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i j v J acres from Editors Note r The warm April sun of the weekend beguiled us into fetch ing out the forks and hoes from their dusty storage under the basement beams and the silent contemplation of a couple of acres of inviting soil from which in our Imagination sprang giant tomatoes and tow ering corn We gathered together the tools of creation and with hap py industry fell to the digging How pleasant it was with the wind a gentle murmur and the sun warm on our back The pleasure of good honest digging lasted all of five minutes and then abruptly it became labor The muscles of our legs ached like sore teeth and on the palm of one hand a blister grew to the size of a piece be fore inflation It was then that we were in spired to put to use the surplus labor around the house We gave each of the kids a rake and fork threatened to cut their candy ration if they didnt Jay into it and retired to the shade of the apple tree No we havent our garden in As anyone can see the ground is still a mite wet for planting but we did have a pleasant nap and as soon as the rheumatism from sleeping on the damp ground is out of our bones we are going to get right at it Heard a quip on the radio which should brighten the days of those who hold by the old fashioned ways and eschew the newfangled It was rugged old tradition alist speaking Cant see the value of ruining a good plow by putting a contour into it you can do contour plow ing he said This age of specialization may have its merits but its disadvantages outweigh them The apartment dweller has lost From the Files of all touch with those undertak ings that used to come natural ly Nothing is simpler than feeding a hog but give the city man the hog and the hog would starve to death while he fig ured the exact formula There is too much headwork not enough handwork We heard a story the other day It was about the man who made his millions on the stock market by sheer perse verance and financial know- how It was altogether a com mendable effort This man de cided to build a summer house in the bush and because he was that kind of man prepared to do it himself He applied the same qualities to sawing his timber that he did to earning his millions and was making fair progress One day he looked up from his work to see a local farmer watching him from the shade of a tree They chatted a bit and then the farmer remarked on the mans work and his way of doing it You know he said you are really working on the end of that there saw Its tough work the city man agreed You do much carpentry Sure said the farmer A lot of fixing and repair work around the barn But you know when I saw I just saw You really sweat Give a fellow who has lived outdoors all his life a hog and that hog will thrive Even if he has never fed one before hell putter around and one way or the other hog and man will make out Give a city- chap a hog and hell worry himself sick over the beast simply for the lack of a com mon sense approach This specialization this citydwell ing has bred that sort of com mon sense out of most of the present generation Serving Aurora and rural districts of North York The Newmarket Era The Express Herald Published every Thursday at Main St Newmarket by the Newmarket Era and Express limited Subscription 4 for two years for one year in advance Single copies are each Member of Class A Weekfies of Canada Canadian Weekly Newspapers Association and the Audit Bureau of Circulations Authorized as Second Class Mail Post Office Deportment Ottawa JOHN A MEYER Managing Editor JOHN News editor CAROLINE ION Womens Editor GEORGE HASKETT Sports Editor LAWRENCE RACINE Job Printing and Production THE EDITORIAL PAGE PAGE FOUR THURSDAY THE THIRD DAY OF MAY NINETEEN HUNDRED AND FIFTYONE 25 and 50 Years Ago APRIL Dr P Firth former principal of Pickering College spoke at Friends Meeting on Sunday Quite a stir on the town mar ket last Saturday morning Butter dropped to cents and eggs went up to cents New maple syrup sold at 3 Imperial gallon Potatoes 325 to 350 a bag and apples 25 to cents a basket Last Thursday evening two classes of girls in the Christian Sundayschool had a farewell party in the school room for Miss Jean who is re turning to England with her parents soon Bennetts store is being trans formed into a restaurant Officers elected at the last meeting of the of Mount Albert were Stewart vice Dr W see Miss Agnes Steeper David Brooks pianist Miss Olive assistant Miss Doris Stokes Rev A J Mann will contin ue to supply for the circuit until the close of the conference year and then will become the regular pastor of the new circuit of Keswick and Bethel Mr John Gray Calgary is visiting his sister Mrs A and Mr and Mrs Thomas Blizzard in town The ball club held a success ful euchre and dance in the Oddfellows hall last Friday night One hundred and fifty attended Prizewinners euchre were Miss Brad ford and Thomas Harrison The lucky number dance was won by Miss Laura Cain and Wesley Bain Miss Emma Cook has return ed to her home in King City after spending the winter with friends in Florida MAY 3 Mr Thomas Dewsbury who farms acres on the of Whitchurch finished his seed ing last Tuesday Good market on Saturday Eggs sold from ten to cents and butter all the way from 11 to 15 cents Apples cents a basket parsnips from to cents a basket carrots from ten to cents a basket Po tatoes