The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

yrvâ€"v.-___. However, it is not always nec- essary to fight city hall or the local equivalent. All members of council are elected by the people and so are very sensitive to the wishes of the majority of the the people. Almost all are approach- able at all times and will do their utmost to see that ratepayers’ problems are given immediate attention. The answer may not always please the complaining ratepayer since the final decision must always take into considera- tion the good of the municipality as a whole, but at least he will know that he has had a hearing. “You can’t fight city hall," was a familiar saying some years ago, which people accepted on face value and because of it bowed to the decrees of municipal politic- ians. That was all changed when it was discovered that citizens could fight city hall and win by the successful battle against the Spadina Expressway. r‘Lâ€"--â€"â€"_ -An Most councils now not only wel- come but invite criticism and con- structive suggestions about pro- posed legislation. In this way such bylaws are more apt to fill the needs within the municipality, protect the individual citizen, and preserve the unique character of the community. In fact, the pro- vincial government has recognized that there is a vast pool of know- ledge available in the private sec- tor of each municipality which can be tapped and requires that opportunity be given for public input, particularly in the planning of future development. THE The land speculation tax rec- ently tabled at Queen’s Park is cruel legislation which heavily penalizes thousands of rural land- owning Ontario residents whom There are few artists, if any. who can look back over a four year period of time (in fact any period of time) and pick out seven or eight classic songs which they have contributed to the pop music industry. As for the 'last 4 years the only name that can be mentioned is that of Elton John’s. Elton has had at least eight songs which can be considered classics. (A clas- sic song is one which has been re-recorded by several other artists and tends to last far past its initial re- lease.) The songs which can be considered are, Your Song, Tiny Dancer, Levon, Honky Cat, Salvation, Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters, Rocket Man, Daniel and Beyond The Yellow IBrick Road. we suspect have no idea that they are being acted against. When the law is passed, these people will find they are subject to a tax of 50 percent on their lands when sold. The tax will be in addition to any capital gains tax they have to pay the federal government. All of this amounts to expropriation of lands with little compensation. "TEâ€"éwfbllofifing is a parfial list of properties taxable: 0 All lands oWned by rural res- idents, unless the property is smaller than 10 acres and is lived on. If it is lived on and is greater than 10 acres, then it becomes taxable. In each song of his, the lyrics are written by Bernie Taupin. If the lyrics were written in verse, roughly the same number in beats per each line, it would seem a much easier task for Elton John to write the music. However. in the case of Taupin, the lyrics, in many songs are written carelessly 0 With few exceptions, all rural income-producing properties which are not a place of residence. _ _ This provincial tax is unfair to farmers, lumbermen and other rural people who have worked all their lives on their lands and have their life savings tied up in this asset. You really have to stretch The community newspaper serving Richmond Hill, Thornhill. Oak Ridges, King City, Maple and Concord. MAIN OFFICE: 10101 Yonge St., Richmond Hill. L4G 1T7, Ont. Telephones 884â€"8177 and 881â€"3401 BRANCH OFFICE: 301 Markham Rd., Richmond Hill, L4G 1J2, Ont. Telephones 884-1105 and 881-3373 Established in 1878, The Liberal is published every Wednesday by Metrospan Publishing Limited - North Division, which also publishes The Banner in Aurora/Newmarket and the Woodbridge-Vaughan News. K. J. Larone, President, Metrospan Publishing Limited J. G. Van Kampen, General Manager, North Division W. S. Cook, Publisher, The Liberal and The News Subscriptions: $7.00 by mail in Canada, $9.00 to USA. Single copies and home delivery 15¢ 'perucopy. No mail delivery where carrier service exists. 4 .4A- A_ 001 OOH') _ u n. fi‘é‘xiwsuBE'c'r‘iSt'ioxis’ 'ca'u 38451105 ROCK TALK LIBERAL, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Wednesday, May By PAUL JONES Elton John land 'I'ax Unfair (Ehe 31111217551 Member Canadian Community Newspaper Association and Audit Bureau of Circulations. Second class mail registration number 0190 “When a man writes every note of music. for every in- strument played. in each of his songs, and is also, quite often, able to untangle and re-arrange, by means of music. the often inferior mess of lyrics by Bernie Taupin, he is indeed musi- cally talented." This descrip- tion fits Elton John perfect- ly, in free verse making it a more complicated task for John to write the music. Somehow Elton not only manages to write adequate music to the Lvrics. but also, in many cases. superior music. Without Elton John's songwriting, many of the lyrics