Ernst-z FOUR . TllE , ERARLUTTETOWII GllARlllAll“

Morning Dally (Founded ln 1881i A tlsorlaod as Second Class Mall, Port Office Department. Ottawa.

President, lan A. Burnett; Vice-President. Wm. It. Burnett; Sonya-Tread, (i. M. Burnett; Editor and Managing Director. .l. R. Burnett; Associate Editor. Frank Walker.

“The Strongest Memory is Weaker Thurs [he Weakest Ink."

MONDAY, JANUARY 20, Si?

Railway freight Rates

ln his address last week before the Y's Men's Club on behalf of the Railway Associa- tion of Canada Mr. C. C. Gillespie, assistant transport economist of the Department of Re- search and Development, C. N. R., presented a strong case in proof of his statement that "the familiar and unglamorous freight train has done more of the effective transportation |ob on the home front than all other agencies combined." Of particular interest, however, were his statements dealing with the cost of rail transportation in Canada. This cost, he said, is with the exception of Japan tho cheapest in the world-a trifle less than one cent for moving one ton of freight one mile.

To arrive at this allocation of costs railways have a sliding rate scale based "on the principle of charging what each traffic can afford to pay rather than the actual cost of moving each commodity." Undo; this principle, one commqdity may pay as much as l0 cents per ton mile while other commodities move more cheaply at 9c, 7c, 8c and so on down un- til finally such a commodity as wheat moves at about léc per ton mile, which is only half the average cost of moving all commodities. Other commodities moving at rates well below the average cost are coal, lumber, pulpwood and newsprint, in fact in pre-war days about 50 per cent of the Canadian railways’ traffic moved at a rate of about six-tenths of a cent per ton mile. Another group of commodities compris- ing about 25 per cent of the traffic moved at about the average of one cent per ton mile, ”which means that the remaining 25 per cent of traffic must move at rates sufficiently abov; the average cost of one cent to make up for the 5O per cent moving below average cost."

Under such conditions, it can be seen why Prince Edward lsland rail transportation costs are high,—we have no wheat, lumber, cool or newsprint. to be moved at cheap rates. But there is another feature of the railway policy which ls thus explained by Mr. Gillespie:

"Under this method. of rate making the railways (which of course must be prepared to transport all traffic offered to them at all times) are constantly being called upon to grant competitive rates at very low levels to enable an industry suffering under some handicap, pos- sibly the distance it must move its row pro- ducts or its finished products, or both, to com- pate with better localed industry. In addition, conditions arise where the railway must assist communities in the marketing of their products by moving traffic at very low rates, and often infant industries are similarly assisted to en- able them to get started. In other words, the railways are being called upon and are actually carrying on work which is properly the function of Governments."

Such being the case, one can only wonder

the

. at the inconsistency of the railway authorities

in dealing with lsland transportation rate griev- ances. The truck rates on the Borden-Tormen- tine ferry furnish a glaring example. At the hear- ing in Charlottetown last July before the Board of Transport Commissioners it was shown con- clusively that these rates are exorbitant. The railway refused to concede that it had any ob- ligation of the kind referred to by Mr. Gillespie —namely to grant competitive rates "at very low levels to enable an industry suffering under some handicap to compete with better localed in- dustry"—-o condition which aptly applies to our lsland farm industry. Instead, it was argued by Mr. Dysort, C. N. R. counsel, that without in- structions to the contrary the railway was "mor- ally bound" to conduct the service’"as frugolly as possible." "There is no justification," he argued, "for any departure from that frugal ad- ministration."

lt will be hard, even for a Transport Com- mission, to reconcile these conflicting stato- ments. To o Prince Edward lslander they simply don't make any sense.

ls It Worth That?

The Hamilton Spectator indulges in some

phin speaking on the subject of butter and beef shortages. ltfsays: _ "lt adds up to poor reading—o lot of it to shameful reading. What we are told by our authorities is this: Canada must have but- ter that was intended for half-starved England because if it is not available to Canadians they will raise such a rumpus that our whole ration- ing system might collapse. Canada must go through the agonizing hardship of doing with- out Sunday roasts for a week or so while pack- ers, farmers and Government go into o whirli- gig of mutual recrimination and balderdosh.

"As to bothof these near calamities we have our own question to ask, which may be unecon- omic, unbusinssslike and certainly unpolitical. lt is simply this: ‘What about it?‘

"No one is going hungry in Canada; no- body is likely to be ill or-suffer because of food giortogos, either real or fancied. We have England (is pitifully short.

s can only hope that no one asks for the reaction of lritish miners who slug it out in the pits and are allowed 40 cents’ worth of moot a week (which is 75 per cent more than they were getting ep to last October, and for more then the avenge lnton gets). ‘i. - "We hope mono records the verdict of ‘ ' a s-los lshjritish-bound ship div- ' jg, _ l better to the fattest,

. ” ' y on earth instead of

’ lheybedtostanduptosis

shattering years of war and bomb devastation and is right now on a more austere diet than it has ever faced in its history.

