Cape Breton's Magazine

Nova Scotia. He was so radical. He was so dynamic and so simple. All the books I ever read were Jessie Jaunes amd Buffalo Bill. We didn't know if we were communists or catholics. That's right. We heard the communists amd they used to rile us up, singing The Red Flag and going to meetings at midnight • we thought it was great. We were just young, open for ideas. Maybe we were being developed in the wrong way; but when Dr. Jimmy Tompkins caime here he helped us develop in the right way. I don't believe you could get a man like him today. He got everybody excited. He changed a lot of lives and he raised a lot of leaders, through reading. We didn't realize we could lead. He used to get me down with the sis? ters • just get home from work, he'd call me --"Come on down, Jim, I've got a group for you to talk to." He wanted me to talk about adult education and how it was formed and what it could do for the people. He wanted the sisters to know because they were all teachers. Oh, he wound up the sisters. He had so much foresighto You see what they're doing now--thermal power plants operated by coal. He said, "You're wasting your coal here in Cape Breton. You should have thermal power plants at the pit-head and all your homes should be heated by electricity" • and they're just thinking about that today. He was so smart, he could see right throtigh youo Well, from the library we started a co? operative store in 1937. And it was going good up to 1952 • but he warned us. "Don't ever let the experts take control of this movement because they'll ruin it just like they're ruining the world today." And boy that's true. And that's just what they did. In 1952 our store was the best store in the maritime provinces. Eastern Co-op Services got into dutch and were going bankrupt • and they came out and asked the people here to amalgamate with them • just picked on our store. We voted against it 5 or 6 times. So a couple of priests came out and said if you amalgamate you get big, you're expamd- ing and all this stuff • and it finally sunk into the people and they voted to a- malgaunate. And a year aftejr that the wdtiole thing went bankrupt. I don't know when in the name of God they are going to throw up amother like him. We certainly need him. But people today won't listen. Then, in the 1930s, it was easy for this to sink in: some jveeks you'd work a shift, two shifts--aiid probably some weeks none. There was no unemployment in? surance, family allowance, old age pensions • anything like that • and people realized something was wrong and they listened to what Dr. Jimmy taught them. Then, it was something people really needed. Today they don't need it so much because they've got all this paternalism from the government handouts. It's got people spoiled. We're depending too much on the government in? stead of getting together and planning things and doing it on our own. CONTINUED NEXT PAGE Genuine Down Bast Hospitality Keddy's Motor Inn 600 King's Road, Sydney, N.S. Phone 539-1140 ~ Telex 019-3517 Year Round Service to Cape Bretoners and their Friends Campbeirs Market Baddeck SHEEP SKINS GAIN FAVOUR Auckland • New Zealanders in large numbers are rediscovering a remedy as old as the father of medicine, Hippocrates. He recommended animal skins for the prevention of bedsores. In New Zealand especially treated sheep skins are coming into favor for many purposes, both in hospitals and in private homes. Tests in New Zealand hospitals indicated that sheep skins clipped to a length of about one inch of wool are exceedingly effective for the bedridden. The patient lies directly on the woolen surface, preferably without even pajamas. The resilience of the wool and its ability to absorb moisture prevent the harmful effects of perspira? tion at points of pressure. Doctors find that patients who have sheepskins in hospitals are so delighted with them that they are loath to give them up after being discharged. They like the com? fort, warmth and luxury of sleeping on the rugs and many have bought similar skins for use at home. Some persons with rheumatism or arthritic conditions have found that they sleep more comfortably on the rugs. The parents of paralyzed children have found they can leave them longer without having to be turned under such conditions. Skins selected for the purpose are fine quality wool fleece, with the skin carefully chrome tanned. Sheep skin rugs do not need to be washed nearly as frequently as cot? ton sheets, but special washing techniques are necessary. High temperatures must be avoided in washing and drying, or the skins shrink, distort or become matted. Rugs of this kind are becoming so popular that stores are finding difficulty keep? ing pace with demand. SYDNEY SHIP SUPPLY