The Huron Expositor, 1930-01-31, Page 14'.
iS
"11
VEVENTIETH YEAR
WHOLE NUMBhIR.8242
BURNS' NIGHT AT THE
LIONS CLUB
s
Burns' night was celebrated by the
Lions Club, at their regular meeting
held in the Commercial Hotel on Mon-
day
day evening last. I
There was a large attendance of
!both members and guests. The spe-
cial attraction for the evening's pro-
gramme were two addresses v
given by
Lions John Beattie and Charles Stew-
art. Mr. Beattie spoke on the poetry
of Burns, and Mr. Stewart on the
songs of the poet.
We have been privileged to publish
these addresses as in the order giver...
Lion President, Members of the
Lions Club and Guests:—Our Club is
to -night celebrating the birthday of
Robert Burns and it is a very fitting
thing to do, While there were no
Lions Clubs in his day, yet he render-
ed a service' to humanity that it is im-
possible to measure.
Nationally, Burns is known as
Scotland's man of destiny. Interna-
tionally, he is regarded as the man
who left to the world and to litera-
ture, an imperishable legacy, of song
and story, and of true and abiding
poetry.
Someone else could have filled this
chair better thaa I. However, I ap-
preciate the h':nor and want to
thank those wl- 1 have thought me
capable of p^^siding over this
banquet. I am not sorry in one way,
for you all know, we like to talk about
the old friends once in a while—that
is if we have anything nice to say.
I ane parpud to count Robert Burns as
one of my oldest friends, and hope•
to say some nice things about him.
One year ago when we met as we
are met to -night, I tried to say some-
thing about the songs of Burns. .To-
night they are being taken care of
by Lion Charlie Stewart, one of the
best posted Burns' students in this
country, and from what I know he
has on his mind, you are going to en-
joy a real treat. He has been my
right arm in arranging this program,
and it is our wish that when we are
through, you will not go away dis-
appointed.
My concern to -night is the poems
of Burns. I have selected three,
"Lines Written to a Mrous ," "Lines
Written to a Mountain Daisy" and
"The Cotter's' Saturday Night," quite
a variety I admit, but of course you
all know I am in the variety business
anyway.
The first two I will couple together
and present to you Robert Burns "The
Ploughman Bord" as he has been so
often referred to and this is no fairy
story, the exact spot where these
incidents took place is marked and
friends and admirers from all over
the world visit 'that spot to -day. I
do not know just how many, but I do
know that it is estimated that annu-
ally 100,000 tourists and admirers vis-,
it the cottage where Burns was born,
This is no mean tribute to the mem-
ory of the man we honor to -night.
We find him out on the moors of
Ayrshire on a chill October day, the
Share turns up the home of a mother
mouse and there they are, a sightless,
helpless, shivering brood. The man
av'ha is driving the team makes to
deal death and destruction, but Burns
stops him. His heart is touched; he
composes no Iess than eight verses.
I only quote them in part:
I'm truly sorry man's dominion
Pis broken nature's social union,
And justifies that ill opinion
Which makes thee startle
At Me, thy poor earth -born companion
And fellow mortal!•
Thou saw the fields laid bare and
waste,
And weary winter corrin' fast,
And cozie here, beneath the blast
Thou thought to dwell,
Till crash! the cruel coulter past
Out-thro' thy cell.
But mousie, thou art no thy lane
In proving foresight may be vain;
The best laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft a-gley,
And leave us nought but grief an' pain
For promis'd joy.
Still thou art blest, compar'd wi' me!
The present only touches thee;
But oh! I backward cast my e'e
On prospects drear!
An' forward tho' I canna see,
I guess an' fear!
And now he sets to work to estab-
lish this home as best be can. He
gathers all the furnishings into a
Sheltered nook, places the little fam-
ily in it, covers them over and drives
n. We see him stop again. This
time it is a little flower about to be
turned under the sod. He picks it
up and it proves to be a mountain
daisy. He composes nine verses,
part of which is as follows:
Wee modest crimson -tipped flow'r
Thou's met me in an evil hour;
For I mann crush amang the stoure
Thy slender stem:
To spare thee now is past my pow'r
Thou bonnie gem. ti
Cauld blew the bitter -biting north
Upon thy early humble birth;
Yet cheerfully thou glinted forth
Amid the storm,
Scarce rear'd above the parent earth
Thy tender form.
