HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Herald, 1937-09-30, Page 8British Prison
Reform Begins
Wages For Long-Termers One
Step In a Program That
Widens Privileges
LONDON — Even Great Britain's.
most hardened convicts are to be paid
*ages for the work they do in prison
is a result of reforms just ordered
;by Sir Samuel Hoare, the Home Sec-
retary.
This country is no believer in spoil-
ing its convicts, but in the last quar-
ter of a century humanitarian organ-
izations have succeeded in greatly
reducing the rigors of prison lite.
Great Britain has no Alcatraz for
esperate criminals, but, on the other
hand, attempts at escape are few and
escapes almost unheard of except
from the Borstal reformatories for
young people, where discipline is less
severe.
Tasks Now Productive
The fact that Miss Elizabeth Fry,
who started the prison reform move-
ment a century ago, was related to
the Hoare family, may have influenc-
ea the Home Secretary to extend the
system of wages for prisoners from
the Borstal institutions and jails for
short-term prisoners to Dartmoor,
Chelmsford and Parkhurst, where
those serving longer sentences are
kept.
The .pay will be only two shillings
a week, representing in all a small
fraction of the value of the furniture,
mattresses and other articles sup-
plied by the prisons to government
4epartments. But the important
thing is that the old days of the tread
mill, picking oakum, breaking stone
for the Portland harbor works, and
Other unproductive tasks have thus
been banished completely from the
British prison administration.
Serve Another Purpose
The wages will at least provide
the prisoners with money to buy cig-
arettes and other small articles, and
be a greater incentive towards a good
work and good behavior. From the
viewpoint of the wardens, the pay-
ments serve another purpose— they
make discipline easier to enforce,
since few will dare to risk having
their pay stopped for avoidable in-
fractions of the rules.
Newsprint Largest
Selling Comm 0 dity
Heads Other Canadian Exports;
Trade up $77,000,000 In
Past Five Months
Increase of more than. $14,000,000
was shown in income tax collections
during the five months of the fiscal
year ending August, according to a
report issued by the National
Revenue Department.
Total collections amounted to $90,-
703,766, compared with $76,559,258 in
the same period the previous fiscal
Year.
Toronto district led in collections
with $31,782,439, an increase of $5,-
720,872.
ltaports of Canadian products in
August had a value of $101,471,260,
compared with $92,559,495 in August,
1936. Re-exports of foreign products
increased from $970,261 to $1,867,330.
Number One Export
Newsprint was Canada's number
one cxport commodity during the
month, reaching $10,662,990, followed
by wheal, $0,098,765. Copper exports
had a value of $5,248,576; nickel,
$5,914,020; automobiles, $3,449,960;
planks and boards, $4.448,124; wood
pulp, $3,625,875; and meats, $3,-
884,902.
Canad:an exports for the first five
months of the Government's fiscal
year totalled $473,120,853, oornpared
with $396,883,134 in the oorresnond-
ing period a year ago. Sinlilarly.,
customs and excise revenue increased
from $105,283,841 to $13,935,596. In-
come tax revenue increased from
$76,559,258 to. $90,703,766.
Benefits awarded amounted to
$457,686, of which $366,892 was for
compensation and $90,743 for medi-
cal aid.
LS par s rom t e Press
.
CANADA
Those Stripe -Drivers
Maybe it would help If the high -
Ways department would try painting
a stripe near the edge of the road, for
the benefit of those vivito insist on
driving on a stripe.—Guelph Mer -
vary.
Buying Trouble
Italy spent 600 million dollars to
buy a lot of trouble in Ethiopia.
Now Japan is borrowing 580 millions
in her search for trouble in China.
When will the nations grow up ?—To-
ronto Star.
The Hecklers Help
After all, what would a general
election be without the persistent
hecklers? These liven up an audi-
ence and give a clever speaker a bet-
ter chance to bring out his points.—
Toronto Globe & Mail.
