PAGE EQEZR

THE GUARDIAN

llornln] Dally (Founded la llli) author-mu aa flovund on." sun. Pool Offloo Department, Ott-avvi.

Tho Inland liuardlars rubllnhlna 0n. Idllor and llanalln; Dirac-tor. J ll. Burnofl- Arrarwlata Editor, Frank Walla:-

fTho Strongest Memory is Weaker Than T the Weakest ink."

CHABLOTTETOWW, THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 1049

g Retail Sales increase

‘l! ~li There was more thanjdouble as much money , , N; i apent last year in Canada's retail stores as in " 1941. The fact emerges from a survey of the

Dominion‘ Bureau of Statistics, which announces that the turnover of retail stores had a value of 9,276,400,000 in 1948, as com-pared with $3,436,- 000,000 in 1941. The previous peak was $6,562,- 9(X1,000 in 1947.

This $7,276,400,000 figure, the Bureau's re- port says, is really below the mark, because it only relates to those business concerns which op- erated steadily between 1941 and 1948, and docs not take into account the new firms which came into existence du-ring the period. lf it did, both the total for 1948 and the ratio of increase since 1941 would be considerably higher.

The retail sales by Provinces are given below

Io: 1941 and 1948:

Province 1941 1948 British Columbia S 309,600,000 $ 731,300,000 Alberto . . . . . . . . 221,100,000 519,200,000 Saskatchewan 185,900,000 459,200,000 Manitoba . . . . . 210,800,000 440,300,000 Ontario . . . . . . 1,407,000,000 2,887,880,000 Quebec . . . . . . . 818,700,000 1,697,200,000 Maritlmes . . . . . . 282,800,000 541,400,000

Increased prices must be reckoned with to get a correct picture of the volume of this re- tail trade, which of course has not expanded any- thing like 100 per cent since 1941, but is perhaps up 30 or 40 per cent. Even at that, these records mark distinct progress.

The Soviet Catfish

At a recent luncheon in New York Dr. Ar- mold Toynbee, noted English historian, warned th-at the "cold war" with Russia was something we would all have to live with a long time, and that we should seek to take a long view of iron- curtoin troubles. The thing to do with them was "to live with them with good nerves, ploy our cards right and have enough staying power." Tho Russians, he predicted, "by being there and worrying us, will cause us to do all kinds of things in our own way to change our way of life and improve it."

view tells how Dr. Toyn-bee illustrated his argu- ment. He knew a fisherman in En-gland, he said, who brought his catch of herring home olive from the fishing grounds in a trawler fitted with tanks. 1n every tank this fisherman kept a cat- wfish. Some of the other fishennen disapproved of the catfish idea. They considered it danger- ous and even subversive. Catfish, they could prove, were not llerrincratic in their ideology. Catfish, they argued, ate “herring. Catfish should not be at large in a well-conducted herring-tank; they should be removed and sent back where they came from. Mr. Toynbee’: friend the fisherman went right on keeping a catfish in every herring tank. iHo recognized the strength of his critics’ theoretical position but he had found by prac- tical experience that tho catfish paid. They ate oorno of the herring, he admitted it, but they kept the rest alert, active and in fine condition. That, to a man with a long view and good nerves, appears to be the function of Commun- ists in democracies. "Communism," Dr. Toyn- boo says, "is the catfish in tho western herring- taoldf ~

Federal Financing

In retrospect the present national budget oon be seen as an important turning poin-t in our financial and political history, says the Win- nipeg Free Press. 1t marks the abandonment, for the foreseeable future at least, of the cycli- ' cal budgeting theory. By that theory the nation was to accumulate surpluses of revenue over ex- penditure in good times and reduce debt so that, in bad times, it could afford to incu-r dc- ficits and increase debt. By this means excessive public purchasing power was lto be reduced in periods of inflation and increased during per- iods of deflation. Good times continue now, the national income is"at on all-time high". By the cyclical theory we should be accumulating large surpluses and reducing debt. But the present budget provides for no real surplus. The antici- pated surplus of $87 millions in the present yea-r is insignificant and may not be achieved. Tho Government has laid down a military programme which will cost $375 millions this year and $572 millions next year. The increase in this one item alone is calculated to wipe out any surplus in 19S0 and perhaps involve o deficit, unless the mtional income, and hence the yield of present rtdx rates, increases sharply. in other words, the short period of large surpluses, the fashion Jar oxpondod government spending, the elbow which we havo onioyod recently has poss- Frorn now on any significant increase in be paid for by higher taxes, un- to incur further debt. We are

Judith Robinson in the Port Erie Times-Re- '

*1

is for larger expenditure, and expenditure is growing almost everywhere, through tho threo wings of government. For tho taxpayer no hope appears here.

