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Page 4 S. Casey Wood, Jr. Managing Editor Bill Cotton, Editorial PHONE 1298 Dakville- Trafalgar Journal Member Canadian Weekly Newspapers Association Published Every Thursday Morning in Oakville, Ont, by Qakville-Trafalgar Publishers, Ltd. 7 DUNN STREET NORTH Vincent H. Barrey Advertising Manager Assistant Thursday, April 12th), 1951 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR A newspaper takes a position on a s that the course it recommends is to the best it believ advantage of 'the town. newspaper state its posi dividual problem. believe in taking is to watch events and, ion in as forceful a w: However, uch stands about nothing, or in try- matter because The principal function of a when necessary as suits the in- this newspaper does not ing to create from nothing a situation which could appear to be something, if presented in a certain manner. For this reason we do not very often receive a flood of letters from our readers. But this week the editor's mail was extremely heavy, and the majority of it concerned our position last week with reference to a complete investigation of the efficiency of Chief John Derry--either to vindicate him as a satisfactory incumbent of the office, or to substantiate the chargy es that he was inefficient in his duties. Unfortunately some writers only signed their let- ters with a pen name. These we can not print. It is perfectly satisfactory to use a itor must know the writer's name . . . pen name, but the ed- which will not be revealed. We trust readers who were interested enough to w ite, and do not see their letters here for that reason will not be too disappointed. We reproduce below, in some cases mere excerpts owing to length, typical letters. Owing to space limitations we have omitted a few which duplicated exactly the sentiments of these writers. Our position on the question of the Chief has not changed. The Mayor should appoint a committee to make a full investigation. this thought. N. 1951 184 Reyolis St. pril 3, The Editor, Oakville-Trafalgar Tournal, Dear Sir: No doubt you plan, to' comment editorially on the strange proceed- ings of our 'local council, as re- ported in thé Toronto press, with regard tg Chief Derry. Either' the man is competent, in which case he should get a raise proportionate to' those received by other members of his depart- ment, or he is incompetent and should be discharged. To leave the matter up in the air ig neither fair to the Chief nor to the town. } Sincerely yours, John Caulfield Smith The Editor, Oakville Trafalgar; Journal, " Dear Sir: . . . Councillor Gibson possibly had to bring the matter of the in- crease for the chief out in pub- Hc, but it is too bad it was nec- essary. But I agree! with you that an investigation is necessary now. I' think what was done was most unfair to the chief, whether he stays oF goes .". . L. L. R. Dear Sir: . It seems to me that with all the smoke that came out, there must be a fire somewhere. Surely the® mayor wouldn't make such a statement if he didn't have something concrete upon which to base it. I think he should clear the air by bringing out all the facts, as you suggested, and if Chief Derry is remiss in the per- formance of his duties, proper action should be taken TAT Dear Mr. Wood: . As a mother, active in Home and School and other communlty projects which bring me in touch with young people, I want to say that I think the present situation with regards to the Chief of Police is most dangerous to our young people. We mothers try and instill into our sons: and daugh- ters respect for law and order and for those who enforce it: It does not help us, in fact it may well undo all' our work, if our elected officials bicker among themsely- es about "our chief and so leave the impression with 'our young people that he is not the man for the job. I hope that you will keep on about a complete investigation, so our young people m nce more have a chief of police they can respect . A concerned mother Dear Mr. Wood: 1 was completely baffled by the way /n which eight men could split their opinions right down the middle on what would appear to be a comparatively simple matter of evaluation of effort and ability. Chief Derry is either worth the same salary con- sideration as are other members of the force, or he just isn't worl th haying around. Mayor Black ob- viously adopts the latter view, so it seems to me that it is up to These letters agree with Si . You put it up to our mayor to clear up the chief. He made the statements about the chief being no good, He's the one to make that stick with an investig- ation, It isn't fair play if he doesn't . . 3 : Ratepayer HM. Dear Sir: . May I commend your stand on the matter of our Police Chief. Since moving to Oakville I have heard people say that our town is one of the best policed towns of its: size. I know all the officers make an excellent impression on me whenever 1 see them about their duties on the" streets. The efficiency of any organization, either business or 'police, is a re- flection of the man that heads it. On this basis it would ! certainly seem that our chief is doing a good job. A complete investigation as you suggested is the answer. We are all entitled to it . . . A Newcomer Dear Mr. Wood: 3 .