Ontario Community Newspapers

Port Perry Star (1907-), 21 Jan 1943, p. 1

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Sn 0S Et i oF y 4 CF 7 f Ad -- EAN EAR ¥ IE Pa hs N00 ~~ SAMUEL FARMER, Editor and Publisher ORT PERRY STAR PORT PERRY, ONTARIO, THURSDAY, JANUARY 21st, 1943 Watch $1. your label; it tells when your Subscription expires. 50 per year in advance, 5 cents a A single copy EDITORIAL : Such is the patriot's boast, where'er we roam, Ris first, best country ever is at home.--Goldsmith, A AL SL LE Te el v . - EXIT LUXURY ! Canadians won't go hungry, but they will have fewer luxuries until 'phe war ends, and the world settles down to orgerly life again, And that will be some time/hence, There will be An increasing demand that we grow practically/ all 'our own food Yand a lot more), for we f£hall not be able to buy it from distant countries. Shipping is too hazardous. Fortunately the Americas can supply us with a great variety of foods; but there, too, there will be greater demand because importations will be less. Canada, as a younger brother, will find its share of luxuries limited. All of which points to the fact that more man- power must be reserved for agriculture, It also points to the fact that in some way (pro- "bably by subsidies) the farmer must reccive greater returns for his very arduous labours, The food plan for 1943 is tremendous: Figured in millions of pounds, they run as follows: But- ter, 322 million; Cheese, 200 million; Whole milk, 18,500 million; Poultry, 260 million; Eggs, 315 million dozen; Hogs (thousand head), 8,000; Cattle, 1230 million pounds, . Much has been said about the immense out- put of munitions, - Food production is just as great with relatively fewer men, and much lower financial returns to the workers. Necessity will correct these discrepancies. It is as true as ever that an army "travels on its stomach" in spite of all the modern mechanism. * * * What concerns most of us at home isthe fact that we shall have to live more simply, and" the best way to prevent rationing will be to have faith in the future; refuse to lot fear prompt hoarding; 'and do all we can to save what is available, \ The beauty of it all is that if housewives will study the principles of dieting, we' shall be a much healthier people, The sad truth is that as a nation, we ate not wisely but too well. A hurried bite of a hot dog and a undae, followed aational standard of health, Simpler living will on a hectic visit to the movies, did not raise 'he ba Cu help to reduce the number of rejects in medical examinations; and give disease less chance to spoil our happiness. Simple life costs less, and is really more fun in the end. | You'll have to try it, anyway. - * * FREEDOM OF SPEECH "An Alternative Speech on Temperance" We don't know the author of this speech; but granting that breweries are Canadian industries permitted by law, freedom of speech mist be accorded to them as to any other business. So much for even-handed justice. - On the other ""hand, that is not--the kind of "advertisement" that we should solicit, and-it was printed on Some quotations from this timely-- speech will be = "I think the issue becomes a moral one only at the point where: individuals drink excessively and become a nuisance. ~All parties should be able to agrée upon this, "Let us say, therefore, that moderation is the ideal which all good Ca nadians are eager to attain", "We must encourage every for wot wholesome relaxation to relieve the strain of war." "So far as the army is concerned, I am cer- tainly not going to put myself in the position of saying that a soldier, who is old cnough to fight and to kill, is too -young to choose his refresh- ments with good judgment." AIt is important to decide whether or not this Secu) be a moral issue, or whether we should look upon drinking in_the same light as eating and smoking". . The supposition throughout 'the "Alternative Speech" is that alcohol drinks are harmless. It is only when the "individual drinks excessiv and becomes a nuisance" that harm follows. J True, but there would have been no agitation for beer rationing, closing of beverage rooms, and shortening of selling hours, if this excessive _ individual drinking had not become a national nuisance of so dangerous a character as to slow up munition and other war production and im- peril the whole set-up of the War effort, Doubtless, the brewers and distillers know this as well as we do, and have done their best to maintain the foothold so far secured, spite of all their efforts, sales and hours has been ordered is in itself proof that far too many drinkers are exceeding moderation. Certain it is, the¥ did not ask for . curtailment, "Everyone", says this brewery writer, "has his pwn ideas of what character our fast grow- ing nation should develop. ©. , . . Let us resolve, therefore, not to force the views of one section of the community on the other. When a reason- able, self-reliant