Helping the Helpless
The late George A. Quance of
Middleton Township set a very fine
example in making a bequest of
$5,000 to the North General Hospital.
This institution depends to a large
extent on public support for its fin-
ancial welfare and contributions are
particularly welcome at this time
when a big expansion program is in
progress. It is sincerely hoped that
other citizens will follow Mr.
Quance's example and make provision
in their wills for the care of the sick
and injured people. The hospital
takes care of a large number of indi-
gent patients every year, on whom a
very substantial loss is sustained.
Only through generous donations and
bequests on the part of citizens in
comfortable circumstances can this
be offset.—Simcoe Reformer.
Broken Relations
But if Portugal is breaking off dip-
lomatic relations with Czechoslovakia
without fighting, it must be remem_
bered that China and Japan are stag-
ing a fair-sized war without having
broken off relations. One is driven
to speculate on what Czechoslovakia
can have done to Portugal which does
more to justify breaking diplomatic
relations than an armed invasion.—
London Free Press.
Down With "Canned" Music
The average radio listener, sitting
contemplatively before a loud -speak-
er, is only barely conscious, if he
notices it at all, of those frequently
repeated words, "We will now listen
to an electrical transcription . .
Every time those word'S come over
the air, the listener is getting not
only music by a phonograph rtcord,
but also, right along with it, a con-
crete example, of technological unem-
ployment. The American Federation
of Musicianstconsiders the playing
over the air of recordings so serious
a threat to the employment of its
members that it has threatened a
strike.—Valicouver Stn.
Plague Menace Diminished
It is a far cry from these times
back through the generations to the
old night of scourge and plague.
Think of that record—not a single
case of smallpox amid London, Eng-
land's teeming millions in the past
three years Herald.
Expect Better Times
There are good grounds for optim-
ism regarding 1938. As a matter of
fact, the total rainfall this Summer
throughout practically the whole
drought district has been greater than
it was in 1936.• The trouble was that
it did not come in time.
This fact, taken together with the
rising level of the Lake of the WOods,
enough rain and grew a better -than_
average crop, and the fact that the
drought broke this year south of the
international border, are the best pos-
sible indications that a period. of nor-
mal rainfall is beginning.—Winnipeg
Tribune.
Canada In The Air
Lord Tweedsmuir hands out the
dietum—and far be it from us to con.,
tradict himl—that the future of the
Northwest Territories is vested in the
aeroplane. Recently he drew a. pic-
ture of the Canadian northland as a
region of comparatively small indus-.
trial centres, of stretches of land
whieh are seasonally highly fertile,
of small communities, unconnected by
roads or railway with the outside
Orld, yet by no means isolated. He
predicted, as others have done, of
course, that in a short time aerial
transportation would become cheaper,
and no less efficient. Lord Tweeds_
muir, most modern of His Majesty's''
representatives to Canada, can see
more clearly than most the straws
in the wind. --Hamilton Spectator.
THE EMPIRE
Dote On Dancing
Undoubtedly for the younger gen-
eration dancing is the best form of
sociability, and Scottish societies who
have realized this are finding that
their membership is well sustained
by recruits from the, rising genera-
tion. Young Scots down in London,,
like all young people everywhere want
dancing more than any other form of
entertainment and the Sociales are
finding that where a dinner or Whist
drive almost invariably ends in
small loss a dance almost as invari-
ably conies out on the right financial
side. Scottish reels are popular fea-
tures of all dance programs and there
is an increasing vogue for dance
bands composed of violins and melo-
deons.—Edinburgh Scotsman. ."
Colonization Is Costly
Italy has won her empire. The
League cannot take it from her, nor
can the Abyssinians. But winning an
empire and enjoying it are two dif-
ferent things—as Italy is finding. So
far, the Italians have no more than
scratched the surface of Abyssinia.
Beyond the parts they occupy lie vast
tracts of hills and forests which have
still to be penetrated against hostile
tribes. Military penetration or con-
ciliation will take years; Commercial
exploitation may take generations. To
make Abyssinia a home for Italy's
surplus millions, a source of raw ma-
terials for Italian industry, and a
market for Italian manufactures is a
task that must absorb Italian energy
and wealth for a long time to come.
