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The Acton Freo Press Wednesday March ALTHOUGH SNOW is still deep in the bush streams are Pussy Willows are popping and theres a scent in the air that taking on a deep fast flowing appearance as they wend even the birds interpret as Spring J Carpenter Photo through areas like this near Hilton Falls on the Bruce Trail Sugar and Spice by bill smile One last boot in the behind for March and then let us leave it and the whole perishing winter that has embattled this land this year and move on to higher thoughts March is known Tor very little beyond giving everyone the last and worst bout of flu for the year However well give it its due One of its oldest associations Is with Julius Caesar Wealthy dictator of Rome outstanding general and well on his way to becoming the first emperor of the mighty Roman Empire he was a victim of March Big Julie was taking part In a procession during the Feast of which is neither here nor there As the parade wended its way to wherever It was going through the terrible traffic of Rome which Is a seer this is usually a chap who cant see except into the future stepped in front of Caesars chariot This is a custom I understand that is faithfully followed by pedestrians in Rome to this day Anyway the old nut croaked in sepul chral tones Beware the Ides of March Now in those days the Ides of March meant the fifteenth of March This was just a few days away And when a seer tells you to beware youd better be wary Those seers dont mean youre going to wake up on the given day with a hangover or even worse a hangnail Unfortunately Julius was a bit deaf in one ear and also had his annual March cold and was coughing so loudly he couldnt have heard the lost trump So he missed the message You guessed it Right on the nose on the Ides of March lie was filled full of cold steel Not by student activists or black militants but by trusted nay beloved of the Roman Senate It should perhaps be pointed out that the Roman Senate differed in some respects from the Canadian Senate In those simatorswerenfltiuripWpoUtjaiisout to pasture or party bogmen Some them were under and to handle a That sort of thing Just couldnt happen in the Canadian Senate The worst that could occur would be tripping over a cane or being run over by a wheelchair or blud geoned to denth by a speech However that is all as the saying goes ancient history The only lesson to be learned from it is that when you hear a seer dont sneer Especially in March Ides of Another event for which March is reasonably well known is St Patricks Day the Perhaps reasonably is not the Conflict and Contrast IP Jim on from fivt trudy Our Including lvl Germany and 1 reflected our coming interview with Archbishop Makarios as our bus drove along the street and the contrasts were evident with shattered buildings on one side and new construction on the other Barbed wire surrounded the Palace where we were to meet the Archbishop It had been the government house when the British oc cupied the island and the huge British coat of arms still stood in bold relief over the entrance of the sprawling yellow building with Its red tile roof The sky was overcast but the pleasant temperature indicated the hot sultry of summer days that would come with the summer season The palace is an impressive building and we were escorted to a large room seated and the black robed figure who heads the Greek Orthodox Church and the Islands governments moved silently in to take his place for one of the first press conferences he had permitted in the past six months To questioning he spoke glowingly of the contribution of Canada in maintaining the peace as one of the member nations in the UN force The contingent he said is dis charging its duties in an excellent way and enjoying the confidence of both aides He foresaw unfortunately no early end to the need for UN forces on the island but expressed the hope that withdrawal when It came would be In stages and up to UN troops would remain until settlement had been reached He was not optimistic NEWSMEN ON THE CWNA study tour were received by Archbishop Makarios in the Government House behind barbed wire and sentries The building Is the former Governors Palace from the time when Cyprus was a British possession Its elegance is still evident although grounds are not particularly well kept word here since it Is a celebration of one of the patron saints of Ireland the other is King Billy and who ever met a reasonable Irishman Im almost pure Irish on both sides But let them keep their precious saints both Patrick and Billy In Ireland where the bog- trotters can bash each others brains in their favorite sport Must say It makes my blood run a bit cold though when some Canadian with eight drops of Irish blood in him decks out in a green tie and a shamrock and gets into that Top the mornin routine every St Pats day when a Jewish comedian starts tossing around or on Italian tenor all mistyeyed warbles When Irish eyes are smiling Its as incongruous as a Canadian seventhgeneration United Empire loyalist making a big fuss about St Day or Buddhas birthday Each to his own and vive In difference t how the month of March gets me worked up Other months rhyme with something pleasant June with moon and swoon July with fly to Europe or somewhere September with remember but March does with such delightful connotations as starch and arch as In fallen The only other thing for which March Is noted is the vernal equinox the the first day of spring ha ha Vernal suggests green Take a look out Snow white or mud brown Equinox is from the latin horse night Spells nightmare March right farewell ana re voir March May you rot In July about the outcome of talks with the two factions of but was happy that the last two