The Huron Expositor, 1952-05-02, Page 2•
Established 1860
A, Y. McLean, Editor
Ilderaber of Canadian
Weekly Newspapers
Association.
PHONE 41
Authorized as Second 'Class Mail
Post Office Department, Ottawa
SEAFORTH, Friday, May 2, 1952
Dog Days
This is the season of the year when
conscientious householders rake their
yards, clean out the bushes and plant
their gardens. It is also the season
Of the year when members of the
canine world enjoy most roaming at
will across lawns and over gardens.
The snow is gone and the dogs na-
turally feel they are entitled to do a
bit of honest digging in the first at-
tractive garden they see.
. And so the stage is set for the an-
nual argument between dog -owners
and gardeners. The subject is al-
most certain to come up at town
council and the usual warning re-
garding dogs running at large will
be issued.
It is true there is a town by-law
that requires that all dogs be licens-
ed. But a great many dog -owners
seem unaware of the fact that a lic-
cense gives their pet not the least
authority to run at large. Nor can
town or any government give a dog
the right to trespass on private pro-
pertt, to damage shrubs and uproot
garbage containers. The license is no
more than a right to exist,' if on the
owner's property or abroad on a
leash.
9
Care In Marketing Is Needed
While there are problems facing
the farm community today, they need
not be unsurmountable. Speaking to
district farmers in Clinton last week,
Federal Minister •of Agriculture, Rt.
Hon. J. G. Gardiner did not attempt
to minimize the problems, but he did
show that viewed in their proper pro-
spective they would not result in the
serious situation which was being
Predicted in some quarters and by
.some farmers.
Himself a Huron County farmer,
who operates 150 acres in • Usborne
Township, Mr: Gardiner is familiar
with the farm problem from all an-
gles.
The outbreak 'of foot and mouth
disease in Saskatchewan has resulted
in the American market being closed
to Canada, and this can result in
their being surpluses in some pro-
ducts. On the other hand, Canadians
by increasing their consumption of
many farm products can do much to
Deep to a minimum any surplus which
might develop pending the reopening
of the American market.
Pointing out that maintenance of
a fair return to the basic producer—
the farmer—was to a considerable
extent in the hands of the farmer, Mr.
Gardiner urged producers not to
rush to market with unfinished stock.
"If you flood the markets you will be
lowering the prices of your own pro-
ducts, he said.
•
On or Off the Highway
There has been discussion by mem-
bers of the Seaforth Town Council
during recent months of the advisi-
,ility of widening Goderich St. West,
because of the increasing traffic the
street is called on to carry. Goderieh,
Street is, of course, the link thorough-
fare by which No. 8 Highway is con-
tinued through the town.
There is no doubt that the width of
the street presents a serious traffic
hazard. This isparticularly the case
since the Council through the years
has permitted much of the street to
be' bordered by commercial or semi
cconunereial enterprises which has
lathe effect of increasing the num-
r of cars which throughout the day
and, much of the night are parked on
the street,
The ;relocation of either the north
or south sidewalk would provide up
to fedi feet additional roadway, and
cul e4i finate to a considerable ex -
tit edifficulties that present them-
n'tv`es at the Moment when cars meet.
he Sante timer a wider street
e inVitatid ' to " r otorists �-
"a T risti whel•:ape con -
eernled only With passing thraagi the
town as ej,uleklY as nessible;--to make
of the street even more of a speed-
way than it now is.
All this raises the question of the
advantage to a municipality in hav-
ing a provincial highway located
within its boundaries.
The problem is discussed in a re-
cent issue of the London Free Press,
when it says:
"Not so long ago -whenever a new
highway was planned deputations
from towns and villages along the
line visited seats of government to
argue their claims to have the new
route run down their main street.
Now, if they are wise they plead to
have the highway keep away from
their door. •
"Early highways zigged and zag-
ged in order to make sure no com-
munity in the vicinity was overlook-
ed. Now it is possible to choose the
shortest and most direct line and by-
pass built-up areas.• What is more,
some of the communities like it. The
Village of Union, south of St. Thomas
will be by-passed by the new No. 4
Highway, at the request of its citi-
zens. Other Ontario towns and vil-
lages apparently feel the same way.