There is the further fact that as ono of the only two prosperous members of the Atlantic Pact Canada is compelled in honour and in self- interest to embark on military expenditures which have not reached their peak by any means. Next year's military budget of over half a billion dollars (more than the Federal Govern- ment spent altogether before the war) is only a sample of the bills to come. When the United States Congress proposes to raise its military budget even beyond the President's fixed limit, and this or; top of the Marshall Plan and the cost of re-arming Europe, we can see what lies c-heod of the Atlantic community if it is to de- fend itself.

LI EDITORIAL NOTES/Q

The Mutiny of the Bounty this date 1789.

Both the Progressive Conservatives and the CCFs now enroll members of their prospective organizations.

Five years or s; frbm ‘now we should have quite a num-ber of good speakers of both sexes, e-ble to hold choir own in discussions on public

affairs.

Q l i

S. James Church members are to consider plans for the re-m-odelling internally of their hall on Fitzroy Street to make it more convenient for congregational purposes. I i I At one time new paint and the core of one’: premises were an indication of what profits had been earned. Today they are a better guide to what profits may be expected. I Q i

The big stick policy seems to have been suc- cessful in dealing with Russia's Berlin blockade. When the time comes for negotiation, the corol- l-arory to ‘that policyis t: speak softly.

Since the visits of the Prime Minister and the Rt. Hon. Trade Minister Howe to the West the unemployment situation has improved we are told by Canadian Press. Naturally so on the eve of an election. V I U I

‘Parking meters have not met with success in the Ontario’ town of Hanover. A special dele- gation of businessmen complained that the met- ers were detrimental to trade, which had fallen of-f sharply since theitrial ipsriod began.

The American Society of Newspaper Editors was recently warned of a world-wide tendency toward official secrecy. "Our duty", they wore told, is to "act as the eyes of the public and to keep the eternal spotlight of publicity on all ser- vants of the people T iirclriding the military.

1t is o sound principle to give people credit for acting from the best motives, but tax outs, exchange concessions and old age pension in- creases all happening immediately before elec- tion inevita-bly suggests that not their merits but their popularity was decisive;

The ‘Narth-umberland Ferries resume their service between “here and Caribou Sunday, which is o sure sign Spring is just "round the corner", It would ‘have been highly satisfactory had‘ inti- motion that a third steamer would be available to join the Dunning and Prince Nova, but no such luck. Neither is there any indication that an aux- iliory Ca-r Ferry will be gvailoble at Borden.

A speed-up in plans for a 20 per cent in- crease in Britain's grassland yield was announc- ed'recently by the Committee on Industrial Pero- d-uctivity. The success of this scheme which in- volves an increase of capacity for producing ni- trogenous fertilisers, will mean a saving to Brit- ain of at least $160 million in dollar imports yearly and the feeding of on extra four million people on ‘home produce.

f fi

The Commonwealth Conference of Prime Ministers, and our Minister of External Affairs, in London have reached a satisfactory conclusion lo their deliberations, which includes leaving the door open to professed republican stortesto remain in or get out- of the Commonwealth over which the King is the constitutional ruler. Thus is free- dom expanded and democracy sustained. The Commonwealth is not breaking up; it is becom- ing more and more yitai agd assured.

John Gioever, of Norway, one of the leode . of the ioin-t Antarctic expedition being undertak- en by Britain, Norway ond Sweden, visited Brit- ain recently to ioqsect the part of the equipment being supplied by the United Kingdom manufact- urers. On his return he declared that he was "overwhelmed" by Britain's achievements in the field of Polar equipment, particularly in the use of new materials like plastic and nylon. He was particularly impressed by some sledge-runners with plastic base which con hardly be worn out and con run on any type of snow. Britain has also mode a new Pemmicon in block form which, as Gioever says "will solve the food problem in a revolutionary way." .

- I C I

Signor Benito Mussolini, Italy's ono-timo dictator- died this dots 1945. Known as l! Duce (Tho Loader), ho was from July 29, 1883, and was in office as Prime Minister until July 21, 1943, whorl tho Fascist regime was abolished. Ho was captured by Italian partisans whilo ottompt- ing to escqn n‘. Swiss frontier and put to death. Fascism stood originally for a notional anti-Corn- munist movement, and culminated in dictatorship. Tho homo was dorivod from tho fascos, bundlos of rods, with axe in contra carried lroforo high magistrates in ancient Rom o‘: a symbol of an- tlrorily, and woro intended to symbolize llro growth of the movement in bands and groups. Tho uni- form contained a block shirt, which was imitated in other countries, including England and Quo- boc but lit rroillror instance was tho movornont

Orr attended with any significant dogroo of popular

rne_r_c_qnnnrnr~t._cnnar.orrar;oyyu

4-?

i éoefiémez

I never cared for Life: Life cared for me, ~

And hence I owe 1t some ftdellty. It. now says, “Coue; at length thou has learnt. to grind Bufflcteatd toil for on unwilling

min g And I diam-ls: thee — not. without

regard ~~ That thou dldst ask no ill-advised reward, Nor sought tn me much more than thou oouldet find."

