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coroner’s jury was told, and the ‘ property administrator confessed that he now sends eviction notices by registered mail because of the personal harassment he suffered when he tried to deliver them in person. The subject of the inquest, an 18-year-old youth who fell 11 storeys to his death last Novem- ber, and his roommate were not even registered as tenants, even though one of them had been in residence (rent free no doubt) for three months. Records are understandably not If the Metro Police Force, which has had more than its share of grief since the opening of Roch- dale, lacks the manpower to do the job, call in the army. If the push- ers and the parasites who infest and seem to rule Rochdale insist on ignoring notices to vacate, match them man for man and see where their guts are. People of this ilk seldom stand on their own two feet, they rely on the force of the gang, the mob. to intimidate the citizenry, and such people should not be tolerated in a dem- ocratic society. and churches could help here. Whatever happened to the “Fl-int Plan?” The next greatest need is for instructors who will work at a reasonable rate but lower than that paid by other institutions. It would be nice to get some volunteer help in this area. If you have a talent or craft that you would like to teach, please let it be known. Don’t wait to be asked. The after-four program for young people would be a wonderful place for older teens to become involved as they did in their own arts I'Vulu AllunC cu: Ul- uur L'Ulll' munities better places in which to live. Dumping in a neighbor’s backyard seems to be the only solution that modern man can come up with, This, of course. is nonsense. The technology exists today and is being used today to reverse this abuse of our most finite resource â€" our land and our countryside. It has been established in some communities that alternative and saner systems are even cheaper. How Hill? ‘bout it, Richmond Will you help your We all turned out hope- fully to see the people in charge of our children's ed- ucation, even after a hard day’s work. In the meantime the staff of RHHS have almost all re- signed, to protest their “lot in life”. If their resignations are actually accepted we wish them luck out in the bus- iness world where they will find, like us, they will have to honor their obligations to survive. FREDERICK ROBINSON, 218 Baker Ave., Richmond Hill. nuns, and we increase in me number of entries is taxing scheduling and stage accom- modation facilities to the limit. The festival runs daily and evenings, except Sundays, with the concluding perform- ance of major winners at Lawrence Park Collegiate Auditorium on February 23. Prior to the final concert facilities for competition at Lawrence Park, Westview Centennial Collegiate, North Toronto Memorial Hall, York- minster Park Baptist Church, North Toronto Collegiate, Metropolitan United Church, Iflllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll11illllll“lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllIllllllllllllllllllllllillllllllllll\llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllnillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll“lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllIll“llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll4' Described recently by the pre- siding coroner investigating the ninth death at Rochdale since 1970 as “a festering cancer - dirty - disreputable - intolerable”, this 18-storey dream house for self- directed serious students and scholars has, in less than a decade, become a cesspool and nightmare. Metro Police in three months made 795 drug-related arrests at Roch- dale involving 1,103 charges, the coroner’s jury was told, and the property administrator confessed that he now sends eviction notices by registered mail because of the personal harassment he suffered when he tried to deliver them in person. If we were renting an apart- ment or a room, threw wild par- ties, trafficked in drugs, we would be given notice to move, and right smartly. If we defied the order and continued on our merry way in violation of the laws of the land it would not be long before the bailiff and the police forcibly evicted us. But there is a place in our fair province where the corrupt and the feckless can flout the law with abandon, where people can live rent free for months, not even reg- istered as tenants. You don’t need three guesses on this one. It is, of coarse, Rochdale “College”. This is the whole crux of the matter. Richmond Hill Councillor Andy Chateauvert has repeatedly drawn the attention of his fellow councillors to the fact that legisla- tion setting up greenbelts and attempting to preserve prime farming land without compensa- tion to the owners is unfair and discriminatory. If we bought a house or an apartment house and reneged on mortgage payments we would not be