written by Taupin, such as Rocket Man and Tiny Dancer. would have probably never been suc- cessful songs. Although it’s common knowledge that Bernie Taup- in is, undeservingly, a per- son of blatant arrogance, it should be noted that Elton John seems to be of the complete opposite. Yes, even if you don't like Elton John's material, it’s certainly hard to be unimpressed by his work. Need 'I'hem or 881-3373 A ratepayer or any other inter- ested citizen may well find that he (or she) can make the most effective contribution to local government through an organiz- ation. The need for these is be- coming recognized by the people themselves and local ratepayers’ groups are being organized or revitalized to play a role on the municipal scene. It was evident in a recent pre- sentation to Richmond Hill Coun- cil’s traffic, transportation and parking committee by ratepayers from Ward 4, and again at a rec- ent meeting of the fledgling Ward 3 Ratepayers’ Association that a large number of capable people are willing to devote hours and hours of time in pinpointing problems of their immediate areas and of the town as a whole, in research- ing applicable legislation and in probing for solutions to apparent problems. They are also willing to share the knowledge acquired painstak- ingly with their fellow citizens and in so doing create a large body of ratepayers who will know what municipal government is all about, what it can do and what it can’t do, and of how the average John or Mary Citizen can make 3 worth- while contribution. We tip our hats to them and hope that they will continue their efforts to make Richmond Hill a better place in which to live â€" or at least to preserve those aspects of the town which make them proud to belong to it. your imagination far to classify them as land speculators, as the title of the bill suggests. The provincial government has stated that it intends driving the price of real estate down by pass- ing the land speculation tax and another tax of 20 percent if a rural resident sells any of his prop- erty to a foreigner. This, of course, will enable the government to buy rural lands at cheap prices. The legislation is conveniently worded to read that if land is sold to the Crown instead of to private per- sons, the tax will not be payable. The government will then be in position to force the farmer or lumberman to sell his land to them. Land speculation and skyrocket- ing house prices are strictly urban problems. This being the case, why should the farmer and the rural resident have to suffer be- cause of the situation in the big cities and surrounding areas? It is unfair to harness country people with this legislation. This pro- posed speculation tax should cover only certain cities and towns and not the whole province. Hill, Thornhill, Oak Ridges, Donald Deacon Says . . . l The confusion even in the minds of the government ,about the terms of the land l speculation legislation is l causing chaos in land trans- ‘ actions. At a meeting of over ‘ 1.500 lawyers, called on May [22 to clarify the proposed i legislation, the government - officials present were un- I able to provide answers, and The Legislature continues to debate :Bill 25, the pur- pose of which is to tax spe- culative transactions on land. I and my colleagues suppor- ted the government's inten- tion of discouraging “profi- teering" in land by short‘ term trading. However, we; have vigorously opposed the actual legislation clause by clause because it is attempt- ing to cm, by taxation, much more than is practical or reasonable. For example, it will tax a farmer as a specu- lator on the increase in value of his property after April 9. even though he and his family have owned the property for generations. It will tax a property owner who is expropriated. There is in fact no exemption for these and many others who are in no way responsible for the wild land speculation lwe have suffered in recent 1 years. By Donald Deacon MLA, York Centre Control Land Speculation By Taxation 29, 1974 A GRIM FAIRY TALE Once upon a time. there was a rich Prince of York He decided to tax his “rich” peasants to raise $1.5 mil- lion for a new castle, where his servants could look at the collection of scrolls he plan- ned to'buy. He also plan- fled to build a large hall where his knights could meet and decide what was best for the peasants. This castle would be the biggest in the land, with room for the Prince‘s large, fast grow- ing entourage One of the first 10 conservation minded citizens to receive Honor Roll Awards from the Metro Conservation Authority is Dr. Fred van Nostrand, 77, well known retired Toronto and local area specialist in neurology and psychi- atry. A native and life, resident of the Van- dorf area of Whitchurch-Stouffville Town, an air force pilot in World War I, Dr. van Nos- trand is a member of an old and long estab- lished family at RR 1, Gormley. Whitchurch- Stouffville Councillor Mrs. Betty Van Nostrand is his daughter-in-law. When the peasants heard this, they were upset be- cause they were already heavily taxed. Many of the prince's servants were also upset, because they could not travel the long distance to the castle to see the scrolls, and