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The Free Press Wednesday September 1970 Editorial Why less injuries Authorities are now trying to find out why deaths and Injuries due to traffic collisions took a sharp drop In Ontario in the first six months of 1970 Ontario Department of Transport figures show that 109 fewer people were killed and 751 fewer Injured than In This Is a reduction of 14 per cent In the percent drop in the number of Collisions resulting In or fatalities also dropped by 3 per cent In the same period Although the steady decline In fatal and non fatat collisions followed the Introduction of the per cent blood alcohol content legislation In December there Is no Intent to jump to quick conclusions about the turn of events The Deportment of Transport Is also Investigating whether Increased seat belt use might be a factor In the reduction The Department caution In naming the breathalyzer as the real deterrent to accidents Is derstandable since all the evidence Is not In But to most people It Is as plain as the nose on your face that the introduction of the test has made drinking drivers more cautious Many people who drink take a cab now rather than risk running a police gauntlet or taking the test This has resulted In a sharp drop In the number of collisions It Is difficult to equate the sudden drop In collisions with a sudden switch to the use of seat belts simultaneously with the new blood content legislation Students need jobs Two senior members of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce are spearheading a drive to solve the perennial summer ob problem which students encounter during vacation Basic idea is to alter the university and college calendar so students can take time off to work at various times of the year They claim this would prevent a glut In the job market during the summer months One federal government of told The Financial Post the idea has merit not only for solving the summer Ob problem but by splitting the academic year into smaller units It could make higher education more accessible to employed adults Perhaps the Idea would also take some of the pressure from high school students who also find it next to impossible to obtain em ployment during the summer months Often parents depend on June or Johnny making enough money during the summer vacation to clothe themselves for the year When jobs are not available It puts a strain on family budgets as well as the students At one time It was considered next to impossible for students to study during hot summer months Certainly concentration In hot humid weather Is no easy chore for teacher or student but the success of the three semester system at several universities seems to discredit the theory that It can be done Staggered vacation periods might disrupt the old family style summer but benefits would far outweigh the liabilities of such a scheme We understand the entire concept of time off from classes was dictated when Canada had a rural economy and the children were needed to help on the farm during the growing season Naturally the schools closed when no one showed up But times have changed or have they Figures reveal truths After reading so much speculation about the cost of consolidated school boards In Ontario it was refreshing to run across an article by the Minister of Education William G Davis refuting much of the theorizing that county school boards are costing the taxpayer more money to operate percentagewise Mr Davis latest figures on the cost of education as researched by the Department of Education compares the cost under the new larger units of administration which began operation January to the costs of smaller units In the previous three years According to the figures the rate of increase In cost under the new larger units decreased by 5 per cent In as compared to 1966 and decreased 56 per cent this year as compared to This refutes some of the criticism directed at his department for loading taxpayers with education taxes caused by escalating education costs which critics said small boards would not have caused It Is also worthy of note that percentage rates declined in spite of the fact that more students are enrolled In Ontario schools and are remaining In the school system longer than at any other time In the history of the province There Is also the fact to consider that the new boards have Introduced or extended programs for students Off the cuff Model husband a small imitation of the real thing Then there is the story of a Kitchener clergyman who quipped his way out of a speeding ticket published In the K W Record The policeman who stopped him ex plained that his car had been spotted by a police air patrol plane The officer waved the minister on without a summons when he replied Well I never question anything that comes from above which were not available under the old system of individual boards We think It is worthwhile to reproduce the figures supplied by the Minister In the costs of the elementary school boards were 084 000 which represented an increase of 15 38 per cent over the previous year In the same year the costs of the secondary school boards were 363 an in crease of 16 per cent Total cost of elementary and secondary school boards In was 447 000 an increase of 92 per cent over 1965 In the total cost of the elementary school boards was 000 an Increase of 17 per cent over 1966 while secondary school board costs were representing an In crease of per cent The total cost of elementary and secondary school boards In was an Increase of 32 per cent over In the total cost of the elementary boards was 963 an Increase of per cent over Secondary school board costs for 1968 were 000 an In crease of 56 per cent The total cost In 1968 was 000 an Increase of 44 per cent over 1967 Based on the estimated ex penditures of the new larger units of administration the total cost of the elementary school boards In 1969 was an Increase of over 1968 The cost of secondary school boards