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Just examine the table below, com- piled solely from Dominion Bureau of Statitics figures, .and the fact is that regardless of what base period you may pickâ€"the year the Second World War started, or the summer of 1948, or the month the Korean affair com- menced, or November, 1950 â€" hourly Listening to the nevenending ar- gument about wages and the cost of living and which has outstripped which, one would be inclined to tnink that prices have outpaced wages and other income. But have they? Youth from the small towns and coUntry districts of Canada too often look to the cities for opportunities. Particularly is this so in many sec- tions of the country where industries The biggest industry in our town is the education of our children. Our schools represent our most costly in- vestment and more of our money is spentin keeping them operating each .year than on any other civic'enterâ€" prise. The product of our schools â€" our educated young people â€"â€" is our most important export. Conservation practices require a knowledge or at least an awareness of the basic elements of‘the living things of our world as well as the minerals of the ground and the clim- ate. And that knowledge must em- brace the complex inter-relationships of all of these elements. When we say “conservation” we must include In order to use anything, we must learn something about it, and the mqre we know, the btter use we can ensure. ' “Conservation” of our natural resources must entail man’s full and wise use of these resources in such a way that they will last forever. The term ‘fConServation” is per- haps one of the most misused and misunderstood‘words today, seldom is the term used in its true broad sense. Too often we say “Conserva- tion” and mean “we want more fish in our lakes”, or‘ “keep the axes out of the bush”, or “there should be a higher bounty on wolves.” _ The conclusions reached were based mainly on the fact that rapid~ ly-changing population trends have resulted in many inequalities, both in accommodation and costs. In one ar- ea, it was pointed out, school rooms were being used as offices and for storage â€" in others a few miles away children were being refused admit‘ tance because there was not sufficient room for them. One district found it« self faced with staggering costs because of the necessity for provid- ing more buildings and teachers for children of families moving from the cities â€" another was talking of clos- ing buildings. .Ill-will was springing up between rural and suburban dwell- A few weeks ago this paper pub- lished a special editorial in which it expressed the belief that the some- what tOpsy-tur‘vy situation in connec- tion with education â€"â€" particularly its costs â€" could only be properly ad- justed through the assumption by the province of direct control of the whole educational system, working in conjunction with boards of trustees who would be responsible for meal administration but not for finances. It is doubtful if, in the more than three-quarters of a century in which Richmond Hill has been an incorpor- ated municipality, any councils have had to face broader problems than those Which confront this year’s gov- erning body. In interviewing Dr. E. G. Faludi, the well-known expert on town plan- ning, and attempting to evaluate the Backgrounding practically all of those problems, of course, is the rapid population growth of the community and the surrounding territory. To that growth can be attributed the de- mand for more services of every char- acter and, as a natural concomitant, the steadily upward swing of taxa- tion. The tax rate has rached such a point that it commands more than ordinary study and, in effect, a “where do we go from here?" apâ€" proach. _ - THE LIBERAL”, Richmond Hill, Thursday, Mar. 29, 1951 J. E. SMITH, M.P., Publisher 'An Independent Weekly â€" Established 1878 Subscription Rate, $2.00 per year; To the United States $2.50 Member Canadian Weekly Newspapers Association Council Has Taken A Wise Step The Conservation Means Use 1939 . . . . . . 101.5 August 1948 157.5 June 1950 . . 165.4 Nov. 1950 . . 170.7 Nov. 1950’s per centage increase over year 1939 68 earnings and weekly earnings of hourly rated wage earners‘ in Cuna- dian manufa'ctuxfing have outpaced consumer prlce Increases. C. of Liv’g Av.Hr‘ly Av.W’ly Index Ear’gs Ear’gs 1939 . . . . . . 101.5 '$0.427 $20.14 August 1948 157.5 $0.927 $39.03 June 1950 .. 165.4 $1.035 $43.47 Nov. 1950 .. 