nobody had ask- ed them if they wanted them at all. The peasants and :ervants begged the prince not to build the castle, but Dr. van Nostrand is shown during the recent Arbor Day Ceremony planting one of 10 trees in an honor grove marked by plaques in front of the conservation authority head- quarters at 5 Shoreham Drive, Downsview. At left is Chairman Elgin Card of the Metro Con- servation Foundation with Authority Secre- taryâ€"Treasurer Fred Lunn. Dr. van Nostrand was the Whitchurch muniéipal representative on the Authority for years and was cited “for indeed apparently only ad- ded to the confusion. The Opposition debate on second reading showed up so many flaws in the original bill that the Minister subsequently introduced some 26 pages of amendments in a Bill which was originally 21 pages. In the clause by clause debate in committee, the Minister has asked the legislature to postpone debate on five clauses or subclauses before even one third of the Bill has been debated. The tragedy of the whole situation is that we can only hcpe to stop speculation in land and arrest spiralling prices by correcting the cause. The cause is the unin- terrupted shortage of build- ing sites which has prevailed for the past 20 years. The power and the resources to oversupply building sites lies within the hands of the pro- vincial government. Taxation in itself as a means of stop. ping speculation is not only futile but it has dangerous implications. It will only be of value if the government first eliminates the cause by providing for the oversupply of building Sites and by res- tricting the taxation on “speculation” to short term ownership of less than five to 10 years. Conservationists Honor Whitc/mrch Man he refused to listen, saying “The prince will pay for most of it. Anyway. Queen Elizabeth has Buckingham Palace, King Billy Davis has Ontario Place â€" why not The peasants could do nothing. When the king said that he wouldn't help pay for the castle after all, the peasants just sighed and tighten-ed their belts another notch. They will choose new knights in December â€"â€" then woebetide the spendthrift prince and his knights! Any resemblance to per- sons alive or dead, and es- pecially to the York County Board of Education’s recent decision to lavish $1.5 mil- lion on a new administration centre in Aurora is purely unintentional. A Disgruntled Peasant, JOHN CAMPEY, Gormley CHAOS AND COMMUNIST DICTATORSHIP Dear Mr. Editor â€" Some knowledgeable people point out that there is an awful lot of fuel avail- able â€"- the problems they say are really political. If this is true the so-called "energy crisis” was not ge- nuine. Oil is again flowing from Arab wells to the U.S.A. (no doubt at a mark- edly increase-d price) which will, as fully anticrpated and intended (by World Manipu- .ators) give inflation in the U.S.A. and throughout the world a mighty wrench up- wards. This mighty upward thrust f inflation could trigger that planned collapse of the West‘s finance-economic sys- tem. We will witness (alrea- dy evident) a period of so- cial and political upheaval, during which the political arm of the conspiracy, the Communist apparatus, will be very busy and probably successful. Then the SDR's. (International M o n e t a r y Fund Special D r a win g Rights â€" “Paper Gold") will be established as the princi- pal reserve aset. When that happens the world state with world government will have become a reality. The world will be under a dicta- torship! I attended a meeting of the Ward 3 Ratepayers As- sociation at Walter Scott Dear Mr. Editor â€" 9v- NO PERSONAL GRUDGES PLEASE! BERNARD BROWNE 316 Willowdale Avenue Willowdale Public School, on the eve- ning of May 14. What 1 ob- served developing during the Course of the meeting dis- curbed me very much. The committee officers put forward an interesting de- oate. But, whenever Council- lor Jack Major's name was mentioned by said officers and an extremely talkative woman present in the audi- ence, it appeared to be very unfavorable to Mr. Major. I‘he lady, I later learned was Mrs. Jane Kirby. Ray Gem- mill, who has indicated he will be seeking election to the Ward 3 seat again this year was present and voiced his opinion on most issues. He did on one occasion come to Mr. Major's defence. ior which I commend him. I noticed Regional Coun- cillor Mrs. Lois Hancey there, but not. our Ward 3 Councillor Mr. Major. I later learned that Mr. Major had not been informed of, or in- vited to attend. Mrs. Hancey left before the meeting com- menced. but returned later accompanied by Wards Coun- cillor Lou Wainwright. Questions from the audi- ence to the committee were referred to Mrs. Hancey and we also heard Mr. Wain- wright’s Opinions. One rate- payer asked why Mr. Major was not present. as she would like to hear his point of view as well as the others. Mr. Birchall, a committee member. agreed. But our talkative lady objected. say- mg that Mr. Major’s preâ€" sence would only constrain the ratepayers from speak- ing out. An incredible ex. cuse! The man is a sales repre- sentative, not a mind reader. How is he to know his cons- tituents’ needs and objec- tions if they do not voice them to him in one way or another. On