if: â- 'F Bobby BiinWs Kirk Reclaimed Taken Over by Britain as Perpetual Memorial Was Fa»t FdUng to Ruins Scene of Tarn O'Shanter's Adventure Saved for Posterity Londonâ€" It will be grktlfytnc to ad- mlren of Robert Burnt to know that tba famoni "auld haunted kirk" at Ailoway In Scotland has been reclaim- «d from Its recently neglected state. After an appeal for Us better cuardlanship a* made to Klas Oeorga V. by Capt Edward Pag* Oaa- ton. P. R. O. S., an Illlnolsaa ot Scotp tlsb deieent long reatdent tn Londoa. the British OoTemment has taken over the propertr as an ancient mon«- inent to be under ofBctal protecttoa la perpetuity as a memorial to Scotla'a greatest poet and most wldeljr beloTed •on. "Being of SrotttsU ancestrr and i admirer of 'the ploughman poet,' hare vtslted the Ajrr district repeal edly during the lust twenty-Ore years." said Qaston. "Some time ago I was astonished at obserrlng the neglected state of the old ofcuroh which was the scene of 'Tam OSbaiiter.' the most popular of Burns's poems. "By a recent nenersl parliamentary set atfectlnfc old huryInK grounds, the Care of AUoway Kirk had been taken from the Burns Trust, which had cap- ably looked after It tor many years, and its control had been vested In tbe local parish council, whose official duties consist largely In looking after Ibe poor. Almost Reduced to Pauperism "Thus (88 regards Its means of sup- port out of the limited poor funill the World-famed church and churchyard were technically degraded to the level of parish paupers! As practically no- thing was being done toward keeping II In repair a part of the seventeen- tli century structure was In danger of collapse at the time of my visit, and rnny loose stones were almost falling (lom the walls. "The situation was so arresting that consultation v.as had with various re- presentative people Interested In preserving tbe Burns associations In their highest sense, these Including a lineal decendant from the poet. It was agreed that an attempt should be made to deal with the existing anomalous state of affairs. "The proposal which I accordingly ventured to lay before the King was that the structure be officially adopt ed as an ancient monument and hence be taken over and protested tn per- petuity by the British Ooverninent. As a result of the dlscornment shown by the King and his advisers, another ©f Britain's priceless literary mem- entos has been thus preserved from further dotorloratlon, for the hi'neflt of posterity. Looted By Relic Hunters "Tbla ofBclnl action was taken none too soon, for local builders and relic hunters long ago made off with the Jlmbera of the fallen roof, together with other removables, and each year was adding Its toll of vandalism to tbe sum total. I suggested to King George that the cliurch might bo re- â- tored as a sacred shrine to which Burns devotees from any lands could repair, on occasion. Such restora- tion would need to be done by private persons, however, "as the Office ot Works has no funds at Its disposal from which expenditure can be Incur- red on the preservation ot Alloway Kl"-!': but It would of course, be pleas- ed If an effort were made, say, by societies IntereHtod In Itobert Burns to provide funds for preserving this monument. "As the Burns cult Increases con- tinually, the hundreds of Burns clubs, and other Scottish societies, In Amer- ica, Canada. Australasia nnd else- where, should readily supply ample lunds for reHtoratlon and lualnten- ancp. If so desired. "Kully 100,000 ilghtscers annually vi.sll Alloway "m fho average, 79.000 persons having paid admission to the Burns monument there In one year, wille other thousands make the free visit to Alloway's aiilil hniiiited kirk ... Wlicro (;hu1su and houlets nightly cry. • â- " . â- ' Burns'a Desired Burial Pla^d ItnbiMl Hurn.s wished to finally rest at Alloway by "the banks nnU braes o' bonule Doon," lnst(>ad ot at I)um- frlec, where he lies. This \vas be plainly exprcsBi^d in connection with tbe burial of lil.s father In Alloway churchyard in 178-1, when the poet had Inscribed upon