"The American City, in a note pick-
ed up by The Municipal World, tells
how in California cities and towns
by-passed by new turnpikes did more
business. An example was North Sac-
ramento. In two years following op-
ening of a by-pass over-all value of
retail business rose by 48.5 per cent,
or almost twice the national increase.
In Auburn, California, where a trans-
continental highway went _ down the
main street a by-pass around the
business district was followed by a 17
per cent increase in the area's in-
come. Even parking. meter receipts
increased) two per cent."
As the Free Press says, the lesson
is that it's not the number of cars
that go by but the number that stop
that provide business, and if they
can't stop, or have no place to park,
business disappears.
What Other Papers Say:
Parental Responsibility
(The Listowel Banner)
On entrance to high school, stu-
dents should . be indoctrinated by
their parents with the idea that the
high school years are for gaining an
education. Anything else is secon-
dary, and if taken at all, will be tak-
en in moderation. Meanwhile, par-
ents smile indulgently at the fads and
foibles of their teen-agers, not realiz-
ing until too late that, using high
schools for "holiday halls" is a waste
of time and money and even worse, a
frittering away of priceless human
resources. And that's putting it
mildly.
•
Turnabout
(Toronto Globe and Mail)
In some countries, such as the
United States, television is a thing of
the present. In others, such as. Can-
ada, it is a thing of the future. But
in Denmark, it appears, television is
a thing of the past. The Danes, one
might say, have had it.
Television was introduced into
Denmark last fall, with 1,500 sets be-
ing placed on sale. But the Danes
didn't take to it. Only 400 sets have
been sold, and as a result, the Danish
State Radio, which presents that
country's TV program, is going to
stop them:
Enemies of plrogress--their num-
ber is large and growing—will wel-
come these tidings as evidence that
it is perfectly feasible to do what
they think ought to be done; that is,
to turn back the hands of the clock.
If a country can revert from tele-
vision to radio, there is no reason
why it cannot revert from radio to
the music hall, and from the music
hall to the player piano. If TV can
be drummed out of society, so can
telephones, automobiles and psycho-
analysts.
For the last century, so we are
told, humanity has been pressing for-
ward, scanning new horizons, march-
ing into the future. The results are
painfully evident. Denmark's exam-
ple shows that humans can, if they
wish,turn abut. They can press
backwards, scan old horizons and
march into a past when prices were
lower, wants were fewer, and one
met, on the whole, a better class of
people.
4;;ti1
•
Too Much Grammar
(By Ian Mackay in The Winnipeg Free Press;)
As one who has been bitterly op-
"osed to grammar and its trouble-
some offspring syntax, e er since 1
was caned for splitting an infinitive
which Shakespeare had split three,
hundred years before me, I warm]•
welcome the dramatic declaration
by Professor Charles Fries, of
Michigan Univers`ty, that grammar
"ain't no good to nobod'•."
I'm afraid I cannot go all the
way with him, ' esr•ecially when he
suggests that people should "let
themselves go and talk the way
they feel. That road leads to
Billingsgate.
But I entirely agree with him
when he says that too many peo-
ple nowadays cramp their style by
sticking too closely to the syntac-
tical conventions.
There is a good deal of intellec-
tual snobbery about this syntax
business. We are all familiar with
the Fleet Street bore who writes
like a Hyde Park orator and talks
like a book.
You can almost see the capital
letters forming on his lips at the
beginning of each sentence and the
exclamation marks on his nose at
the end.
Such people are the slaves of
syntax and would rather be torn
in two by wild elephants than split
an infinitive or end a sentence with
a preposition.
They live their barren but
punctilious lives as it were be•
tween brackets. Their ears look
Iike question marks, their nostrils
like colons and their eyes like full
stops.
And when they are "at home I
believe they live on cedillas en
casserole and fricassee of umlauts.
For my part I never could mas-
ter the mystery of the internal
quote or the use of italics and when
it comes to/controlling commas and
semi -colons I am just about as han-
dy as I would be with a team of •
bucking broncos.
There must be some rules I sup-
pose if the language is to be rea-
sonably exact, but as one who has
to do fierce battle with it every day
for a living I hope that Professor
Fries will not be dismissed by the
comma -controllers as old Say was
as a corrupter of youth.
