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The Acton Free Press Wednesday April 18 1979 shed by Inland Publish Co 59WBIow Sbwt Acton Telephone 2010 SJnrjIo copies per year in Canada In oil countries than Canada Froo Pros one of tho Inland Co of suburban now papers which Includo Whitby Pickering News Tho on Guar clan Ths Burlington Post Eloblcoko The Independent MarkhomThotnhJIEconomiiiandSun Tho Canadian Champion The New Aurora Era Thh Weak Tho Weekend and ThoSlouftviBeTnbona Founded in 1875 Don McDonald Publisher Advertising on the that In the event of typographical error portion of advertising space occupied by the torn together with reasonable allowance for signature will not be for but balance of advertisement bo for at cable rate In the event of a col error advertising goods or services at a wrong price goods or services may not bo sold Advorwing a merely en offer EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT Editor Hartley Cole Editor Helen Murray RaportarPhotograprwrj Eric Sport Editor Robin ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT Advertising Manager Bin Cook Classified Advertising BUSINESSACCOUNTING OFFICE Office Manager Fran Gibson Thorn hill Shirley Jocque CerolynAnom CIRCULATION Maryl McArthur PHONE Business and Editorial Office Large tax increase Few taxpayers will be ecstatic over the large increase in taxes Acton residents will be asked for this year by the town region and board of education An average home in Acton assessed at will be billed an extra in 1979 bringing the total bill to from 582 paid last year to all jurisdictions at the municipal level Biggest chunk of those dollars does to the board of education which receives out of that while the region will be prying from our pockets up per cent from last year Big culprit in the region increase is the sewer budget which increased 91 per cent forcing the level from last year to for 1979 Halton Hills council mean while is asking for a modest six per cent increase which represents another 36 a figure most home owners can live with The increase then comes from the region at a whopping 40 per cent or for an average home assessed at 4 498 Halton Treasurer Don told the Free Press Acton is getting by far the biggest tax in crease in the region where the average increase is six per cent Taxpayers naturally then are entitled to ask where the much touted benefits of regional govern ment are hidden Town councils prior to the Introduction of regional government would have been horrified if residents had been saddled with the kind of tax increase they are asked for now We hear much about equalizing costs over the region which handles sewers and water but all it seems to do is keep taxes mounting They are becoming a heavy burden for those on fixed incomes At the same time we must recognize that many of the vices Acton receives now might not have been possible under the old system where the cloth was cut to fit incomes But surely we are all entitled to ask if taxes would not have been more reason able as well Its a question which no one can answer as they watch taxes keep going up under the new system with little control at the local level Hydro decision predictable There should hardly have been any surprise at the decision by the Ontario Cabinet to uphold the recent decision by the Ontario Municipal Board which permits Ontario Hydro to con to construct a 500 hydro corridor through Halton Hills After all the cabinet has been turning down requests by the Interested Citizens Group ICG since and there is no reason to suppose they would alter their policy now no matter how reasoned the evidence or how impassioned the plea The Cabinet could have saved face by ordering an independent study of the need for a hydro corridor through Halton Hills in view of evidence to the contrary which has been accumulating over the years The ICG has been asking for an independent study such as was given the east west corridor under the Solandt commission for five years It has been consistently refused Since only a short mile section of the 168 mile corridor remains to be finished it could be argued that it would be costly to discontinue the line now and dis mantle those parts not needed However evidence has been steadily mounting that Ontario Hydro has vastly over forecast electrical consumption in Ontario and the ICG believes there is plenty of time for the independent study energy ministers and the cabinet have refused on the grounds completion was urgent That exercise has been going on for five years testimony to the in adequacy of any study There is no doubt both the Government and Ontario Hydro would be considerably em if citizens fighting for an independent study were ac tually given one How else to explain the reluctance to have an independent study to determine whether the corridor is feasible or just a millions of dollar waste which disrupts hundreds of lives and may never really be needed Regional budget stabs Halton Hills deepest by Rod Lamb Hills Is the hardest hit of the four municipalities by the region 1970 budget Halton treasurer Don Farmer said the town is the worst affected Right on McGee by John Fisher Jacques Cartier who first Introduced the must have been doing cart wheels in his grave If he listened in on Fathers of Confederation Some of these frock coated elders wanjed to abolish the beautiful word Canada for atrocious alternatives We owe a debt to the brilliant Irish orator McGee for using satire to preserve the name of Canada Some of the names proposed to replace Canada were Albert Land Britannia is not surprising in view of the pro British sentiments of the latter part of the nineteenth century But how about this tongue teaser It stood for the first letters of France England Ireland Scotland Germany Other suggestions at the time of Confederation debates were the old name for Montreal Othera were Norland Superior satlantic Tuponio and Victortaland used devastating Irish wit