I don't think we disagree, Gary, I did say "often critical", not always. I pointed out why ending a sentence with a preposition occasionally sounds odd -- one is haunted by what seems to be missing because of the influence of the usual pattern. Speaking of always, one problem your note elides is that the written language is trying to cope with things that can be handled without difficulty in oral speech through emphasis -- He ALWAYS agreed to call before visiting, and He agreed ALWAYS TO CALL before visiting work quite happily in speech, but less well in writing (depending on whether you are American or English as well), because written English doesn't capture voice emphasis unless you are very careful in your poetics. To prevent the ambiguity you mention, you have to move the "always" around (a true pedant might say that you are actually creating a new infinitive -- "to always call" -- I always call, you always call, etc.)

I have posted this before, I think. The longest string of prepositional endings in the language (with some cheating). The irritated query of the child at bedtime when his father for the umpteenth time decides to read about the history of Australia: "What did you bring that book I didn't want to be read to out of about "Down Under" up for?" (8).

yours, Peter T.