HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Herald, 1934-09-13, Page 6Voice f the
Canada, The Empire and The World at Large
a -w -a- _.
CANADA
ON ADVISING THE FARMER
How easy it is for some persons
with imagination and gifted with a
flow of words to sit in a comfortable
arm chair feet cocked on a desk and
dictate to a stenographer instruction
Slow a farmer can better his condi-
tions. One of these effusions recent-
ly reached our desk and here it is;
"Tlie application of engineering to
agriculture has for its purpose the uti-
lization of engineering principles, me-
thods and equipment to decrease the
unit cost of farm products, to reduce
the amounts of irksome labor in pro-
ducing crops and caring for livestock
and to increase the satisfaction of
farm living."
What a wonderful thing this must
be for the farmer. The application of
engineering to farming is going to
show how he can the more easily
plow, sow and harvest, how hest to
unload his grain in the mows, cut and
hoist the corn into the silo! milk his
cows and with the minimum of ener-
gy and in the cheapest manner; weed
the turnip patch and get the weeds
out of his corn and potatoes while the
farmer's wife is to be told how to per-
form her multiplicity of chores about
the house so as to increase the satis-
faction of farm living.
If the authors of some ot the non-
sensical stuff emanating from city of-
fices
ffices were to write their articles leave
them on the desk until the following
morning, and then read them before
they began the work of the day, we
feel sure much of it would find a place
in the waste paper basket.—Perth
Expositor,
VERY LIKELY
Much of the sighing for good old-
fashioned meals is sighing for a thir-
teen year-old stomach. — Brantford
Sun.
A DANGEROUS PRACTICE
As well as being against the law,
it is dangerous to use trucks to con-
vey children or adults to picnics or
other gatherings, The other day five
little girls were seriously injured when
part of the side of a truck gave way.
Trucks are not built for such work
and carrying passengers in vehicles
not adapted for that purpose is a
dangerous practice.—Niagara Palls
Review.
SAD BUT TRUE
A fellow doesn't realize how old he
is getting until he finds that one deep
breath won't blow out the candles on
his birthday cake.—Regina Leader -
Post.
PROBLEM FOR JEEVES
P. G. Wodehouse well known Brit-
ish author, has had a tax lien filed
against him in the United States for
$250,703—$123,826 original levy and
penalties and interest of $126,877. It
is effective against the many royalties
he receives for the stories he sells
across the line and his film right. It
looks as if Jeeves would have to put
on his thinking cap in dead earnest to
get the popular writer out of this at-
tack on his bank account.—Brantford
Exjositor.
DEATH DUTIES
The important role of the death du-
ties as part of British revenue is seen
in the fact that the estate of the late
Viscount Tredgar - will contribute al-
most $6,000,000 to the treasury of
Great Britain,—Niagara Falls Review.
THE COUNTRY'S FOUNDATION
More and more the average man is
coming to realize that the cornerstone
of the national edifice is a contented
and successful farm population. In
smaller cities such as Belleville this
is the truism accepted by everyone—
that the farm's wealth and prosperity
underly city wealth and prosperity,—
Belleville Intelligencer.
OVERCROWDED
Young people thinking of studying
to be teachers are given cause to
pause and think by the announcement
that 900 applications were received
for two teaching vacancies at Deser-
onto High School, and 263 for a vac-
ant public school principalship in Gan.
anoque.—Lindsay Post,
THE HAIR BRUSH
Judge Bleakley, in the New York
Supreme Court, does not adjudge Bea.
trice Countess Tavara, guilty on a
charge of cruelty because of her use
of the reverse side of the brush on the
reverse side of her young sou. He de-
oreeS: "The Bair brush is a recogniz-
ed institution in all well regulated fa.
milies"—Moncton Transcript,
CHICAGO PROGRESS
And it does seem that progress Is a
very funny thing when the chief sen-
sations of a fair launched with the
purpose of showing the advances
practical science are a nudist wedding
and a fan dance. Apparently progress
in the eyes of Chicago, is represented
by moving backwards toward the sem-
plicities of the Garden of laden, --Ham-
ilton Herald.