There hi thy scanty mantle clad,
Thy envy bosom sun -ward spread,
Thou lifts thy unassuming head
In humble guise;
And now the share tears up thy bed
And low 'thou lies{
u And here it would 'seem the poet
sees in the heart of this little daisy
to picture of bitseelf and oiP bon and of
ip ', iti otdi tholiotitiltiheite
words:
Feen thou who mourn'st the daisy's
fate,:
That fate is thine—no distant date;
Steen Ruin's ploughshare drives elate
Full on thy bloom,
Till crush'd 'beneath the furrow's
rweight
Shal11be thy doom!
This is the end of the furrow. Had
Robbie Burns never turned another
thiswas w s su fficient to place him at the
head of the class for all, time, as
the master ploughman. To -day men
go in thousands and marvel at the ski]
of the expert ploughmen, but it is only
for a day and is soon forgotten. Not
'so with the incidents referred to;
millions have worshipped at the shrine
of this little mountain daisy which
was made immortal by Robert Burns,
the poet, the genius and the friend of
man.
And now I- refer to "The Cotter's
Saturday Night" believed by some to
be his masterpiece. I think 1 am
safe insaying more quotations have
been taken from this poem by preach-
ers, statesmen and writers than any
poem ever written. One of the lead-
ing divines in our own Province re-
cently made this comment: "It is no
exaggeration to say, that The Cot-
tor's Saturday Night is the finest pic-
ture of life among the lowly ever pro-
duced by brush or pen. This has
been the universal verdict of men who
know, all down through the years.
It is a simple story of Iife among
the common people, and possibly, his
greatest claim to fame comes in just
here, for his ear and his heart were
ever open to the common folk. His
own word is: "An honest man tho'
e're sae poor, is king o' men for a'
that." Right in the fore front of the
picture we are made to see the Cottar,
who is none other than the poet's
own father, coming home on a Sat-
urday night from a week's ploughing.
"This night his weekly toil is at an
end. And weary o'er the moor his
footsteps homeward bend." We aQ.
know when we are toil worn and
weary, there is no place quite like
home. And did you ever notice there
never was a home road without a
bend in it, or just a little hill. I
think most of us have stood just there,
and the poet puts that in here:
At length his lonely cot appears in
view,
Beneath the shelter of an aged tree;
Th' expectant wee things, toddlin',
stacher through
To meet their dad, wi' flichterin' noise
an' glee.
They, too, had been watching that
bend in the road. Then we are giv-
en a glimpse into that home. We see
the table spread plain, but plenty,
the smiling wife, the ingle burning
brightly, the clean hearth stane.
The lisping infant prattling on his
knee,
Does a' his weary carking cares
beguile,
An' makes him quite forget his labor
an' his toil.
Then this tribute: "The samtt, the
husband and the father, reverently
lays aside his bonnet, takes his place
at the head of the table acrd gives
thanks." The supper over, all gather
in a circle around the ingle, all have
a question to ask, or a story to tell.
No reserve in that home, and all re-
ceive a hearing. We see the mother
busy mending and making over "wi'
her needle and her shears, gars auld
class look amaist as weel's the new."
Arid now he puts in that old, but ever
new love story.
But hark! a rap comes gently to the
door;
Jenry, wha kens the meaning o' the
same,
Tells how a neebor lad cam o'er the
moor,
To do some errands, and convoy her
Name.
'Blushing Jennie brings him in and
presents him to her parents. The
wiley mother scans him up and down,
enquires hie name and seems to be
well pleased when she hears he is no
a wild worthless rake. The father in-
terests him in conversation and they
discuss at some length the farm news
in the district.
Then homeward all take off their sev-
eral way;
The younger cottagers retire to rest,
The parent pair their secret homage
pay,
And proffer up to Heaven the warm
request,
That He who stills the raven's clam-
orous nest, • !
And decks the lily fair in flowery
pride,
Would in the way His wisdom sees
the best,
For them and for their little ones pro-
vide;
But chiefly in their hearts with grace
divine preside.