For it will be a bad day for the
English language if writers ever
become too tightly confined in the
strait -jacket of syntax. Though I
would not be prepared to go to such
extrerpes as Humpty Dampty did
when he made words• mean what-
ever he liked or even as far as
Tony Lumpkin in Goldsmith's play,
who said he preferred good liquor
to good grammar, I am all for el-
bow -room in this matter.
Nevertheless, I will promise not
to needlesely and flagrantly spl't
an infinit've or end my sentences
with prepositions as I am much in-
clined to. But you must excuse me
if I sometimes nod. For, as Pro-
fessor Fries told the students in
Detroit, "None of us ain't perfect.",
A Smile Or Two
"Well, son, what have you been
doing all afternoon?"
"Shootin garages, another."
"That must stop. Those little
things have as much right to live
as you have."
•
"Surely I am not as fat as that
woman," said the stout matron.
"Well, my dear," replied her hus-
band, "I gueas the only difference
is --she pulls it and you push it."
•
There was quite a flurry when it
was discovered that at every Sun-
day School session the little fellow
was praying, "Lead us not into
temptation, but delivers us some
evil."
•
An old farmer just couldn't seem
to get used to the idea that labor
was scarce, and he would have to
put up with inefficient farm hand.
for a while. He groused and grum-
bled all the time. A neighbor ask-
ed him one day how his new hand,
on the job three days, was making
out.
"Cuss the critter!" the old ma',
swore, "he ain't a hand he's a sore
thumb!"
Hibbert Township; This -That
(By Miss Belle Campbell)
(Continued from last week)
The first Perth. County Council
meeting was held on January 24,
1853. Each township was represent-
ed.
epresented. by its reeve. In 1862 Hibbert
became entitled to a second repre-
sentative in the County Council, and
that year a Deputy Reeve was ap-
pointed. It wasn't 1111 1867 that
the reeve and deputy reeve were
elected by direct or popular vote,
that is by the vote of the whole
constituency which they represent-
ed. By the system. previously in.
force a local councillor was ap-
pointed from each• ward and from
them and by these the reeve and
deputy reeve were chosen. Robert
Donkin was Hibbert's representa-
tive to the Huron District Council
from 1847 hill 1849.
The following have been reeves
of Hibbert since they were first ap-
pointed in 1850: Robert Donkin,
1850; Thomas McGoey, 1851-2;
Alexander .McLaren, 1853; Robert
Donkin, 1854-6; James Black, 1857;
Finlay McCormick, 1858; William
Bell, 1859-60; Robert Donkin, 1861;
John Carroll, 1862-4; Finlay McCor-
mick, 1865-7; Thomas King, 18.68-
73; Robert Gardiner, 1874-80; Alex-
ander .McLaren, 1881-93; Thomas
Ryan, 1892-96; Peter Campbell,
1897-8; Robert Hoggarth, 1899-1900;,
William W. !S•adler, 1901-2; 'William
Dalrymple, 1903-4; John A. McLar-
en, 1905-12; Albert A. Colquhoun,
1913-24; Robert Hoggarth, 1925-6;
William P. Morris, 1927-8; Joseph
Nagle, 1929-35; William Kay, 1936-.
45; Joseph' Atkinson, 1946-7; Frank
Allen. 1948 till the present time.
The Deputy Reeves from 1862 till
the office was abolished in 1898
were: John !Gardiner, 1862-4;
Thomas King, 1865; James Atljn-
son, 1866; Wiiltam Givin, 1867;
Robert. Gardiner, 1868-73; John Mc-
Connell. 1874-5; James 'Hopwood,
1876; James Harburn, 1877-8; John
Burns, 1879-83; Thomas Ryan, 1884-
92; Peter Campbell, 1893-6; William
Feeney, 1897-8.
In 1896 the constitution of 'the
County Council was entirely chang-
ed. It was decided that representa-
tion by reeves and deputies was to
be abolished. The county was di-
vided into districts and two repre-
sentatives were sent from each dis-
trict as members of the Board. Up
till 1898 the reeves and deputies
attended County Council, but from
1899 till this new system wan done
away with at the end of 1906, the
district representatives, were the
ones who attended County Council.
