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Member Audit Bureau of Circulation. PAGE 4 WEDNESDAY. AUGUST 12, 10“. Selective Statistics

There is a great deal to be ad- mired about the Red Ensign, which many Canadians believe should be this nation’s flag, but the same can- not be said for the letter in support of this view which appears in the Public Forum today, from Robert CJ’antes, Conservative MP for Cumberland, of Amherst, N.S.

*-The manner in which Mr. Coates has presented his figures, and his failure to include other equally relevant figures does not inv1te much respect for the case he is at- tempting to make.

.EHe has based it chiefly on his version of the findings of a public opinion survey by Gruneau Research Ltd. And he is quite accurate, so fir as he goes, in presenting the finding that “only in Quebec was majority support available for the maple leaf flag”.

1; But he completely failed to bring outthe fact that there was no part

"’Canada in which the survey _ und a majority for the Red En-

gn. T Neither did he include any fig- ures whatever for Quebec, nor re- " gnize that in the survey’s total ‘nding for Canada, including Que- bec, support for the maple leaf flag froposal far outweighed that for the Red Ensign. i In all of this, Mr. Coates seemed ore anxious to build a picture of ine provinces opposed to Quebec or opposed by Quebec) than to resent an expression of Canada- ?ide opinion.

And even in the way he has pre- ented the figures he chose for in- usion, Mr. Coates achieved a meas- He mentioned (it orks out at 38 per cent for all rovinces other than Quebec) and r the maple leaf flag (which stood

I

significant: some 33.3 per cent those covered by the survey in hose nine provinces, wanted neither . Red Ensign nor the maple leaf flag, but some other design altogeth- er, or were undecided. ,v So one interpretation that can 3; be inade of the survey figures, if ‘ they are presented honestly, is that

while 62 per cent favored something else or were undecided.

This is quite a different picture from the one Mr. Coates seeks to have accepted.

In reviewing these points, The Guardian has no thought of oppos- ing these who advocate the Red En- sign; many of its sympathies lie witlr them. But such tricky use of statistics strikes us as being deplor- ableiin no matter how good a swap. And when that cause seems *to b9 foment racial feeling on the ” flag-issue we find the tricky use of ‘. . ’otetfitics doubly deplorable.

' .‘iflflective statistics" can be 'highly dangerous when they are used to support a prejudiced or psi-uses position. - , Whan"Crises Crise’ * in Ontario, back in the 1930’s, " anv‘edltor who became ‘ for. his frequent references u“ that never crise”. It was I "ll. applied to almost every 1‘ titration: the evil spread ‘ s, militant might; Mussolini; the ' a .wnomlc crisis every-

' collapse of the .Lsyetem; the failure

dentu-

this man, an these things were “crises that failed to crise”.

There was nothing particularly unusual about his attitude, in that day. Crisis had become so much of a commonplace that it was also taken for granted; so much so that that climactic explosion of the Sec- ond World War, when it came at last, for a time was seen almost as s surprise and an anticlimax.

Again we are in a period when crises don’t seem to crise, whether in Cyprus, Viet Nam, the Congo, or elsewhere.

It would be a mistake, however, to forget that all crises, when they really deserve to be described with that term, do have their ultimate exploding point.

Bureaucratic Ingenuity

For ten years an office supplies firm in Britain paid without pro- test a customs duty of 15 per cent on those wood-encased erasers typ- ists use to conceal their crimes.

Some zealous customs official suddenly decided the items look like pencils and, moreover, are called by their German manufacturers “eras- er pencils.” Reclassified as pencils, the items call for a 20 per cent duty.

Just as the correspondence file between importers and customs was building up nicely, the manufactur- ers added a little tuft of nylon bristles to the blunt end of the items so typists could whisk away the rubber crumbs left from an erasure.

“Aha l this item must now be classified as a brush and as such calls for 33 1/3 per cent duty," purred the customs office.

So now the importers are trying to put some heartiness into a last laugh claim that if their items are brushes then they are not subject to the 25 per cent purchase tax that pencils and erasers are subject to but brushes are exempted from.

While U.K. officialdom ponders that riposbe. office managers are launching a care in typing camp- algn.

