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Zurich Herald, 1935-02-21, Page 6CANADA THE EMPIRE CANADA. IF THEY CARRIED SIGNS. It would be interesting to know if motoring behaviour on the part of drivers might not be considerably Improved if the offender, in addition to a fine, were required to carry a sign on his car for a. week, stating that he had been found guilty of neg- ligent driving. Very few negligent drivers would like to advertise their own incompe- tence in such fashion,—Calgary Her - aid. IN TRANSIT Like most sizeable communities, Kitchener has its quota of stray or homeless pigeons. One of the birds. has become a practical hitch -hiker. When tired, he alights atop a motor car, rides a few city blocks,, then soars aloft and rejoins his mates. The less venturesome pigeons consider` his action rather "flighty" but it ren- net be said that the creature is dumb in the full sense of the word,—Border Cities Star, NEAT AND TIDY. It is difficult enough to keep resi- dential premises neat and tidy with- out the constant trouble of picking up and disposing of a number of unwanted handbills every day. The greatest objection to the handbill, as we see it, is the method of distribu- tion. If it is mailed in the proper way, then the householder can eith- er read it or put it in the furnace, as he wishes. But when it is thrown in. his doorway, it usually blows out on to the lawn and, by the time he gets It, it is just a dirty mess,—Kingston Whig -Standard. THE WORLD AT LARGE mato coroner's jury added a rider to their verdict recommending "that dealers in second-hand cars be re- quired to get a certificate from the police department that a car sold is in fit mechanical condition to be drive, en on the highway." This suggestion calls attention to the fact that not one province in Canada calls for an examination of automobiles before licenses for the same are issued.—Peterboro Exam- iner. PROMISES. Critics of Prime Minister Bennett's startling economic reform policy are harping much just now upon his 1930 promise to end unemployment in Can- ada and claiming that he did not keep that promise, for which reason they doubt whether his present pro- mises mean anything. It may be'that thoughtless people in 1930 assumed that Mr. Bennett proposed to perform an over -night miracle when he made that promise. It is, ceatain..thatahe laaa a'nd certainly no one with a clear understanding of the economic situ- ation as it then was could have en- tertained so foolish a notion. As a matter of fact the Prime Min- ister has from the moment he assum- ed office up to the present time lab- ored steadily, persistently and in considerable measure successfully to cope with the unemployment situa- tion. True his approach to the pro- blem was not as spectacular as was that of the United States President, but there is good reason to believe that ultimately his methods will be productive of more permanent re- sults than those of the "New Deal." Making the federal authority in generous measure responsible for maintenance of the unemployed he obtained sanction for cash contribu- tions to that end immediately upon assuming office. Those contributions have continued to this date. Wide- spread distribution of this govern - meat money has certainly prevented the unemployment situation from assuming catastrophic proportions. .Another of his moves that also saved catastrophe was Government assumption of the wheat export sit- uation at a moment when nothing short of a move- so radical and un- usual could have prefented complete collapse of the economic structure of Western Canada. That move was of as great benefit to urban Canada as it was to the people of the farms. But the truly scientific move mage by the prime minister to end unemployment was in his successful negotiation of the much discussed Ottawa agreements. It was evidently clear to Mr. Bennett that only in a revival of trade in export fields could there be any hope of permanent re- lief from unemployment. To depend upon the passim out ofGovernment g ver en nm t cash to remedy permanently such a situation would have been as foolish as to hope to be able to lift oneself by one's bootstraps. The Ottawa agreements are mak- ing good. In the past nine months Canada's Empire export trade has in- creased over 27 per cent. That means a decided increase in gainful em- ployment for a considerable number of the unemployed. In large meas- ure it explains why it is that Can- ada's peak of 750,000 unemployed has been reduced to about 450,000. Yet there are those who would have us believe that Canada's prime min- ister forgot his promise to end tin - employment the moment he made it and that he has done nothing since then to implement it. ---Calgary Her- ald. DEFECTIVE M)TOMOI ILES Believing the condition of one of the cars involved was a factor in a gecent fatal motor accident, a To - CAN BE CONTROLLED Diphtheria is essentially a disease of childhood, and it is most import- ant that all children, especially young children, be immunized. The records of cases and deaths in Toronto af- ford ample proof of the efficacy of toxoid.