IN DEFENCE
Wo old highbrows are apt to forget
that the sloppy love the crooners
croon about, is after all, the thing that
makes the world go around, ---Moose
Jaw Tlmes•Iieralci,
HIS WEAKNESS
Barbara Hutton complains that her
hubby, Prince Alexis Mdivani, is pay-
ing more attention to the polo ponlei
she gave ;him as a wedding present
than he is to her. fife's a groom but
not the right kind,—Border Cities Star
THERE WAS
Another pian lit a match to see If
there was any gas left in his car, and
the coroner's jury was informed that
there were a couple of gallons.—Strat-
ford Beacon -Herald,
EMPIRE EXPORTS
There were some remarkable in-
creases in Canada's domestic ex-
ports to British Empire countries in
June. Compared with a year ago the
increase to Great Britain was from
$17,997,000 to $26,497,000, the gain be-
ing $5,520000 or 47 per cent; Australia
from $841,000 to $1,630,000 a gain of
$789,000 or 93 per cent; British South
Africa from $378,000 to $1,082,000, the
increase being $704,000 or 186 per
cent.—Brandon Sun,
MAKING A DISCOVERY
Some June bridegrooms are finding
life one grand refrain, instead of one
grand sweet song. Refrain from cards,
smoking, booze and fishing trips. —
Iiitcherier Record.
CRUELTY
If there is a humane society in the
St, Catharines district, it needs to do
some educative work among the peo-
ple of the city and surrounding dis-
trict, It was some inspired mind in St.
Old Fort Niagara Fully Restored
e tWa?, a,raaelNeeeka, Vii`e
After seven years of labour and an expenditure of $500,000, Old Fort Niagara has been re-
stored. Photo shows air view of the Old Fort from the Lake Ontario side. Left to right, in foreground,
British Blokhouse, Millet Cross, Lombardy Poplar s, Rush-Bagot memorial and old french castle; along
the wall at right, British Hot -shot oven, artificer's c abin, French powder magazine, French barracks and
British Blokhouse; beyond the barracks may be seen the Dauphin battery covering the Portes des cinq
Nations (behind blokhouse).
of the total population. It is true that
the latter figure is less than the ex.
penditure in the United Kingdom,
which is about 1 pound 17s per head;
Catharines a month or two ago that but it has to be borne in mind that na-
bit upon the extraordinary idea ot al- oily s educationdpecosts the Transvaal
pop -
only is 3d per head of the native pop-
ulation and about is 2d per head of
lowing tbe children to see a movie
show for two starling legs. Whether
the children put the starlings to death
in some way before tearing off the
legs we cannot tell, but it was found
that they were offering the legs of
robins and other birds at the ticket
offce, and so public spirit forced this
scbeme to be abandoned.—St. Thomas
Times -Journal.
COST OF WAR
Of every dollar we pay the federal
treasury in taxes sixty cents goes to
pay for our part in the Great War. So
Brooke Claxton reminds us in Canad-
ian Business. There are indirect costs
as well. Two-thirds of our internation-
al trade, exports and imports, has dis-
appeared as a result of growing econ-
omic nationalism abroad.—Calgary Al-
bertan.
5 LOST EVERY DAY
Two women's bodies are found, one
by accident in search for the other.
Lists of girls missing from British
homes are combed, and the public is
shocked to learn that they number to
10,000 Scotland Yard, seeking to Iden_
tify the Brighton victim, have named
a large army of them. In London wo-
men disappear at the rate of five per
day, A few are found alive or dead,
but the fate of the rest is a deeper my-
stery than that which now engages
the police 'at Brighton.—Manchester
Sunday Chronicle.
THE EMPIRE
N.Z. Beef For Britain. •
It should be remembered that the
success gained with chilled New Zea-
land lamb in the British market came
neither by luck nor favor. It was won
by hard work, close attention to de-
tail, and by scrupulous care to assure
that every carcass corresponded to
what its grading implied. A London
butcher suggests that the position of
the Argentine supplier in the London
Market is not unassailable. But if New
Zealand wishes to gain a place the
task must be tackled resolutely and
systematically. It is a commonplace
that this country has not,. at least in
any quantity, beef cattle of the qual.
demanded by the British consumer.
The answer to that is to acquire the
foundation stock and breed on the pro-
per lines. As indicated in the advice
already quoted, it would be no use
trying to break into the market with
inferior beef. There is plenty of that
already. But it is also suggested that
there is ample room for the best,
again a reasonable proposition. That
ity demanded by the British consumer.
farming industry should consider very
seriously, and then determine if it is
prepared to engage in a contest for a
share of the British beet market,
—Auckland News.
EDUCATION COSTS IN U.S.A.
South Africa is probably the only
country in the world that spends a
quarter of its national income (about
9,000,000 pounds a year) on education.