my objection to not inviting Mr. Major, our vociferous lady changed her tactics. “No”, She cried. Major's presence would bring POLITICS into the meeting!" Why then may I ask were Mrs. Hancey and Mr. Wainwright there. They appeared most welcome, their views were listened to with courtesy by all includ- ing the lady in question who actually asked their opinions. She even went so far as to mention that she had atten- ded the meeting of Mr. Dan- son and Mr. Deacon and told the audience of these men's views on the property of the “Old Jail Farm". his dedication and support of the Historical Sites program and particularly the Black Creek Pioneer Village; as Vice-Chairman of the Historical Sites Advisory Board from 1959 until his retirement in 1972.” Others honored at the Arbor Day tree planting ceremony in- cluded former Metro chairman Frederick Gardiner QC and former Premier John Robarts QC. The Arbor Day honor tree planting cere- mony is to become an annual event of the Authority. Guest speaker was Lorne Maeck MLA, Parry Sound, Parliamentary Assistant to Nat- ural Resources Minister Leo Bernier. He said Arbor Day has traditionally been marked by the planting of trees and it was most fitting that Arbor Day was picked to “plant these trees to honor these conservationists.” The watershed conservation authority concept has been tested over and over again and has proven valid. It is spreading to more prov- inces and countries, Maeck said. Why, I asked myself, the apparent vindictiveness to- wards Councillor Major? Why, in an attendance of ap- proximately 40 ratepayers. were there only four repre- sentatives from the council- lor's immediate residential area? Uninvited ones at that, because not one ratepayer in this man's block was inform- ed of this meeting â€" not even ratepayers from this vicinity who had attended previous meetings. We are Ward 3 ratepayers and have every right to attend. even if we do happen to reside close to the councillor. I do think a few were surprised at our unexpected appear- ance. Mr. Editor, - "POLITICS", was very much a part of this meeting and one-sided at that. I say, â€" "if we, as ra- tepayers, listen to the views‘ of a councillor not from our ward, without objection, can we not listen to our own re- presentative in Ward 3? Can we not rise above the pet- Liness and yes, â€"â€" “Down- right nitpicking"? Can we not be fair to Mr. Major even if we did not in the be- ginning support him? Are we that childish? Have we completely lost our sense of fair play? To Mrs. Kirby I say. “Don’t bind the man hand and feet, toss him into the middle of the lake and defy him to make it to shore. Don’t be fooled, - Mr. Major 13 an excellent swimmer and he just might make it in spite of the obvious odds". I shall draw my own con- clusions as to Mr. Major’s ability and not be swayed by over-the-fence rumors. So I say to Councillor Ma- jor â€"- “come to the next meeting June 11, give us your views, so that we may judge you fairly. Let these people tell you to your face. what they are implying be- hind your back. Lay your cards on the table. We want the what. when and whys. not political nitpicking and personal grudges. Ratepay- ers of Ward 3, make June 11, a memorable event by at- tending in large numbers. Who knows, maybe if you get to know him, listen to his views and reasons, you might decide that Jack Ma- jor could be your man after all â€" but for goodness sake. give the man an even chance. 771”th not partial to others doing my thinking for me. CONSTANCE SHARPE, 387 Wenlock Street, Richmond Hill, Inthe Spoilighf‘ This July, Bill and Pat Bedford of 377 Sugar Maple Lane, will be leaving Richmond Hill and moving to a small town in the Northwest Ter- ritories. Fort Smith, with a population of 2,500, is the site of the School of Dental Therapy where Dr. Bedford will be taking up a position as a teacher of a two year course in clinical dentistry. Having taught part time on the University of Toronto Faculty of Dentistry, as well as operat- ing his own practise here in Richmond Hill, he is well qualifiedfor such a position: The Bedfords moved to Richmond Hill fif- teen years ago. Since then they have become involved in numerous activities within the com- munity. ,Bill was for three years the coach of a little league hockey team, and a member of the Rotary Club. Pat taught in the YWCA’s fitness recreation program, helped found the Citizen’s Advisory Committee, worked on the BAIF Task Force, and in a number of capacities for St. Mary’s Anglican Church: ’Though the Bedfords are going to find it difficult to leave the roots they have established over the years, in Richmond Hill, they are look- ing forward enthusiastically to settling into their new home. They expect quite a change in lifestyle, though not so drastic a one as many might think. The Territories have undergone rapid develop- ment of late. ,Fort Smith contains a skating rink, library and new modern schools. Consider- ing the number of actual inhabitants, it covers a large area of land. This is one aspect of living in the Territories to which the Bedfords will have to adjust, for the situation is just the opposite in Southern Ontario. Towns in the Territories are so far apart that the airplane is a more common means of transportation than the car: 1 Meteorlogical Demonstration uu “a...” v- -- _.