Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Herald, 1955-08-18, Page 3ARM FRONS' While it deals only inciden- tally with agriculture, I thought that the following article was well worth well - stealing. The author, Bruce Hutchinson, is a well-known Canadian writ- er; but as it was written for The Chrisstian Science Monitor published in Boston, it is almost like seeing a view of one's own house as it appears to alien, al- beit friendly, eyes. * 44 After a winter of unnecessary mental depression the mood of Canada has turned suddenly buoyant this summer, from the government . at Ottawa to the villages of the hinterland. The alarms of last spring have evaporated, and so has the un- employment problem which caused them. A nation little given to tempermental humors is filled with a new optimism and quiet confidence in its fu- ture. * : • * Latest statistics largely con- firm this change in Canada's thinking. Unemployment, which daunted federal and provincial governments a few months ago, fell during June to the lowest point since November, 1953, and left only 157,000 Canadians seeking work -- less than 3 per cent of a labor force now reck- oned at a new peak of 5,615,000. Ottawa always believed that the unemployment problem was exaggerated by provincial gov- ernments and municipalities but it has been candidly surprised by the rapid recovery from last winter's slackness. * * * In its spring budget the fed- eral government seemed to go far out on the limb of prophecy to base its fiscal planning on a record annual production, C. D. Howe, Minister of Defense Pro- duction and the government's top planner, tells Parliament • that the budgetary expectations are being made good. This, he says, will be the most prosper- ous year in Canadian history. Agriculture was regarded as the major .soft spot in the year's prospects. The worst spring weather in the farmer's mem= ory, from one coast to the other, delayed all planting and flooded millions of acres of fertile land. But Mr. Howe expects a bum- pererop despite these difficulties. And capital investment of all sorts should reach a new peak. Nevertheless, the harsh Cana- dian climate assures at least temporary unemployment in the winter months when many basic industries must curtail their op- erations. This seasonal problem, along with others, will be con - GRIEF - That's the name for this sculpture. It's done in plas- ter by Maurice Glickman and was on display at the 17th Annual Exhibition of the Sculp- tors Guild, sidered at a conference between the federal and provincial gov- ernments in October. * * * Last spring all the 11 gov- ernments were thinking in short -run terms when unem- ployment, abnormal even for the slack season, • stubbornly persisted in most provinces. The autumn conference will think in long -run terms of methods to counteract the climatic cycle by better timing of capital works. * * * The federal government has been intensively studying the possibility of coordinated con- struction planning by national, provincial, and municipal au- thorities and by private indus- try. Such a policy cannot be worked out in a hurry; but in the meantime Ottawa has raised its sights on the nation's future. In its latest economic assess- ment the government looks, for- ward to a large and quick growth in the Canadian popula- tion and hence to a correspond- ing growth in necessary public services. * * * This will involve capital in- vestment by the state on an un- precedented scale, not mainly to relieve temporary unemploy- ment but to nourish an expand- ing economy. The government is reported to be willing, if necessary, to reverse the debt - reduction policies of recent years and borrow money for these purposes. The autumn conference will find the govern- ment's thoughts greatly changed since the spring. * * * The new spirit of optimism in Ottawa coincides with a new stability inside the cabinet. For the last year the cabinet had been unable to disguise its secret uncertainty about its own future when Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent seemed bent on early retirement. Moreover, sharp disagree- ments on certain high policies became well known to the pub- lic, painful friction developed between Mr. St. Laurent and Mr. Howe, his chief lieutenant, and recently the government was compelled to beat -a hasty retreat before an opposition fili- buster when it sought emergen- cy mergen.cy defense powers that Parlia- ment obviously was unwilling to grant. * * :k This period of uncertainty seems to have passed with Mr. St. Laureat's announcement that he will not retire until af- ter another election and Mr. Hawe's agreement to postpone his intended retirement indefin- itely. The coalition represented by a French Canadian from Quebec and an English-speak- ing Canadian from the key prov- ince of Ontario thus will