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OPINIONS /\ \/ V A ® ORIAL PAGE F EATURE! The Daily Times-Gazette OBHAWA WHITBY . THE OSHAWA TIMES (Established 1871) 'THE WHITBY GAZETTE & CHRONICLE (Established 1883) The Times-Gasette 1s a member of The Canadian Press toe Ci Dally N Association. the American P A the C P oy Assnciation and the Audit Bureau of Clrculations. The Canadian Press 1s exclusively entitled to the use for republication of ali news despatches in the paper credited to 1t or to The A d Press or and also the local news published therein. All rights of special despatches herein are also reserved. A R. ALLOWAY, President and Publisher T. L. WILSON, Vice-President and Munaging Director M. McINTYRE HOOD, Managing Sditor SUBSCRIPTION RATES Delivered by carrier in Oshawa, Whitby Bronklin. Port Perry, Ajax and Pickering. 240 per week By mall outaide carrier delivery areas anywhere in Canada and England thorised as Second $7.00 per year. U.S. $9.00 per year Au Class Matter, Post Office Department, Ottawa, Canada. DAILY AVERAGE CIRCULATION for FEBRUARY 10,209 FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 1950 Another Dry Vote Those who are interested in increasing the number of outlets for liquor, beer and wine in Ontario communities have not been finding much reason for encouragement in votes taken within the last year or two. In nearly every case, these votes have resulted in dry communities remaining dry. The latest vote was taken this week in the village of Bath, some 25 miles from Kingston. In this vote, the proponents of a beverage room and a dining room. license failed to secure the necessary sixty per cent of the vote cast. The vote was quite heavy, with 213 electors of 235 casting their ballots. Just a few over fifty per cent of those vot- ing were in favor of providing outlets for intoxicants in the village, but that was not enough to meet the requirements of the liquor license laws. It has been apparent for the last year or two that a drive has been under way to make many dry communities wet, from the standpoint of opening them up to the sale of liquor, beer and wine. That this drive has met with reverses in the great majority of cases is a tribute to the good sense of the people in these cities, towns and villages. In most cases, they have been dry com- munities for many years, and having become familiar with the advantages of this con- dition, they have not been easily persuaded to change it. Scrutiny of Expenditures Canada's auditor-general, Watson Sellars, is very much concerned about the nonchalant way in which government estimates involv- ing hundreds of millions of dollars are rushed through the Parliament of Canada. He wants them subjected to a much more careful scru- tiny that is at present given to them, Under the system which is now in vogue and has been for many years, it is impossible to see how a careful examination can be made of the estimates, or how they can be considered item by item. During the present session, for instance, the estimates will call for expenditures in the neighborhood of two and a half billion dollars. These estimates will be considered in committee of the whole house, and if the usual method is again adopted, they will probably be rushed through in a very few days towards the close of the session, Mr. Sellars does not think that is good enough. He feels that the huge volume of estimates involving the people's - money should not be rushed through with only a cursory examination. He makes some inter- esting suggestions. One is that they should be handed over to a group of committees of the house for review. Another is that there should be a greater consolidation of the estimates, and that they should show exactly what is covered by each item. It should not be left to the government to have estimates adopted which leave the way open for jug- gling amounts from one purpose to another as expediency may suggest after the esti-. mates have been passed. Holding the position he does as Auditor- General of Canada, Mr. Sellars is in a position to give sound advice to Parliament on the handling of its estimates. His sug- gestions are good, and they deserve to be given serious consideration by the govern- 'ment which is, in the final analysis, respon- sible for their acceptance or rejection. If adopted, they would give the Members of Parliament a much greater opportunity of scrutinizing the expenditures which are proposed, and enable them to make a closer check on wasteful or unwarranted estimates, Divorces Declining . It is encouraging to note that in the last two years there has been a sharp decline in the number of divorces granted in Canada. In 1947, the divorce ratio was 65.3 per 100,- 000 of population. In 1949 the figure had dropped to 44.9 per 100,000, an improvement which is quite noteworthy. ' Strange to say, the only provinces in which there was an increase were Nova Sco- tia and Quebec. The latter province has no divorce court, and applicants