PAGE FOUR TllEA ciiiiriiorrcrowii ouiiioiiii

I Iornliig Dally (Founded In 1881) Ailth ‘ " u Second Class Mall, Polt Ofllao Department. 0ttawu._ _ Pffillllfllll-l ‘II!!! A. Burnett; Vice-President, Wm. R. Burnett; bevy-Trolls" G. M. Burnett; Editor and Managing Director, J. R. Burnett; Associate Editor. Frank Walker.

“The Strongest Memory is Weaker Than ilie Weakest Ink.”

FRIDAY. MARCH 23. 1917

Decadent " Oratory

‘ ‘ The debates in the Legislature so for have indicated the Government is woefully deficient in oratory or even plain wholesome speech-mak- mg dealing with the work of the departments past, present and future. In former days, a great deal was expect-ed, for instance, of the Minister of Public Works, hood of the principal Spending department, whose duty it is to give the Legislature and the electorate a comprehensive review of his labours and the money he has been entrusted to handle. The Hon. Mr. Barbour failed miserably to risa to the occasion on Wed- nesday; indeed, his remarks for a great part consisted of pettifogging political propaganda and a minimum of practical information re- garding the Government's past labours and programme far the year we are about to enter. Owing to the new arrangement for publishing reports a year behind time the members are at ii great disadvantage in the fulfilment of their prime duty of keeping o watchful eye on in- tome and expenditure, and unless the Minister giv-es a full and illuminating review of his lab- ours, and outlines what may be expected of him in the new year, the legislators might as well save time and money by staying"at home, and hoping that everything will turn out all right without Legislative supervision.

Proposod Express Rats Boost

As previously noted in these columns, the Railway Express Organization has made cip- plicatiorofor an increase in their competitive truck rates to the same extent as any increase in freight rates granted to the railways. Not much had previously been said about this. The application hcd not even been set down for hearing, when Mr. C. N. Ham, traffic manager of the Canadian Pacific Express Company, men- tioned it in his evidence.

At once, says the Winnipeg Free Press, railway counsel began to press that the ex- press application shouldgbe determined simul- taneously with the railway application. Mr. S. B. Brown,_ who is appearing for the Canadian Manufacturers Association in the case, rose and recalledthat the association had asked for a list of the tariffs of truck competitive express rates that would be involved in the express com- ponies’ application. No reply to the associa- tion's request had yet been received. Mr. F. C. S. Evans, K.C., counsel for the Canadian Pacific Railway, acknowledged that the responsibility for not answering the request must fall on his shoulders. "ln tltc stress of other matters I overlooked it but we will do it now," Mr. Evans remarked.

It is, of course, understandable 0nd nat- ural thnt certain dctails_will slip the minds of the railway representatives in their formidable task. No one would blame them unduly for that. But under such circumstances they should be the last people to urge haste in the proceed- in s.

"Under the circumstances," says the Free Press, "it was disquieting to counsel for the provinces that Assistant Chief Commissioner Hugh Wardrope appeared to have caught the railways’ feverish mentality. He expressed the view that the case should be pressed forward as fast os possible, as though there was some com- pelling reason for haste. The irrgeri‘ necessity in this case in the view of provincial counsel, is not for spcedy action but for ~a little calm re- flection on the part of the railways, on the port of the board and on the part of the Dominion Government."

Economy Bluff Exploded

Few propaganda balloons havi: been brought to earth quite so quickly as the King Govern- mant’: recent statement that the main spending estimates srbnlitted to Parliament for the coming year had been cut by $906,000,000, Hon. Mr. Bracken fircd just c-ne single blast at the statement. It cxplcclcrl it with q bung which the headlinas of the daily press echoed almost notion-wide.

The Progressive Conservative leader landed his shot directly on the one pertinent fact which the Government seems to have hoped would be overlooked. That was that during the coming year $9l8,000,000 was going to be saved simply as a result of non-recurring costs of the late war rind demobilization, but that the Govern- mom's planned over-all saving was only $906,- 000,000.

