Loading...
The Clinton News Record, 1940-11-14, Page 2PAGE 2 THE CLINTON .MEWS -RECORD THURS., NOV. 14, 1940 FOR SWING BACK TO SMALL TOWNS Social Probers Caused By Conditions in Big Cities, Student Says The social propletns of to -day can bw solved partially by a new develop- ment of genuine community life, ac- cording to Dr. Arthur H. Morgan, former president of Antioch College. He said the time is ripe for a %wing back to the .small towns'. Dr. Morgan said most so-called' -communities are "not ccninnrnitics but mere groups of dwelling:: and buildings with no commnon interest to bind those that live in them into a !community group." He said small communities have be- -come despised and neglected, "with their young people nnoving away to. lose themselves in the maelstrom of the cities as soon as they approach maturity." rhe Clinton .News -Record with which is incorporated THE NEW ERA TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION 61.50 per year hi advance, to Can- adian addresses; $2.00 to the U.S. or other foreign :countries. No paper discontinued until all arrears are paid unless at the option of the pub- lisher. The date to which every sub-. scription is paid is denoted on the label. ADVERTISING RATES — Transient advertising 12c per count line for first insertion. Se. for each subse- quent insertion. Heading counts 2 lines, Small advertisements not to exceed one inch, such as "Wanted", "Lost, "Strayed", etc., inserted once for Me., each subsequent insertion 15c. Rates for display advertising _Jade known on application. Communications intended for pub- lication must, as a guarantee of good faith, be accompanied by the name of the writer. G. E. HALL - - Proprietor H. T. DANCE Notary Public, Conveyancer Financial. Real Estate and Fire In- surance Agent. Representing 14 Fire insurance Companies. Division Court Office. Clinton Frank Fingland, B.A,, LL.B. barrister, Solicitor, :Votary Public Successor to W. Brydone, S.C. Sloan- Blau — Clintnn, Ont. H. G. 1'IEIR Barrister -at -Law Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Ontario. Proctor in Admiralty. Notary Public and Commissioner. Offices in Bank of Montreal Building, Hours: 2.00 to 5.00 Tuesdays and Fridays. D. H. WINNE'S CHIROPRACTOR Electro Therapist, Massage Office: Huron Street. (Few Doors west of Royal Bank) Hours—Wed. and Sat. and by enenletresss FOOT CORRECTION DR manipulation Sun -Ray Treatment Phone 207 HAROLD JACKSON . Licensed Auctioneer Specialist in Farm and Household Sales, • Licensed in Huron and Perth Counties. Prices reasonable; satis- faction guaranteed. For information etc. write or phone Harold Jackson, 12 on 653, Seaforth; R. R. 1, Brucefield. 06-012 GORDON M. GRANT Licensed Auctioneer for Huron County. Correspondence promptly answered. Every effort made to give satisfac- tion, Itumediate arrangements can be 'made for sale dates at News -Record Office or writing Gordon M. Grant, Goderich, Ont. FHE McKILLOP MUTUAL "'ire Insurance Company Head Office. Seaforth, Oes Officers: President, . Thomas Moylan, Sea - forth; Vice President, William Knox, Londeseoro; Secretary -Treasurer, M, A. Reid, Seaforth, Directors, Alex. Broadfoot, Seaforth; James Sholdice, Walton; James Connolly, Goderich; W. R. Archibald, Seaforth; Chris. Leonhardt, Dublin; Alex. McEwing, B1-th; Frank McGregor, Clinton. f net of Agents: E. A. Yeo, R.R. 1, Goderich, Phone 603r31, Clinton; James Watt, Blyth; John E. Pepper, Brucef!eld, R. R. No. 1: R. F, McSer- char•, Dublin, R. R. No. 1; J. F. Preuter, Brodhagen; R. G. Jarmuth, B hi R ItNo. o m, o. 1. Any money to be paid may be paid to the Royal Bank, Clinton; Bank of Commerce, $eaforth, or at Calvin Cittt's Grocery, Goderich. Parties desiring to effect insur- ance or transact other business will be promptly attended to on applica- lon to any ,of the above officers ad- dressed to their respective post offi- ces. Losses inspected by the director urhn lives nearest the scene. CANADIAN A 0, L q AII.WAYS TIME TABLE Trains will arrive at and depart from Clinton as follows: Buffalo and Goderich Div. Going East, depart 6.43 a.m Poing .Fast, depart 8,00 p.m. Going West, depart 11.45 a.m. Going West, depart 9.50 p.m. London, Huron & Brace Going North, ar 11.21, lye. 11.47 a.m. Going South ar. 2.50, leave 