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The Canadian Champion, Fniday, February 7, 2003--7 Lime works of D. Robertson OUR RFAi DERS, WRJTF and Co. just west of Milton destroyed by tire; nobody injured in afternoon blaze 'Time Capsules' are gems of information extracted from past issues of The Champion and other publications to pro- vide a window mbt Milton's past. Explanatory comment is sometimes pro- vided to place the situation in context. August 1899 Tbe extensive lime works of D. Robertson andl Co., of Toronto on the C.P.R., tbree miles west of Milton, were destroyed by fire on Sunday afternoon. None of thse employees were near tbem wben the lire broke out, as it did about 20 minutes after the passing of a freight train whicb went westwaxd tbrougb Milton at 3 p.m. Employees at Metsra. Robertson and Co. believe that a spark from the engine started the tire wbicb broke out in the west end of the sbeds wbicb stood on tbree sides of tbe kiln. Ail the buildings were burnt to tbe ground, besides a large supply of wood. Wben tbe timbers supporting tbe Uin were consumeil, its walls coilapsed. The lots is very beavy and the owners of tbe property say tbat tbey will look to tbe railway company to make it good. There was no insurance. Tlhe fire could not bave occurreil at a more awkward tinte, as orders for lime were coming in faster than tbey could be fslled, tbougb the shipments averaged one car-boai per day. Notbing can be done witb the Uin destroyed on Sunday, but Messrs. Robertson and Co. bave men at work restoring anotber one whicb was damageil by a fire anme years ago and hope to bave it in running order witbin tbree weeks. They bave made arrange- ments to procure lime to supply tbeir cus- tomera in the meantime anti tbeir business will go on as usuai. Mr. Henderson, M. for Haiton, bas been very prominent among Opposition speakers tbrougbout the present session of tbe House of Comanons. On Thursday, bie matie a long speech on preferential trade. He argued tbat though the motber country gained by tbe preference given bier by tbe Laurier Govemiment, Canada lost beavily and hie urged that it sbould be mutuai, not one-sitieti. There is not the slightest prospect tbat Great Britain will do any-~ tlsing of tbe kinti nor is it likely that tbe Laurier Govemment will abandon tbe pref- erence given in its tariff to Britisb produc- tions. Stili Mr. Henderaon's speech was a Time Capsules Cers clever one and bis constituents have no reason to be ashameil of the position which bie bas gained in the House. On Tuesday two boys were brougbt before Mayor Deacon, chargeil by Chief Constable Bradley witb batbing on Monday within tbe limita of the corpora- tion. The boys aditteil tbe offence. One took bis dip in the pond and the otber at tbe iet and botb pleaded tbat tbey did not know tbat tbey were violating any bylaw. They were ailowed to go on suspended sentence, but in future tbe by-law will be strictly enforced and fines insposeil. The bylaw is ratber sweepmng in its provisions, perbaps more so than waa intendeil wben it waa passed, as it probibits ail batising witb- in tbe corporation between sunrise and sunset. Bathing suits or any otber suits are not mentioned. Ail bathers, naked or clotbed, are liable. At a meeting last week of tbe Milton board of achool trustees it was resolved to engage Miss Florence Deacon, B.A., to teacb classica andl higb scbool subjects at tbe Milton public achool. Tbis will be a great boon to parents who* wisb to give tbeir cbildren higber edsscation and do not wisb to send thens away from home. Tbe new department will be self-sustaining, as tbe amount of thse teacber's salary wiil be covered by the govemment and county counicil grants and tbe fees of tie pupils tbat bave been secured. It is true tbat the board bas been receiving the grants latterly for continuation classes, but tbe new department will be practically a bigis achool on a smail scale and tbe money will be really eamed. Pupils can take ail tbe subjects necessary for tbe junior leaving examination. (Guarantees for 10 students bail been obtamnei. Miss Deaconfa salary is to be $300 per annuns.) This material is assembledl on beltal of the Milton Historical Society by Jim Dilîs, who can be reached by e-mail at jdills@idirect.com. Any changes to smoking bylaw now would be a step backward for Milton: councîllor Dear Editor: Tbis letter