surprised if the holder of the mortgage foreclosed, got a court order aud had us idispossesed. Further, the rising demand for services performed by local government has taxed them dis- Property taxes must be changed and improved so that they more appropriately meet community needs, says Bruce Whitestone, former adviser ,to the House of Commons Tax Re- form Committee, now a partner in a Toronto investment firm, in a recent issue of the Kitch- ener Waterloo Record. Mr. Whitestone noted that for years people have complained fibgut the unfairness of proper- ty taxes. Much of the criticism comes simply from the amount of money involved. Property owners will pay an estimated 50% more to their local tax collector this year than they did in the middle 60's. “Fesiering Cancer" Thrives Premier William Davis was ask- ed in Kitchener recently what his government was going to do about the heavy and continuing loss of good farm land to developers, estimated to be at the rate of 350,000 acres a year or 40 acres an hour. In his reply the Premier took a good deal of time to outline the problems facing government when it comes to any attempt to hold the land. Referring to a demand that farmers be compen- sated for any land locked into agriculture that could be sold at a high price to developers, the premier said, “There just are not enough dollars” to meet that kind of demand. 2 THE LIBERAL, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Thursday, Feb. 7, 1974 Expert Says Real Estate Taxation In Ontario Needs Much Revision EMA @5132 liberal Subscription Rate $7.00 per year; to United States $9.00; 15¢ Single Copy Member Audit Bureau of Circulations Member Canadian Weekly Newspapers Association Published by Richmond Hill Liberal Publishing Co. W. S. COOK, Publisher “Second class mail, registration number 0190” PREMIER DAVIS Compensation Needed An Independent Weekly: Established 1878 Property taxation stands out as a source of strength for local communities; perhaps that is why provincial governments in- terested in "centralizing" are trying to replace local jurisdic- tion in these matters with pro- vincial directives. of tax rates 'to pay foi- these outlays. There is, therefore, a Property taxes give voters the best opportunity to relate bud- get proposals involving higher local spending to the question proportionately. with particular- ly heavy burdens on those who own property in rapidly growing areas or “new” suburbs. Concern about the cost and location of housing and the question about paying for muni- cipal services, leads naturally to an examination of the role of municipal taxes. It is hard to believe that, after all this time, Central Mortgage and Housing Commission, 3 fed- eral government agency, lawful owner of the building, is still awaiting a court order that will permit Ottawa to take possession of the building. Urban Affairs Minister Ronald Basford’s assur- ance that, when (and if?) the government takes possession it will act as vigorously as possible “to protect the safety of the people in the building” is not good enough. Is Mr. Basford’s depart- ment, like the property adminis- trator, afraid of the people of Rochdale? We do not condone violence in any form, but in this case it seems about time that the building was completely evacuated, floor by floor, and fumigated, then rented to legitimate students, business people, senior citizens, or others who are studying or working in the heart of the city and cannot afford the staggering rentals charged by private owners. A great deal of it is already built on and other developments have been approved, although some are still awaiting approval. At the present market value of land in these areas, the purchase price could amount to an astron- omical sum for whatever govern- ment level could be persuaded to foot the bill. The money used will come from the taxpayers’ pockets, whichever level of government makes such purchases. reliable, as existing records were stolen before Rochdale went into receivership for default of pay- ment in 1972, and the trustees and security guards admit that there could be many more unregistered tenants in the building. There are some 3,000 acres of this moraine spread through Vaughan, Richmond Hill, King, Aurora, East Gwillimbury, Whit- church-Stouffville and Newmarket. But the owners of this land have followed the guidelines of the Metro Conservation Authority in producing their final plans for the development, which will preserve intact the vulnerable portions of the land below the top line, leav- ing the slopes and valleys un- touched, as private parkland. The 133 acres is located on the Oak Ridges Moraine, a sediment- ary deposit left in pre-historic times by a glacier, which reaches from the Niagara Escarpment to the Lindsay area and includes all told some 89,000 acres of land. It is very vulnerable to the dis- turbance of bulldozers and other construction equipment. Richmond Hill