170.7 $1.062 $45.67 @5112 liberal The cities’ gain is the small towns’ loss. And the small towns need educated young people to give leadership; to aid progress, to prepare themselves to take over in business and industry and civic affairs from older people when they wish to retire from active life. Somehow industry â€" and oppor. tunities â€" must be decentralized In Canada for the nation’s good. Some of our cities are becoming too big with too great a concentration of in- dustry in too small an area. The time may come when, because of immin- and hence jobs are concentrated In the large urban centres. some reference to the plants, animals, minerals and climate. The farmer must be cognizant 0f the insects that pollinate his plants and the foxes and hawks which control such rodents as may compete forhis crops. The logger must be aware of the growing capacities of his forest soil and of the effect of the beaver on the water lev- e1 of the streams which carry his logs to the mill. The fisherman must con- sider the ability of hisiwater to pro- duce fish food and the effect of the average thickness of winter ice on the plants which grow in the lake or riv- er. And yet too many well-intention- ed people will tell you that “conser- vation” means only to “protect”, or that it means “planting trees”, or “not to kill things”. True, it does mean all of these things, but how do you protect a tree that is mature and ready to deteriorate? And why do we have to plant trees unless at some With that suggestion there will not be complete agreement. Differing conditions in provinces such as 0n- tario and Quebec, for instance, would make it difficult to arrive at a basis which would be satisfactory to all concerned. The Prime Minister, Mr. St. Laurent, has already said in a re- cent address at London that the Fed- eral government will not consider Confirmation of that opinion has come in recent days from a body which can be considered to speak with some authority â€" the Canadian Tea- cher’s Federation. That organization suggests that provinces can no long- er afford the high cost of education â€" that the federal government should pay a per pupil grant to the provinces to support education. Education of the province’s child- ren, it was suggested because of those and many other conditions, had become a matter for over-all co-oper- ation and equallyehared cost by the Province rather than the problem of the one-time sufficient but now out- ated school section. ers because the former found them- selves faced with what they consid- ered to be an unjust load of taxation. ‘ It’s somewhat trite to say that the Richmond Hill of 1951 isn’t the Richmond Hill of 1921. And it’s a long way from what it’s going to be Possibly Dr. Faludi didn’t tell councillors anything which they didn’t already know. But he did at least consolidate thinking on the subâ€" ject and, most important of all, he was able to impart to council, from his wide experience in many munici- palities, a general picture of the con- siderations involved in the mush- rooming of near-suburban commun- ities and to point out the dangers. situation with the help of his highly specialized knowledge, the village council has taken a wise and progress- ive. step. The tax rate and town planning are ,tightly intertwined. A community which is out of balance as between residential and business assessments is headed for financial disaster, as has been abundantly pro. ved in neighbouring municipalities. Small Town Export ‘eachers Add Their Voice rices And Wages Telephone, Richmond Hill 9 148 126 F. J. PICKING, Managing Editor “There,” he said, “See what I mean?” When I was a boy we walk- ed three miles to school. Now we spend $5,000 for a bus so the child- ren don’t have to walk. Then we spend $30,000 for a gymnasium so they can get proper exercise.” There could be quite a bit in wl.at an “old-timer” said recently. Driving through the country with a. friend, discussing the inevitable topic, taxes, they passed a school bus. It‘ is vital to the continued exis- tence of man that we all follow the philosophy of Conservation, a term that means the full and wise use of our natural resources in such a way that they will last forever. In‘ that philosophy there is no room for the carelessness which starts forest fires nor for the ignorance that pulls a trigger on a Sparrow Hawk. With more industries located in small towns, the need for Our edu- cated youth to leave home to gain opportunities for making a living would be reduced to a minimum. It appears to us that such a move would be wise now as part of our de- fence preparations. Not only would this decentralization be sensible as a defence measure, it would be sensible from the Viewpoint of giving indus- trial workers a chance to live in more pleasant, more healthful surround- ings. ent threat of air attacks, industries may have to be moved fr0m the cities to the country towns. ’ As with the goose that laid the golden egg â€"- let us tend and-nourish the source of our present wealth and use thriftin the increase. time in the past we have made a mis- take in removing them; and