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The Acton Free Press Wednesday June15 1977 Listen to voice of voters Our voice is small But our votes are the same as anywhere else one per person And this time the strong swing to the opposition Liberals Acton and Esquesing surely must say something important to the party in power There can be no doubt that the Liberal willingness to review reg lonal government had a good deal to do with the change this time In the last election voters here were divided in whether to oppose the reigning PCs and their position on regional government among other things or whether to support a native son Gary who was the PC candidate There was not an Acton person in the running this time and only the issues remained Acton and Esquesing joined the rest of Halton Burlington riding a strong backing for the opposition Liberals While Halton will no doubt remain as a region the Con servatives must now address them selves to the voice of the Acton pop ulace Let there be a review of regional government at the provincial level as there is at regional level The for Acton comm has prepared its brief for region council Now we have spoken again Pleasehsten Why wait for paving Can there really be any reason for the delay in the final paving and sidewalk construction on Mil St The roadways and sidewalks are dangerous and a disgrace To wait throughout the winter is understandable Bad weather in this country certainly stops con But here we are near the end of June and the second stage of the re construction has still not begun The matter of the liability for the crumbling curbs is still under dis cussion we are told The matter of who signs the cheque that pays sor the new curbs doesn t concern us The state of our main thorough fare concerns us very much Someone has to pay Why should the whole town and all the people who use the highway constantly be made Downgrading police office Acton should have a full force in its police station here with a ser and not simply ate as an adjunct to the George town office It was surprising to learn last week that our sergeant has been transferred and is not apparently being replaced Acton is growing and the needs as far as policing are growing too It is no time to cut back here Our calls to officials produced no good reason why the men here should have their supervisor in Georgetown rather than in the Acton office as he always has been Although there has been an in dication that the police are seeking another location for its office the public has never learned what is wrong with having the police office remain in the town hall It seems an excellent place for it We have heard that it is be coming crowded Relieving the men here of a supervisor and ad ministrative work would solve that problem perhaps Is that the rea son for the change The people here still feel some what remote from the regional police force which took over from the 0 P P The regular complaints about lack of foot patrols on the main streets have only recently been heeded apparently There are accounts of the length of time it takes for a policeman to respond to a call They do not seem to belong to our community All but one live out of town There are men here now more than the O ever had Yet the area to be covered includes large parts of and agaweya and it would be inter to know how up on a per capita basis Cruisers are often out of town Are our men as experienced as those in other parts of the region Downgrading our office will not solve these problems We deserve the best policing we can get Surely that means a full complement of policemen or wo men with a corporal or sergeant in charge Long live the Queen Watching and reading about the special events in Britain to cele brate the Queens jubilee have brought a surge of pride to Can adians How fortunate we are to have a sovereign and system of govern ment to be proud of The British system is of course our system It has been found to be an appropriate and successful way of regulating the lives of people for centuries The monarchs powers have varied over all the s At one time the monarchy was abolished togetherinBritam Our present day ruler is one who does her duty nobly and seemingly withsatifaction A living symbol she presents the crown in human form Justice is dispensed in her name in Canadian courts too The enthusiasm which infected the crowds in London the past week has extended to all the corners of the commonwealth heightening our awareness of her position and the success with which she a ins it Long live the Queen Of this and that How times change Tom Ware recently came across an old piece of paper which records the price of building the basement at the first cottage on the right on the Crescent over the Maria St bridge G Clifford was the man who made the estimate for Mr Ware on Sept 1935 Mr Clifford was a busy town builder in those days Here is what he estimated Wall to be eighteen inches thick and six feet four inches high to bottom of joist Stone to be laid in cement mortar for the first two feet to make solid foundation About one part cement to six parts lime mortar Window to be built in as shown on plan and battened back from frame inside Where cellar steps go down would like wall narrowing down to inches to give more roomforsteps as shown on plan Inside pointing to be well flushed up and broomed off Outside pointing to be done after brick work Is finished and block off I agree to do all the labor and supply all material to complete same for the sum of one hundred and sixty five dollars Signed G Clifford HELEN DAWSON TAKES front row seat or stand at the Acton Citizens Band supper concert Sunday evening The event was graced with dry comfortable weather and piper Jim Ballantme Mount Brydges entertained during the bands intermission Patients from Countryside in Hornby made the trip to hear a fine performance The concert was outside behind the music centre There s big black cloud hanging over this country and despite the veritable of hot air emitted by it refuses to blow away Its name in Unemployment If you have noticed not so many people seem to