Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Herald, 1916-06-23, Page 7NOTES AND CO . .ANTS This war is making new precedents of many kinds 'The fixianeiah• preeed- ents are startling both in magnitude and in, character. War debts and war cost have reached proportions away beyond human comprehension, but England's method of selling her .own loans is not only comprehended but must be greatly admired. The United States will not buy enough French and English bonds to pay for the supplies which those countries purchased. The United States will, however, buy an unlimited amount of the stocks and bonds of its own corporations which are owned in ;uiope.British rains evolved a way to buy these American supplies and to pay for them with American dollars, Parliament bus compelled British investors to turn over their Ameri- can securitie, taking new British loans in payment. These American securiies are being sold as rapidly as possible in the United States, and the proceeds in dollars are used to pay for war supplies. Never before did any nation mobilize in this fashion the individually awned stocks and bonds of its people and compel them to exchange thein for its own loans. It is good business for the British Government, and is also good business for the United States, which gets back its own securities at moderate prices with the proceeds of its unexampled sales of materials at sky-high prices. But only time can tell if this is like- wise a good thing for the individual British investor. At any rate, he has the satisfaction of knowing when he sells his American stocks and bonds he gets in exchange a lien upon his empire; for whose safety 5,000,000 men have shouldered arms. The latest computations of the debts and ,interest charges which the European war is piling upon the shoulders of the people of the princi- pal nations engaged are here summar- ized for convenience of reference: Great Britain: Pre-war, $3,250,- 000,000; added to March 31, $7,450,- 000,000; probable total by Aug 1, $13,- 500,000,000; interest charge, $550,- 000,000. German Empire and states: Pre- war, $4,000,000,000; probable addi- tion for empire alone by Aug. 1, $11,- 000,000,000; estimated interest charge for empire and states $762,000,000 France: Probable total by Aug. 1, $14,600,000,000; interest charge, $625,- 000,000. Russia: Probable total. by Aug. 1, $15,000,000,000; interest charge, $725,- 000,000. 725;000,000. Austria—Hungary: Pre-war, $3,- 750,000,000; probable total by Aug. 1, $9,000,000,000. There's the size of the direct mort- gage upon posterity, to say nothing of the direct destruction of property and human life, that the European war has brought to the peoples of Europe. FIENDISH WAY OF FIGHTING. Some of the Terrors and Humors of the Bomb. An Irish officer, writing from the British front in Flanders about bombs and bomb -throwing contrivances, says: The more you have to do with bombs the more afraid of thein you become, for you cannot play with ex- plosives all day without going aloft sooner or later. The toll of goons men who have been blown to pieces by their own bombs is long and sad. Bomb -throwing as an art is still in its infancy; it changes almost from day to day. At best, it is a fiendish way of fighting, for it inflicts ghastly injuries. Yet bombing, like many other as- pects of the war, has its humorous side, and I have seen a whole trench helpless with laughter at the sight of two men running opposite ways to a- void a sausage bomb from a German trench mortar. They collided, and sat down facing each other, like vaudeville comedians. The bomb dropped between them, almost touch- ing them both—and then failed to ex- plode. One morning twenty or more mem- bers of the general staff came round to our trench to witness a test of a new catapult arrangement for throw- ing bombs to the distance of two hun- dred and fifty yards. With great in- terest they watched ' the screwing down of the great aria and the fasten- ing of the bomb in position. Then upward and forward swung the arm; but the missile, not having been pro- perly secured, instead of hurtling in the direction of the enemy, rose gent- ly afew feet in the air, and then turn- ed to descen,e again into the trench, Such a rapid and complete disap- pearance of staff officers had never before been seen. They fled like rab- bits and as they rounded the corner of t i trench, the bomb went off a few feet from the ground, completely des- troying the catapult, Well Mated. "Are they well mated?" "Perfectly! He likes to make money end she likes to spend it." RIMING WATER IN THE HOME ISA GREAT BOON The Pneumatic System May Be Installed in a Farrar House' Moderate Cost. Providing a satisfactory water- works system for the home is some- thing of a problem. In far too many farm residences no better pro- vision