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The Brussels Post, 1912-11-14, Page 6AUDITOR'S STRenk CRITICISMI REPORT ON TORONTO HYDRO- ELECTRIC/ COMMISSION. Civic Official Points Out Apparent Deficit -Mayor Makes Reply. The pity of Toronto auditor's re- port upon the finances of the Muni- cipal hydro -Electric Power Com- mission for the period from June 1, 1911, to June 30, 1912, wee present- ed to the City Council Oct. 14. It says that at the close of 1911 an unadjusted balance of $16,- 795.62 was carried forward. How- ever, it declares that the making of a good inventory disclosed a shortage of $113,477,40 between the amount standing in the books and the actual amount of stores on hand. The report declares that it was apparently decided to charge the whole of the working deficit on the books of 1911 to construction ac- count. "Entries were consequently made," says the report, "charging the several construction accounts with a pro rata percentage of the total deficit as found amounting to $117,803.35." This sum, it explains, is obtained after crediting the in- come earned during the period, and in addition to it there is an out- standing capital charge due the Provincial Hydro -Electric Power Commission amounting to $248,245.- 80. The following figures show the position of the civic plant on Dec. 81, 1911 Cash from pity.•••• •• .,. •$2,400,993 11 Interest etc., charged by city, carried to debit of capital ex- penditure ...... ...... 92,198 54 Deficit on operating and goner- al expenses to date .,•, ...... 117,803 25 Total charge to 31st Decem- ber, 1911 .. ... $2,610,996 00 Outstanding liabilities:- IInadjusted items of city ac- count... 16,795 62 . Unadjusted stores shortage.. 113,477 40 Due Prov. Hydro-Eleotrlo Com- Finds a Deficit. The City Auditor is of the opin- ion that a portion of the $117,803 should have been carried forward as a charge against future earnings. He gives a. general review of the figures for the six months ending June 30, 1912. He reaches the con- clusion that there was a deficit of $85,642.31 en the operations of the period. His statement of operat- ing expenses and earnings is as fol- lows :- Wages, material, eto ..., ........$213,674 85 Current, eto. .... .. ... 76,522 61 Carried to credit of depreciation reserve ........... ....., 35,027 16 Accrued sinking fund (half year) 21.274 28 Interest on bonds and advances (one-half charged to revenue).. 36,305 92 378,518 83 9382,804 82 Earnings ...... ...... ......... 297,162 51 The auditor calls attention to the fact that for the half year preceding June 30, 1912, no amount had been provided to meet accrued sinking fund charges, but that an item of $50,888 had been written into the balance sheet to cover the amount. Added to the deficit this made a total of $136,530 to be carried for- ward against future earnings. In addition, $36,305, the remainder of the interest account, would have to be added to capital account. The City Auditor thinks that such items should be charged directly to rev- enue. Treating them in this way, the present position, he says, would be: - Total oharge to 31st Deo., 1911 as above . ...... ...2,610,995 00 Oeste from city from 31st Dec., 1911, to 30th June, 1912 ........ 716,000 00 Int. credited by Com. 72,611 84 Total charge to 30th lune, 1915'.93,398,606 84 summary. Deficit to 31st Deo., 1911, parried to capital expen. .. .,.,. ., Deficit to 30th June, 1915 Accrued sinkingfund at 30th Juno, unprovded for Proportion of int. charged to 117,003 35 85,642 31 50,888 07 36,105 92 Net shortage to 30th June, 1912,$ 290,639 66 Outstanding liabilities:-- Unadjnsted items in City Treasurer's soconnt .... 16,795 62 Shortage, stores account 113,477 40 Prov, Hydro Com. ...•.. 240,246 81 Income Accounts! A comparison of the principal in- come accounts for the six months ending December 31st, 1011, and 80th June, 1912, respectively, is as follows 378,518 03 1911. 1912. 31et Dec, 30th June. Com. lighting ., ..$ 57,104 78 $ 68,562 76 Com, power ... 9,277 33 24,574 39 un. bldg. light 636 05 323.34 tun, power .. .. 4,313 00 54,664 06 yy��lun- at )60111405 .. 76,893 90 120,058 50 Mater rents .... ....... 30 00 130 00 $147,254 06 3268,313 03 Sundry credit items ,. 