have to go be- fore parliament and secure the passage of a special act before they can secure divorces. Yet in that province there has been an in- crease from 292 in 1948 to 350 in 1949. In spite of that, of course, Quebec has much the lowest divorce rate of all the provinces. These figures indicate that the disturb- ance of family life and marital relationships which grew out of the second world war is subsiding, and that conditions are slowly but surely returning to normal. There is still a long way to go, however, before the divorce rate returns to the pre-war level. In 1940, for instance, the rate was 20.8 per 100,000 of population, less than half of the 1949 figure, It is to be hoped that the decline will con- tinue progressively, since a high divorce rate is a great reflection on the morality of this country. Since there is only one ground for divorce under Canadian law, any increase in divorces can be regarded as a sign of de- terioration of moral conduct, while a de- crease would naturally reflect a correspond- ing improvement. Editorial Notes Clothing manufacturers predict higher prices for suits in the fall of 1950. Perhaps this is just an effort to keep out the spring trade. Rs 4 + A column of advice to those contemplat- ing matrimony is headed "Look after little things." Possibly that is a warning to them not to neglect their children. * + * It is reported that Will Durant, known as a philosopher, has been robbed of $264,000 in bonds. We never realized before that it was such a profitable business to be a phil- osopher. * + + Public opinion in the United States seems" to take it for.granted that there is going to be another war--with Russia this time. That is a defeatist attitude which should not be given any encouragement. +* * * This year the pavement on King Street is not the only one that will give the Board of Works considerable worry. There are several others which are in just as bad condition, and will require a great deal of patching be- fore they will provide comfortable driving conditions. ® Other Editors' Views o WANTED CHURCHILL TO WIN (The Timmins Daily Press) One result of the election that many people on this side of the ocean will regret is Mr. Churchill's failure to again become Prime Minister. Mr. Churchill is a figure who appeals strongly to the imagination of the people of America. Perhaps more for senti- mental reasons than anything else, they wanted to see him and his political career in the highest office the British people could give him. It is felt over here, too, that he might make more headway in dealing with Russia than the present head of the Government has been able to do. Now, Mr. Churchill's political retirement may be hastened and he can give all his time to writing his memoirs. + * + VOTING AT THE AGE OF 18 (Ottawa Journal) One of the things the Trades and Labor Congress asked of the Government last week was that the voting age be reduced to 18. At the age of 18 many of our young people still are at high school, their education not completed. Would there be wisdom, any gain for our democratic way, in permitting them to vote? Or in permitting to vote many others at the age of 18 not fortunate enough to have gone to high school? Seems to us that our theory of democracy, which is that the citizens should have the widest possible understanding of what it is he (or she) is voting for, could not be strengthened that way. No doubt at all that many of the age of 18 would vote just as intelligently as many others of twice that age, but that could hardly be true of the majority at 18, so that what the proposals of the Trades and Labor Congress would do at best would be to risk widening the circle of indifferent or illinformed voters. In that, if it happened, there would be small gain for democracy, its main difficulty as it is to get more well-informed voters. eo A Bit of Verse @ PATTERN FOR A PRINT Seven Wintry sparrows On a leafless tree, Every thin frost-darkened tw'g Outlined carefully. Seven Wintry sparrows, Red berry in each bill, Huddled black on blacker limbs Against a rain-gray hill --HLIZABETH-ELLEN LONG. oA Bible Thought e Every particle of the gold of service must be put to the acid test: is its motive love?--""By love serve one another." (Gal 5:13.) What Do We Do Next, Zig Or Zag ? --Long, in The Minneapolis Tribune Looking Around The World By DEWITT MACKENZIE Associated Press News Analyst The vote in the United States House of Representatives, denying Britain further aid funds as long as Ireland remains partitioned, was a tentative affair subject to expected revoke, but it has echoed like a shout in a rocky cavern. Dublin, Belfast, London and other capitals reacted, each according to its lights. The House action was generally interpreted as political by-play, but the effect of this sur- prise manoeuvre has been to em- phasize again that the partition of the Emerald Isle is a burning issue of our time. Joseph D. Brennan, counsellor of the Irish Legation in Washington, recalls