__ The winter will, of course, be longer, stretch- ing approximately from October to May. The terrain around Fort Smith is considered to be one of the best in the world for cross country skiing. Luckily the Bedfords are all ardent skiers. The School of Dental Therapy in Fort Smith is composed of a series of mobile homes linked together. The actual number of students who attend is quite small, but the percentage of young people choosing to continue their education is steadily increasing. Approximately 45% of the population is made up of white people, the re- mainder are either Indian, Metis or Eskimo. Many of the recreational programs are designed to re- vive and enhance the language and culture of the native people in the area. p_,, LL -3“ “A.-. bllc uuulvv yva/Av ‘nn --._ -.V -, , The Bedfords plan to leave for their new home early in July. They will travel across Can- ada by car, camping along the way, a journey which they intend to make in about 3-4 weeks. With two dogs, three children and a couple of warnings about the calibre of roads in the Ter- ritories, the trip should prove a highly eventful and enjoyable one. Though the Bedford’s move will be this com- munity’s loss, I’m sure that it won’t be long before Fort Smith is benefited by the same kind of active participation that they contributed in Richmond Hill. That phenomenon known as weather will be the sub- ject of meteorological de- monstrations and disgussions Cold Creek, operated by the authority, is located mid- way between Bolton and Nobleton, three miles north of the King Sideroad on Concession 11. For more information please contact Metro Conser- vation at 630-9780. by a team of weathermen from Environment Canada slated for Cold Creek Con- servation Area Sunday at 2:00 pm. “All About the Weather", the special family program, will delve into questions that make weather forecast- ing such an interesting and puzzling occupation. 5...- r“ ...... D -_, _ A four-man team â€" two meteorologists, a research scientist and a tehnician -â€" will be on hand to explain and illustrate with charts, graphs and photos, many of the conditions that govern weather systems. Some of the latest technical equip- ment used in weather prob- ing will be on display in- cluding a radio-sonde bal- loon. The helium filled bal- loon will carry an instru- ment package that is capable of monitoring atmospheric conditions up to 140.000 feet above earth’s surface. Va- rious other pieces of apparatus connected with aviation, land and marine forecasting will be demon- strated including satellite and radar photos. The team will include Brian Adamson and William Hodge, meteorologists; Bar- ry Goodison, research scien- tist and Michael Malone. technician from the atmos- pheric environment service. In addition to the Envi- ronment Canada programs, there will be a conservation display by the Metro Con- servation Authority. illus- trating the relationship bet- ween weather forecasting and the authority’s flood control program, family will also enjoy a spe- cial added attraction, a Husky puppy match sponsor- ed by the Siberian Husky Dog Club. ‘uu UL 111 U51 cu“, Younger membeljs of the Bill And Pat Bedford Off To Northwest Territories By DIANA COOK Windmills May Make A Comeback (Owen Sound Sun-Times) Wonders never cease. The old-fashioned windmill may make a come-back if the experiments of a United States government agency are successful. It has in mind rooftop mills to pro- vide electricity for house- holds. Come to think of it, wind is one of the most plentiful of all commodities. It’s nat- ural power is apparent to anyone hereabouts who ven- tures out in a March storm. And it is free to anyone who wants it. Our Ontario ancestors a century or more ago figured out how to use the wind to their own advantage. Hence the big windmills which dotted the country- <ide for generations. one to every loo-acre farm. Ontario farmers knew this was an incomparably easier way of pumping water than by hand. There was one difficulty. The wind is a mighty variable force. It only blows at its own whim and at its own intensity. A period of calm when there wasn’t enough breeze even to turn the mill slowly was to be feared. That is why most every barn con- tained a big tank which would store a few days' sup- ply. Advent of indoor water taps and plumbing made de- pendence on the windmill too uncertain. Hence with the coming of hydro to rur- al Ontario the electrically- motored pump almost en- tirely replaced the windmill. It may be difficult to store up electricity as was done with water in the big barn tanks. though human in- qenuity is now being put to the test. It would be more than passing strange if the energy of the wind is left as an asset unused since the days of sail on the sea and the windmills on land. If the ancients were able to harness it to their own use surely modems can do so. STOUFFVILLE: A Stout!- ville man. John Floyd Sykes, 28, of Winlane Drive. will attempt to gain the Liberal nomination in York-Simcoe Riding. He will challenge Dr, Michael Willinsky for the Liberal nomination.