IRTHE GUARD

'V=l'AGE roux - I A N

Inning Dell (Pounded ' us!) Authorised es Donald, {bu lei].-Pill ome- I-

. _"TIle Strongest Memory is Wcoker Than the Weakest Ink”

. OIABLOTIITOWN. MONDAY, III. 27. use Airing Grievances Properly

The Nova Scotia Supreme Court has ruled that the election of Angus Elderkin (Liberal) to the House of Commons for the Annapolis-Kings seat is void. The evidence was that the number of unqualified voters in the service poll exceeded Mr. Elderkin’s majority. What is important about the mat- ter, however. is not the opportunity which the former member, George Nolan (P.-C.), has 01' again contesting the seat. It is, rather, that Mr. Nolan took the proper course when agrieved by the conduct of the polling. It is far too common for candi- dates and their friends to cast aspersions on their opponents for alleged improper puc- tices but fail to substantiate the charges publicly. The tone of our political life would be raised if candidates would‘ follow Mr. Nolan's course and contest any election in which the law has been violated and speak no evil of opponents if not prepared to take that step.

Parliamentary committees

Now is the time for the House of Com- mons to insist on organizing itself properly for the business it has in hand. Members of all parties should join in demanding that the necessary committees be set up and put to work immediately. Full use of the commit- tee system, which has fallen into lamentable decay in recent years, is the only method by which Parliament can do its job. -

It is almost unbelievable, but true, that at the last session the Public Accounts Com- mittee never met at all, notes the Globe and Mail. This is the committee which sup- posedly checks departmental expenses and looks for chances to economize. At least that was the practice in the days when a million dollars of public money was treated with some respect.

Even though the politicians have got used to dealing in billions, they still owe a duty to the citizens, who provide the dollars by their sweet, toil and tears, to scrutinize the estimates in as detailed a fashion as their energies permit. It can even be said that the main obligation of elected persons in a democracy .is to see that tax revenues are not squandered, but wisely used. Yet the Canadian Parliament can let a whole session go by without even starting to per- form that task in the only way it can be performed effectively—in committee.

The House of Commons as a whole, with its 262 members, is not a suitable body for such chores. It cannot, or at any rate by

, tradition it does not, call expert witnesses to supply missing information. It is also un- wieldy. ‘Speech-making and debate on gen- eral issues are its functions and very neces- sary ones they are. But when it comes to -close study of a specific problem, ten or twenty members sitting around a table, with the right to summon any one they would like to question, are far more efficient than the whole House. This is so obvious and well recognized that it should not need to hastened-

Tatosllg Whales

The royal research ship William Scores- by is on her way to the west coast of Aus- tralia. The humpbecked whales which move north and south off this coast will be marked with a special tatooing harpon so that their seasonal migrations may be studied. British scientists have invented a radio which will send out the position while the chaser goes after others.

The Australian whaling commission hopes that Australia may go into whaling again in June, 1950. This will be off shore

‘whaling from coastal statlons—mostly for humpbacke, which are a poor kind of whale. The Sydney Morning Herald points out that tlie richest whaling arealn the world is the Antirctlc and that Australia, the leading Antarctic landholder, is right out of it. The

are there with two floating fac- ; torlpandplantohavetlueeahortly.

“Right to Work" seems to have universal acceptance in Parliament. ' O O 0 soul anniversary of the battle of Paarde- berg. O O O I The Victoria 'l‘lmes, doubtless all‘ too familiar with the Western personality, com- ments wryly that nature could have improv- ed on human beings by equipping mankind with a safety valve. 0 0 0 ‘ Perhaps the farmers are not going to set the heather afire tomorrow evening, but gatherings all over the Island will look as if the Fiery Cross had made the rounds.

The “Provide a Job" campaign, so far as it applies here, is really a reminder to get “that job" done before it becomes impossible to find men to do it.

0

Nearly 79 per cent of the convicts in Federal prisons have served previous jail sentences. In other words, if the newly adopted policy of aiming at rehabilitation is completely successful we may expect the future prison population to be only 21 per

cent of its present size. 0 O

The newly reconstructed Commons chamberat Westminster, like its predeces- sor does not provide seating for anything like all of the 625 members. The small ma- jority of the Labour Government means that attendance will be extraordinarily high with resulting chronic overcrowding. O O 0

What it might have come to here. Des- perate appeals from expectant mothers have forced Sydney's (Australia) leading matern- ity hospital to limit the stay in hospital to 48 hours. The hospital has been crowded- beds in corridors, doctors and nurses work- ing overtime. When the mothers return home after the second day a team of district nurses organized by the hospital will visit daily for 14 days.