In other words, instead of being the proof of the Government's administrative efficiency onJ economy, the $905,000,000 cut dos exactly thc reverse. It should have been $918,000,000 at ‘he very minimum. That it was $2,000,000 less showcd clearly if discouragingly that ex- travagance in the routine non-war departments of Government still is on the climb.

lt is now apparent that the main esti- mates for the coming year which have been laid before Parliament reflect no policy of economy whatever in normal past-war Government costs. Instead, they suggcst the very opposite. No less than I7 main branches of Government are having their budgets increased far I947-’l8. Only ll are having to tighten their purse- strings. And those cl:vcn Yniiinly are branches which had their activities so heavily swollen by tho. war that they iiist can't be maintained on tlia some scale in peacetime.

Mr. Brock-an is insistent that the taxpayer must got the benefit of the automatic saving In the form of a cut in his tax payments. He

I Million of aria-third In the

rato of taxation as the minimum to which tho taxpayer is entitled in the light of the lowered peacetime scale of Government expenditures. Mr. Bracken is careful to point out that the fig- urc of one-third falls substantially short of the reduction to which the public should really be entitled at the present time. .lf the Government would practise real economy and administrative efficiency, he emphasized, a considerably great- er cut would be possible.

P- EDITURIAL NUIES .-.

The Easter Roast will be in order after all, and without coupons. Looks like a Fall elec- tion. '

Q

Our worthy Senators admit thcy do some- thing for their $6,000 pcr session. Thcy sit, and are bored, on committees.

s .. o

w w o

It is loo bad that eternal questioning in the House of Commons should bring our Prov- ince and its transportation difficulties into contempt.

o iii a a

So Nova Scotia has got a small share in the British potato purchase. See what it is to have a by-election pending.

i I i I

Evidently this Province has no items in- cluded in the supplementary estimates, totalling $55,839,SIZ for the current year,,_or for $6,- I00,000_ for 1947-48. So that public works here are to be at a minimum.

Q * i i

The City has many welcome visitors from outlying districts in the members of the Anglican Diocesan Church Society and the Women's Aux- iliory, holding meetings and celebrations at both St. Peter's and St.‘Polil's.

I i

They are all doing it—in the Maritime: anyway, boosting the taxes. New Brunswick has followed Nova Scotia's example, and, of course, we here under Premier Jones‘ dictatorship, have to pay and look as pleasant as we can under the circumstances.

We trust all our readers read the remarks of Miss Blanchard at the grocers’ meeting in the City Hall, reported in yesterday's issue. It shows how efficiently and effectively o lady can contribute to a discussion on a subiect in which she is keenly interested. ’

Britain, with the possible exception of Deli- mark and Sweden, is the best-fed country iii Europe, Food Minister Strachey said at a press conference in Manchester. Denying a recent allegation by Opposition Leader Winston Church- ill that certain liberated countries, were better fed than Britain, Strachey said: "He is misin- formed." At a civic luncheon, however, the Food Minister admitted that he could give only a "sombre background" on the food picture.

A‘ I I I

So even our war veteran civil servants are mere "hirelings" of Mr. J. Walter Jones, Premier, who fought in neither the First nor Second Great Wars, but profitted agriculturally in both. A hireling is a mercenary in military language—-one who sells his services to any country. Now we know what Mr. Jones thinks of war veterans in government employment-not as patriots but mercenaries whom he can treat with contempt.

A . w .

Six candidates have been flomlnfllefl for the Montreal-Cartier Federal by-elec- tions where voting will take place next Monday for a successor to Fred Rose, Labor-Progres- sive, whats serving a six-year penitentiary term for espionage activity. When nominations closed qt 2 p. in. these candidates’ names were re- ported: Michael Buhay, Labor-Progressive; _L. M. Gingros, Independent; Maurice Hartt, Lib- eral," Paul Mossc, Autonomist and anti-Com- munist; Dave Rochon, Independent Liberal; Louis Valiquette, lpdependeiit.