Johnson's Chances

According to the Milwaukee Journal, either history or the polls are going to be discredited in this year’s U.S. presidential election. The polls, as of now, indicate that President Johnson is supported by from 2 out of 3 to 3 out of 4 voters. If the polls stayed steady and the vote sustained them on election day, Johnson would get between 66 per cent and 75 per cent of the vote.

In the face of American history, however, this is an impossibility. In 25 elections since Lincoln was elect- ed to his first term only eight can- didates won by 55 per cent or more of the vote. And only two candi- dates have passed 60 per cent— Harding with 60.4 per cent in 1920 and Roosevelt with 60.8 per cent in 1936.

A 55 per cent of the vote total usually adds up to a landslide. And landslides historically are few and far between. The probability, in the Milwaukee’s paper’s opinion, is that as of now the polls reflect cur- rent voter uncertainty rather than what is apt to happen in November. Surely 1964 is no 1936, when Presi- dent Roosevelt was at the height of tremendous popularity. And even then, winning by a higher percent- age than any president in the last century, Roosevelt was opposed by 4 out or every 10 voters.

There seems, at any rate, a. pretty general belief that Johnson and not Goldwater will be the American people’s choice in the November election. But there will remain a disturbing doubt until the

last polls are in. The kind of cam- '

paign that is shaping up is also a matter of concern—whether, as one commentator puts it, “it is to be dirty or dignified." The moderates on not forgetting that in San Fran- cisco Senator Goldwater called President Johnson “the greatest faker in the United States" and “the phoniest individual that ever come around." Such words are not an auspicious opener for a dignified race

EDITORIAL NOTE

In an average year, Americans set some 16 billion pickles. This sour subject could make fine fodder for the strange, deformed minds of Moscow propagandists if they hit upon a line about the pickled poo- plo of a decadent democracy.

«I j!

APPLYING A LITTLE PRESSURE

iS RESPECT FALTERING? Keeping Quorum ls Problem In House

OTTAWA — Just the other day, Parliament's Public Ac- counts Committee had to skip a couple of sessions. Its scurry- ing clerks. hurrying around the Hill. knocking on doors an ringing phones, just couldn't scare up enough MP5 for a quo- rum of 12. For an hour each time, the chairman sat, wait- ing hopefully. then quietly call- ed ihe whole thing off.

Just the other day, the Com-

Defence Committee kept important outside expert wit- nesses waiting 70 idle minutes before 12 MPs slowly struggled in to hear their evidence.

Just the other day, it was a Monday, when h Commons opened for the Daily Question

eriod and when attendance is at its peak, 65 MPs were in the House, outnumbered just about four to one by the empty esks.

Just the other day. Mr. Dep- uty Speaker had to stop to count heads in the House at mid‘af- ternoon, when attendance pe - haps is at its lowest ebb. 0 make sure there was the re- quired quorum of 20 present. MPS ARE TIRED

And just any working day of the week, sit out in either the Government or the Opposition

obby an hear l- Party Whips' buzzers droning almost continuously in late afternoon or mid-evening, in warning MP5 that the House is getting

a.

F. O

of the required 20 mem keep it In business.

So it’s hot, with the Capital sweltering in Nature's own Turkish bath that the Ottawa Valley becomes every mid- summer.

And the MPs are tired, hav— ing worked collectively, if not individually, without a holiday break since mid-February.

Then too. just because an MP doesn’t happen to be in House — although, if in Ottawa at all, most of them usually are at tile opening Daily Question Period — it doesn't necessarily mean they’re not on the job. They could be at work in their offices here on the Hill, making their business rounds' of the government departments, or even attending to p 0 ll tic al chores back in their constituen-

c es.

They could be.

But not all the time. DIFFERENT NOW

Attendance in Com- mons could scarcely be as habitually hit-and-mlss as

n — even at the Ques-

tion Period — or the House Committees so desperately short of MPs, simply because the Members have been attend- ing to public business in other

perilously close to running out hers to

a... r.

es. Some of idle time, perhaps. line explanation might be valid. But not day after day after ay.

Birchers Look North

Milwaukee June]

The John Birch society is now striking out north of the border In the latest issue of its magaz- ine, American Opinion, the so- ciety strongly implies that Can- ada's top political leaders, Les- ter Pearson and John Diefen- baker, have consciously contri- buted to the spread of com- munism.