-Thomas Hardy.

Old Charlottetown (All! P. I. L)

MABBIAGBS MADE VALID

The question of the validity of marriages performed in the early days of Island settlement was. in

January 3, 1826, "a subject hlthlr- to not altogether unembnrracsed with difficulties." These difficul- ties were solved at one bold stroke of the Colonial Legislature by an Act which the Gazette hailed as merltlng "entire approbation. be- ln: founded on reason and ex- pediency and with just views of the equal right! of all cltlzenl tn n state calling itself free." The measure provided:

"That all Marriages which have heretofore been eoiemnlzed within this Island by any Clergymnn, or Minister of the Gospel officiating as such, or any Justice of the Pence or any lay Person, either by virtue of license from any Governor, Lieutenant Governor, or other Com- mander 1n Chief of this Island. or by Publication of Bnnns, or other- wise, where |uch.Marr1ogec have been colemnlzed tn the presence of one or more credible witnesses, and when the parties so married have cohablted together, shall be, and the some are hereby declared law- ful and valid, and the lssue of e11 such marriages are hereby made legitimate to all intents and pur- poses whatsoever."

Another Act published 1n the some issue of the Gazette received no editorial notice, though lt de- served come. It. repealed n old iniquitous statute declnrln that “Baptism of Slaves shall not: ox- empt them from Bondage," and pro- claimed "the abolition of Slavery for ever hereafter in this Colony.”

NewGermanOccupetion Statute Based On Evolutionary Principles

(W.N. Diver)

Constitution making In Western Germany has run ln-to trouble. The “party” clash of Social Dem- ocrats and Christian‘ Democrats has become mingled with the Ls- 511g which faces the makers 0f nnY Itoaerel constitution. How much power shall be given to the cen- tral authority, and 110w much to the constituent states? The Chris- tlnn Democrats are for wide free- dom for the states; the Social Democrats for a closer unifica- tlon. And, unfortunately, this again her become confused with the tn- slsfonce of the Allied Military Governors on certain recommend- ations tn the draft of the constit- ution produced at Bonn.

The ortsls 1s eerlour and the way out. not yet clear. But it should be noted that. basically the dtspute 1s an internal German one. It 1x only Indirectly connect- ed with the new “Occupation Btu- tute" much defines the future re- lotions of Gemmn and Allied authorities.

That Statute has had, on the whole, a favourable reception from the Germans; of course with the exception of the Communists, who see In 1t. as tn almost everything, a dastardly plot against. the Sov- let Union.

An unfavourable reception would have been indeed a disturbing syrrnptorm. For the new Statute completely transforms the rela- tionship of the Allied authorities and the Gemran authorities.

O O C

Until now, the Alited Military Governments set up 1n 1045 have been the only legal authority. All power has been 1n their hands. Such German administrative, leg- islative and judicial organisations u exist have been created by. and have restrained responsible to, tho the Military Governors. They have been organs of the Alleld M111!- ary Governments which have ex- ercised supremo and unlimited powers.

This 1s now. to be entirely changed. In form, "supreme auth- ority” 1e still vested in the Brit- ish, American and Itenoh Gov- ernmentl. But tn fact. it. will tn moat. matters be transferred oom- pletely to the German organs of Government which will be act up under-‘the new "basic lerw".

"Th, Federal note and partia- lpattng Leander (constituent atom) stall have, abject only to the llautntone of this lmtrurr/nt. full legislative, executive and 1nd- icfaf powers." _

It 1a true that. on paper the limitations ore still considerable. The Allied High Commission will tlov. the rfeht to veto any logis- latlon passed elthlrby the Fod- oral lfillllllllfe or by tho Prav- lnclal Legislatures. There 1| a list of "reserved"

It that ls “essential, if“ security or

to reserve. Govern-

rnon tn. . " Ill all this i! moans Jnal

- as 1| Indood- 1- tho aarr

tllllto ls experimental. ‘rho Woot- era Got-mans no beta: put to tho

. ‘WPQT?! .. _ -

nenrmtyfouryosrsafterttroono

the words of the Royal Gazette of ' l

ONCE AT THE BOTTOM AS Poorztx PAlD SCHOOLTEACHER "rrriw

PROl/ING it can es 0on2 -

EFFORTS. HAS RISEN TO BECD TO SAY NOTlIlNC OF ‘SECR-E-TARYJREASURGR ND PREMICR»