Britain declared war on Russia this date, I854, Russia had proposed to Britain division of the territories of Turkey, "the sick mull 0f Europe", and seized Moldavia and Wallochia. Britain and France protested, and when Rus- sia remained obdurate, both declared war and sent their fleets to Turkey's assistance. The outcome was the defeat of Russia 0nd I161’ undertaking to restore conquests and to engage to build no arsenals and to have no warships in the Black Sea. lt is to get out of this obli- gotion that the Soviets are opposing the Brit- ish and United States policy regarding Turkey and Greece today.‘

w o

With production steadily increasing and the manufacturers predicting that unprecedented numbers of automobiles will be rolling off the assembly lines soon, the Canadian National Railways announce the placing of an 0rd" f0! the construction of 500 new all-steel automobile cars. They will be built by the Canadian Car and Foundry Company at Montreal. While the car will be only six inches higher than previous oi-es of this type, with a new loading arrange- ment, the extra height will permit the carrying of four automobiles instead. of ll"! W159i" three. Tile doors will be larger, nine feet. eight inches high by I5 feet wide, and will be stag- gered to permit fgste: leading and unloading.

Senator Hugeson, Treasurer of the Liberal Pcrty, and a leading Montreal corporation lawyer, agrees with Senator Sinclair, that tho admission of oleomargarine is pretty much of a foregone conclusion, because at an interna- tic-nal trade convention to be held in April in Geneva one of the items to be discussed is a proposal that no country b: permitted to pro- hibit the importation of a product of another country. ll that became international low, then wc could be flocded with manufactures of till kinds from across the border and elsewhere at cut-throat priczs, and then our sons would have to emigrate for employment in tho large in- dustrial centres. In the case of margarine.

of course, our end could be served by imposing an all but proliiitivo moons duty.

K

i

, perimell-l virus

‘FHE CHARLOTTETUWN GUARDIAN

llotos By Tlio Way

_ Canadian youth was “never so insolcilt and so defiant." according lo an official report. The authors, nalllffllll’. have nin exhaustive first- llaizl-d knowledge of the behavlm- of Cnnadlail youth l-ll- 1647. l747,lind 1M7. - ‘Ibirointo Globe ondMall.

David Bowea-Lyol. brother of Queen Elllzabeih, arrived last week and was asked by a reporter: “How does it. feel to have a sister who ls n queen?" Ha replied: “A slstei-‘s ii

sister oven though she is the Queen." —- Leonard Lyons in New York Post.

Why this weather? Whyr was such u "Nllllff inflicted p.11 11!? There are iwo schools of tlloilgllt. Modenlrs so)’ it's all iliie to the atom bolllbs or IIITOF-lllllla, Nagasaki, and the Bik- iiil Atoll. The tremendous force of ilicse bombs, they say, upset atmospheric conicliticim the wol- round so thnt hardly a spat on thq faoi- of the srlcbo hut van point. txy some uiziusual weather phenomenon ihLs WllllPl‘ season. ’I‘hen there‘: thp old school. Proponents tell about the warnings of the estmnomlslp who suggest the sunspot; have been intense the past couple of year. working up to the forty-yearl- cyc e of extreme weather conditions. - Lelhbrldge Herald.

Ans a road safety measure. the e - mode in Glrisl<£v ‘lnlo time ago of cutting out l E umber light on the ollatlge fr red to green in the automate traffic signals. The experiment lips been so successful that the i118 - ways and plariining committee p! ilie town council have decided to recommend to the ministry of traff- port its general use throughout t e country. The Glassow exoerlmegt- carried. out during M18 DB5! X months at a. number of the builmlss crossings in the oil)? “a4 m?" successful in reducing the 111111111191‘ or r0114 accidents. - Eclinbiu-gli Scotsman.