If you take this verse out of "The
Cottor's Saturday Night," you take
away the corner stone, for here we
have an expression, the very essence
of which is piety. This aged God-
fearing Cottor prays that their little
ones may be provided with the neces-
sities of life, but the greet burden of
his petition comes in this last line:
"But chiefly in their hearts with
grace divine preside." I often won-
der if men who have tried to be-
little Robert Burns, really knew the
inner meaning of this last line. Cer-
tainly the poet knew and with such a
memory as this, is it any wonder he
was destined to *rite a message on
the heart of hulnatnity that liven on
and Will liveoott ills long as time lasts?
Is it any wonder he continues:
From scenes like these old, Scotia's
A
I;
SEAFORTI1 FRIDAY,,
That makes her loved at home, reve
ered abroad,
Princes and lords are but the breath
of kings,
"An honest man's the noblest work of
God."
And now in closing, let me say,
Robert Burns was not only a great
poet, but he was also a great patriot.
All through his songs, his poems and
his writings, weft
find him ever extol-
ling
ling the merits and traditions of his
native land, and never a son who
loved the land of his birth better
than he. Here is one incident that
bears this out. In the spring of 1787
when he was twenty-eight years old,
he and a friend,by the name of Robt.
Ainslie, made , a sight-seeing trip
through the south of Scotland. They
came to the river Tweed. Crossing
over 'Coldstream bridge, they stood on
English soil. A great flood of mem-
ories seemed to comeover the poet;
he uncovered his head, knelt upon the
ground, and gave expression to two
verses in the Cottor's Saturday
Night, which I now quote:
0 Scotia! My dear, my native soil!
For whom my warmest wish to Heav-
en is sent!
Long may thy hardy sons of rustic
toil
Be blest with health, and peace, and
sweet content!
And 0 may Heaven their simple lives
prevent
From luxury's contagion, weak and
wile;
Then, howe'er crowns and coronets be
rent,
A virtuous populace may rise the
while
And stand a wall of fire around their
much loved isle.
rAnd thus hey closes the Cotter's
Saturday Night, that great picture of
Home, of Love, of Piety and of Loy-
alty. When these themes are faith-
fully blended into a picture, we are
••dud to put a frame around it and
to hang it on the walls of our homes,
and it is a fine picture to hang on
the walls of memory.
Since time immemorial, songs have
been the vehicle of the finer feelings
and stronger sentiments of every age.
Down through the corridor of time
they have been the sweet companion
of labor, the handmaid of religion
and the mother of sympathy.
Songs may be divided into two
classes; the art songs which are the
product of the skilled and schooled
writers, and the folk •or heart songs
which are the voluntary outpouring
of the joys and sorrows of the human
heart.
When we speak of the songs of
Robert Burns it is with the heart
songs we have entirely to deal, for
Robert Burns, as does no other writ-
er, gives the fullest expression to the
deepest, kindliest, most genial feel-
ings of the human heart, and it is
because of this he has earned and so
richly deserves the everlasting grati-
tude of the human race.
He was endowed with a head and
heart beyond his time. He had broad
sympathies and great intellectual
force, with which he associated the
tenderest sensibilities and the keen-
est sense of right and wrong.
His writings disclose a profound
sympathy with nature in her simplest
forms, and an unbounding tenderness
for the humblest of God's creatures,
together with a marvellous power to
extract lessons of the purest moral-
ity and wisdom from the limited ex-
periences of his lowly life. A noted
philosopher once said:
"Give me the writings of the songs
of a country and who will may make
the laws."
There is no gainsaying the fact
that outside of the inspired writers
of the sacred Scriptures, no writer
ever more deeply effected the thoughts
and feelings of as many people as did
thisploughman poet, because he wrote
and preached in the language of the
common people, the gospel for which
this International Lions Club stands
and which is the very head and front
of Christian deportment, the uni-
versal brotherhood of men. Patriot-
ism, independence, love, friendship --
these, are the virtues that inspired his
marwellous genius and under these
heads we will make brief reference to
a few of his songs.
"Scots Wha Hae" is not only the
great patriotic song of Scotland, but
is so far in advance of all other patri-
otic songs that they pale into insig-
,nificanoe and are lost in the reckon-
ing. It is the story of the desperate
relics of a gallant nation determined
to rescue -their country from the heel
of an oppressor or die in the attempt.
