iggc FOUR ~__

THE GUAQHSYAN

Authorised u- RPTIIIIII (‘lus- Slllll, Punt Offloe llruurtviu-al._ Ottawa. The laluml iiuunllun tulallrrlolnl C0. ldllur Illl] llurnsilug lllrm-Inr, J K. llurnafls Annrlafa lddllnr, Frunlr Walker.

"The Strongest Memory is Weaker Than the Weakest lnk."

A _ CHABLOTTETOWN, WED. APRIL 13, 194.‘) Tho Educational Problem

During the recent session our Legislative members were circul-arized by the Teachers Fed- eration, calling attention to the following mat- ters of concern to every ratepayer:

That 80 new permit teachers have been placed in Island schools this year; that Normal School students number only 61, whereas 100 are required to take care of yearly vacancies; that teachers’ supplements have been increased in 400 districts by a combined total of $11,500, or approximately $29; that the median salary of Prince Edward Island school teachers is the low- est in all of Canada, excepting Quebec; that last June 136 teachers left the profession; that

. approximately 2,000 children in Prince Edward

‘Island must depend upon permit teachers and correspondence courses for their education; that sun is the lowest per capita expenditure for edu- cation in Canada; that 19 or more schools are closed today; that some 55 changes have ac- curred in the teaching personnel since Sept. 1; and that some 130 of our teachers are married women, temporarily in the profession to hclp out in a difficult situation.

These facts constitute a grave indictment of our educational system, and indicate the need j a thorough overhaul in the near future. Ou~r provincial authorities are no doubt d-oing what they can to meet the problem; but it is one chiefly of finances and the Government takes the stand that it has gone as far as it can go with the limited revenue at its disposal.

ln the current monthly newsletter of the Federation appears a report of the salary brief delegation which waited upon the Executive Council, attempting to show "that a ‘serious con- dition threatens our educational activities." The delegation left the meeting "in a deep feeling of despair." The Premier "stated pretty specific- ally that it was no use sending any further dele- gations seeking increased remuneration until the termination of the present Dominion-Provincial financial agreement."

The present financial agreement does not expire until 1952, which means a delay of at least three more years until this phase of the problem can be dealt with.

ln the meantime, it is worth recalling one of the suggestions made by the Advisory Recon- struction Committee which reported to the Pro- vincial Government a few years ago. The com- mittee noted that the Sirois Commission had re- commended a notional adjustment grant from the Federol Government, which would enable this Province to at least approach the standard set in educational services by the wealthier Provin- ces. To underline its argument for the need of Federal assistance, the Advisory Committee pointed out that wh-ile our per capita provincial expenditure on education ($6.90 at that time) is far below that of any other Province, the pe-r- centage of our total Provincial expenditure used for education (15.1) is the second highest in Canada, and the percentage of education expen- diture provided by the Provincial Government (62.1) is far above that of any Province - in fact double that of all save Nova Scotia. "The point that we would stress," says the committee report, "is ‘that the amount contributed by the people towards this expenditure through educa- tional tax ‘has been extra-ordinarily low. lf we hope to receive the full sympathy of the Feder- al Government in our claim for assistance, we shall have to increase the amount contributed by our people to this end."

lt is the Government's responsibility to for- mulate policies for financing education, ‘out Governments are proverbially srlow to take action which might have adverse effects politically. Might not this be the crux of the present situa- tion? Perhaps Premier Jones, who is noted for outspoken statements, .will have something to say on this subject when he addresses the Fed- eration at its annual convention her_e gn April 19.

Experts confounded

Pigs have not heretofore been distinguished for either mpntal or physical stamina, yet within the past few weeks the h-umble porker has twice been thrust into the limelight because of the strength of its will to live. ln both cases it hung grimly on to life through experiences which would and did break the minds and bodies of other animals and human beings.

The flvlt is the famous Poland China sow that confounded all the experts by living through the Bikini bomb blast of June 30, 1946. She was one of a number of animals which for research purposes were placed aboard a can- demned Japanese cruiser to be sunk by the ex- plosion.

She was tagged with her number, No. 311, and placed in a washroom on the main deck. The ship was near the centre of the explosion and when it was over the natural assumption was that no living thing could have survived. But to their amazement, the rescue crews found her

.blithely swimming around in the dangerous ra- die-active waters several hours after the shlp had sunk. ' Even though she was still alive, it was felt that she would die from radiation. But she fool- od them again. She was brought to the Ameri- can navy's medical research institute near Bethesda, Md., in September and within a month all noticeable effects of her radiation had disap- peered.

