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The Acton Free Press Wednesday Aug 221979 Press Don McDonald Founded In 1875 Co K Subicnplmns Single 11 Hi in The Burlington and Aurora Era and The Sloullville Tnlxii Publishing Co Limited group suburban by Pickering Advertiser EiobicDko Indcpondeni Sun Mil ion Canadian Champion Tho I Oakville Beaver Oahana Week Oshawn This accepted on tho condition ihsi in error that portion of he space occupied by enormous Hem allowance win bo charged for but the balance at the wiH be paid for oi rate lo ihe of a I error advertising goods or goods or erwces may not be sold ra merely an offer and may be withdrawn at any Community Newspaper Second class mail EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT Editor Cotes News Editor Helen Murray EncEhtone Sports Editor ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT BUSINESSACCOUNTING OFFICE Of flea Manager Fran Gibson Rhona Shirley J Carolyn CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT Manager Mary in TELEPHONE 15191 853 Business and Editorial Office Once a week enough Although the inconvenience of once a week garbage collection may irk residents there is no dou bt councils decision to continue it instead of going back to two coll ections a week is practical The facts as gathered by town engineer Bob Austin show that costs for a second day of pickup exceed the cost of the first day of pickup as much as per cent Savings realized by one pickup day are significant Mr Austin also points out equip ment and labor costs remain con stant the second day although households place less garbage out for collection It is not difficult to follow his reasoning over complaints from some residents about a return to the two day system He notes the unpleasantness of stinking gar bage rotting in hot summer temperatures would not be alt ered by twice a week pickup nor will it alter the attraction for animals is up to the householders discretion where refuse is stored because it must be done every day He says it is gen erally a matter of good house keeping and adhering to the by law which governs hours when refuse may be placed at the street line Theres no doubt that two pick ups a week were more convenient for home owners Accepting the one pickup will take time but it is the most economical way of coll ecting garbage without running up more expense to show on tax bills And it is bound to get more expensive with rising fuel costs and wage increases without considering extra costs involved when the Georgetown landfill site closes this fall and garbage must be trucked to the Oakville dump A worthy campaign Few people would argue that Canadians must first look after their own before they extend aid to people from other countries but surely the case for Vietnamese refugees the boat people is an emergency situation and the people of this town and Canadians in general would be remiss if we ignored their plight New BramptonGeorgetown MP John McDermid said it correctly when he noted Canada has its poor but our poor are in finitely better off than those floating out in the ocean in a leaky barge They are human beings who need help God help us if we dont Mr McDermid pointed out that these refugees have a tradition of hard work They dont like to take handouts and will work hard to support themselves very quickly Theyll do anything to be self- supporting he notes although many of them are professional people doctors lawyers etc There are arguments that the boat people will take jobs away from Canadians but the Govern ment believes they will do jobs that Canadians no longer are willing to do The people of Acton and district are already involved in spon soring families of refugees and this week the churches in town got together to launch another drive to assist refugee families in distress The programs needs support and encouragement from all who recognize that except for an accident of geography these fellow humans in distress could be Editorial notes Whether from urgings in these columns or design town workmen have cut the weeds and cleaned up the creek bed in front of Acton public library It has made a big improvement in one of Actons beauty spots and the town efforts to keep it so are appreciated The decision by eight Acton churches to get actively involved in aid to Vietnamese refugees in a cooperative effort could signal a new era in Acton In the past the churches have each gone their own way in most social matters perhaps because they lacked the resources to commit themselves to further action in the comm unity There are many areas in which the churches could actively cooperate and do much to make this community a better place to live Other agencies may show interest but the churches have the moral strength to do many things especially in youth work that others find baffling Esquesing Historical Societys decision to catalogue Halton Hills historical buildings when council refused tt go along with the idea of a committee appointed to do same is commendable Ap parently councillors thought it would render them obliged to get in controversies