the still standing modest tonibstimo the tribute: "O y'e whose cheek the tear of pity Etalns near with pious rev'rence and attend! lie the loving tusband's dear remains, Vho tender father and the gen'rous friend, ^he pitying liearl that felt for human woe; daiintlesii heart that feared no human pride: friend of man, to vice alone a foe; 'ev'n bis fallings leaned to vir- t tue'B side." ' Burna'a Rallglous Nature "Aside from being a Burns enthu- •lasi.' conclu I'd ('apt. (lastou, "(hli %^t•TeH In Aruv.a,y church arises (Draw .Ilei'o ,Tbo The For SUN LIFE ASSURANCE COMPANY OF CANADA A TOWER OF STRENGTH * 19 2 7 !^ Assurances IN Force (net) 1.487,990.000 An Increase of $23 1 ,500.000 New Assurances Paid For - - 328.408.000 An Increase of $62,518,000 Total Income - .... - 102.774.000 An Increase of $23,801,000 Payments to Polic3rholder8 and Beneficiaries - - - - 42.224,000 Total Payments Since Organi- zation 300,040,000 Reserve for Unforeseen G)ntingencies I 2.500,000 Surplus over all Liabilities and G)ntingency Reserve - - 45,280,000 An Increase of $1 1,269,000 ASSETS at December 31, 1927 401,305,000 An Increase of $56,054,000 Dividends io PoUcyholdera inermaaedfor mighth saccess/vs ymar EXTRACTS FROM DIRECTORS' REPORT Substantial advanoea hav« been made ia all departments during iJie year. The total net income for the year exceeded one hundred million dollars . . . The strength and resources of the Company have been further enhanced . . . The high earning power of thtf Compaay's investments has been again demonstrated. The net rate of interest eariMKl on tht dmob invested assets, after fully providing for In- vestment expenses, was 6.47 per cent. This gratifying result has been made posrible tnr dividend increases, bonuses and stock privi- leges accruing on many of the Compiany's holdingB. The wisdom of the investmeat policy wfaidi has been consistently followed hx diut yean, la favouring long term bonds and the stoda of outstanding and very carefully selected cor- porations, has been once mor6 eraphasiml. The appraisal of our aecuritlea uiowB that the excess of market value* over coat bcreand during the year by $19,233,889.99. In addl- tkm, a net profit of $5,028,033.20 accrued from the redemption or sale of securities which had risen to high pnwnhimt. The quality of tk« bveatments listed in ths aaeta is testified by the fact that on both bonds and preferred stoos not one dollar, due either as interest or dlvldeod, is In arrear for even one day. while the dividends accruing to com- mon stocks are greatly in excess of the divi- dends payable on the same stocks at the tims cipurchase. The surplus earned during the year amounted to $38,511,029.67 from which the foHowing appropriations have been aiade: $5,000,000 has besa deducted from the morint value of our sectiridea as • further jyrovfaion against possible futtu« fluctua- tkoBs. increasing the amount so set asidtt to $10,000,000. $1,500,000 has beat added to the account to provide for un f o ru ee ii contingencies, wHhidi now stands at $12,500,000. $1,000,000 haa been written oif the Com- pany's Head Office buiUhig and other pn^wjtiu. $500,000 has been set aside to provide for the ereater longevity of annuitants, bring- ing the total provision under this heading to $2,000,000. $50,000 has been set aside to provide for claims in respect of total disability as yet unreported. $11,090,056.61 has been paid or allotted â- as profits to policyholders aitring the year. In addition. $6,205,573.00 has been con- tmgently allotted to deferred dividend poli- des issued prior to 1911, and to five year distribution policies, to provide for profits accrued but not yet payable. After making these deductions and alloca- tions, 111.269,330.89 has been added to the undivided surplus, bringing the total ovfer all liabilities, contingency account and capital stock to $45,280,896.14, Your Directors are gratified to announce, for the eighth successive year, a substantial in- crease 'n the scale of profits to be distributed to participating policyhokiers during the en- suing year. SUN