—Toronto Mail and Empire,. THE BORSTAL SYSTEM " One of the most interesting an- nouncements in the Speech from the Throne was the statement that the Government was considering the ad- option of what is known as the "Borstal System" in connection with youths sentenced to penitentiaries. There has been no previous intima- tion that the Government had under advisement this reform. The Borstal system, so-called, is an effort to segregate youths from 16 to 21 from hardened criminals. It gets its name from the village of Borstal, Kent, where the early ex- periments on youths were carried out in an old convict prison, prior to the passing of an act in 1908 carrying into effect the principles of those urging that youths should not be sent to penitentiaries with profes- sional and older criminals. The rules and regulations under the act are based on the principle that up to a certain age every of- fender may be regarded as poten- tially a good citizen, that his lapse into crime may be due either to physical degeneracy or bad social environment, and that it is the duty of the state at least to try to effect a cure, and not to class the offende>i_ off -hand and with out experiment with the adult professional criminal. As a part of the system there have been founded in England Borstal As- sociations to provide for the after e-..tx-pt,rmnrs-•.aroonlvra'vcr zrum Borstal institutions. This is a vital part of the system and it is claim- ed in England that two out of three Borstal youths are reclaimed. Lon- don Free Press. THE SPEED -CRAZY;` Sir Josiah Stamp, British econom- ist, industrialist and president of the executive of the London, Mid- land idland and Scottish Railway, utters a word of caution when so many people everywhere are paying tribute to the god of speed, It is refreshing to find a man of Sir Josiah Stamp's expert knowledge refusing to pay unqualified homage. As one who is primarily concerned with the economics of the' subject, as applied to railways, he said in a recent address that he would not be excited by any additional accelera- tion until he knew the relative cost of obtaining it—and what sacrifices there might be of other amenities of comfort and safety. To the ordinary observer the ques- tion often arises: Why the hurry, anyway? Halifax Herald, THE EMPIRE • TELEVISION. • This muck is certain, however. One company in Great Britain and one company in Germany are now in a position to provide a service of "high-definition television" of real entertainment value. The features and movements of speakers or of one or more artists in a studio, events of the day or other film subject matter, and certain indoor and out- door events can now be transmit- ted either instantaneosuly or within he Sails' Rose Pase (front) and Elizabeth Price raising the jib and mainsail of their trine little scooter in which they will defend their Pacific Coast championship title, during the mid -winter races on the Pacific coast off Los Angeles, Cal. The Inventor's Path Seldom, Says a German, Does He Profit ..From His Ideas. The path of the invezltor straight, stony .and beset with sta ea 'according .to "Dr. -^avail zinger who signs himself Business Managing Chairman of the:Interna- tional Union of Inventors, in a gloomy article published in Die Umschu. He tells us that, of the 700,000 patents granted annually in the world, but a vanishing small number are .of any- commercial value. Amateurishness on the part of the inventors, inability to ap- praise industrial needs correctly, general insurance of what has been done in the" past in similar fields- what patent' attorneys call "the state of the art" — are responsible for this poor showing. Although German chemists es a class are probably the best informed technicians in the world and there- fore less likely to rush in where angels fear to tread, their su sea, are numerically no more s ing than those of inventors in eral. According to Autzinger, 7,0.00 chemical patents are ani ly applied for in Germany. Of i the German patent office, the efficient and dacting in the w grants about 2,000. Not more thirty or forty are commercially ploited. Suppression Doubted Successful patents in any fiel no means disclose the most torious inventions, if Autzing to be credited. He charges some are bought and suppr because, if "worked," they paralyze established industries. How much truth is there in oft -repeated tale of patents are bought only to be pigeon -h Time and time again bills have introduced in Congress which, is testimony in committee meetings and learn how inventions are con- ceived and developed, they decide that the case for: suppression is none too good. It turns out that a loom, a linotype machine, a printing press, any complicated mechanism can achieve its .end if modified in .a doz- en different ways. Each is a good invention. About twelve patents are therefore obtained for as many mecca `sms, Naturally the inven- t 'Watt it s ' ^lnctusatiar Ana commercial requirements most slimi- ly and effectively is introudced. The others are "suppressed." Effect on the Public. But is this "suppression" as the term is usually understood? To compel a manufacturer to. "work" these less perfect inventions on pain of forfeiture is clearly an in- justice Nor does the public suf- fer. It loses nothing by the intro- duction of the single invention that presents the simplest solution of a technical problem. A patent in the U. S. expires in seventeen years. It is rarely ,in- deed that the patentee earns royal- ties for the complete term. If; he sells his patent as soon as it is ur_ 31ic or- uld acted in law, would make it a few seconds (depending on the pulsory to "work" a `patent in a g. subject matter) for clear and faith- en period. Failing in this the paten- ful reproduction in the home on a tee would forfeit orfei his rights. screen about a foot square, accom- panied by sound on the same re- ceiver.