belong to the curling club or the golf club is there were don t ginc for a minute that for some reason there is a drop of interest in the sport and the conviviality of these social oases in the desert of our lives It simply and purely that a heck of lot of guys and gals can afford the fees any more because they are simply and pure out of work As a child of the Depression I grew up under that big black cloud and I know full well what a brooding shadow it can cost over an Individual or family It hung over mine for more than a decade and it left ils marks on the soul if not the bod Let take an average family of today confronted by this spectre without any preparation for it Jack has worked for 1j years in a plant Working conditions were good Pay was good and got better every time the union growled Jack belonged to the union but I attend meetings He had worked up toi4 a year as fore man Pretty good for i guy with Grade His wife Jean has been working too for the past seven years them they had a good income Like everybody else they wanted the good life Bought a house with a 30year mortgage Traded the car every three years on a bank loan Plunged for boat Enjoyed a weeks holiday In the south each winter and two weeks a rented cottage in the summer Even went to Europe last yeir No real financial problem although spare mono seemed rather scanty with inflation But ill payments met on time Suddenly the roof fell in Jean job was declared redundant as the small firm she worked for tightened its belt against rising costs She tried for another but there were younger women with more skills for every Job she applied for With a rather forced laugh she told friends she de elded to stay home and be a housewife And after all she was collecting insuroncc Still no real financial problem Then the ran out Canada Manpower that hunk of bureaucracy as useful as teats on a bull had nothing for her Then earthquake Jacks company with the utmost regret that It would be closing permanently within a month In business double talk the cm were informed that for some vague reason to do with the parent plant in the States it was no longer feasible to maintain production at the local plant Translation the fat federal subsidies the company got to build the local plant had run out along with the special local tax deal Jack discovered with horror that ht was years old that he had fairly limited skills despite his good reputation as a worker and that there were hundreds of young guys who knew more than he did looking for jobs He and the other foremen were told that there might be a job for them at the home plant in if they wanted to make the move Not as foremen of course The home plant ready had foremen Jack and Jean had an Income of a week unemployment insurance Their mortgage payments were a month car payments a month fuel and hydro month It cost them ISO a week to put bread on the table They owed the bank SI for the boat Sugar and Spice by bill That why the don show up it curling club and the club it s why never throw party an more That why they don on holidays That s their kids don I get new clothes on TliJt is Ho it is long I r is now i it up pickup truck it I uses for his business yes he s working Ik up thousand dollars ind with his know lege of welding and such si tried ill auto body repair shop Tht thousand he owes has increased to but business is picking up A second it 18 percent saved the house Hut there II be no mone to educate kids There be no more dreams of retiring on i pretty good pension and buying ihit place In the country There may not even a J fight a lot these days I heir kids don like them much these days Jack gets awful drunk on Saturday night Jean cries lot horror story Nope just a modern filrj about two babes lost in the woods of our material society where wants to get a bit more give quite a bit less 1 feel sorry for Juck and Jean other people whose grasp exceeded their rt ith They re not really to blame In a society that puts money things posses status at the lop of the list and people thrift humilty and integrity the bottom they re just a couple of the casual tasuiltics Th it unemployment style Show me some bread lines soup kitchens men who would literally sell soul to the devil for decent job and 1 11 show you 19J0s unemployment OUR READERS WRITE Star reporter defends himself Intake Court The The Acton Press The Independent Georgetown To The Mayor Tom Hill is incorrect when he accuses this reporter Independent and I ret Press June of using till msorm given it a May Press conference to identify company con takeover of the Pipers Ltd phnt it Georgetown The f ire everything stated the Press conference by George Gny Pro gressive Conservative candidate for ilton Burlington and M lit was on the record This can be confirmed by your own Coles ind George of The Herald I can assure you that at no time was the of Scott I td to me by tyor Hill or Mr Gray as the interested in moving to Georgetown Although I Informed Mayor Hill and Mr ray at the May Press conference again Hartley Coles and George will confirm that I already knew the name of the company he only possible clues to Its identity the Press were given publicly by lyor Hill These were published on the front page of The Independent on June I the name of Mr Goulet the fact incorrect as it lurned out that a Scott directors meeting on the possible take over was being held in Van and that the concerned was manufacturer of paper products Also purchase of the mill was imminent according to Mayor Hill and Mr Gray At the end of Press conference during which I didn say the name of the company cither Mayor HIM and George ray agreed quite specifically with the statements each had just made on situation although to be fair Mr ray t say much on the issue at that time However they fully supported what each other said So far as Mr Gray s position on the issue Is concerned he told Goer get own Itotary I that the location of a new In In the plant was almost fait accompli It would possibly I rente Jobs and while negotiations for sate of the plant were completed the actual sale had not yet gone through On June