con- tinue, at Least until the poll of 1957, and therefore can plan some years ahead. Its planning will certainly be for a nation in continued and massive ex- pansion. BALANCED MEAL Old Colonel Archer, up from Kentucky, was describing his daily routine to a delighted group in Toots Shor's New York • restaurant. "For breakfast," pro- claimed the Colonel, "I ask only for a quart of bourbon, a pound of beefsteak, an' my of houri' dog;" "What do you need the houn' dog for?" asked Toots. "The houn' dog," explained Colonel Archer, "eats the beef- steak." CR SSW PUZZLE A('ROSS DOWN 1. Petal 2. Revelation 3. Assuaged 4. (.reek ghost 6. Large stream 6. Star in "The Dragon" 7. Fencing dummy 1. Hole 3. Twilled cloth 8. College (Introit 12..(4.asten 14. Formerly 16. Sanction 16.' Alaskan seaport 17. Adversary 18. Jewel 19, rntimid..tted 20, .Tntce of a plant 22, severity 24. one of the arts 20. woolly surface 27. Black bird 30. Seines of strife 82. Daughter of Herodias 34. Spread hay 33, Pennntnt 37. Fruit 83, Blind fear 40, Tight breeze 41 110tl P 44, T'ortune 40. Pinch 43. Tail to keep 49 Mame for office 81. Heraldic hoarier K2. rnrries out OS, TTnmmer head 44. 'il'raf,'m nn t 18, V.txamination 8. Giver c 9. Sufficient 10. Height 11. Require 13. Canine 19. Varnish ingredient 21. Casten 23. Aeriform fluid 24, Floor covering 28. waterway 27. Rule 2R. Biblical natio[, 29. Small tumor 81. Evil 33, Pasture 36. Mississippi h.talth resort 38. Dress feathers 30. Heavenly body 41. Shill over 4' Withstood ,e 43, small island 43, Nervous twitching 47, Nuimtnee 49, aird'e honk 50, Metal fastener MINN `® ENNO " ,2 ENI RUUt:'4 ■1$ INIMINNINF, MN NII '•®.$k•'•'}N $Iu AMMONIUM % UNE U N iMMIU iii ONENNOMONMENN m MONO . INE ' /MMINOMNIN.K MONNMONOMONN ONIN ONN ®MIN MIMI ti Answer elsewhere on this page. CAGEY CAT - This cat's in the cage, and the two budgerigars don't even mind his presence, For "Bambi" daily visits "Joey" and "Beauty" in their metal home in Sheffield, England. It makes for a big happy family. • 1s There Lite On The Planet Venus? While the outlook for life on Venus can hardly be character- ized as bright, perhaps it is not quite so hopeless as modern ob- servations would lead us to be- lieve. The negative results for oxygen and water vapor mean only that these gases cannot be detected by the spectograph at the depth to which we can pene- trate into the atmosphere, If the white, reflecting layer con- sists of cirrus clouds, the am - out of water vapor above them may be very small, since cirrus - is formed at a great height, where the temperature is -so low that the clouds consist most- ly of ice particles. Water, in the form of liquid or ice, would not show in the spectrum of Venus, since the spectograph can de- tect water only in the gaseous state, Hence it is possible that water may be on Venus but in such minute amounts at a high level as to be unobservable. Measures made by the late 'Ber- nard Lyet on the quality o€ the light reflected from Venus at different phases have been in- terpreted by him as due to wat- er droplets, but the evidence is not conclusive. It is extremely puzzling that this planet, which is at about the same distance from the sun as the earth and which resembles it so closely in size and mass, could have failed to develop extensive oceans on its surface , , . Although no one has ever seen the surface of Venus, it is prob- ably about as rough as the sur- face of the earth. Schiaparelli noted bright spots on the disk flanked by deep shadows, and these visual observations have been confirmed by Ross's photo- graphs. The most natural ex- planation is that the markings are caused by the flow of air over the uneven ground below. The bright spots are clouds rais- ed to great elevations. and the dark spots are caused by the destruction of the clouds cote to descending currents. Other as. tronomers have also reported bright spots, which they ascrib- ed to high mountains. Schroter, who seems to have been an ex- . pert at spotting high mountains, observed what he believed was a range towering forty miles high, protruding above the clouds. About 1880 Trouvelot, the astronomical artist, observed some bright spots which led -bim to express his conception of. the surface as being "like a copfus- ed mass of luminous points, sep- arated by comparatively somore intervening spaces. This surface is undoubtedly very broken, and resembles that of a mountain- ous district studded with nu• nerous ice - needles brilliantly reflecting the sunshine," This persistent mention of a . great mountain at the pole of Venus reminds us of the old map Poe described in the "Ms. Found in a Bottle," on which. the pole was represented by a black rock towering to a prodi- gious height , . But this is poetry and fancy, and if you dislike such a picture of the planet, you are welcome to dream up a