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Electors of Richmond Hill made it a clean sweep Mon- day and elected an entirely new council for the coming year. In no uncertain voice the ballots of the electors expressed the disapproval of two major mistakes of the 1939 council, the car wrecking by-law and the expensive lawsuits with John Sheardown. The new council has a clear and unmistaken mandate to make an early settle- ment of both cases which have held fire during recent months and resulted in large legal bills for the town. In the case of the car wrecking by-law the mandate of the people can easily be carried out by the rescinding of the present prohibitory by-law and the passing of a new by- law licensing car wrecking places. As we have so often pointed out there is nothing dangerous to the best inter- ests of the town in such action as under a licensing byâ€" laW strict provisions can be made and any time the place might become in any way objectionable to the commun- ity the license could be cancelled. There are several angles and details to the Sheardown case but We have no doubt the new Reeve and Council will be able to sit down in conference with Mr. SheardOWn and come to a fair settle- ment Without any further reference to the courts. This is the will of the people who have spoken very definitely in favor of such a policy and very definitely opposed to expensive legal entanglements. pL,,, , 1-..... Aug! 1" ..... VAyCAAoAvu Avéu‘ vuvw..o-.._-. Reeve J. A. Greene retires after a long and busy municipal career. To serve the municipality as Reeve for seven years is a privilege given to few men and he can look back on many worthy accomplishments in his mun- icipal career as councillor and Reeve. He gave freely of his time and energy in carrying out his municipal duties and his defeat Monday should not in any way be inter- preted as ingratitude for his years of service. Reeve Thomas H. Trench enters upon the duties of Richmond Hill’s war-time Reeve with the strong endorsation of the electors of the village and the whole-hearted best wishes of the people of Richmond Hill. Rich in municipal experi- ence and possessing good sound judgment and a refresh- ing sincerity of character he is well fitted for the tasks which lie ahead. He willwbe assisted by an able council. V'lllvll “v “Alvuuu -..v â€"â€" V- W The popularity of the candidature of Dr. J. P. Wilson was clearly evidenced by the record vote polled for him. and he enters municipal life with as near unanimous endorsaâ€" tion as we have ever seen accorded a municipal candi- date. Councillors Bill Neal and Wes Middleton both have previous municipal experience and councillor R. D. Little enters council after serving several years on the Board of Education. Councillor Christian Nelson retires after three years of devoted service to the town’s affairs. While We differed with Mr. Nelson on some matters of policy we know him to be sincere in his convictions and as a councillor he was devoted“ to his duties and was attentive to all the work falling to him as a municipal councillor. James Butler, the other defeated candidate, is one of the town’s most public spirited citizens and no doubt will be heard from again in future contests. r I ,,J AAWAu LAVAIJ. “by..-” . _- --, Next Monday the new council at the inaugural meet- ing will ugher in a new era in Richmond Hill municipal history. We wish them well and we hone in oiloting the municipal ship of state they will steer clear of the break- ers on which the 1939 municipal ship came to grief. The New Year is traditionally a time of optimism. No matter how pessimistic we humans are at other times we nearly always greet the approach of the coming year with hope. We believe that it must have better things in store for us than the one which has passed. New resolutions are made, and we talk of turning over a new leaf and starting again afresh. What of 1940? Can we be optimistic about it? We cannot begin with a clean page. Three major wars are raging in different parts of the world. Never at an.V time in all history was there such widespread human suff- ering, more rampant wickedness, violent oppression and persecution. In some sections of the globe civilization has retreated a thousand years. The dictators have outdone the jungle. One third of the world is fighting another third. while the remainder tremblineg watches in fear lest it too be drawn in. v God knows the picture is black enough. We need not. however. despair. There is great reason for hope. The world is nearer turning over a new leaf than ever before. More solid thinkinp' is being done having as its efid the forma- tion of a world federation, a parliament of man, than in all past historv. The common people of the nations will not be satisfied this time witha patched up