were from 25 to cents a bag maple syrup Im perial gallon Live pigs about six weeks old sold at a pair The ice cream season opened last Saturday and the parlors in Newmarket had a big sale because of the very hot weath er- It was in the shade Miss Marjoric Pearson is ex pected to arrive at her home in on Friday even ing after a three months visit in New York A ewe belonging to Mr Geo Fetch White Rose gave birth to two lambs last Friday one of which had six legs Three of the legs arc on the left front shoulder the others being in their proper place The lamb is apparently quite healthy and is expected to live Norman Gray completed his apprenticeship at the Era office yesterday and leaves for Tor onto to accept a position as operator in the Elec trical News office Last Monday afternoon the Junior league of the Methodist church was reorganized Of ficers elected were Brock vice presidents Cane Greta Play tor Lily Lush Vera sec Lawrence Lepard treas John Morgan organist Anna A heavy thunderstorm passed over this section yesterday morning but there was no dam age reported TAKING IN THE HARVEST WEAKNESSES IN TAX SYSTEM Rising municipal costs have revealed numerous weaknesses in the present methods of municipal tax ation None has been so apparent as the discrepancies between rural and u assessments particularly where the rural properties border large urban develop ments Almost every urban centre has these borderline properties Municipal administrations are caught be tween the already high rural taxes and the need for more funds for services to the urban areas Some weeks ago it was proposed to one or two township councils that farm properties be exempted from service charges arising out of the urbanization of the township It was argued that since the rural properties did not require these services they should not be required to help carry their cost The disadvan tage of such proposals is that such exemptions do not always represent an equitable portioning of cost Last week the York County Federation of Agri culture which has been a strong advocate of rural tax reform heard Mr G who is reassessing North assert that rural properties should only be assessed on house and an acre of land for educa tion This seems a more practical method of equalizing tax charges than exemptions We know of no objection to it Such a proposal would have useful application in School Section No in East for ex ample where inequality of taxation has been an issue for years This section is an almost classic example of the inequalities encouraged under present methods of assessment To the north of the section there are large farms and small population To the south there are small projerties and a large population The taxpayer in the north end is paying many times the tax of the individual taxpayer in the south The con flict between charges on property and the needs of an expanding population is obvious But whether Mr proposal has general acceptance or an alternative is found it is evident that some reform is necessary The lack of equality of assessment has already had a serious effect rural values as well as discouraging efforts to hold farmers on the land RELATION OF SCHOOL COSTS Rising school costs are blamed for increased mill- rates in Newmarket Aurora and most other centres In Newmarket at least it should be noted that while school costs accounted for most of the tenmill increase the proportion of school costs to the total tax bill rose only slightly above the level of the last few years and is still less than it was in In school costs were half of the total tax rate mills on a rate in the year the school grants were introduced the rate was mills of which the school costs were again mills less than a third In the school rate was still the same but the total rate was higher mills In the years 1947 to inclusive the proportion of school costs to the general rate remained a third or less in 1951 school costs Were mills against a total of mills more than a third but still substan tially loss than the half that school costs repre sented formerly this despite a jump of nearly ten mills We are not suggesting that the school rate is par ticularly low but these figures do help place school costs in their proper perspective What is more to the point is that the general rales did not go any higher The fact remains that whatever saving is affected this year by a pared down general rate is lost many times over in the years ahead Unless maintenance and repair can be maintained roads and other physical properties of the town will depreciate badly with subsequent heavier repair costs NEW SOURCES OF INCOME In his budget presentation Deputy J emphasized the need for new sources of municipal income The property owner lie claimed already carrying a too heavy burden of taxation lib statement will find ready agreement Property taxes themselves are not onerous in these inflationary times but when added to many taxes the owner already paying they do become extreme Mr apparently for the lack of new sources attempted to ease the lax burden by holding down the general rate But if oh noted above this is a doubtful undertaking what alternative sources of municipal income are there Municipalities are limited to property taxation except for limited special taxes such as the polltax an outmoded levy Under present conditions the only other source of municipal income is the provincial