howcan we logically eat a live duck or deer? “Conservation” is an attitude, a philâ€" osOphy, in which there is some “rev- erence of life” and at the same time permits the owl to eat a mouse or a snake to swallow a toad. Such an at- titude demands considerable know- ledge of living things or at least an open mind free of superstition and prejudice. But apart from that the teacners have emphasized in, their recent statement some points which give considerable weight to the contention that a “new deal” is necessary in the distribution of educational facilities and costs. It described streamlined education in large cities but poorly equipped old-fashioned schools in some rural areas and spoke of “the inequality of educational opportunity which it offers our boys and girls.” Whatever the eventual solution of the problem may be â€" Federal aid or provincial aid â€" the fact remains that our present system is rapidly outgrowing itself â€"â€" that it is throwâ€" ing an unequal burden on those who pay for it â€"â€" that it is failing to give all children that to which they are entitled, a good and an equal start in ife. The action of the teachers’ fed- eration, in helping to make these points'clearly understood, is some- thing which should help in bringing about the betterment of a situation which is beginning to give many people concern. ‘ The thinking of 1920 and 1930 is as out-of-date as the aeroplanes of those days. It just doesn’t apply to modern conditions. It’s a healthy thing for the municipality that to- day’s councillors are aware of that -â€"â€" that they are today seeking the best brains and the best information avail- able to them in their attempts to find a solution to problems which become ever more pressing. The question of whether taxpay- ers’ money should be spent on further development of town planning is something, of course, which it is up to council to decide. It’s a reasonab- 1y safe bet, however, that money spent in that way‘ isn’t wasted â€"â€" that it will pay dividends in better balanced assessment and possibly, in the long run, in reduced taxation. making grants to 'elementary and sec- ondary schools. in 1971. Nothing today can be done about the mistakes of ’21. But ’71 needn’t hold ’51 responsible for a pro- jection of similar errors. Editorial Opinions Starting Seeds Indoors No doubt most of us have, by this time, rceived your seed cat- alogue and are planning on what to grow this year. Starting with good seed will eliminate a lot of disappointments. Make selec- tions from reliable seed firms of- fering certified seeds. Most seeds‘ deteriorate with age, any seeds you may have left over from previous years should be tested for germination. This can be done by placing a few seeds on a piece of damp blot- ting paper in a dish covered with a piece of glass. If seed is still good they should show signs of growth at room temperature in a few days. Unless you have some special kind of seed that is hard to procure, it is advis- able to discard old seed and pro- cure new stock which is very reasonable in price. FIFTY YEARS AGO July 11, 1901 Sift soil through screen, save any rubble, which may be used along with cinders for drainage on- bottom of boxes or pots whichever you are using. Fill boxes or pots to within 1 inch of top, firm soil with block of wood, A good mixture for starting seeds would consist of 2 parts loam, 1 part peat, 1 part sand. A rich soil is not neCessary for the germination of seed. “The Richmond Hill High School Board held a. special meet- ing on Thursday afternoon, and the members, Messrs. Brown, Switzer, Duncqn, Trench, Wilson, Lynett and McConaghy,expend- ed the sum of $100 for chemical apparatus and other require- ments, and on mo‘tion the chair- man and secretary. were author- ized and instructed to borrow $200 to meet current expenSes of the school.” costs. paid." nlCIIHIUIlu 11111, WIIU 31400“ In FORTY YEARS AGO third place in a. competition am- February 15' 1911 ong all Cities Service Stations in “A charge was laid against Mr. Canada for increase in gas bus- Robert Michael of the Palmer iness last year." House for selling liquor on the ' ' ’ ‘ 23rd of January, in the local 013- “The sale is reported this week tion municipality of Richmond by Mrs. G. H. Glenn of her Centre Hill, and he was fined $200 and Street home to Mr. Stan Ransom “Miss Hume and Miss Varney of Toronto spent over Sunday with Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Hume, and returned Tuesday morning. “Last week at Kleinburg a couple of the tramping fraternity paraded themselves on Bond and Gil streets, and behaved in a very disorderly manner . . How soon will the authorities make provision for the safe lodging of all warts of humanity who may be burglariously inclined? It is currently reported that the same parties