cannot afford to buy this land, the Region of York cannot afford to buy it and neither can the Province of Ontario. A present case where owners of property within Richmond Hill might well have demanded comp- ensation, was the attempt at the regional level to defeat an amend- ment to this town’s Official Plan which would allow a rural estate development at the corner of Bay- view Avenue and the Gormley Sideroad. ‘The land is heavily wooded with deep ravines and is not suitable for agriculture. However, serious economic distortions arise from property taxes. he notes. New. well-struc- tured buildings are taxed more heavily than slums. Yet, high quality, highlyâ€"taxed property does not require the large gov- ernment outlays for police pro- tection, welfare, etc. that are required in the slums. The present arrangement fav~ ors holding onto old. decrepit buildings while penalizing the new and sound building. The property tax also discourages maintenance and modernization as these increase the value of strong element of justice in the property tax system: those mu- nicipalities with the highest tax rates are, presumably. those providing the most service. Mr. Whitestone claims. The “Y” needs our 'help. Trheir greatest need is space at a low rental. The schools and churches could help here. Whatever happened to the “Fl-int Plan?” The next greatest need is for instructors who will work at a reasonable rate but lower than that paid by other institutions. It would be nice to get some volunteer help in this area. If you have a Itallem or craft that you would like to teach, please let it be known. Don't wait to be asked. I would like to comment on the situation our local YWCA finds itself in. The picture looks very 'rosy when we read about all the monies received this past year. How- ever. this is not so. “The Resale Shop,” which has been such a great 'help [to many a mother in shopping for family clothing, 'has been closed because of lack of space and sufficient funds. Thank you once again. MALCOLM PEAKE, Trustee for Y.C.R.C.S.S.‘B., Richmond Hill Many parents ask what the teachers are doing on the school days that “Johnny” is at home I think that you did an excellent job in this area. and answered some of their questions “Y” NEEDS OUR HELP Dear Mr. Editor â€" I would like to thank you for the excellent coverage that you gave York County Roman Catholic Separate School Board's Professional Development Days at Seneca College. EXCELLENT COVERAGE Dear Mr. Editor â€" First he constructed a Newtonian Rich- field (RFT) F.5 eight-inch telescope and a 2.4 refractor telescope. The final telescopic device to be completed was a 121/3 inch Cassegranian F3.5 with an application factor of 4. This instrument Peter uses for planet and lunar photography, as it enables him to obtain a large subject image on the film plane. The high-powered eyepiece produces large suitable The observatory and its precision optical equipment was constructed entirely by 29-year- old Peter Harlick of 138 Henderson Avenue. The building is an insulated hemispherical eight foot by eight and a half foot structure. Peter, a commercial artist with the Can- adian Tire Corporation in Toronto, initiated his “heavenly hobby" about two years ago and now has his mini observatory almost complete. If you think that little domed building atop the Mac’s Milk Store on Henderson Av- enue at Clark in South ’I'hornhill is some kind of ol§ervatory, you're right â€"- it is! Dream, S/(i/I, Hard War/l leads To Star: While rural land is assessed differently from urban or sub- urban property, there must be some additional changes in the way farmland is taxed. Marginal farmland is taxed at the same rate as land with a more pro- ductive potential. This works to the disadvantage of the small For business, property taxes are costs that yield few direct benefits: education. welfare and other community services are for the consumer rather than for the business community. The taxes the business pays are ul- timately paid for by the consum- er. but this means often that consumers hundreds of miles away are paying for local serv- ices from which they derive no direct benefit. ' the property on which the tax is levied. This. of course, is nonsense. The technology exists today and is being used today to reverse this abuse of our most finite resource â€" our land and our countryside. It has been established in some communities that alternative and saner systems are even cheaper. The “Maple” garbage fight should now become the “Richmond Hill-Maple” gar- bage fight. The largest acre- age for dumping of garbage is proposed for an area be- tween the two urban areas â€" and upstream of the wells that supply Richmond Hill with much of its water. The provincial environmental hearing board has received formal applications for al- most 900 acres and the pri- vate concerns which own this land are anxious to proceed. The Metro Toronto garbage problem continues to grab headlines but unfortunately the province itself which is the only agency which can initiate the lasting solutions to this huge problem remains silent about recycling and reduction programs which would make all of our com- munities better places in which to live. Dumping in a neighbor’s backyard seems to be the only Vsolution that modern man can come up with, MODERN TECHNOLOGY CAN SOLVE GARBAGE PROBLEMS Dear Mr. Editorâ€" Here is an opportunity for involvement and self-expres- sion. Use it. and crafts centre of a year ago last summer. 