LIFE ASSURANCE COMPANY OF CANADA from my Covenanter ancestry, who fled from Scottish religious persecu- tion In those parts to the Irish Prot- estant planatlons of Ulster, whence niy paternal Krandfatber emigrated from Ballymena to the backwoods ot Ohia a century ago. lu common with others, I hope that sometblug prao- tical may now be done In the way ol pa,yInK the sunestod additional tri- bute at All6way Church to one whou nature was, In truth, a deeply religi- ous one." Guestâ€" "Who is that awtul-looklng frump over there " Host â€" "Why, that's my wife." Guestâ€" "Ohâ€" •râ€" beg pardon. My mistake." Host (sadly)â€" "No, mine!" To be a Bucress, a political issue must be like a bond hsue: It must draw Interest. Returning tourists call the Ciiban capital "What'llyouhtTsna." Aerial Survey 45,000 Square Miles of Photographs Taken Last Year UoTernment camera men la our country pltotographed 45,850 squars miles ot territory last year from ths air. Ot this, 28,650 square miles was by oblique photography and 17,800 square miles by vertical photography. The oblique photographs numbered 16,246 and the vertical photographs 46,840. The work was carried on In eight ot the nine Provinces, according to a re- view ot the Dominion Department ot the Interior. Individual operations in- cluded such items as the e.vten8ion ot oblique photographs over an area ot 16,200 square miles west of Lake Win- nipeg for forestry purposes; an ob- llqus photograph operation covering an area of 8,000 square miles over the Wood Buffalo Park, near Fort Smith, N.W.T., and a considerable number ot vertical photographic operaUons ot •mailer areas In various parts ot Can- ada. "Since the Inauguration of aerial photography in Canada alx years ago by the Topographical Survey, Depart- ment of Interior, working In coopera- tion with the Royal Canadian Air Force, this art has repeatedly demon- strated Its value in its application to mapping,' says the Interior Depart- ment. "This method flta In admirably with conditions that prevail In a new country ot the extent of Canada, since by Its use speed and economy are ef- fected In mapping lands that by the ordinary methods of ground survey would involve a tremendous expendi- ture ot time and effort. "One of the Interesting features in connection with the season's work was the covering by vertical photo- graphs ot the route ot the New W|l- land Canal through tbe Niagara Pen- insula. This was undertaken at the request ot the Department of Rail- ways and Canals for the purpose ot showing the progress ot the work In pictorial form. The advance made was readily seen by comparison with photographs ot the same area which had been taken in 1831. "Another tnteresUng operation was the photographing, both vertical and oblique, ot Niagara Falls, at the re- quest ot the Dominion Water Power and Reclamation Service, tor the pur- pose ot studying various features ro- tating to the effect ot Ice conditions, the recession ot the brink, etc. "The value ot the aerial photo- graphs taken on this work does not cease with their use In the aotaal mapping oi>eratlons. Tbe InformaUon upon them Is of Importance la all problems relating to derslopaent and In a study ot snoh problems generallr obviates ths aeoessltr of much per- soB|} iavfif tl(atlo« pvar ths tsrrltorjr la question. The Topographical Suiw Vey has been made a central bureaa for the coUeotlng and Indexing ot all aerial photographs. Here the ever la- creasing number of thes* photograph* are first converted Into maps and ai* then kept on die for retereacs and re- cord purposes." » Capped the Lot Three artists were telling Ull storlos ot their work. 'The other day,' said one, "I patnteC a deal board in haltatloa aurbls wtth such etoot that It saak Immedlatolr. whea thrown tats ths wator," "That's nothtatg," said anothsr. "Yesterday I hung a tbormometor oa the easel suporting my plotnro ot th* Polsr rsglons and It foU at once to twsaty dogroes below soro." "Oo on,' remarked th* third. "Mr portrait ot a mllUoaati* was so roall*- Uo that It had to b« shaved Vfmt. |morala|.'