lush, tropical world filled with as many flow- ers and dinosaurs as you like, -- From "Exploring Mars," by Rob- ert 5, Richardson. More Cigarettes But Value Lower Output of cigarettes increased to 21,156,092,000 in 1953 front 18,037,368,000 in 1962, but -fee- tory selling value decreased to $289,424,673 front *290,947,788 Ancient Volcano Spouts Firew 44s Since the first week of July, tourists in this tricornered is- land of Sicily have been wit- nessing an unanticipated spec- - tacle. While seeing something they had not expected, they are, nonetheless, watching a phenomenon that has occurred sporadically ' since prehistoric times. The spectacle is venerable Mt. Etna spouting up again; the first time since- a minor erup- tion in 1950. There is no fear of a major eruption, say volcan- ologists at the observatory near the summit. Flames and lava have been shooting up to 600 feet high and at night tourists and Sicilians are awed by the natural fire- works in a crater formed 44 years ago. The exact number .of erup- tions (some accompanied by earthquakes) is not known. Legend states • that the first overflow of lava was around 1226 B.C. But the first record- ed eruption was about 525 B.C., in the time of Pythagoras.. The height of mighty Etna varies, depending on the source of information, However, the official publicity of Ente Pro- vinciale per it Turismo at Ca- tania puts the altitude at 10,702 feet. Etna is the highest, most active volcano in Europe. Though it is virtually always emitting smoke from its huge crater, the uppermost slopes are snow-capped for eight months of the year. Some adventuresome tourists ski on the lofty heights in the winter; then motor down to Mazzaro Beach, below Taor- mina, to swim in the warm Ionian Sea. Caves in the upper parts of the mountain are used to store snow which is sold during the summer at Catania and elsewhere. "But Etna with her voice of fear in weltering chaos thun- ders near," wrote Virgil in de- scribing destruction wrought by volcanic outbursts down the centuries. With destruction,, Etna has brought rich fertility. with the lava that has spread, Iike a hig-priced loam. Mt. Etna covers a total of 460 square miles and measures 91 miles around the base which is encircled by a railway. Tourists ars fascinated by the size and height whether they see the volcano by train or by air. M'' The name "Etna" is derived from the Phoenician, "ethane," meaning "furnace," Sicilians call it "Mongibello", which a combination of the Italian "monte" and the Arabic "gibel" dating back to the Saracen oc- cupation of the island when the volcano was known as "Gibel Uttamat," or "mountain of fire." References have been made to Etna in the writings of sages of the ages, including Aristotle, Ovid, levy, Seneca, Virgil, Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio. Among the most violent and disastrous eruptions and earth- quakes were those in 1169, 1669, and 1693 when towns were buried and Catania suffered much destruction. Despite the havoc caused down the cen- turies, the area around Etna has the greatest density of papu- lation in crowded Sicily. There are 3,200 persons a square mile in Catania, Acireale, Nicolosi, and 62 other towns. Mt. Etna typifies the warmth, exuberance, 3', thethe ewuberan a C , somberness of -the Sicilians. Awe-inspiring thoughts of the majesty of this volcano can be conjured top by looking up to it from Taormina or Catania during the early morning. As the rising sun comes up, a rusty color pervades the slopes. When the sun goes higher, the air be- comes hotter and a mist engulfs the upper mountainsides, caus- ing the summit to disappear for hours at times. Because the soil Is extremely fertile, bumper crops are har- vested, principal products being grapes, olives, nuts, lemons, figs, and other fruits. The low- est region is known as the "cul- tivated zone." ,As one ascends a couple thousand feet, a visitor comes into the belt known as the "woody" or forest region. The "desert zone" is from 6,300 feet to the summit. - It takes about seven to eight hours to ascend to the summit from Nieolosi. Most tourists who decide to go up Mongibello usually complete their motor- ized trek at a hotel -restaurant about midway up the mountain. From a dining table, 'they are privileged with a splendid view of many miles, especially inter- esting at sundown, Find Pre -Historic Animal's Skeleton Paleontologists from the Uni- versity of Oregon and eastern societies are busy under the mid- summer sun removing from the central Oregon desert the re- mains of one of the most impor- tant Pacific Northwest scientific discoveries in many years. The "gold" they are mining is the skeleton of a brontothere, or thunderbeast, an enormous rhinoceros - like creature that roamed the shores of the inland sea some 60 million years ago. None has ever before