3,542 66 28,849 48 $150,796 62 297.162 61 The City Auditor says that the system of bookkeeping in use by thecommission is "cumbersome and smothered in detail," He thinks that the volume cif business of the oivie electric department is, and has been, over -stated. He believes that considerable saving could be made in expense accounts. He points out that by the close of the year sinking fund and interest charges will have to be met out of earnings. He asks why "renewal and depreciation funds" and "sink- ing funds" should be charged. against the annual mit of the un- dertakieg, and expresses the opin- ion that the'syste,m of purchasing electrloity on the peak, load plan might well be superseded. Mayer Makes Reply. Mayor Geary, speaking of the au- ditoee remelt, said that the book keeping system of the civic commis- sion had been built up under expert advice after years of experience, that the department was not over- staffed, and that the system of pur- chase of current had been decided upon by the Hydro -Electric Power Commission of the province, The Mayor explained that the unadjust- ed balance of $16,795 at the close of 1911 represented a difference be- tween the revenue estimated by the City Council and the actual rev- enue, and, in the opinion of the commission, should not be charged to it at all. Of the item of $113,477 described as shortage on the stores' account, the Mayor said that it was merely a question of bookkeeping. Certain invoices were charged to stores, while as a matter of fact the goods went directly to the job and were never credited when used. A great proportion of the amount had already been traced. The Mayor said that the sum of $248,245 given as due the Hydro -Electric Power Commission of Ontario was not ear - red. The amount, which referred to the eastern entrance, represent- ed claim plus interest to July 1, 1912, not the amount of the claim on Deo. 31, 1911- The so-called working deficit of $117,803, he de- scribed as a technical deficiency which might properly be included in the capital cost of the undertaking. It was due, he believed, to the dis- organization introduced into the op- eration service by the concurrent demands of construction opera- tions. Analyses the Deficit. The Mayor says that the loss for the quarter ending March 31, 1912, was $55,768, and the loss for the quarter ending June 30 was only $29,873. Of the first quarter's loss, $17,056 is interest on investment, $17,065 is written off for deprecia- tion of the new plant, and $12,639 is put aside for sinking fund. The loss for the quarter ending June 30 includes also allowances for inter- est, depreciation and sinking fund, Mr. Geary declared that the loss for the quarter ending September 30, the net loss was only $4,647, and this, after allowing for inter- est $20,999, depreciation $19,443, and sinking fund $15,000. .As a matter of fact, he said the months of August and September had eaoh shown a small profit got by civic enterprise. The gain, he asserted, was proceeding and the initial loss was being made good. Business, he said, had grown wonderfully. The city had 12,000 customers and a plant which could do many times the business with little additional cost, even for current. "We carry," he declared, "against future profits the charge for sinking fund prior to January, 1912, $50,888, and our deficit for the first nine months of the first year, which is not an op- erating year, but rather a year of construction is $90,290, included in which is $51,470 depreciation and $36,381 for sinking funds' ECONOMY. "I notice that as soon as you have smoked a cigar you use the stump of it to light another. Don't you think it is harmful to smoke so continuously 1" "Well, it may be; but matches cost money." "Lion Dogs" from Pekin. The Pekinese spaniel, or "lion dog," now so popular among dog lovers, was formerly an exclusive possession of China's rulers, and it was a capital offence to remove one of the diminutive creatures from the imperial palace. A pair of them was taken to Europe after the. capture of Pekin, in 1860, and from these and a few others the Ameri- can specimens of the breed are de- scended. tantpie free if yea write Nattonaf Drag & Chemical Co, of Canada, Limited,, TOrento, TORONTO CORRESPONDENCE 1NTERESTINO GOSSIP FROM ONTARIO'S CAPITAL, "Abolish the gar" Polley -Mr. Rowell's New Secretary -The Purity crusade- The Soolal Evil -American Football. Air, N. W. Rowell and his supporters do not accept the result 10 the Boat Sliddlo- sex bye-cleetion as any fair testof the ultimate s.rength of the "Abolish the bar" policy. They maintain that the constituency merely gave its normal con- servative majority, that the Liberal Party wao.odisorgauiaed and rho temperance forces were unorganized. and that the cendidato, who was neither a straight liberal, nor a straight temperance man, got no effective support from either. On the other hand, it has to be noted that East Middlesex is a strongly tem• norance riding, Evory township but one in it le uuder local option, sad. that one has come within seven votes of currying the bylaw by the neoesoar'y three•fifthe majority. The aggregate local 03)tion Ma- jority of the riding is something like 1,100 votes, so that the eloetion of Mr.. Neely, conservative, by