100 YEARS AGO Thursday, March 29, 1906

 A serious epidemic of fever has broken out on the Back Line, Melancthon. It appears that a lady came recently from Carman, Manitoba, where her husband had died of some kind of fever. Mrs. George Smith took the disease first and Miss Mary Smith assisted to wait on her. Miss Smith, who was 20 years of age, contracted the disease and died on March 21 and was buried on the 23rd. Ezra John Hamilton, son of Wm. Hurlburt, was the next victim. He died on Friday last and was buried Saturday in Shelburne cemetery. Deceased was 31 years of age. We understand that the local physician who has charge of the cases has pronounced the disease as typhoid pneumonia. Mrs. Geo. Smith is recovering but there are other members of the Smith, Hurlburt and Hamilton families who are ill with the same disease, and on Monday evening Mrs. Hamilton, wife of John Hamilton, also succumbed. The case is one that requires prompt action on the part of the authorities.

 The indemnity question is again before Parliament. Following his uncompromising expression of disapproval of the bill last week, Dr. Barr of Dufferin has now gone further and with W. H. McLean of South York has put his name on a bill calling for repeal of the two measures increasing the sessional indemnities to members and senators, and providing pensions for ex-ministers. With regard to the pension bill there is already a Government announcement to the effect that some amendments will be made, but the Liberal party as a whole in the House will not join in the demand for repeal of the indemnity bill.

 The ratepayers of S.S. No. 7, Melancthon, are quite elated over their success in getting the government money that had been detained by the inspectors until the trustees built another schoolhouse or enlarged the present one. The amount due the section was $337. The ratepayers to the number of 65 signed a petition to the Minister of Education which was presented by Dr. Lewis, M.P.P., and the request was granted and the money ordered to be paid over. The amount was received last week.

 If the new County Councils Act goes through the House without material amendment, Melancthon, Mono, Orangeville and possibly Mulmur will be entitled to two representatives each on Dufferin County Council. This would mean a council of 13 members as compared with 10 at present.

 The Dufferin Conservatives and the county's Reformers have both held their annual conventions but we have heard no word of an annual convention of the Dufferin Prohibition Association. Several who have asked us for information on this point lately think that one should be held soon.

75 YEARS AGO Thursday, April 2, 1931

 Says the ALLISTON HERALD: Dufferin County having declared definitely in favour of a provincial highway between Highway No. 10 at Primrose to Highway No. 11 at Fennell's Corners, there is more curiosity than ever in the southern part of Simcoe County to know what the county council will do in the matter.

 The rumour has again been revived that the C.P.R. will route passenger trains on the Owen Sound line by way of Brampton from Orangeville, thus cutting out the Caledon Mountain "heavy pull" and also cutting off Caledon and Mono Road from passenger train service. Bolton and points south would still be served by the Sudbury division trains.

50 YEARS AGO Wednesday, March 28, 1956

 Shelburne has been given a clean bill of health on its water supply, according to a report by A. E. Berry, Director of the Sanitary Engineering Division of the Ontario Department of Health. In view of the controversy and bickering in large centres over proposals to add fluorine to water supplies, it is interesting to note part of the letter accompanying Mr. Berry's report:

"The bacterial quality of the supply is satisfactory and little variation from previous chemical analyses is noted. The natural fluoride content of 0.90 p.p.m. approaches the concentration used by municipalities where fluorine is added to the water for control of dental caries."

 Grand Valley District High School Board will ask the Ontario Department of Education for permission to erect a new four-room high school building.

25 YEARS AGO Wednesday, April 1, 1981

 Dufferin County Council gave final approval Monday to a total working budget just over $4.4 million, setting the 1981 levy at $1,274,174, a four per cent increase from last year. The final apportionment figures see the Town of Orangeville and the Township of Mono picking up close to 60 per cent of the overall total.

 The local levy for education costs in Dufferin is expected to increase 15.47 per cent, the Dufferin County Board of Education having approved a budget of $17,635,361.