- I think your stand in last weeks paper was the right one on the Police Chief. It seems very for seven years and then have our mayor suddenly find he Isn't worth giving a raise when all the others got one. The cost of living is up for everyone. The chief too. I think there should be the inves: tigation you asked for. I don't write letters to the papers very often, but when I do I want to say 1 think your paper is very nice. I like the comic section too. 8 L. N..J. APPROVES BOARD MOVE Editor, Journal: Congratulations for your Mn. Thompson's column in last week's issue on "complaining about rain." It was right to the point and should settle some of those who are always grouching about some- thing even when it them. Now for another: bouquet, this time for our Hospital Board, be- cause they turned down the re- quest of some real estate specu- lators who wanted to purchase the Allan Street frontage of the hospital property, 'When this property was given to the town it was for hospital purposes, and to all appearances part of it will soon be wanted for an addition " the present building, which would mean a nurses' on a nurses' residence. I this is the any size av. ble and the side three or four streets? an open space where possible. in kville which lake except the small Yours truly, him to take immediate action . . . Live and Let Live. funny that a man could be chief |" is good for will mean more nurses, and that residence. 'What is now being paid out for rental for nurses' quarters would £0 a long way towards expenses believe last piece of land of Oal is for building purposes, where can people get near lake- park and the dead ends of So keep oY a Byery year, come playoff hock- ey time, I find myself wondering why so many faithful thousands drop everything and dash to the closest radio to sit for two full hours, one ear glued to the loud- speaker and a stern finger ready to admonish anyone rash enough to talk polities or the weather while the game is in progress. Must Be Our Game 1t can't just be Foster Hewitt's descriptive word magic that casts this spell. It cant be that too many people 'REALLY care whether or not a bunch of Winni- peg, Port Arthur, Oshawa and Brantford lads playing for De- troit beat = a group of Ottawa, Guelph, Windsor and Port Hope young men playing for Toronto, So it 'must just be that hockey is far and away Canada's game, and that Canadians know that when the Stanley Cup chips are down, an awful lot of excitement is bound to develop. Top Competitor Biggest disappointment of the N.H.L. playoffs to me, no matter how it "all ends up; was the way that grand old campaigner; Milt Schmidt, came up with a couple of spavins just as Boston Bruins IT SEEMS T0 ME BY P. W. THOMPSON Home--what a wealth of sentl: dient 'and meaning is contained in' that brief, word! It is the theme of innumerable poems. and Songs, including one of the best loved songs in the English lang: uage. Tha, home: and its environ- ment, ifs Hes, its wholesome moral influences, has formed the basis of many a: speech, many a sermon, manyi'a written article. It is depicted as a place of re: fuge from the, distractions of the outside world; | a haven where the members '6f a family may en" joy peage, relaxation, and a chance to engage in various ac- tivities that make for a pleasant and satisfying life: We 'do [not think the importance of the home as a factor in the 'life' 'of the individual and of society | can be stressed too: much. It is the very core and.' centre of the family's life, and upon its quality depends their attitude' towards the world at large. It' is @ well-established fact that bad home conditions are a prolific source of delin- quency and crime. The better its homes, the bettér will be the community as a. wh 'When "one considers= the vital importance of the home as a so- cial unit, it seems somewhat in- i that the "esta and maintenance of a home should be attended by such dif- ficulties as those which beset home-builders today. During the past few years the' cost of building a home has cached a figure that can be des- ribed as astronomical. And apart from financial difficulties, there re those presented _by such things as material and 13bor short- ages, so that the average young couple attempting to build a home of their own these days faces a formidable task. And these homes being built today [at such great expense and with . such trouble, what kind of homes are they? More convenient and better planned from a viewpoint of house- keeping efficiency than older houses, no doubt, But too often they lack the roominess that marked the homes of an earlier generation. The small, cramped, houses that are springing up in clusters on the outskirts of our cities are hardly an improve: ment upon the spacious homes in their ample surroundings that were reared: by the build- ers of yesteryear. But rapid population growth and other factors seem. to have