was 000 an Increase of IS 52 per cent Total cost of elementary and secondary boards In 1969 was 1 448 860 which represents an increase of per cent over This year the cost of elementary school boards Is 000 an Increase of percent over while secondary school board costs will total 780 000 an Increase of per cent The total Is 1 650 an increase of 88 per cent over BILL STUCKEY S CAMERA caught this night shot of the Fair midway which operated three evenings jl id Pepper by hartley coles All the talk about the coldness and 1m politeness of the big city Is hard to discredit when you ve experienced a trying day In the big smoke But It Ian t necessarily true The other day this fuzzy faced fellow was squiring three relations in Toronto one of whom was my wife when an Incident happened which changed my impressions and gave me a warm glow for our city cousins Intersections being few and long bet ween we decided to Jay walk across one of the principal streets which runs east and west in downtown Toronto We waited until traffic was almost nil I dashed across the road expecting the others to follow I made the other curb with no difficulty and turned to the three ladies But they stood frozen on the far curb eyeing a street car which was rumbling up The street car pulled up almost even with them Then it stopped The driver gestured in mock sweeping bow motioning them to go They were thunderstruck for a fraction of a second Then they got the idea With much giggling and laughing they proceeded slowly across the street The conductor grinned turned on the power and proceeded westward Several people witnessed the incident Some were surprised Others like myself were amused and pleased that them city folk t such cold fish after all The intricacies of the computer age are often cited as proof that people today lack the ability to poke fun at themselves But this sign our glassenclosed roomful of computing machinery shows that we aren all that humorless ACHTUNG AUes Das compute is nicht fur geflngerpoken 1st easy schnappen der springe nwerk blown und mlt splzen 1st night fur gewerken by das en Das hands in das pockets relax en watch bllnkenlights Sometimes in the rush to get this Journal out each week the headline writers scoop themselves Coupleof weeks ago we ran a head which said FIGHT RATE INCREASES The article was a report on Acton councils decision to back up the Ontario Municipal Association to keep telephone rates at the present level One lady however enquired Indignantly if the heads werentswitched She interpreted It to mean there were an unusual number of fights lately Maybe they have but that a subject we don t intend to develop now According to a news report from the British Broadcasting Corporation noted for understatement a long current bit of folklore that the sexier a man feels the more his beard grows has now been found to partly true with qualifications A scientist who had to spend periods of a few weeks at a time on a remote island noticed that shortly before he went home again to his wife his beard seemed to grow faster than usual Careful checks made by weighing the whiskers off the head of his electric shaver every hours showed his beard really did grow faster he was looking forward to reunion with his wife It also grew faster for a day or two after his homecoming However a scientist must be tifically objective even if It slightly spoils a good story His tests found that beard growth is also stimulated by quite different factors such as anxiety mental fatigue and alcohol consumption So don bother gathering your husbands whisker clipping ladles He probably Just going through a period of mental fatigue OUR READERS WRITE Commends not critical A few weeks ago I was quoted in this paper as sarins at a council meeting that the Acton Development Commission criticized the Chamber of Commerce for the poor state of repair of the sign announcing entrance to the Town of Acton at the south side of town I wish to state publicly that neither the Acton Development Commission nor myself have criticized the Chamber of Commerce in this regard In fact I would like to com mend the Chamber for being the one organization Interested in placing signs at the several entrances to the town The Acton Development Commission did write to the Chamber of Commerce requesting permission to use the sign at the south entrance to town if the Chamber of Commerce had no immediate plans for the sign Aswehaveread in this paper recently the Chamber of Commerce is actively In vestigating a modernization of this sign Since the Acton Development Com mission is interested in all development in the Town of Acton I am sure that the Chamber of Commerce could call on them for assistance in this project I also hope that all organizations in town will cooperate with the Chamber of Commerce in seeing suitable signs are placed at all entrances to the town In closing I would like to thank the Chamber of Commerce for Its active in terest in the development of the Town of Acton I don advocate taking the law Into your own hundi but can t help fading a glow of wlten a human being In IN age of and conformity reacts to an intolerable with a fine Individual raifN all a wild In us a spark ready to fire but we manage to It under the wot blanket of society manners and morals And a good thing too but sometimes pity There no bettor of tonalon than good blau of anger unco In a while thin streak warped and It comes out In vandalism at blind violence Hut every man however humble and unassuming I Idea a black panther And within every woman behind those smiles and makeup and and deodorant lurks a leopardess Just recently went out to get some com a roadside stand There were two bushel bankets and this godawful woman and her slob of a husband were going through ear of corn ripping down the and throwing the discards back This Is the epitome of bad taste I stood behind them waiting blood coming to a boll Just as I was ready to hurl a searing bolt of Invective at them the farm kids