over 600 shows that iu that riding at least the abolish the bar issue has become more of a straight party question than Mr. Rowell Pcan affrovince.ord to have it, if he is to carry the Interesting Points Arose. While the bye•election may have had its abnormal conditions as claimed by liberals, it at least served to bring to the trent certain situations whish are bound to recur in othercounties. The "abolfeh the bar" candidate wee avowedly not a teetotaler, personally. For this reason ho encountered opposition, or at least luke- warmness, from a large number of aotive temperance men, The question at once arises: Is this to be the rule everywhere? In other words, is every liberal who is not personally a teetotaler to be inelf- gible se a party candidate, or if ho be• comes a candidate le he not to receive the support of the temperance forces? This is a far-reaohing question and rue that will be heard many timers before the next general election. If it is answered in the affirmative the effect will be to oanvert the liberal party into a straight prohibition pnr.y. Along the same line was another tendency revealed in Bast Middlesex, namely, a tendency for liberal workers as distinguished from temperance workers to he lukewarm in the support of an "abolish -the -bar" candi- date, because ardent temperance men (who were also Conservatives) insisted in working and voting the other way. "Why should we break our nooks for the tean- perence cause, when temperance men themselves are workingagainst it?" was their expressed attitude of mind. These conditions represent problems that • Mr. Rowell iu his task hoe to solve. It may be that they are not capable of so- lution, or it may be .that a process of readjustment of dose will -ensue. It 6e this uncertainty that created a more than usual interest in tho contest in East Mid- dlesex. It is perhaps fair to say that a victory for Mr. Rowell would have indi- cated that the readjustment had already begun, and that the Government's 11000M. !dished of aise 001 coming,, it has not yet begun. Mr. Rowell as a Tactician. In commotion with the defeat, Mr. Rowell has come iu for some criticism as a tactioian. The critics say he should not have endorsed Mr. Sutherland as a candidate, and that if a straight liberal had been nominated, Mr. Sutherland, who had a personal feud with Mr, Neely, would still have stayed in the field, thereby in. creasing the ahanees for the liberal to have won. But it le probably hie also - lute sincerity and freedom from politi- cal intrigue that is Mr. Roweli's strong- est asset. Hie endorsation of Mr. Suther- land may indicate that he pate tho abolish -the -bar platform higher than party and that when a candidate says he will support that policy Mr, Rowell at least propose0 to secant his word. The Case of North Waterloo. The result in North Waterloo is consid- ered to be of leaser significance, At the same time North Waterloo, while an ex- treme, le not an isolated example of the constituency where Mr. Rowell's policy will scarcely make much headway. but which will send representatives to the Legislature just the same. The announcement that Hr. Rowell has appointed Mr. Main Johnston as confi- dential secretary foreshadows new activ- ity in the process of organizing the Prov ince along -the line of the new policy. Mr. Johnston 10 a very young man, but is a live wire. He will. no doubt, be heard from in many parts of the Prov- ince during the next two or three years. He is a Hamiltonian, just out of College at Toronto. He is a ready speaker and writer. The Purity Crusade. The crusade of Rev. R. B. St. Clair against vice is bearing fruit. There aro those who dislike Mr. St, Clair's methods and might even hesitate to bo associ- ated with him on account of the notori. ety whish might follow, but who have boon stirred into action by the conditions disclosed by his revelations. The teak of the discloser" is always a distasteful one, but is absolutely essen. tial before there can be any improvement in conditions. It is literally true in To- ronto that half the city does not know how the other half lives. The ehureh-go• Mg public knows nothing of the dissipa• tions and vices of the under world. So that Mr. St. Clair's acousatione and revelations came with a shook to a great many people. When his evidence in one particular was substantiated by a judge and otherwise it was inevitable that To. route the Good should take notice. The bolding of mass meetings and the forma- tion of a strong organization composed of many leading oitieans for the purpose of carrying on a purity propaganda has been the result. In the fight against indecency ou the stage, particularly in the burlesque thea. tree, something may bo accomplished. The