been found west of the Rocky Mountains in North America. The discovery is not a new one. The first fossils Were un- earthed a year ago by Alozo W. Hancock, a retired Portland mailman who for a decade has searched the rich fossil beds of the Oregon plateau. So impor- tant was his find that word of it was confined to a few scientific expeditions. An influx of curi- osity seekers was feared. Now the digging has progressed to a point assuring success. The com- plete fossil is expected to be un- covered by September. Directing the digging is Dr. J. Arnold Shotwell, curator of the Univer- sity of Oregon Museum of Nat- ural History. The diggers' desire for privacy is aided by the weather and the location. The summer sun often raises temperatures to 110 de- grees and higher. Only vegeta- tion available for shade consists of a few tiny juniper trees and sagebrush. The fossil beds - known as the Clarno beds, where many other important discoveries have been made - are some 200 miles east and south of Portland and remote from any well -travelled high- way. The brontothere is the most celebrated find currently of in terest in the Clarno beds, but other skeletons, too, are being brought this summer from their gravelly graves alongside the brontothere. These are: An amynodon, the largest rhonoceros ever found, stand- ing 8 feet tall and 14 feet in length. The brontothere, al- though resembling a rhinoceros, is not truly of that family. It was larger than the amynodon and had a horned protuberance above its snout. A creodont, the largest tiger the world has ever known, a huge carnivorous cat whose head was about 13 niches wide and 18 inches long. An epihippus, a horse, 18 inches tall believed to have been one of the fleetest of animals. More Hot Water Bottles Output of hot water Bottles rose to 18,504 dozen in 1953 from 16,522 dozen in 1952. AYSCIIOOL ESSON IL. Barclay Warren. S.A., B.O. Ths Ceuragc.of Daniel (Temperance Lesson) Daniel 6:17.28 Memory Selection: It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor anything whereby they brother stumbletb. Romana 14:21. Daniel was among the earli- est group of captives taken by Nebauchadnezzar from Jerusa- lem to Babylon. He and his three companions were chosen for special training. They were appointed a daily portion of the king's meat and of the wine which he drank. They declined these in favor of simple food and were the better for it. Daniel's interpretation of the king's dreams led him to e place of high influence in the kingdom. Always he remained true to the teachings of his youth. He continued his pray- ing threee times a day even though it le to i ei dbhgyyntOs though it led to his being thrown into a den of hungry lions. The printed portion of the lesson describes a scene in the reign of Belteshazzar when Dan- iel was advanced in years. It was 'a night of high revelry. The king and a thousand of his lords feasted and drank wine. But` they wanted a new thrill. The king sent for the golden vessels which had been taken out of the temple of the house of God at Jerusalem. They drank wine from these and praised the gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood and stone. People become more venture- some when they have drunk in- toxicating beverages. The driv- er step on the accelerator and weaves in and out of the traffic. Before he is halted by police he often is the direct cause of death and destruction, The young man took a drink before going to rob a bank. The girls were drinking before they dis- carded restraints annd gave themselves to comit the sin of fornication. Violent quarrels and murders and divorces are usual- ly preceded by drinking. Why don't we as a people rise against this monstrous evil? There are monetary implications. We haven't the spiritual stamina to face all that is involved. Daniel had courage. He stood before the awe-stricken revel- lers and interpreted the hand writing on the wall. It came to pass. Belteshazzar had not learned from the lesson of his father. He was weighed and found wanting. That night Darius. the Mede took the city of Babylon a n d Belteshazzar, the king was slain. TOUGH JOB On the maid's day out, a pro- minent publisher volhnteered to take the heat off his wife and tackle the Herculean task of putting their four-year old to bed. The exhausted wife threw herself on the chaise longue and picked up the evening papers. An hour later the 4 -year-old stole into the room and whisper- ed, "Daddy's asleep at last!" Upsidedown to Preven' Peeking THE DIFFERENCE SHOWSUP-Atht i lights n g in the e of an auto's headlights, these two snowsuits look entirely different. 'The difference can mean life or death. Suit in photo at left is a standard suit and is invisible. The ane at right is made of reflective yarn, which is being introduced in fail for gets rnents for men, women and children.