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195:} EV. .. .. . . '33“ «13% Merry Christmas & A Bright§ & Prosperous New Year 1315 PM To Our Many Friends and Customers Sincere wishes f or a PERKINS FARM & HOME EQUIPMENT SE} 2 CHURCH ST. ‘ TELEPHONE 21W 13’ F3"? EPZWfi-gfi MILLS Ltd THE LII In order that our staff may enjoy the holiday, we will remain closed December 25th, and December 26th, but will be ready to serve you again at noon, Monday 27th. Yong‘e Street We wish our manâ€"y friends much joy throughout the Yuletide Season. ' BARRISTER & SOLICI'I‘OR NOTARY PUBLIC Wishes his friends and clients of Richmond Hill, Vaughan and Markham Towuships, a Merry Christmas and a Bright and Prosperous New Year. £1? :3 % e ‘4: E Sheppard & Gill Lumber Co. 2% 3. 40 Yonge Street To all those whom it is our privilege to serve.. .Our sincere thanks not only. . for your patronage, but for your patience and co-operation. m “ix We Greet You SINCERE WISHES FOR A HAPPY CHRISTMAS Happy New Year With the true spirit of Christmas and a hope that all the beauty of the Yuletide Season may be yours. Merry Christmas RICHMOND HILL CAFE RAL, Richmond Hill, Thursd H. COLEMAN, Proprietor Richmond Hill CUT ROSES Richmond Hill AND A Richmond Hill Telephone 229 Decembel 1948 r3? 3. my ‘Looking back at him earnestly and without self-conscious- ness, she replied, “Mother says that Jesus is my dearest friend, and I think his birthday the nicest time of the year.” There is a story of a little girl who brought her birthday book to a guest, staying for the first time in her home, with the request that he write his name in it. Idly turning the pages, he came to December twenty-fifth, and found carefully written in her childish hand. “Dear Jesus Christ”. “But, Margaret,” he said, this book is only for the names of your friends.” Christmas 1948 comes to a world still troubled and disor- ganized and it would seem still quite out of tune with the mess- age the angels did sing of Peace on Earth, Good Will among Men. However here in Canada we have much to be thankful for, and we should celebrate this great occasiOn with the true spirit of Christmas in our hearts. The true spirit of Christmas is joy. gratitude and good will to all. In this spirit we are happy to extend to all readers of The Liberal our very best wishes for a iovous Christmas. May every home in this district be blessed a joyous Christmas. May t with a happy yuletide holid In all history, in all mythology, there is no narrative so chaste, so sweet and reverence-compelling as that of the birth of the Christ-child. In truth, there is in all the Scriptures them- selves, no portion with more effective inflluence in cleansing hum- an hearts cf all selfishness. How insignificant it was! Only the birth of a little child! Yet how mysteriOus and far reaching! How are we planning to commemorate this nicest time of the year and to whom shall we bring our gifts? And in what spirit? Are we forgiving and forgetting or are we remembering the petty so-called injuries We think we may have suffered from others and approaching the Christmas seas0n with a shade of bitterness in our hearts? Have we made our own, the song the angels sang “Glory to God”? Have we done our part in making “On earth peace, goodwill to men” come true? ' If we have failed in this, let us recapture the Love-Spirit of that first Christmas gift. sharing it generously with others and making our Christmas giving, love-giving and more Christian. Each year the Christmas season is ushered in by the sing~ ing of Christmas carols and hymns, and we hear again the fam- iliar and ever beautiful songs of Christmas which have been handed dOWn through the centuries. An ancient and lovely custom is the singing of Christmas carols, and it harkens back to the days of old when carols were sung in the streets by waits and minstrels, when the Yulelog burned on the hearth, holly and mistletoe gleamed among the Christmas candles and wassail songs made glad the festive and joyful Christmastide. We like to think that the first carol ever sung was by the angel chorus on that first Christmas eve, nearly two thousand years ago. But, it was not until the thirteenth century that we find the beginning of the true Christmas carol and Italy is its birthplace. From Italy, the carol spread to Spain, France, Eng- land and other European countries where it retained its folk- song qualities of legendary lore and childlike simplicity with a strange mingling of reverence and genial m'irthfulness. Realization that the Yule-tide season is drawing very near, reminds us that sleighing for Christmas used to be a condition devoutly desired as good for business and good for the farmer. Sleighing meant easy access to the wood-lots and good roads to market. The long lines of wood-sleds which wound their way slowly to town in the mornings and hastened back to the farm at night. linger in the recollection of those whose youthful days left memories of winter with plenty of snow, wood-sleds and pitchholes in. the roads and with detours through the fields for better going. strawâ€"rides at night with everything sparkling with frost. the sky full of stars, the man in the moon full of smiles and beaming good cheer. Memory also dwells fondly upon snow- shoe episodes. tobogganing and bob-sleighing, while skating meant mostly the whole of outdoors where there was a river, creek or lake nearby. The beginning of the eighteenth century marks the tran- sition from the true carol to the more dignified and solemn Christmas hymn. The nineteenth century brou .t the beautiful “Silent Night, Holy Night” and also “0 Little own of Bethle- hem” written by our Phillips Brooks and inspired by a Christ- mas eve spent by him in Bethlehem. ' How times have