__¢. _, 14.* __ ,gf E. _ _ .-1. U ~~iij 18 ~;-_ ...- 521- ? -f' 'Il- 5' er . M. ~ , 2 I e i i 1 _ . .if 4; 1.....-.~1.<_>~ 1 Q _ O I . i » 1 v e' r -`l_ .2 ' -gf: li _ Q; 1 _ rl, r "-15 , imigiiu ._ ,...` A. . _in -,la __ .1 l \ \ ‘ _ _ -_ _ - --- .~_» 1 1 THE CHARLOTTETOWN GUARDIAN ‘ - ” . - 1 "- =.- >",.~ ~ NovE1u_BER`_e, '1,_91,s._; __ '_ ' llillllirhollituvni lliarliiin im-_i -1- lleo¢0flleoet¢harld.uto\vi\,lr¢»iiti0llo¢ne!lua»- lnfllde. Atherton. lourln and lentogih. Monvav, Noveunzn 6, 1916. -_-:_~_,~:::: 4;- _ _ V:_-::.1-:-1*_*-‘J-'f-“-A-'J-'-“~“-'ff-`:¢~'-'-1'-`-`~"`f~'~'~ ~~~~~~~~~ ` :"""":"* _ ouii rim hoes _mr ' In view of the almost prohibitive price to which, 'coal has climbed within the past two years, the Clllfelll number of the joumal of the Canadian Peat Society gives some timely information relative to the peat de- posits scattered- over Canada. An idea of the extent and value of these deposits may be had ll'0lll lll€ statement that seven bogs in the Montreal district could furnish that city with 23,500,000 tons of fuel; Five bogs convenient to the city of Quebec by water are estimated to be capable of 'supplying 16,250,000 toiis of fuel and 5,750,000 tons of litter; Nova Scotia bogs in Yarmouth, Shelburne and Lunenburg Coun- ties will produce 6,250,000 tons of fuel and 500,000 tons of peat litter; six bogs investigated in Prince Edward Island can fumish 1,250,000 tons of fuel and over 1,000,000 tons of litter. The peat bogs investigated in Prince Edward Island are situated at Black Marsh, Portage, Mis- couche, Muddy Creek, Mount Stewart, Black Banks and Mermaid. These are treated separately in bulle- tin eleven issued by the Mine’s Branch of the Depart- ment of Mines. The bulletins are profusely illustra- ted and contain among other things plates illustrative of the botany of the bogs. Inset maps show the lo- cation of the bogs investigated, also appendices are given with copies of Canadian patents descriptive of machinery for the handling and manufacture of peat fuel. With these enormous quantities of fuel lying un- touched all over Canada, coal six to twelve dollars a ton, and the ingenuity of the Empire working over- time to develop our natural resources the time should not be far distant when our peat bogs are compelled to give up their latent wealth for man’s necessities. Development work has been in progress for some years past in the direction of utilizing our peat de- posits and much has been accomplished. Just before the outbreak of the war several 'companies were or- ganized in Optario to develop peat bogs but unfortu- nately the tying up of capital incident to the war cut off most of the enterprises and but little effective work has been accomplished. Sufficient has been done how' eve; to demonstrate the value of peat as fuel. At Al- fred, a place favourably located with regard to Ottawa and Montreal markets, peat fuel was sold last year at $3.50 per ton f. 0. b. Alfred or $5.75 per toii delivered iii Ottawa. About 900 tons were manufactured. No doubt further development work will be carried on now under pressure of present coal prices. In the meantime pear bogs are being utilized very profitably in many places- inthe production of blueberries and cranberries. In New Jersey, according to a bulletin, recently issued by the United States Department of Agriculture (bulletin 334) experiments have been iii progress for some years with a view to the commer- cial growing of blueberries in field plantations. A plantation of about two and a half acres was started in 1889 in a natural blueberry bog which was drained and set with unselected wild blueberries. The plan- tation was profitable from the first. For five years the average yield was 2,000 quarts of fruit per acre, yielding at an average price of 14 cents an annual pro- 'fit of $137 per acre. We have in this province many acres of peat bog which pending the manufacture of peat into fuel might very profitably be used for the cultivation of blueberries or cranberries, the latter having been cul- tivated most successfully for many years, notably at Muddy Creek. _ Blueberry culture has not, so far as we know, been attempted. With a promise of a yield of $100 or more per acre this undeveloped natural re- source should receive some attention. `t - .-1 .if )°( ,___ A MAN UF HIS won” In a well-intentioned but far from satisfactory at- tempt to whitewash Sir Wilfrid Laurier’s Naval De- fence record, the Patriot has been serving up its view of what transpired during the critical ~ days of 1912-I3 when Sir Robert Borden tried in vain to get Sir Wilfrid Laurier to come to the assistance of the Empire and to stave off war. .There are two' sides to every question, and we have therefore pleas- _ure in giving a summary of what took place, and our review will be unbiased and subject to verification from 'official records, We have seen Sir Robert Borden and his party in opposition propose, instead of the ineffective and slow- action of the Government, a practical pro- gramme. They believed that trouble was coming in Europe. They knew that Britain wasstraining every nerve] to maintain the naval supremacy demanded by her vast Empire, her merchant fleet, and by the in- signlfieiince of her land forces compared with Euro- penn states. Therfore they had proposed an imme- diate contribution by Canada of two Dreadnoughts. . I 1- _ if ` ` - __ ' '_ W-_,-~ ._ E "" _ » . . --.T `-*' out in consultation with the Admiralty and the other Donu'nion.r, and to be ratified by the Canadian people. This policy was set forth in the Borden amend- ment to the Naval resolution of 1910. 