rolled up with a wagon loaded with big green luscious cobs fresh off the stalk I walked to the wagon grabbed a down walked back the stand and plunked their carcasses right down beside old greedyguts who had lust paid for a much inferior dozen The look on her face poured oil on my troubled waters And then there was a flying instructor I was going to strangle as soon as we landed However he was about sixtwo to my five eight and I have needed a pall to stand on So I settled by telling him to go to hell Amazingly he sidled off and that a the last I heard of it People In authority are often cowards Just show them your teeth and claws Another strangling I contemplated was that of a German sergeant who had put th booUtome Just as soon as I m untied 111 kill him even If he kills me But I t untied for several days and by that time we were buddies 1 smoking his pipe and the Kir of us Jabbering away in a stew of German and English These were comparatively simple dents but they happen to most people hear about some of yours A couple of recent news stories convinced me that Man has not been turned into a grey cypher even In this smothering society A chap In Miami had sent his prize dog via airline to Texas for stud purposes The dug was worth The airline Roofed and srmehow the dog wu returned to Florida where It was found to be dead of heat prostration Now the logical thing to do would be to sue the airline Of course you might spend a year two in the with a possibility of losing try case and winding up with a mitt full of bills This fellow chose direct anion went to the airport with an and start hacking at the underbelly A an atcraft did damage rth re mi but This no computerized man Mere Six Charge of the Light Brigade Then there was this who was living with a lady in her for a 72yearold rooster who kicked htm of the trailer What could he do Go to the Nope There was no charge he could The lady had transferred her favors to another and that was that But he foiled He struck back He made a firebomb and set fire to the trailer causing damage 20 years ago Last Sunday morning in Ebenezer United Church special services were held officially dedicating a new pipe organ Rev R W performed the dedication ceremony Mr and Mrs Thomas Fines Ospringe held a com roast at their home in aid of the community centre One of the very first apprentices at the Free Press Mitchell Cobban died Sep tember 11 at his home In Winnipeg The only man in Ryan fashion show on Wednesday in was a brilliant sue cess He was five yearold Peter Wolfe son of Mr and Mrs W J Wolfe Acton Little redheaded Peter stole the show from the professional models from Toronto when he bowed to the full housebackwards Mr and Mrs Ball en tine who have been operating the Television Lunch Just at the edge of town on the highway to Georgetown have closed the restaurant and are planning to make a private apartment of it Mr and Mrs Donald McLean will move to Harrow and Mr and Mrs Long and family will live in their house on Church St Work is continuing on a new addition to Hinton store When it is completed the front of the will be remodelled 50 years ago Taken from the Issue of the Free Press Thursday September 30 1920 Next Thursday and Friday will be eventful days for These are the dates for the fall fair The new instruments for the brass band have arrived In a few months Rockwood will have a first class band of its own Mr Near of Detroit motored to Acton on Saturday a mile drive in one day He returned with Mrs Near and the children who have been visiting here for several weeks The other morning when a mother in town took her lad coat to mend a rip she found a package of Millbank cigarettes in a pocket Naturally perturbed over the in cident she inquired when and where they were purchased The boy who is barely fourteen years of age gave the information that he had purchased the cigarettes and a bottle of pop at name given restaurant on Sunday morning Information of this violation was laid before P Moore Police Magistrate and the case was heard on Tuesday afternoon The owner of the store admitted he had forgotten to tell his cousin who was the clerk it was illegal to sell tobacco to children under IS years of age A conviction was registered and a fine of arid costs imposed The magistrate pointed out that not only was the law against the sale of tobacco to minors violated but also the law prohibiting sales of tobacco on Sunday A traction engine and thresher skidded off the road on the fourth line hill at Scott on Friday evening It took quite a gang of men to put it on the road next day 75 years ago Taken from the Issue of the Free Press Thursday September 1895 The fire protection bylaw will be voted on by property owners on October The total cost would be for a steam fire engine apparatus and tanks Liverpool was almost completely wiped out by fire A gang of five tramps made an attempt to burglarize Hamilton Hotel early Saturday morning but were un successful They were pursued for some distance by several persons from the hotel but were not overtaken During the chase one of the gang fired on his pursuers but missed his aim The police authorities are now on their track Acton has one of the most attractive town in the country It has been in constant use for 10 years yet its appearance gives no sign of wear and tear In order to aid the caretaker to keep this profitable piece of property always tidy and presentable the council has caused placards to be posted throughout the building prohibiting the use of tobacco In any form or loafing on the premises The constable is instructed to prosecute offenders A paper notes the fact that George Rupert whose departure from Acton was mourned by several made a 4 am flit from Brockvilie last week much to the landlord and several merchants regret The new fifth class at the public school has only three pupils Mr Thos Sr has erected a neat verandah on the John St side of his residence The present supply of dwellings in Acton is inadequate P Will Coin