Pearson, leader of the Liberal party and present prime minis- ter, is “the purposes of the Commun- ist conspiracy when he was for- eign minisrer in 1957.”Continu- es the article: “An acute obser- ver, who once had personal est- pertence in such matters, rais- es the interesting question whe- ther Mr. Pearson is still sub- ject to the discipline to which he appears to have been sub- ject in 1957."

Diefenbaker, head of the Con- servative party and premier before Pearson, is charged with betraying his party, “its princi- pies and its constituents as thor- oughly as did the Republic a n party under Eisenhower." It is said that be catered to “Can- ada's domestic enemies."

“Canada's plight is in many ways similar to our own..." says the John Birch mouthpiece. “The International Conspiracy

accused of furthering» rest

has used. in general. the same methods of penetration and con- trol in both countries. The Can- adian press, radio, television, universities and other schools, and similar centers of influence are as infested with vermin as our own. e same general forms of economic and political corruplion are in use."

All this is shocking to many Canadians and amusing to the

Pearson has a long and proud record of opposition to whet communism stands for. Diefen- baker is strongly anti-Commun-

1st.

All this, of course, means nothing to the Birch society. In its distorted view of the political spec rum, anyone 0 veers even slightly from the society's far right line is—lf not e party member or fellow traveler — certainly “pink.”

Canadians will appreciate how ludicrous such accusations are when they realize that the Birch gallery of "traitors" includes most outstanding c a n leaders of both political parties in recent years. In fact. it's al- most geitlng to be that if a men

May Silence Prevail

Winnipeg 'Ik-lbono

Not too long ago a resident in one of the suburbs was driven to tranquiliiners by massive pow- er machinery thumping away under his bedroom window long after dark.

Re appealed to the local municipal councilendln (he

to order the contractors to shut down noisy machines

late at night and early in the ‘morntng.

But local authorities claimed that no muni

restore peace and quiet.

In these circumstances. an anti-noise or public nuisance by- law was clearly needed for pub- lic protection. not protecting citiseus from in- trusion by heavy power machin. on. is one (HM. VIII. m

bird calls illegal is quite anoth-

er.

The "model" anti-noise ivy-law

passed by the St. Vital council

and currently. under considera-

tion by other suburban councils

home to prohibit even squeaky s.

It is so ell-inclusive as to be virtually unenforceable. Sousa of the councilors admitted that the by-lsw would be difficult to

toe hay voted for It

y.

y wanted sane kind d legislation on the books. "There ougllta be a low.”

This kind of reasoning is re- spollslblo for loading statute books with mssmree that bring

diaraputo

Perhaps it didn't matter so much before Parliament raised its own pay from $10,000 to $18.- W

p us. Spending eight or nine months in Ottawa for $10,000 could he, and usually was. something of a serious financial sacrifice for many MPs. But now?

COUNSEL T0 VISITORS Perhaps it still wouldn't mat-

r — or e 0 cu Parliament itself hadn't set out some rather thoughtful Instruc- tions for the taxpayers o stream into the Capital these Summer holidays to watch work in a molten nearly-empty Commons.

or out has come a new sou- venir folder which Parliament is providing each of the 750.- 000 tourists and visitors. in- structing them...

"...Walk proudly... through this Home of all our freedoms. Feel welcom .

”...Stand silently amid the brave, proud ghosts who forged our nation.

"...Gu carefully... this

heritage. that Freedom's house may stand.” This folder, with its counsel to "guard carefully this heri- tage" was co-authored by Com- mons Speaker Alan Macnaugh- ton and his special assistant. senior civil servant George Carty.

.. m

p.

INSPIRATION NEEDED

“We thought." said Mr. Speaker. “it was o good time and place for something we hope may be on the inspiration- al side

“We'vrsnted to suggest to people — both our own folk and our visitors — that there's a

not a few of these visitors. viewing the emp- ty desks in the weary Commons these days. might think the in- spiration was needed more on the near-bare floor than in the packed galleries of the House.