such as that over the old Acton town hall Members of the historical society pointed out it was not so but their request for a committee was turned down Now they are doing it on their own initiative Results should help to preserve our architectural heritage Letters to this newspaper are always welcome for publication but they must be signed The editor received letters from some one over the dispute at Superior Glove signed simply Anti- Union It cannot be published unless the writer also signs their real name although the seudonym can be used for publication on request Another letter arrived Monday with advice for those who are sponsoring the boat people with a typed signature obviously assuming we would think it was the Ku KJux Klan It may be merely a prank In any event if writers do not have the courage to sign their names then certainly we do not have the inclination to publish the letter It would be interesting to know why bathroom tissue and house hold paper towel prices are lower in the United States when they are often produced by multinationals with plants in both the US and Canada According to research done by MPP Mel Swart of WellandThorold supermarket prices for tissues and towels in the Niagara area of the US were cents lower for a four roll package than in St Catharines supermarkets This MPP says all towels manuf actured here come from our Canadian forests therefore the dollar difference between the two countries should have no effect Anyone know why theres such a price differential Dominion Hotel over century old Last Sunday morning Fire Chief Mick Holmes found himself directing the at Ihe Dominion Hotel once owned by his father and grandfather The site has been used for over a century as an Acton hostelry Now it is completely destroyed The original site of the Dominion was used as a hotel and before present hotel was built Called the son House the birthplace of Oliver Anderson the log building encompassing the first public house was far from press I Part of the present hotel was built by a publican who emigrated from Scotland and tame lo Canada lo make his fortune After operating a boarding house in Smiths Falls Robert Agncw and his wife tame to Acton around 1870 and leased the Old California House which stood near the Main Street Creek However feeling the need for closer to the centre of town Agnew purchased the Anderson House property tore down log building and built the first wing of the Dominion well set back from Main Street All the above information comes from Actons Early Days by Moore and Dills An engraving of the Dominion Hotel appeared in Walker and Miles County Atlas In 1877 The hotel was largely patronized by travellers mill workers and men who teamed lumber in those early days Mrs Agncw was housekeeper and was fondly called Mom by her guests all of whom praised her wholesome food and comfort able beds Rivalry between the four hotels in town was acute specially when it came to the menus for the many banquets and dinners held for councils lodges and school boards According to Actons Early Days the Dominion always took the cake One story coming out of these banquets was a special dinner in late December 1878 given by the Council Apparently the partakers ate heartily and imbibed thoroughly Bob having the reput ation as genial host After dinner the usually dignified councillors began to get boistrous and plaster each others hair with butter It wasnt ordinary runofthemill butter HP Moore tells us but the finest gilt- edged butter 15 cents a pound the best in Mrs would have no other In the the Scott Act swept and other counties and according to Actons Early Days bars and cellars all over town were locked and down came the popular little signs that proclaimed Licensed to sell and malt liquors Bob was naturally the people had no business robbing him of his vested rights Actons Early Days page 541 He retaliated by padlocking his pump shed gates and hotel doors But he was too kindhearted and could only lock out his guests for hours After that he was back in business without selling the grog For many years Bob father Daddy Agnew was a familiar figure at the hotel He and his dog always rotting at his heels were a frequent sight The Dominion hotel was cartooned by the pen of J wellknown A in litre tilt lion I likely cartoonist of the day A drawing of Free Press editor Moore an ardent temperencc worker quaffing schooner of literal the Dominion with Bob Agncw in the background caused quite a stir The drawing was auctioned off the hotel the night it was drawn was a guest and brought the grand sum 8G7 being sold to Bob Agncw who pinned it over his bar After lite retired the hotel and property was purchased by Albert man of Kitchener A different kind of land lord business priorities swung from travellers care to lavern profits It was Iehmaii who enlarged and improved the property veneering it with brick and adding a third floor in Whereas Bob Agnew was never in rouble with the law concerning the rules for serving liquor Albert Lehman was often summoned to court and paid heavy lines for having booze on his premises