Detectives, with the assistance 0f Scotland Yard, have tracked dropn 3,000 rare specimens of butterflBS after investigations which began 1n Degpnlber avid which neccsslln d IILQIILTIES ln the Oommorrvvca 1h New Zealimd. the United Sliallisr and finally England. InvestlBBll-QM were commenced when 600 5W0‘ linens of rare Ausilrallan but - flies use ulna-rowed 1mm ° Geqfge Lyell collection in MP1- bowne Museum. Adelaide Mil-FM!" then discovered that 1T10Te Hum ° valuable specimens had been $101 and bhe Australian Museum at sydngy reported that; 1.500 lure butterflies had disappeared- Lorldori Times.

may“ whereby the Monarch show- ed himself to his people have bee" Tegmded as 3.1;» indispensable wmpnry Lo a royal coronation. 11nd lll this sense, despite Llie 1011K lnlmj vre-lvtioii of war. The“ Maalesllas VISiL to South Africa ls a continuat- ion of the majestic 931115305!" <11 ineu- crowning. says The 1011M“ Telegraph, If - further antique precedent. were needed, it was ti“! practice of our earlier lanes l0 PW‘ grass through the realm, affording 10 their subjects oimmmlllv °Y access to onen- presence. thong-h the grand ltlmisary upon which the Klnl and Queen and the Princesses set our. rel-ally would NW6 Bfilf-tlllshf-‘d their pi-‘ipatellc iaroxlecessor. Q1199“ Elizrbelh. who deemed 1i iii-ow W otter ttia-ruks for her preservation through the perils of a. JOWMY l‘) Bristol.

Parliament will d0 miicii for r1"! menial Iieallli 0f this nation l. 1b insist; m1 the Finance Ml-Yll-‘tlel’ inking n, loaf-literally a leaf - out of the income W‘ ‘Mm. °f both Grciit Brltotil and the United Slates. 'I‘i1e 10mm‘ Bill-Tinted "l" “ glngle war-year by the use o! n simplified form 11.0 blazer 1111111 _'* half-sheaf. of flOl/fiPflWT- the W111“ alent of ‘five blllioin dollars. The latter did nearly 8-! We“ l-‘Tl pm‘ portion, by tlle use of a_ single Sheet of greater size but little 811119! complexity. To 118F003! 00W":

In sooth, the sorrow o!

way;

I5 not to be expressed?

Since mind ion-id pocket tn a

maze _

Arc both alike distressed. ‘ H

n, “m1 to be Said ihni. in l e lwo thillis were lfl-QSCEFB-ble '* lax‘ rition Bl d CICBI-ll. Bill Wllly U55 l9 one to l asteol the other? - OMB“!

Citizen.

Time; ‘may be troubled. and film‘ outlook uncertain. Bur. one Illhlls .1311 of returnliu; "Wmakyfl “_ made its appellant” 5“ “F” Louder says he have: 1° mtlmtm‘ other-wild floral SIBWW?“ When oine remembers that Huffy * il-ow 76 thi- statement 80W"! f“ ln-ililfcstatlml ct‘ the spirit that an iiliilcs the P709"? of lhe “Tlght Little Isle.’ The i-ismiz ircnemm of Co-:".1idlanii_ may 11°" mm Harry Lauder. Thatds their lost»; The little “rill- Widle’ ‘W’ ‘I'm ‘lil-s musical career Ln a small hall in Arbroath had an 111190110115 quality that made P°°Pl° all ‘in: the world laiizh and sins W11“ l‘ - He was as popular on this lldb °F the water as ln- lilo homeland. "l0 won applause from Bnallfih l/lldlm‘ ces, who do not always unified!" .1119 pgrwky Ecots humor. Hie hi! 80ml? of the characteristics Selma“? attributed to the Scot. besides d6- votlon lo son! WW0 W111i- cnu- l“ riiu city he tc-ld a reporter "wt- ti" moat important. book w: i-he bank- book and that. he oollld tell a WWW man’; character by glamlrg tin-ouch his bank-book. His fellow Ecot. Andrew Corncgle helped ltllfl “We” 11L; earnings in a nritflflttr lllll B!" hlm an assurance c! security-ll ll" income tax hasn't. tilt tco hard. Although lie was a lauxhlnlr Dllll- c-ropher m lheietage trvgedy touch- ed him. l-lls flflly arm Wu klllod l“