people have an unreasonable law imposed on them, they simply ignore that law with disastrous results to the legal institu- tions of the country. «.. I am convinced that we cannot force the prt of moderation; but we can teach it." That is a distorted philosophy of life. have heard of no such flouting of the law re- garding other rationing. Indeed, there has been general agreement to the principle of rationine, except if the case of the liquor traffic. That industry has consistently taught that all restric- tive legislation is bad, and is an infringement of human rights that is different than in the case of rationing of sugar, tea, coffee, butter, gas, tives, ete. If we are warranted in violating the liquor law of curtailment, why put up with any rationing ? That, in' some curtailment to" We It will be interesting to note the efforts of the . breweries to teach moderation. How would it do to instal loud speakers in each beverage room to" broadcast that pertinent Bible quotation-- "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging; and, red and never our ready-print sheets without our knowledge, <e 4 whosoever is deceived "thereby, is not wise'? rela T Port Perry FIFTEEN YEARS AGO _ G. M. Forsythe, Reeve of Pickering Township, was elected Warden of Ontario County. - In hockey, Port Perry suffered two "defeats, one from Lindsay with a score of 2 to I. The other was be- tween the Uxbridge and Port Perry "High Schools, with Uxbridge winning. Port was short on.subs, who were stuck in a snowbank, Wick non-concurring members of the Presbyterian Church of Canada succeeded in their claim that when the Wick Church was voted into Union by a majority of two votes, that vote was taken on an improperly revised roll, and that the names of non-concurring members had been removed from the roll just prior to the vote. The Agricultural Society met and Lawson Honey was elected President, Mr. and Mrs. Geo. A. Rose cele- ted their 46th wedding anniversary. id Th School Literary Society pres he "Trial Scene" from the "Merchant of Venice" with the follow- ' Nig cast: The Duke--Miss Jean Switzer Shylock--Miss Dorothea Nasmith Bassanjo--Edwin Mitchell _Portia--Miss Helen Vickery _, Portia's Clerk--Miss Inez Fralick "Lorenzo--William Grant "> * The Guards--Ivan Wallace and Sam J Masters, 4; Canadian Book of the Year Review "The Unknown Country" A. "Paper read by Mrs. David McMillan. before the W, A, of Port Perry Several excellent books were written by Canadians in nineteen hundred and forty-two. One of the best of them is "The Unknown Doin by Bruce Hutchison. The author was born at Prescott, Ontario, where he spent his early boy- hood. Later he moved to British Columbia and for several years has been one' of the foremost political re- porters of Canada. An eminent critic says: "The Un- known Country" is a successful at- tempt by talented Canadian to paint a revealing picture of Canada, its people, its history, its struggle for respons- ible government, its joys and its sor- rows. The book is filled with vivid figures and events and throughout the telling of the stories the author shows a deep feeling for his background so that the -reader sees Canada's wild beauty and feels her winds and sun- shine, / To those who. enjoy good reading this book will have immense appeal." The book opens with a eulogy, "My Country" beautiful, heart warming, pulse quickening, and well worth being memorized, as are also some of the graphic and delightful interludes be- tween the chdpters. The story begins with an account of a week-end visit spent by the author and his wife with a French-Canadian family, Mopsieur and Madam Garneau, who lived in 'the village of St. Pierre on the Island of Orleans and who spoke no English. They were awak- eed before daylight by a man sing- United Church ing lustily in French as he drove along the village streets to the tune of sleigh bells. Then the Church bell rang out and they heard Madam Garneau mov- ing about down stairs, lighting the newy white enameled stove--the finest on-the Island--and soon they could feel the heat of it ascending through the big trap-deor which opened into their bedroom on a cunning arrange- ment of pulleys. When they went down stairs Monsieur Garneau was sitting at the kitchen table in tne corner, where a tiny electric light glowed day and night on a high shelf before a coloured china figure of. the Virgin and her Child, with a bowl of artificial flowers beside her. He wns reading his Bible to prepare himscif for mass. Every morning he went to mass trudging through deep snow to chant responses to the holy word of the Curé. Madame was cooking break- fast to be eaten after mass. She bowed shyly to her guests and they thought the tall, lean woman looked like a picture by. Rembrandt. M. Garneau greeted them jovially and pointed to the new snow drifted deeply against the porch. The author's wife tried to talk to 'them in French but her assault