Canada imported 117 pedigree dogs from Britain in 1949 and was the fourth largest importer. Britain's export of pedigree dogs continues to rise. In 1947 under 600 went overseas, in 1948 1,280 and in 1949 1,546. These figures were revealed at Cruft's dog show which closed at Olympia, London, last Saturday. This year's show saw a world record of 12,319 dogs. Again chosen su- preme champion of the show was Mr. H. S. Lloyd's cocker spaniel bitch, Tracey Witch of Ware. (She was also champion in 1948). O O O

The Bank of England has released the sterling equivalent of $250 so that the Dud- ley (Midlands), 2.00 can pay freightage costs on a shipment of four pairs of timber- wolves, 12 chipmunks and 12 marmots-—the gift of the Canadian Government. The mar- mots will be new additions to the collection of smaller animals at the Zoo. In the past four years, the Canadian Government has sent bison, bears, beavers and raccoons to Dudley from the national parks. 0 O 0 Eight years ago, on February 27, 1942, British Commandos raided German installa- tions at Bruneval and an important radio detector station there was destroyed. . . . Five years ago this week, on February 21, British troops in the First Canadian Army captured Goch, near Cleve, and on Febru- ary 22, the greatest simultaneous air assault in history took place. Before dusk had fal- len more than 10,000 Allied sorties had been flown. On February 26, Sgt. A. Cosens of Porquis Junction, 0nt., won the Victoria Cross for an action which cost his life in the fighting around Mooshol’, Holland. 0 O 0 Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American poet, born this date 1807. Was professor of modern languages at Harvard, and travel- led to Europe several times, being particu- larly popular in England. After his death a bust was placed in the Poet's Corner of Westminster Abbey. His earlier poems are natural and fresh: all through his works the religious element bulks largely, but deep psychology is lacking. His chief works: “Voices Of The Night”, “The Spanish Stu- dent", “Evangellne", "The Golden Legend", “Tales of a. Wayside Inn": The cares that infest the day Shall fold their tents like the Arabs, And as silently steal away. 0 O I

In the14yearsithasbeen_in existence, England's Luton Girls’ Choir has spread its famefromthelocalBaptistChurchinBed- fordshii-e—-town from which it takes its name-to the whole world. It has just been announced that the choir is to make a tour

,_ ofCanedaa_ndtheUnited states. Thechoir will sing in Quebec on'April 18th: Ottawa,

April 19th; Montreal. April 20th; stop, Aprll_21'et; Toronto, April 22nd and Hamilton on April 24th. The choir

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mrna cuasouw. CHARLOTTETOWN ' flnsrtnity sucks:

V

PUBLIC FORUM ,

Thlsoolnninisopnslcotlso dleoudolbyeornepondenh ofqnaetionsoflntarcst.Tle noanseaunr’ Ilycndosee tlleophlon of correspondence.

I'll! Dlfl‘. SIIVICII

sir,-—Would you be kind enough to publish, in your Forum. a be- lated note of thank: to our Cher- lottetown Fire Brigade.

In recent months they have re- sponded to two reasonably bed fires in our neighborhood. and on both occasions their conduct was exemplary to any volunteer organization of this kind.

I was struck with their courage in fighting the Canadian Oil fire when, with an inadequate supply of water. they quelled the blue. and controlled the temperature of a large tank of gasoline di- rectly in the path of the flames.

My thanks to them again at the Levitt warehouse fire for their solicitude about my property; and to Mr. Andrew Bagnall of the Canadian National Railways: and the telephone operator, who” .3. ficiency had me at the fire short- ly after the alarm was run: in.

I am, Sir,‘ etc.,

H. 8 WEEKS. Charlottetown.

arm /on

The Government gave Simeon Clay

'l‘erri.flc headaches by the way

It made him fill out numerous blanks

Without a single word of thaxnlcs. It even threatened. stern and grim. To fine and/or imprison him

If he omitted to compile

The schedule: which it loved to file.

Clay looked around. saw it was worse

And ever harder on the purse

In England. d, Yell. Siam, The Argentine, and parts of Guam. so on he went. I week ago.

To turn into an

Plat in the North where cross of- flclnls

Will shriek in vain for his initials, And where he will ignore their

wishes And live on ice and little fishes. —-Clarence Day.