i evil here is open and s capable of sup- pression. The objeotion that there may be difference of opinion as to what is in - donut and what is not does not hold water. Any man with common sense and backbone will never be puoslod for a min. ot.e. The only problem will be to find eueli a men who will act in the capa- city of theatre censor. And when there is any violation of the doceuaios a term in prison for the actors, actresses and theatre manager participating in the oa- ourrence would soon clean up the stage. The Soolal Evil. When ft ibmes to the social evil the r. problem Desn teO1e the offia al dousalo from pollee polios rem itis a feat that there i ts sort 00 of semi -tolerance pf some dire ratable houses in Toronto. . That may not be p ting it quite fairly for the polka, for they would say that they proeeoute just es often as they can get evidence. At the same time they know of the exist.. encs of those planes -acorea of them. Tho reformers say; Suppress them entirely. Objectors say that any more active pro• retention than is at present carried on would spread the canker all, over the city into the best residential districts as well as She down -town streets now affect- ed. And even then they say it could not be effected unless the whole .80,000 houses In the city were put under police surveil- lance, These are the two points of view. Meanwhile, people are aeking if the epi. thet, .Toronto the Good," isnot in dam, ger of beim" changed to "Toronto the Past." An Amerlean Football Came. On Thanksgiving Day a Toronto crowd hod its first opportunityto Roo the Am- erican game of footballwhen the Indi- ans from the Car11010 Industrial School, Pennsylvania, played a varsity 01d Boys team under American rules. Toronto scarcely knows whether it likes the Am• ei'fean game or not, 11 perhaps diff not help boot self esteem any that the American Indians simply smothered the local heroes, which was almost unavold• able in view of the feet that the local team was iinairganisod and was unfit. litter with the American rntce, At the same time there seems to be a growing feelingthat something is wrong with the 00narien game. Tholay is too tooao, and there is leo little MMain play. In other words, tt, is unsciontile. Cor. Vainly gm Americans had Main play down 10 nerfeotioa.When they wont into ac. tied, they moved like 'olook work, The *hie! difference from the Canadian game la that the men carrying the ball may bo rot d 1 whole of the last o he wGe U the f 1 f P t Y tram moot h ahead 0 elm.' And they did Amon hill 05 the near the Var. sity mon mould not get Haar too ball. When they tried to do so they went down like ten pins. The Indians elfutted unstinted admire - tion for their work. Their thief 'men, Thorpe, is a marvel of physical pollee. `lou, and the world's champion athlete. But lierhaps .Canadian football furnish- es n8 Just es much :fan ae the Americans get out of their game. With them foot. ball has beeomo a business. With us it is still a recreation, 5 NO MORE WINTER COLDS. Doctor Gives Advice on Important Subject. A wall -known physician, Dr, A. T. Schofield, of London, England, in a lecture at the Institute of Hy- giene, on "How to Keep Healthy in the Winter," gave some valuable advice on a subject that is of inter- est to everybody -the cure of an ordinary cold. Itis advice was simple and direct. "To euro a cold," he said, "go into a room where the temperature is 60 degrees, and stay there tall you are better," According to Dr. Schofield, it is all a question of keeping waren in the right way. This is the wrong way : Keep the room free from air, stuff up every crack and crevice, and heat the house by ordinary fires. The right way, as recommended by Dr. Schofield, is to have hot air pipes in all houses, and wear wool- len garments next the skin. Hot air pipes, declared the lec- turer, warmed and ventilated a room at the same time, and should be installed in all workmen's dwell- ings on the penny -in -the -slot sys- tem. "You must be warmdn bed if you are to keep fit," he added, "and to that end a hot-water bottle and the like are excellent things." Dealing with women's clothes, Dr• Schofield said that for the first time in forty years he could speak in praise of the corset, for modern corsetmakers were moulding the corset to the figure, and not cramp- ing the figure to the corset. An- other welcome change was that wo- men now wore wool next their skin, and fewer voluminous skirts. A new type of influenza, due to the fog, which in its symptoms re- sembles ptomaine poisoning, is oc- cupying the attention of the London doctors. One of the densest fogs of recent years lately enveloped part of the East End of London. At noon West Ham was as black as midnight, and work