Now after keeping her under observation for more than two years the navy has no further scientific interest in her except for on autopsy at the time other death. Accordingly, it has sent ‘No. Ill to live out the‘ rest of her days in welt- dmrred retirement at rho Washington Zoo.

other hog to break into the‘ newsln last low woekswill never be as famous as No. ll ealq mystic pprfornrgrl p teat

of endurance just as noteworthy. She was buried in a snowbank an a farm in South Dakota, Jan. 2, during the series of wild blizzards that killed thousands of head of cattle in that area. But where the cattle died in short order,‘ this old sow rose to the challenge. ' _

She was little more than skin and bones when the farmer dug her out early this month, but she had strength enough to walk ta a feed trough three-quarters of a mile away.

J EDITORIAL NUIES/

Progressive-Conservative Leader George Drew's appointment to the standing committee on public accounts should serve as a warning to the Government that its spending will have to stand up to close scrutiny, both as to excess

and omissions.

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Reconstruction Minister Winters’ estimate cf some $300,000,000 for the Trans-Canada Highway, one-half of which is to be borne by the Dominion, takes finance to the "Never-Nev- cr Land" so far as the average man is con- cerned.

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Will this year be productive of as many outstanding figures in world history as that of 1849-0 hundred years ago? Abraham Lincoln, Edgar Allan Poe, Kit Carson, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Lord Tennyson, and William Gladstone, all were born ln.184:7. .

The City Council is a deliberative body and does not come to decisions hastily. Hence its resolve not to insist upon water and sewage connections for all city premises just at pres- ent; or to rush into on auto meter proposition without knowing what profit it is going to pro- vide.

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a a s:

"Joseph Bramah, English inventor, born this day, 1748, his bicentencrry being celebrated rn England this year. He was a clever mechanic and devoted long study to the improvement of mechanical means of production, etc. As the result, he invented the hydraulic press, locks for/ safes, etc., and a machine for the printing of bank notes, bonds, etc.,_to‘prevent forgery, etc.

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A three-hour broadcast of the St. Matthew Passl0n-—great oratorio composed by Bach-will feature the tonight's presentation by the Cana- dian Broadcasting Corporation. The Sit. Matthew Passion will be performed by the Mendelssohn Choir of Toronto and the Toronto Symphony Or- chestra under the direction of Sir Ernest Mac- Millan. The broadcast will come from convoca- tion hall at the University of Toronto commenc- ing at 9.00 o'clock.

I I I "Civic reform is at a discount in Halifax at present, because, forsooth, "on intelligent, well-informed group of citizens hold the opinion that present alderman are doing a satisfactory, creditable job"! And further because the re- formers are "unable to secure the type of can- didate they felt would carefully administer city affairs." All of which summed up implies that the "Civic Reformers" have taken cold feet, or realized that they had not built an organization "better than they knew." "k i I

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Egg prices on April 8 this year and previous years: The prices quoted below are for Grade A Large. At Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto the prices are those at which graded shipments are selling to wholesalers. At other points quo- tntions are prices to shippers for ungraded eggs.

i947 1948 1949 Montreal . . 46'/z~47 451/1-461/5 36 1-2 Toronto . . 44 43-43% 36-36% Winin-peg 3B 39 32 Vancouver’ 40 36% 31 Edmonton . 37 38 31 Regina 36-37 37 ' 31 Ch'town. . 36% 37V: 30-32 Close to 7,000,000 Canadian fur-bearing

animals met slow death in marshes, fields iand forests to provide pelts worth nearly $26,000,000 to the fur industry, in the latest year for which statistics are available. Pleading for the humane treatment of the wild creatures of forest and stream, the outlawing of steel traps is urged by Eric Adams, Toronto feature writer, in an ar- ticle in the April issueof Forest and Outdoors magazine, a publication of the Canadian For- estry Association. Mr. Adams says there are several humane traps that could be adopted right away if "public apathy, fur trade pressure, ignorance and political indifference didn't stand in the way." These include rubber-jaw and chain-loop leg-hold traps used by conservation authorities, wire cage and net devices, and sev- eral types of instant killers. Chief objection to these traps is that they are cumbersome and less dependable tha-n steel traps which have powerful springed jaws, sometimes toothed or grooved. "Put more bluntly they would get few- er pelts," states Mr.*Adams'. i

Saskatchewan is boasting of its allegedef- ficient highway policy. Cost of the Saskatche- wan’ portion of the proposed Trans-Canada high- way is estimated at $18,000,000, Highways Min- ister J. T. Douglas revealed during the budget debate. Outlay for the entire project would be about $266,000,000. Federal Mines and Resour- ces Minister MacKinnon had suggested that the cost be paid by the federal and provincial gov- ernments-on a 50-50 basis, Mr. Douglas said. ‘But Saskatchewan could build a hard-surfaced road along Na. 1 route on such a shared-cost basis for $8,000,000 . . . or $1,000,000 less than the federal plan estimate. When the present government assumed office in 1944, it inherit- ed the "biggest and worst" highway system in Canada, the minister said. In calling for federal road building aid, Mr. Douglas said it would cost $50,000,000 to complete the rebuilding and regravelling program now underway. From 1944 to the present time, the government had creat- ed one of the best equipped and staffed deport- merits in Canada. Saskatchewan crow: wen moving earth at a cast' lower than anywhere else in the Dominion and, in 1948, completed the longest stretch 0f hard-surfaced highway of any province. "And we have done all this on the

second lowest hiahwovs budaer in Canada." he n"- . ' a . i , . ,.