3.08 p.m. PUBLISHED BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT COPYRIGHT GENERAL SIR WESTON MARRIS, a highly -placed officer of the General Staff visiting New. Zeal- and on duty. LORNA MARRIS, his pretty, luxury - loving daughter. PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS MISS HILDA MARRIS, sister of the General,accompanying him . to New Zealand and giving Lorna such supervision as a high-spirit- ed girl will tolerate. CAPTAIN ALLEN RICHARDS, the General's Aide -de -Camp, who is engaged to Lorna. T. H. HAWIC.SFORD, chauffeur to the General's party. A New Zealander, `handsome in a rug- ged, arresting fashion." SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAPTERS GENERAL SIR WESTON MAR - RIS, sent to New Zealand to report on certain aspects of Imperial de- fence, is accompanied by his daugh- ter, LORNA, and his sister, HILDA, who, as an aunt, gives an eye to the high-spirited Lorna. The daughter is engaged to CAP- TAIN RRICHARDS, the General's Aide -de -'Camp, but Richards does not arrive in New Zealand with the party, he having been delayed on duty in Australia. One characteristic of the country which rather startle..s Lorna is the al- most class -less state of society which allows the official chauffeur, loaned to her father, to adopt a friendly, al- most familiar, attitude towards her. Intrigued by the man's manner and captivated by his good looks, she goes on a country run with him, in the course of which he kisses her. folly of her action, and, meeting cold and reserved. He has learned Next day, she feels acutely the IIAWKSFORD, she finds him very that she is engaged to Richards, and -corns her for allowing herself to forget that fact. Richards arrives, and as Lorna is walking on the veranda of the Coun- try hotel where the party is staying, she hears a noise in. Richard's room. Investigating, she sees Hawksford with Richard's notecase in his hand. Confronted by Lorna, he begs her not to tell Richards, He would rather she told the General. After seine hesitation, she agrees that she will not tell anyone, but she - adds that he 'must not speak to her again except on matters of duty. (Now Read On) CFIAPTER V (Continued) "How futile' life is!" "If you don't have a good time," said Miss Marris drily, "It's not for want of trying!" "I'm tired to death of having a good time," said Lorna, "so that doesn't cheer me in the least! But the prospeck of the so-called 'serious' things of life is even worse. Mount Street, a handsome husband, cocktail parties, possibly a baby if one could bring oneself to take to much trouble. And then a sickening picture in the magazines of 'Mrs. Allen Rich- ards with her eldest -born' or some- thing like that." Miss Marris picked up her em- broidery bag with a faint smile and the ambiguous remark: "Utterly sickening, I agree!" "It's just a trap!" Lorna stormed on. "You're attracted to someone for a while — and then you find they're just human beisigs like any- one else—if they aren't very much r.an't r "All this doesn't sound very loyal to Allen!" Miss Marries suggested mildly. "Loyal!" Lorna's voice expressed a world of impatience. "In my time we understood the meaning of the word 'loyalty'!" Miss Marris began. "We understood the meaning of 'many things that you—" "I must go!" said Lorna. "You can see I must go this moment, darling, because Allen is waiting for me, and you've told me so often what is wrong with my ideas, but somehow it doesn't help me, to see things ex- cept as they are." And she departed with a sweep of black taffeta skirts, the black lace hood on her head showing a curl of flaming hair on the pale cheek of her troubled, impetuous face. "If one could only get away from it all," she thought, wearily, as she walkedto meet Allen in the Shane's white panelled hall. She closed her eyes, and for an instant she seemed to see the wide back country of New Zealand, the lowlands rolling in wave on wave to the foot of the central mountain wall, empty; sunlit, silent but for the whisper of wind among the tussock grasses. "Peace!" she thought; and opened her eyes to see Arlen before her, "Come and have a spot before We go!" he said. CHAPTER W A SLIGHT AVENGED The Governor-General was present at the reception,and the Marris's and Richards had