l In my capacity North reporter for The Toronto Star I decided that some of the statements made by Mayor Hill and Mr Gray should be checked out in the public Interest mainly in view of the provincial election campaign Acting on Information I had previously received from other sources telephoned George president of Scott Paper I td only objective of checking the substance of certain statements made concerning the firm by Mayor Hill and Mr Gny notwithstanding the fact that the company in negotiations with Domtar had not it that time been named in the Press I can assure you that Mr O was most distressed wilh some of the misle or incorrect statements which hid been put out concerning his company by Mayor Hill and Mr Gray As a result I had specific permission from Mr to write a story for The Star published June naming Scott and denying the company any firm plans for taking over the Domtar mill or phasing out its existing production facilities In Quebec or New Westminster It might also be interesting for Mayor Hill and Mr Gray to know that I was tulated for my integrity by Mr 0 and Bernard Goulet a Scott vicepresident for bringing the matter of statements con corning their company to their attention and on the of my subsequent story concerning the company position I would point out that had the company substantiated the facts as given my Mr Gray and Mayor Hill and had not wished its published under those circumstances no story would have been written by me for Star Hills Couclllor Pete has backed Scott official statement an the Issue the Town of Halton Hills only Mayor Hill and planner Mario Vcndctti took part In the talks with Scott officials and at the two meetings held Mr Gray wasn present although claim is aware of the Domtar side of the negotiations I it quite significant that Vendetti says he has been instructed to say nothing on the issue Instructed by Mayor Hill perhaps if so why of last week I was personally assured by Mr that the fact that the com name has become public In no way changes Scott plans for TAKING A I DDK AT PURCHASE of the Domtar plant along with properties elsewhere In Canada 1 would suggest with respect that in future Mayor Hill and Mr Gray be much more careful in the kind of on the record statements they make at public meetings and press conferences especially at election lime If they have suffered some embarrass ment they have only themselves to blame Mr Gray s public statement at a Kilbride election meeting that the company In Continued on page The Free Press Back Issues 10 years ago Taken from he issue of the Free of Wednesday June 14 1967 Nancy Ruth Miller daughter of Mr and Mrs Neil Miller graduated last week with a class of 29 from St Joseph Hospital school of Nursing In She Is on two weeks holidays now and returns to St Joseph s until August She is not sure yet where she will be nursing Mrs Laurie Patterson daughter of Mrs Kay Bennett of Acton also graduated at the same time A family dinner party was held after the graduation and among the guests were her grandmother Mrs Annie Bennett and her husband grandmother Mrs Gray of Harold Sonny has been en gaged as arena manager and began his new duties this Monday Also engaged to fill the complement of employees at the arena Is Don Price Choralicrs activities are continuing right up until they leave to sing at Expo on June 30 They will be singing a pro gram in the high school on Sunday evening June New issuer of motor vehicle licences in Acton is Edwin Watson His office is com wilh his Mill St Music store Former issuer Jack Hargrave has resigned New residents at ore Mr and Mrs Robert and family They moved to town from Brampton and Mr commutes to work at Engineering there Miss Anne Watson and David Watson are visiting relatives in Montreal and seeing Expo 20 years ago Taken from the issue of the tree June IDjT Peter Wolfe age 11 was recently awarded an annual scholarship for the completion of his high school at St Andrew s College Aurora The son of Mr and Mrs Wesley Wolfe Acton he was successful out of a class of IG in obtaining one of two scholarships open for this Peter credits his success in these exams to the cooperation of the teachers at the Acton school where he is presently completing his eight exams The Acton student registers at St Andrew College on September 10 and will begin his studies on September 11 Kcelots a German Shepherd dog owned by Fred of Acton took first class honors at the Scarborough Dog Show last weekend Keel Is better known as Nigger won six awards during the day He placed first in the open class the Winners Dog the top best of winners the best of breed and the best in the walking group and the best Canadian breed in breed 100 years ago Taken from the issue If the Free Press June The undersigned begs leave to inform the people of Acton and surrounding neighbor hood that he has procured a magnificent hearse and is prepared to attend and conduct funerals on the shortest notice and most moderate terms Caskets Coffins Burial Robes Hat Bands and Gloves supplied when required Signed John Speight A correspondent suggests locating cater pillars tents dipping a bundle of cloth in kerosene and setting fire to it Property owners on Main Street asked council to consider making the new sidewalks six feet Instead of four The petitioners said they were willing to pay the difference Flowers at funerals are getting out of date in the large cities At Queen Victoria last drawing room a ludy attracted considerable attention by the remarkable combination of colors in her dress She had on a skirt of deep red silk trimmed with black lace With this she wore train of brocaded satin of a striking vivid yellow green edged with a broad niching of velvet of the same color In Georgetown a bylaw will shortly be voted on to raise for the purpose of purchasing the Market Square and erecting a town hull Christie Henderson and Co 100 dozen Canada straw hats at doz sunshades 10c and up 1 yards of English prints at 10c worth 15c 60 kid gloves very choice worth SI 25 for 80c All the novelties of the season THE ACTON FREE PRESS Business and Editorial Office