—London Spectator. ART AND INDUSTRY, British industry has been slow to, employ designers and artists. Deter- mined and successful efforts have lately been made to remedy the weakness, of which the Exhibition of British Art in Industry, at the Royal Academy is the latest. The tradition that beauty Is just ail mat- ter of trimmings and ornamentation is dying. Simplicity and the fash- ioning of articles to do their job as efficiently as possible are producing things beautiful in themselves, and proving to be good business as well, —London Daily Herald.. DEATH ON TUE ROADS,. When the death rate from acold- ents on the roads has risen to the record figure of 187 for a single week The proposal seems `'tensible en- ough. Yet when otar.lagislators take la is really time to examine critical- l3Y the measures which the, respon- sible authority, the Ministry of Trans- port, istaking to deal with this ter- rifying loss. of life. The real test of that department's success or failure lies in whether it can bring about a- drastic reduction of this tragic sacrifice on onr• highways . Tor the security , of the public it is ,'es- sential that the three kinds of traf- fic—motor, cycle and pedestria:l should be separated and provided etfrclt with its own: track. This task should have 'been taken in hand a decade ago, but its cost ; will be immense; and there should be no iilusioa a. on t1lat head. It will, ihowever, Save life:: and place this cbunfry abreast Of foreign nations,—London Daily' Mail, is w ars , a her n7 rt, an- er- the $86 ol- to me, uho is u especially worse in the case' a piano tuner. Anyway from the plc- -tures I've seen in the funny papers, I thought all piano tuners had'long hair." Day And Night Day; a spendthrift, rich. in treasure, Spills, with lavish hand, 'Golden largess without measure Over all the land. Night, his thrifty helpmate, grieving. After him doth range, Gathering up his treasure, leaving Only silver channge. Brings it to him, softly beaming, • Kisses him with pride, Sends his wanton lordship gleaming On another ride —Ralph Mortimer Jones ,an elle NeW York Times, 12 APPROVES LATIN The Catholic University of Roane is attended by thousands of studa eats from all over the world, who 1� °JLI ID have no common language but Latin; ,y;Japanese, Brazilians and Filipinos I exchange ideal in Latin;. the lectures Provincial Education Body are delivered in Latin, MAGAZINE PR SE Officer Sees: Ad- vantages HELPS VOCABULARY Windsor, Champions of the teaching of Latin and Greek in the schools have been digging around for material to bolster their ease In the May edition of the Cana- .dian School Journal, the official or: gen of the Ontario Education ASSOC- baton, an articles entitled: "The Engagement of Teachers," contains the following extracts: "There is a high correlation be- tween the study of Latin and teach- er success." "Students wlio in secondary They have discovered a statement schools have shown their stamina by written some months ago by Charles passing more than two units of Latin 111. Ewing as president of the Class- and mathematics, and have had an ical Section of the Ontario Educe- interest in teaching from ,the upper tional Association, He said: COST IS LOWER In the first place, the teaching o.fi Latin and Greek is, relatively, not costly. It costs less to educate a student in the academic high school than in the vocational school. More- over, in the ordinary high school the teaching of languages and literature costs less than the teaching of science. My second point is that the teach- dignified calling. But is is surely ing of the classics is not useless. It not too much to ask that every stud - has been estimated that at least forty per cent, of the words in the English language are Latin origin, and tweve to fifteen per cent. of Greek. In the case of medical and general scientific terms the proportion of classical words is much higher, prob- ably nearly eighty per cent. Anglo- Saxon is the only serious rival of the- classical languages; but the An- glo-Saxon literature is of relatively little importance to the ordinary student, , while the value of classical literature cannot be over-estimated. Moreover, while a very large,propor- tion of our Anglo-Saxon derivatives are smiple words (e.g., as lie, there, good, child), Latin and Greek deri- vatives are the harder and less ob- vious words in general use. REALLY PRACTICAL Does it ever occur to my severely practical friends that the acquiring of, as complete and accurate a know- ledge of the English language as pos- sible is essentially practical. It is just as practical for give our stua- ents a mastery, of words as of ham- mer and saw, typewriter or dynamo. Do we realize that the tools we most frequently use, in fact are al- ways using, are words? Words are the vehicles by which thought is conveyed from one mind to another. If such vehicles are few and unsidll- fully handled, we shall have but k poor chance of influencing others by our thoughts. The person who has studied Latin i -and simple ,s Darwin assumed. How elementary grades through the see- ondary schools should be given first preference in training for elemen- tary schools." NOT FAST RULE In conclusion may I say that ad- vocates of the classics do not seek to impose ''the study of . Latin on every pupil entering the academic department of our high schools who has a vague Hankering after some eat who seriously contemplates en- tering one of the learned profess- ions, or proceeding to the B.A. de- gree, should have some knowledge of a language which is so intimately bound up with our own language and literature. Lest any of my remarks be mis- understood by my vocational, ma- thematical and scientific friends in the professions, may I say ' that nothing is farther from my thoughts than to underestimate the value of the work done in their departments. MAN IS UNSTABLE Evolution Held To Be. Partly The Result Of Crisis Probably no biologist, doubts the validity of evolution. On the other hand, natural selection and the sur- vival of the fittest, the very ,core of Darwin's thebry, are no, longer accepted as the sole, agencies at work in the creation of riew . pecies and varieties. Since.