'It was the po' licy announced by the Conservative leader in the elec- tion campaign. It was the policy which he came into power pledged to carry out, the policy which the Con-` servative party at once took up _when it obtained office. The first half was embodied in the Naval Aid Bill of 1912, which the Commons, ‘obedient to. the mandate of_the people, -adopted, and which the Se- nate, obedient to the' mandate of Sir_ VV;ilfrid Lau- rier, by whom the majority were appointed, has destroyed. ' _ . The Borden Government took office in October, 1911. The session of Parliament began next month. At its close the Premier went to England, conferred with Imperial Ministers and Admiralty authorities, obtaining public and confidential information as to the most pressing requirements of Naval Defence. Later in the year he sought from the Admiralty a statement of the naval situation, so far as it affected the-question of Canadian assistance. Especially the First Lord of the Admiralty was asked in what form any inigiediate aid that Canada might give would be most effective. The reply- was the comprehensive and instructive memorandum which Sir Robtrt Bor-l den read to the House on introducing his Naval Aid Bill. This remarkable paper, with which the public is now quite familiar, gives a striking account o_f the rapid growth of the German Navy, 'and of the difli-I culty thus imposed upon Britain. It closed with this definite and distinct recommendalipn. l .“Thc Prime Minister of the. Dominion having 'inquired in .what farm any immediate aid that Canada mig/it give would be most effective, 'wc have no hesitation in an.r'wer-ing, after a prolonged consideration of the circunistances, that it is de- sirable that such aid should include the provision of a certain number of ithe largest mid strong- est ships of war which science can build or money supply." This document was received early in November, 1912. n Parliament met November 21. The debate ong the address closed December 3, and two days later Sir' Robert Borden introduced this Bill, which may be compared with the Admiralty recommendation quo- ted above. "From and out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund of Canada there may be paid and applied a .rum not e.rcecding tliirty'fi've million dollars for the purpose of immediately increasing the ejec- iife naval forces of the Empire. The .said .rum shall be used and applied under the direction of the Gov./ernor-in-Council in the construct-ion and equipmertt of battlcships or ar- moured criu`ser.r of the most modern and power- ful type. I . T/ze .raid ships when constructed and equipped shall be placed by the G`o1/ernor-in- Council AT THE DISPOSAL OF HIS MA- JESTY FOR THE COIMMON DEFENCE OF THE EMPIRE. The .raid .rum shall be paid, used and applied and the .raid ship.: shall bc constructed and placed at the disposal of H1's`Majesfy subject to .ruch tcrimr, coudit-ion.r and arrangements as may be agreed upon bdtween the Governor-in~Council and His lMa)`e.rty'.r G`oz1ernment."` The conditions and arrangements agreed upon, between the Imperial and Federal Governments are not all set forth in this Bill. It was stated by Sir Ro' bert Borden, as one of the conditions, that in the event of Canada establishing a navy of her own, these ships would be transferred to the Dominion af- ter reasonable notice. It was also agreed or under- stood that in the development of the Imperial ship- building programme, a number of the unarmoiired British vessels would be constructed in Canadian dockyards. IS THE PA'l`RlllT PATRIOTIC 7 Our Liberal evening contemporary describes pa- triotism 'as the last refuge of a scoundrel. As our contemporary glories in the name of Patriot it should know whereof it speaks. But we are not sure _whether it really does know what patriotism means. It per- sists in its belief that Sir Wilfrid was right and Sir Robert wrong in the naval emergency vote notwith- standing the tragic sequel- to the Admiralty’s warning and memorandum (which was issued as a supplement to Sir Robert’s address, notwithstanding the quibbling of our contemporary). In this we suppose the Patriot stands alone, not excepting the Toronto oiohe which has deserted sir wiifrhi im his iaiesi lgleat refusal.. The Witness, The Montreal Herald, The Montreal Telegraph, The Manitoba Free Press, 'The St. _Iohn__ Telegraph and The St. John Globe all expressed the conviction that Sir Robert’s Naval po- licy should be accepted rather than' that Canada’s par- ticipation in Imperial Naval Defence should be pre- vented or delayed unduly. But Sir Wilfrid spurned this advice, just as he spumed tlie advice of the Globe and the leaders of English Libelrals in the matter of the present recruiting appeal. Aind the Patriot is one ,among the few Liberal newspahaers that commend This was the' first part of the programme; while the second was the development of a permanent and §Slr Wilfrid for his refusal. Wpuld the Patriot pref _ ffer the alternative of sooundreli ' ~ ._ Q ' ‘ _.f _ _ , ifoeldln; lnt‘lue1_1eo,ln the Mlm” f°l' ------ - ; muy ggttigngigemmntistih ;lj.l¢°;t- 'foo vin ro rnnanu iii ui .iii iii ' ~ ' - I "' 'm ' -3|--wiiium , - I °*_ new in ru: wear. Niivsiiiiisf if ' N m"m°° "mf" <~nliii