William White, concession 4, Hib-
bert, was a representative of Dis-
trict No. 3, which was composed, of
Hibbert Township, Fullarton Towh-
ship and the Town of Mitchell, from
January, 1899, till the end of 1906,
when this office was abolished,
Hibbert had its first separate re-
presentation in the Huron District
Council in 1847. Robert Donkin
was its first representative. From
1842 till 1846 Hibbert was United
with McKillop and Logan. Logan
withdrew in 1844 and .McKillop and
Hibibert separated in 1846. The
first Clerk of Hibbert was John A.
Sullivan, The township records
from It became a separate munici-
pality in 1847 till 1870 were lost,
which is, to be regretted.
As no records of births, deaths
and marriages were kept in the
Province till 1869, there were
none registered in Hibbert till
1870. Even then registration was
not compulsory. Church records
and fatally Bibles are the only
means available to give proof of
births, deaths and marriages up 1111
that time, and, also those not regis-
tered after 1870.
A frame hall to be used for muni -
1 cipal purposes was built at a cost
of $700 around, 1870 in Springhill,
and Springhill then became the cap-
ital of the township. Previous to
this when elections were held the
voting took place in James Ha:mil-
ton'•s log house on the Main Street
of the village. Refreshment booths
were set up by the two parties near
the polling place; and were greatly
appreciated by those who walked
long distances to discharge their
duty. While open voting was the
'custom; there were two voting days
'instead of one as now. When the
secret. •ballot was used for the first
time in Hibbert at the Dominion
election, held on September 7, 1878,
the men were quite excited about
the change. Sandy McKenzie, who
had introduced the secret ballot in-
to Canada in 1874, was defeated in
this election by John A. MacDon-
ald. While MacDonald had oppos-
ed the secret ballot on the grounds
that it was much more manly to
go in and tell openly the name of
the person you wishedto support
than to do it secretly, be did not
revert to open voting after winning
this election.
Vi Ilagee
In Hibbert five email villages
sprung up. These were founded
and. named before they were scarce-
ly any buildings in them—not even
a post office. Carronbrook, also
Irishtown on the Huron Road west
of Carronbrook, later called St.
Columban, and Latta's Corners or
Lattaville on the town line between
Hilbbert and Tuckersmnith, were on-
ly part in the Township of Hibbert.
Latta Corners
Latta's Corners was given this
name because one of the several
Latta families in the community
lived on the southwest corner of
this intersection. There was never
more than three buildings — the
blacksmith shop and two small
houses—on the Hibbert side. The
southeast corner on whichthe
blacksmith shop was later built, is
said to have been the first burying
ground in that section. All the
bodies, except two, were lifted after
McTaggart's,Cemetery on the Boun-
dary was opened. By 1863 John
Feeney was in charge of a black-
smith sbofron this corner. He was
listed in the Perth Atlas, published
in 1879, as a carriage maker, wagon
maker, and .scientific 'horseshoer.
This .blacksmith shop was in use
till around 1919.
The post office for this commun-
ity was Rogerville 'for.many years,
but sometime after the London,
Huron & Bruce Railway was open-
ed on December 11, 1815, a post of-
fice was opened in Hensall, and
Rogerville post office was then
closed. However, mail was not car-
ried to this section over the !Lou-
don, Huron & Bruce line till after
a petition had been circulated
among the people in the Hensel"
district in... March, 1878, and for-
warded to the Government.
It was. on August 1, 187k that a
post office was opened in the store
at !Latta's Corners, and at this time
the name of the village was chang-
ed. to C•hiselhurst. It was named
for Chls'elhurst in England, where
Napoleon Ill died. William Moore,
who had the store at that time, was
the amt. postmaster. Ftbm August
1, 1875, till March 31, 1881, Chisel-
hurst got its mail from Cromarty.
Allan Humeston, at least part of
this time, met the stage running
from Dublin to Farquhar, at •Cronin
arty, twice a week and took Chisel-
hurst mall to the village in a box
attached to his sulky.
Xebntlnued Ne1tt week), ,
•
V±.
ea
.
o -
Fear of the dash b real enough.
It's no amioying childish bluff.
Love and reassurance hind
Will help to soothe the troubled mind
Dapt. d National Health and Waliar.
Years Agone
Interesting Items Picked From
The Huron Expositor of Twen-
ty -Ave and Fifty Years Ago
From The Huron Expositor
May 6, 1927
Work on the 'bowling club's new
greens and Lions Club park is go-
ing steadily ahead. The grounds
have been plowed and levelled and
the brush and stumps removed
from the property. When the park
is finished it will be one of the best
bowling greens in Western Ontario.