"So when it is announced in Ottawa that ’a cut in the Canadian butter ration of six ounces a week is likely to result in the admin- istrative collapse of the whole Canadian ration- ing system,‘ we think it is time for our own public, our own consumers, our own man-in-the- street, to have a say. And what they would say is probably this: Let the rationing system col- lapse, and let the packers do what they like with their beef and let Government do what it likes with any of them and with itself. Only spore us such insidious publicity in the eyes of a hungry world!"

— EDITORIAL NUlllzS —

At the end of this month there is to be no rationing of beer and wines in Ontario. They possibly want all the revenue they can get to off- set Ottawa's fiscal attitude.

In New Brunswick the government would have been sunk but for the liquor revenue. Qur position here is no different, possibly worse.

i it "it It

Down in Georgia it must be great fun

running the government ‘ dependent of blocks

(the majority of the population), and of the

governor, of whom at present they have two. ‘h i i d’

Our Notional Housing contributions, five in number, costing $5,252 each, compared with $3,200 quoted by Messrs. L. M. Poole 8f C0,, is not a good advertisement for the Mackenzie King government to flood the Press with.

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Eternal hope in our human breasts leads us to expect that Premier J. Walt-er Jones will re- turn from Ottawa this time with a tidy $3,000,- 000,000 subsidy in his waistcoat pocket. For that, it is said, is the minimum on which we

can get along.

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A prediction that competitive selling with pre-war incentives soon will return was made by Mr. George S. Hougham, general manager of the Canadian Retail Federation, speokihg to the federation in Toronto. "There is going to be a fierce competitive struggle for the consumer's dollar, but it is still true that competition is tho life of trade," he said. i i I

When] girls go oburgling as they do in "Tor- onto the good" and leave lipstick messages for their unintentional benefactors, it would appear to be time to discontinue teaching them sports and pastimes, and return to the inculcatian of domestic economy, with a view to early matri- mony and old time domestic happiness. Noth- ing is done until it is done right and girls were intended to be mothers, not murderers.

o w

The death of Cardinal Villeneuvc will be greatly felt and regretted here as elsewhere. He was, like our own Cardinal McGuigan, a man of the people, understanding their needs and as- pirations, and ever anxious to avoid dispeace and to establish harmony between the different ele- ments. History undoubtedly will record that it was largely due to the combination of efforts on the part of Cardinal Villeneuve and Prime Minister Mackenzie King that there was no open rupture in Canada during the progress of World War ll.

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Hewers of wood and drawers of water are still as essential to industry as they were before the introduction of labour-saving machinery and higher education, hence the agitation in the -British Press from The Times and Manchester Guardian down to farce the Labour Government to authorize the emigration from Poland and elsewhere of a quarter of a million people to keep the wheels of industry going. There will be a similar campaign in Canada before long to offs-at the emigration of our thousands upon thousands of highly educated to worthwhile positions in the United States and elsewhere. It still takes an average of three generations from shirt sleeves t_o_shirt sleeves, which is too slow to fill the ranks of necessary manual labour.

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Vladimir llath Ulinov Lenin, "father" of Soviet Russia, died this date i924; son of o small landed proprietor, he early imbibed Marxian ideas at Kazor University, and joined the young revolutionists bent on ridding Russia of its despotic Czars; he was arrested, impris- oned, exiled, going to Germany where hc further developed his socialist ideals, ultimately return- ing to Russia whqe he participated in over- throwing the Kerensky republic and with Trot- sky's aid, replacing it with the Soviet system of Government. ' He was cold, pitiless, devoid of all sentiment, and ruthless in attempting to force ‘the tenets of‘ his Marxian dogma upon Rus- sia and the whole world. When a British Labour delegotioh visited him to investigate Sovietism, he suggested a revolution should first "be engin- eered for the purpose of putting his theories to the test.

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The dairy problem con be summed up quite simply (says The Letter-Review). Fluid rnilk, gives the former $3.50 ger 100 lbs. or more in Que- bec and Ontario; slightly less for other areas. Milk forymanufacture yields the farmer $2.45 per hundred lbs. Cheese gives him $2.00 and up, including Government subsidies. Butter, selling at a ceiling price of 42 cents per lb. butter fat, plus a l0c subsidy to the former, brings the former about $1.80 per hundred lbs. of milk. Farmers, usually quite reasonable people, see the point, and the rest of us get no butter. The situation is now becoming acute, and Ottawa puts out occasional hints of a price increase. The increase is supposed to be delayed, because, if granted at once, it would affect S6 million pounds of butter now instore. The reas ning is bod. If on increase is needed in order main- tain butter production, it had better be made as soon as possible. Since it is quite legal and proper for men to store butter, there is no roa-

son why these rnen should not benefit from‘ a price increase when one occurs.