Twenty yeare ago that expenditure
was 2,500,000 pounds. In this country
education is not only free to rick and
poor alike, but it is also compulsory
to a higher standard than in most
other countries. Primary and second-
ary education (that is, free education)
costs South Africa three pounds and
108 a year per head of the European
population. (man, woman and child),
and nearly one pound per head of the
total population, white, black and col-
ored, In the Transvaal the expenditure t
is even greater, and is said to be the
highest In the world. Out of an annual
revenue of not much more than 4,000,
000 the Transvaal spends nearly 3,000,
000 on education, which Is equivalent
to more than 4 pounds per head of
the European population of the Pro-
vince and to one pound 2s 9d per head
the total population.—Johannesburg
Times.
License Hay
Straw Export
Dominion Action—Reciprocal
Arrangement With U.S.
Planned.
Ottawa, — Confronted with a ser-
ious shortage of fodder crops in see -
tions of Canada, the government has
utilized Dowers conferred by the new
Marketing Act to license the export
of hay and straw. An order -in -council
passed under the act requires export-
ers to obtain licenses for shipments
abroad. It also makes transportation
companies see that shipments outside
Canada are covered by such licenses.
A statement issued recently from
the prime minister's office explained
that drought and heat had so affected
the hay crop in some sections that
an acute lack of suitable cattle feed
was being felt. Both Canada and the
U, S. bad found it necessary to take
steps to conserve the cattle feed.
Where surplus areas in Canada were
adjacent to deficit areas in the United
States, and vice versa, it was intimat-
ed, arrangements would be reached
for moving feed across the line.
The statement reads, in part: "In
view of the seriousness of the short-
age of fodder crops in several areas
within the Dominion, the government
by order -in -council under powers con-
ferred by the Natural Products Act,
has taken steps to regulate the export
of hay and straw. The prolonged
drought and heat that have afflicted
large areas in Canada and the U. S.
have compelled the two governments
to take immediate action to relieve
the acute lack of suitable cattle feed
that is now apparent and to prevent
speculators from exploiting the con-
sumers and producers of fodder crops.
"The Canadian hay and clover crop
which in the four years of 1926-1930,
averaged over 16 million tons, had fal-
len to 11,433,000 in 1933, and, for the
current year is estimated at 9,884,000
tons. This decline is, of course, un-
equaly distributed across the country
being most pronounced in Saskatche-
wan and Southern Alberta.
"It is the policy of the government
to see that such local surpluses of
fodder crops as exist in accessible
parts of Canada, should be made
available in the first instance for re-
lief of conditions in the deficit areas.
In view of the high ratio of transpor-
tation costs :to the value of the pro.
duct, It Is not expected that It will be
economically advantageous to ship
such feed stuffs over long distances,
by rail. It may be anticipated that
where surplus areas iii Canada are
contiguous to deficit areas in the U.S.
or vice versa, if conditions warrant,
arrangements will be reached for
movement of feed stuffs across the
line,"
A fire ranger no longer smokes on
the trail. He has found it too much
of a chance to take. Neither does an
experienced camper, or woodsman pull
out his pipe until he comes to the
end of a portage. And when he is fin-
ished be knocks his pipe -ashes into
the water. He runs no risk of leaving
fire behind to destroy his wild -life
friends, and despoil his favorite
haunts, Make Forest Protection your
personal policy for 1934.
When the unwilling juror asked to
be excused from duty because he
could only hear with one ear, the
judge told him he'd do all right, as
only one , side of the case would be
.heard at a time.
URAL HIGH SCHOOL
EXPERIMENT HIGHLY PRAISED
By J. W. Edwards, B.A., B.S.A., B. Paed.,
Principal Ridgetown High and Vocational -Agriculture Schools
THE RIDGETOWN EXPERIMENT.
Such a course has been introduced
at Ridgetown and Ridgetown may
well be proud of its secondary school
system for there is no other just like
it in the Dominion of Canada Dele-
gations frau Australia, Western Can-
ada and many parts of Ontario have
visited the school during the past
seven years, and all have been most
favorably impressed. .
The school was established as an
experiment to find a practical solu-
tion for the problem of vocational
education for boys and girls in the
smaller and more rural centres. The
trustees at that time were men of
considerable vision. Some of these
nien are still members of the board
and could not be pried from office they
are so enthusiastic about the new
school. It was their opinion that the
high school course was not providing
the right kind of a training for a
great many students who had to be
absorbed by the community and that
as the community had to pay the
bills it should be benefiting to a great-
er degree.