have been accused of breaking windows in the Tem- perance Hall, and that, unleSS a settlement be effected, they are to be tried for the ofl’ence." “Mens working boots, 5‘ are on sale at Naughton Elgin Mills at 50¢ a pair.” SIXTY YEARS AGO February 19, 1981 After his ordination in June, 1936, he was curate at the Church of -St. Alban the Martyr in Toronto. Next followed three years at the parish where so many Church of England ministers have made their start â€" liinmount. A little bit of school-mastering accompan- ied his next appointment â€"â€" that of rector at Lakefield â€"â€" where he was also a part time master at the well- known Lakefield Preparatory School, in addition to being chaplain of the school. From Lakefield he moved to Thornhill in 1945. A charter member of Thornhill and DistrictLions Club, he was its first secretary. In addition he has played an active part in all its activities, particularly in connection with its educational program. While at the University of Toronto Mr. Wood was editor-in-chief of Torontoensis, the University’s year book. He also admits to have played on the soccer team there. Mrs. Wood is also a Newfoundlander. The couple have three children â€" two girls and a boy, Mr. Wood started his travelling early in life. He was born in England, where his father was attending Queen’s College at Cambridge, and to which country his mother travelled to get married. Brought back to their native land, Newfoundland, at an early age, the future rector of Thornhill received his early education in its capital, St. John’s, went on to Memorial Univer- sity College there, then went to the University of Tor- onto, where he secured his Bachelor of Arts degree. Theological training at Wycliffe College follo. ed. The church has been considerably enlarged since it was moved from its old location on Yonge Street, where it had stood for over a century. It needed to be. When Mr. Wood came to 'I'hornhill in '1945, 115 families called Trinity their spiritual home. Now near- ly double that number â€" 210 to be exact â€" are ad- herents. Last week was “high spot” for this week’s “neighbour,” Rev. S. A. R. Wood of Thornhill, whose picture appears on the front page. It marked the be- ginning of a new era for his congregation â€" that of Trinity Church, Thornhill. On Good Eriday services were held for the first time in the old church on its new site and a dream which had inspired the congregation for many months became a reality. "Know Your Neighbour The Gardener's Column Excerpts from the files of The Liberal Home paper of the Richmond Hill district since 1878 a Way Back When " The fine was promptly (By Al Rice) Water seedlings, shade from sun for first few days until re- covered fl'om move. A week be- fore setting out in garden it is advisable to place boxes of plants outside in a sheltered spot or in a cool sun porch in the daytime taking them in at night. This will harden your plants up ready to go in garden. “The sale is reported this week by Mrs. G. H. Glenn of her Centre Street home to Mr. Stan Ransom of Richmond Hill. Mr. Ransom will take possession April 1." “Although Harold J. Mills of Richmond Hill is a member of the council, Chief of the Fire Bri- gade, the head of the successful firm of H. J. Mills, Ltd., the Stoufiville Tribune thinks he should have been a lawyer. This conclusion was reached after the representative of that paper heard Mr. Mills present the case of Richmond Hill before Mark- ham Township council relative to fire protection. The Tribune said, “A real orator has come to the forefront â€"â€" he should have been a lawyer -â€" maybe he is.’ “Congratulation to Mel Maltby of the Cities Service Garage, Richmond Hill, who stood in third place in a. competition am- ong all Cities Service Stations in so that it will be spongy and not so hard' as to form a crust on the surface. This will provide uniform germination of seed. Crowding of seedings will cause damping off of young plants, therefore it is better to sow thin- ly rather than too heavily. Cov- er seeds with fine layer of sifted loam. As seeds vary in size they vary in depth to be sown. A good guide is to cover seeds their own depth or thickness. When watering newly sown seeds, half submerge p0». or boxes in water letting water soak up from bottom. This el- iminates any hard crust form- ing on top especially if your soil happens to be on the heavy side. When seedlings are large enough to handle, that is when they have formed their second or tree leaf, transplant to other boxes 1 inch apart, taking care to handle by the leaf rather than stems as this bruises young plants and causes decay. “At a meeting of the Boa“! of Trade held on Monday evening plans for activities to attract in- dustries to locate in Richmond Hill were discussed." TEN YEARS AGO February 27, 1941 February 19, 1931 “Christ’s Church, Woodbridge, was totally destroyed by fix: on Sunday morning. The loss is said to be $9,000, insurance $3,000. A monument erected to the memory of the late Hon. N. C. Wallace, which stood near the church, was badly damaged by the fire.” "Mr. Scott McNair, president of Richmond Hill Horticultural Society will give a talk on the planting and care of fruit trees to Thornhill horticulturists.” February 24. 