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gflmne vol 61 no 17 the tribune stouffville ont august- 11 1949 indian relics near midland recall whitchurch trophies 200 barred rocks stolen thieves cull over flock a landing pike uneartherd near midland by wilfrid jury curator of indian archaeology at university of western ontario is examined by cecile corribeau of penetang who plays the part of madonna in the penetang pagent the pike made to hold canoes was prob ably used by the warring indians and is similar to a gad get found in whitchurch on the 6th concession on the murphy farm where an indian mound has given up hundreds of relics in common used by the tribe that had their village in whitchurch over 300 years ago ten foxes sighted playing in field mrs chas hunt living on the les harper farm at pine orchard in whitchurch township looked out recently from her home to see no less than ten foxes ambling about in the field there were several famhiesinthegrpup and as nobody was about with a gun the foxes played happily until they realized they were seen when they disappeared the fact that there are turkey pens in the locality might have accounted for the happy mood the yellow animals were in just think ing about the day they may strike well the turkeys are protected we understand and if the wily fox doesnt watch out he will be in for a bad time in any event ten foxes sighted at one time is the kind of dream the hunters would like to meet up with stouffville brigade helped neighbors stouffville responded to a far away fire call on tuesday after noon when they travelled to the hamlet of sandford in scott town ship northwest of uxbridge and succeeded in saving the barn on the farm of richard flumerfelt the house was doomed before the brigade arrived call came through to stouffville when the uxbridge fire brigade was not available on lookers told the tribune that the fire broke into the barn three times but on each occasion the firemen squelched the flames five hundred gallons of water were used the engine tank being filled at a near by stream cause of the fire be lieved to have started in the attic is a complete mystery the house had only been wired recently and the electricity had been in use for two weeks electric refrig 3gg fearful lest the heat last week might deter people attending an auction sale sellers atkinson think the weather had just the opposite effect at any rate the furniture sale for h i roulston east of altona went well the refrigerator sold sir 366 probably folks knew the weather that was just about to be endured and bid well for this machine suggests thieves made off with 200 ready- tolay barred plymouth rock puilets on the poultry farm of a h black at lincolnville one night last week the birds were sheltered quite a distance from the dwelling and the thieves worked method ically to cull over the birds taking only the choice plump ready to lay stock they looked over another large pen of younger birds and while breaking in where they were the birds evidently were not ready for their market and the thieves didnt take them the black poultry farm is located on the gore at lincolnville and the pullets were in a shelter a long way from the house the thieves must have used a truck as truck marks were evident they cut the wire fence to make opera tions more convenient in moving the birds this sort of tactics was used the week before in markham township where poultry was stolen and it could be that the same sneaks did the job mr black feels that the thieves must have been familiar with his property and poultry coming just when the best part of his flock was ready to go into production arrests were made last week in king township when two fellows were caught stealing chickens but no connection with the stouffville robbery has been traced to them machine brought 94 rug sold at 40 mr moving to windsor and a nice roulston is treasurer appointed tax collector r e ratcliff relieved of positipn owing to the change made in the administration of office work in the township of whitchurch the collection of taxes will be handled from the township office at van- dorf under the jurisdiction of the treasurer john w crawford since the township was organized back in 1825 over a hundred years ago whitchurch has always had a tax collector one samuel ball being the first on the list however with additional clerical help in the clerks office it is considered by the council that the collection of taxes can be handled from the main office and a bylaw passed by the council last week named the township treasurer as official collector for the past fifteen years mr ross e ratcliff held the position and reeve logan paid tribute to his efficient services over this long period said reeve logan mr ratcliff held this position longer than any other official who ever was in the office and the fact that we are relieving him of his duties at this time has nothing to do with his efficiency the change comes because we must have additional help in the office of the clerk and treasurer and this makes it un necessary to have a collector out side the office with the extra office help the work can readily be done from vandorf i feel that the services of mr ratcliff should not pass unnoticed he has been connected with the township for so long and so efficiently mr ratcliff told the tribune this week that he is giving up the position with some regret since he council before collector never being in all appointed that time has a finger been pointed against his efficiency reminescing mr ratcliff recall ed that when he collected in his first tax roll the whole collection added up to 45000 but last year the tax roll to be collected totalled 88000 years ago the collector distributed the tax bills on foot or horse back then as years went on he did it with horse and buggy then with motor car about 1044 council made it possible to deliver the tax bills by mail hence many