At one time just alter Lehman received his weeks shipment of beer he was pounced on by local constabulary fined MOO and costs while his beer was ordered destroyed The avenging angel officers had time of their lives according to Actons Early Days bashing in five and ten gallon kegs of beer all over Willow Street al the Town Hall The viewing in the 1920 or 10s crowd were heard to gasp Why this aw ful waste In all Ichmon paid the court 1260 in fines before he sold the business to Charles A Decker of Business successfully until prohibition on Sep tember 16 1910 The hotel was then leased by the Ryder Mowat Clove Company with A Storey as manager Clove making replaced beer quaffing until and the premises were then rented into small apartments John Mellon managed this boarding house arrange- Once booze became legal again the building then owned by Harry Holmes became once again a hotel for travellers under the supervision of his sons Harry and Charles At the lime of publication or Actons Early Days in 1939 it was still in the hands of these gentlemen catering lo travellers a beverage room replacing the once lucrative but illegal barroom There have been other publicans in charge since including Jack Roys ton well known in Acton sports circles for his act ivity in baseball and hockey Lou was another popular owner of the hotel The present owner in Cosimo Back issues 10 years ago Taken from of The Acton Free Press of Wednesday August 19G9 was billed as a dialogue on municipal government reform with discussions on the new Assessment Act but the emphasis at last tonfrontotion between four Ontario ministers and municipal representatives from Peel Wellington and counties was on regional government propisnls of it was rehash of previous meetings with hi tic information hut it was obvious the deadline for regional government in the Peel area was substantially slowed down by Ihe events of the past few months Atton firefighters were called to farm Ben It It I last afternoon to extinguish a fire in a field of stubble he most Acton playground lo date wound morning with a sing song and goodbyes but it was really an anticlimax to Wednesday nights parade and program winch for the first lime in its six broke the rain jinx 20 years ago Taken from the Issue of Thr Acton I Yep Press of Thursday August 1 A Dills president of Dills Printing and Publishing Co Lid announced this week that this firm has purchased the Acton plant of Ihe Baxter Laboratories of Canada located on Willow SI Progress at the new Robert Liltlc public school addition will be marked Monday August at 11 when the corner stone ill be fitted into place he 12room addition blossoms daily with contractors attempting to meet the September dead On Tuesday former resident of Acton Mrs Jennie Matthews observed her Win The nonagenarian lives wilh her daughter Mrs J in Toronto Kenneth Hodgson of South River began duties as Class linesman with the Commission on Monday following the resignation of Ed Evans 50 years ago Taken from the issue of the Free or Thuruda August 191D Activity in the of new arena in Acton commenced in earnest this week and has been making good headway Permission was given last week for the re moval of the old drill hall to a new site In the park At a special meeting of the School Board at p m Tuesday noon Trustees Mrs Masters and It Agnew were present and chairman George Hall presided The meeting was tailed lo consider applications for the vacancy caused by the withdrawal of Miss Hurst from the Continuation School staff Some 12 or 15 applicants were received Salaries re quested ranged from to Miss M E was engaged for the nexl school year at an annual salary of as assistant in the Continuation School 100 years ago the Issue of The Acton Free Pre or Thurhday August A private letter from Rev England states that he expected to sail yesterday and will be home by the first of September He says it has been very and cold all summer and that the fanners in the vicinity where he has been have had hard work to get in the crops Our attention has been directed to the careless manner in which the bell of the Congregational church Is sometimes rung We presume the person who rings It has not yet had the experience necessary to ring it properly As It Is it sounds more like a fire alarm than a call to religious service Were it rung as it should be it would be a wel come and pleasant invitation to its hearers lo prepare for divine worship On Friday afternoon Mr Daniel Mullen a laborer in the employ of Mcintosh and contractors for excavating for the Works piping in was buried as high his waist by a cavein of the near Slrcet railway crossing The injuries received have since caused his death Thanks Dominion Prop Dear Editor Thank you for the excellent coverage which you gave Womens Place on Aug concerning Regional Health and Social Service Committees recommendation that the hostel should receive a per diem of As the Board has staled before your accurate and supportive reporting Is essential to Ihe Corporation in its pursuit of the goal of establishing a Women place Yours sincerely Burlington Out