seats behind the vice -regal chair on a slight dies at the end of the hall, Lorna danced with Richards, and after half an hour or s0, General Marris returnedto the Shanes' with some other elder members of the party. Lorna did not seem him go, but Richards told her a few •minutes later: "Sir Weston has gone with the Shanes, but he has left the car here for us." They joined a party of New Zeal- and Air Force officers; Lorna found herself dancing with a Flight -Lieut- enant named Westry. Westry was English, knew people whom Lorna knew at home, and was disposed to display marked admiration. in the supper room she was with Westry again, and she noticed her fiance ob- viously embarked on a terrific flir- tation with an exquisite blonde. Rich- ards noticing her glance, gave Lorna a meaning look and a smile. "Does he imagine I mind?" said Lorna to herself, with a sort of ir- ritated contempt. It was the noise of the crowd which got on her nerves not Allen's flirtations. Soon after- wards he and the blonde disappeared completely. Lorna began to be utter- ly bored with the party she was with. It was getting on towards midnight; she yielded to a reckless impulse to go home. Hawksford, presumably, was waiting outside with his car, it meant his driving her home alone, but what did she care? She asked Flight Lt. Wastry to order her car for her, and went to the cloakroom to get her wrap; Westry met her as she came out, "It seems the car isn't there just now!" he told her, looking a trifle uncomfortable, "Not there?" said Lorna, in aston- ishment. Hawksford was standing at the street door. He informed her as she cane towards him: "Captain Richard's borrowed it half an hour ago. He drove it himself." "Borrowed it?" repeated Lorna. She broke off, colour suddenly rushed into her face. She understood: Allen, unable to find any other place to be Alone with his blonde, had gone off for a jaunt in the ear with herl At any other time Lorna would not have cared, but there stood Hawks- for.l, understanding perfectly well what the situation was. His face was enigmatic under the peak of his cap, but a 'tad fancy came to Lorna that be was probably enjoying her humiliation. His very impassivity and nr-terce of noticing nothing in- furiated her, She struggled hurriedly for self possession, If she said she would go home by taxi that would seem as though she were piqued about Allen —best to show no concern whatever "It doesn't matter, thank you, I'll wait until he brings it back." She turned coolly away with a word and a laugh for Flight -Lt. Westry, She drat her wrap back in the cloak room and rejoined the party. She was furious with Allen for putting her in such a position—but it was not Al- len so much who was the root of her chagrin—it was Hawksford. That he should know that Allen flirted with other girls, and fancy, perhaps, that she was slighted by it. How was Hawksford, in fact, to know that she' and Allen "understood one an- other"? Miss Marris would have liven amus- ed by this breakdown in the machin- ery of modern freedom. LoiNta's rage during the next half- hour found expression in. excessive gaiety. Then at last she saw Allen dancing in the crowd again with his blonde. She ignored him, she said to her partner, who was a young up- country run -holder named Power: "Let's go for a drive" Mr. Power began to apologize be- cause he hadn't his car. "Mine is outside," Lorna said im- periously. "I want to go up on to the. Port Hills that's what youcall them, isn't it?" Power, a good-looking young man, who fancied the attractions of his wealthy his Engellel public-seh:oel education and his blonde :moustache, followed heir very willingly, if in some surprise. The car was parked in a side street. "Oh, you've got a chauffeur, have you?" said Power, as they approach- ed it, and saw the dark figure of Txgtvlrafnrrn sl+ -ting at the wheel. "Ceeldn't I drive you?" "No," said Lorna definitely. "He'lI drive us." "Could you take us up to the Port Hills, please," she asked Hawksford as he got out to open the door. A minute later they were sitting in thedarkness behind him, driving through the city towards the Mlle... Lorna laughed and talked with Power as if she hadn't a care in the world. Power was more and- more flattered though it seemed