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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Times-Advocate, 1934-02-22, Page 7THE EXETER TIMES-ADVOCATE THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1931 W. G. Medd, M. L. A, Discusses Educational Matters in Legislature Speaks of Australia’s Improved Conditions out what would happen to imple­ ment makers and others—in the way of restoration of employment if the fannens of Ontario had an increase of income of but $500 each per year. This increase could be brought about by increased prices for his products or by deceased expenses, reduced in­ terest charges, reduced taxes and so forth, Mr. W. G. Medd M.L.A., deliver­ ed a very impressive address in the Provincial -Parliament on Thursday of last week. The text of his speech was as follows: ■ Trustees Association, supported the . speaker as did W. J. Henderson, . Turnberry.” And the Chief Director of Educa­ tion, Dr. George F. Rogers, speaking recently at the Victoria College Al­ umni Association, had this to say,— “Discussing some problems ot ’ present day education in Ontario f with regard to the 780,000i boys and girls in the day classes of Ontario’s schools, Dr. Rogers declared the schools to be the biggest and most important industry in the province. What we want from the schools,” said Dr. Rogers, “is a body of young people in this province trained in such a way as can be measured In conduct and character. That’s the fi­ nal test. And I am inclined it is that we are not getting enough di­ rest contact between the teacher ana the pupil. After all, the acid test is the contact between personalities. In the first place I am inclined to criticize our finely graded public schools and suggest “that a more ra­ pid advance and more real Work could be accomplished if the teach­ ers had the pupils longer undei* their immediate control and direc­ tion and observaton.” It is my opinion, Mr. that instead of “resting on and feeling that “this is a progress cannot be made,” the De­ partment of Educaton and its Min­ ister should endeavour to meey present conditions by reforms which I have indicated in what I have said, : More freedom of action; less central­ ized control, and the results will be, to use Dr. Roger’s words, “A body of young people trained in such a way as can be measured in conduct and character, and also a body of teachers willing to consecrate a life time, instead of 4% years, to the nob­ lest profession on earth.” Second Year Normal Course Regarding the second year Normal Course, I am not going to discuss at any length the merits or demerits of a second year* at a Normal School. But if 4i years is the average teach­ ing life of our teachers it would seem that a seseond year at normal is unnecessary. The teachers may teach four years or five, and a lot of them quit. The rest are compel­ led to take the second year. The study course, to quite an ex­ tent, are repetitions and the teach­ ing profession is by no means a unit favorable, to the second year, not­ withstanding the assertion of tlic Minister of Educaion that he has yet to find a teacher objection. I have found quite a number, and here is an interesting clipping, a Canadian Press Dispatch, it bears on the Premier’s statement.- “A group of public school teach- from various parts of Ontario, in­ cluding London and Ingersoll, wait­ ed upon Premier George S. Henry, over the week-end asking a change in the act as applying to teachers’ course of study.” “It was contend­ ed teachers after teaching for four years, are now forced to return to Normal School for an additional year, while many are not in a posi­ tion to do this. It was suggested graduates of 192 8 be granted certif­ icates without having to attend the Normal School course, or upon re­ commendation of the inspectors. The Premier promised to consider the request.” A young teacher states sourse of the disadvantage—loss of a year’s salary, plus the expense of the sec­ ond year, and possible loss of situa­ tion. Sometimes less to dependents. Unnecessary expense to the Normal Schools and unnecessary trouble and expense to School Boards in chang­ ing and replacing teachers'. The Minister of Education said that the first year at Normal will not make a first class teacher in this Province. The Minister is partly right—Two years at Normal without teaching experience will not make a first class teacher in this Province— Red tape regulations will not make a frst class teacher in this Province. I do not think the Prime Minister intended to slam, in that statement of his, a fine lot of first class teach­ ers in Ontario who have not taken two years at -Normal but who have made good through the practice of teaching by their personal teaching ability and aptitude; proving the truth of the old proverb—“Practice makes perfect.” I suppose that “economic condi- ; is the most discussed and ---- ---- ....... , vllWv,d” topic in the world today1.