•., the ..days of Mendel it has beconie apparent that the mechanism of .heredity is. both delicate and ',gomplex. Moi? er, there are the endocrine glands, with their tremendous potentialities for modifying the organism. Lastly,. the relation of that organism to its •en viromnent - is not nearly sodirect -,aa a--ubaraaaa—a..•an2e.aarat .; 41f a Bless lish Ianguage which fdv, with` no such linguistic training,' ever achieve. Surely none will be better qualified to take•, his place among , intelligent men and women than he who has acquired a rich store of words, and uses then with accuracy and dis- crimination. Every properly conducted Latin class is a laboratory in which many English words are examined, dis- sected and their significance under- stood. Why then should it be con- sidered more in keeping with modern educational requirements to analyze chemicals or dissect botanical or zoological specimens? HEARING WORDS One often hears it said that the study of Latin and Greek is value- less because few pursue it in after years. As a matter of fact, an in- telligent teacher makes Latin useful to his students from the very begin- ning. eginning. For example, in the first few weeks the student becomes acquaint- ed with such words as: hiberna a winter camp, pugno I fight, gladius a sword, specto I look. With de- lighted surprise he awakens to the fact that here is the origin of such English words as: hibernate, pugnac- ious, gladiator, spectacles. Properly taught, he becomes an -explorer in the romantic realm of words; words become familiar friends. Before • they were dead like trees in winter, now they come to life like trees in full leaf. A good classical teacher can add almost daily to the students' Eng- lish vocabulary. In the course of a few days one teacher taught the following Latin words: integer whole, renovo I renew, relinquo I abandon, iter a journey, corpus a body; then from these he enriched their English vocabulary with such words as integrity, renovate, relin- quish, itinerary, corporal. NOT DEAD LANGUAGE settle down, his hisotry will be like Again, there are many English! that of most social creatures—a re words: of classical origin just on the fringe of the students' conscience, petition over hundreds of millions of fang years of the same biological events and facts. He will cease to evolve. the -11w e -y^ xii�ginative biologists think about evolution and especially the problem of man's descent , is - well exemplified . by "The Connng of Man," a recently published book in which Dr. R. Broom, an English authority on amphibians, sets forth his own hypothesis. It is -generally agreed tri taife first developed in the-sea.xiow, then, did the first amphibian evolve? What was the bold•;animal that first ventured on land. and adapted: itself wholly or partially to life tinder en- tirely new circunistanees?, When we ask such questions it is apparent that natural selection and the sur- vival of the fittest do not meet the case. Dr. Brown holds that physical structure, courage, pugnacity, :effi- ciency were not solely responsible for the transition*x' There, was. some- thing unstable about the first ad-' venturer that .came out of the sea.: He was like an unstable chemical' compound that changes into some- thing else—something out of which a reptile could evolve, something that was the result of a crisis. Examine all the other animals, and the transition from an old to a new- er form seems always to be there- sult of critical instability. a Despite the convincing array of fossils that shows plainly enough how 'the one - toed horse of today evolved from an ancient five -toed equine ,animal not much bigger than a St. Bernard dog, the -jumps are marked. Between five toes and four toes there is no gradual transition, nothing like a digital diminuendo. Crisis, everywhere- crisis, whether it be fish or amphibian, reptile or mammal. With man it is the same —one of the most unstable creatures ever evolved. In a state some- thing me - of thing like fermentation, he has al- ways been in a critical' turmoil. Un- like the ant or the bee, he is not highly specialized. If he ever does In the ordinary wasteful course of nature many of these slip away and are forgotten. But if they . are link- ed up with their classical "anew - tors" in time, they are pinned down and the student ever after uses them with confidence and certainty. He may never read Latin after he leaves high sehool, but - he has laid up a treasure which not even the most treacherous memory, can dissipate. Very frequently • we hear the question asked: "What is the use of teaching a dead language like Latin?" Asa matter of fact Latin still has marvellous - vitality. In modern forms it is in constant use over more than half the stirface of King, Replies to Woman's Letter of Good Washes' Dean Lake, Ont. '— Mrs. It, Maitland INA placed away for safe keeping, a letter just received from. the King along with one shegot from Queen Alexandra many years ago. Mrs. Maitland listened to the ,King's Christmas Day message over, a telephone from ,a, neighbor's'hoine,, and wrote a letter to Their Majes- ties wishing them a Happy New' Year. The prized letter is the reply..