to bring the Fathers to their senses said in the United Canada Legislature February 1865 Now 1 ask any honourable member of this house how he would feel if woke up some fine morning and found himself instead of a Canadian a Tuponlan or a John Fisher Executive Vice President of the Council for Canadian Unity was Canada Centennial Commissioner Completion of sewage treatment facilities last year and lack of taxation assessment lo soak up he increase mean exist taxpayers will pick up the tab For an owner of an average residential prop erty of this means an Increase of to from All figures ore rounded The figure includes Halton Hills levy and that of the Board of Education The latter still takes the most sign chunk accounting for of the total Mr said the sewers budget in Acton is percenloverlast year Georgetown homeo wners can expect to pay 31 more this year Based on average assessment of 5 the amount is composed of Increases tallying from the region from the Board of Education and from the town Mr Former said the high increase in George town is similar to that in Acton where new facilities and lack of increosed assessment within the last year means the existing taxpayers will have to dig deeper into their pockets Regional chairman Jack said if had accepted a sewer surcharge this year or equalized assessment with each municipality paying a proportionate share of the taxes the increases In Halton have been as high The regions levy on Milton will be no more than a few cents to home owners Because the reg the town last year there was a 67 surplus to absorb the pro jected seven per cent increase The Milton assessment is 3 Urban Burlington taxpayers will pay less towards the region this year than hey did last year Mr Farmer said the reason is due to the fact that increased assess more than ab sorbed the regional levy However for Burling tomans this year is reprieve Mr Farmer said the cost of debt charges on sewer works will make themselves felt and the regional levy will be up In Rural homeowners in Burlington will pay more this year on ace of the region Mr Fanner said Oak Is in a similar to Burlington While Oakvllle residents will pay more towards the region they will pay more in because of debt charges on sewer facilities Halton budget was approved at a special meeting Wednesday The 36 million fig eight per cent higher than 1978 demands come from the municipalities Hills contrib ution is 1 Oil Milton pays Burling ton and Oak ville 163 The balance will be covered by other regional revenues and provincial grants Attempts to cut the budget failed as did an attempt lo add to he Children Aid Society for a child abuse team Salary increases lo staff members are ited to six per cent plus increments although negotiations with some members could change the picture Mr Former said The biggest budget increase is In the public works department A 33 per cent increase in road construction contributed to the department cost rising per cent The cost of the plan ning department is up due to the expansion of the business develop ment office Welfare costs went up a per cent and day care Greatest Power of all In our little rocky township With Its tiny pools and springs Where Nature leaches creatures The necessary things Out there in nature wonderland Is the greatest power of all British heritage should also be appreciated Canadians are the inheritors of at least two great traditions the French and the British which arc constantly being en by the contributions or the native peoples and of the newer immigrants What exactly is the British share in the Canadian identity Senator Eugene suggests it has five main features First the constitutional law and prac tice both of the dominion and of all pro vinces is basically British It has been adapted modified added to subtracted from to suit our distinctive needs but still basically British By deliberate choice of the fathers of Confederation we have a Britishtype con stitutional monarchy The fathers did not choose it because they were too stupid too Ignorant too colonial minded or too timid to do anything else They did it with their eyes wide open and unamlmously Second main feature of the British share in the Canadian identity is our criminal law This also of course we have adapted modified added to subtracted from to meet our own distinctive needs But this also is still basically British notably in its fundamental assumption that an accused is presumed innocent until he is proved guilty The third main feature of the British share in the Canadian Identity is the civil law of all the provinces except Quebec That is based solidly on the English Common Law which Dorothy Say era has written is all case law an intricate cat cradle of precedents It appears to know nothing of right and wrong but only of rights and wrongs established by long custom and to base its authority on no general principle but only upon an endless series of improvisationssuch andsuch a decision made by a particular judge In a particular year between two particular men about a particular goose insult or party wall She goes on Codify the result and wo should find that we could no longer lay hand on those things that we call our liber ties For the easier you make the law the more readily can you drive a coach and horses through it British Common Law Is part of the Can identity in the nine provinces and In its constitutional aspect even in Que bec But is it foreign It is as Canadian as the Quebec Civil Code And are these heritages of British con law and practice of British criminal and civil law only for those of British blood valuable only for those of British blood No They are every bit as much the heritage of the rest and the fact that they did not spring from the Canadian Shield or the aurora or the waters of the Saguenay the St Law rence the Saskatchewan or the Mac Kenzle does not make them foreign or un Canadian The fourth main feature of the British share in the Canadian identity