on the French lan- guage was so poor her husband and M. Garneau cast amused glances at each other, . When the French 'couple left for Church, the other two had an oppor- tunity 'to look about the house. It was old, not under three centuries, built of stone, walls two feet thick and the roof supported by wast beams, roughly hewed, mortised togéther with oak pegs and dark with age, In the cold, clean attic everything was in plice. Madame Garneau's spinning- wheel, her loom, her huge painted chests of mittens, gloves, hooked rugs, linens and .woollen goods which she had made in the winter and would sell to tourists in the summer. At one end of the attic the stone chimney thrust up through the floor and through the roof ten feet wide. The two bedrooms in the eaves were filled with ponderous picces of fur- niture" and the beds, with curious pointed ends capped by carved fleurs- de-lis would have held four people at least. There was a small stove in the corner painted aluminum colour with neat, round birch logs in a basket be- side it. The wooden walls were yel- low and green, shiny and as smooth as satin, The whole interior was painted like a child's doll house in greens, yellows and reds. But the masterpiece of the house- hold was the parlour. It was sepa- rated from the rest of the house by handsome glass doors and was seldom entered. In one corner stood a tall brick fireplace, painted a glistening used lest the flames mar the paint. On the mantel shelf were myriad set shells, collectjons of wax fruits under round glass covers, colored photographs of parents, sisters and brothers, and many more distant relatives. An upright piano, a huge casy chair and other straight-backed chairs each. with its covering of a hooked rugf filled the room. Giant red roses 'spriwled out of the greensward of the carpet and on it lay & strange pelt of fur, the skin of the beloved dog, Jacques. After looking through the house they went out onto the porch and looked down the street. It looked like a Christmas card with its double line of gaily painted houses laughing at the snow. A red sleigh jingled by and the driver, in a rough fur coat, raised his whip to them respectfully. The people were coming from Chureh then and Madame soon had breakfast ready-- porridge with rich milk, eggs' from their own chickens, bacon from thejr pigs and strawberry jam. Then AM. began Garneau talking "about his land and the author thought of that first day in 153b when Jacques Cartier looked out from the rail of Grand Hermine and, seeing the jungle of wild grapes on this very isle, called it the Isle of Bacchus. He thought of the Indians who used the island as a temporary prison for their captives and of the first settlers there and Eleanore de Grandmaison, the first white = woman--such a woman as Madame Garneau rocking on her chair who later fled there to seck Drotesion from the Iroquois. i "My land", said this Norman poas- ant and you saw just such a man as watched the English fleets at Kirki and. Phip and Wolfe sail up the river to bombard Quebec. The French fled when Wolfe landed on Orleans, buried their money; but they came back. New. France had fallen to the English but the islanders came back and nothing could take the faland from them, When M, Garneau went out to -milk the ;cow Madame displayed some of her' work,--a roll of carpet she could hardly lift---even after it reached the edge of the living room most of it was still unrolled. It lay in vivid cross stripes-of reds and greens and purples merging softly into each other, beside it a dozen hooked rugs, each with a vivid picture of a Quebec village, or flowers worked into it from nothing but old rags brightly dyed. On the table she spread a pile of knitted and beflowered mittens and gloves, also napkins made from the linen of her own flax. "She would have no trouble selling them all she said. ~ In the afternoon neighbors called, munched hapless talked about the weather, the snow and prospects of the spring. That evening the writer walked sup to the priest's house and spent some time with the curé. ' "Just such men as he had come out to Néw France with the first white settlers; had gohe on foot and by canoe into 'the forest, into the West, down the Mississippi, lived with the Indians, suffered their tortures and died of their diseases. Such was Brébeuf, who died a martyr's death in an Iroquois village." Next morning the author and his wife left by snowmobile for Quebec City which he describes so well one wishes to tread its ancient streets 'and view its historic places. He tells much of its interesting his- tory from the time, in 1635, when Jacques Cartier spent his first winter PL there, known then by the a of Stadaecona, up to the present, Montreal, he claimed, is the second most important Frénch city "of 'the world and "the anetropolis of Canada. He traces its development from the first settlement there, then called Hochelage, made by Maisonneuve, to its