Mr, John McLennan, who has
been caretaker. of Seaforth post of-
fice building since its erection 14
years ago, has resigned, The new
appointee is Mr. Thomas Beattie,
a returned soldier, who commenced
his new duties on Monday.
Mr. D. L. Reid left this week for
Northern Ontario. He will be great-
ly missed in musical circles, es-
pecially as a member of the choir
of First Presbyterian Church, the
Band and Paramount Quartette.
• Mr. Harold Coates, who has been
attending the School of Science, To-
ronto, left Monday for the Red Lake
District, where he will join the air-
plane forest fire ranging for the
summer.
Mr. W. J. McIntosh and Mr. J. H.
Best have purchased new Essex
cars from Mr. Rae Holmes, the lo-
cal agent, and Mr. J. G. Mullen has
purchased a new Willys,Knight
from G. C. 13e11.
Mr. Hollingsworth, who has tak-
en a position with. Mr. W. A. Crich,
has leased one of P. G. Neelin's res-
idences on John St.,s and will re-
move his family from Toronto.
Mr. Pat Nicholson, of the 12th
concession of Logan, was the bus-
iest farmer in Logan on Saturday
last.. One . hundred and eighty-five
assisted with his barn raising on
Friday afternoon. It was! only 12
days previous that the violent tor-
nado levelled the barn, straw ehed
and pig pen.
A wonderful improvement has
been made during the past week
on the county road through Eg-
mondville. The high crown has
been lowered, the road scarified,
and the whole has been graded.
Work on the provincial pavement
between Seaforth and Dublin will
commence next week, when it is
expected the pavement between
the Queen's Hotel and the !flax mill
will be the first laid down.
•
From The Huron Expositor
May 9, 1902
Dr. J. W. Shaw, of Clinton, has
been appointed surgeon of the 33rd
Regiment.
Mr. Hislop, the Liberal candi-
date, and Mr. Spotton, the Con-
servative candidate, were both vis-
iting friends in McKilIop last• week,
organizing for the coming contest.
Mr. Loftus Stark, who has been
carrying on a tailoring business
here for a number of years, has
disposed of his stock and business
to W. Pickard & Co.
Mr. George Reeves met with a
painful accident on Tuesday morn-
ing. While riding a bicycle the
front tire came off and be was
thrown into a fence, with the re-
sult that the little finger on his
right hand was broken.
Thir. Edward Steet, son of ,Mr.
John Steet, of Egmondville, has re-
turned to town from Detroit, where
he has been engaged in the drug
business for some years. He will
assist I. V. Fear in his new store.
Mr. Thos. Shillinglaw, of Tucker -
smith, met with a painful mishap
one night recently. He had just
gone out of the house when he step-
ped on a frosty board and fell,
breaking his left arm.
Mr. James W. Bell, of Hensalll,
who is attending tinePhiladelphia
Dental College, arrived home this
week for the summer vacation.
Sunday last was an important
day to the 'Catbolic congregation of
Seaforth, being the day appointed
for the administering of the two
sacraments, First Communion and
Confirmation, to fifty children. Rt.
Rev. .Bishop McEvoy, of London,
subjected them to a rigid! examina-
tion, and was assisted: by Rev. P.
Corcoran and Rev. G. R. North -
graves.
Robert McMordie, of rKippen, who
has been spending four months in
Florida, return home the past week.
He likes the south country, but has
a better opinion of his own coun-
try after what be saw in his trav-
els.;
Mrs. F. H. Larkin, Mrs. J. O.
Rose, Mrs. A. Scott and. Mrs. Allan
McLean are in London this. week
attending the convention of the
Women'a F'oreign Missionary 'Soeie-
ty.
Mr, Little IMO moved into the
Amretlean !=Louse, DrttCefieid,
ii{r�4�� of r:.'•;c
I.:Y.'ilr
Sells Cottage
Mr. Morris Weber has sold his
large cottage in the Schade View
Grove to Mr. Lorne Hay, of Henault.
A very attractive sum was realized.
--Zurich Herald,
Sixteen Years As, Caretaker
Mr. Thomas Leppington informs
The Clinton Citizens' News that he
is'now beginning his 16th season as
caretaker of Dr. W. A. Oakes' spa-
cious grounds. Mr. Leppi,ngton is
certainly doing himself proud be-
cause he keeps his charge a beauti-
ful sight to see.—Clinton Citizens'
News.