a conversation in 1938 at the British Empire Exhibition in Glasgow with the late Lord Craig- avon, Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. John W. Dulanty, United States High Commissioner in Lon- don, was also present, "We had just concluded the 1938 agreement with Great Britain which restored to us the bases which the British held in Ireland. Lord Craigavon congratulated Mr. Du- lanty on the occasion of the agree- ment and I remember him saying: "'You did fine, Mr. Dulanty, but you didn't get the north--you will never get the north.' " "At that point Lady Craigavon, who also was present, broke in to say: "'Speak for yourself," James. Never is a long day.' "Apparently Lady Craigavon had a better appreciation of what was likely to occur in the future than her husband had at that particular time." Lady Craigavon was right. I be- lieve we have a right to expect that sooner or later Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic will be united. The great question is "when?" On this point of time, optimism was expressed by John J, Hearne, the. Irish Republic's first envoy to the United States with the rank of ambassador. Hearne stopped in New York on his way to Washington from Canada, where he had been his and told a press conference that he believes Ireland will win unity within the period he is ambassador here. Perhaps we may get a better pic- ture of Northern Ireland's viewpoint during the forthcoming visit of her Prime Minister, Sir Basil Brooke, who is en route here with Lady Brooke. He is not being deterred from this trip by the House of Representatives vote, or by the declaration of Mayor William O'Dwyer of New York that Sir Basil won't be welcomed at New York City Hall because the prime minister's government banned the recent St. Patrick's Day celebra- tions, ® 45 Years Ago A start was made on the con- struction of the new post office on King Street East. The ratepayers of Bowmanville voted in favor of the town taking $22,000 in shares in the new rubber company locating there. Dynamite had to be used to dis- lodge the ice on the Oshawa Creek near the King Street hridge in order to relieve the flood situation. Durham County is seeking sep- aration from Northumberland County, and it is being suggested the Darlington and Cartwright townships be added to Ontario County. C. H. Goodman of Cedar Dale was appointed chief of police of Orillia and left to take over that position. country's high commissioner, » Readers Views FREE HOSPITALIZATION The Editor, The Times-Gazette. Sir: In your recent editorial on March 9 entitled "No Free Hos- pitalization," you are merely setting up a straw man and knocking it down. You say: "People in Saskatchewan are learning the hard way that there can be no such thing as free hospitalization." Actually, they are learning nothing of the kind, be- cause they never. at any time be- lieved that there was such a thing as "free hospitalization." The Government of Saskatchewan has never tried to suggest that there is anything "free" about its hos- pitalization plan. On the contrary, the Government has from the very beginning referred to the assess- ments under the plan as a tax. It has not even attempted to delude the people to the extent of using the sugar-coated word '"contribu- tion", which the federal Govern- ment uses to describe assessments under the Unemployment Insurance Act. What the people of Saskatchewan have learned is this: If everyone contributes a relatively small amount each year for hospital ser- vices, then no one needs to be afraid that he may some day be stuck with a back-breaking hospital bill. And there can be no question that the people approve the idea, because there is now not a single political party in the province that dares oppose the plan. You are quite right when you suggest that the people always pay for hospital services. The point is that under the Saskatchewan plan, the payments are spread over the whole population, so that no one has to carry an intolerable burden. Under the traditional system which you apparently approve, some people are forced to pay extremely large hospital bills whether they can af- ford to pay them or not. It is true that assessments under the Saskatchewan plan have gone up. The reason is quite obvious: Hospital costs have increased enor- mously in the last few years, largely because of the federal Government's premature price decontrol policy. But that merely means that people who are unfortunate enough not to be covered by a plan like the Sas- katchewan plan are even less able to afford hospital bills than they were a few years ago. Yours sincerely, K. BRYDEN Jarvis St., Toronto, March 29, 1950. (Editorial note--Mr. Bryden is entirely wrong in his assumption that we approve the traditional system by which individauls are forced to pay extremely large hos- pital bills. We are very much in favor of = contributory hospital schemes. The whole point of the editorial was that there can be no such thing as free hospitalization, with which Mr. Bryden obviously agrees.