Fret-ling About

Sleeplessness

By Dr. Theodore R. Van Dolloa means; on sleep are numer- ous but none helps the victim of insomnia who wants to know how to relax and fell into the arms of Morpheus. We do not refer to the causes of true in- somnia, will are obvious. Here, the brain is overstlmule- led by undue excitement, sor- row, pain, coughing, of bread). excessive fatigue, or in conditions. who worry about insomnia getmone sleep than they think, or as much as they need. where along the line we were on the idea that everyone needs eight hours. Many men and women have remained beelt and lived a long time on less than six hours every ni . The fldgety sleeper who com- plains of having been awake all night usually is in error — it u see all

night. The sleepl e s s period probably am- ounted to less than so minutes. ch persons would place in the hall a clock float chimes every half hour, few would hear the chimes because the major- ity would be asleep.

Sleep has received so much emphasis in the last several decades that many people are overly concerned when they fail to d rop off promptly or when they awaken in the early morning hours. studies show that most of us come to sev- eral times at night, roll over, and lapse into unconsciousness again. The trick is not to be- come upset or angry just be. cause sleep does not return im- mediately, Relax and forget it.

Sleep occurs when the mind withdraws competer from the surrounding world and ce tobe interested in what is going on. Sigmund Freud's do- finition is almost poetic: “Every night human beings lay aside the garments they pull over their skin, and other objects which they use to supplement their bodily or- gans... spectacles. false hair, and teeth. In addition... they perform a perfectly analogous dismantling of their mlnd...l.hus both physically and mentally ap- proaching close to the situation in which they began life."

MILD SKIN INFECTION

F. S. writes: What can you tell me about molluscum con-

giosum?

REPLY This is a viral infection of the slain first is easily recogniz- ed because the lesions are dis tinctlve, They are round. elev- n d Approximately 1-4 inch in diameter. Each one is umbilicated with a navel - like dent in the center. They are treated like warts with curettage or electrodesch- tion. TREAT ACNE OTHERWISE V. F. writes: I'm taking birth control pills. not for contracep- t purposes, but for acne. I'm also taking thyroid tablets for an underactlve gland. you approve of this combination? REPLY

No. stop the birth control pills because there is no need to upset your glandular system for a skin condition that usually re to simpler remedies.

ONION RINSE

M. B. writes: Willi a hair rinse that includes onion skins, boiled and strained, be injuri- ous to the hair?

REPLY

lb

No harm. I” am not mis. taken. this is an old European procedure that is said to make the hair shiny.

CAN’T SEE AT NIGHT . I tes: Isthere an op- eration that will help night blind- ness? REPLY

No. Vitamin A i s more lik- ely to be of value. Tww‘s Health Hint—

Excessive unusual bleeding needs investigation.

(Note: All correspondence to Dr. Van Delisn should be odd- dress to- D Theodore Van

. r. Delien. care of Chicago Tribune, Chicago, Illinois.)

PUBLIC

FORUM T

THE FLAG [SUE ' (Editor’s note: The follow- ing letter from Mr. Coates is discussed in an editorial today.)

Sir, — Strong evidence is now

the governme is unacceptable to a majority of Canadians in nine provinces of Canada. Only in Quebec we

ority support available for the mapleLlesf flag. Grunoeu

imlied, of intonatio- nll repute. produced is. follow- lnl results:

only: Led

Morltimoa «.796 81 5

Ontario as.“ 81.096 Pro s1. 32.

British estimable 9.1% 89.9%

Surely one would not expect.

"ICIth forward

with their flag propos ii the e n lint of this . What really alarming is that the gov- ernment not 0 in forward with its deal! but also has allowed to go on- cboeked the rumours it will im- poeo "closure" on Parliament

Most Canadians recall mu do of the tratlon which in 1966 imposed "closure" on Perl during Clem-“manhmnltbe pose that another leonl od- mlnielration will revert to this despotic procedure in the light of the evidence against the pro- peooi in question?

How mncllrsenor e National Pioblscile than the present ep-' preach by the rnment.

i am. . etc. ROBERT C. COMES. MP W

Home of Cannons Oftewe. ‘

THE VALUE OF BLOOD

Sir.— I would like to say a word on a subject in which each of us should be dehply in- lenestcd.

if am sure all of your readers must be appalled, as I am, at the increasing number of accl- dents— particularly those on our highways. Whether these ec- cidents are unavoidable, or an causéd by speeding, negligence or alcohol is not the mention in point The tact is they do hop-