to him an odd idea, bringing 'the chauffeur. When they came to the top of the hill where the empty paddocks lay ahead, and the lights of the city spread out like an embroidery below, Lorna leaned for- ward and told Hawksford to stop. Hawksford drew up, impassive in his front seat, ,and Lorna whispered to Power: "Let's get out and go for a stroll." Power agreed at once, and they got out of the ear. "Wait, will you, please?" Lorna said to Hawksford. Power followed her across the road into the gloom' of the hilltop, still wishing that she badn't brought the chauffeur . . . but still, what the chauffeur might think of it all was her affair! Lorna mounted on to the footpath which ran over the hill to the pine plantations, Power walking beside her in the darkness. He said a word or two, but she answered rather shortly. Her manner seemed completely alter- ed. It was decidedly discouraging. When they were out of possible sight of the car he attempted to put his atm. round her, She drew away at once and said sharply: "Please don't!" She walked Power up and down on the top of the hill for the better part of 20 minutes, talking in the most formal way. The puzzled and disappointed man followed her back to the car at last, utterly unable to understand her. But Lorna's mind was clinched up- on a purpose, her feelings a tangled knot of angry triumph. Every mom- ent of that quiet walk in the night wind she was thinking of Hawksford sitting behind then in the car, wait- ing , . . He should know that if Al- len had his amusements, so had she. He could think what he liked about how she and Power were passing their time! But in the meantime she felt that Power was so unendurable that she could hardly speak civilly to She spoke to Hawksford'in a cool, even tone as they came back to the oar: "You may drop Mr. Power at the dance again, Hawksford, and then drive inc home." His face was an expressionless blank of shadow under the peak of his cap. "Very well." What had he thought, what had he felt in that 20 minutes while he had waited? Wild shame for her own mad behaviour seized Lorna and she could hardly speak to Power on the way bnek into town. Site didn't wait for Allen, but drove back to the Shanes behind a stonily silent Hawks - ford, the graven image of a man .. . Lorna's evening ended in a storm of furious tears on the bed in her root.. Never in her life had any man prompted her to such bad behaviour, to be such a fool es Hawksford had done in the month since she had known him! Iler father's chauffeur! A thief at that--! "Heaven know Aunt Hilde's right when she says I don't behave like a lady!" Lorna told herself furiously. CHAPTER VII STRANGE DOCUMENT "Lorna!" General Marris, sitting at the writing table in the Shanes' sit- ting roam, Called to his daughter in a low voice as she came downstairs towards noon on the following day. Their hostess had gone into • town with Miss Marris for what New Zeal- anders call "morning tea"—tea and cakes at eleven in the mornig. Colonel Shane was half visible at the end of the lawn in the shrubberies conferring with the gardener. The sunlight and garden fragrance streamed into the house, and the col- ours of flowers glowed beyond every window. , Lorna stepped in to the sitting room. General Marris rose fromthe writing table with a grave face, and came and closed the door behind her. She asked nervously: "Ts something wrong?" ='I don't knoty--yes, I'm afraid: so. It looks as though something may be very wrong indeed, Look at,this!" He had a sheet of paper in his hand, and he laid it on the writing table beside his portable typewriter. "I was going to use the typewriter to write to yoer Uncle Clifford in Palestina, and 1 found "this emon.g the sheets of paper in the lid." It was a sheet of paper on which. had been typed, roughly and hurried- ly, a few sentences relating to gun emplacements, communications, and strategic positions, It conveyed very little to her, "But what is it?" Lorna "Someone has made n e fortifications of Piston, e remarks I made to Colone r about the nature of the d the way in which any r altering the defences woulde system they already hav "Well --?""Why? Why` has so ever it is who has used writer since •we were iny have they .tirade notes re- marks?" The line of wo