years had seen the situation on the Island a lot calmer His position as head of the church and also president of the country drew some questioning from our group We wanted to know leadership In the future might be separated from the church Maxorios emphasized he did not want the state to interfere in church affairs and suggested he had been elected president because the people felt he could offer leadership He said he hoped to be relieved of his duties as president to devote his full time to the church It was an answer which was not new but we found It difficult to accept its credibility figured In our discussions with President Enosis Is the desire of Greek Cypriots for union with Greece and It has proven a troublesome political factor The president suggested couldnt proceed on wishful thinking He maintained it was something for discussion between Greece and Turkey not by the two Cypriot factions There were Interesting aspects In the discussion on local government President Makarios pointed out the Turkish people on the Island the minority proposed one Greek and one Turkish local government in the settlements and then amalgamation for the federal system He maintained that federation would not be possible unless preparations were made to move the population from one area to the other so that Turks could be concentrated in one area We are a uniting state and they want division He predicted that if the Greeks agreed to federation the Turks would later ask for partition of the Island Reflecting on the problem I wondered if there might not be some food for thought for Canadians as we consider the French problem which wc experience In this country and that which we saw In Cyprus between the minority Turkish element and the majority Greek element As I thought about the tremendous economy boost which the presence of the sixnation provides on island I wondered how the Turk and Greek Cypriots who had managed to live together under a variety of influences from the pre- Christian era suddenly became so antagonistic to each other that they required this major presence on their Island The barbed wire and sentry posts are all very Continued on Page Not the way it looks At the most recent meeting of Acton council the subject of the education levy was raised While there was no official notification the rate was lowered several councillors were aware Acton could expect a decrease in the mill rate for educational purposes The deputyreeve reminded council that they were forced to cut things from the municipal budget when the education levy was raised He suggested now the school rate was less it was time to get cracking on some of the other things that needed done in town At this point the mayor brought up the fact that council was criticized last year for a decrease In the mill rate when actually the general levy for municipal purposes had increased by mills Because there was a reduction in the school rate last year this enabled council to cut mills from the overall tax rate The confusion over whether council cut or raised the mill rate stems from the interpretation The ordinary ratepayer does not look at the educational levy and the general rate for municipal taxes separately as councillors do He is concerned about the total amount of taxes he has to pay each year Last year there was a reduction Some ratepayers felt council should have left the mill rate where it stood the year before to get some much needed projects done around town At that time the Free Press took the position that there was a tax cut because ratepayers would pay less In taxes We said there are disturbing things about cutting taxes when the town needed improvements Postponing major expenses has often only succeeded In compounding problems and inflating costs when jobs finally have to be done We would still take that position But councillors concerned about the question are right The general purpose levy was raised mills and this Is really the only area of control council has over the tax rate They have no control over spending of the Board of Education Council obviously felt a 31 hike In the general purpose rate was sufficient for one year Others felt the tax rate could have been left where it was and extra money could have been used in places where it was needed Obviously it is a problem In semantics between council and ratepayers We hope this helps to clarify the confusion Was county council underpaid We would be remiss indeed If we allowed the large increase in county council fees to pass without comment Ijist year county councillors fees mileage expenses and convention trips cost taxpayers This year has been set aside for the very same expenses Almost of the extra for expenses of the councillors is in the form of increased pay The wardens salary was upped from to Councillors per diem fees of were dropped in favor of a flat rate of per year Last years council fees totalled for a 1500 average This year they will total 39000 almost double Perhaps the most surprising development however is that county council has decided no member will be docked for missing meetings a new wrinkle designed to see everyone receives their full share of the common pot The Milton Canadian Champion comments that theoretically this means a member of council would not have to attend another meeting this year and yet could still collect the Although Acton pays only one- fiftieth of the county budget and the townships of and Esquesing have proportionate shares ratepayers will certainly be interested in the reasons for the large increases A modest amount would be accepted without too much criticism but size of the increases opens up only two possibilities Either county councillors have been vastly underpaid in the past or 2 they are inviting criticism for dipping so far