--Editor.) MEDICAL CHECK Toronto, March 31--(CP) -- Any person exposed to infection from silica in industrial operations oth- er than mining can be required to undergo a medical examination at any time, under terms of a govern- ment bill introduced in the Legis- lature Thursday. Purpose of the bill is to help the Provincial Health Department run down the disease. SMELT RUN St. Thomas, March 31--(CP) -- The Smelt have started running along Lake Erie's north shore with large numbers of the fish caught in the gill nets far out in Lake Erie, The smelt that have been brought in by the commercial fish ermen this week are unusually large. By James J. Metcalfe IF WE ARE TRUE e do not have to fear as long . . . As we put forth our best . . . With diligence and constancy . . . To carry out are honest and . . . Assume our quest . . . As long as we our equal share . . . And do not let ourselves be blue . . . Or driven to despair . . . For these are all the factors and . . . The qualities we need . . . To live our lives courageously . . . And do the better deed . . . There is no cause to be concerned . . . Or reason to regret . . . As long as every duty is . . . A-task that we have met . . . As long as we are kind and good . . . And walk the humble way . . . To comfort other creatures and . . . To glorify the day. Copr., 1950, Bun and Times Co. All Rights Reserved -------------------- Mac's Musings We attended .a banquet In the village Of Sunderland The other night To join in paying Tribute to a young Friend of bygone Days in the junior Fg mer movement. This young farmer, Ronald Marquis, Only a few years Out of his teens, Brought fame and honor To himself and to His native county By winning the title Of champion horse plowman Of the International Plowing Match. This nuodest young man Was honored by his Fellow farmers of Ontario County, Because he had shown Such skill in plowing That he was sent Overseas to Britain To represent Canada In plowing matches. there. Being a good plowman Means much more than Knowing how to plow A straight furrow, Set a smooth crown, And a neat finish, The art of plowing Is a key factor In any program Of soil conservation, And the man who is A good plowman Is a good citizen Of his country Because he practices On his own land Conservation of Its natural fertility And productivity. And the man who Plows straight furrows On his fields Can usually be seen Taking a straight course In every phase of life And giving leadership To his community Through the power Of his example. Net Earnings C.P.R. Below Requirements Montreal, March 31--Gross earn- ings from rail operations in 1949-- "a year of sustained industrial and commercial progress throughout Canada'--again surpassed those of any previous year but net earn- ings, though showing a slight im- prowement over 1948; were substan- tially below the requirements found reasonable by the Board of Trans- port Commissioners, W. A. Mather, president of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, states in the an- nual report of the directors to be presented at the 67th annual meet- ing of the C.P.R. in Montreal May 3. "The rate of return on the net investment of the company in rail property was 1.96 per cent for the year 1949, far below an adequate level," Mr. Mather sald. "As your directors have stated from time to time, net earnings from rail oper- ations have been insufficient to provide any return to holders of ordinary stock. But for the unusu- ally large income from other sources it would not have been possible for your company to meet even the modest dividend that has been paid in recent years." The report reveals gross earnings for 1949 at $363,252,094, increased $8 million, or 2.3 per cent over those of 1948. Of this, about $6 million is attributable to freight traffic. There was a net increase of approxi- mately $18 million from adjust- ments in freight rates, but this was largely offset by a drop of nearly $12 million in the volume of traffic which was 6 per cent lower, mea- sured in tons, and 4 per cent lower measured in ton miles. Net earnings from railway oper- ations in "1949 amounted to $20.6 million, an increase of $2.2 million. The ratio of working expenses to gross earnings was 943 per cent, a fractional reduction only from 94.8 per cent in 1948, the highest ever recorded. Between the years 1920 and 1939 this ratio varied from a low of 77.3 per cent to a high of 85.4 per cent. The 16 per cent freight rate in- crease and increase from 8 to 15 cents per ton on coal and coke allowed on February 28 of this year by the Board of Transport Com- missioners would have yielded the Canadian Pacific only an estimated $22 million had they been in effect for the full year 1949. The revenue deficiency established by the Board itself amounted to $30 million, The steps necessary to redress this situ- Urge Boost In Old Age Payments Ottawa, March 31--(CP) -- The Commons, despite divided opinion on the