was temporar-' ily suspended at the docks. Strange- ly enough, in the city the sun shone brightly at times. "PROUD AND GLAD" Because Mother Looked So Well After Quitting Tea and Coffee. A woman was almost distracted with dyspepsia and heart trouble. Like thousands of others, the drug -caffeine -in coffee was slowly but steadily undermining her nerv- ous system and interfering with natural digestion of food. (Tea is just as injurious as coffee because it contains caffeine, the poisonous drug found in coffee.) "For 30 years," she writes, "I have used coffee. Have always been sickly -had heart trouble and dyspepsia with ulcers in stomach and mouth so bad, sometimes, I was almost distracted and could hardly eat a thing for a week. "I could not sleep for nervous- ness, and when 1 would ]ie dawn at night I'd belch up coffee and my heart would trouble me. It was like poison to me. I was thin - only weighed 125 lbs., when I quit coffee and began to use Postum. "From the first day that belching and burning in my stomach stop- ped. I could sleep as soundly as anyone and, after the first month, whenever I met any friends they would ask me what was making tee so fleshy and looking so well. "Sometimes, before I could an- swer quirk enough, one of the chil- dren or my hush.and would say, 'Why, that is what Postum is doing for her' -they were all jfo proud and glad. - "When I recommended it to any- one I always tell them to follow direotione in making Postum, as it is not good th taste if weak, but fine when it has the flavor and rich brown color." Name given by Canadian Postum Co., Windsor, Ont. Read the little book, "The Road to Wellville," in pkgs. "There's a reason." Ever read the above letter? A now one appears from time to time. They ore genuine, true, and tun of human Interest, Too Appropriate. Binks-I'm getting along fine; doctor. You need not have stop- ped in this morning. Doctor -Oh, I was over to see ,Tones, and 1 thought I'd just drop in and kill two birds with one stone. A Fatal Gift, "I suppose you use the new tele- phone your husband bought you a great deal, don't you?" Oh, yes; I bought twenty other things the first day with it." Self-respect is what wine reaped festa others. II IIIQIIIIIIII(IItIi jiO!J QI BIRO I IN • (fn is a z7 ,'f•is k'4(a WAe3aLlTl, Zi Mala in LIl!Q1 III d?:`e,SS ; et 7L tab'r"cis setrel3 mom_ flmm_ MRIRII1 H 11 ConfOrm'S fo till✓, fflpft stemaard v�` QI1/etlf's good. Useful for five hundred,crrpose.F. 4 Mer Pte. f st ea NCI BOER OF DEATHS PER 1000 LIVL'S DIFFER IN QUALITY AS IN LENGTH. Life Insurance Companies Figure the Average Life of Human Beings. If you ware told to figure out the problem of human life and deter- mine the average age at which men die you would probably declare it impossible to do so with any de- gree of accuracy. But there's where you are mistaken, for on the solution of that very problem the great life insurance companies base all their financial strength. By knowing to. a mathematical certain- ty just how long the average man will live they are able to Inc an equi- table rate of insurance and main- tain sufficient funds to meet all just claims, and -what is vitally impor- tant -earn interest meantime, says the Chicago Tribune, Contrary to the general belief, life insurance companies are not taking any great chances, for all their calculations and rates are based on ascertained facts, as re- vealed by millions of carefully col- lated cases, showing the average number of deaths per 1,000 among various classes. Quoting the rate for a policy is no blind, haphazard operation, but one having a sound acturial basis. For, while indivi- dual life is ever an uncertain quan- tity, oolleotive life is subject to a mysterious law of average, which enables the companies to transform into a practical scientific certainty what would otherwise remain a per- fect lottery. These vital statistics are called mortality tables, of which there are several. Lives differ in quality as in length, and there is a great dif- ference between that of the clergy- man and the saloonkeeper. There is also a big difference in the qual- ity and length of the lives of gro- cers and opal miners, servant girls and wives of wealthy mon. Average Life. The calculation of your life is eimple. Let us .suppose you are 30 years old. Deduct that from 80; then deduct a third from the result. That makes your expectation of life approximately 38 years, although you should live to be 66. Of course, you may live longer or die sooner. But this is your average, the basis of any life -insurance contract. Insurance oompanies, dealing with colossal sums, must obviously make their money work -yield the maximum of interest, And they command some of the finest finan- cial talent