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page the tribune thursday aprs 6 1972 wht rtfmne established 1sss charles h nolan publisher v james thomas avsociate publisher and editor robert mccalsland advertising manager published every thursday bv inland publishing co limited at 54 main st slouffvilv ont tel 6102101 single copies 15c subscriptions 600 per year in canada 1000 elsewhere member of audit bureau of circulation canadian weekly newspapers association and ontario weekly newspapers association second class mall registration number 0896 editorial individual opinions respected the tribune while taking a stand unpopular to some related to the proposed airport project has up until now placed no restrictionson publishing the opinions of others this week however that freedom ends for unfortunately there are those who would take advantage of the media and attempt to grind their axe in a very personal manner this newspaper will not tolerate conduct of this kind in such an issue so important to so many people feelings pro and con are expressed and while we personally do not agree with each one we respect each one and expect our readers to do the same vendettas written and verbal that have occurred between neighbors friends and even families will not be recognized here the former are discarded the latter are ignored through the years the rural residents of pickering township have had their problems and while solutions if any were slow the residents faced these problems together farmer with farmer homeowner with homeowner on the airport issue such is not the case the backyard fence once a com munications link is now a barrier a barrier that must be dissolved before whole communities are torn apart planning a top priority with a two billion dollar airport project proposed for an area bordering whit church stouffville uxbridge and markham the importance of good planning holds top priority for undoubtedly the future of all three municipalities will depend on the tough line policy adopted in connection with related enterprizes this venture is sure to bring however in whitchurch stouffville and markham signs of enthusiasm have not been evident here for example the approach by some has been tinged with pessimism an attitude of whats the use theres been a tendancy to look on the government imposed land freeze as a highhanded dictatorial move on the part of queens park theres been too much looking back and too little looking ahead in markham the attitude has been ho- hum in fact at a meeting march 23 only four out of nine committee members showed up is it any wonder that queens park made its move when it did and the way it did dont be surprised if they take over the entire planning game and impose their own set of rules from beginning to end eiitr mtail dear sir wherever airports are built there is a host of people who in airport jargon are called the uncompensated losers who are these uncompensated losers they are the people in the community outside the airport site and the people who live along the approach and takeoff paths the citizens within the airport boun dary although he may not be adequately compensated does receive cash in his hand he can relocate but the citizen on the outside of the fence has to suffer a loss not softened by cash his air is polluted his sleep is interrupted his television watching is impaired his municipal services are strained his taxes may pay for many services required by the airport during the next few weeks many thousands of people outside the airport area will discover they have an un saleable property some houses will depreciate by 50 per cent some less people will not buy homes near an airport or on a flight path without buyers prices drop because of its massive and unfavorable environmental impact an airport is no longer considered a blessing to a com munity it is difficult for the average home owner or farmer to understand why he the uncompensated loser should provide a subsidy to a few who can afford frequent air travel l d almack claremont dear sir i find it hard to believe that some farmers are willing to throw in the towel and give their land away money appears to be the main theme of recent comments but i have yet to read anywhere that the government intends to make anyone a millionaire with regard to the land in question i do consider it beautiful the towns as serene and the folks honest and sincere i hope my family will have the opportunity of living there alec campbell bater avenue toronto dear jim i am a dairy farmer living in the proposed airport site i do not believe that all farmers are for it i personally am against it thirtyfive years before there was a dominion of canada the gosticks stayed i will not say lived at lot 24 cone 7 pickering twp and are still quite happy to remain here i agree with some of the writers march 23 pointing out the fact that we are unduly taxed beyond our means and that there are many vacant farms but if we must move elsewhere im sure the weeds will be just as high as they are here the grain will be shorter and the taxes be burdensome previous to march 3 1972 if i was unhappy living in pickering i could have sold at my own price and moved to a place of my choice under the suggested arrangement a government official will appraise my property and later when it is too late i may discover i have con tributed a large sum for what may or may not be progress russ gostick ft r 2 claremont dear editor this is a farmers wifes answer to the nowpopular question how do you feel about the airport my husband and i have lived on our 50 acre farm for 13 years we have four children during this time weve completed all necessary repairs to our house with some remodelling underway but still not finished our barn however needs major attention weve had to borrow money to pur chase a truck buy machinery and in crease our stock holidays are only a dream to us therefore the proposed airport is a god send that is if we are treated fairly selfish you say not to us if payment for our property is reasonable we will be able to pay off our loans find a suitable area in which to relocate and farm again perhaps a little easier let the airport go ahead mrs paul meyer claremont r r 2 dear jim as a farmer i can understand the sentiments expressed in the published letters of march 23 a crushing burden of municipal taxes has created problems for pickering farmers however an airport is not the solution it will only bring higher taxes nearly 2 billion to be squeezed from the canadian people and a greater burden on the farmers left in fringe areas since there will be fewer producing acres the key words in the letters were satisfactory price it should be understood that the price is largely fixed by law the current market price plus an undetermined amount or percentage for potential commercial value also up to 25 percent of the total sum would be snatched back the following year in federal capital gains tax the lowest price quoted on a decent house by a locai realtor is about 40000 and most good farms available within a 50 mile radius have already been op tioned to