QGE roux .TllE g ‘f GIIARLOTTETOWN GUARDIAN

Morning Daily (Founded in 1887) Authorized as Second Class Mail. Post. Oflloie Department. Ottawa.

President. Ian A. Burnett; Vice-President, Wm. R. Burnett; Secy-Treasu, (i. M. Burnett; Editor ana Managing Director, J. R. Burnett; Associate Editor.

- Frank Walker.

“The Strongest Memory is Walker Than the Weakest Ink.”

THURSDAY, APRIL l0, 1941

firs... T Mr. TSIIIITEITBST

The Spe~ech from the Throne with which His Honour the Lieutenant Governor opened the present session of the Legislature contains, in Paragraph ll, the definite promise to "reduce taxes." Nowhere in the Speech is there any rei- erence to imposition oi new or increase of old taxes. Yet already three tax bills have been brought down as Government measures, one to inCtCtJSe the Corporation tax by 5 per cent, an- other to increase the provincial gasoline tax by 3 cents a gallon (with no rebate to farmers or fishermenlfand a third to renew the wartime license fees on various corporations and person: during the period of suspension of corporation taxes unncr the new Dominion-Provincial agree- mzrnt. When the leader oi the Opposition ash- ed the Provincial Treasurer whether there was any legislation coming bciore the House to r:- rluce taxation he was told, vcry cavalicrly, that the hon. mcmbcr wos "quit: v/cll qualified to hunt that up for himself." .

Something more, _surelv, than "smart-aleck" answers is expected of responsible Ministers of the Crown in matters of this kind. The Govern- ment may be holding back some pleasant sur- prise in thc way of taxation reduction, and it is hoped tliat this will prove to be the case. There is certainly no indication of it at present, apart from the Throne Speech reference which was not

clarified bv Government speakers in the Draft Acidrcss debate, though this was the fitting place in which to have discussed it. The boast

in the Speech of the "improved fiscal position" oi the Province as a result oi the new agreement with Ottawa is totally inconsistent with the tax measures that are going through, and coincides only too weil with Opposition forcbodings that we hove bc-en "sold down the river" by incom- petent negotiators. Newfoundland Today With the possibility oi Newfoundland ent- ering the Dominion as a tenth Province, the following latest available information on the Ancient Colony, summarized from the April issue of "Atlaniic Guardian", will be read with inter- est: The population oi Newfoundland is slightly in excess of 300,000 at the present time, anu‘ is composed today, as in the past, almost entirely oi native descendants oi English and lrish for-

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luring the l7th and 18th centuries. The Eng- ,ish came mostly from the southwestern ccun-

accents of Devonshire, Dorset and Somerset.

Therefore every little village or town has as many schools as there are recognized denomin- 1 otions in the place. This means that instead of ' cnc well-equipped school, with well-trained teachers, there are usually three, sometimcs tot-r, schools poorly equipped, and with poorly- paid, ill-trained teachers. There are, however, signs of improvement in this respect, especially in the rndustrial towns oi the interior. Teacher training is carried on much more thoroughly than a generation ago, and salaries are much higher, though still for from adequate.

While the fisheries still provide for a larg-er proportion oi the population than any other single industry, yet they have not thc predom- inance they once had. Mining, lumbering, pulp- nirrl-papermaking have, in recent years, absorb- erl much ot the energy formerly applied to fish- ing. These are of necessity located in the in- tcrior; hence such comparatively modern and progressive communities as Grand Falls, Bot- wood, Bishop's Falls, Buchans, Millertown and 'Corner Brook. All these, with the exception of Botwood ondi-Corner Brook-both important shipping ports-—are out of reach of tide-water and know not thc sca. The older fishing vil- lages, scattered along the coast—some of them

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land during the winter (except by airplane or dog-teaml-remoin pretty much as they always have been, still depending on the vagaries of the cod, the herring or the halibut.