1921 TWENTY YEARS AGO THIRTY YEARS AGO It was a favourite illustration of Henry Ward Beecher‘s that the Church was intended to do for a man’s soul what a hospital did for his body. People united with the Church, he insisted, not because they were better than other people but in order that they might become better than they were. When John‘ Wesley fumed his early societies two centuries ago, he instructed his helpers to receive all who “had a desire to flee from the vrrath to come.” He laid the emphasis, not on credal statements nm on a mature spiritual experience, but on the desire of their hearts, the trend of their lives. Both Beecher and Wesley would have agreed with what 'T. G. Selby The encouraging word for all of us is that it is the underlying purpose that is important. The girl’s answer was much more than a smart quip; it was a state- ment of a fundamental religious truth. Our religion is one of mo- tive of inwardness and what we are trying to do â€"â€" striving after â€"â€" is what counts. Judged by out- ward appearances, many a life might well be considered a fail- ure, but to the great Searcher of Harts, it may appear quite dif- lTearts, it may appear quite dif- ferent. “I have no objection to Mr. Henry on personal grounds,” said the girl‘s father. “No doubt he is a briliiant scholar and a good man but he is a stranger and we do not know where j he ‘comes from.” “We do .not know where he comes from,” agreed the gifl, “but we know where he is going and I want to go with him.” THE SET OF THE SAILS One of the greatest of Bible commentators was Matthew Henâ€" ry; here is a. charming story about him, or rather about his parents. His father, Philip Hen- ry, was a young Presbyterian minister in Cheshire, England, when he fell in love with a Miss Matthews, 3. member of a well- established wealthy farmily. Phil~ ip Henry was well received by Miss Matthews but her father ob- jected. Dissenting ministers did not have much social standing and he felt sure the daughter could do better. said bro wai car aga to chu I the In Ab: the and scu oni: illus vac For behind those entries lie the story of human beings, their work. their hopes, their aspira- tions. It may be only the Item which reminds that a council meeting must be attended â€" a meeting where the undramatic, far-from-sparkling subject of a new sewerage system is to be discussed. Yet behind that mun- dane topic lies a far, far bigger story â€" the story of the growth and progress of a community which has, willy-nilly, shaken off the short pants of its earlier days “call book.” In ordinary 500181 life it would be known as an “en- gagement book.” In it, day after day, are entered the events to come which must be covered by the paper's staff in the never- ending gathering of neWS. Those events, in a fast-growing and busy district like that of Rich- mond Hill and its surrounding territory, come thick and fast. A harassed editor finds himself at times bedevilled by the ques- tion as to how to cover three council meetings, tWO ratepayers association gatherings and sun- dry other events at one time with the limited staff at his dis- posal. But somehow or other the job gets done. And mirac- ulously every now and again there comes an evening when he is free to go to the show or go out and play with the boys. At least that’s what he thinks â€" until, just as he is sneaking out, comes the call that tells of a highway crash or a fire or some- thing of that sort which has to be covered. And, believe me. that’s when religious training" counts. But behind the cold, scribbled entries of events which fill up the pages of the call book lie many things. Recollections of lung, boring meetings. Memories of heart-warming occasions when a step forward in the history of a business, a church, an organ- ization or an individual provxded a happy item for next week's paper. Mental pictures of the tragedies, of the triumphs, of the victories and disasters mnich form the pattern of life for a community and its dwellers therein. Just entries â€" yes â€"â€" but each one of them something more than a few scribbled Words. Each one a bit more than the warning signal of another job of work to be done. â€" which is seeking to provia; the raiment of its maturer years. Day after day it happens. Be- hind the entry which lists the date 'of a school board meeting lies the tale of an indomitable