THE MIRROR_ No. 32 STRATFORD, ONT., FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 1927 Vol. 4 J, M. RIDDELL IS NEW CITY SOLICITOR The recommendation of the Finance Committee was acted upon by the City Council on Monday evening at its inaugural] meeting, resulting in the ap- peintment of J. M. Riddell as the new City Solicitor, in the place of Judge W. G. Owens, of Walkerton, former City solicitor. Mr. Riddell is a lifelong resident of the City. He was called to the Bar in the Spring of 1915 and thereupon entered into association with R. S. Rofbertson, K.C., which continued until the begin- ning of 1916, when he enlisted in the 47th Battery. He was drafted to and served in France with the 58th Battal- ion, and demobilized in 1919, after hav- ing been about a year in hospital. On returning to Stratford, he started a general law practice which has since continued. Mr. Riddell served the City as Ald- erman for two years and as Secretary of the Board of Education for five or six years. ODE. To "DEATH Strikes as a sword, swift, deep; Nor let the hand of pity keep You faltering, but fall As stars do, sudden, bright, Into the deep, abysmal night. Cleave through the walls of change, Show how the soul in space may range When not the body's thrall. Guide me to heights above, But spare, touch not, my sweet, my love. (By E. L. Harrison) oe ESTA TE US IMGURANCE Pertinent Patter Probably the outstanding event in the week so far as municipal matters are concerned was the appoimtment of J. M. Riddell as city solicitor. His appointment is one that will meet with general satisfaction. He is a home-brew, born in Stratford and par- tially educated here. During the war he served overseas and on his return set up in business in the city. For two terms he served as an alderman on the City Council and is thus famil- iar with the practical side of municip- al work. As a student he was in the office of R. S, Robertson, then city solicitor an dis therefore not un- familiar with the solicitor's end of the business. In every way he should be fully qualified for the position which the council has seen fit to give him. cs * ok The re-appointment of George Sug- den and George Langan as members of the Park Board should be read | with satifsaction as both men are in a position to give efficient service. Mr.. Langan has been a member of the board for many years and has given good service. Mr. Sugden, a new member, has been found valuable through his connection with Dufferin park organizations and the fact that he lives in the South end of the city where two comparatively new parks are being developed. * *£ # The Council on Monday night took the final step in the official handing over of the Municipal Gas Plant to the Public Utilities Commission. That body now has full control and the citi- zens are watching to see what will be done. Ald. Moore, in his parting words to the Commission on the sub- ject, suggested that the rates for gas be cut slightly and that no very great capital expenditure be entered upon. This is sound advice so far as it goes but it must go farther. The only way the gas plant can pay is by increas- vag the number of customers using gas. That can hardly be done with the rate as high as it is now for the cost of gas is prohibitive. It would seem that the only way business can be mcreased is by taking a _ long chance and reducing the rate enough to make it attractive and going out on an aggressive selling compaign. It 4s a reasonably safe argument to say that with the present rates in force that the number of customers will not increase very fast. * * * The other day two men were talk- ing about the possibility of the tax | | into. rate being reduced. One suggested that a few hundred be cut off in one place and a few hundreds in another place, The other man sid that way of doing things was no good; that what was wanted was a way to cut off a big chunk a:together. It is just that form of reasoning that is largely re- sponsible for high taxes here and elsewhere. It igs an easy thing for a committee to pass through a little boost here and a little increase some- where else and then wonder when the total estimates of all the committees are added up why the rate must go up. The old Scotch saying, "many mickles mak a muckle," works in municipal finance just the same as in the child's saving bank. One mill on the assessment this year yie-:ds $14,500. A few. hundreds here and there soon amount up into the thou- sands and it is those few hundreds that the council committees must watch this year. Galt has set a very drastic example in cutting expenses by discharging her city engineer. The grounds for this step is that there is little local improvement work going on and the engineer is not needed. The same argument could have been used here last year and again this year if desired. This is mentioned just as an example and is one of the | things that the council should inquire If any city department is over- | staffed or the salary list too heavy then the pruning knife should be | used. Sik A Toronto paper the other day car- (Continued on page 4) | J. B. Waugh, newly elected thair- mii '1>li> Utilities. | is how The Mirror Interviews Newly Elected Chairman The Mirror interviewed H. Wiggles worth, the newly elected Chairman of the Board of Education, yesterday- After complimenting the Chairman om the hnoor recently conferred on him, referred to the story going the rounds re the unsafe condition of the ceilings of the Collegiate. Mr. Wigglesworth said: "The story arose on acocunt of a drop on one of the corridors, where the wood on the ceiling owing to the heavy rain during the time of re- modeling the school got soaking wet. The steady drying which followed caused it to shrink back to normal, and the woodwork to come away from the old plastered ceiling. As a proof of this the Chairman produced a piece of plaster and the lath together with a portion of the wood scantling up- on which the ceiling nailed. "Look at that for workmanship, Mr. Editor,' he exclaimed, producing @ piece of plaster whoch by actual measurement was exactly 1 inck thick--something we don't get these days with new fangled ideas of Beavy- erboard and chiplap. When the old Collegiate Board, some 35 years ago, decided to put up a wood ceiling the scantlimgs were nailed directly upon the old plaster. The man who did this was not as good a mechanic as the plasterer for he skimped his job by using wire nails to nail up the wooden ceiling. Further, said the Chairman, he did not put nails into the work long enough to get a firm hold of the beam, By actual measure- ment the nail only came through the 1-4 inch. The marvel to me this cealing stayed up all these years, with the continued traf- fic on the floor above. But We are Continued on page 5) was plaster nn el