Few people in Canada realize how close the wor came to Newfoundland, or how import- ant the island was in the defence of the con- tinent of North America. As one visits certain parts today one sccs many signs of fortifica- ticns only recently abandoned, gun- and search- light-emplacemcnts, underground storage places for ammunition, air-raid shelters, army, navy and airforce buildings (now in diwivl runways _ and docks. American uniforms are still met l with, since the U. S. A. maintains bases in New-

foundland under a 99-year lease.

The National Convention now sitting was ellcted in June-the first election in I3 years— to consider the state of the country, and to ‘f make recommendations as to possible forms of h. future government. When the Convention has finished its work, the electorate will decide, by plebiscite, what form the future government will take. Since I934, when the great depression brought bankruptcy to the island, government has been by a special Commission appointed by the Dominion: Office in London, consisting of o Governor assisted by three Commissioners from outside the island, and three native Newfound- landers. This was to be a temporary arrange- merit, and was to terminate when Newfound-

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land recovered its financial independence. For so ne years now, there has been a surplus in- stead of a deficit in the public finances, but the war has delayed the return of political independ- nnCE. Very soon, the country itself will be ask-

a Commission government as at present; whether it WISIBS to return to the former status of on autonomous Dominion; or (perhaps) whether it would like to open negotiations looking to union with Canada on a provincial basis. From the dverse views expressed by the Convention delegctes, it is anyone's, guess as to how the va:e will qo.

.-- EDITORIAL NOTES a

The ‘Island shared in the general advance

of elcctrical output last year, according to a ‘ Federal report; the central stations generating ;l2.701‘,000 kilowatt hours as compared with l l2 0lt.,000 kw.h. in i945. I i I

The American Ninth Army captured Hon- over ilfid cut the motor road to Brunswick this date ‘9-15. Essen in Ruhr pocket was captured. l Ti-c Canadians in Holland fought and captured Gzrmrrn force in the outskirts of Deventer. Mr. Ciurciiill announced the Empire's casualties at the eid of February I945 were l,l26,802, the killed numbering 306,984.

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When is a tax not a tax? When imposed by thc Jones-Hughes Government. ih ng otherwise unlawful. A registration meas- frt m companies, etc, doing business in the Pravince, "has nothing to do with taxation," sois Hr. Hughes; then it is to be supposed that "liccnae" in the bill has the alternative dic- ticnari meaning of "unrestricted liberty," to carry on business without let or hindrance. Why thin go to the trouble and expense of introduc-

ing rr gistration?

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Will our legislators please note and in- wcrdl) digest this? Dr. B. K. Sandwell, editor ol Saturday Night, told the Canadian Club that in his opinion the present Canadian taxation syzten represses enterprise. "Taxes on profit, wtge: and income have assumed the form of a prmoiinced detriment to incentive," he said. "A nil taking tax-es from the source of income is the qientest detriment of all. . . There is ol- reudy o serious shortage of capital willing to cdvenure itself in new risks."

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In an effort to provide Americans with a true pisture of things as they are in Britain to- day, a "one-man information bureau" has been started in London by Ernest A. Sutherland, IOTIIE’ R. A. F. leading aircroitmon, who train- ed portly in Charlottetown. Tired of "all this nonsense which has beet. appearing in the Am- crican press about the Empire collapsing and Brtoin dying," Sutherland has issued an invita- tion to-Americons to write to him at 3i Bel- grave Rood, London, "when perhaps I can ans- wcr riany things that bother them about us

bears who crime over in pursuit cf the coclfishl B; ri-,l_"

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Opposition members proved llfesavers to

5 0i England. and one can still detect thei th: Legislature on Tuesday when they pointed

l our n» fewer than three objectionable pieces of

H day. Each of the leading religious denomina-y mgrtgjggg, tions receives a grant from tne government based on its proportion of the population.

located on small islands cut off from the main-.

Efililwllq" l5 0" f1 dfiflflmlflflllfiflfll 505B. d: legislation in a Government bill to make uni- system inlieritcd from the England of an earlier form the low respecting bills of sale and chattel

Two of the clauses were amended in accord with Opposition suggestions, and the thzrd was deleted altogether. Mr. Strong is the ch:ef watch-dog of the House in respect to legislation of this kind, and members on both sides look to him when the promoter and hir. legal cohorts on the Government side get tangled up.