is made to supply Mater than the pumps of well and cistern, per- hapsmany yards from the kitchen, Of course the cost of installation has al- ways stood in the way—hence the pro- blem aformentioned. But now since different excellent systems have been devised especially for the ofarmer, comparatively cheap, easily operated and very efficient, the expense is not so troublesome a factor. Certainly the benefits derived far outweigh the cost. Few, perhaps, but are scions of the advantages of running water in the house.. But too often the investment possibilities are not considered. It pays, of course, to purchase a binder or build a silo because crops couldn't be cut or stock fed economically oth- erwise. The labor-saving and feed - saving possibilities are so apparent that few doubt them. Hence binders and silos are accepted as improve- ments over old methods that must be adopted as matters of course. An Investment that Pays. :f ub grateful for bettermuch obathingitand accowommldodation. Helps to Swat the Fly, Among other hygienic advantages there need be no kitchen and laundry slope thrown about the yard. This r p oducaq a breeding grour>id .for'. flips, If slops he thrown continually in one place, especially if it be shaded, mal- aria or typhoid are often germinated. The sanitary toilet in the bathroom re- moves ublesanother. cause of these same There are various devices in use, by means of which the rural home may enjoy the advantages of a domestic waterworks system. Some of the old- er schemes have been improved upon. There is the windmill system, which is not entirely satisfactory on still days unless precautions have • been teokan. The elevated tank into which water is .pumped by hand, windmill hydraulic' room, or other power, is a good sys- tem. The disadvantages are that the tank must be elevated, in attic, hay- mow, aymow, tower or on high land. In tie latter the water is liable to freeef. The attic is generally used, but there Os danger of leaks causing dama.je:- Then, too, in the elevated tank, soft water has usually been used, so that the pressure and supply are at the mercy of the season. In recent years the pneumatic tank or compressed air system has been giving entire e satisfaction on in thousands n h ds of homes in Canada. The large steel tank is placed in the cellar or stable, or underground, so that damage from leaks and freezing in winter are avoid- ed. voided. The airtight tank is fitted with a water glass and pressure gauge. These register the height of water and the pressure, so that when the water falls extra air may be pumped in. Th tank niay be placed upright or hori- zontally. With the pneumatic system 'he wet er is pumped into the tank at the bot- tom, and as it rises it compresses the air in the tank into a small space at the top. When a tap is opened the But when it comes to an improve -1 ment in the house! Well, the old way accomplishes its end—the family is supplied with water—and that's often the end of it. It pays in comfort, of course, but it doesn't appear to be a! payinginvestment t i n dollars and cents. And yet is it logical to sup- pose that the wife and mother can work as efficiently by employing methods and using machinery her mother did before her? It doesn't stand to reason. And efficiency is a matter of money, whether it be de- veloped in the house or in the fields. A waterworks system will promote the health of the family, will save wrinkles and backaches, and will make life more pleasant. That's argument enough far it, surely, The advantages definitely enumerat- ed make a long list. Cleanliness re - .s Sectional View of Residence in which a Pneumatic System has been instal- led. This may be Operated by Hand or Power. quires more water for culinary pur- poses than sometimes is used, because of the inconvenienc of securing it, when it must be carried in a pail. Then instead of cold water always on tap, the drinking supply is fre- quently rendered unwholesome, warm and stale after being exposed for hours in the house There may be hot water also which saves heating water in vessels for culinary, bath and laundry purposes. Time and labor are greatly economized on wash- days by the stationary tubs under taps of hot and cold water from which the water drains away. The well kept kitchen sink, with a sink board and strainer, provides a handy place for dishwashing. The bathroom with basin and bath tub saves much time and greatly in- creases the comfort 'of bathing. No- thing is so refreshing as the warm plunge after a day of batting over a bot stove in summer. Plenty of warm water and soap will remove the deist better, after the haymaking or , threshing is done, than a swim. The farmer's lad may not be handy to a :i creek anyway. The baby's daily bath and the Satter- ; day round -up of the older