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"Oshawa, The budget, according to Budget Committee Chaiy- oid John Mackintosh, still reflects the inflationary spiral experienced in the past four years, coupled! with a 12 per cent drop in provincial grants. . Teacher salaries and staff - wages account for more than $27 million, or 90.25 percent of the budgel's ordinary operating expend- itures for the year. .The increase in the mill -rate, which ranges from 21.64 to 22.76 percent across the region, brings to $306 the average education, costs of a homeowner, a jump of $56 over 1975. Due to the province's current freeze on school building funds, the board has shelved, for the time being, planned additions to Beau Valley School in Prince Albert School in Scugog and Ux- 'bridge High School. Major portions of planned extensions to R. 8. Mc? Laughlin Collegiate in Oshawa, Henry Street High School in Whitby and a new elementary school in Duffins Bay Subdivision' in Ajax have also been suspended. Among the programs can- celled are: the French tmmersion course, a math- science school, an altern- Fil freeze on buildings delays future school construction atice educati I and an educational sment centre. > Other cuts include film library equipment and an rly screening program. Charges have also been "adopted for summer school. courses. Previously free of charge, remedial courses will cost students $10 while full credit courses will cost $20. Board trustees' .dfjowance of about $100,000 for con- vention expenses will also be chopped by 33 per cent. One of the areas hagdest hit is maintenance expend- itures. Of total require- ments of $1,526,000, the board has deferred $729,000 or 47.8 percent to some time in the future. Efforts to save a number of school programs from the axe were futile. Board Chairman Yvonne Christie (Scugog) was one of those asking the board to recon-~ sider their decision to exclude four-year-olds from . regional kindergartens, and in a letter to the board, suggested two alternatives be used to-replace their earlier motion. One called for trustees to decide the fate of ECE, and the second motion concerns the future of the junior Kindergarten program established in Ajax schools over 10 years ago. But when the board voted at last week's meeting, both programs were scrapped. The board reopened the issue for discussion by rescinding their earlier motion, but after a -brief presented by delegates, voted 10 tv 4 in favour of halting the ECE pilot pro- ject and to drop the junior . kindergarten program, Fe In. her fight to keep both programs, Trustee Lucy Bateson (Ajax) cited an "unwritten feeling" she said the board had adopted at it's inaugurati a: that it would not ke Sway from an area a sertice it already had'. : Trustee Lloyd Clarke (Oshawa) said the board "is supposed to be 3 regional body' and should try to providé equal education opportunities in all areas. Trustee George Pearce (Oshawa). said the board cannot afford to enrol four- year-olds across the region and parents should look to "alternatives in the community". He listed municipal day- care centres and _pursery schools among these altern- atives..- Trustee Fred Britten (Oshawa) conceded the continued on page 9 Carp may not be kno for the best fighting fish in the pond, but when you eS NE] ¥ have 19 pounds of it on the efd of the line, sheer weight makes it feel like a muskie. At least, that's what Robert'Shaw of Port Perry figured he had last Monday when he hauled this huge fish onto the Palmer Park pier. Bill Smiley It's a rip-off Have you fad the feeling in the last couple of years that everybody and his brother, and sister, is trying to rip you off? 1 have. And I don't like it. - Perhaps it's because of inflation, but I don't recall any period in my life in this country .in which so many people were * pursuing the buck so avidly, with an almost 'place in the social world. : Insolence and indifference are becoming the trade marks of the business world. Bad 'manners and worse language have become almost obligatory in the social world. I haven't the space to deal with both - aspects in one column, so I'll just catalogue a few typical examples of the kind of rip-off complete disregard for what they produce in return for that buck. Result is a steady deterioration in ser- vice, courtesy and integrity in the business world. Perhaps it's just a reflection, but the same disintegration seems to be taking and shabby treatment that are merely the tip of the iceberg. > My wife ordered two pairs of infant pyjamas from one of our huge, national department stores. them at $2.25 a pair. The catalogue priced 50 YEARS AGO Newspapers from Thursday, April 22 and 29, 1926 are missing. 25 YEARS AGO Mrs. Betty Woods and Mr. Jim Smith of Port Perry were mixed double winners in "the Whitby District Badminton In- vitation Tournament. the Uxbridge couple, - Mrs. Eleanor Harris and Mr. Peter Bernhardt in 'the final. Mr. Roy Cornish was guest speaker at Bethes- da School where teachers and friends met for an informal get-together. Mr. Cornish presented an interesting travelogue on _ his trip last summer to © Ottawa, Quebec and the Maritime Provinces. 