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It is now proposed to run the new Prince County Ferry between Summerside and Point du Cherie. the old summer route of the Steam Navi- gation days. It is felt by many that it would be a mistake for progressive Summerside to allow a trading centre to be developed further west, so the aggressive Mr. MacNaught, M.P., is sairl to be interesting himself in the forma- tion of a company which would restore the sum- mcr glory and business‘ attractiveness of the town lifitl vicinity by resumption, under subsidy, cf the Summerside-Point du Cherie Ferry s-erv- ic:. lt would have the advantage of railway connection at both ends. In the West Point- Buctoirche route advantage would lie with aut traffic mainly. -

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Reciprocity in international trade is now in prospcctf Trade Minister MacKinnon told the Commons he did not think there was any sub- stontinl difference in the views of the Canadian and United Kingdom governments on the re- moval of British preferential tariffs. He was replying to requests for comment 0n a recent statement in the British House by Sir Stafford Cripps. Mr. MacKinnon said he had seen press reports of the statement and consider-ed that it was along the lines of the views taken by Can- ado. Briefly Canada's views were that ther-o would be no substantial reductions without sim- ilar concessions from other trading countries.

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A staunch upholder of the sacredness of the family, Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery, chief of the British general stuff, strossefihat the essential requirements of every country is a strong national character based on family life, with serious parental responsibility and a spir- itual approach to the training of boys. Addres- sing the Foreign Press Association at a Savoy Hotel luncheon, Lord Montgomery said that it is wrong to rely on the school to give a boy his sense of values. "The influence of his early l life will remain with ‘him always," and it was in the home that he must be taught the meaning of "duty, unselfishness, comradeship, honesty, sincerity, loyalty and patience." Boys‘ clubs, he said, were essential during adolescence when the individual "must learn that he cannot in life claim anything as a right without accepting some obligation" and that "he hos no real claim to his pay packet unless he has done a real good week’: work."

ed to decide whether it chooses to remain under ‘

A licence, on~ tne ohcr hand, is a legal permit to do some-l

um oithorizing the Governmcnt to collect fees‘

l Tue CHARLOTTETOWN GUARDIAN

ltotesl By the Way

They have raised the Iran curtain on the Moscow conference but we 411" still i101 allowed to see any. thing cxccpt the conference, Vancouver Province.

After some pondering, we venture the oninlan that sbatesmanshtp 1n pollllCs is like professionalism 1n law or medicine; it 1s that happy condition where ones mistake; are so wlflfiliflilfid and costly that they can sefely be represented to the layman as unavoidable happenings. —Peierborough Examiner.

On a mountain 200 miles north- tvcst from Sydney, Australia. a fire ‘which started abou} 10.000 years ago 1s still burning. ‘Through nium- erous vents and crevices lu tho mountain side, great volumes of smoke ail-d intense heat emerge. The earth around is too hot to imitate. yellow sulphur clings to the “fills of the vent-s. and all around the stones have been burnt a dc-aii whiiencss. Geologists now agree that it is a scum of the Hunter River deposits from which ls taken some cf the finest coal in Australia. -Ot!awa Citizen.

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The fnct that the *(IlflOi0I! of daily newspapers in the United Slates reached n record high in 19-15 is n in-itter cf satisfaction to c\'t‘l'_\' ncivsruaperman and should be n matter of pride to cvrry Am- rricsin. The clmilalicn increase is -.'11 the more remarkable because Ll took place (lespite the disap- ]')f‘.'1I'I'lIi\"1‘ of war nev-‘s. It cannot hrtp but. indicate that Americans are l king tnorc and more interest 1n the news of dccifcsiic affairs ftllrl llllfif-Elflflfiilal dcvolopiitents. It would be limit to minimize the lin- porinnt-e of this trend. Interest moms lczaoiivlcclge, and knowledge bvgeus id.. . The nation and the worict can benefit by more of all three -- Buffalo Courler-Ebcpress.