into the public purse The 3000 honorarium for each councillor now puts them on a par with the county board of education whose trustees receive a month However county councillors also receive a stipend from thefr own municipalities which puts them well ahead of their confreres The following table of county councils spending for administration inthepasttwoyearsis a useful guide to compare the increases Note the budgeted this year for public relations Perhaps county councillors assumed the public would not accept the increases kindly and also budgeted towards explaining the reasons to the public Councillor Fees Councillor Mileage Councillor Expanses Councillor Conventions Warden a Salary Expenses Wardens Conventions Employers Share Meals and Presentations Public Relations 1970 Budget i L OOO 100000 1970 Actual Budget 224400 20000 50000 75000 Education is being questioned In the early 1960s education was virtually beyond criticism a situation brought about largely by the Soviet challenge as Sputnik Recently public enthusiasm has are still sympathetic toward the claims of education but they approach it in a more critical spirit Is the product worth the price Can the country continue to afford it These are the questions both educators and governments must ask themselves and then furnish the answers New priorities have emerged to make their claim on the tax dollar A new dimension In health and welfare plus growing concern over are but two of these new priorities In the face of such needs education must now justify as never before its claim on the purse We are witnessing a revolution in the publics attitude to educationA questioning of something that never used to be questioned Until a few years ago education was the most sacred of sacred cows in Canada Today people are asking if Malcolm Muggeridge was not right in calling education the great and fraud of the age St Marys JournalArgus 20 years ago Taken from the issue of the Free Press of Thursday From Tokyo to In hours Private John Keith Robertson arrived at his home on 1 last Saturday The first Ontario soldier to return from Korea he was wounded in the left shoulder and left eye after a weeks combat Ills father John Robertson was a township councillor some years ago At the regular meeting of the Acton Planning Board the chairman Jones stressed that the board should proceed to work immediately on a master plan of the town Included in the master plan would be the paving of roads repairs to sidewalks and new sidewalks to be constructed Future residential and Industrial planning would also be Indicated Chilly gusts of winds snow and a feeble sun greeted Easter Special services were ob served at Actons five churches and a sunrise service conducted by the young people of the Protestant congregations was held In the United church at Ernest West delivered the message At the Baptist church Easter Sunday marked the last service taken here by Mr Stanley Woodcock student pastor 50 years ago Taken from the issue of the Free Press of Thursday March There is a good deal of satisfaction here that Is really on the map for the highway route Theyll be satisfied whether It comes In St or the Rockwood line The vexing question of Daylight Saving bobs up week after week with increasing persistence That It will never become generally popular has long since been manifest Easter mornings weather was rather showery for new Easter millinery Did you know that for years after Acton was settled there wasnt a postage stamp In the place The first postage stamp issued In Canada was In 1651 Reeve Barber gives the annual notice to citizens to clean up their premises and comply with the Public Health Act Residents are required to clean forthwith their cellars drains yards pig styes water closets outbuildings and other premises and remove there from all dirt manure and other substances which may endanger the public health The Sanitary Inspector will make a general inspection starting May In summer hogs must be kept at least 70 feet from any dwelling and SO feet from any street or lane 75 years ago Taken from the Issue of the Free Press of Thursday March 19 1898 Mr William Smith who was taken to the general hospital Guelph sometime ago and was found to be suffering from some unknown disease died on Saturday morning last The patrons of the Rockwood cheese factory held a meeting to discuss next seasons business The poor season proved fairly satisfactory after all Last Friday evening the home of Mr Harry Gibbons third line was the scene of a very happy event Shortly after eight Harry was sitting quietly by his fireside singing to his little daughter Hazel that sweet little song Shes the Only Girl I Love when a rap came to the door He quietly rose and went to see who the caller might be when and behold 1 a crowd of people numbering about with baskets In hand came marching into the room It is needless to say Harry and his wife were not a little surprised After the friends had all got inside an address was read by Mr William E Swackhammer thanking them for the attentive and continued service to the Churchill Sabbath School and Church Mrs David Smith presented Mr Gibbons with a beautiful gold chain with seal attached and Mrs A Smith presented Mrs Gibbons with a splendid silver cruet stand A delightful lea for which the ladles of Churchill are noted was served The remainder of the evening until about one oclock was taken up with songs and games THE ACTON FREE PRESS PHONE Business and Editorial Office Acton In Acti Audit Burtau circulation ma Own rtn on raqvait paytw hi in Canada mall accapMd on ma mat Hi typographical arror portion of pc oc cupied Br afiewtnca for will not vtriiumani M pM tor a ma rat in of a arty ad Moot Of mtvKM may not toM Aonarlldfv manly an to tall arid M Indrawn at Kill