children are not so ardous for the mother with an , up-to-date bathroom. The running hot water helps the young farmer scour his hands and remove the stub -1 ble from his face when he is in a hurry to call on Her. Frequent bath- • ing is necessary to clean healthy skins and bodies. Hard working farm dwellers require compressed air forces the water up the supply pipe and out at the tap. The tank may be filled by hand pump, windmill, gasoline engine, hydro on other power. Soft or hard water may: be used; the well is most satisfactory. In some homes both hard and soft water are used by installing another tank operated by the same pump. The pressure from the compressed air • tem is much stronger than from oth- ers. The first cost is more, but the pneumatic has proven more ereltueng. What It Costs. With a hand pump the tank costs about $70, Singe the war plumbing 'supplies have gone up, so prices are higher to equip a seven or eight - roomed house for a family, the total cost would be about $250 altogether at present. Fixtures and plumbing for kitchen and bathroom, in neat not elaborate enamel, would be about $165, Cement tubs for laundry about $12 or $15 more. Procelain are higher. Cost depends partly on quality of fix- tures and amount of piping necessary and size of tank required. Where there is already a windmill cost is less. With a large enough tank this system can be made to supply stable water of course. Two houses nifty be supplied from one tank; half a doze' in a village is desired. The heating is done through a coil in the furnace attached to the boiler, or from the kit- chen range or small gas heater made for the purpose. The two latter eii sure hot water all the year around.— Margaret Madden in Canadian Coun, tr than. MERCHT B . tnnu A Report Shoves .Assets Approaching the Hundred Million. Mark. In presenting to the Shareholders the 53rd Annual Statement of the Merchants Bank of Canada, the Gen- eral Manager expressed the policy of the Bank during the War as one of "Safety Y First—mahntaining a veTY strong position in cash and imxne- diately available resources, ready for any emergency or development in these timesof world wide financial certainty. A study of the Bank's Annual State- ment for the year ending April 29th, 1916, shows how fully this policy has been carried out. Assets which are or :can bo immediately converted into cash have reached a total of $40,- 960,486—an increase of over Seven and Three -Quarter Millions from the remarkably good. showing' of a year ago." By this policy of keeping well .pre= pared and entrenched, the Merchants Bank/of Canada has favorably im- pressed the depositing public at home and abroad, and deposits have grown in the twelve months covered by the ,statement by the considerable sum of Ten Millions, reaching a total of $72,- 177,029,15. These deposits reflect- a easure of confidence on the part of he public which has been very grabi- in to the proprietary Bank. of .the Y g p P Y Total Assets also show a very sub- stantial increase of over Ten Million Dollars, and amount to $96,361,363.07. This does not include any mortgages, while overdue debts and real estate, other than Bank Premises, betel only $341,549.47 or less than 2/5 of one per cent. of the total assets. Another year of such solid progress will bring the Merchants: Bank of Canada well into the class of Hundred Million. Dol- lar financial institutions. • Profits during the year were neces- sarily restricted by the policy of maintaining so high a ratio of liquid reserve or assets that could be cone verted immediately into cash.- Current commercial loans and discounts in Canada, the main source of a Canadian Bank's profits, increased compara- tively little from last year, and net profits fell off slighbly to $950,713.42. This, with the balance brought for ward from the.previous year, enabled the Bankto meet all dividend charges, contribute generously to patriotic and: Red Cross . funds, transfer $150,000 to Contingent Nand, and carry forward $250,984.12. The feeling of the Directors as ex- pressed at the Annual Meeting, is one of quiet yet complete confidence in the future prosperity of the. Dominion, and a readiness to devote the gro tng re- sources of the Merchants Bank of Canada to sound development and, up- building. "STORM THE TRENCHES" OF THE HOUSE FLY. By Chas M. Bice, Denver, Colo. Our old enemy, the fly, is "on deck" again for his summer campaign. Health officers everywhere are exert- ing themselves to make us realize out duty to kill every fly within reach, and not only kill them, but • to , prevent their .propagation.: ''Greater forces than ever before are operating to this. end. It is realized that it is within the power of the house fly to slay more human beings than can the most modern artillery of the heaviest) i calibre! It