Already tlzcre is [rsiiezt on the yzcirt. 1-1 some if our Ca-xirizlinti 1". ‘Ptslllfis. ill-ll foo much time is taken up during the eirlier years of courses of instruction in tench- ing students simple things they should have lsern taught befoze they arrived tlicre. They have been able to pas; their examinations but they 11bit a. solid grounding in- elementary; stibjccls like arithmetic. grammar nnrl composition. People who em- ploy clerical help also find fault frequeariw with the inability of t15=1$b81lb5 to spell, punstuaie, wwito nnrl road. They vivonder how these individuals can ever have passed through tho schools with such n want knowledge of ordinary, ele- meniary» subjects. W Brockvflle Re- corder and Times.

Science fa wonderful. but so was grandmother". From 1110 University of szcged in Hungary comes word that Prof. M. Jancso has discovered a. miracle-working chemical sub- stance which lxe rails “nzulcuf This greatly accelerates healing of wounds and ulcers a-n-d promises to be another bi. lo humanity. But what particularly interests us is that. the wonder chemical 15 ex- tracted from oamomilo. We are ne- minded tliat (‘HKIIOIDIIE tea urns look- rrl rm with considerable favor by our zrnndxnothei". if not by us, in osrlici- days. Could it. be that the evil-tnsifrig brew r-ontnhieci the healing chemical that science is now (llscovcrlng? For the bencflt nf science no would like to note that our grandmother also used cam-rip to’. — London Free Press.

0n one flccnslon. not no many yon-rs ago, nri cnyznging gentleman ivho claimed to be "psychic" gave n. series of lecture-demonstrations here. One produced vrhat purported to be a mesage fTOm the shade nf Graham Bell. The contents were no.9 interesting than impressive. but. the 1)6I'.f0l’i1’li1tlCt-!_\V\3S iivei] stag- ed. Scme clays later. at another sconce, tne reputed voice of Hcnry Ward Beecher “came through" and; har-ingued the tiudicnce in resound, lug phrases for some minutes. RCv irr-izdless of what the majority of the listeners thought or 1i, one Expositor reporieynwwrs afflfoaied with i-ynlcl-sm. Hav ng struck up an acquaintance with the “psychlc", h: iilie roporteri had lomed him (the “psychic-W t-wo days before, a cs-py of the then recently off-the- 13113.3 "Life cf Henry Ward Beecher" by Pnxtn"; Hibben. Branlfcrd Expositor.

It is generally conceded that. bcnvci" have brains. and know how 10 use them. There are many ex- fllltpifs of their lngoziuity, but up Sudbury way a new high has been

mic-lied in beaver “luiow1edgo." About. mid-December. during a mild stroll. Tom Bin-as. l, trapper

n1. Eaphoe, sat. watching an object drifting down the Vermilion River toward his crimp. Tom had seen many objects drifting on the current, 1n his rlay. but there was sonne- thirig unfamiliar about this set-up. ‘The rlvcr" hart not froze-n- across completely. just. -1 n ice fringe along tlm shorrlinc. 'l‘1ie object swung intr. Slim?‘ irrnr his cnmpgmrl Tom Investigated. It Wns n benvni- house rnmptrte with fnrnlslfinzs bnlli. on n. Fi-loiz mfi. Four benvcr occupied the tionso, rind there was an limp]; supply of popular food attached. ‘Pliny are sill] there. anti. u; far as Tom knew. they are simply iyfng up IQ: the Winter. There 1s no doubt at all ‘but what the family have developed the travel crane, and. came Spring. will likely un- hitch from the shore and drlft.

down to Georgian Bay for the Summer season. By stop-watch tuning, a braver helping to con-

sffllcl n dam on a sircam t; Quebec Province, cut. through a branch i-rsn inches 1n diameter 1n- 50 seconds —Sy1vi:i.

\ INDINS CHIEF PORTS

The chief ports through which India's fntemattcrral trade passes are Bombay, Ozlcutu, Karachi and Mama. l

PUBLIC FORUM

This column to open to the dilcnlllon by corro- lpoadentn of quoatloan at interelt. The Charlottetown Guardian doen not uecellar- ily endorse the opinion oi’ correipondentl.