available -keen, experi- enced men, knowing all the mar- kets, always on the alert for a fi- nancial bargain. Controlling vast sums in liquid cash, constantly aug- mented by current receipts, they are in the bust position to deal at the closest prices and at the psycho- logical moment of depression or panic. Moreover, they are doubly strong, because they can always se- lect their own time, both for buying and selling. What the power of in- terest means may be gathered from two striking foots -ono or two com- panies can meet all their liabilities out of their interest fund alone; a certain big company earns over $20,000,000 a year in interest alone. During the last 25 years the pub- lic has paid abort $2,000,000,000 in insurance premiums, while the com- panies have paid their policyholders about $2.800.000. Whence these surplus millions? They have re- sulted from the accumulative poten- tialities Pf compound interest. The Colossal Power of that process is hu.morously illus- trated by a statement made by an. insurance expert: "Had my ances- tors in A,D, 1 invested for me two cents at five per cont. compound in- terest, I shoulcl have received in 1910 a little cheque for $75,762,626,- 113,125,000, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000,000." 75,762,626,-113,125,000,000,000,000,000,000,000." Obviously I leave to hien the re- sponsibility of these figures, which I have not checked. Although ie may be exaggerated, this example fairly demonstrates the potentiali- ties of compound interest over long periods. The, essence of insurance. is fore - eight, the adequate provision for eontiugsneies and oven possible dis- aster, TIM is why the oompaniet usnal)y charge in the.ps'ensinnls terl- leeted an extra a,mouln.t to meet any Unexpected en,11 on the fund.% and also for any slight miscalculation in their estimates. The interest earned may bo less than antici- pated; more people may die during the year than the average indicat- ed; expenses may be higher. To asset these possible Circumstances, the policy is loaded with an extra amount. More frequently than not is found that such precautions were not necessary, but this merely means that the money is available for increasing the bonus, reducing the premiums, or for strengthening the reserve. -While the management expenses of each company must obviously vary aecording to the class and magnitude of the business tran- sacted, and also the financial and administrative ability of the direc- tors and officers, it remains true that the sources of profit aro Praetically the Sasne, the amount of interest earned on the accumulated funds available for investment, by the working ex- penses being below what have been estimated and provided for ; by the death rate being below the calculat- ed percentage; by the lapsing and surrender of a certain proportion of the contracts. As regards the policies lapsing, this occurs when the policyholders' cireumatanees compel them to cease paying premiums, taking the actual surrender value of the policy as se- curity. Many people suppose that the companies' interest is to see policies lapse. They do, of course, make a profit out of the lapses, but that is not always very substantial, certainly not when the lapse occurs within two or three years of the issuance of the policy, for the ex- pense of securing the business, com- mission, oto., does not leave much margin. When the premiums have been paid for a, considerable time a pol- icy need not be allowed to lapse, for its holder can claim a surrender value, which varies from a third to half of the total premiums paid. Of Bourse, th.e terms offered by the various eompanies differ materially, but where a man has paid, say, fif- teen premiums of $75 each, he may depend upon receiving back from the $1,715 paid in from $375 to $450 in cash. Or he can accept a fully paid-up policy for a smaller amount, so that he will still secure a proportionate benefit without any further payment of premiums. One of the most valuable features of in- su.ranee is that the companies are usually able and willing to adapt their policies to the actual needs of insurants and on strictly equitable terms. 4' Hamilton Scottish societies pro- pose a monument to Burns. MISURANCE AGENCY Spare time and energy invest- ed in aDIRECT AGENCY will bring in an Income for life. No capital required. Previ- ous experience not necessary. Apply for an agenby of -- Gresham life Assurance Sooloty (Funds, 580,000,000. 