Chief speaker at the second annual Free Press Herald staff appreciation dinner was Kenneth Wells, prominent Canadian author and journalist from Medonte. Over 120 staff, correspondents and spouses attended. From the left, Mr. Wells, his wife Lucille Oille (Wells) noted artist and sculptress, Ernie and Marie White, columnists and correspondents from White’s Falls and Mr. & Mrs. G.R. Lane of Coldwater.

  News

• New dial system begins in Penetang this summer, all of North America is switching to a new system of phone numbers, each exchange will have a name and the individual phone numbers will consist of the first two letters of that name plus five numbers. The Penetang exchange will be called “Kingsdale” followed by a “9” and the Midland exchange will be “Lakeside” followed by a “6”. For example LA or 52 followed by 6-5431.
• Knox has $2007.00 surplus after expenditures of $16,251.00, will redecorate church, memberships stands at 898.
• Measles, mumps and flu are making the rounds of Midland schools, the three public schools had 109 pupils absent, 70 from Regent alone, 19 being kindergarten. 104 were absent at the High School.
• $224,500 was approved by the Dominion Department of Public Works for dredging in Midland harbour in 1955
• March 31st deadline for all trucks where vision of hand signals is obstructed to install electrical turn signal and stop lights.
• 150 Rovers to attend regional Moot in Little Lake Park
• Deadline for obtaining 1955 licence plates and operator’s permits extended to February 28th.
• Monsignor J.M. Castex, 83, received his Canadian citizenship papers in a ceremony in Barrie on Friday. He came to Canada from his native France in 1890 and has been the parish priest here since 1938. He is still extremely active and many younger men have said he can tire them out on a jaunt through the bush.
• Improved mail service by truck from Allandale to Phelpston, Elmvale, Wyevale, Perkinsfield, Penetang and Midland, retracing the route in the PM delivering outgoing mail to the train at Allandale the same day.
• Council extends purchase option to Loblaws for King Street fire hall building until the end of February, Midland Public School Board transfers Central School property on Dominion Ave. to the town for the sum of $1.00.
• Sixteen Christian Island residents missed the boat Saturday night and were forced to stay on the mainland at the home of Achille Marchildon on the 18th Conc. By morning the ice was too thick for the boat and too weak to walk on, attempts to fly them back by Georgian Bay Airways were thwarted by poor weather. By Monday afternoon the entire group had either been flown or walked safely to their homes.
• Morley Spiker scores four goals to end the Monarch’s losing streak with a 6-4 victory over Meaford.

Veteran Superintendent at Tiffin retires, Charles A. Flowers started his railway career in 1918 and has been Superintendent since 1938. He noted that when he started most ships carried 150,00 bushels of wheat, last July the S.S. Scott Misener arrived with 750,00 bushels. Elevator was enlarged in 1923 to its present capacity of 4.5 million bushels and in 1945 it handled a record 30 million bushels. Left, Albert Hill the new Tiffin superintendent, Leonard Galloway superintendent of motive power from Toronto, Pearson Flowers son of Charles, Mr. Flowers and unknown.

 Interesting Ads

• Midland Melodies, a Monday to Friday radio show on 1570 CFOR has a new announcer, Mildred Attridge. The show keeps you up to date on Midland events and news, interviews with local personalities, fashion hints and shopping news from local merchants.
• Canadian Tire, truck signals now required, standard kit $12.98, deluxe $22.35.
• Midland Planing Mills advertising house plans and materials for your new home with financing available from the NHA (National Housing Authority) at $60.00 per month.
• Leitch Motors at 190 Dominion Ave. advertising the new 1955 De Soto.
• A. Barrie & Sons advertising licensed female embalmer in attendance.
• Deen and Evelyn McGill wish to announce they have taken over Green’s Ladies Wear at 297 King Street and will now be known as McGill’s Ladies Wear.

 More than fifty representatives of district industries, both management and employees attended a dinner at the Georgian Hotel Friday night to launch a fundraising campaign to purchase equipment for the new hospital. Head table, Robert Wilson, Ald. Clinton Smith, Mrs. C. Weeks nurses alumnae, Mrs. Fred Bell hospital auxiliary, Dr. D.C. Swan president of the medical staff, industrial campaign chair W.H. Shaver, R.J. Pinchin hospital boards chair, V.G. Edwards campaign chair, Mayor Charles Parker, George S. Dudley special names chair, W.H. Cranston, Herb Wiles of the RCL, R.F. Taylor campaign treasurer, Tom McCullough chair MPDHS Board.