— 1 “The first of these is free- af. any rate amongst civilized na- Mr. Speaker: .Permit me to join with the speak­ ers who have proceded me in this Debate and to express my personal sorrow in the passing of six honor­ able members of he House. As­ sociations here, in spite of diverse opinions and hot debate make for enduring friendships, not only be­ tween cormades-in-arms, but also be- ween so-called political foes. The in­ dividual abilities and qualifications of the members who have gone from us, are missed in the deliberations of this Legislature. Mr. Speaker; In continuing the debate I wish have somehing to say in regard the Department of Education.— iA few days ago the Prime Minis­ ter and Minister of Education said “We are resting on our oars.” “This is not a time to spend money.” “This is not a time to expect to make pro­ gress." The inference is that the Minister of Education thinks that progress ns Educational matters is made by spending money. If such is the case then retrogression must have mark­ ed the cutting of grants, salaries, and so forth that obtained during the past year. The amount of money spent is not indicative of the pro­ gress being made. Progress in the Educational field, in my opinion, depends largely on the character, ability to teach and the personal in­ itiative of the teacher. Stereotyped, dogmatic systems and regulations do not make for Educational progress. Of course there must be general principles to guide teachers and par­ ents and School Boards, but a cer­ tain latitude or freedom to deal witn local conditions or idividual schol­ ars would surely help. To bear out what I am saying, may I quote C. W. Stanley of Dalhousie University.— “There is no best system of edu­ cation,” he declared, adding that most of the “mischief” done to edu­ cation in Canada has been done by For decades the schools hurt by too I-Ie to to systems. of Ontario had been great an addiction to systems, recalled that the school in which he had been educated had been blessed with teachers “who bootlegged more history and more mathematics into the school than the inspectors would have allowed. “Such teachers have always been the boon to education. They have broken into the realm ofc gold in spite of the system. How can a school system find leaders for the future? Systems tend to masc« productions.” “If society is to live, it will live because some human being strikes new things. If they do not. then society is dead, and had better be buried. In a savage society, fearing change, it tries to prevent them. But in a civilized society it sees that in­ novations must come, and provides for them. One thing sure is that any Government which proceeds on the assumption that all boys of the. same age are alike, and that there is one best method of teaching them; that there is to be one result, is doomed to failure—ghastly failure. And in the meantime youth]—'eager youth —is not served. One Chief Inspector at one time in Toronto boased that he knew at a certain hour what every pupil in Toronto schools woulft be studying,” said President Stanley, comparing such pupils to wooden soldiers. And he had been told that in one Toronto school Greek could not be taught, no matter how much the master wanted to teach it, and no matter how much jthe stu­ dent wanted to/learn it. blessed curriculum was said. “In concluding, he teachers to remember child had a soul. Try stand them. Match your wits against the stupid mechanics and get the children into the game.” He. then re­ ferred to writings of Phillip Grove on (Manitoba, and advised the teach­ ers to try to do what he had pictur­ ed. “If you do this, it will create a great and fruitful revolution”, he •said, referring to them what might be accomplished in this manner in the schools on ‘the back concessions’ “There are certain things which cut the saved,” he admonished that each to under­ must be insisted on! < President. tions” i Stanley had said earlier in his ad- "cussed' - (tmi.