15 YEARS AGO Wy April 20, 1961 Donna Heayn, daugh- ter of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Heayn, received in the presence of her The local couple defeated: Remember When..? fellow Guides, Brownies, her family and some fifty. friends and neighbours, her Gold Cord, a symbel of the highest achieve- ment in Girl Guides. At a meeting of Branch 419, Royal Canadian Legion, it was decided to go ahead with plans for a new Legion Hall in Port Perry. It was also disclosed, that since the organization was formed in 1946, the branch had donated $80,000 to various "worthwhile causes. Anattemptwas made to rob the safe of Master Feeds early Saturday morning. First obtaining tools, including a crow- bar from the Corpor- ation's tool house nearby, the would-be robbers gained entrance through the easf_ door. Only damage to the safe was done, before the amateur robbers, for some reason, were scared away. 10 YEARS AGO Thursday. April 21, 1966 Ontario County Junior ~ Halton County. Farmers won the Zone Drama Festival sheld in Uxbridge with the per- formance of 'Comes Romance". Other com- peting groups came from Victoria County and The participants were all members of Brooklin Junior Farmers. The talented young group went on to also win the Ontario Junior fFarmers Drama Festival with the same play held in Guelph the following week. Port Perry Intermedi- ates (Tripp's Bulldozers) are presently tied with Port Elgin one game each in the All-Ontario finals. The winning team in the High School's Intra- mural Hockey schedule had the following members: Aldon Smith, Don McNenly, John Pop- owich, Cole Humphrey, Barry Prentice, Bruce Smith and Ron Podres. Now the catalogue did state that prices quoted were only guaranteed until a certain date. The parcel arrived a few days after that date. The goods were satisfactory. Each pair was encased in the manufacturer's plastic package, clearly labeled $2.25. But the bill from the department store was for . $2.50 a pair. These had obviously been bought to s at a good profit for $2.25. Probably 100 cent mark-up. Suddenly they cost $2.50. Chickenfeed, you say? More like chican- ery, if you add up all those quarters on a national basis, and multiply it by all the other items boosted in price for no reason at all except that the department store can probably get away with it. My wife ordered a caftan from some outfit, which advertised satisfaction guar- anteed or your money refunded. She ordered one down to her calves and received one down to her navel. She sent it back and asked for her money back. Two weeks later, a form letter said the company would be happy to fill her order for the right size. Sometime. Only '$14, but they have the money and she doesn't have the dress, and I know what the outcome will be. They will stiff-arm her with form letters, in response to her angry, passionate, or pleading inquiries, until she gives up. Some day, the shoddy thing will arrive, designed for a lady midget or a professional basket- ball player. Went to the city for winter break. Stayed at a hotel we'd frequented for years. Didn't bother to get a reservation, after reading «articles about city hotels operating al a little over 50 per cent capacity. "What? You want a room without a reservation?" "Yes." "Well! How do you intend to pay?" Getting a little browned off, 1 ticked the item marked "by cheque'. That's how I've paid for years. "Oh, 'we. don't accept cheques!" "Well, what the hell's it on the registrat- ion card for?" "Oh, we have a new policy. That'll be cash. In advance." By now, steam was coming out my ears. Here I was, an old customer. Obviously not a dead-beat. The hotel was about one-third full. If I'd been alone, I'd have told them what to do with the entire operation, sideways. But my wife was sitting there on + waiter was at the door, waving a bill. the luggage. I paid, muttering. Plus $2 key deposit, another item in the new policy. Went to our room, ordered some ice. I went out for a paper. My wife signed for the ice, standard procedure. A few moments after . I got back, a flustered I was n 'Advance' and had to pay cash. The sum was $1. He was embarrassed, I was furious. Things weren't good. The room was rather shabby. Breakfast arrived, borne by a surly waiter, half an bour late. The handle on the coffee pot was broken, the wheat cakes were cold. : Nothing improved. To top the whole performance, they tried to over-charge me ~ when I checked out. It was only $1.15, but by this time I'd have taken it to the Supreme Court. I hollered, and I got my pittance. It's no wonder city hotels are less than half filled. I know what you're saying. his dignity hurt, like a transient." Not at all. My dignity, what's left of it, can't be hurt by such trivia. There's nothing wrong with cash on the "Smiley had because he was treated - barrel-head. But there is something wrong when customers are treated with insolence, indifference and bad manners. And ripped off into the bargain. unless they- fight like tigers. The Argyle Syndicate Ltd. f PORT_PERRY STAR Company Limited um): "rea ® CNA Serving Port Merry, Reach Scugoa and Cartgright Toanships J PETER HVIDSTEN, Publisher Advertising Manager John Gast, Editor 'Member of the Canad-an Community Newspaper Association and Ontar.0 Weekly Neaspaper Associat on Published every Wednesday by the Port Perry Star Co Ltd. Por! Perry Ontario Authorized as second class mail by the Post Office Department, OMawa. ana tor payment of postage in cash Second Class Mail Registration Number 0265 Subscription Rate: In Candda $8.00 per year Elsewhere $10.00 per year Single copy 20¢ «