£05..

THE NURSERY RHYLE

May sudden justice overtake And snap the frown-d pen. Thar, old and prLLslBd poets shake Against the minds 0f men. Blssphea-rera trusting to hold caught In far-flung webs of lnlc The utmost. ends of human thought Till nothlnrs left to think.

But may the gift of heavenly peace And glory for ell time Keep Lhe boy Tcrtn who, bcndlfl!

geese. I'll-st made the nursery rhyme. . -—Rabeat Graves.

Old Charlottetown (All! P. IL L)

YORK CENTENABY

"The centenary celebration at York on Thursday of this week had reference not to the original open- ing up of the place, but to the sailing from Hull, England, of the ‘Valiant’, under Captain Izzard. with the Vesseys, Wests and Hardys, who located there after the ship's arrival ln Charlottetown. She started on her voyage of 73 days, March 22, 1817. ' v “The anniversary was observed by a rippling of flags in the crisp breeze at several points along the road and a short programme tn the school room at 3 p.m, Mr. George Vessey, a son of the pioneers, pre- sided and vividly sketched early conditions as he remembered them —the little first school house with its clay floor, and so on. Rev. J. 1.. Dawson told of Richard Hudson, a local preacher. who married one of the Baker girls while J. P. Hood’: grandfather married anoth- er; of Christopher North, Jol. Trowsdrsle, Geo. Wlgginton, and the Bests, Carr's, Mittens, Hodg- sonl, etc., whom he had either known from childhood, or run

W.'We|t indicated the lpote upon which the settlers erected their house: and establlllred their homes. Arr aunt of his had carried water from Crosby's brook nearly two miles. There was a spring back on their own farm, of which they knew nothing at first, and bears and Wildcats kept them from ven- turnlng far into the wilderness about them.” '

—From The Guardian files, 1917.

On blaking Ourselves Understood

(Royal Bank Letter) I

It ls a long way from the crude hleroglyphlcs of primitive man. the smoke signals and marked trees of the Indians, and the drums of the African jungle to our modern daily newspaper and our business correspondence. But through it all there are these main themes -— the passing an of knowledge, tn- formetlon and instruction, and the urge and the need of man to oom- munlcate with his fellows.

All of us who rend can be ln touch with centuries of human thought and with today's happen- ings In ell parts of the world. Be- cause we have language, we are not limited for knowledge to our own experience; we can profit by the experience of all who have gone before us. It ts language that has made progress possible.

The spoken and written ward ls so familiar to us that. we often for- get what a power for good or for evll, for uplift; or for insult, for charity or for confusion it ls. Words can crush or consol, inspire or destroy; they can lead to wars. and they can be used to promote peace; they can increase sales or drive away customers.

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We ltve tn a world of wordeand very often these words are all too "wild and whirling." We listen to so many words. we read so many words. that we feel engulfed tn verbiage; we speak words. and most; of us have to write words. Much of what we write may be routine letters and reports, and we need not aspire to Shakespearean or Voltatrlan heights. But the least that we can do vrllah words ls to put them together so that. our readers understand us.

There are fewilvory towers left. today. and only n. hermit can dis- regard the advantages of using language well. Learning to ex- press oneself is n fundamental of education, the mark of an educat- ed man, and a necessity of bust- ness.

An article tn Saturday- Night said that most university students ln Canada. improve their English while at the university. but this, the article went on. ts not gained so much by examinations ln the subject. as by contact with people who use good English. More con- sideration ts given to knowing the date of Pope’: Rape of an Incl: or to the memorizing of Shake- speare's soltloqute: than to the quality of ' neuazoused tn writing the examination paper.

Student: tn science, law, engin- eering and fucultiu other than that. of arts often grumble at be- tn: mode to take oounes tn self- expresston through lnnguuze. A little book written by Professor R. do L. French, of Mcfllll University, csrled Notes on Writing for Stu- dents tn Engineer-ins. toll: about the importance of mood writing for prafaulonll men.‘ He l!!! that enitneertng. even tn it: most technical and spectaiiled branches, ls not a solitary profession. The enflnec must be articulate, and s thotouslrcommaud of lemme in important for two major melons - because it ls one of his‘ profus- tanll tool: and because lLll New“! i! he ll ‘t associate with

across at var-tau: points. Mr. C. 1°

ennui-III

making study of writing o. com- pulsory parr of every course.