*c< Pl'An_ •** W — U. - - - - - (JU L< CA/1JIt is my belief that in very i tionSi rt.s nt’ this country has there I ivric dress. dom. __ — _.. - - few parts of this country has there been any concrete action against freedom of teaching./But, it is true, nevertheless, that in many parts the teachers arc not free. They are will­ ing robots. They have not the cour­ age to assert themselves.” Viewpoints in Huron County I can give you the viewpoints ot people in my own County. A recent­ ly formed Branch of High School Trustees met the Huron County .Tune. I will read some they said: “We feel that the co; ary educaion is not only but that the curriclulum is especially from the rural point of View. There is too much academic training. They are just teaching to­ day so that a few may go to univer­ sity, but statistics show that only 3 per cent, of the 70,000 students attending the high schools of this province will ever go to university. Cut out teaching dead languages, Latin and Greek, and let us have something more practical,” said Col. Rance. Messrs. A. T, Cooper and Col. Coombe, Clinton, also of the the Ontario Association Council last the thingsOf t of seconct- too high, all wrong Speaker, our oars” time that Mismanagement and lack of fore­ sight by national and internatonal leaders have caused the economc troubles and it is only by proper management, insight and courage that these condiions can be remed­ ied. |An irate delegate at the On­ tario Educational Associaton con­ vention last year exclaimed, “What good has education done our leaders anyway? Look at the mees the coun­ try’s got in. Any blockhead on the, farm could do as well.” That man spoke the view of a lot of people. 1 guess he was pretty nearly right. Unemployment, and unsatisfacory and inadequate financial returns for the poducts of the farm are the, out­ standing difficulties to be dealt with These are the major problems. If the problems of the farm were solved unemployment would bo taken care of to a great extent. Farmer Must Got Adequate Tnoouu* Somoono has said that there is only one .solution to the unemployment problem­ work in business er gets member for Worth Victoria pointed -WORK. And to provide our factories and places of we must gee that the farm*- an adequate income. The Simple Rules for LOSING FAT Common Benao will do far more for you than any Bo-called panacea for taking off unhealthy extra fat. Just live sensibly. You don’t need i® yourself. Lat enough to suliBfy the demands of your body, but just ba careful not to eat as many sweet, starchy foods, such aa potatoes, sweet desserta, fat meats, etc. And, above all, be sure of complete elimination of body wastes. Don’t just take it for granted that there’s nothing wrong with your eliminative system because your habits are regular. Regularity deceives thousands who, if they only realized it,. could enjoy perfect health and proper weight all the time. ■ Once or twice each week enjoy a bracing, sparkling glass of Andrews Liver Salt. An­ drews will help Nature to effect complete elimination, and so will help your body to throw off unwanted and unhealthful weight. the occasional sparkling glass of Andrews Javer Salt will purify and invigorate your whole system and ward off the "little ills". It will Prevent, those days of heavy body weariness and periodic^attacks of headaches and indiges­ tion. >And it will help Nature bring you down to your proper weight. l’ry thia common-sense way to get rid of surplus, body-wearying fat. Eat moderately and take Andrews occasionally. Ask your druggist for Andrews Liver Salt. In tins, 35o and 60c. New, large bottle, 75c. Sole Agents: John A. Huston Co.. Ltd., Toronto. 6 Australia’s Comeback This great Province of Ontario, the mos populous, with the greatest resources and the most influential in the Dominion, should exert its influence with the Federal Govern­ ment and with its sister Provinces to bring about, nationally, a better state of affairs. It can be done. There is a lot that can be done pro­ vincially as jias been pointed out by previous epeakers, But nationally we might learn something from our sister nation in the British Gommon- , wealth of Australia. A few years ago Australia was practically banx- rupt. iShe was hit harder by the de- presison than most nations. The Aus- ralians did not take it lying down. They went to work to remedy their economic condition, Mr. Speaker, you will permit me to quote from an article by Professor Douglas Copeland, of the University of Mel­ bourne, in the November issue of the Lloyds Bank Monthly Review. What did Aurstralia do! Here it is summarized.— 1. A reducton termined by the bitration Court. 2. Reductions penditures and increases in revenue. 3. Reductions in interest, both public and private, and in rents. 4. Expansion of central bank credit to finance deficits and necessary loan works. 5. Depreciation of the currency to correct the balance of payments, as­ sist export producers, and sustain the internal price structures. Wages: The Commonwealth Arbi­ tration Courts had for years been making quarterly adjustmens of bas­ ic wage rates according to changes in cost of living. Money wages, therefore, tended to be real wages, that is, wages in terms of the cost of living tended to be constant. The cut of 10 per cent, mentioned above, was in the real wages and was made in February, 1931. With the fall in living costs, food, cl-othing, rent, ec., the adjustment downward was 3 0 per cent, between 1929 and 19 3 2. Government Expenditures: At the time of the Premier’s conference wages had fallen 20 per cent, and it was agreed to reduce government expenditures by an amount, self provied a saving. Salaries and pensions were reduced from 42 mil­lion pounds to 3 0 million pounds, and retrenchments made in other governmental business enterprises. The interest rate was reduced, aa will be explained below.