111-1191: _..-_ THE GUARDIAN

Haul-p Dill) (Ienlled In llli) Author-Ind no leoeld Ollea lnil. Poet Ofloe y Department, Oitesrn. ,' The Inland Guardian nibllnhiep O0. ' ldiior and Managing Director. J. l. Iorneii. Anoelnta Editor. Frank Walker. "The Strongest Memory is Weaker Than

the Weakest Ink.“ CWOTTETOWN. Wm). MARCH so, 194s

Ilur llavy

The Royal Canadian Navy which achieved finch a creditable record during the wa-r, is deriving a great deal of unwelcome publicity from the series of "incidents" which have tak- en place aboard three of His Majesty's Canad- ian ships during the past few weeks. Besides arousing concern in the minds of the Canadian people, the publicity must be joyously noted by some who take pleasure in holding up evidence of our decadence and inherent weakness.

No matter what the cause, or how insignifi- cant the effect, it is the fervent wish of all Ca- nadians that there be no repetition of such un- desirable breaches of discipline.

It is worth noting that during the war, there were similar incidents in connection with the embarking of Air Force personnel for transport overseas. On two occasions the men walked off the ships beca-use of alleged unsatisfactory ac- comimodation,

Of the three services, the Army seems to have the best record although conditions under which they trained and fought were for worse than either of the other two. Also the Army had to accept a great many who could not get into the Navy or Airforce because of educational or medical standards. It may well be asked could the Navy or Alrforce maintain discipline under conditions which to them would be appalling. Soldiers both in training and in action have slept as a matter of course in rain soaked fields with only a ground sheet and blanket. Messed in the open with rain pouring into their tin plates and cups, they counted themselves lucky il they could use a barn or any temporary shel- ter. Food came in cani, opened with a bayonet

and eaten from the co Shelter from the enemy was a fox-hole. While ll services endured com- parable hardship, on-ly in the Army was it rou- tine.

Men joining the Navy today have high quali- fications. They are carefully screened, and in- clude men of the highest calibre from our uni- versities and high schools all eager to learn and share in the traditions of the silent ser- vice. They have given up the chance of good ‘jobs in agriculture, industry and the professions. Their early training has made them keenly aware of their rights under a democracy.

There have always been "gripes" and ample provision is made in naval regulations for the satisfactory airing and adjustment of grievan- ces. The time-tested regulation that orders must be obeyed first and complained about later in the service manner is a wise and just precau- tian, which if adhered to by the malcontents referred to, would have prevented the unsavoury reports now being spgead.

The rumour that the "incidents" were Com- munist-inspired appears to have little founda- tion. The men concerned are mostly newly enter- ed ratings and the trouble is more likely due to them having not yet put away the childish idea that if they "gang up on the teacher" they can get their own way.

Naval authority too mu'st share the respon- sibility in not thoroug-hly PE-QdUCOIIIIQ the re- cruit. Naval routine in peacetime must cer- tainly impress the new entries as being greatly wasteful, and their desire of progress and per- sonal accomplishment continually frustrated. Care should be taken that recruits thoroughly understand and are prepared to accept the tran- sition from individual freedom and enterprise to a necessary dictatorship where the rights of the individual are of secondary importance.

When the Chief of Staff orders.the Fleet to action, it is in the form of a peremptory cam- mand which must be unquestionably obeyed. Similarly when the Captain of one of the in- dividual ships issues an order, the required re- oponse must be forthcoming, It would be sad birsiness in either case, if otherwise ready, the sjperior authority had first to find out if it was convenient and in accordance with the wishes of his subordinates.

Naval warfare, in which the life of all may depend upon the action of one, demands hair- trigger obedience and a sense of duty above personal considerations.

Let us hope that the matter is well studied and productive of good.

Tunnel Through The Alps

Mont Blanc, crowning height of the Alps, I to have a hollow steel tube driven through Is heart. A great new tunnel is planned to secure uninterrupted road communication between Paris and Rome, and engineers will pierce the 16,000 foot high mountain at a height of 3,095 feet on the French side emerging on the Italian side at some 3,065 feet above sea level.

Judging from the experiences of the men who built three other tunnels, the Simplon l_l2 and a half miles long), the St. Gothard (nine and a half miles), and the Mont Cenis (seven and o half miles), the Montvllanc project will not be without its hazards, soys an_English ex- change. The Mont Cenis was the first of the great Alpine tunnels and xcavation was start- ed by manual labor in 1B5 . No machinery was introduced until four years later. During the con’- struction of the St. Gothard tunnel fliousands of human moles burrowed through the founda- tioniof the Alps in anoverage temperature of 1W. degrees fabrenheit.