_ THE cnAipgafri-zrovvn GUARDIAN

Notes iiy Tho Way

w" l" Dlyllll "lo grocer more for tea and coffee, not to give him m0“ Dwflt but because the Gov- ernment subsidy has been drop- ped. In other words we Pay (he full 00st of these commodities dir- tclly io the grocer, lmtead of meeting pert o! (he cost through laxfii- Mid Fhls B the better way under any but was‘ conditions. _ Oiiawa Journal.

of"! by Ono our illusions drop BWHY- One by one (he pat phrases of éasy assurance are banished from our_ vocabularies. First gcmeqne domed (he magic qualifies of 5pm- och. And now a doctor informs u.s that It is unsafe (o say of vitamins that “at least they can't hurt you.” indiscriminate and prolonged taking q! Vllflminrs says this physician, can contribute (o an early death. That's a blow to the drugstore people and it's a blow (o a great. many of us. We sce nothing in prospect but an unrelievcd diet cl meat. pot- atoes. vegetables and cynicism. - Kitchener Record.

The white elephant in the mails- ion market is, as everyom knows, the Oharles M. Schwab home. which occupies a full block on Riverside drive boiween 73rd and 74th streets. Says The New York Times. It has '75 T00R15. a. private chapel. an art gallery. lwo elevators and a $50,000 lune Organ. Buili in 190-5 at a cost of $3,000,000. ii. was elaborately furnished n1 the cost of another 85.000000. It is advertised for sale at 9.300.000 or rent for $75,000 a Xeflr- 'I‘he pigeons parade on the grounds free.

Seldom has such profound bank- ing knowledge been exhibited as was reported recently of a woman who walked into a. bank and asked for a cheque book. "I lost the one YOLI 811"‘ m9 3'°5l€1'59-Y-" she said. . “However. it doesn't matter, though. I tod; care to sign all (he vheques as soon as I got lt~eo. naturally, it aren't be of any use to anybody else." -St. Thomas Times-Journal.

0n the whole, 1M7. looks lifse a less Jittery Elfiflmbly year- like a more settled and reasonable year. ’I'herr is some danger even (hat Americans will slip back into ccm- fortable complacency. They are (cmpiPd (o measure 10471; prospects (oo much by the quality cf good- will required. Observers declare famine will still stalk over many lands, while millions of refugees long pitifully for homes. The year will not. be lacking in its calls upon compasion. But it. should afford a calmer, qulom- opportunity for applying Christianity and demo- cracy (o the long-range adjustmenns which are still required for real peacemakusg at home an-d abroad. —Ohri.s(ian Science Monitor.

The Victorians were fond of hot drinks. In summer. they -wcre ready to accept drinks which had no; been near (he fire; but for nine months of (ho year (hey kept (he kettle and the hot-water poi busy. says The Kingston Whig-Standard. A glass of whisky. with ice and cold water in it. (hey would have regarded with hon-or; oold rum would have seemed to them a defiance of nature; they sometimes drank brandy neat, but they preferred it with hot water. Indeed. students of social his- tory are inclined to think that the popularity of hot drink accounts for (ho lale introduction c.t central heating into England; (he Victor- iii-Us liad (heir cwu highly effective method of central heating.

An autopsy is in be performed on a man who dirrl in Trenton. N.J., (he other day at (he ago of minty-four yczirs. tccnuse he never slept ull his lifr. Hospital uflcnd- unis have said they never saw h'm sleep a wink in (‘no five times that he was g hcspiml (reliant. TACK‘? wasn't filly brcl in his home. and ht- gm Iris rcsi n1 night by .~i‘.ting i.u a. lUvkilig chzlir (incl reading. If science can find 0l‘l (shy (his man could get along without sleep it will certainly be a. mighty important dis- covery. Of ooursc. the prinaple is against all the laws c,f (iuiurc. and, (hose who are now (xoublcd with insomnia arc (tying (o find n (‘c- medy that will make (hrm siccp Most duclors scoff tco at his clifm of p0 sleep but at any rate the results of (he autopsy will be ln- teresting if (he mtdical men can determine something definite. - Boston Post.

The start; of the school year IR- hops is us good n time as any to express the wish that. American youth again might be taught the art of penmzmship. Young people- arid a great many people ‘who no longer are conspicuously young — seem (o have been somewhat mls- educated ln that respect. 0nly_on rare occasions does the average per- son see a letter neauy and leglbly written. A majority appear to agree with Hamlet's statement that it ls "a boseness" to take pains In any tank of inscribed commiuofcatlon. --Washlngton Bier.