changed. Horses and sleighs for the most part have been retired, and paved roads hum with automobile trafâ€" fic. Only the old-timers long for an old-fashioned winter with plenty of snow and bright sunshineS â€" and good sleighing for Christmas! Municipal elections in Richmond Hill and neighboring munici- palities are over for another year, and to those elected to munici- pal office we extend congratulations and best wishes for a success- ful year. In some municipalities there were acclamations for sitting members and in others spirited contests took place for the various offices. A regrettable feature of municipal contests was the small percentage of possible vote polled. No particular contest or municipality can be singled out for censure as the failing seems pretty general not only in this district but throughout all Ontario. As an example however in the Richvale sub-division of Vaughan township there were 1008 eligible voters and only 293 exercised the franchise. - Municipal administration is important to every citizen. Munici- pal administration deals with important matters touching the lives of all people. Surely it is not too much to expect citizens to take enough interest in their own business to attend once a year at the polling booth to determine just who will handle their public bus- iness. ~ Very often the chap who complains loudest during the year about municipal government is one of those who failed to take the trouble to vote on election day. “Never again" sighed a tired Christmas shopper as she dropped off a Yonge Street bus in Richmond Hill after a‘tiring day shop- ping in Toronto. The lesson this lady hadn’t learned was that her home merchants have well stocked shelves from which she could do her Christmas shopping without the expense and fatigue of a visit to the big city. The local merchants in your home community whether it be Richmond Hill, Thornhill, Maple or King City, or any other York County centre, has a variety of goods not only at Christmas but throughout the year which in quality and price compare favorably with the big city store. The home merchant is an important facâ€" tor in the life of your home community. He supports your schools, churches, charity and community enterprises and on his record of good citizenship as well as with dependable personal service in merchandizing deserves generous patronage and support. For your shopping needs at Chrsitmas or any other time of the year, don't forget your home community merchant. Thus. C-hl‘istrrias carols have lived through the centuries. An Independent Weekly â€" Established 1873 Subscription Rate, $2.00 per year; To the United States $2.50 Member Canadian Weekly Newspapers Association 'J. E. SMITH. M.P., Publisher DECEMBER 'I‘WEN'I‘Y-FIFTH “THE LIBERAL” SNOW FOR CHRISTMAS MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS \ MERRY CHRISTMAS CHRISTMAS CAROLS BUY AT HOME a y The Maple C.G.I.T. held‘ their Third Annual Candle-Light Service in St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church which was attended by an overflow congre- gation. The beautiful service was ably conducted by Marilyn Snider. the president who was assisted in the Candle Lighting Ceremony by Agnes Kinnee, Ann Lawrie, Joanne Johnson and Marion Waters. During the service ‘The White Gifts’ were presented which will be forwarded to Evangel Hall for distribution to the needy. Have you had to, stand in line for your mail and to purchase stamps the past few days at the local Post Office? Here are the reasons. The largest incoming mail on re- cord has been crowding the working space, and a larger staff than usual has been working long hours of or- ertime.to handle it. The outgoin‘: mail has also reached heroic proper- tions. Some idea of the great VCl- ume of cards mailed locally may be gained from the fact that over 95,- 000 one-cent stamps had been sold up to Tuesday night (in comparison to 75,000 during all the 1947 Christ- mas season.) Add to this over 20,000 four-cent stamps and the thousands of parcels, and the burden of Christ- mas mail on the staff of the local post office can be imagined. «So if you have to stand in line fm- long periods, don’t be angry, but do resolve that in 1949 you will mail early. Another overburdened puhlic ser- vant at this season is the Rural Mail Courier. He also is putting in many hours of extra time to see that his patrons receive their mail. Be sure to rememhr him at Christmas. CHRISTMAS TIME m ~All the World Stops for PITY THE POOR I’OSTMAN THE WOMEN’S SHOP FOR PRETTY THINGS 117 Yonge St. Richmon MAPLE For Last Minute Holiday Shopping Remember And we stop in the midst of a very busy season to thank our many friendly customers for their patron- age during the past year. We wish to greet you one and all and to wish you a delightful holiday season. FISHER 5c - $1.00 STORE Just the same old wish that we have extended during the years we have been serving you, and'a hope that our cordial relations will continue for many more. Yonge Street “HOLLIES” Richmond Hill Hardware Season’s Heartiest Greetings GEORGE FENWICK, Manager HILLCREST BEAUTY PARLOR if? f}: g AT nus CHRISTMASTIDE g THE CITIES SERVICE GARAGE a" MEL. MALTBY 35?: :91 Phone 12 Richmond Hill Also expert repairing done on all motor cars and trucks. See us for Tires, Mufflers, Tail Pipes, Exhaust Pipes and Accessories. Holiday Greetings Repeats better 93 YONG E ST. May I Yonge Street TED GRAINGER YOUR BARBER our friends and customel its wish to serve you at all times, and extends the Season’s Greetings. 5L9, Cities Service Products CW GENERAL MOTORS PARTS ‘ain express my Yuletidé Greetings to you and your families Merry Christmas L 11' than ever Richmond Hill before and a vex Richmond Hill Richmond Hill PHONE We wish 256