* Deficits in the States last year .have been reduced to 8.5 million pounds against which sinking fund payments amounted to 7 milion pounds. The national government had a surplus of 3J5 million pounds. This year the States will come out about the same as last year while the national government will balance its budget after making reductions in taxation. Reducton of Interest: iers’ Conference decided nal interest rates must come down. A reduction of 22% per cent, was made in the general interest rate throughout the country. In order to fioat a conversion loan at the reduc­ ed rate the 7£% tax on income from property was taken off income from interest on government bonds. The interest rate on the internal debt was reduced from '5 V4 to less than four per cent. Last May the governments floated a loan to fi­ nance public works. They asked 3 million pounds at 3 % per cent, and got 8.3 million pounds. The lower rates of interest have become well established. * | •Expansion of credit: Bank credit was expended for financing govern­ ment deficits and public works by the issue of Treasury bills through the Commonwealth Bank, Australia’s > central bank. During the crisis the expansion was at least 40 per cent.] The Treasury bills held by banks in! Australia last June amounted to ap­ proximately 48 million pounds. They bear interest at 2t per cent. Depreciation of currency: The pression in Australia caused a in the national income, that is- sum total of individual incomes from 650 million pounds in 1928 to 4,3<0/ million pounds in 1932. The first step taken to meet this contingency was the suspension of the gold stan­ dard in 1929. Then the banks ac­ cepted government securities for their gold reserves, which were us­ ed to meet external obligations. The suspension of the gold standard was followed by a depreciation of the currency. When England abandon­ ed gold in 1931 the Autsralian pound; was already at a discount against sterling. As sterling fell the dis-' count of the Australian r~......____„ _______ against sterling was maintained so known need, desire or hope of the that £100 in gold was worth £170 in human race, and because I refused ......... ”” ;, borrow wuj', I am . v i Wi5Cl and discussod, boycotted, ; talked to, talked about, lied to, lied about, held up, hold down and robb­ ed until I am nearly ruined; so the only reason I am clinging to life is to see what is coming next.” This is not all tom foolery. This sysom dot’s put a burden of taxation on the people that takes the joy out of living. I do not agree with the President’s policy of des­ troying surplus duction. Five ed. Ton millit ton million aer million acres loei troyed and wealth economy. Minister, along with others, got into this curtailing business with regard to wheat at the World Wheat Con­ ference. It won’t work, at any rate it won’t work when nations like Russio, producing one thousand mil­ lion bushels are left out of he pic­ ture. It shouldn’t work so long ae in real wages, de­ Commonwealth Ar- in government ex- equivalent The reduction in wages it-4 is done, With the assistance of current gold production a favorable balance of trade -of 34 million pounds sterl­ ing was built up in 19 31-2 2 to meet external debt charges of 26 million pounds sterling. The country was actually able to add to its London exchange reserves. In 1932-33 the , favorable balance of trade amounted to over 26 million pounds sterling. In the meantime five conversion loans were floated in London at an interest rate reduced from |5;% and 6 per cent, to less, than four pei cent. The recent depreciation of the dollar has lightened the burden of the American portion of the debt. This Government .might well emulate Australia in some of these measures, particularly in the reduc­ tion of interest rates, thus settling an example to private and corporation money lenders. The interest burden of farmers and wage-earners Is greater than they can bear. With economical recovery all our people would have what many have not—good food, comfortable cloth­ ing. attractive, sanitary .homes, edu­ cation, including art and music; health services, security, recreation. Never in history, I think I am right in saying, was there such an anomaly as exists today.