In August. 1047. the Bureau of Technical Personnel. Department of Labour, issued a survey of pro- fessional openings 1n Canada. Out of 1,884 ‘employers interviewed. the majority - B50 - believed that there was a trend towards more free usage of university- tralned young men and women. But. one of the 15 firms employ- tng the largest number of univer- sity zraduatres declared itself critic- al of most graduates “because many can't properly express them- selves. either orally or tn writing." If this ls true of same university graduates, how much more must it apply to those with less educat-

n?

Because language ts u vigorous as a healthy out: tree. expanding with the years, each age odds its own quota of new words and phrases peculiar to its time. Every new invention, like television to- day, brlngs with 1t a whole new vocabulary.

In 1846 the English dictionary contained only 47.000 words; to- day it includes 450,000 words, an increase of l2 new words a day. Milton knew 10,000 words; Shake- speare hrew r0000; the Bible con- tains only 5.000 different words. Today there are 30.00.) kinds of butterflies, each with o. different name. *

At first a word imported from another language llves a lonely life; lt: acceptance or rejection depends on the force of public opinion, for, after all, language la a democratic institution. If a. word is accepted as part of our speech. ti‘. becomes changed and coloured to suit our own peculiar needs. Deon Swift attacked many words seeking admission lnto daily speech. Ho condemned "banter," "bully." and “‘sham," and the one which celled forth his greatest rage was "mob," a contraction of mobile vulgar. Public opinion prevailed, however. and these words were ob- sarbed into the English language. Lord Wovell. tn our time, has pro- posed setting up an authority to. decide what ls worth preserving.’ and what should be pillar-led tn the, way of words, but ls would be a: difficult and delicate task to determine the fate of each one.

O O O

Sir Alan Herbert. M.P.. one of the most valiant lighters in the battle to preserve the best

English, says the language is‘ "bulging with words like bolsters. and phrases like feather beds --- fet Latin words like ‘recondlllorr-j lng,; phrases like ‘the co-ordlnat- ion of our economic resources.” He goes on to say: “we are entitled] to suspect the character and com- petence of any department. any party, any politician who stuffs the public mlrrd with vs "liT-‘l knobbly. half-baked, flabby and slushy words." . What Slr Alan ts referring to ls known by various names: of-' flclolese, jargon, gobbledygook and Federal Prose are some of them. Whateveryyou may call it, it means a written output. obscurely con- structed, full of tiresome phrases. and encumbered with many ll‘- clrasen combinations of words. H. W. Fowler, one of the editors of‘ the Oxford Dictionary, defines jargon as “ugly-sounding, hard to understand, mode up of technical terms, long words, and clrcumlocut-l tons.” Whatever its name, ft ts flourishing tn many of the com- munications we receive daily, and perhaps we ourselves are same- flmes guilty of writing it. , l We are more hesitant tn conver- sation: words of whose pronunci- ation we are not sure ore replaced by shorter, more usual ones. We. do not drone out endless sentences, full of tap-heavy clauses, and ob- , saute rohnpee. But. we do seem to‘ gtvo tn to temptation when wef m»: a blank sheet of paper in front of us. The result to often a muddle of mlny-syllebled word: whloh display neither rrwughr.‘ vocabulary nor- etudltlon. and only serve ta pump thus-coder. |

- I 5ft Ernest Ctawen, u distinguish- ed civil lsrvunf. was recently ask- ed by the Brlthh Government to write e short" book an the sub- ject. at simple Eflflllh for British officials. He celled it Plain Words. and tn it warns outlast the woolly lhfllklle. the cireultou: phrases uubthl abstraction: that make up jargon. .30 deptoru - the tn- mnsfoe use of ouch thlrm a: ."rr will be observed from a per-uni"

others. poms unlvsrsittn in the United etch: - are > callous‘

.5 ‘ lw- u‘-

instead of “you wlrr :0.» by road- tll": '. for "joufla, ' '" .=v.r;s-~ . "

up"QQynQIw¢IIFW~IBWQGIrII'“\'Mnlwx-lhflit-nw"\I\l~\r.!-“'|~“ -.-.-». z

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“assistance” for "help", and no on. Ho disapprove: of the invention of new words for perfectly good old ones, like "global" for "world- wide." “recondltdorfl for "mend", and "terminate" for “end." Another version of this last fr! the horrible "to finalize." -

The habit of using abstract nouns as verbs ta increasing. "To contact,” whfbh excites Slr Alan Herbert to rage, lo allowed by H. L. Mencken, author of The Ameri- can Language. However, Mr. Mencken tells n good starry against ht: ovm decision. An official of the Western Union, he says. for- bade the use of "to contact" by employees of the company. This official said: "So long as we can