We are fortunate in having Mr. Fred
Willis with us to -night and with the
consent of the chair, we will pause in
our remarks while Fred sings "Scots
Wiia Hae."
Our next reference is to independ-
ence and instinctively our minds trav-
el back to that greatest declaration
of independence that ever emanated
from the brain of man: "A man's s
man for a' that." At one time when
despotism ruled with a haughty sneer
over the continent of Europe, it was
illegal in some countries to have a
copy of this poem in one's possession,
because it struck a deadly blow at
the political and social tyrants of
that time, and emblazoned on the
dark sky of human despair the gol-
den' words of Hope, Liberty and the
equality of man. In the last verse,
like the seers and prophets oI' old,
who foretold the millenial glory,
Burns gazed forward through the
vista of time and foresaw that period
when men would beat their swords
into- plow shares and their spears in-
to pruning hooks and know the
art of war no more; that period which
we hope will be givens birth in the
present ,Naval C nference in Britain.
MN VARY" 31, 1930.
Rosedale
Alberta.
Coal.
It's the Very Best.
N. CLUFF & SONS
"Then let us pray that come it may,
As come it will for a' that,
• When man to man the world o'er,
Shall brothers be for a' that."
Carlyle* said that a poet without
love was a physical and metaphysical
impossibility. If love were the only
requisite necessary, then Burns was
indeed a poet. This loves were legion
—there was one love that was as sin-
cere as it was intensely pathetic. His
love for Mary Campbell was as pure
a devotion as ever possessed the heart
of a young man. The short acquaint-
ance and untimely death of Mary of
1 DRAMA PLAY_s
"SHAUN AROON
under the auspices of the ladies
of St. James' Church, Seaforth,
will be held in
CARDNO'S HALL
Friday Evening, Jan. 31
This is a lovely, clean, comic
presentation of a drama that is
true to life, is original, and
sparkles with plenty of whole-
some humor.
-This work is being undertak-
en by the St. Columban Dram-
atic Society, whose already
well known talents have always
made a favorable impression.
So look forward to an en-
joyable evening on date men-
tioned.
Close's Orchestra in Attendance
POPULAR PRICES -25c, 35c
and Reserved at 50e,
Reservations open at Aber -
hart's Drug Store on Tuesday,
January 28th, at 9 o'clock.
Argyle inspired the saddest and
sweetest of all his songs: "To Mary
in Heaven" and "Afton Water." In
order that you may more fully ap-
preciate the tender pathos and beauty
of this song, I will ask Lion James
Stewart to sing "Flow Gently Sweet
Afton."
Before leaving the love songs of
Burns, one cannot refrain from men-
tioning that beautiful love song of old
age, the expression of a love that has
weathered the heat and burden of the
,work -a -day world and come down
loyal and true to the evening of life
and the end of the road:
Custom Sawing
done as usual at the
WALTON SAW MII,L
this Spring.
For information, phone Walton
Hotel -232-15.
JOH l McDONALD
lton.
John Anderson, My Jo.
John Anderson, my jo, John, ..
When we were first acquent;
Your locks were like the raven,
Your bonny brow was brent.
But your brow is beld, John,
Your locks are like the snaw;
But blessing on your frosty pow,
John Anderson, my jo.
John Anderson, my jo John,
We clamt the hill thegither;
And many a canty day, John,
aux
We've had w.i' ane anither;
Now wema
un. m un totter down, John,
But hand in hand we'll g, '
And sleep thegither at the foot,
John Anderson, my jo.
Lion Jack Beattie made beautiful
reference to Burns' friendship for na-
ture, both animate and inanimate,
but his greatest friendship was for
his fellow mortal. If ever a man
obeyedthe hgreat
commandment to
"Lave your neighbor as yourself,"
that man was Robert Burns. Scores
of his friendship songs rush on the
mind and clamber for honorable men-
tion, but time will permit us to men-
tion but one, that great song of
friendship that has joined in friendly
clasp a circle around the globe:
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to min',
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And the days of Auld Lang Syne.
Burns had many harsh critics and
uncharitable calumniators, yet none
of these could say worse of him than
he said of himself. Ile was no hypo-
crite; True, those who love him best
would that some of his indiscreet
writings had been buried deep as the
unknown grave on Nebo's lonely
mountain. It is surprising how many
men knew that he drank and do not
know one verse of his poetry. But
why draw his frailities from their
dread abode.