80 Cartier Crescent, Richmond Hill DOREEN KE'N'DRY, Quite generally land itself should properly become the base for much more of the property tax and less burden should be For urban areas there should be tax holidays for new build- ings. machinery or for substan- tial rebuilding. What must be done to make property taxes more equitable? Mr. Whitestone lists a number of changes that he thinks should be made. Farmland should be taxed on average yields and the amount of government services that are required. In some cases, the property tax should be frozen at the pre- existing amount on properties that are replaced. family farmer and tends to accentuate rural poverty. If their resignations are actually accepted we wish them luck out in the bus- iness world where they will find, like us, they will have to honor their obligations to survive. FREDERICK ROBINSON, On investigating their whereabouts at the office we were informed they might be at “night school classes!” etc. Surely their first obli- gation should be to the stud- ents and their parents. Why bother to have an “Open House” if they have no in- tention of being there? We all turned out hope- fully to see the ‘people in charge of our children's ed- ucation, even after a hard day‘s work. In the meantime the staff of RHHS have almost all re- signed, to protest their “lot in life”. At 8:30 pm 15 of them were absent, and we never did get to see the three with whom we had problems to discuss. neighbors bring sanity to this province by resisting this damaging dumping and en- couraging all our politicians to start TODAY programs which will reduce the incred- ible amounts of refuse that are shipped around this counâ€" try every day? As parents we would like to know where they all were at the Parents’ and Teachers' Open House January 23 at Richmond Hill High School? WHERE WERE THE TEACHERS? Dear Mr. Editorâ€" The focus these (fays seems to be on “school teachers” and their problems: Seriously, though, he is looking forward to the return of Haley’s Comet in 1985. Peter hails from Portsmouth, England and spent two years in the British Army Trade School. He also attended Leeds University. He and his wife, Jackie (nee Barbour) have two children, Darlene 5 and Peter Junior 3. He reporté making Ewo sightings “(if the Comet Kahootek, but admits to some disap- pointment in light of the advance ballyhoo. Bette} luck in the year 76974. Peter is in the process of completing a variable frequency oscillator which governs the electrical supply to the clock-drive with exact voltage precision. With this he is able to slow down or speed up the clock-drive within the frequency range for tracking. subject images. The equipment has been de- signed to scan the galaxy at angles which will produce an impressive amount of depth of field. JOHN BECKER, PO. Box 873, Maple. Mr. Whitestone concluded by stating that property taxation can be a constructive element of the tax system. Some advocate replacing it with a local income tax, but this would leave un- tapped speculative real estate holdings which may not pro- duce any revenue for a consid- erable period of time. Greater use of special assess- ments deserves some considera- tion. One result would be to reduce the importance of value alone in determining tax; the tax should be related more to cost of providing certain serv- ices such as streets, sewers and fire protection. "User pays” is the most efficient and logical rule whenever feasible. placed on buildings, material and inventories. The greatest number of entries in the 31 year history of the festival will compete in festivals being staged at 11 Metro auditorium loca- tions, and the increase in the number of entries is taxing scheduling and stage accom- modation facilities to the limit. The greatest increase in competitors is in the piano class in all age groups. The two-week competition has attracted over 680 instru- mental and vocal categories for a total of 2,833 individual entries, an increase of ap- proximately 500 entries over last year. As a result, such groups fell behind in their festival preparations and. even though the deadline for entries was extended this year by festival authorities, many orchestras, bands and choirs were unable to enter because they were not properly prepared for competition. Despite an increase in the number of entries in various categories for this year’s