these days never see the collector at any time since they received their notice by mail and pay their taxes at the bank mr ratcliff believes his time in public jife in whitchurch of 25 years is probably the longest on record now that the township treasurer is the official tax collector the rate payers will find it necessary to contact the township office if they wish to consult a tax bill when the taxes are collected the notices will go by mail as usual and the ratepayers will have the privilege of remitting their cheques to the treasurer with exchange added or they may pay their taxes at the banks in stouffville mount albert newmarket or aurora or at the township office the discontinuance of a special collector will save 500 per year the amount of mr ratcliffs salary and this will apply against the added expense in the township office in fact the dropping of an outside collector will save 1000 since mr ratcliff intimated that if farmer at lake dies suddenly police officer in the township of whitchurch for eight years and a farmer since early manhood william beach aged 68 died suddenly sunday night at his farm home a mile north of musselmans lake he had partaken of his usual three meals that day and after supper sunday evening strolled back the- lane to look over the fields later he was seized with walter atkinson the washing pain and died about 11 that even ing cause of death was a throm bosis born in uxbridge township a son of john beach goodwood william took up farming and for eight years he held the position of police constable which he filled while still operating his farm he possessed a genial disposition and was generally liked twice mar ried his first wife was edrie rise- brough he is survived by his second wife the former elizabeth beebe and by five sons and eight daughters namely clarence jack david herbert and howard beach rollia mrs joe harrison edrie mrs orville martin grace mrs ross thompson ivy mrs clifford skinner marion mrs roy thompson evelyn laura and dorothy beach mr beach is also survived by three brothers oliver warren and walter beach and by one sister mrs wilfrid lazenby formerly of churchill and now of newmarket the funeral this wednesday afternoon proceeded from the farm home to hartman cemetery service being conducted by rev gibson brown the pall bearers were all nephews bruce douglas ray and stanley beach murray and angus harrison the entire members of the family were at the graveside with the single excep tion of the youngest son howard who is serving in the army and who was chosen on the first flight to represent the army flying in supplies to stricken people in the cambridge bay dis trict 1100 miles north of edmon ton the suddenness of mr beachs death was further indicated by the fact that all day saturday he was plowing following a walking plow on his farm and he had on various occasions discussed his intention to go deer hunting next fall a holiday he had enjoyed on many occasions in recent years exhibition baseball runneymede lions midget team from toronto will be in memorial park on friday night of this week for an exhibition game with the local minors who are awaiting the oba play- downs uxbridge tax rate soars five mills uxbridge township council met on monday evening the main busi ness being that of striking tax rates for the current year the gen eral trend towards higher taxes was shown when the rates were struck as follows county rate 86 mills township grants to schools 465 mills high school area rate 349 mills for a total of 163 mills a general township rate of 89 mills was struck making a total general rate of 252 mills as against a rate of 2052 mills last year however the cost of operating high schools last year is included in the county rate for this year which means that the high school operation costs for two years is paid this year as no one mill sub sidy is granted this year the levy is increased by that amount the trustees levies are increased over 1918 in nearly all school sections and show rates varying from 4 mills to 83 mills which might provide a good argument in favor of township school boards and a uniform school rate this high school area is fort unate in the capital charges for school buildings which will be wiped off in four or five years road accounts amounting to 187300 were passed for payment and general accounts to the amount of 29500 the next meeting will be held in the evening of sept 12th mrs c turner and miss n rae accompanied by mrs c ward motored to windermere last week end where they will holiday for a few days victoria square fire 20000 loss market value of porkers consume in flames over 3000 helpless hundreds of people just stood by and could do nothing because of the terrible heat when fire broke out in the large barn on the farm of charles hart just north of victoria square early on monday afternoon threshing oper ations were in progress and mr hart and allen prouse were out in the field gathering a load of grain when young ed donnelly on the tractor with them noticed that the barn was on fire although the men rushed to the scene they could do little because of the intensity of the heat and the swift travelling flames consumed by the flames were two horses 140 pigs with a market value of over 3000 poultry milking machine hammermill chopper and the threshing machine which stood outside had the inside burned right out of it before anything could be done to get it away the entire seasons grain crop went up with a thou sand other things in the well equipped barns and stables it is believed the fire may have started in the mow but nobody is sure mr hart was overcome with heat and shock and had to leave the scene and receive medical attention richmond hill and stouffville fire brigades answered the call with scores of neighbors and be tween them saved the house and other buildings the water in the well was boiled to nothing but the fire engines carried over 