Then gently scan your brother man,
Still gentler sister woman;
Though they may gang a kennin
wrang,
To step aside is human:
One point must still be greatly dark,
The moving why they do it:
And just as lamely can ye mark
How far perhaps they rue it.
Who made the heart, 'tis He alone
Decidedly can try us;
He knows each chord, its various tune,
Each spring, its various bias;
Then at the balance let's be mute,
We never can adjust it;
What's done we partly may compute,
But know not what's resisted.
Rather let us cast the man-
tle of Christian charity over his
indiscretions, ever mindful of the fact
that we too are imperfect, and be-
hold in him the man that instilled in-
to the hearts of men the love of lib-
erty, affection for country, sturdy in-
dependence and sterling honesty. He
sailed his bark of life over a stormy
and tempestuous sea, but let us con-
fidently hope that when with riven
sails and broken'- spars, he dropped
anchor along the silent, stormless
shores of that great ocean of Etern-
ity, the noble soul of the sweet singer
of Scotland found place in the celes-
tial choir of that bright summer land
of song, the eternal Kingdom of God.
FROM THE DOMINION
CAPITAL
There are some signs that the
farmers of Canada are tending to-
wards protection. The hearings be-
fore the Canadian tariff board :n the
last two weeks have emphasized that
fact. The National Dairy Council
and the fruit and vegetable growers,
as well as the bean growers and poul-
try men, are seeking tariff changes
upward, but they are not altogether
a unit.
The history of 'farmer movements
in Canada—and they began and are
still centralized most prominently in
the West—shows that they have al-
ways stood against a high tariff and
have regarded it as essentially a tax
which is added to the manufacturer
to his cost price. Latterly, however,
'the tendency seems to be for the
farmer organizations to seek a slice
of whet the other fellow was getting.
The National Dairy, Council wants
the duty on butter increased by about
four Gents a pound and they have
been here with a profuse memorial
urging this upon the advisory tariff
board. They complain particularly
of the competition which comes from
Australia and New Zealand, under a
treaty which exists between these
countries and Canada. There are very
heavy importations of butter from
those dominions into Canada in the
winter months and it is represented
that this competition is serious be-
cause the seasons are opposite. When
it is winter here it is summer down
there. A further representation is
that the New Zealand farmer can
produce to abnormal capacity all the
year round, whereas, naturally, in
winter the Canadian production is
much reduced.
Dairy Industry Booming.
Another side to the question, how-
ever, is furnished by the statistics of
the industry gathered by officials,
which show that dairying in Canada
was never of such volume as it is to-
day, It is eptly shown that less
rommarissommo
Public School Operetta
in CARDNO'S HALL on
Thursday and Friday, February 6 and 7.
Admission 35o. Reserved Seats 10c Extra
Pian opens at Abei hart's brig Store Monday, Feb. 3.
Tickets can bef r7rtibured•. rein school children.
311r, berhart.
•
butter is being made :and to some
e -
tentless cheese, but people are dznl
ing millions of quarts of milk more
than they did a few years ago, and;
selling milk and cream is the sim-
plest and moat profitable form of the,
dairying industry.
Somewhat curiously, however, while
the National Dairy Council makes a
plea for additional protection on but-
ter, the Dominion Council of Agricul-
ture opposes it on principle. They are
opposed to increasing the tariff on
anything and maintain that to be
consistent they must oppose this
proposition. Another case which is
being aired before the board is that
of the fruit 'and vegetable growers.
Their particular complaint has long
been emphasized and it is the Amer-
ican fruits and vegetables come into
the Canadian market very consider-
ably earlier than the Canadian prod-
uct ripens, with the result that they
take the cream of the business. These
growers are not advocating an all year
round tariff but suggest that it
should be applicable during and also
just before the season when the Can-
adian stuff comes on the market.
Opposition to this scheme comes
mainly from consumers, who argue
that these are essentially ,food com-
modities and that while they patron-
ize the home market whenever the
product is available, they claim the
unrestricted right to go outside when
it is not.