government Last year the provincial government paid almost percent of Newmarkets revenues of This payment made in the form of grants to almost every department of municipal administration required heavy expenditures by the municipality to become eligible for them There were additionally further conditions upon their use which virtually reduced the council to a rubber stamp for provincial policies To look to the province for further aid would be to further reduce the authority of municipal councils No the only answer to better distribution of taxes is in tax reforms which would give local administrations access to tax fields which are exclusively those of the province We do not know how this could be done But we are convinced that unless such reforms are sought for there will he increasing burdens on the property- owner and as provincial grants are increased under pressure from the municipalities a corresponding de crease in local authority And this will spell the eventual destruction of local government the corner stone of selfgovernment MUNICIPAL DISGRACE The condition of the old cemetery on Eagle St is a disgrace What should be a monument to Newmarkets origin is overgrown with weeds and brambles its stones overturned and inscriptions worn by weather There is no excuse for it Public apathy towards ques tions of such public interest is never excusable For years we have been saying something should be done but nothing ever is The old cemetery re mains a monument to our indifference rather than the tribute to our past it should be The cemetery is not the particular responsibility of any one group or organ ization in town perhaps that fact has contributed the most to its present condition But since when has Newmarket had to wait until someone claimed that responsibility before it acted A good many citizens are not even aware the ceme tery exists There is very little to indicate ils presence Yet within rusty fence are buried individuals whose story was the story of Newmarket Still others claim a larger place in history If we are to know our town and to understand it how can we ignore such associations The cemetery lies in the centre of what is be coming a choice residential area So lost have we our respect for our origins that we now hear the sug gestion that the graves should be moved the ground levelled and homes erected on it How far can we go towards obliterating a proud past Year after year sees historic landmarks removed Must the present completely efface the past TURNOVER TAX The federal government has proposed amendments to the British North America Act which would permit the provinces to levy indirect taxes The tax thai apparently has the greatest appeal to the provinces is the retail tax a tax on all goods sold over the counter So far proposals for such a tax have been greeted with almost solid opposition And rightly so Indirect taxes are a miserable form of levy at the best but the retail or turnover tax is the most miserable there could be That it should even be considered is the surest indication of how far away governments have grown from the people Apparently those Who propose such a tax believe that its iniquities will be unrecognized since it will not be obvious no more obvious than is the sales tax itself no mean form of building up Hie public purse A turnover tax would work unwarranted hardship upon the consumer It makes no distinction in ability to pay but is levied on all It is a sure contribution to the rising cost of living It offers every inducement to compounding consumer charges Aral the byproducts of such a tax are even worse Willi a further increase in the cost of living from such a tax city workers will demand higher wages with corresponding increases in sales price of their goods The fanner ami others whose wages and income are not fixed to cost of living indices will be penalized doubly There is nothing good which can bo said about the turnover lax Those who propose it have shown themselves devoid entirely of public interest The state is the servant not the matter of the people the ogams t infringement on their rights their agent in international is not the of the state assume the direction of the on individual choice Of f ice Cat Reports Catnips By Ginger Cuttin Corners has decided to have a Crime Investigation Commission too Very little crime has been looked into lately said Mayor the other day Cut- tin Corners will have a probe The same day the mayor ap pointed Michael Krobe who was responsible for driving pyramid clubs from the Cuttin Corners community to head the Crime Investigation Commission Said Mike Krobe today in a civic announcement There has not been a single case of crime heard of in our community for three years When I am through with this here investi gation everybody will hear about it No crime will go un heard of There were hushed murmur- in the community News had come through that Big the Landing King gambling bigwig of the 20s from another East township community had moved into Corners Big Bing had been lying low in Kingston for the past years Big Bing was back and Big was afraid of no one not even Mike and his dice commission So your favorite correspond ent did the only thing and went straight to the hideout of Big the Landing King for an interview He had a swish apartment over the Academy pool hall Big Jim was wearing a white cotton suit and general issue pitch helmet