If Italy is to do it she would be wise
to still the Mediterranean storm and
to stabilize, by the_."Rome_Berlin
axis" or otherwise, the peace .04'4 -ler --
part of Europe.—G14gow Herald.
Discover New
Skull Disease
• But No Clue Yet Found To Its
Cure
A new skull disease which is a corn-
plete mystery of science, was reported
to the fifth international Congress of,
Radiology this week.
Dr. Sherwood Moore, of St. Louis,
Mo., declared that he had .found the
bone disease In the X-ray pictures Of
229 persons out of 6,650 he had exam,
Med intensively. He could tad no
cause for its development, and only',
partial treatment.
It is known as "hysterosis" of four
kinds, and its chief- symptom is a tre-
mendous thickening of the Skull
sometimes five amts. the:normal bony
covering of the brain. Sometimes k-
ills° greatly enlarges the bones at the
base of the skull, and may create'
pressure on the brain*,
Hits Fat Petple
This disease should always be sus-
pected in any person who is abnor-
mally fat, Br. Moore told radiologists
attending the closing meeting of the
congress. but this does not indicate
that more than a small percentage of
fat people have it:
Other symptoms include headache,
muscular weakness andflatigue, men-
tal depression, nervousness,. convul- •
sive seizures, demented mentality,'
disturbances of gait and speech, and
Oft entimes neuralgia,
Says Japanese
Don't Want War
Helen Keller, resting in Dallas,
Texas, at her brother's home, after
journey to Japan, is troubled about
Japanese children,
"At every station stop children
met rny train waving flags," she said.
"The spirit of war was everywriere
apparent. I hate to think of these
children becoming gun fodder."
Miss Keller, victor over the handi-
cap of blind, deaf and dumb, said
"the Japanese people don't want
war. It is the militarists who dom-
inate who are pushing it."
Flashes from the Press
Air Raid Practice
BERLIN,—Berlin was cloaked in
gloom one night tills week while
millions fought the spectre of war in
the greatest of the Third Reich's war
games.
Little lights and great shadows
played over the darkened Capital.
Secrecy guarded movements of the
combined army, navy and air forces
in the northern Provinces of Mec-
klenburg and Pomerania where other
cities were "blacked -out" in air de-
fense practice.
Sells Most Wheat
WINNIPEG. — Canada dominated
world wheat trade this week with
export sales estimated at more than
3,500,800 bushels but wheat prices on
the Winnipeg Grain Exchange failed
to reflect this substantial volume.
Values sagged slightly.
Refuse Moose Jaw Aid
MOOSE JAW.—The Federal Gov-
ernment this week refused Moose
Jaw's request for aid to end the
present city water shortage, ruling
that the proposed project to pump
water seventy miles from the South
Saskatchewan River must be includ-
ed in a public works program sub -
raided to the Federal Government by
the Saskatchewan Government. -.
Kitchenei's New Post Office
OTTAWA.—Kitchener, Ont., is to
have a new public building to house
its post office, customs, national rev-
enue and other federal government
offices, it was learned this week.
Contract has been awarded to Ball
Brothers, Kitchener, whose tender
was $229,000. Provision for the
building was contained in the parlia-
mentary estimates for the current
fiscal year.
Canton Bombed"'.
HONG KONG_—Japanese bombers
soared over Canton, dumping tons of
explosives on the city this week in
the worst air raid the South China
'metropolis has experienced since the
Chinese war started.
Despatches said the Cantonese
were panic-stricken, with hundreds of
homes and buildings afire.
Nine grey bombing planes appear-
ed over Canton shortly after dawn,'
convoyed by a fleet of pursuit, plan-
es. Chinese fliers immediately took
the air' to give ,battie, but the pur-
suit.. Planes engaged them in ' dog-
fights whila the bombers unloaded
their explosives.