Accordingly courses were introduc-
ed providing agricultural subjects and
farm mechanics for boys and house-
hold science and arts for girls, in ad-
dition to the essential academic sub-
jects. That the experiment is prov-
ing
rowing successful is shown by the -fact'
that of those who have left school
over 80 per cent. of the boys have
returned to tbe farm and the girls to
the home, where they are putting in-
to practical use many of the things
learned at school. During the"'seven
years that the vocational school has
been in operation the total average
attendance in the high school and
vocational school has been well over
200—at present 265—compared with
:160 before the opening of the voca-
tional school. Contrasting the at-
tendance at Ridgetown with that of
ether towns in Western Ontario, of
the same population, it will be found
that from 50 to 100 more students
are enrolled for secondary school
education. .Thus it is seen the com-
bined schools are meeting the needs
of a larger percentage of boys and
girls,
One of the features of the Ridge -
town vocational school is that the
first year is more or less of an ex-
ploratory year. Parents are not always
sure that the vocational course is go-
ing to meet the needs of their boys
and girls. In the larger centres more
than half of the students who pass
entrance attend vocational or tech-
nical schools. In so doing, however,
they must definitely deckle upon the
future course of studies they wish to
pursue and a change in their plans
results• in a loss of time, A student
enrolling for the first year in the
Ridgetown Vocational School does so
with the assurance that he can trans-
fer to high school at the end of the
first year and proceed to a matricula-
tion or normal school entrance with-
out loss of time in either case. This
leaves the choice of course open un-
til the end of the first year by which
time the student has had some ex-
perience of secondary school work
and is better able to decide. In the
meantime a valuable training in prac-
tical subjects W111 have been receiv-
ed. Or, if the student remains at
voeational school for three years, he
can then transfer to high school and
have just as many credits towards
a norinal entrance as the student who.
has taken four years of straight high
school work. Tho main difference in
the courses of the vocational school
and the high Se13001 lies in the fact
that no languages are taken in the
former school, thus leaving time for
subjects of a more practical nature.
The two schools are under the same
prit.cipal and staff. Corresponding
graphy, etc., are taught by the same
subjects such as English, history, geo_
teacher in the two schools. Both are
of high school grade and pupils from
the vocational school may write de-
partmental subjects and secure stan-
ding in the subjects taken the same
as those in high school classes. This
arrangement,, coupled with the _fact
that vocational school students make
transfer to high school without loss
of time, absolutely eliminates any
feeling that one course of studies is
the inferior to the other.
Another feature of the vocational
school course is the advantage to the
student who attends school for one
or two years only, Boys attending for
one year only receive training in me-
chanical drawing, woodworking, rope
splicing, belt lacing. Horticulture,
poultry, soil physics and livestock, not
taught in high school, and girls, sew-
ing, cooking and home management.
Boys attending two years receive fur-
ther work in farm mechanics (includ_
ing forge work), seed selection and
other agricultural topics; girls, fur-
ther work in sewing, cooking and
home nursing, and both boys and girls,
bookkeeping. Girls who complete the
three-year course receive a diploma
and may stop school or transfer to
high school to complete a normal en-
trance course, or resume their stud-
ies elsewhere to become dietitians,
nurses or teachers or millinery and
sewing. Boys at the end of three years
may graduate to the farm, take a
fourth year in the vocational depart-
ment to qualify for entrance to the
O.A.C., or they may continue their
studies at high school.
But perhaps the most unique fea-
ture of the system is the attention
that is given to adult education.
Ridgetown is, I believe, the only rural
high school in the province that con-
ducts a winter short course for young
men and women who have stopped
school. This is a day course and cov-
ers a period of six weeks during
January and February and has been
offered now. for four years, Last win-
ter 21 boys and 24 girls attended
and at the end of tate course express-
ed themselves unanimously in favor
of an extension Of the course to eight
commercial law were added for boys,
and household budgeting for gills
and these subjects proved popular.
There is absolutely no question of
the value of such a school to any
entre that serves a rural commun.-
ity.