Smelts Are Running
Port Albert is alive with hun-
dreds of visitors these nights' as
they flock to. gather their quotas
"of the smelts which are running in
the Nine Mile River. Anglers are
reminded that the Ontario fishing
season for speckled trout (pens
May 1, and runs until September 16.
--Goderich Signal -Star. 'ee
Called On Zurich Friends
Rev. 0. B: Heckendorn, of Elmira,
a former pastor of the local Evan-
gelical Church, called on come of
his Zurich friends one day last
week. He had been at Goderiah,
where his son, Paul, was taking
part in the midget hockey games,
and 'between games the Reverend
took a run to Zurich.—Zurich Her-
ald.
Warm Weather Floods Bend
Grand' Bend was taken unawares
by the early rush of tourists who
sought relief from the heat Sunday,
Most of those booths that were op-
en sold • out by early evening. The
roller rink was open for the first
time and was well patronized. A
record crowd lined the beach and
streets—some even made a start on
their summer tan. Some prankster
added to the excitement by turn-
ing in a false fire alarm,—Exeter
Times -Advocate.
Couple Surprised
The 'children of Mr. and Mrs. Ad-.
am Steep surprised them last Wed;
nesday etrening, April 16, on the
occasion of their birthdays, Al,
though Mr. and '14rs. Steep do; not'
have 'birthday.( on the same day,
they are just two weeks apart, so
a joint celebration was in. order. Ars
appropriate address •of prose and
poetry was read. in the presentee
tion of an electric tea kettle- and
electric iron: The honored couple
replied in four -line: verses of their
own, thanking the faintly for their 4
thoughtfulness, — Clinton News -Re-
cord.
Steal Over $200 From Show Cast
Thieves• took over '$200 from, per-
formers of the Huronia Male Chor-
us' "H.M.S. Pinafore," when they
presented the show for the third
time in *l7xeter Friday night. The
money was stolen, from the cl these•
of the men after they had cha Gged?
into costumes. The clothes were
in a classroom a6' the high school.
Between 400 and 500 attended the •
performance, bringing the total to,
over 2,000 who have seen the show
,over
its ave • appearances. The Wo-
men's Association of Centralia.
United Church, sponsored the op-
eretta on Friday night. — Exeter.
Times Advocate.
Marks 90th Birthday
Mrs. D. ,C. !toss, of Brussels, cele-
brated her ninetieth birthday on..
Wednesday, 'April 16. Members or
her family were .present to wish:
her many happy returns of the day.
Those present were: Dr. and. Mrs_
G. H. Rosa, Wingham; Dr. and Mrs.
G. Vernon Ross, of London; Mrs. R.
J. McLaughlin, Brussels; Miss Ger-
trude Ross, Brussels; Mrs. 'Gifford y
Swartman, of Sioux Lookout, and:
Mrs. Monroe'Blain of Toronto. Her'
husband passed away in Septem-
ber of 1950. Mrs. Ross is in quite
good health and receivedmany call-
ers as well as bouquets and good.
!wishes.—Wingliam Advance-Tlmes.
a
•
•
•
4
•
..—
Seeding Well Underway
The bulk of the spring grain was
seeded in the County this past
week, according to G. W. Montgom-
ery, agricultural representative for
Huron. Fall wheat and both old
and new meadows are commencing
to -look much better with as much
as 5-6 inches growth on the wheat
field's, Practically all of the cash
crops have now been contracted
for in the County, and there will be
an increased acreage in sugar beets,
with new growing areas in the
county this year. Practically all of
the malting barley contracts have
been taken up.
3 3
Tips To Tree Planters
Throughout the Spring thousands
of 1_andowners will be receiving
trees' fi om the Ontario Department
of Lands and Forests. It is import-
ant that the same care which is
taken by the Government nurseries
A
4
to ensure that the email trees reach
the applicant in good condition, be
continued until the plantation is
established.
The trees should be 'picked up -
promptly after they arrive at the
express office. Planting should be
done as soon as possible but in the
meantime steps should be taken toy 4
prevent the roots from drying out_
This may be accomplished by heel-
ing in the stock in .moist soil, im-
mersing in water in a pail, tub,
stream or pond, or placing the ship-
ment in a cool garage or cellar and. '1
pouring water through it.