These are but two aspects of many
cases which have been beforei the
tariff board in the past year. It has
been the most active year in the his-
tory of that body. It has displayed
so much energy and the cases ad-
mitted to it have been so numerous
and presented at so much bother and
expense, that those interested have a
reasonable hope that ice the coming
session of parliament, arranges will be
made. If not, then all the endeavors
of the board will have been abortive.
Only when parliament meets and the
gs-ex�,gnt brings down its budget.
will t e result of these inquiries be
known.
In the meantime, the government
is in a rather difficult position. The
inquiries which it has ordered by
the tariff board presuppose that
any recommendations by that body
will be followed, although this 'is not
a necessity. On the other hand, the
government's policy is that of a low
tariff and it derives its support
from parts of the country where a
low tariff is popular, and just how
the two will be made to jibe is not
yet quite clear.
Stock Brokers Under Fire.
There is a tremendous commotion
throughout Canada with regard to
stock brokers and their operations,
and although efforts are being made
to allay any popular unrest, it is not
altogether easy. Recently, at the in-
stance of the Alberta government,
two leading Canadian stock brokers
were arrested for conspiracy against
the common law and their trial is
pending. In the meantime the Alber-
ta government is endeavoring to get
all the provinces to co-operate in a
clean-up campaign, and the Dominion
government is also receiving sugges-
tions for federal legislation on the
subject. Against the legitimate brok-
er, who, for the most part, deals with
industrial securities, there is no com-
plaint, nor is there any complaint
against many of the mining and oil
brokers, but what is sought to be
suppressed is the high pressure stock
promotion and a federal blue sky law
which will compel anybody with a
stock issue to submit the proposition
to a government board for examina-
tion before any securities can be dis-
rosed of.
Several of the provinces have these
laws, but they complain that com-
panies get a federal charter and ig-
nore the provincial law. The Cana-
dian companies act is coming up for
revision in the impending session of
parliament, and the time is con-
sidered opportune to go into the
whole question and to adopt such
regulatory methods as the circum-
stances may call for.
One of the suggestions is that
people who do not own stock should
not be permitted to sell it. This
would be a prohibition of the short
selling business. Just what will be
done is not clear, but extensive check-
ups and investigations are being
made, and out of it there seems
likely to come rather stringent regu-
lations to afford the speculating, as
well, as the investigating public, safe-
guards greater than those which they
now enjoy.
Jews Seek Senate Seats.
Jev,ry throughout Canada is mak-
ing a strong move for representation
in the senate. It claims that the
Jewish poi ulation of the dominion is
row ,iP,000. They have two mein -
hers in. the House of Commons, but
thrre has never been a Jewish sena-
t.,r. Both it Great Britain and the
United Stater Jews are prominent in
Ugh places in public life and as there
are some minorities numerically few-
er than the .Jews who are represented
in the senate, it is felt that an ad-
justment is due.
It is understood that the govern-
ment, is favorably disposed to make
this concession although it is not
clear that the appointment will be
made immediately, because Canadian
senators are appointed for life and
the vacancies are relatively few. P'wo
names most prominently advanced for
elevation to the senate from among
the Jewish people are those of A. J.
Freiman, Ottawa merchant and head
of the Canadian Zionist Congress
and Samuel Jacobs, Jewish member
or parliament for one of the Montreal.
divisions.
A vacancy en the supreme court of
Canada, created by the retz ant of
one 41. the . judge o ,,*tic g bile:
age Petit, has been $tle4 'by the itpyl
r` be;
t".r
� w,t;;°%' fpoxteer of°
rxi�?e!sst
#�►
:;appeals. i ryas ,„^` r
Caxiada's inghest 'i;}'tb r s� t t 1 i
P Q g it it a
ito s Seven me;nbers� Ir 'lF ient y jit i i”
i s been greatly' rejtw u
veterans with white i:. wlzi`` ` `r ► }�i'; G ',t"
nom there are no old-`xn �x�
oldest being in the 6lYs, 'wlzilet ;', a "
av '
}
r 1 V
ea'
x a
z
g, n he
6. 5
g 0 �
means by whierh the aeeluvena xKl ;
been aeconsplzs sed is...the Pa shi ' fl +l* r` ,
the statute •compelling 7udes
tire when they reach. '75-74013
ever, very libel -ale provision, rp
ally the equivalent.of fellseldere
made by way of pensions.