is only a few years ago that the dangers of what Ecclesiastes refers to as "the fly in the ointment," was made plain. Prof. L. 0. Howard, chief of the Bureau of Entomologyin the. U.S., has made an extensive study of flies, and has given bhe results in a govern- merit bulletin which contains valuable l information every one should have to systematically "swat the fly." He tells us there are several species of files which are commonly found in houses, although ) -t ome of these should properly be called the house fly—the chap that mainly does bhe mischief. He is found in nearly every part of the world, and is a inediun- sized, grayish color, with its mouth parts spread out at the tip for sucking up. liquid substances, and ,hence unable to bite, thus refuting a general impression. The house fly lays its eggs upon all kinds of filth, about 120 in number on the average -a single fly lying at least from 2 to 4 such batches in a season. Under favorable conditions of moist, ure and temperature; the egg state h P dly, the lat•va(; attain f U size th lsr 4u'me a croons,. white color, aha jus before pupation they l eeoxae vex restless and migrate in search .of f'ayrrable place hi which to pass th pupal stage, . They congregate a�b ih edges of piles of lth neat the groan and often harrow into the soil be neath, or craws away to pupate i logs°• ground, or under the edges stones, boards, etc. The pupal or "Sleep ers,"' are Barr shaped, and of a dark brown color. I midsuxn.mer this stage lasts from e t 0d s. 1 days. adult fly, upon emerging fro bhe pupa stage, works its way upwar through the soil or filth, and upo reaching the air, it crawls about fe a time while its wings are expanding and the body hardens, when it as- sumes its norms l coloration. In a very few days the females of the brood are ready to deposit eggs, and this multi-. plication of the pest becomes, enorm- ous, The body is thickly covered with tiny hairs and bristles of varying lengths when seen by a microscope, and this is especially true of the legs. Thus, when it crawls over infected material' it soon becomes loaded with germs, and subsequent visits to human foods result in their contamination frons the germs they carry, In army camps, on public works, etc., where large numbers of,men con- gregate, there is not always proper sanitation,. and the carriage of typhoid germs to the food by flies is common, resulting in typhoid fever, This is true also in farm -houses, and even in badly cared for portions of large cities. In the same manner other in- testinal germ diseases are carried by flies, Asiatic cholera, dysentery, in- fantile diarrhoea, etc., are all so car- ried. It is said, also, that they carry tubercular germs,. the germs of an- thrax, smallpox, ophthalma, etc. Sticky fly paper is the common way to destroy the fly and it is quite ef- fectual. Another way is to expose in shallow dishes a mixture of formalin and milk, or water (sweetened), in about equal portions. This is most effective when no other;, liquids are accessible to the flies, which they pre- fer. This mixture is not poisonous to man, and will not, injure fabrics, and is much: safer than the fly poison con. taining arsenic. Burning fresh pyrethrum: powder in. a room az very effective,, and fly traps are' used to' advantage when placed on the outside of houses, stores, stables, etc., but the.;most logical way of abat- ing •eh& fly nuisance is the elimination of their breeding places. The Bureau of Entomology advises that all refuse and filth be kept in fly -tight tins or bins, or treated` by proper chemicals which will kill the eggs' and maggots of the fly. The best chemical for this purpose is powdered Hellebore, a water extract is prepared by adding one-half pound of the pow- der to every 10 gallons of water, al- lowing it .to stand 24 hours, after thoroughly stirring it. This is sprink- led over the manure pile—ten gals. for every 10 cubic feet of manure. This will destroy from 88 t,o' 99 per cent of the fly larvr. Powdered borax is also very effect- ive, when diluted with water, or when water is sprinkled on after the borax has been scattered over the filth. It is said this will not only kill the larvae but will prevent:the eggs from hatch- ing. All should join in this crusade, for it will avail but little if one's neigh- bors are not equally careful. An edu- cational campaign as to methods is desirable also. Denver, June 9, 1916. GERMANY SHORT OF SUGAR. Farriers Ignored Appeals to Increase the Beet Acreage. tae. 1,1tegin eY t e e d n o t'he strt el o: m d n Reports from the principal beet raising districts of Germany appear- ing in recent issues of German news- papers indicate that the German hausfrau may have to make ends meet with even less than the month- ly allowance of a kilo (2.2 pounds) a head fixed by the Imperial Sugar Bureau and that the failure of the farmers to increase their acreage to any great extent will hardly be equalized by the decision of the food von Batooki, to restrict the" consumption of sugar to human be- ings:dietator, Yt.