Scores of incendiary bombs were
dropped., creating terrific havoc in
the area around the Canton-Hankow
Railway Station, one of the principal
Japanese objectives.
- Saskatchewan Forest Fires Worst
• In History
REGINA.—Forest fires in Northe-
ern §askatchewan are beyond con-
trol, Hon. T. C. Davi, Acting Min-
ister of Natural Resources, said this
week.
"The whole north is ablaze," the
Minister said. "The fires are the
worst in the Province's history and
there is little hope for thousands of
acres of timber unless rain comes
immediately."
Scurvy In Drought Belt
OTTAWA.—Scurvy, the dread dis-
ease which results from malnutri-
tion, has :appeared in the prairie
-.-7-----BEHIND THE NEW
An interpretation
Of the Week's Major Events.
By ELIZABETH EEDY
Poland Strikes at Jews
The world was startled not long ago
to learn that a letter written by the
great Polish pianist and -patriot, I., J.
Paderewski, to his people, had leen
suppressed. The message he wished
to convey was that Poland should not
give way to civil strife and lose all
that the country has gained of democ-
racy in the years since the war. The
Nazi hold on Poland seems to bo in-
creasing and the freedom of its pri-
vate citizens in jeopardy. A cam-
paign of discrimination against Jews
is in progress and scenes of violence
are hourly occurrences in the streets
of ..Polish towns.
Canada May Balance Budget
Coming from unexpectedly increased
revenues a balance may be achieved
next year of the Canadian budget. For
the first five months of the current fis-
cal year, every kind of revenue has
shown an expansion with the income
tax and the sales tax being the lead-
ers. Customs and excise duties, post
office receipts follow close behind. To
nullify some of the prospective in-
creases will be a considerable rise in
expenditures before the end of 1937,
chiefly because of relief works and
the completion of the National De-
fense program, but this is not expect-
ed to hold back to any great extent
our steady progress towards a bal-
anced budget.
Says British Aim Is Peace
Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden
this week advised the world that
Great Britain is committed irrevocably
to a policy of rearmament unless other
nations cease competing for suprem-
acy at arms.
Speaking before a hushed League of
Nations assembly, Mr. Eden struck a
note of mingled hope and pessimism.
Despite the dark picture he painted
and his implied rebukes of Germany
and Italy, he emphasized Britain's de-
termination still to strive for peace.
•
"One pledge I can give unequivo-
cally to this assembly," he said, "is
that the Government I represent will
spare no endeavor to prevent war
from engulfing Europe."
His pledge of Britain's peaceful pur-
poses was coupled with his statement
of willingness to agree to reduction
and limitation of armaments.
Drought Farmers Move Out
Into a small Ontario town last week
poured three truck -loads of families
from the drought areas of Saskatche-
wan who had come east, financed by
their government, to found new
homes. The Provincial Government of
Saskatchewan allotted to each fam-
ily two freight cars for transpof-
tation to Ontario of their livestock,
implements and household goods; and
into the bargaiu has agreed to pay an
entire year's rent wherever they might
happen to locate.
Censorship In Japan
Although we are three or four
thousand miles from the scene of the
Sino -Jap conflict, we hear of its pro.
gress every hour of the day, over the
air, in the newspapers. But the peck
ple of Japan are not so fortunate, They
see their sons, brothers, lovers go off
towards China, int e the unknown,
News of the war percolates back to
Japan through very uncertain chan.
nels, as the government is a rigid cem
sor. We hear one story of a lady mis,
sionary to China who stopped off in
the Land of the Rising Sun on her
way home to Canada. The war began
while she was there. The only way
she could find out what was going on
in China was to get in touch with her
people here and ask them to send
news of the war hack over the Pacific.
Women Voters In Quebec
Quebec women have the right ta
vote in Dominion, but not in Provin-
cial election. The Trades and Labor
Congress of Canada meeting last week
passed a resolution asking that the
Quebec executive demand from the
provincial government the right for
women to exercise the franchise in
provincial campaigns as well.