n. Sir Weston'; whitening s deepened. "Someone is c formation, and there can e reason for thatl t y 0 s e 1 asked, otos on th and of th Colonel:Gloucester harbour an iehiem.e fo affect th e there." me'one—who this type- writer of : 'my re rty between. eyebrow dlecting. in be only on "To pass it on?" Lorna's hear stood still. "Exactly!" "Who has used the typewriter? she managed to say. "Myself, and Allen.." She reminded hit, with uneas emphasis, "And Hawksford!" "Yes, Hawksford, We three, Unlee sermon in one of the hotels may have used it." "At P!oton the whole staff wa staying in the hotel and the typewr•it er was on the writing table in th lounge." "But only Alien and Hawksford were with myself and Colonel Glou- cester when we were going back in the car after the inspection. Ne there was another officer with us an R.A.F. man named Besting," "It seems as if only someone whol used the typewriter habitually woo have forgotten that they had left a thing like that in the lid," Lorna forced herself to say. "Or someone who pushed it among those papers in a hurry, and hadn't the chance to recover it later." Lorna was painfully silent, while her father folded the paper and slip- ped it into his notecase, his face a study of concern. There was one question in her mind. Could it have been military information that Hawksford was looking for when she caught him with Allen's notecase ? Was he not a thief then, in the com- mon way—but that worse, if more daring thing—a spy? She opened her mouth to tell be: father about that incident; now, if ever, it seemed she must tell. Ba her lips stiffened on the words . . She had not the heart. FIer behmw iour to Hawksford of last night was too fresh in her mind. Tho two things might have no connection — and though her father was just, he was implacable. He would give Hawks - ford no "second chance"! To gain time, site asked: "What are you going to do?" "I shall report this to the Intelli- gence Department in Wellington. In the meantime, I shall keep my eyes open. I told you because I thought you were the best person to assist me in that. I want you to keep your eyes open, too, Lorna. But, don't say a word to anyone, Not to your aunt do yott understand? Nor to Allen," "Not to Allen?" She asked the question automatically, but her fath- er mistook the dismay in her eyes for anxiety about Richards, and told her with firm kindliness. "It's hard for you to be asked that, I know, my clear! But this is a very grave matter, difficult for us all! My opinion is that someone made those notes in Piston on the typewriter, and was unable to retrieve them from the lid afterwards. But everyone must be suspected, and because of our per- sonal connection with Aden, 1 can't single him out. Besides, if someone is picking up information we don't want to scare him eve want to catch hint! So the least said to anyone about this, the better!" "Quite so," Lorna agreed, sucldued- ly. Should she, or should she not tell about Hawksford? Her indecision was growing desperate, when her father added: "In the meantime Int fl ying to the Chathams to -morrow(" . "Where?" "To the Chatham Islands—a group off the coast here, It's an import- ant strategic position. T had a tele- gram this morning from Wellington, and Allen and I are leaving tomor- row by seaplane from there. So he and I will be going up to -night on the ferry." She saw it as a release from the obligation to tell him about Hawks - ford immediately. He would be going to the Chathams. alone with Allen— Hawksford would do no harm then, until Sir Weston came back. "How long will you be away?" "About six days," General Marris said. "Mrs. Shane suggested at brealdast that you and Hilda should. go up with her to their house at Han - mer while I'nm away. Hawksford can drive you up. After that I'll be go- ing to Kdikoura—that's on the coast eighty miles north of here, Hamner is inland in the mountains; Hawks - ford will drive you through and you can meet me at Kaikoura; or pick me up here in Christchurch later, just as you please," "Very well," said Lorna. He still looked concerned, and so did she. By the time he came back from the Chathams she must have found out more about Hawksford-or tell about the affair of Allen's notecase. Half an hour later, a huge