. ' The Simplon tunnel, opened in I905, was less of a problem because of the great advan- ces made in engineering during the intervening yeoislAll the some, nature resented man's in- trlslon Underground with his diamond drills, his steel and hls dynamite. Without warning great ‘I of itioiii liot springs would deluge

v Iiig down and drowning many. all; and railing the tomperatiire of ’ an high that work often became impos-

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l, EDITORIAL N01 E8 l: ‘

Air casualties are unavoidable at times; but recently there seems to have been more than en- ough.

I i i

"Golgotha" is to be shown today at the Prince Edward, not Empire, Theatre as mentioned here yesterday. '

The Anglo-Indian regular air _mail and pass- enger air service inaugurated this date l929-the' first of its kind to be established. Since lol- Iowed by airlines between all ports of the world, a remarkable progress in 20 years.

O I

"In the fullness of Time" Tomorrow New- foundland automatically enters the Dominion, pnd everybody now is hoppy—a commendable achievement after generations of petty differen- ces which kept us apart. ’

The city of Saint John is going all out to make effective its new anti-smoke by-law. Per- haps with a lessening of the smoke nuisance that city's famous fog will also thin out a bit.

U I“ 5 Canada's decision to embark on a network of radar defences for major cities and other strategic points was probably unavoidable. The implications, in terms of control of flying are, nevertheless, staggering.’ i

The retirement of the Duke of Edinburgh from the Navy has greater significance than is generally realized. It ineans that though the operation on His Majesty has given temporary

relief, a cure is impossible. i i I

The Senate of the Presbyterian College, Montreal, have decided to confer the degree of Doctor of Divinity on Hon. Major John Foote, V.C, and the Very Rev. C. Ritchie Bell, B.A., B.D. at the annual Convocation ‘on April I9.

9f i

Indoor recreation in the City is now prac- tically at on end, both the Forum and the Curling Rink going into vacation after an un- usually successful season. Bowling and Forty- fives will have their own way, till the ball game opens out.

e w u

An innovation in an appendix to the Han- sard number containing the Budget Speech is a striking series of graphs illustrating trends in the national economy and in taxation. Finance Minister Abbott evide-ntly lends his support to the Hansard society in its efforts to. popularize the readingof the officfiialgeport.

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The N. S. Light and Power Company in Halifax has truly played the part af a good neighbour in refusing to sell its now obsolete tram cars to a Florida man who wanted to con- vert them into roadside hot dog stands. The company may lose money by scrapping the ancient vehicles but travellers will be spared many an eyesore. *

Over the Easter recess loud-speaking equip- ment is to be tried experimentally in the Com- mons chamber ‘in Ottawa. Considering the vio- Ience of recent interruptions, it would seem that the most important consideration should be the means of cutting off all microphones except that beingused by the Honourable Member having the floor.

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There are just two Bloc Populaire members in the House of Commons and they extinguish- ed themselves politically by voting against ap- proval of the Atlantic Pact. No one would con- sider them Communists, and certainly they are not claimed as Liberals, Conservatives, C.C.F.'s, Social Credit, or Liberal-Labour.

a ls

Queen Square School is to be congratulated on its effort in carrying on a successful mock parliament and in enlisting the aid of the Hon. Eugene Cullen, Speaker of the Legislature. Gen- erally speaking, educational groups do not make sufficient use of the aid o-f public men who, though busy, are usually glad ta give youth the benefit of their experience.

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The Royal Canadian Air Force celebrates its 25th. anniversary April Is}. In I919 the Gov- ernment ‘created a board for the control of aero- nautics. Under the National Defence Act, I922, the powers of the Air Board were vested in the Minister of National Defence. In I927 strength of the R.C.A.F. was 95 officers and 375 other ranks. Earlier, Canada's J.A.D. McCurdy, M.E. made the first aeroplane flight in the British Empire, Feb. 23, I909,*at *Baddeok Bay, S.

Timely warning has been given by Col. J. D. Stewart, convener of the Street Committee of tho City Council that several of our hard-sur- faced streets must be replaced, they now being practically unrepairoble. It must be evident to most people who use them that our thorough- fares are not a good advertisement of our City Council's progressiveness and efficiency. When the election is over, and the new assessment pol- icy is enforced the City Fathers should have more money at theiadispospl to do the needful.