is This la well Illustrated by our character istic attitude towards public and private ownership True both the Liberal and Conservative parties now have a growing tendency to whoop it up American style about free enterprise and the New Democratic party talks of democratic socialism But In fact all three approach the whole question not on the basis of What did Adam Smith say or What did Marx say They ask rather Which system in this particular industry at this particular time will work the belter Our comes out also In our respect for tradition The flood of British freedom is ours in our halls also is hung armoury of the invincible knights of old Finolly for those outside Quebec and about a million people Inside that pro vince there is the English language The richest noblest most flexible and sens language says Dorothy Sayers ever written or spoken since tho age of Pericles Let us guard well our English speech as the French Canadians arc guarding their French The British fact in all its aspects is like the French a part a major part an in- part of the Canadian iden tity From an address by Senator Eugene considered one of Canada s fore most experts on the Constitution and Par Momentary affairs Where plants and bees budding trees Respond to Nature call Where leave their winter home tor a most unwilling host While Mosqultos roam away from home To the ones they love the most We forget the old snow shovel And grab a fishing pole Worms in a can with our little man find a waterholc It was there we met our neighbor With his modern fishing tricks Then right away we spoil the day Discussing POLITICS We have to change the Government That what the boss men say To improve our lot more than we got We must raise the Workers PAY Although we re making Progress Within our human shell The head of state create A tiny living cell We arc power hungry creatures Who gobble up glutton Will we Change our spring and destroy the thing With the pressing of tho button Victor Smith Rockwood Back issues 10 years ago Taken from the Issue of the Free Press of Thursday April 1909 Graduation night for the dancers who took the Pairs and Squares course was a gala occasion Saturday Marg cut the graduation cake After four days of intermittent digging blasting police have given up hope of finding the body of Marianne Schuett in a crevice beside the Bruce An applicant before planning board who has purchased the SeynutK arid Vyse properties has plans for bouses that he concluded Acton people can t possibly afford However he hopes to begin work WallaceAvc soon The subdivision Hill eventually go from Wallace nil the way over Churchill I like Acton applicant Relsman said and once I get here you be happy to have me For the first time Brookvillc played host to the North Music Festival Council agreed to pay per cent of the renovation at the Acton hikers netted 1 for the Cancer Society in their walkalhon which topped last year A tired Bob Andrews was the first one to sign in after walking mile from Over took part Other- with good records were Gary Dobbie Lloyd Smallwood David Andy Miller Gary Turkos Joe Tnrr 20 years ago Taken from the Issue of The Press of Thursday April 16 19j9 Special honor was paid to the Citizen of the Year Amos Mason and young skating star Elizabeth Force when the Chamber of Commerce held its annual community dinner in St hall Wednesday tor years Mr Mason has been a civic and community leader He opened Mason Knitting Company in He led the band was on school board and council the board led the United church choir was president of the Board of Trade and chairman of the Swimming Pool com headed the War Service League was chairman of the Red Cross charter president of the Rotary club was reeve warden of the county and Acton first mayor Elizabeth Force and her sister Mary Jane have both inspired other skate Elizabeth is the first member of the Figure Skating Club to complete her first senior test and silver dances Walter of the Rotary club reports in Easter Seal receipts Acton council has an all time high budget of Much to the dismay of council they learned that two councillors intended to resign Joe Hurst and Walts Acton will lose an active businessman when Mike and his family move to California 50 years ago Taken from the Issue of the Free Press of Thursday April 18 The employees of the Public Utilities Committee have had a busy draining the large reservoir for fire the pump house on Main St and giving a thorough cleaning The reservoir is now being filled again and Is expected to be full at the end of the week Hurrah The Girl Guides art well on their way to success On Wednesday Guides met their splendid new room Miss Mason had charge of the meeting with Miss Tyler in command also The patrol leaders were chosen by ballot namely Grace Skllling McComb Phyllis Tyler and Margaret The treasurer is Dorothy and the secretary Mildred Holllnger The chain hardware makes its advent in Acton Mr Talbot has entered the Alliance Chain of hardware stores A calithumplan parade is being planned for the big celebration here on July 1 The Women Institute at has provided hot lunches for the two schools during the year quilted four quilts and sent a bale to the sufferers in the north years ago Taken from the issue of the Free Press of Thursday April Mr Thos Davidson another old has departed this life He lived on his farm above Acton since 183 and before that far six years in On Wednesday of last week new city was born On that day years ago the first tree was cut down It ijj thus seen what rapid strides have taken place Thedaywaaccrcbralcdinaloyalad well as royal manner with 15 visitors attendance procession games baby show band competition the inauguration ceremonies and a torchlighl parade closing with a grand bonfire Ei and Smith was appointed id ascertain where a suitable plot of ground to be used as a cemetery may be obtained Every year the present graveyard presents a lass healthy and mora disgraceful appearance