Profoaaor Harold IAIH, a Brlflals radical visiting the United States. has word that two addressee he was to have given before the University of California have been cancelled. Perhaps this trr a sign of the times —nn indication that universities are camln: to n sharper understanding of their responsibility. -—- Ottawa Journal. '

Moat frequent cause of fire 1n hospitals and other public institu- tions is unregulated smoking. Patt- ente in bed and male attendants 1n the course of their dutlee smoke at all hours of the day and night. In some of the older buildings and wards, especially, this constitutes a hazard which none cnrr gntnsay. Surgical patients, lacking ‘full can. trot of arm and bodily movements, are permitted to light matches in bed. PBTHWIW close to sheets and papers, and smoke at will. This despite the fact. that they may be dmw‘? Wm‘ IIWD or eedativemnnd liable to lose consciousness while gmliklflk. —- Vancouver News-Her-

lf surely la a remarkable fact that in spite of the tremendous casual. tloa of war and the outflow of emf- tratlon to other lands, the pupulg. tlon of Great Britain he; hemmed by 2350.000 since 1939. It lg eerl. mated that the present population of the United Kinzdom i; 50 m“- lion. One factor accounting for same of that increase, of course, 1s t e influx of thousands of refugees

Me Mrnrsrea or EDUCATION,

of the war and of the Nazi reg- ime, they are being given a chance to prove themselves capable of Democratic zeif- Government, If they seize the chance, 1f their new Government functions and devel- ops democratically, then the “lim- ftatlons" will not have to be used. Even 1n the "restricted fields" the Genrrran Governments (Federal and State) are to be allowed to oper- ate with the prior consent of the High Commission. And it 1c cer- tainly not. intended that this oon- cent shall be unTOHBOIlEDJY with- held.

For tho most pert, indeed, the powers which the Allies rem1n~ are emergency powers. They need not. be used unless the Germans wil- fully create an emergency.

The functions of the Allied con- f-wl will. during the remainder of the period of occupaffon, be lim- ited to securing the essential pur- poses of the occupation.

0.0

Thus, purposes are 1n brief: to prevent. any German rearme- meat or the remeatton either of military forces or of a dangerous ‘military potential" 1n the Germ- an economy; and to prevent any revival of Nazism or any trend towards the establishment of a totalitarian system.

Such controls are still essential. and must be until the new West- ern German democracy has prov- ed itself genuinely Democratic. genuinely peaceful, and reliably stable. But subject to them, West- ern Germany ts now to “enjoy self-Government to the maximum possible degree".

The Idea is an evolutionary one: and it may be noted that the me- thod ls based upon those which have been very successfully em- ployed durtng the evolution of the British Commonwealth.

Already the evolutionary process has gone further and faster than seemed likely 1n I945. Then the Military Govemrnents took over the administration o1 the country down t0 the smallest detail of the arena. They had no alterna- tive. For the whole German ad- ministrative machinery had col- lapsed with the collapse of the Nazi system. Allied officials had to exercise authority and accept responsibility for everything; for the alternative would have been quite literally anarchy. It was the devoted work of hundreds of Al- lied soldiers and Military Govern- ment ‘officials which in those chaotic days saved Gennnny from final collapse. The Germans should occasionally remember that. perhaps even be grateful to en "enemy" which did this for them.

O I I

Gradually - tr was by no means easy -- the Germans were induc- ed to share 1n the work and to accept responsibility. Selected lo- cal councils - parish, district, mruutclpal, finally provincial were created. Allied administra- tion became on these levels more and more indirect: supervision re.- ther than administration. More and more Germans were moolnted 1n various ways with" the work of the none! Military Govemmentr. It when all been 1n aocordenoe with the general policy of not only permitting but encouraging, at time: almost. compelling. the ev- olutlon from dictatorship to oelf- Government. And the new Statute linked wtth the new constitution marks a fur- ther and cry b1: atop 1n that ev- olution {can only be rightly un- derstood andaoproolatod tn that. context. It u not the final step. The pro- cess 1s to continue. That. ll, 1n- deed. Ipeolftcally ma dorm u. the Statute. After 1t has been tn oper- ation for a year tho Allies will ox- emine its working "with l. view to extending the Jurisdiction of the German authorities 1n the legtrlcctvevoxecuttvo and Judicial fields". . How rapidly tho remaining stages of the evolution will be pmeo through n u not. oaay to for-one; It now depends mainly on tho German’ NOD10 .,and their Isadora: on burr thy use the op- portunities normal to them

-ro1at1an to the Progressive cm-