Where planting is to be carried
on in sod land, furrows three to•
four inches deep, six to eight feet
apart should be plowed; where a
plow cannot be used the sod should
be removed in spots 12 to 14 inches
across at six to eight -foot inter-
vals. By planting the trees in the:_
bottom of the furrow or centre of
•
(Continued on Page 3)
First of Eight Articles on
The History of. Assessment
And Municipal Taxation
In Ontario
While the question of municipal
assessment and taxation, has arous-
ed much interest in the past ten
years, there is nothing new about
it, In fact there Chas been a form of
assessment and taxation since the
world was created.
While as taxpayers we may be-
come wrathy about municipal as-
sessment and taxation, we should
keep in mind two things. The first
is that the present Ontario Assess-
ment Act gives us ample opportun-
ity to appeal against an unjust as-
sessment. Secondly, the higher
municipal taxation of the past de-
cade .hat .been caused by the desire
and demand on our own 'part for
certain municipal services which
were formerly considered luxuries.
Some of these are: garbage collec-
tion, better roads, sewerage and wa-
ter, adequate fire and police pro-
tection, snow removal, community
centres, libraries, equal education-
al facilities for all, etc. '
In the first of this short series•
of articles a brief resume will be
given of the early stages of assess-
ment to show the progress made
since that time.
"bounty jumpers."
Later in the Middle Ages the pre-
dominant churches - the Roman;
Catholic and the Protestant (Angli-
can) assumed municipal services --
mostly educational arid welfare, by
levying on the so-called well to do.
U. E. L. Type Government
Possibly our first well known:
form of government in Upper Can-
ada ('Ontario) and municipal assess-
ment and taxation to carry out the
work of such government was cre-
ated by the arrival of the United
Empire Loyalists. A few munici-
palities were created by special
eh•arter to carry out a form of
municipal government and they es-
tablished their own form of assess
ment and taxation, 'Generally
speaking however, the government
kept control by appointing the Dis-
trict Councils and. the working of-
ficials.
In 1849, the Act usually called.
the Baldwin Act after Robert E.
Baldwin, but which rightfully'
should be cabled the Baldwin -La..
Fontaine Act, was brought into be -
Ing, This was really the first Mun-
icipal Act which applied to all Up-
per Canada (Ontario) and in the
Act were the first assessment chap-
ters. The assessment section of
the Act bad many 'provisions' whieb
would create much indignation if
they were in force today. For in-
stanee, a field stone house, .no mat-
ter its size or condition, was to be
valuecl at a higher rate than a.
frame house with more area and itt
better condition. . 'Clay loam lend .
was to be valued higher than sandy
loam land even though such land
could not be worked until late in
the spring or was baked in the
summer months. Business assess-
ment was levied on the shock on.
hand and the amount of trade and
this gave opportunity for the dis-
honest assessor to warn and the
dishonest merchant to be warned or
the time to move goods froth the
present premises. A personal as-
sessment was also levied. on the
cattle and livestock of the farmer.
(Next week's article Will' tell of
the appointtnent of • the McLetinau
Comaniseion, their recotnnte'ndatioris
and the first Aesesetbelits• Aot itt:
Taxation Primitive Style
In the early days of our known
history,, chieftains of tribes levied
tribute or assessment against the
niem-bers of their tribe by demand-
ing that they furnish (a) soldiers
to fight against neighbouring tribes;
(b) , that they build fortification's,
waterworks, roads, etc.; (c) that
they give up a portion of their
crop, cattle, jewellery, possessions,
etc., to 'sustain either the chieftain
�r the army in the field. This
practice is still being carriedout in
some of our Eastern neighboring
countries and there is no .appeal
against` these levies.
Tbe next step was back in the
Middle .Ages when taxpayers were
called upon to give labor in lieu of
possessions. This was generally in
the form of building roads, fighting
In the army, ete. A parallel might
be drawn to the American Givil
War When those calledt for serviee
in the Northern Army could. escape
such duty by pacing recruits to take
their -place, These recruits in acm
instances escaped actual w'ai'fare
by desertion and became known as Ontario)' •
{
1
t
•
•
1
A
4
•
ry
r,
•
44