type of old-age pensions most suitable for Canadians, agreed Thursday to estabiish a committee to study the whole pensions ques- tion, : A government-sponsored motion providing for establishment of a 40-man committee was adopted after a dozen members from var- ious parts of the chamber express- ed various views on what should be done for the aged. Health Minister Martin said the government hopes that the com- mittee, to be composed of 28 mem- bers ot the Commons and 12 of the Senate, will meet Monday to plan work to start after the April 5-17 Easter recess. The debate, probably a preview of what will occur before the com- mittee, showed that the diversity of opinions on the pensions' ques- tion cuts through party lines. Ralph Maybank (L--Winnipeg South Centre),, parliamentary as- sistant to Mines Minister McCann, said that old-age pensions must be "made adequate" and the means test "must go." He spoke as a pri- vate member. The basic pension now is $40 a month, of which 75 per cent is contributed by the federal govern- ment and 25 per cent by the prov- inces. Some provinces pay supple- mentary payments. The means test is enforced in all provinces. Under it persons 70 and over must prove their need for a pension. In some provinces if a pensioner owns property, the | province takes a lien on that pro-| erty and from it recovers as much | as it can from the pensioner's estate | when he dies. | Another Liberal, James Rooney | (L--Toronto St. Paul's) said he| | wanted to see a $60-a-month | | pension paid at 60 to all regardless | | of means. C. J. Henry (L--Toronto | Rosedale) suggested the commit- | | tee study United States plans un-| | der which $100-a-month pensions | were being arranged. John Diefenbaker (PC--Lake ! Centre) urged Mr. Martin to an-| nounce immediately the govern- ment's pension plans for the next 15 years. This would enable the | committee to call representatives of labor and industry and work out | a correlation of the individual in- | dustrial plans with the national plan. Mr. Diefenbaker's party is in fa- sions system, with pensions payable vor of a contributory old-age pen- to all as a matter of right at 65. Ross Thatcher (C.C.F.-- Moose | Jaw) said his party wanted to see | the means test abolished and pen- sions of $350 a month paid at 65. | This would cost about $800,000,000 a year, a "staggering burden" for a federal budget that was already | "bursting at the seams." The peo- | ple would have to pay on a contri- | butory basis. : | Victor Quelch (SC--Acadia) said | the old-age pension should be at | least $50 a month and payable at 65 instead of 70. The means test should be eliminated. When unem- ployment increased as a result of changes in the methods of produc- tion the pensionable age should be | reduced to 60 to make room in the labor market for younger people. ation are now under consideration, the report states. | Capital appropriations for 1950 totalling $33.4 million are itemized | for shareholders' approval. This sum | includes $24.5 million for new roll- | ing stock, making provision for 58 diesel units, 720 freight cars, 50 ex- press cars and 317 work cars. The diesel units, consisting of 30 "A" units, 20 "B" units and four road switchers and four yard switchers, will. be placed in service between Cartier and Fort William on the Schreiber division in Ontario. Want to buy, sell or trade -- a Classified Ad and the deal is made. First Test For Truman Aid Program Washington, March 31 (AP)-- President Truman's controversial "point four" program of assistance to economically backward coun- tries headed today for its first big test in Congress. The House* of Representatives took it up in completing a full week of debate on the Truman ad- ministration's $3,000,000,000 foreign aid bill. A cornerstone of "Truman's for- eign policy, "point four" has been under heavy fire by Republicans in the House. About $45,000,000 of foreign aid money is involved in requests to get the program started July 1. Critics of foreign spending say this is "only the beginning" of a pro- gram designed to take up where the Marshall plan leaves off in 1952. The project gets its name from the fourth point in Truman's for- eign policy statement in his in- augural address. It contemplates technical assistance to the under- developed areas of the World to im- prove their productive capacity and living standards. State Secretary Dean Acheson has backed the program as part of the country's campaign to stop Com- munism in Asia, the middle east and elsewhere. The point four authorizations were contained in a separate sec- tion of the single-package foreign aid bill, and were the last items for debate. House leaders hoped to bring the big bill to a final vote before night fall. The House Thursday concluded preliminary action on the major sec- tion of the bill--that part dealing with economic assistance for Eu- rope and Asia during the 1951 fiscal year, which starts July 1. 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