Drama For Rural Ontario
Steps are being taken in response
to demands from rural amateur actors
to establish a series of drama insti-
tutes this fall and winter in rural On-
tario. Arts and crafts of the theatre
will be studied at the institutes which
will be held for five-day periods at
many centres. The work will be done
under the auspices of the Community
Welfare Council of Ontario.
drought belt, Agriculture Minister
. Gardiner said this week, and the Gov-
ernment will combat it by shipping
carloads of fresh fruits, vegetables
and other commodities to the suffer-
ing areas.
Philippine Women Enfranchised
MANILA.—Philipine women were
enfranchised this week when the Na-
tional Assembly in special session ap-
proved a new election law.
The Assembly provided men and
women may be identified at polling
booths by birth or baptismal certifi-
cates or a sworn statement of iden-
tity.
Uhder the new law each person
will thumb -mark his ballot when he
votes. This is for identification of
contested ballots.
• "A Closed Incident"
LONDON.—Great Britain has in-
formed Japan she considers the air-
plane machine-gunning of British
Ambassador Sir Hughe Knatchbull-
Hugessen a closed incident.
The British announcement, which
followed twenty-four hours of new
consultations and communications be-
tween Tokio and London, was regard-
ed as ending what might have de-
veloped into a serious international
situation- Japan admitted guilt, voic-
ed regret.
Inquest Adjourned
LONDON, Ont.—After a brief
few minutes' session the inquest into
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Having saved Graham
Guthrie from Fu Manchu's
plot in which The Call of
Siva played such a terrifyine
par+, Nayland Smith .and his
associate, Dr. Petrie, set out
+a locate the Chinaman's
headquarters from which
Any had escaped the night
before, ...
FU MANCHU
When the slave girl had guided us from.Fu Manchu's strong -
held in our miraculous escape, we had found ourselves near
Windsor Castle, So Smith and I had circled upon The matt a
tract of country cut.hy the Thames, with Windsor es.its center,
Semowhere within chis radius lay the
abode of our mysterious enemy --
where Fu Manchu worked among las
weird company, whence he dispatched
his murder ministers. And I wondered
if The house wouldprovo.to be the hid-
ing place of the beautiful •girl who win
to strong a factor in Fu PvlenthiPs
plans, but: a twc..e2eod s.,votci whkh
v.e yet l‘er,:;1 tern taainst him,
the mysterious death of Miss Mary
Wilkinson, 37 -year-old public school
teacher, was adjourned sine die.
For 'basically the reason that the
inquest did not proceed is that two
men are charged with murder in the
case. They are the widely known,
70 -year-old Dr. Charles A. Cline Sr.
and 50 -year-old Laachlin J. Robert-
son.
Hitler Tells Women
To Be Themselves
Bachelor Adolf Hitler commanded
a cheering throng of Nazi women
this week to "be yourselves and have
more children.''
The Chancellor declared in his an-
nual speech to the Nazi Women's
Organization that "children are the
highest ambition of man and wife."
The object of the Nazi movement, he
explained, is the future generation.
Gertrud Scholtzklink, Nazi wo-
men's leader, proclaimed marriage
and motherhood "the highest achieve-
ments in a woman's life."
Accidents reported So the Work-
men's Compensation Board • during
August totalled 6,799 as compared
with 6,763 during July, and 5,515
during August a year ago, figures
released today reveal.
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Smith and 1 turned from the river along a lane 1 noted
a gypsy caravan as 1 passed, with en old woman seated
en 1140 steps. So intent was 1 on reaching the place we
had old mansion in extensive walled grounds—
het 1 cc no 'r notice my friend was no longer beside me.
A cry rang out behind me and 1 turned quickly to .sse
Nyland ,Smith engaged in a furious struggle with the old
gypsy woman, His long arms clasped about her, he was
roughly dragging her out info the roadway, while she bat-
tled like a wild thing....
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