present day importance, An interesting chapter is devoted to the 'city of Ottawa, formerly Bytown, and much of the governmental history given, The Southern part of Ontario he calls "The industrial heart of Canada" and says Toronto is the most Ameri- can in appearance, in organization and in daily habits of all Canadian cities. The next province described is Nova Scotia where in 1605 De Monts, Cham- plain and de Poutrincourt established the first Canadian settlement of whito men, calling it Port Royal. Here they whiled away the long winter by found- ing their Order of Good Cheer, each man providing a feast and entertain- ment one day a week and in this wild- erness, snowbound, thousands of miles from home they would march in to the dinner table bearing platters of game and pastry with all the ceremony of the French Court. From then on his account of the vicissitudes, the sieges, battles, trans- fers from France to Britain and from Britain back to France -enthrals the reader, The writer believes that Nova Scotia is the most storied part of British Canada and that few of the many authors have caught its flavour, the pull of the ancient land where every man knows his ancestors; their strug- gles and triumphs and battles of long ago, "In 1773 the ship Hector, crammed with Scottish erofters sailed into Picton Harbour. The people walked ashore led by a piper and when the Indians heard the wild wail of the white man's music they fled. Each town has its story and its special beauty from Sydney on Cape Breton Island, where miners go under the sea for coal to Meteghan, where fishing boats in reds, blues and greens and brightly painted lobster buoys ave pictured on the little bay of rough water! Here in the general store the townsmen gather to talk of ships and wrecks and of pirates and privateers- men who sailed to the Spanish Main." You have missed much enjoyment if you fail to read the chapter on Halifax and other important places in Nova Scotia. The author takes us next to New Brunswick. He states that the St. John River has always been the spinal cord of New Brunswick's life since the first days when everyone travelled on chuffing little steam boats which stop- ped with a blast of whistle at every farmer's wharf, that all along the road the little farms run down to the river and every mile or two, like friendly trafic policemen in broad white hats and red coats, stood little river light- houses. 'Swarms of logs, wallowing down the rivers in spring drives, little mills puffing in the backwoods, planks for the great wooden fleets in the mari- times,. pulp for modern paper mills, woods and wooden houses and little wooden villages beside little wooded streams'--this is what you always re- member of New Brunswick. So many interesting facts about "Anne of Green Gables' country Prince Edward Island, are told and of the Gaspé peninsula where life has de- pended upon the unfailing harvest of Cod since Cartier planted the white man's cross on that site that no one should miss reading it. From thereto Winnipeg is a long journey but-a short one when reading of it. That city, the author claims, is far more western than cities farther West. Despite its size and 'structure it~ig, in spirit, the frontier and many of itd inhabitants remember the buf- falg/ herds, Do not fail to read the account cf the home-life of the inhabitants of Manitoba; many of them from far distant countries, of their struggles and perseverance, . The author describes British Col- umbia's wild beauty next and says that the mountains, deep canyons, rushing rivers and beautiful lakes, are on such a gigantic scale that it makes man feel bigger and more free. Vancouver and Victoria are de- scribed so well and so much informa- tion given that one must read 'he book to get the full value, The story opened with an account of a visit in a habitant home and closes with another visit, this time to" the ranch of Michael O'Shea'. He says, "We went up to the kitchen. At His stove Sam Kee was lighting the fire. The old Chinaman hurriedly boiled coffee as Michael O'Shea and family were not awake. We sat drinking the coffee and looking about the house as if we had never seen it before. They built the first in 1860 when the. gold rush game north and since then had added 'so many. wings to it, so many stairways, galleptes, "rooms and cup- boards that th¢ house had a compli- cuted geography, The hroad bench by the kitchen door was worn in the mid- dle where the Indian Cowboys sat shy- ly waiting for their orders. Lassoes and chaps hung on the wall, On a knoll above the house the first 'O'Shta lay with his wife and two sons. Martha long outljved him and on the day they buriell her the whites and Indians eame for miles around. They filled the parlour to look at her and when the minister had read the service the Indians chanted their own service about the mound, Now life went on much the same. Still at Christmas all the O'Sheas ar- vived