500 gallons the estimated loss in buildings live stock crop and machinery is placed around 20000 mr hart has had ill luck with fire only last year the stouffville brigade responded to a call to his home when sparks from the chimney started a blaze and threatened to destroy the residence hes eightythree today rev samuel goudie does not intend to do anything spectac ular today although it is his 83rd birthday still active enough to enjoy a bit of gardening he gets a great deal of pleasure out of visits made by his friends and he can count them in goodly numbers burn midnight oil but taxes will still go up whitchurch township council really burned the midnight oil last week when the members sat in session until long after midnight on wednesday struggling with the bylaw that was passed providing for the collection of 1949 taxes the budget submitted by treasurer john w crawford indicated in creased costs all along the line and when the rates were struck to meet the expenditures the overall tax rate was found to stand at 38 mills which is just five mills increase over 1948 i find that the necessary in crease in the township general rate alone will amount to 19 over 1948 on a 5000 assessment said treasurer crawford who laid the financial picture before councillors who didnt seem any too happy about it it is folly to think that we can maintain old tax rates when every thing around us is mounting in cost said reeve ed logan i do not like to see increased taxes but i cannot see any way out we have cut everywhere we can and the people insist on the services all- round winter roads for wheeling dust layer and smooth travelling in summer now all the secondary students are conducted to school by bus and it all adds to the tax bill one of the worst bumps that comes is the care of outgoing patients from certain hospitals called tb aftercare every day it is costing dollars for hospitalization and aftercare that the local municipal ities are forced to meet while the township general rate is advanced from 144 to 172 the county rate is also up from 47 to 5 mills even the only rate remain ing the same as last year is the township public school rate of 38 mills the high school rates are complicated for instance the west half will be collected locally and paid over to the new aurora school area board while the 1949 tax on the east side will be paid in the old manner through the county since part of the school year in the markhamstouffville area was under the old tax arrange ment next year the whole town ship secondary school taxes will be collected through the high school rate and the county will not be in the picture at all it was recognized that with over three mills added to the general rate plus threetenths to the county rate plus various school sections demanding more money that the overall picture will not be liked too well yet whitchurch is in excellent financial condition and is paying her obligations with no debenture issues to meet before the taxing bylaw was submitted and passed by council treasurer crawford submitted his budget which is an estimate of receipts and expenditures by departments for the whole year when this is adopted the tax rate can be struck on the basis of the figures approved after long con sideration and full explanation by the treasurer the memhers agreed that the picture was precisely as mr crawford has drawn it and not a figure was changed the tax rate struck should provide a small surplus if no unforseen circum stances cross the financial path between now and the end of the year besides reeve logan deputy- reeve ivan mclaughlin and councillors sid legge and richard baycroft were all present mrs walter jacobs ringwood was removed to hospital in tor onto on monday evening for an appendix operation theres a joker in ontario provincial police grant has been in township public life for a quarter of a century for ten he was to continue in office it years he served on the municipal would be at the new figure the village of stouffville like all other small towns may have been looking forward to some kind of a grant from the ontario govern ment as an aid to their fire depart ment but like so many such grants the one to the police at least has a string that few smaller towns can meet since the application from stouffville was filed we are inform ed by the provincial police depart ment that no grant is forth coming unless the village provides a pension scheme for its police officer since the officer in stouff ville is a part time employee as in so many villages it is hard to see how a pension scheme can be adopted the cost and other diffi culties could be great the reeve has expressed his sur prise that the provincial police should be brought into the issue at all if this department is to set the standards for the towns and vil lages on which they may draw a subsidy it will work out much the same as allowing the school inspec tors to set the pace for the dept of education the inspectors are always for more expenditure higher and higher salaries since the higher the teachers salaries the higher their own now the head of the provincial police demand smaller villages must have a pension scheme before they can command a provincial grant as i see it says reeve nolan the village better forget all about the provincial grant we will have to spend 2 to get one back every time a grant is offered the strings attached demand increased expen ditures in order to be eligible for such recognition all in all it is just piling up expense for the provincial grants come out of the pockets of the people this scheme of grants has almost got to the racket stage he concluded the reeve further points out that the province verbally assured the smaller places that if the grants through fire and police do not equal one mill on the general tax rate the amount would be made up to them the sincerity of this assurance will be better known later in the year i