Child born in the olty has a mash better chance of survival than one born tn (he caimtry. s situation both unfair and unn u. ' Reasons tor this discrepancy between (he clly and country are not hsrd to find. A recent news story from 0t- tswa, explaining that medical men are badly needed for Canada's out.- posts, emphasize; the problem. And it la pretty evident that the has mpdiosl fncllltieg are tnot alwsy found in the backwoods. elt the ‘rural doctors have a repute lion for PPffol-mlng mlrsclB wit only n kettle of boiling rreter s s kitchen tsble. ‘the babe in the farmhouse in entitled to the esmr chance in“ life l!‘ the oue'in the ‘bllhosb-pflccd maternity word. - ynnooixvcr Piovlnoe.

Britain's Agriculture (Winnipeg Bree Presa)

The British Labor government's long awaited agricultural bill, which will be debated early in the new year, marks another attempt to provide the British farmer with security and stablliiyr.

The Manchester Guardian has described tho bill as “almost un- ulloyed (he programme of the producing interests. which was brought into being in the defeat- ist. days of (he pre-war depres- sion, crystallized into a host of reports, while (he wartime block- ade was putting back the clock of economic progress and adopted with enthusiasm by the Tory party and its minister of agri- culture." ,

O I I

This ln effect is what. its 110 clauses amount to. Part one of the bill deals with. guaranteed prices and assured markets. These will apply to cattle, weep, pigs, cnllk, eggs. wheat, barley, oats, rye, potatoes and sugar beets. It offers an eighteen month guaran- tee for livestock prices. There are provisions for special revlvws where they may be necessary. Crops may be guaranteed at a fixed price, the rate of deficiency payment may be related to a standard price, and acreage pay- ment, subsidy, or price may be calculated on a formula of which, for example. (he price of feed might be the basis.

There is provision for “quan- tative lintitatlon to any section o1 the assured home market.”

Part two of the bill deals with good estate management and good‘ husbandry. In it are set out in general terms (he rules ofwhat. the government considers good estate management. These boll down to the maintenance of effi- cient productlon. The rules for good husbandry are more detail- ed. but again they are no more than lhe practice of the average farmer.

Clause two also covers the powers otdispossession to be giv- en to the minister. The first step will be in the fonrn of a warning to the farmer that. he is not ful- filling the requirements of (he law. Hr will then be placed under supervision for twelve months. If at (he and of this period he has failed to comply with the direc- tions the government ls enupower- ed to dlspossess him. The tenant will be dl p-ssessecl by (be term- ination of his tenancy: the own- er-occupler by the requirement to let his land to an approved ten- ant.

In a slightly diflercnt. and tem- porary form those powers have been held by the governntcnt. since (he early part of the late war. ‘There will be the right. of appeal to agricultural lend tribun- als and all parties will be bound by that appeal.

'I‘here is also provision for com- pensation. Dlrections which the bill enables the government to give the farmer are interesting. Tr. the case of an owner they may cover such tmitors as the provision for the repair and maintenance ot fixed equipment and adjustment of farm boundar- ies. In the case of a tenant they may cover any aspect of his far- ming, from cultivation of (he land and management of livestock to the application of fertilizer-

o e e

There are extensive provisions for (he protection of the tenant- If his farming ls satisfactory his lease cannot. be terminated with- out the permission of the minis- (or. The tenant who wishes i0 spend money on the improvement of the land he farms. bl"- 03'1"" get the consent of the Owner i0 do (his will m- ablc ‘u. space-l i? the ministry. f! his apllf-‘Bl f5 successful hr.- can 80 Bil?“ will‘ (hr- improvements and ‘obtain compensation on the termination of his tenancy.

There is provision for obtaining necessary statistical iufarmflllofllo rnablc (he guvcrnmcnt- (o plan homo agricultural production as an essential part of the nuiloifs economy and to carry 011! elvllflrl- mental schcmes for t-ho readjust- mcnt of far-m boundaries. The aovernllicni will also 110 (‘Ilflblcd Lu halt, splitting up‘ of farms into l\IIl‘C0l‘i'\lil"'. \l'\l'5 Mid l0 5M “l? an agricultural lnnd commission- in essence an experimental farm -to demonstrate good estate man- agement and applied research. Small l1aldlfl85 will be arseulzed on a (re-operative basis and there will be powers for the promotion and further development of co- operative farming.

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The bill ls essentially s produc- er's bill and it would seem at this point to perpetuate indefinitely the system of subsidies which ls already costing the British tax- payer around $700,000,000 I yell‘ compared with 858000.000 lJPfOPB the war. Nor is there any indi- cation of what “such P!" °l ma‘ nation's food supply” meami- M'- present it means full production, but this ls, not necessarily mic production and the food min- istry officials do not state whet the target will be.