Building new schools is a costly undertak- ing. The Board of Trustees of Sackville School District No. 9 will appl to the present session of the New Brunswick egislative Assembly for permission to borrow $675,000 for the purpose of erecting a new school in Sackville. Permis- sion was granted to the board to borrow $400,- 000 ,a few years ago but the board now feels that the building costs may exceed this amount. At a special meeting of the board a committee submitted recommendations which would scale down the plans for the million dollar school originally designed. The recommendations in- cluded the deletion of the west wing at a saving of qiproximately 900,000 and other modifica- tions amounting to a similar figure. It was‘ esti- mated lthat the maximum possible saving on the present plans and type of construction would be apptox 900W. With allowance for the grant of 20 per cent from the provincial govern- ment it was estimated that the. curtailed bulld- ing could not be built on the present plans at a

PUBLIC FORUM This column is open ie the discussion liy correspondents otauestlono of Internet. ‘Ilse Guardian does not personne- Ily endorse the [opinion of oorresfipdense. .

iQ-set-ce-nboetoeeéeem BUTTER PRICE!

Stir-Why ls It we have to psy

Prlnce Edward Island than In the other Provinces? In Quebec, where margarine ls strlclly< prohibited, the consumers are paying around 60 cents for butter. l-lefe a but- ter factory ln West. Prlnce wants 65 cents per lb. wholesale FOB factory. I am, Slr. etc, A CONSUMER.

Blocmfleid Station.

Second Look At The Budget

(Ottawa. Journal)

Illusta-atlve of current confused polltlcal thlnklng, of queer Ideas that have come to us about. the relation of the Indlvidusl to the State, are comments heard on the Government's budget. Hear and reading such comments one lght almost believe that. Mr. Abbott, re- duclng taxes by $368,000,000, had handed us that much money out. of hls own pocket. We are told that. Mr. Abbott. has "played Santa Claus," and he (or the Govern- ment) has “glven us" thIs, that o! the other thing.

Mr. Abbott has given us nothing. Nor has the Government. All Mr.

take away from us lees of o money. And Mr. Abbott is not. re- turnlng to us one cent. of the money he took from us needlessly and wrongfully 1n thei years 1948, 1947, and 1948. ~

Mr. Abbott's surplus this year Is $575,000,000. His surplus last year was $670,000,000. His surplus the year before that was $313,000,000. Thus In three years Mr. Abbott took from the publlc, through taxes, a total of 1,618 million dollars more than he needed.

Mr. Abbott, in 1946-47, could have made the tax reductions he mode yesterday and still have had a surplus of $5,000,000.

Mr. Abbott, In 1947-48, could have made the tax reductions ne made yesterday and stlll have had a surplus of $302,000,000.

Mr. Abbott, in 1948-49, could have made the lax reductions he made yesterday and still have had a surplus of $003,000,000. Therefore, Mr. Abbott, cutting taxes now far the purpose of wIn- nlng an election, ls not even mak- ing the "partial restllutlon" that. Mr. J. M. Macdonnell spake of. Mr. Abbott. ls giving back nothing. He is merely taking less.

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We are told that. Mr. Abbott; used the 1,602) mllllon dollars he took from us needlessly to reduce Canada's debt —- that the "net debl." has been cut. by 2,000 mlllIon dollars.

let's not be fooled by that. The true debt of Canada. ls not. the "net. debt." II; ls the funded debt. The debt on which we pay interest. That. funded debt now stands at the slaggerlng total of‘ 15,600 mil- llon dollars.

It. we want to discover what has been happenlng to Canada's debt, the way to flnd out ls to look at the amount. of interest we are paying on It. — Interest which must be raised by taxes. V 1946-47

Debt Interest In was $464,000,000. Debt Interest ln 1047-48 was $465,000,000.

Debt. Interest ln 1948-40 (esll- mated) was $63,000,000.

Thus the interest on‘ the debt. whlch we pay this year Ls $8,000,- 000 greater than what We paid a year ago, and only $1,000,000 less than we paid ln 1946-47.

That ls ‘the measure of Mr. Abbolfs reduction of debt. burden — the measure o." hls pravlslon "for a rainy any." ‘

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And speaking of provision for ralny days, It was only a few months ago just prlor to Annapolis - Dlgby and Nlcolet. - Yumaske -- that Mr. Abbott was telling us haw this was the thing he must. go on doing. It was s theory which he trotted out ln hls budget of Inst year. The theory that when tlmes were good It was the port of the government to tax for all It woo worth, so that somethlng might. be laid nsldo for a day when times would be less good - the “rulny day."

Where Is that theory now‘! Mr. Abbott. told us that. tlmos we:

to stay good through the comlng year. But Mr. Abbott, holding this belief, has quit. his job of providing for the bad days, stopped thinking of clouds and rein, rud- denly begun acting us though the sun would sl-ilne forever; thrown hls "cyclical budget" doctrine, so dear to the hearts of the planners, Into the mtewe river.