box of roses arrived for her from town, sent by Allen. He had scribbled on the sheet of paper inside the florist's en- velppe: "Darling, whydid you desert me last night?" Evidently the flow- ers were to placate her in case she might have objected to his going off in the car with the blonde; though. he did not know, yet, that she had wanted the car to go home in. Until the flowers recalled, the incident- to mind, she had utterly forgotten it. The circumstance of the notes in the typewriter had so overshadowed" it. When he came, after luncheon, to accompany her father on a visit to Wigram Aerodrome, Lorna did not refer to the dance at all. . , She had beeing going to tell him that he had made things awkward for her, but now it didn't seem to !matter. "How are you, my adored one?" said Allen, looking at her rather closely. "Ong top of the world!" said Lorna, chirpily. 'It was Hawksford towards whom she looked, painfully, ponder- ingly, across 'the lawn, as he stood waiting by the car, his bronzed face set in impassive indifference above his grey uniform. (CONTINUED NEXT WEEK) IN THE AUTOMOTIVE WORLD DID'�� YOU BNOW THAT:— Broken traffic rules are boomer- angs. They will avenge themselves Let safety rulesrule you. Safety is sanity in action. It takes about 1,500 nuts to hold an automobile together—but only one to scatter it all over the landscape. Stop! And let the train go by. It takes only a minute. Your ear starts out again intact—and better still . . You're in it! Drive with your head not with your horn. No man ever was rich enough to have an accident! KEEPING ONE GOOD EYE A GOOD IDEA Can your eyes "take it" when you are driving or walking along a dark country road and the dazzling glare of oncoming headlights suddenly hits your face? While a majority of driv- ers are courteous enough to dim their headlights when approaching another car, the iII-mannered driver speeds Hast, disregarding the discomfort and danger he may be causing. others. However, just as en effective de- fense is disbovered to -counteract any attack in warfare, car drivers can afford themselves some measure of protection against glaring headlights, The method is really quite simple. When a car with dazzling lights ap- proaches, shut one eye, then open it when the car has passed. The eye which was closed will be found to be as sensitive and "un -dazzled" as be- fore. This idea was discovereilc, recently in Britain's blackout. KNOW -YOUR LINES New payment markings on On- tario highways are the latest contri- bution to safety and speed in motor travel. They represent a tremendous chernicaI and engineering achieve- ment, climaxing two decades of ef- fort by engineers, paint chemists and psychologists to adapt highways to the progressively higher modern speeds, says an article in the current issue of C -I -L Oval. Paint on the pavement can hardly fail to attract the -driver's attention in Any kind of light, states the writer. Even in thick fog, when they may be the only 'visible guides, one needs only to follow the advice of the paint- ed lines to ride in comparative safety, With this in mind, engineers of the Ontario Department of Highways have, in 1940, produced a new code of` hightvny markings, acing various combinations of painted lines on the pavement, to supplement and reduce the number of signs on the roadside. His Goldfish Assistant Row British Scientist Has Made Potato Parasites Visible Chief Plant Patholopist F. C. Bawden, of Rothamsted Experiment- al Station, England, has achieved a scientific triumph. Hie collaborator was a goldfish. Studying crinkles and leaf -roil, deadly potato diseases, this investi- gator secured evidence that they are caused by plant parasites so small that no microscope will reveal them. Mr. Bawden decided to secure vis- ibility by mass. He incubated the organism (virsus) in liquid until there were billions of them. He then held this vessel before a special light. It revealed nothing. The billions of plant death -dealers re- mained invisible, Perhaps they would be visiblue if all pointed' in the same direction, like lops on a river, Mr. Bawden decided to experiment. He was faced with the problem of creating within the glass vessel con- taining the viruses riverlike streams of moving water. Deciding that