peaCe, an armistice between wars. They want a far reaching settlement of the problems that cause wars. Thev demand a peace that will last because it is just. because it provides opportunity for all nations to live and prosper, and because it assures the fundamental rights of free men. There is reason for optimism also in the fact that the great democracies of Europe have taken up the challenge of Might against Right. They have come to the aid of the weak against the tyranny of the strong. They have de- termined that no longer shall brute force be free to wreak its will, and that bad faith must give place to integrity. The struggle will probably‘Be long. It is quite possible that more countries may be involved. The twin devils of Nazi- ism and Communism may completely unite their forces in their effort to upset all that Christianity stands for. Other nations, neutral and bewildered at present. may finally see that their own destiny as well as that of Europe is imper- illed. There can be no doubt of the final result. “Good must be the final goal of ill. my 0““ There is reason for thankfulness and hope in that the call to humanity’s nobler instincts has brought a ready re- sponse. Men have responded to the call to the colors, not in the gay, adventurous spirit of 1914, but because they know there is a serious job which must be done even though it costs all. Grim and purposeful the peoples of the deâ€" mocracies are resolutely giving of their best. Despite any appearances to the contrary the free peoples have not lost the capacity to sacrifice for the right. ... u an There are many other things that we might cite. The greatest reasor; of all for hope. however, lies in the char- acter of God Hlmself. Ninety-five years‘ago James Russell Lowell wrote words which will never die. It was like this, a time of crisis. when men were wondering why God a1â€" ]owed the seeming triumph of Evil. Here they are: “Careless seems the great Avenger. History’s pages but record Estabfished 1878 AN INDEPENDENT WEEKLY PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY AT RIGHMOND HILL THE LIBERAL PRINTING 00., LTD. J. Eachem Smith, Manager Member Canadian Weekly Newspaper Association Subscription $1.50 per year â€"~ To the United States $2.00 Covering Canada’s Beet Suburban District Advertising Rates on Application. TELEPHONE 9 PAGE TWO NEW COUNCIL TAKES OFFICE LOOKING FORWARD TO 1940 “THE LIBERAL” Ye olde_tyme college prank had all the subtlety of a tomato flung at a high silk hat. A generation. ago, no semester was complete un- til some college comic tethered a cow to the chapel bellâ€"rope, or bal- anced a bucket of whiteâ€"wash over the door of the Dean’s study. The college prank persists, but it has lost its bumpkin warts. It is sauver than of yore; in fact, it is often quite bright. One crisp Odtober morning a small band of outd'ovorish looking chaps apâ€" peared! on the broad lawn of the president’s house at Amherst. There they set up a surveyor’s transit and‘ began to squint through it with much shouting and waving of hands. Arousedi by the hubibulb, Prexy amlbledi out to ask the men what they were doing. “Making a survey for a new aqueduct," mrumvblen the chief surveyor. “Wham Aqueduct?" queried the astonished Prexy. “Why, from the Berkshires to Boston. It passes right across this lawn. In fact, it cuts off the com- er of your 51m porch.” “Sorry, sir, but you‘ll have to go to headquarters about that.” The survey went forward: Prexy began telephoning high of- ficials. Niobody seemed rto know anything. Meanwhile the clamor outsid’e increased as the surveyors bent their lines plumlb across Mrs. ’Prexy’s rhododendmons. Then they withdrew, leaving broad lines markâ€" ed‘ diagonally across the lawn. The silence they left behind has never been broken. No one knows exactly who the surveyors were or where they went, but that very night, a crew of Williams students- were seen surveying the hard‘ cider situation with a batfiered: transit at a low tavern in William-stow. “But they can’t do this ” protestâ€" ed“ the president. In 1930 two editors of the Cor- nell Sun made national news when they sent letters to Repwblican leadâ€" ers throughdut the country inviting them to a dinner commemorating the sesquictentennial of “Hugo N. Frye, founder of the Republican Party in New York State.” Vice-President Curtis tellegraphed- in: reply: “I congratulate the Repub- lican-s on paying this respect to the memory of Hugo N. Frye, and wish you a most successful occasion.” Secretary of Labor Davis bufibled‘: “It is a pleasure to testify to the career of that sturdy patriot who first planted the ideals .of our Party in this region of the country. Were he living today he would be the first to rejoice that our government is still safe in the hand-s of the peoâ€" ple.” From