pool before it had soaked mop, than half way through the cop, tainer of Helena Rubenstein fae powder on the other end of tn, dresser. I'm afraid the box of Face-Elle went down for (py count, though, Call for Caution I proceeded more carefully af. ter that, using an old coil oil uy. nel I found in the cellar. The ogy of the 'oil got so obnoxious thay had to open the windows for , time, but I don't suppose it woulq hurt. the plants any. I got on fs. mously after I adopted this me. thod, outside of the time I slippeq on the living-room hardwooq and accidentally watered part of the 'broadloom carpet. It Was a flowered design, however. I was rather pleased with my. self when I got all finished, ang I was still glowing with tne pleasure of a job well done two days later, when a letter arrive from Montreal. "I'll bet," it main. tained, "that neither one of yoy guys remembered the cacti be. hind the blinds on the Kitchen and bedroom windowsills!" How painfully well founded was one short utterance. Not only had I forgotten those cacti ~--1I hadn't" even discovered their existence! ound Two More! Hurrying over to the house, | watered everything carefully again, after conducting a brief but impressive burial ceremony for seven parched cacti corpses. This time I looked EVERYWHERE, and was able to spot two mors botanical specimens, one behind a stack 'of unwashed dishes on the sink and another one cunningly disguised as a Dit of Oriental landscape that I had previpusly mistaken for one of the children's sonably convinced I'd ferreted them all out and drenched them satisfactorily. There were a few minor mis- of course. The initial ex- hibit was a pot of bulbs the am- bitious 'lady was carefully forc- ing toward Easter bloom, and in my zeal to contribute fully to this! worthy project, I inadvertently contributed far too much. The dresser scarf under the pot didn't look nearly as well saturated as it had when dry.: Fortunately, a newly laundered shirt belonging to brought them into discredit? Par- tly the spread of education, no 'doubt, But someone once advan- ced the theory that better light- ing was: at least ble, and it may be so. The fit- ful candlelight, with its resultant shadows, in which our ancestors e (Continued on Page 6) partly respon- | kindergarten projects. Then I made the rounds with the wax tin and polisher, erasing, the spill marks, and figured I'd done a pretty fair ob. Double Entendre I still think = so, but since the lady returned - last weekend I'm not quite as sure "about it as I was, Oh, she .called to thank me, all right. She was even very nice about it. -But somehow I seemed to detect a hidden meaning when she finished by. saying: ". .:. and! if 1 ever go away gain, Ill cer- tainly know -who to leave my plants with!" Then she mumbled something about:some Mr.. Daub- ney, which certainly isn't my name, and hung up. So, you see, a fellow never real- ly knows what-he can do until he tries. Botanically Yours, BILL COTTON Padding Commert Our bang for last week: 'Seems the LO.D.E. carpet groiip have been organizing their affairs on a basis which calls for shipping the literature they sell at the carpet showing to a member in advance of arrival of the carpet in her town. These shipments. usually go to the individual convenor's house. It has happened 'several times that the recipient, as one would expect, is not only concerned with good deeds by way of the LO.D.E. So there have been occasions when the cartons of literature have arrived at the house at the same time as the local contingent of W.A.ers, or some such group, causing consternation in their ranks, and quite a bit of explaining for their hostess. You see, all the literature -- through the * generosity of the 'manufacturers --is being shipped in liquor cartons. Ten or so cartons of assorted best spirits piled in your hall might cause a lifted eyebrow, at least: Thursday night Baseball Association Prexy Bull expressed the association's thanks to four directors-- but we feel he left out several individuals, also on the board, who deserved his mention as having contrib- ~ ated much to the season's operations. Especially; we have 'in mind Norm Ritchie, manager of the Canadian Bank of Commerce, who as treasurer did yeoman ser- vice, and gave hours of efforts to make tthe season a success. We don't like to mention staffers in our Paper, but the secretary of the association spent even more hours on baseball effort than he did on some other things we can think of. So, on behalf lof tthe baseball supporters, hats off to the secretary and the treasurer too. The Printed Word had a plece on us supposed writers that we thought about summed up this racket--jor as WE like to call it, profession. Here it is: "He said he always called himself an advertising writer. It saved him trouble when crossing the border. Once when he'd told a U.S. official that he was a 'writer,' the fellow got awfully suspicious. A writer might be anywhere between an anarchist (a pre-1917 Russian, usually with a beard) and 2 spring poet. But an advertising writer never can be suspect ed of being subversive, although sometimes subservient. And, anyway, few who are professional writers ever have written an advertisement and not been paid for it. It's a method of supporting a wife and family. Being just plain 'writer' has more than one drawback. But confusion in other people's minds is perhaps the most amusing. One Ontario citizen for a whole year was ident: fled as a 'waiter,' according to his liquor permit, presumably on the issuer's reasonable assumption that a writer is mot likely to pay those prices. This is aside from the question whether being a Writer is a worthwhile occupation at all. As a business, probably its principal liability is that it is, like interior decorating and at least one other profession, subject: to severe amateur competition." Thu they IT (@ passe ly fa appar]