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TRUSTEES SCHOOL LEAVING CERTIFICATES

Bin-What has caused the De- partment of Education to allow the principals of the city schools to ex- amine and pass their students into our P. W. 0.? If 1t Ls because their Iefficlency to beyond question. hrhy ‘can they not art-fer in the regular way? ‘

They have the advantiIBe over the country pupils as it ls. since ilivy don't have to move from their own environment to take the ex- aminatlatrs. Why discriminate?

I am, Sir, etc. ONE INTERESTED.

\VIIITHER'.’

Sir. — The educational system i-zi P EI. is surely in a sorry

plight. 0n this Island there are a great many schools closed and the children in those districts are growing up in lgnorzzcice.

Did you know that ctr-this fair Island there are bays and girls who are fifteen years old nuri are un- able to read and writ-e their names? ‘Well, this is the startling truth. If fhosc children cannot rend. lhCIi llhey i-n-ainot study their wligioii. |Th1s moans that we nrr bringing up n generation on this Islam-d

which f; liberally sprinkled with atheists. You aSlE-'WI1_\'? Why are flic

schools closed? The answer is: the schools ore closed because there are no teachers for them. One would think tho‘ with P.\V.C. and S DU filled to capacity for the past two years, that there would be a surplus of school teachers for our Island sirhools. Alis! Such is not the case. The teachers will not. lencli unless thcre is cncngh money in ft for a frugal livkifl-

Let me cite an instance about a teacher 1cm I know with n Grade XII ecluc rfon and n. permit to teach. Hi; supplement was $200.00, his ntonthly cheque from the gov- rnruneni ans about $311.00. His board was $30.00 per month. and when paid he had three dollars to put. b'~‘. At the end of the tcrm when he zot half of his supple- ment, be had $109.00 to thc good. Can you show me the man onto can live 1n n rftspeCltllflie mranxier and dress himself’ in a manner be- fitting a school teacher on such n measly sum‘? this happened only last term. a-nd when 1111; mrm, who 1s by no means extravagant. (How could he be?) paid his board dur- ing the Christmas holidays, he was $20.00 in debt. some future, e11?

In the mime of goodness. how long i5 this farce, this robbery, go- ing to continue??? Premier Jones, pleaset. please do something about it! You are the Ntinistei- of Edu- cation. you are the Premier of this Province; are you going to let this injustice continue for another year? Do you expect to be ro-elect- ed wider conditions such as those? Did you knc-w that yon have a God-given duty to admin-Islet" jus- tice ln your capacity fn the gov- ernment?

Don't delay. do something about the salirles 0f school teachers while ‘We still have i1 ha-ndful left. It is Just comm-on Sense that teachers should receive at lcast $100.00 per month. You are in duly bound to stave off this growth of ignorance and irrc-iigion Em this province. and the only solution is i0 liwtctlsr; the teachers‘ salaries. This aloe will curb lhe icacher shortage.

You can't delay another year, you must act during this sitting qt the legislature. If you canncf cope with this desperate situation, the people of this province will have to elect a government that can properly dlschaige the duties on- irusted to 1t.

I em. sir. etc., A.G.I-I. WALTERS. B.A Charlottetown, P E I April 7. 1947.

THE MAIL COURIEIPS DILEMMA

Sir.- No doubt you have noticed fhe_ arflllments which took place during the present session of the House at Oil-aria. I nm sure you will agree with me when I say the mail courier in the rural districts his ii touch lob. often going through mud to the axles. What does he let in return for his lnbours? A very small salary. In many cases this Salary ls inadequate to meet llvini; expenses. and where. may 1 88k. are the couriers going to get. ll few extra dollars to salt aiway in order to buy a bite 1o eiii when they are loo old to travel? I f-ccl quite ixmftderlt in saying that nearly n11 the mall couriers would be saris. fled if they could look forward in a lime vsticn they could retire with a pension stifflcient to meet their IIPPIIB. as other govontmc-Tnt om- ployees are pensloncd.