spelt the doom of the large |house, except for people of more. than average means. Bven when the home of ever-increasing den that grows year by year. modern community taxes; erous and expensive. these things able as they necessary and. desir. are, however, that the ing burden should fall hoped that before too long some more equitable basis of taxation may be devised, so that those who are trying to maintain homes on limited budgets will not be subjected to this heavy financial strain. Imaginative writers, observing and home-owners: is built and paid for, there is the burden a bur: more onerous The "services the renders to its citizens are becoming more num. Education costs, in particular, have assumed proportions almost staggering. All must be paid for by someone. It is unfortunate, whole crush- squarely upon the home-owner. It is to be BY BESSIE CAIRNS TRAFALGAR TALES APRIL VISITORS Regardless of one's opinion of the present weather there is a great 'deal to be said for a land that boasts 'a cold climate. Though the Canadian winter doesn't kill off all the native insects it at least causes millions of them: to. lie dormant for several months: Only by constant vigilance against the insect pests has man surviv- ed through the centuries; even the use of DD.T-may be but a mixed blessing bringing, as it does, death "to the just and un- just," with a possible dangerous were to make it really tough for the Leafs. Schmidt, in my book, rates right up at the top among modern athletes when it comes to ability, brains, compe- titive spirit and the possession of that intangible sparks that keeps his team right in the game when the cause seems to be a lost one. 'When he hangs up his hockey gear, and I'm afraid that day is not too far off, the game will miss him. - Reading. regretfully of his gal- lant but fruitless efforts to play his best hockey, against the Leafs while handicapped 'by two (gimpy knees, I was reminded that Milt hasn't confined 'all 'his three- star performances to the ice ar- lenas. Oakville's Al Yarnell will ruefully assure you that Schmidt was quite a ball player, 'too. Al should know, because it was Milt who belted one the Yarnell Sunday pitches 'right out of the imbalance of nature. Men may yet die for the lack of insects. Seems somewhat of a hopless battle . lit is just that. | All of which brings me to one (particular insect, which though ino killer is possibly the most pesky and destructive that we in Ontario have to deal with. Don't look now but he's possibly hiding in 'your. chesterfield. According to a bulletin on "Insects in the Home" issued by the Department of, Agriculture" there is scarcely a home in Ontario that is free That at least gets ug on com- mon ground . . . and makes me feel better. April is the month they renew active feeding . . . not that they were entirely asleep all winter, but if you are content to keep your home below 70, though you may have to wear an extra sweater those, left in the cup- boards should be still intact come spring. Moths are cosy creatures and like nice warm homes. The average home however breeds only one generation a year. Those not caught in April, if vigorously pursued may give up the struggle in May and June giving the-care- ful housekeeper. time fo. get outside and hunt rose. chafers in July and August. How to get rid of moths? . . . That's your = problem and mine too. Phe department of agricul ture advises a great amount of thorough house cleaning and even some carpentry. The bulletin r prying 1b d from the walls and delving into the cold air passages from the furnaces. Might be simpler to rec: ommend new wardrobes or even houses. | have found layers of news- papers wrapped around stored clothes discourage mdthsy The department also puts in a good word for that method. No particu- lar publication was recommended but it's wise to put in a year's reading supply. Keep the little fel lows interested. Actually the de- partment is not much more help- ful than I am. It suggests sending clothes of value to cold storage and admits to not having suffic- fent experience with moth-proofed materials to make recommenda- tions. Cheerfully then I leave the moths to you and your new Easter outfit. Whether you like it or not April is the month to re-new ac- quaintances. _| current trends, have predicted a future in which the home, as we know it, will be practically non-existent. The whole popula- tion will live in huge apart ment buildings, and many of the amenities of home life will have disappeared. We fervently hope such prophecies will never materialize, and that far from becoming obsolete the individ- ual home will some day regain its old supremacy as the key- stone of the community. 