Perhaps just. es well. Because for all that Mr. Abbott provided for hls "rainy any," this despite

he taxed out of our pockets, his can make precious little difference. Mr. Abbott's provision for u “rainy dey" laying up for It - the while om! which

end which. more debi-bimien.

capitalised,

he t“ th ns mote-moi!!! In bn-Ingl pebcetlmb es In Ill- lns hlsh drummed love us oa Tuesday‘ was e politic-

IO percent. of

ul" uoeifin its worst sense;

subordinated to, the

cost to the town of loss than $000,000.

so much more for butter here on

Abbott has done '1: to decide to ~

good, end that he expected the _

all the" unnecessary money that abandonment of "cyclical budgets"

took the form o spending the money he‘we| lu ed to be

barking on other commitments became perrnelietli charges broulls _ Governments don't. provide for “Miny our" by ell i their es and‘ departments spend- ore -- by more lo

Jill, ‘a... mi mini u mam, wiui uiq word wouui- budget our-sin by, liid complain; °l if" ""0"!" ‘mmlf "W" ianuu-iu leer of losing the coming elsati- ‘

let's use? all... roserulsa!

- Notes i By.

Whoa n all: ip [rowing no feet ns Edmonton Is, few can rellst the , temptation to "guess" whet the population will be In five yelrl. or ten. Forecasts mode-by Norman D. Wilson, truffle expert of To- ronto, ln-‘hls report on the ETS. are therefore interesting and should " have a good deal of llinlficance,’ for on them he bnsechll recommenda- tions for Immediate and long-term planning. During the next flve years, Mr. Wllson Is confident that Edmonton wlll have e population of 165,000. He writes, "the city will certainly have 140,000 population In 1950, and most certainly 200.000, and not Impoaslbly 250,000, by 1960." — Edmonton Journal.

The City of Ottawa nude lslebory for Itself when en agreement was signed to add part of Nepeen tawn- shIp west of Ottawa to the Capital Itself. The territory involved II 7.420 acres and It now has e popu- lation of 20.000. Thla new addition Is hailed as a further step In the development of Greber’: plan for a national capitol, and Ix of Im- mense advantaze In planning and co-ordlnetlng new publlc services. sewers, water supply, hydro and trc slt facllltles for the people llv- Ing there. The rest of Canada will be Inclined to congratulate Ottawa an this forward move. It Is both a sign of progress and evidence that Canada's Capltal Clty Is moving

"r. v. _,

d3...

mom ‘fl-IALABA"

How beautiful the nlghll A dewey freshness fills the silent. Ill‘;

No mlst obscures. nor cloud. nor speck, nor stain.

Breaks the serene of Heaven". _ In full-orlfd glory. Wilder moon dlvlne

Rolls through the dark-blue depths; Beneath heir steady ray ' The desert circle spreads,

Like the round ocean. girdled wlth the sky.

How beautiful l-he night! -

-R.obert Southey.

Lenten, Meditations

The Timed, Insiders

SCIENCE AND PEACE

No one doubts the urgent need of a sound and enduring peace sct- tlemenl; in the words of the At- lantlc Charter, “a peace which wlll afford Io all nations the means of dwelling in safety within their own boundaries." In the earlier stages of its modern growth scl- ence was hailed as the bountiful giver of all things needful for mans earthly welfare. Its present application to the creation of lethal weapons of de- structlon has changed all that; too plainly It can bring death as well as llfe, How violently the atomic menace has shaken the seIf-confl- rlence of mankind in reflected In the recent. reports of three religious commissions In Brlialn and Am- erlcu: "The Eris of Atomic Pow- er", "The Church and the Atom". and "Atomic Warfare and the Christian Falfh." In vlew of the cosmic dangers to which humanity is now exposed these documents affirm the para- mount Chrlstlnn duty (as one of the reports says) "to exercise a redeeming and saving Influence In the chaos of conflicting nations." The Archbishop of York deals impressively with the some subject In the concludlnl chapter of hls re- cent Vlsltatlan Charge, “Watchman, What of the Nlzht?" There he urges upon the Church the (ask of wnrklnrr for “the restoration of the spiritual and religious foundations on which alone a new Europe can be firmly built." The following "Prayer of Atomlc Power," evldently suggested by re- cent rellglous studies of the atomic situation. expresses better than abstract aiscuaslo . the true Christ- Ian approach to the problem of peace: ‘i “Almlghty and merciful God, without whom all things hasten to destruction and fall Into nothing- ness: look, We beseech Thee. upon this Thy family of nntlons and men, to which Thou hast committed power In trust, that we may use It In loyalty to Thee for ‘our mutual health and comfort. Save us and help us, O Lord, lest we abuse Thy glft and make It our misery and ruin; drew all men unto Thee and one to nrrnlher In Thy If.‘ ydurn of truth and righteousness: uproot our rlvnlrles, heal our dlvislone, cast out our fears. and renew our feltli Iri thine unfailing purpose of good wlll and peace on earth, for the love of Jesus Christ our lard."