Recent eomment by the prime•m., ,
ister of Canada on the St, Laavvrer ce .,
scheme is held in many quarters
an indication that that long
ed project may go ahead before long.
Mr. King had received a deiegafaoie
from the Canadian Chambers of
'Commerce, urging an early start of',
the wi-k, and to them he, made the', •
statement that "the waterway ' is•:>>, •
bound to come, and so far as Teem
concerned, the sooner it comes -the •
better." -
It is generally conceded that the
deeping of the St. Lawrence would
have the effect of revolutionizing the
inland transportation of Canada and
also that of the United States. It• is
considered not as a work which has
to be started and finished,. but rather
only finished. The new Welland
Canal, to be b.eued this year, is a
big link at a .er end, while at
the{ lower en., j:r Montreal, the
Beau a
h mole Can. , being built .for
power purposes and of the same size
and depth as the Welland, will be
available free for use of the St. Lawr-
ance navigation. Apart from some
dredging east of Lake Ontario, What
remains to be done is largely in an
nternational stretch between Canada
and the state of New York.
The position of the St. Lawrence
advisory committee is that as Can-
ada provides the Welland Canal and
the Beauharnois Canal and is pre-
pared to deepen the channel else-
where, the international stretch might
reasonably be completed by the Unit-
ed States. All along the main agi-
tation fon this waterway has been by
the American government, and it is
one of Mr. Hoover's plans for the re-
ief of the midwestern farmer by
means of furnishing him with cheap-
er methods of transport.
There is also an indication of re-
sentment of any suggestion that Can-
ada is the main source of irrigation
of the United States. As has been
pointed out before, at. -a conference
held ,here two years ago, it was ad-
mitted by the United States commis-
sioner of prohibition that while the.
quantity of liquor sent from Canada
was very large, it was really only 2
per cent, of what is consumed in the
States from domestic or foreign
sources.
Discussion in the Canadian press•
does not display a favorable opinion
towards the American proposal for a
arge patrol along the border to en-
force prohibition particularly, but al-
so the customs law in general. The
view most commonly expressed is
that trouble would be certain to ensue
from such an armed force, especially
as would be likely to happen if some
innocent tourist were slaughtered on
suspicion of being a rum runner:.
The prospects are not very promis-
ing for agreement to any pact of that
sort, but it is known that Premier
Ring is strongly in favor of a meas-
ure to prohibit the legalized clearance
of liquor cargoes from Canada to the
United States, and possibly in they
coming session there may be such
legislation. It is doubtful, however,.
if it will be formally announced until
the opportunity is provided of con-
sulting the party caucus. Most of the:
Liberals are wet in sympathy and
they claim that whenever they have-
flirted
aveflirted with the prohibition vote, it
has always been with calamitous con-
sequences.
•Efforts to further increase the
Canadian export trade are being made
by the government. The experiment
of a new subsidized line between the
western coast of Canada and South
America, and also the line to Aus-
tralia, has worked out very satisfac-
torily, and tenders have just been re-
ceived for, a service to Mediterran-
ean ports and also to India. If err
consideration thee' offers are consid-
ered to be favorable, the government
will likely make the necessary pro-
vision at the coming session of par-
liament.
There is a conflict of authority be-
tween the Dominion Government and .
the province of Quebec over the regu-
lation of aviation, and the supreme
court is to pass upon it reef month.
It is admitted that the federal gov-
ernment has authority over flying
which is international and which is e
interprovincial, but the province
claims that where the operations are
wholly within its limits fee inrisdie-
tion belongs to it exclusively. The
claim is not regarded as va'v strong,
but it is being insisted ',nen, and
consequently the quest;ne, by mutual
agreement has been refer-ee to the
court.
tr%
t�t3i
li
CHISELHURST
Notes.—The many fries.ds of Mr.
John Simmons will be sins+ -v to hear
t.h. sit he has been confined tr. the house
for several days through illness. izintt
hope he will soon be ettioyirig► his tis
ua] health.—Miss TFPaskett, of Pa1rk-
hill,, is at present visiting stt the nitre
of Mr. and lain Veneer.!' .
The roads on t ase ' sic ha
been Int•
rel
daiy►e,
b+
1
4I