—/Starvation midst of abundance. Our neighbors and cousins Souh destroy millions of w .rlh of food and we hoard millions of dollars worth of food while thou­ sands of our people have not enough t) <at. They go hungry from day to day. The Prime Ministers said somi> time ago that no one will be allowed to starve. Let u«s see that they do not. But also, let us see that they do not have to beg from anyone, nor from the government. A controlled economy, with com— ‘potent, men controlling it, is. requir­ ed. Roger Babson, the well known economist, said recently that one of the main troubles of the world to­ day is that a lot of men at the head of affairs are tired men. New men with new methods are, no doubt, re­ quired to bring back recovery. It Will take courage to prevent Mer­ cantile racketeering. It was mighty fine to hear the Honourable H. H. Stevens speak out in regard to mass buying. It will take courage to follow up, bring to the light of day and eventually stop, the sooner the better, a type of merchandising that runs in vicious circles. The energetis President of the United 'States, Mr. Roosevelt, evid­ ently he is not a tired man, is not afraid to tackle his country’s pro­ blems, problems similiar to ours. I do not wholly agree with his policy or program. I do not believe that borrowing and taxing can ul­ timately solve the problem. 'One cannot lift himself by his boot straps He may spring up, but he will come down again. 'The re-action of such a policy on agriculture is perhaps somewhat overdrawn by the letter an Oklahoma man is said written to his banker: “It is impossible for me you a cheque in response request. My present financial con­ dition is due to the effects of fed­ eral laws, state laws, county laws, corporation laws, by-laws, brother- in-laws, mother-in-laws, and outlaws that have been foisted upon an un­ suspecting public. Through the var­ ious laws, I have been held down, held up, walked on, sat on, flatten­ ed and squeezed until I do not know where I am, what I am and why I am. These laws compel me to pay a merchant’s tax, capital stock tax, income tax, real estate tax, property tax, auto tax, gas tax, water tax, light tax, cigar tax, street tax, school tax, syntax and carpet tax. The gov­ ernment has so governed my busi- , ness that I do not know who owns jit. I am suspected, expected, in- [ spected, disrespected, examined, re- . examined, until all I know is that pouim j’ni supplicated for money for every substantial The Prem- that inter- de­ fall the i i i i in the to the dollars to to to Australian money. The national in- to fall and go out and beg, . come was sustained at a higher lev-• and steal money to give away el than would have been possible m'cvssel and discussed. I.... gold currency. Measured in sterling, ex in 1932 were down more per cent, below the level while in gold they were d< cent. By depreciating lie the fall in Austral' only 45 per cent. The maintonanc lian internal price; __.. level's had two chief effects, was to lesson the burden of ... ternal debt, which was also lightc ed by the interest rate reductic The other was that the balance internal costs was maintained at more equitable balance than if pric had been allowed to fall further. In a period of rapidly falling prices na­ tural products fall faster and further than the prices of other goods and services while esome factors of cost do not fall at all. The less the fall in prices therefore, the less of this disparity appears, and less injustice port pric ' than i of 192 awn 70 p‘ it currency an valuation w 8, or a: have send your of the at these Austin higlio On in ‘it >n tin >r 4’ a os and reducing million pige do ill across less c ?s loss corn, wheat, wealth dos- urtailed is false Our own Dominion Prime along with other pro­ dr oy- Mon. eight there are millions of hungry people to be fed. The trouble is that our over-capitalized financial structures have not been able to cope with the problem of distribution and they say destroy the surplus and curtail pro­ duction. They confess failure. Pro­ duction of goods of all kinds is the producion of material wealth. Few have too much. The vast majority of people have not enough of the essentials. There is no real surplus until all the needs of all the human family have been met. Then it there is any over, it is a surplus. The economy of all Progressive par­ ies, by whatever name they are call­ ed, is to plan in accord with nature and science a bounteous production of the good things which our soil, climate and industry can produce in variey and excellence, and then do what our Governments and financial agencies have failed to do, that is provide orderly marketing, selling and distributing. It surely can bo done, all things are possible to them that have faith and courage and initiative. The proper distribution of goods so that neither producer or consum­ er are exploited—the control of fi­ nancial