Representative Ruth Pratt: “Greetings and all good 'wishes to you who are gathered to 'pay trilbute to this memory cf Hugo 'N. Frye,” Not urirtiI the Cornell Sim pointed out did“ the victims notice the strong phonemic resemblance between Hugo N. Frye and “You Go and Fry”! Recently, some incipient engineers at: Massachusetts’ Institute of Tech- nology dragged; two Long steel rails into the room of an albsent brother. They wedged the rails diagonally from ceiling to floor, then electri- cally welded rthem together. How the rafters shook with laughter as a wrecking crew was called' to dis-â€" lodge the wedged steel with sledge- hammers and' acetylene torches. What bath the mighty Dartmouth mind conjured up? Well, the towns- people of Hanover. N.H., once (le- cidteds to levy a poll tax on Dartâ€" mouth students. The latter retali- ated by attending the annual town meeting where, greatly outnumber- ing the townsfolk, they passed a law requiring that Hanover build a town hall an inch square and a mile high; also a sidewalk with a, canopy over it to Colby Junior College, a girls’ school 40 miles away. The second year they put through a law calling for a subway to Smith and an eight-lame concrete highway to Skidmore. In desperation the town of Hanover begged the state legis- lature to annul these laws. The stuâ€" dents thereafter went untaxed. THE LIBERAL. RICHMOND HILL. ONTARIO A few years ago there flourished at Columbia. an amazing character best known as O’Grady Sezz. 0’- Grady’s mind was a fantastic laby- rinth through which practical jokes chased eadh other griningly. Once while waiting for a conference With One death grapple, in the darkness thxt old systems and the Werd. .. Truth forever on the scaffold, Wrong forever on the throne. Yet this scaffold sways the future, and behind the dim unknown Standeth God within the shadow: keeping watch above His Own ” Professor Brander Matthews in the latter's bookâ€"lined office, O‘lGrady killed time by autographing scores of works by English masters. On the fly-leaf of Don Juan he wrote, “‘To my friend Brander â€" without whose help this book could not have been written. Affectionately, Lord Byron." In Slonnets from the Portu- guese he inscribed, “In memory of our nights in Capri. Yours in letters of Fireâ€"Elizabeth Barrett Brown- ‘ing." (After Brander Matthews" death the books were snapped up by collectors at an enhanced value.) O’Grady was once supposed to hand in a term paper in philosophy; ‘he hadn’t written a line. So he ‘bound together several sheets of blank paper, tytpedr a title page, “Schlopenhauer’s Unwritten Mess- age,” and was about to hand the opus to his professiOr when he 'burst into tears. “It isn't my best work,” 'he solblbed. “I can’t hand it in." Still weeping, he tore the manuâ€" 'script to bits. Deeply touched by this evidence of conscientiousness, the professor gave O’Grad‘y an “A” ‘for the year. In a competition for a baccalaureate hyrmn, O’Grady won ‘first prize; the hymn was about to Wbe read, when the Chaplain discovâ€" ered that the first letter of each line spelled out a sentence rich in Ralbalaisian import. O’Grad'y swore it was the merest coincidence, and no one could prove otherwise. Last year at Michigan some freshâ€" man students objected to attending a Saturday afternoon Psychology lecture during football season. So they framed a petition that the lee7 ture be given on Wednesday, and buttonâ€"holed prominent upperâ€" classimen for signatures. Everyone usighed. When the document and the appended signatures were published iin the college paper, the signers Iwere disconcerted to read: “We, the undersigned, hereby petition that; the lecture in Psychology 2 be changed from Saturday to Wedges- day afternoon. By signing this docu- ment without reading it we cheer- fully disqualify ourselves as candi- dates for any degree conferred by this University. We furthermore declare that the freshmen are our superiors in wit and wisdom, and that our stupidity is surpassed only by the mental lethangy of the everâ€" paid faculty that teaches us. Given this second day of Nov-emlber, etc!‘ Recently, college pranks have taken on at political flavor. In Cali- fornia, famed for its economic ham.- and-e'ggery, two State University students collected a pile of milk. bottle tops and started campaigning for a new pension scheme: “$50 ev- ery Friday for FOlIkS under 50.” Bill Brown and Bob Schiller, undergrad- uate sponsors, explained that the milk bottle torps» would be of $1 de- nomination» and weekly pension pay- ments would be made with them. EN- erv time one changed hands, the re- ceiver would pay a penny and punch» a hole in the ‘bottle top. “Thus a top would lb‘e self-liquidating,” the proponents of the new scheme ex- plained. “By the time one changed hands 10.0 times it would have done away with itself, as well as paid for itself.” Perfect all around. HH.