331stab. 1648) -and of the -- Dominion Gresham Guarantee &r Casualty Company Head Offices for Canada : 802 St. James St., MONTREAL. -d st sits ICNDS constitute a First Mortgage Investment, yielding (ram s to 6%, giving equal security and income yield, without the trouble and expanse, incidental to the drawing of mortgages and collection of interest. This is ONE reason why Banks, Trust •Companies, Estates, and Public Service Corporations buy Bonds. We have on hand, at an times, WW1( lee suitable for the safe investment of fends. J. A. MACKAY & COMPANY LIMITED guardian Bldg, Royal Bank Bide. iviottrRIEAL TORONTO ntseittottnaninstnicannanannzatancemna > "REA.DY, AY; ORADY." , This Is Nature's s , 'o sotto, Says PSDf, William Stirling. The average mall's senso of his own importance will be immensely luoreased when be reads what Pro- fessor William Stirling, of Man- chester, England, University, had to say about the eontonts of the body at the opening of the physio- logy lectures at the university. The floor of the ordinary dining - room, for instance, is, in point of superficial area, a small affair coin - pared with the area of the lungs which is exposed to. the air. "The air cells may amount to 300,000,000," said Professor Stir- ling, "giving a •superficial area ex- posed to the air and the blood film in the inmost recesses of the lungs equal to 200 square yards, through which the exchanges of the gases of the air and .those of the blood take place." Every organ in the body bo - comes a fascinating wonder when seen through Professor Stirling's spectacles. "Each human kidney," he said, "contains, roughly, 450,000 mioro- seopic filters, making 900,000 in all and a corresponding number of primary drainage tubes, The pig's kidneys have at least 1,000,000 such filters. "In connection with this filter- ing apparatus in man there are at least 4,500,000 microscopic vessels inside the filtering apparatus, and these in their turn give rise to 11,- 250,000 intraglomerular capillary vessels through which the filtering of water takes place. "A more formidable problem confronts us. in the study of the liver -the largest gland in the body, weighing about 4% pounds on an average. "It is an immense aggregation of cells, arranged in lobules, each lo- bule being about a millimetre in diameter, so that there are over 1,100,000 similar chemical factories united in one great chemical and metabolic factory, all enclosed with- in one common capsule. "The number of cells in the liver amounts to 350.000.000,000, supplied by ]00,000,000.000 `Tibular blood ves- sels, while the capillaries in the bile drainage system number 700,- 000.000,000. "The internal combustion princi- ple is an approach to what obtains in the animal body. The muscles are the motor apparatus. In the motor apparatus itself is generated the energy for the production of heat and movement. The blond stream supplies both the material, fuel and the energy. and into it are discharged the waste products and the superfluous energy which is nsed to heal other parts of the or- ganism. "Moreover, Nature's reserves in the individual are extraordinary. Apparently -without the slightest ef- fort, she can meet the demands made on her. She can double the number of beats of the heart, accel- erate the, respirations, and increase the supply of the digestive juices to meet the demands that are made - often quite unexpectedly. 'Ready, aye ready!' is Nature's motto." 3t SOUTH AFRICANS TRAVEL. People Much Taken With Cheap Excursions Idea. Not only is passenger traffic: in- ereasing in short -distance trains, but the taking of holiday trips, lengthy railway journeys to the coast or from the coast -inland, is becoming snuoh more common among among an ever -widening cir- cle. The passenger traffic between the Rand and Durban this season is phenomenal and the excursions to the Victoria Falls have been ex- tensively patronized, while week - week -end visits to places of easy ac- cess from the larger towns snag now be regarded as permanently popu- lar. There are doubtless many reasons for this increased desirs for travel and its gratification, not the least important being the low rates at which excursion traffic is now run and the 'excellent arrangements ma.cle by the railway administration for the conveyance and convenience, of passenger's. - 8' Counting the Cost. I ,shovel coal upon the fire, And mutter as it starts fA burn, There goes another sixty cents That I worked mighty hard to earn. Bill Was tetchy. Tall Guest -"Didn't you have a good time at Bill' -s-nuptials?" Little Guest -"Naw ! Threw fif- teen big shoes and didn't hit hien once.'' Doctor -"Machan, your husband must have absolute rest," airs. Chart "Well, (looter, lre,won't lis- ten to me," Doctor ---"A very geed beginning, madam, a very good be- ginning. Janlrs "I See that young :Noodle and Miss Sharp have made a, match of it. He's got no head ab all, but she's a clever girl," Griggle --y "Well, you can't' cxjsect a motor to have two heads to it." a w tC !' 6'