• appears that the appeal issued by the Prussian Minister of Agricul- ture last December" calling upon the farmers to increase their acreage of sugar beets did not meet with enthu; siastic response, as there was more Money to be made in raising grain and potatoes. A shortage off Num will betepecially heed on the fruit canners and the families that make their own .preserves, and will have an unfavorable reaction on the demand for meat and fat, which has been largely covered by the substitution of sweets. Even a little miss Ittay make a big it when she grow" up. Tl�b: mus of ihsi F�orcui,i,ne a.no Cobalt CAM Js, tlniebeO1 cetera, sae 110W uboat -racy for diytribution to a 1 iykio are i,t- torpoto''1, These will prove in valuable to thoseynxIouea to. obtain sucresp In the minlnlc market. The Issue i Linsited File Your Application: at Once! 'A Postcard. Will .7 zing It. Private wire eonn.ectini; all markets, HAMILTON B. WILLS (Member Standard Stork 7;•xchan ) 4 lar. emraa ,'E.T EAn'E, TORONTO ST JOHN _AMBULANCE. First Aid Work af. the Canadian Pacific Railway Centre. "A most successful year, notwith- standing the general depression." This is the pleasing statement con- tained in the sixth annual report of the Canadian Pacific Railway Centre of the St. John Ambulance Assoeta- tion, For the twelve months, ending September 30, 1915, no less than 1,816 passed qualifying examinations out of a total' of 2,564 who presented them- selves for instruction at the classes. In all the departments of the C.P.R. Centre of the Association, which spreads over the country, a greater zeal than ever was manifested for work, and the support of the superin- tending officials of the C.P.R. is in no small way responsible for a good deal of the advancement made: Wives and daughters of C.P.R. employees have taken 'advantage of the freee course of training offered, and now no less than 825 ladies have taken ouui the - certificate of qualification frown the Association. Under the auspices of the C.P.R. Centre instruction was given to the. Bordeu Battery and Ammunition Column before leaving Montreal for the front. Afterwards the certificates of merit were presented to the offi- cers and men by His Royal Highness the Duke of Connaught. An important feature of the work of the C.P.R. Centre was the bringing of a large number of bhe lady clerks of the C.P.R. into touch with the. Red Cross Society, an organization to which they proved a valuable asset. Three men were saved from drown- ing at Winnipeg by W. T. Davies, C. P.R. ambulance instructor, and Wil- liam . Newcombe, a C.P.R. constable. Sir :Denatd Cameron presented the medal of the Royal Canadian Humane Society to each in recognition of their 'bravery. Particulars were obtainable of 3,- 780 cases where first aid had been administered by members of the G.P.R. Centre. The cases were thus divided: Atlantic Centre, 9; Eastern Division, 130; Ontario Division, 136; western lines, 3,440. Concluding the report of the C.P.R. Centre pays a glowing tribute to the late Lieutenant-Colonel Lacy R. John- son, who had been chairman of the Centre under review and also of the whole Association. During his time as chairman nearly 7,000 employees of the C.P.R. passed the qualifying examinations, and inthis way made themselves better citizens of bhe Do- minion. PLANNING ?STEW FENCES. The Barb Wire Fence Is Not Neces- sary to Keep Animals Back. In the old days when lumber, was plentiful and land of not much value the zig-zag rall fence was very popu- lar. One very serious objection to. this fence, quite apart from the space it takes up, is that it makes a fertile breeding place for all sorts of pests. Clean cultivation keeping the land free from weeds—is one of the best ways to keep the cut worm, and the army worm, as well as a host of other farm pests in check. This is impossible when rail fences are used. There are many good finds of fences buttaking everything into considera- tion, some kind of wits fence is the most satisfactory to use. It takes up but little space and makes it possible to plow and cultivate right upA to the posts. In conisectioli with wire fences k oweyer, it should, be retnemberet that barbed wire should not be :used. Every year hundreds of animals are injured through getting cut with the barbs. If wire is of good quality and purchased from areliable firm. it will keep cattle and horses back just quite as well as the best rail fence—strid ' does not need to be reinforced with barbed wire.--aaiita.dian Countryman. ARE CLEAN 1O STICKINESS ALL OCALCFtn G.C.iriggs & C shits HAMILTON