A small native boy at his side held a SouthernAir fan over the ro tund gambler He was eating anchovies from a can Tell me Big I said what is your attitude toward the present probe What do you do about income tax How- do you justify your vocation to society Probes is good for business said the big one Me I wel come probes Quite a fad on about em right now Its the thing to do a probe Its good advertising been in the business for years except for a 25year res pite recently and up to now I havent run into income tax Theyre people nowadays eh Yes I said Its a new be lief the government has said the big one stroking his third chin I sup pose they know what they are doing As income tax Ill cross that bridge when the bridge is built As your third question said Big I justifies me vocation as merely supplyin a demand Its a demand services and I supplies it is me product which I deals to the public Maybe I sometimes deals out some bum deals but whats to hinder Lots of people has the stink and theys got to pay fer it if they want it You seem to have a keen in sight into the function of econ omics I said And where did you get your training Well I has been following closely the career of Graham Towers I has been a coherent to all his principles and I has all his financial pol icies Me and Graham has been as one mind like peas in a pot only he took the path and I took the less ortho- nocks financial career And it is such stimulating men like Big the Landing King that these insidious popu lar probes are aimed at It is the same old story someone starts a persecution campaign and everybody wants to get on the bandwagon This time its the gambling men Such stalwart citizens as Big truly a pillar of modern financial type in wolfs clothing maybe but a pillar are being probed at by Mike and Mayor Today Mike was gath ering information He has been going about Corners col lecting racing forms dice poker chips and rabbits feet as evi dence for the commission- Down at Three Bowls the community barber shop there was a raid today Racing forms were found in the back room At the Academy a snivelling little witness was watching a game of snooker unknown by the contestants who were play ing for penny bets More evi dence One of Krobes men There are hushed in Corners There are rumors about Mike commission Some say that it is rotten to the core There is talk that a commission is going to be set up to investigate it Up here in Cuttin Corners they may be doing one better than the big guns in the cities They have an Investigation Commission into the Crime In vestigation Commission by Dairy Farmer The Top Six Inches This is a most disturbing part of the year No sooner do w get one thing off our mind when the lady of the house who must be reading this column deckles that it is her turn There are storm windows to take off and screens to put on The tradit ional time to put the storm win dows on is supposedly any time from Thanksgiving to Christ mas But what about taking them off Our guess is be tween Easter and the of May Next we are told that the garden wants to be plowed and manured and then we notice with great horror that the lawn is ready to cut In the mean time we have managed to get the tractor mired and have run out of straw There are days to the of May when seeding should be finished ami clays to file the next income tax return although I stippose we wont care about this so much for another days- All in all this is a very upset time of the year Hut the great worry on our mind right now is a manure pile of no mean size in our yard luist winter was nt a good year for taking out manure There wasnt enough snow for the team and sleigh and there was too much mud and ice most of the time for tractor ami spreader We some times wonder if taking out man ure fresh from the bam is the best thing for the manure and the land When the manure is settled and mature fewer loads will take it out We think too that a a deteriorates when spread out in the field and fin THE OLD HOME TOWN ally manure in the pile well trampled will kilt most weed seeds but when spread straight from under the cows it will not We saw an example of this two years ago when a man we know bought some straw that was dirty and spread the man ure right away His field was covered with thistles next year Of course the opponents of these ideas say that there is time to do it in the winter and there is no time for it in the spring Well we will just have to make time for it And we will have to make time for many other things as well such as planting trees which came late tills year- We must tell you though that there are few things quite as satisfactory as watching trees grow If more people were shown how a few furrows of lives can grow in two or three years mure trees would be planted It is a sign of our age this rushing and hurrying the quick maturing crops ami the lbs in pigs the fast baby beef and big twoyearold rec ords in cows It obscures the quieter pleasures of watching trees grown and lawn become green and animals develop without rush ami hurry We have often marvelled at the stately spruce squares of west ern Ontario Dark and straight they are protecting the home stead providing shelter and shade It must take to years for them to grow They were small trees once too The men who planted them must have visualized them the way they are today 4 I By STANLEY NTH MAID He says we WITH WATER WE CM WATER