is in response to the article conceming town council's reconsideration of the smoking bylaw tbat appeared last Fritiay's issue of The Champion. Council bas chosen to look as ailowing bara and restaurants to construct designated smoking roms (DSRs) because of the sup- posed demand fromn tbese estab- lishments to bave a "level playing fielti" pertaining to tbe smoking bylaw. It seems the bar and restaurants want to be treated the samne as the bingo bail - but why stop at tbe smoking bylaw? If tbe bara and restaurants want tise samne rules applied to everyone, tben let's do it. That means tbat no one under tise age of 18 yeara would be ailowed into a bar or restaurant, no aicobol could be serveil, 80 per cent of tise revenues would be retumned to tise patrons by means of cash prizes, 3 per cent would be paid to tise Town for licencing fees and 10 per cent would be turned over to local non- profit and charitable organizations. Those are tise rules tise bingo baill operates under. If we're to accept tise argument from tise bàr and restaurant ownera that tise saine rules should apply to everyone, tisen tbey sboulti be prepared to operate under the saine rules as tise bingo bail. That doesn't make sense. My point is that a bar or restau- rant is different from a bingo bail, wbicb serves a different clientele in a completely different environ- ment, andl that's wby different rules apply. As to tise issue of DSRs, tbis issue is a lot more compiex than courscil reaizes. There are many issues suiTounding tise introduction of DSRs tisas counicil didn't consid- er, sucb as tise size of tise room, tise type of ventilation systens required, lire escape access, wili chiltiren be allowed in tise DSRs? (as the bealtb risk associated to second-band smoke is greatiy increased when smoking is ailowed witisin a con- fines room), will employees be forced to work in tise DSR? And wbat protection will be offered to those employees wbo don't wisb to work in thote roms? These and many otiser questions have to be addresseti prior to coun- cil making a decision. While cbairman of tise commit- tee that lookeil at tise smoking bylaw issue, I bail an opportunity to meet many of the bar and restau- rant ownera and tise majotity of them were opposed to tise DSR option. A few ownera looking to gain an ailvantage over their comn- petitora are tise ones promoting tis issue. Supportera of DSRs say it will make for a level playing fieldl, which isn't true. Only those establishmnents able to accommodate a DSR and tbose whose ownera have tise tinancial means to constrsct such a room. will benefst. They're tise ones pro- moting this change to tise bylaw. Unfortunately, these ownera have a supporter on counicil who's helping to push tisis agenda forward. The current bylaw is a good bylaw - it treats ail bara and restaurants tise samne. The majority of the bars and restaurants are con- plying wits the bylaw and we're taking steps to deai with those who aren't. Most importanty, it's a bylaw tisat's supported hy tise vast major- ity of Miltoniians. Aisy changes at this time woulti be a step backward and woulti only benefit a few, to tise detriment of many. To those citizens wbo support tise bylaw and wbo wish to sec our corrsmunity remain smoke free, contact your local councillor or tise town clerk's departiment and let tbem know your position. Let's not allow a few bar and restaurant ownera to dsctate tise quality of lie for our community. RIck Malboeut Town and regional councillor Dear Editor Jamtaty 28 issue of The Campons regas*ig tihe foratnof a itun 'tak fore to review pay for aegiaaa coucilors in Haiton. 1leettasfce sbouldns!sonly look attdie pomaihty oaf saaay cosssisey witisin Ontario for ie-based omopensahion aveuscs tisat cnhance ccsi's abiity to aseetthe forevurcagn chaI- leng$ of ourfusture. there bc *n aliowatsçe for an eleent of performs- assce-based pay. To atact ansd keep excellent côelllow ffier must be an addecl reasots other dma tisey waas to msake a differ=ice. It's 'sot a qustions of posalbly spessding more msoney, but ratiser it's an opportsnity te better dire thse spessdisg of moscy. Eamnig thse retum, ons investasewa as it relates te regiomsal cousncil's salaries shoulcl be thse fiuser that HatoSRein's CEO etr shaesa a psid'fo!r the taak force. Rffo*A.effl. Inoentl"ve*basod 'compensation -options should b. looked at _f or councllors: readr