corporations—the control of profits and dividends and the pre­ vention of stock watering—are all means to the accomplishment of a desired economy. (Just one more thing I want to mention, it is this, the matter or buying or paying for magisterial oi judicial positions. An editorial in the Exeter-Tmes. Advocate entitled “Tampering with the Bench” ex­ presses my thought in the matter completely. Here it is: (Insert) “This thing of allowing one man to pay his predecessor in office a tidy sum in the way of something that looks like a pension simply will not do when it touches any part of the civil service or any phase of the magistracy. We question if one person in 500 thought this was pos­ sible in Ontario. It seems that it is not only possible, but that the practice actually has been followed. Well, all that sort of thing is wrong. It opens the way to all sorts of mis­ chief. For one thing, i,t robs the bench of a good deal of the respect due thereto. For another thing, It robs the bench of a portion of its independence. From now on, we fear that -citizens are liable to look at the bench and say, “How much did you pay for the position?” It Canada is to keep her reputation for being law-respecting, she must have a bench that is above reproach. Here pre-eminently, the position shoura seek the man. “A seat on any of the benches, magisterial or judicial, and the of­ fice of crown atorney should be in no sense by a political plum. All such crown officers should be ap­ pointed by a commission as far re­ moved as possible from political in­ fluence. We say this because we greatly fear that the signs of the times indicate the need of such hero­ ic action. Magisterial and crown and judicial positions must be kepi away above reproach. Ontario will flare into rebellion the minute she believes that these sacred offices are tampered with, directly or indirectly. At any cost we must have a clean bench.” MAY CHANGE BLUR WATER ROUTE Consideration will be given by the Ontario Department of highways for a request to route the Blue Water Highway along the south shore of Lake Huron from Grand Bend to Goderich. A deputation from Bosanquet Township, Thedford and Warwick waited on Hon. Leopold Macaulay, minister of highways and asked that the road be taken from Goderich south along the Pinery route from Grand Bend and thence through the Pinery to Thedford and east and south to highway No. 7, there to continue through Arkona. The rout­ ing would be conditional on the de­ partment taking over the Blue Wa­ ter road as a provincial highway, Such action has not yet been offici­ ally’announced although it is known the department is considering the question. Mr. IMacauley told the delegation the department would consider their request. CELEBRATES »3rd BIRTHDAY Hale and hearty, Thomas (Dad) Stephens of the Queen’s Hotel, Sea­ forth, celebrated his 93rd birthday on February 15th, and from early morning had a steady stream of call­ ers, among whom were Mayor Suth­ erland and the town Council. “Dad” had served in the Council for a num­ ber of years. He was born in Lon­ don, Ontario, and came to Seaforth in 1865, going into the grain busi­ ness. In 1S76 he built the Queen’s Hotel, which he conducted ever since. Among the reminiscences of the early days, he told of the farm­ er who refused a big price for their produce during the Russian war, took a much smaller price for it a couple of years later. “Dad” says he ‘does not know what a six hour day means, too short a time to get anything done; his work day was from day­ light till dark, and lots to do after that.” Between smokes, he remark­ ed that, after the winter’s over, he was good for some time yet as the oldest active hotel-keeper in the province. WHEN you suddenly realize it’s her birthday . . . and you can’t tell her you forgot it ■ ■ ■ and you’re miles apart Get to a telephone ... a Long Distance call will make both of you happy. For forgetful husbands, and anybody else, the telephone is always ready. A Long Distance call now is as simple and easy as talking across the street. Look in the front of your directory and see how low the rates are—100 miles or so for as little as 30 cents. Dr. Wood's Norway Pine Syrup lad Bad Cold Turned to Bronchitis Miss Vera Schaefer, Waterloo, Ont., writes:—-“I was bothered with a very bad cold which turned to bronchitis. I tried several different kinds of medicine, but none seemed to help mo until I took Dr. Wood’s Norway Pine Syrup. After taking sixor seven doses I found the phlegm was brought up easily without any hard coughing, and after taking two and a half bottles my cold was gone, and the bronchitis completely relieved.’1 Price, 35o a bottle; large family size, 65c, at all drug and general stores; put up only by The T» Mil­ burn Co., Limited, Toronto, Ont.