ommun.toy. Nothing that Blas' been accom-
plished at Ridgetowu is impossible
elsewhere once the' facilities are
provided. There is no doubt but
that- our whole rural educational sys-
:am needs a good overhauling and
11101 other c'onilnunities .1 Could be
,ei•ved by agricultural departments,
in their secondary schools, such as
we have at Riclgetown, Jur courses
are by no means perfect and changes
are being made from time to time. I
believe that evening classes might
be introduced for our young men and
women giving instruction in subjects
which would be of benefit to them
as citizens, and I am of the opinion
that the first year high sohool course
should be made more general with
languages set over until the second
year to give fifth form students a
better chance and the first year stu-
dent more time to adjust hiinself to
new conditions, These are trouble -
weeks. In some cases these students
attend the regular classes, if the class
is not too large, but most of their
time is spent with special instruc-
tors who are added to the regular
staff, The practical subjects taken
are similar to those taught elsewhere
in the school and some time is given
to stimulating an interest in good
reading, in municipal affairs and pub-
lic speaking, Last year farm book-
keeping, business administration and
some times and we are not yet out,
of the woods, and economics must
still be practiced but it is not pos-
sible that there are public projects
that might be set over for so im-
portant an undertaking as rhe mod-
ernizing of this branch of our rural
educational system, The Dominion
Government has recently extended
the program of its Technical Edaca.
tional Act until 1935, Ontario is sup-
posed to have obtained its full share
of the grant, but perhaps some con-
sideration might be given to the
united claims for a new deal to the
rural high schools and the farming
population of Ontario.
There has been a great deal of talk
about the intermediate school, but ap-
parently we can not expect too much
from it. Dr. Rogers, director of edu.
cation for the province, speaking on
this subject, said that he could see
no hope for the establishment of the
intermediate schools in rural commu-
nities unless the administrative unit
was changed and school districts con-
solidated. I believe that reform must
be effected by making our high school
courses more elastic. Everybody —
every man, woman and child has a
stake in education. Passive accept-
ance of present day educational ma-
chinery is not good enough if, through
our organizations, something better
can be obtained for the boys and girls
of our secondary schools. Boards of
trustees and citizens with the welfare
of the communities at heart, and the
young men so courageously engaged
in the new Canada movement should
champion the' cause of our rural high
schools and see to it that they are
modernized so that they will command
the interest of the pupil and the
approval of the public.
From personal observations I am
convinced that these suggested re-
forms would at least have one wel-
come reisult. 0,pupils in
rural hgh schoolsSome i2u Ontario000 now
struggling needlessly with courses
leading to university entrance would
know a new happiness when transfer-
red to work adapted to their needs,
and rural life would in time benefit
by the higher standards' of more effi-
cient, more open-minded and rational
citizens.
Our expectation of life has increas-
ed greatly. A new-born boy baby can
now anticipate living fifty-six years,
and a girl baby sixty years. Ilalf a
centry ago, the figures were forty-two
and forty-five years respectively.
Loudspeakers installed in one Man-
chester factory have increased the
output of the work -girls, and, as they
are on piecework. their wages have
gone up in proportion. There is music
for one hour in the morning and ar
hour and a half in the afternoon.
Distinguished Woman to Visit Us
Dane Janet Campbell, an Outstanding Figure in Maternal
Welfare Work Will Visit Canada This Autumn
Ottawa.—One of the outstanding
figures in maternal welfare in the
English-speaking world will visit
Canada for two months this autumn,
according to plans announced by the
Canadian Council on Chilcl and Fam-
ily Welfare, Dame Janet Campbell,
D.B.E. (1924), M,D., M,S., (London)
who has just retired as Senior Medi-
cal Officer for Maternity and Child
Welfare of the British Ministry of
Health and Chief Woman Medical
Adviser to the Board of Education of
Great Britain since 1919, is coming
here She is a member of the Health
Committee of the League of Nations,
and at present closely associated in
its studies on 'maternal and infant
welfare.
Accompanied by Miss Eunice Dyke,
secretary of the Canadian Council's
division on maternal and child hy-
giene, Dame Janet will visit all the
largest cities in Canada as part of
her educational campaign to arouse
greater interest in the problems of
maternal welfare, HIer visit will co-
incide with (lie annual meeting of
the National Council of Women -at
Ottawa in October.
Dame Janet was educated at tin
London School for Medicine for
Women, and followed with posy
graduate work in Vienna, After ex
tensive hospital work she was caller
in 1919 to the newly formed Miuistr]
of Health, as the Senior Medica
Officer far Maternity and Child Wel
fare, at the same time remaining 1r
her senior post with the Board o
Education.
In 1928 she was named the medt.
cal member 01 the Committee on tit(
Training of Midwives and also of the
Committee on Maternal Mortality
and Morbidity. it Is in conneetior
with her intensive work and studie.
in the intervening years that Dame
Janet is known throughout the Eng.
lash -speaking world, and is regarded
by the League of Nations as one of
the outstanding international author-
ities on the subject,
Dame Janet retired from her post
with the British Ministry, In becem-
her, .1938, but continues to serve on
many of the Ministry's and the
League of .lv i committee 0111
health' subjects,