Kiwanis Music Festival Feb- ruary 9 to 23, there will be about 3,000 fewer individuals taking part. The organizers attribute this decline to the recent teachers’ “work to rule" cam- paign in many parts of the province. During the cam- paign the teachers did not participate in extra-curricular and after school hours assign- ments such as instruction of school choirs, orchestras and bands. Teachers Blamed For Drop In Band, Choir Entries In Festival (Photo by Dave Barbour) Glebe Road United Church, the Queen Elizabeth Theatre at the CNE, and Heintzman Recital Hall will be used. Major winners will be in- vited to participate in two In 1119 SP 011i ghii Every Sunday morning for as far back as I can remember, our family has listened to the voice of Bob Keith, “Ontario Gardener”, giving his weekly advice to home gardeners. It is a job to which he is well suited. A resident of Centre Street West, as a young man he attended the Ontario Agricultural College in Guelph, where he studied horticulture. It was while still a student there that he was asked by a friend of a friend to do a weekly gardening broadcast for CBC radio. He auditioned, passed, and has had the job ever since. The present show, of which Mr. Keith is a part, is called “Fresh Air”, with Bill McNeil as host. It starts at 8:30 am on 740 AM radio, and lasts for an hour. Upon graduating from university he took over the seed business founded in 1866 by his grandfather, who used to judge the flower arrangements at the annual Richmond Hill Fair. Although Mr. Keith believes that there are some people who do have a “green thumb” in that they seem to possess some gift of know- ledge as to what to do with a plant, he also believes that most people simply fail to regard their plants as individual living things, with various wants and needs. “Plants are just like us â€"' they’re all individuals. Every one is dif- ferent, and to be successful, gardeners have got to keep that in mind.” He has never tired of his Sunday morning radio broadcasts, and gets a lot of enjoyment from them. Due to the yearly cycle, there has to be some repetition in the material he covers, “but there are always new odds and ends that come along, and breeders are always working to get new and better flowers and vegetables each Evear." * * * * * Mr. Keith’s own home is filled with a wide variety of healthy looking plants, and in his back- yard is an apricot tree which he planted twenty years ago from a pit. A member of the Rich- mond Hill Horticultural Society, he attends the monthly meetings, and enters the shows held in the spring and fall. “Richmond Hill is full of excellent gardeners.” Now that he’s retired, Mr. Keith spends a lot of time with his gardening. Though he likes roses and is a member of the Canadian Rose Society, he has no flower which is a special fav- orite, believing that “you can look at any flower when it’s nice and fresh, and find it just as beautiful and enthralling as any other.” Rose, Austria) Limoges Cup & Saucer Royal Doulton Cup & Saucer Plate, Rogers Bros. Larose Silver Plate Spoons Coffee Spoons Silver Casserole Small Statue Satin Glass Tray Satin Glass Bowl Crystal Sugar Bowl Covered Vegetable Bowl Salt & Pepper Set Saltcellars (Silver plated with Blue glass liners and spoons) 2 Platters (The Friendly Village) Cup & Saucer (Bridal Preview at 9:30 A.M. at 10:30 A.M. To Be Held At Victoria Square Community Hall (Don Mills Road & 18th Ave.) OLD & ANTIQUE FURNITURE: Oak Showcase, Duncan Phyfe Table, Piano Stool, Pr. of Queen Anne Beer Chairs, Captain Chair, Pine Knee Secretary, Washstands, Dresser, China Cabinet, Pressed Back Chair, Commode, 2 Cedar Chests, School Desk, Wall Phone (converted), Old Cradle, Single Pedestal Table. OLD & ANTIQUE Hand painted Japan Cup ARTICLES: & Saucer (1398 by the Brass Candlesticks book) Figurine (Germany) Gingerbread Clock Brass Bell Mantle Clock Candle Holder (Diamond Hand Cuffs (1884) Jubilee) Jardiniere Silver Deposit Glass Bowl Candle Snuffer Spoons of Community Louis 14th Shaving Mug Plate, Rogers Bros. Mustache Cup Larose Silver Plate Spoons Chopsticks, Dough Board Coffee Spoons Queen Victoria Picture AUCTION SALE PARTIAL LIST ONLY Saturday, February 9th, I974 Paul's Antiques YORK CENTRAL HOSPITAL By DIANA COOK Bob Keith “Ontario Gardener” (g/Ao York Central Hospital, Richmond Hill) poons) (The Friendly cer (Bridal istria) up & Saucer .ton Cup & Encyclopedia Stereoscope. Trunk Milk Bottles Ironstone, Old Buttons St. Lawrence Map Gold Watch, Rings, Gold Chain Miscellaneous Items of interest Memorial Fund ALLEN HORNER. Auctioneer Adjudicators in the various classes are established au- thorities in their respective fields of music. Frames Beaver Jar, Darling Jar Presto Jar 01d Typewriter, Lanterns Gas Lamps, Apple Peeler Tobacco Cutter Bookcase - 20 Vol. RR. 2, Bradford LOG 1C0 post-festival concerts March 3 and 10 at Scarboro College. with Frame Variety of Pictures 8: Terms: Cash