by train, automobile, sleigh and horseback, On Christmas eve the Indians rode up from theie' village, their children clinging behind them to receive trinkets, candies and plum puddings. They 'sang their carols, deft their parcels of buckskin gloves and rode off under the bright stars 'ground and puffs of white breath in the air, / The author has taken us across Can- ada but only by reading the book can one know its wealth of information, its: beauty of scenes, its delightful humour and its word melodies. The author says that if the reader knows even a little more of Canada after reading the end of the book, the job of writing it will have been worth doing. ------ OP ---------- Wm. Reesor Elected as Warden of Ontario County Wm. Reesor, of Pickering, and Jas. Blanchard, of Cannington, tied in the Warden vote. Reesor was finally chosen as represent- ing the larger municipality. Stanley Miller, of Brock, was elected to the County Road Board for three years; and Henry Hazell, with click of horseshoe on frozen of E. Whitby, for one year. Bx To the-Home Folks, Away from Home. | Now that you are away from home you will be able to compare Port Perfy -with other places here, there and yonder. I venture to predict that you will never have reason to be ashamed of your home town. It has been my povilege te visit many places' throughout Ontario and in Canada both East and West, and that is why the Editorial motto was chosen--"Such is the patriot's boast, where'er we roam, his first, . best country ever is at home." Travel is a great educator to the man who keeps his eyes open and asks questions of the right people. of course, you sce what you are looking for; and if the movies and the bever- age room take up the whole time, much will 'be missed that as really good. Getting around as you are doing, and mixing with all sorts of people, gives you an opportuniy to pick and choose. It also tests out what sort of stuff you are. We, at home, shall be looking for some reports of your find- ings. By the way, one of the most popular features of this paper is a letter from one of you who are away from home. Charlie Brignall and Wallace Arm- strong have sent in some dandies, We are always. glad to hear from you. The coal dealers are having a tough time these days. What with strikes, freezing orders, and what amounts to rationing, he is a lucky man who has enough fuel to keep the home fires burning. Fred Reesor wrote mn his ad. some months ago--"Don't wait until you are half frozen." Some folk didn't take his advice; and some who did couldn't get all they needed, be- cause the supply allotted to Sam Grif- fen and Fred Reesor was too small to meet all fequirements, So, if you are good and patient, you get what is coming to you, ' We are pretty thankful that we have two such good men in the coal business. We don't envy them their job. Letter to Those on | Active Service Naturally you want to know how the home town girls are getting along: Those that are with us are doing fine, and look quite gay in the style of "headdress that is now so popular. Most of them are wearing bright colored handkerchiefs on their heads in_the old fashioned sun-bonnet or shawl style. But the handkerchiefs are very patriotic, carrying pictures of the highlights of Canada, including pictures of the Ottawa Parliament Buildings, Toronto Exhibition Build- ings, and some of the more famous Canadian hotels; also the flags of the United Nations. One very practical headdress carries the following air- raid instructions: - Keep cool; stay home; turn off the gas; turn off all electricity; leave busses, autos, cars; know your air raid alarm; avoid top and bottom floors; cover all windows with black cloth; keep flashlights and candles handy; spray incendiary bombs, never splash them; wait until air warden gives "all clear" signal; keep pails of water handy for fire department; turn out all lights; pull down all shades; ignore all rumours and all gossip; stay away from all windows; lie down when bombs fall, keep your <radio going; keep your head; avoid panic, walk, don't run; keep cool. But the really "chic" creation is the "beanie". It is a bunch of colored fluffy feathers surmounted by a long feather stickinle straight up eight inches to a foot according to taste. How this arrangement remains on the bead is something no mere man is supposed to know. Such headgear is very attractive, of course; but as a protection in times of blizzard, it leaves much to be desired. The more sober-minded girls and women wear parkas; and some of them wear ear muffs as the only head protection. It must be terrible to be a milliner these days. Saturday night business is looking up these days. Gas rations do not favour long auto trips; and the home town merchants are beginning to have their innings, Yours truly, THE EDITOR Red Army Dispatch Riders set out on Russia's vital southern front PA LV rrr .

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