, Old Charlottetown «Am: r. e. 1.» ran 1-ares Gnlnsnr

The House of Assembly met for the first time in the present Pro- vincial Building in i847. and one of the first items of business at that session had to do with ac- commodation for the Press. The journal of the House records that on Saturday, Jan. 30, Mr. Speaker communicated to the House the following letter. by him received from the different publishers of Charlotte 1::

“To the onoui-able the Speak- er of the House of Assembly. ‘The Proprietors of The Royal Gazette, of The Islander, and ad The Morning News, forming the whole Press of the Colony, re- spectfully request, that the hen. the House of Assembly will af- ford them such accommodation as may be deemed neceusry. for a Reporter, or Reporters, in order that the proceedings and debates in the House of Assembly may be conveniently reported. and given to the public in their zeqective Journals. They deem it quits un- necessary to make any comment upon the importance of this pub- lic duty being discharged with t_u...enience to the parties per- forming it. or refer to the in- varlalble attention shown 'to the matter in the neighboring Col- oniu.

“The House of Assembly of this island having hitherto always evinced an anxious desire to ac- commodate the Press, they trust that the usual courtesy will, this Seulon. be extended. They also respectfully request the Honour- able the Speaker to lay this com- munication before the House."

wusosr rmo scMsn‘am°o To,

I

Purge In Soviet Zone

The past few weeks have seen the rapid development of a "pul'ge‘ in the Soviet. zone of Germany. But this is in no way related to any recent events. It is an ope-ation planned months ago. when the decision was tallen to establish a “peoples‘ republic" in the eastern zone. It follows a. text book pat- tern for the evolution of a “peoples' democracy".

The pattern itself derives from the Yslla Conference and from the days when the Soviet Government still found it available to profess a. belief in democracy and to re- pudiate a desire for revolution.

At. Yalis. Stalin pledged himself to the principle of enabling the countries of eastern Europe to “create democratic institutions of their own choice" and. as a pre-

"bron.dly representative“ institu- tions have been converted. with- out any armed revolution, into dictatorship of a purged and obedi- ent communist ollgarchy. And the effective force behind the whole operation—the implicit menace of the soviet a.rmy—ha.s never had to appear openly.

. . .

How complete the evolution is can be seen from an article writ- ten a jaw days ago by Mr. chemi- kov, the new Bulgarian premier’. ‘Ho explicitly denies all real authority either to Parliament or even to the Cabinet. 'r'he supreme authority is the central committee of the com- munist party. ,“Nol a single import- ant decision must be adopted with- out the agreement and confirmat- ion of the committee. This must be- come the iron rule lor everyone". It. should be noted that the central committee in east European coun- tries are not elected but nominated bodies, chosen not by party con-

limlnary to this. to the formation of "interim governments broadly rerosentetive of all democratic elements in the population".

How. under democratic and "broadly representative" institut- ions. was power to be concentrated in the hands of a small communist group staunchly subservient to Moscow? The Soviet political tac- ticisns have certainly been success- ful in devising an answer which everts any need for ‘ lent. revo- lution" or open use of Russian arm- ed force.

0 0 O

The, first step in any given country was the formation of a. broad democratic coalition with a. broad d8'l'|’|0Cl’nl.lC programme. All appearance of communist control would be avoided. There could be. as in Hungary or Roumania. a non- communist Premier or, as in Czechoslovakia, I non-communist president. But all thetkey ports in- voling control of the police and armed forces would be carefully vested in the hands ad communist or "t.rustiea".

As soon as the police apparatus was properly organized the oper- ation would commence. ft is curi- ous to notice how little variation there has been. First. the leaders of the non-comm ‘ ‘ parties would be criticised as "reactionary" or "anti-Soviet" while others of their colleagues would be induced. by skillful appeals to their patriot» t-ism. to their ambition or to their fears, to continue collaboration. so the non-communist parties would be divided. or merged wfzh the communists, or forced into opposi- tion end then accused of treason, and suppressed.

The next stage is the purging of communist parties themselves. the liquidation of the Rake the Kos- tovs the Gromulku so that all power is closely in the hands of devoted servants of the Kremlin. By then. the apparatus of diets- . LI ,5 . . .

of democracy can be’ sbzhdpned and all opposit' of any kind can

be ruthlessly suppressed. The

ferences. but by the party leader- shlp—and ultimately by the Politic- al Bureau of the central committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The master party has not even troubled to hold a party conference for over twelve years. ,

This is the process which is now beginning in the eastern zone of Germany. When the r ‘ ' rs- publlc was set up last autumn, the christian Democratic Union and Liberal Democratic parties -were allowed seats in the Assembly. posts in fA1e'Ca.binet and in the provincial governments. A month later. etta‘cks began on selected leaders of each party. (SDU is purging itself. The purge is being. carried out by Dr. Der- tlnser. Secretsry~Gene!'al party and Foreign Minister of the puppet government.

By what means he has been per- suaded tothlsfolly vwocannotknow. For one thing is certain. Dr. Der-

A new ll. 3. Inlnsinc he came out with a large hole in its cover. This is probably preferable to the more common defect of a gaping vacuum in the contents.- Edmonfon Journal.