realtors who will demand a price equal or greater than that which was considered satisfactory for the old pickering farm refusal to accept the governments initial offer could result in painful litigation lasting up to 10 years taking all this into consideration what may seem like an imminent bonanza could easily turn out to be a horrendous financial debacle i am certain when all the facts are known the farmers will shout airport no hugh miller claremont dear sir the stouffville players curtain campaign to raise funds for the purchase and installation of stage curtains at the new community hall is now under way these curtains will cost between 750 and 1000 and any funds received in excess of the cost will be used for equipment and other improvements at the hall as the players treasurer i have been asked to seek the support of members of the business and professional community and the service clubs of whitchurch stouffville a special curtain fund account no 3754 has been opened at the bank of nova scotia in stouffville and donations may be deposited directly into this ac count we believe this campaign is a wor thwhile community endeavor and your support as always is deeply appreciated john r garbutt treasurer dear sir all children regardless of their station in life have one thing in common they will inherit this great land of ours the airport robs them of this inheritance our nature trails will become their vapour trails dear jim one must feel sorry for the city people who bought property on the site of the definite new airport and im sure that it is they who are raising all the fuss from my personal knowledge of the area i dont fee that much of it is good for farming i also sympathize with the older farmers who have been trying to eke out a living and having their taxes go up and up now with an opportunity to get a good price per acre they will be able to retire on a better income than is available through the pittance paid by the old age pension we are living in the age of the airplane super highways and automobiles and i would suggest that any citydweller who wishes a home in the country should build themselves a cottage near james bay reg mackay stouffville ms baggs rr4 stouffville dear sir the views of some of my farmer neigh bors appeared in your paper march 23 in support of the proposed new airport i am not merely trying to be ingratiating when i say that i agree completely with their reasons i am actively opposed to this project however believing that it is the duty of responsible government to solve the problems of my friends and neighbors by other means than th destruction of good farm land true my protest begins with my personal loss but i am joined in that protest by many who are not similarly affected many people believe there is reason to fear that political expediency might have interfered with responsible government and only by challenging the governments will these fears be allayed many questions have to be answered before we can accept that our govern ments have assumed the responsibility to examine all possible alternatives not alternative airport sites but alternative solutions to the problems of toronto- centered citizens urban and rural now and in the future c w ness rr2 claremont ffiuunt sams a travelling man by jim thomas a couple of months ago i was headed west through the intersection at ringwood en route to unionville halfway between the lights and the christian church a tall dark figure loomed into view one arm waving up and down like the signal of a shortcircuited semaphore while picking up hitchhikers is a common failing of mine i reserved no second thoughts about giving this gen tleman a lift for ive known sam mckuen for years and so do hundreds of other folks not only in markham where he lives but across ontario dont you think youre taking a chance stopping for this old codger he said folding his six foot frame into the front seat i assured him i felt quite safe and besides i enjoyed his company he laughed a loud yet silent laugh lowering his head below his knees thomas he replied to him i only have a last name if youre out looking for a pretty picture you sure got the wrong fellow with that he launched into another inaudible gale of laughter that lasted from the 7th concession to they laneway entrance to ratcliff lumber since no conversation had yet started it seemed heartless to say goodbye so soon i continued on to gormley see that fence over yonder he said pointing a finger in front of my nose john phillips and i built every inch of it back in 1910 two carloads twelve miles in all some still standing a verbal synopsis of the areas history ended at don mills road i could still see him waving through the rearview mirror as i retraced my route sam mckuen or just plain sam to the natives is indeed an amazing man a travelling man he turns up everywhere at fairs plowing matches auction sales you name it and hes there even if you dont see him you hear him hes got a voice that carries a country mile sams travelled in all kinds of rigs even a snowmobile on one occasion near bond head he was picked up in an opp cruiser and taken to the site of a plowing match near cookstown when we rolled onto the grounds there were the trans the dunkelds and the wells all unloading their contraptions dont think that didnt make for some talk he joked another time he hitchhiked to arthur fair found the racetrack ankledeep in mud so left and made it to beeton fair the same morning on still another oc casion a lady gave him a ride from locust hill to a horse show at lindsay one of his longest single jaunts was from markham to goderich to southampton to owen sound then home again sams roaming around was supposed to i have ended before it started he suffered a broken ankle when kicked by a horse sams done dr walt sangster said hell never do another days work but the physician obviously didnt know his patient too well the horse is long gone but im still going said sam with a grin more recently he fell out of a tree and broke his leg but that hasnt stopped him either sams memory of the good old days is remarkable it is said that before property changes became so frequent he knew every farmer from pickering village to newmarket he recalls the old bloomington school as the deep freeze with boards on the inside and outside and no stuffing in between the teacher in his day was johnny hoshel also the sunday school superintendent at baker hill church john davis shines father and nat forsyth built the bloomington church in 1892 and the stouffville presbyterian church in 1894 jonas boyer frank stiver and dr walt sangster had the first cars around stouffville the boyer machine was chain driven if the chain broke it took only a 4 inch nail riveted at both ends to piece it together sam has threshed with every kind of power horse water steam electric and gas this month april 22 sam and clara miller will mark their 59th wedding anniversary he explains it this way she said shed have me and my dad said it was okay as long as we did it before seeding time april 22 is also sams 90th birthday congratulations in advance