'Waterloo ball park, one afternoon a dozen' years ago, and paved the way to an Ontario Senior "B" title win for the Tigers over Al's Port Credit squad. Fairways: Bound And don't be surprised if Milt winds up as a golf pro when his puck chasing « days are over. A few summers) back, while vaca- tioning at Roseneath Manor, near was registered at the same gay but completely mad resort. Rose: heath is operated by that merry extrovert, Yank Boyd, who form- érly delighted in driving referees batty while playing in the Amer- ican hockey league. Anything can happen, at Roseneath, and Yank sees to:dt that it does. It wasn't a vacation for Milt, exactly. He was on his honey- moon!" How, knowing Boyd as he did, Milt ever purposely selected Roseneath Manor as a honey- moon retreat, I'll never know. But he did, and during his first two days there, all his retreating was from Yank's never ending battery of gags. Revolting Development From the third day on, though, he managed to work in a full Beaumaris, we ran into. Milt, who |, PUFFS FROM THE COTTON GIN round of golf with the gang every day. This unexpected develo, ment rather startled new wife Marie, for some reason. But i; didn't startle her mearly as mu as Milts golf startled Yank, who had laid out the course, played j upwards of a million times, ang xmew 'every roll, hole! and pep blade of grass on it. The first time Milt "ent round, he played with me in a foursome against; Boyd and Larry Moly. neux, another former hockeyis who, like many of the retiring puck fraternity, had settled down to peddling brewed malt and hops for. a living, Seems that Lamy managed to make a great many business calls on. Yank, and his golf was better than fair as a re sult. Tough On Milt The way 1 play, this didnt make Milt's task any easier. But he took the first hole for us, squeezed us into halving the sec. ond, and one putted us to the front on the third, As he climbed onto the fourth tee, Boyd was frantic. And, mot being above a little. honest skullduggery at any time, he promptly proceeded to tell Milt how to play the hole, which was as aggravating a dog's leg as was ever lad out on a short course. Tt angled 50) sharply, in fact, that, (the -green By tucked just behind a= heavy zmove of trees Sn) a ght: the "You just tee off at this angle," Yank briefed Milt, in a kindly tone that belied the fiendish sparkle in his eye. "Take your No. 3.wood and belt it full out, up and over the trees, instead of going around. The way you hit them, yowll be right on the green. Trickery Innocently, Schmidt did as he was bid, got away a lulu of a shot. Chuckling devilishly, Boyd teed off in the same direction, select- ed-a No. 7 iron, and skied over the trees! Larry and I did the same, and we made our way through the bush. Milt stopped short, on the other side, and made a great show of registering dis may, when he found he'd used a spoon. to cover a 135-yd. shot. But Boyd's roars of glee quickly sub- sided when we spotted four balls on the green. Sure enough; ou was Milt's. Fi "Howinell," queried the dumb founded Yank, "did you do it? That shot should Be 90 yards past the pin!" Schmidt silently putted out, picked his ball out of the cup, ol handed it to Boyd with'a smile. It was a trick sphere picked up in Boston, neatly drill ed so that the wind would pul it down while in full flight: No Fool Boyd was so res his game fell apart, and he paid off on all but two holes of the nine, then found sudden: business in the hotel kitchen. A Yes, don't be surpriséd if you find Milt Schmidt's name on the gold circuit tourney lists before long. And he has the ability and savvy to do just.about as well at it as he's done on the:ice lanes. Prophetically. Yours, 'BILL COTTON or possibly we should say a very important factor chief. deserves, above words to describe . This is a filler. There should be a black border around this. along with all the other newspapers in the free coun- tries are mourning for the silencing of La Prensa, by Juan Peron, eglomaniac despot of Argentina. A Free Press is the absolute right of all free people--and any- one who either completely, or to a lesser degree, zleg or tries to affect the policies of a newspaper is acting against the fréedom for which all true men are willing to die. A newspaper has been killed, and all people should mourn its murder. With its loss, goes a little of our freedom. We should all be on guard, at all times, to protect the freedom of our press . . . safest surety for our continued freedom. The smelts ran--then ran away, Pzddirng Commeril It was full time that Oakville had a fulltime Fire Chief --and Fred Shaw Is the best town appointment we've seen this year. With the possibility of civilian defence, of civilian destruction, .in everyones mind, Fire Chief Fred Shaw is going to be in Oakville's preparedness program. We congratulate the town on its first fulltime We tip our hat to the newest service club in town. A Ki- wanis club hag just been organized . . this service group added to the other groups here, Oakville . will be the better. We wish the new club all the success it . and with the aims of For we, muz- it is the or at least stayed out where only the commercial fishermen could snag a meal of the delicious finny morsels. The season is short, the enjoyment 50 we hope they come running shoreward as soon as. possible. If you haven't tried them, then you have missed something terrific. Definition of a filler: A short sentence to fill a space. "Tht thorouj ter, he night. "The