Anon: Ilse eontrilietlons to the United Nations Fund for elarving children ‘in Europe was $10.13 from the Children‘: Shelter of Fort William. These homeless little Canadians have-let I mov- in; example for their older and more fortunate compatriots. Hamilton Spectator.

"though I don't want to deter you from the art of entertaining at home, I cannoi.forbess- telling you this little rhyme:

The food at home is cheaper far, And often more delicious, But when you leave the restau- rant You also leave the dishes."

Few things look worse to the observer —- or to the tourist — than dirty, ragged mass or 8119- ehod arrauemenl. Flags flown» on city schools should be e cre- dit to all concerned. A-5 symbol! of the sort of citizenship we try to teach our children they should be lnmsculste. — London nee Press.

Fifty years no this month there was s smallpox epidemic in Toronto Junction. now part of Ward seven in Toronto. Canada‘: complete vital statistics for 1946 show not one death from small- pox in the whole Dominion. That‘: one disease that medical science seems lo have conquered. —-Toronto Star.

Canada sent e fine group of young men and young women to the British Empire Games. Some of them proved themselves the best in the Common-weelth in their spmial fields. But if the entire group was able to demon- strate to the New Zealandero. and others attending and participat- lng in the events. that the Cans- dians knew the meanlngof sporti- manehip and that they Nlfififld a genius for making friends. the Dominion delegation has done its iob.—Victoria Times.

The production of electric pow- er in Canada has almost trebled in the last 21‘ years. This is I remarkable growth when one u- meenber-s that. during the most of one decade. this counts’! l|1f'

the last remnants of danocrscy will have been eliminated. The "Socialist Unity party" Wm M ml" of an overwhelming vote in I "single list" election. And eularn Germany, having followed the same road. will hlve a regime like that

Notes By The Way ..

of Hungary or Eilgaris.

PROFESSIONAL CARDS

fend a severe economic I038. central electric Canada sold

crisis. 1 station.

nearly 47.000.000.000. The

stimulated production since was necessary for maximum licieney to make use or .1;

WI

61

power we could find. During these years construction W“ forced to help industry, pm.

ind em closed down to re-equip ‘fine;

selves for peacetime occupation Since i946 the industry has boom, ed sgain.—-Saskatoon Star-Phoenls

It Is possible to date with fan acurscy various stages in the de, velopment of sounds. the intro. duction of new and the disap- pearance of old ones. Shakespcan rhymed would with cool'd, indicat- ing ihat the 1 of would was then pronounced. He also rhymes swan and can. though never with word. like on; water with flatter, bug never with daughter, suggi-gun, tha the but a was used at the] time. Further information can be found in books by grammariam and scholars of the period, book; showing that words such as brew and you were pronounced as the Spanish word ciudad. stressing two vowels and not one as mm, —-BBC. Bulletin.

There is I direct and in the long run most dangerous. con- nection between the present glut of food and luxury goods of every description in German shops and the large and growing number of unemployed workers. The great- er part of this food is not grow: in Germany but imported from abroad. especially from the dol- lar area. The "liberalization" cl Germany's economy has led to I situation in which most Marshall Aid dollars have been used to import food for the rich. while lit- tle or nothing has been done to import those essential raw mate- rials without which Germany can improve neither her internni em- ployment position nor her ex- ternal trsde balance. At present she pays with her expert: only for about half of her imports. The rent is provided by America, but. .3 the Minion in Germany com- plained, there are few signs that Germany nukes I serious attempt to reduce her dependence on Am- erican aid. — The Tribune (Lon- don).

ISLAND WELFARE

OORNER BROOK. Nfld. —(OPl ._ A regional welfare centre is to be established in this west-coast Newfoundland lumbering lolm The centre will be operated by thr provincial health department.

tinger. when he has colleagues and destroyed his party will himself be purged. lievos in liquidating any agent.-or for that rnathr any ooenrode who hascessedto beueefultohim. Al- ready Otto Grotewohl who emin- and the split of. the social Demo- cratic party and was rolu-dad with the tilallar premiership has faded obscurely into Russia. Herr Ulbrlcht. communist Deputy Pruni- ar. fills his piece. 0

The purge has begun and will spread on "tax-tboo " lines. I the preparations are mere. The po- litical police has been orssnized andwellscreened.AreconiiIbIinx made of the peat political history of the sons. basis for any desired accusation Reorts are being spread of wide- spread sabotage and of the machi- natlons of "spice" and agents of western ‘ , ‘.ldsm". It is all on- tirely to pattern. Elections have been promised for next October. Bythen ltmsybe aspoctedthst