people concerned with the future of their children, sparked with the determination that those children shall have the best chance that can be given them. Back of the warning that a rate- In most newspaper offices there‘s a. book known as the __ ii \____. \ l fisugpg AFTER 00. ,1» > . Vâ€" ( ., if , .I’,-rvg{._ x TH, ARCHER WALL/Ale? .'se.;¢f!a.a<+ihn(15 COLUMN 0F VIEWS AND OBSERVATIONS (By R J. Picking) }om The Hilltop ' 2.11.3»; Where there‘is a deepâ€"seated purpose, failure and apparent de- feat can be made a means of spiritual advance. Trouble can be used to strengthen and purify character. Suffering can be made to serve noble spiritual ends. How much of sympathy and sin- cerity many owe to theirvseeming misfortunes. Yet afflicition in it- self cannot make a man better. Suffering impoverishes some char- acters. It makes them despair or perhaps it causes them to become cynical. Everything depends up. It is the trend of life that is the pnly true test of character. In spite of their inconsistencies Abraham, Jacob, and David .had their faces turned to the light, and although it was often ob- scured, it was for them the beck- oning gleam. This is beautifully illustrated in the story 0f Peter’s restoration (John 21: 15-17). This was the first meeting be- t.\een Jesus and Peter since that shameful denial-in the courtyard. Yet Jesus made no reference to it, but what he did insist uyun was to know whether Peter still loved him. Jesus knew that Pet- er was a much better man than the scene in the courtyard might suggest. The trend of Peter’s life was toward God in Jesus Christ. same. The experience which m'akes one man stern and cruel would {n another bring out gen- tleness, tenderness and a pass- ionate desire to help others. One ship drives east, another p the gales, That bids them where to Our quotation today is ert F. Scott: 1 drives west, While the self-same breezes blow; ’Tis the set of the sails, and not “The soul of man is greater than anything that can happen to him.” on the way people: meét troubl‘e. No two persons,‘ meeting the same trial, would find it the In conclusion a special word'of thanks, to those who have, in an- other sense, been associated with me in the production of The Liberal. From publisher to printer's devil, they have given me a co-operatiovn which any man might envy. It has been the paper's privilege in recent ntonths to receive national aw- ards and acclaim of a soul-satis- fying type. And for that ap- preciation is due to those whose pay envelopes depend on their jobs â€" but who have not put into those jobs something more than professional and mechanical abn- ities â€" a pride in craftsmanship, a loyaltyr that has risen over and above the, call of duty. So long, everybody -â€" and thanks again. ,aid: “Men and wumex. are brought into the church to be watched over, admonished and cared for, helped to theixI feet again when they stumble and not to be show converts to gratify church pride." It’s been hard work, but it’s been fun, this job of being Manâ€" aging Editor of The Liberal. And for that my sincere thanks to those many, many friends who have made it so. Once on 8. Lime they might have been names on a call book â€" today my life is better and happier because I’ve been privileged to be with them in their homes, their businesses, their organizations, as people in- stead of names. Nobody could' have had better friends and bet- ter help than the people of thisfi district have given me in the do- ing of my job. For that, and to you all, my deepest thanks. t has meant the severance of ties which have come to be part of the warm pattern of life. But the decision has been made. Another call book is closing -â€" and it demands a few words of a personal nature. Another one is to be opened, as most of my readers now know, in a town a few miles away where oppor- tunity has presented itself. The decision to seize that opportun- ity has been very far from easy. en. It. is my firm hope that in the overall growth of this area to the north of Toronto -it may even be strengthened. burned-out cottage, one learns that the milk of human-kindness is far from dried up _ meets day after day those who start as names and entries in a book __ vho finish up as friends and col- laborators. So -â€" in one sense â€" this is goodbye. But fortunately miles are short and memories long. The link isn’t to be completely brok- payers meeting is to be held stands the story of I growing district which is working day and night, through doubts. dif- ficulties and sometimes quarrels, to achieve the objective of 9, community hall where its fesi- dents may carry on their varied‘ activities. So the tale goes. And back of those entries lies, an even greater thing â€"â€" friendv ship. qu, as one goes the, rounds; from council chamber to‘ go. by Rob-