~_4l-+;-p»m»<._‘|--np Again, there were those Rensse- laler Polytechnic undergraduates who quietly cornered' all the pennies in‘ town â€" 250,000 in all, c‘ollected' from banks and! stores. The students claimed' the pennies representedl “hidden taxes” leviedI by the governâ€" ment. Business was hampered for several days, with not a penny to be had. Suddenly hundreds of students (lescended upon the stores and“ began making purchases with copper coins: 'For at least a week merchants in IRensse'laer and nearby ’I‘rOy were acutely conscious of “hidden taxes” by seeing them piled in mountain- lous stacks around their cash reg- tisrterrs. ‘ ‘Most memorable exploit of recent years was the organization at Princeton of the Veterans of Future Wars for the patriotic purpose of collecting their bonus in advance. Their salute Was- “hand outstretched, palm up, expectant.” The movement ran like wildlfire through the under- graduate population of the United States, bringing approving chuckles from everyone but the American ‘ Leg-ion. The Legion claimed that the Fu- ture Veterans were moakers amf yellow-«bellies, aiming To discredit y‘v.o.0-u-l>.>.< .I honorable military service. But Lewis J. Gorin, founder of the move- ment, disclaimed' any such intention. “We merely want our bonus,” he stated. “History- shows that all bonuses have been paid long before they are due, and- we are only ask- ing for ours now.” -’One day in April, 1933, two Harv; ard youth-s carried off the Sacred Cod from the State House in Bosâ€" ton. How they got the six-foot emlblem of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts off the wall and into a flower box is still a mystery. An hour later someone called up the State House police and‘ told them their precious fish was gone. Quiet hell broke loose in Massachusetts. Telephone calls kept coming in re- porting the fish in- all parts of the state; the police went racing about the countryside. An anonymous telegram warned state officials that the flag in front of the State House srtate; the police went racing about the countryside. An anonymous telegram warned state officials that the flag in from; of the State House would] disappear next. While the police were guarding tha't pole, a red‘ flag was run up on the pole in front of the Supre‘rr‘fe Court of Massachusetts. The next day the police got a tip that the fish was in a crate in the basement of an old M.I.T. building. Investigation did indeed disclose a large crate. Ripping it open, the cops discovered} a sardine. Later, atop the Lowell House tower in Cam. bridge, the police espied a great s'll'ver fish hanging from the weath~ ervane. But when the fish was fin- ally 'brought down it proved to be a silver paper counterfeit. The Harvard Lampoon offered a large reward in a serious editorial. Finally, the Sacrecl God of Massa- chusetts was dumpedv from a speedâ€" ing car into the arms of a police- man in the wilds of Midldll-esex Park. To this day no one knows who was responsible. Some wicked: people think it was the Lamlpoon; others believe that it was the little green ‘men who live at the bottom of the 1 Charles River. It just shows that you’ve got to‘ ’be good these days to figure out an original campus stunt. The old strong-a1'm stuff is 0111:. College pranking has become might cerelbral â€"â€"they say. 0:0 5:0”=o=on Pre-war Prices on Winter Clothes Phone 49.] Phone 12 Let us take care of your Cleaning and Pressing Requirements. Our driver Will call or you may take advantage of our low cash and carry prices. Cities Service Garage A large stock on hand and our extensive orders for high quality materials enables us to offer to the people of York County Winter Clothing at definitely Pre-War Prices. We have choicest materials to choose from and we are offering them to you at prices which will challenge comparison. Suits, Winter Overcoats, and everything in the clothing line hand tailored to your measure at prices no more than you pay for ready-made. Our trade mark is your guarantee of expert workmanship. RICHMOND TAILORS HEADQUARTERS FOR Body and Fender Work Gasoline, Oils and Greases, Auto Accessories REASONABLE STORAGE SEE US TODAY â€" DON’T DELAY 29 Yonge Street J. A. Greene THURSDAY, JANUARY 4%, 1940. 0:0 0:0 Langstaff, Ont, Phone Thornhi'll 78 Lehigh Valley JONES COAL Co. C. Matthews GOODISON FARM MACHINERY TRAC’I‘ORS â€" THRESHERS ALL KINDS IMPLEMENTS BALING Hay & Straw Having taken over Moore B‘rou. baling business I am pre- pared to bale hay and straw on short notice. Price rea- sonable. Latest facility for moving outfit. ANTHRACITE “The Coal That Satisfies” Successor to Moore Bros. Phone Stouffville 7313 Gormley RR. 1 PERCY COBER Telephone 188 Richmond Hill Richmond Hill 0H0] o=o=o=o