the fast-moving goldfish might solve this problem, he placed one in the jar. At once the invisible hosts of death became vis- ible. For' the first time man was able to look upon and study the cause of the two worst potato dis- eases in the world. The flick of the fish's tail did the trick. Heads C.P.R. Police A. HECTOR CADIEUX, one of Canada's best known police offi- cials, has been appointed acting chief, investigation department, Canadian Pacific Railway, Mont- real, during the absence of Brig, General 16. de B. Panet, C.M.G., D.S.O., L. d'H., V.D., on military duty as district officer coramand- ing M. D. No. 4. Mr. Cadieux has been with the Canadian Pacific investigation department since 1613. He has been assistant chief since 1926, Liquers Froin England Plan to Supply £250,000 of U.S.A. Imports War has deprived Americans con- sumers of gin and liqueurs of their 1260,000 per annum requirements. Gin, former export of Holland, and )Benedictine, Chartreulte,, and ethic famous liqueurs, former export of France, are now not obtainable. British distillers, taking advantage of -this fact, are considering the distillation of both gin and liqueurs, with the object of offering British - made gins and liqueurs of the qual- ity of certain of the famous Cont- inental brands. The situation offers a new devel- opment in the migration of distilling under stress of war, or political up- heaval. ' When France expelled the relig- ious Houses, the monks of the Bene- dictine order took their famous liqueur to Spain, and when the pres- ent war broke out two Benedictines, French and 4panish, were on the market. Soon Great Britain may be offering a third. Already one famous English mon- astery, Buckfast in Devon, the Ab- bey built solely by the monks of the Order, is doing a large business in the making of a tonic wine. With existing stocks of gin in the Dutch East Indies nearly exhausted, the immobilisation of French sup- plies, and the temporary cessation of Spanish manufacture owing to the Spanish Civil War, !British enter- prise has a good field. Shortly, cocktails drunk in New York, Boston and San Francisco may owe most of their ingredients to British enterprise. IS THE HIT-AND-RUN MOTORIST A BY-PRODUCT OF DRINK? On a recent evening at the corner of St. Clair and Vaughan Road, Tor- onto, a street car rammed a standing automobile and damaged it badly. In the automobile was a Toronto busi- ness man who, with his wife, had been paying a friendly call. During the evening the gentleman, who car- ries his liquor very well, had consum- ed about three pints of beer. He thinks he was quite sober and cap- able. Both he and the street car driver got out and a policeman who had been standing on the corner walk- ed over to them. Said the street car driver to the policeman, "I want you, to !examine this man, He's been drinking," The constable answered, "He may have been drinking but his car was standing still and you struck it. I saw the whole affair." Appar- ently, in the judgment of the police- man, the street car driver was to blame. The business 'tan, however, whose car is badly damaged, does not dare enter a complaint. Ile does not dare sue. He does not dare report to his insurance company. He probably does not want the unpleasant and possib- ly damaging notoriety and feels that in prosecuting a claim the fact of having taken liquor would seriously damage his case. His fear keeps him quiet. ' Is it not, in many cases, a similar fear than overcomes our decent On- tario citizens and makes them hit- and -run drivers? This presumption is against a person who is involved in an accident after taking liquor. This is now generally recognized. It gives rise to fear and in the net too clear mind of the imbiber may easily cause even unnecessary panic to such An extent that` he seeks safety in flight. Verbal denunciations, -Helen threatenings, rewards to informants and slowing up all traffic may ac- complish something although the nine hit-and-run incidents of last weekend are not very encouraging- to such a hope. Would it not be a little - more reasonable and altogether sen- sible to give some study to the causes of this marked and recently i-nareas- ing decline in honour, sportsmanshin and humane feeling on the part of Ontario citizens?