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CURRENT COMMENT ADMIRAL BENSON AND BRITISH WOOL It l8 no news that soiiio United States orriclals anil cltl/.enB do not like Great llrllaln. Adiiilrul Sims' revelation lliat Admiral Henson had told lilm not to let the British pull the wool over his eyes, and that the Americans would as soon light the British as the Germans, need astonish no one. To be- gin with the first part of the admonition was a complimentary recognition of British astutencHH. a quality In which llicy had been supposed to be deflclent. Admiral Benson and his like were really afraid that Britain might get ahead of them in some way. This would Indicate that men like Benson and I.«dge register fear when Britain Is In question. That tliere Is no need for such an attitude of mind goes without saying, and only a very small percentage of United Slates people entertain such a feeling. What is true, however, is that Americans do not like Knglish people us well as they like Canadians. But there Is not the slightest excuse for translating this distaste into fear. Ameri- cans are almost universally admired in Kijgiand, Just as they are "worked" In Scotland, and worshipped in Ireland. It would be a grave mistake to read more Into Benson's remark tlian is warranted. Benson is a bureaucrat and bis sentimenta would be dangerous in a Government like that of the late Czar In Russia or the Kaiser in Germany, but In a democracy«like the United States they can do no great harm, as the exposure by the Congressional Committee Indicates. The solid opinion of the Uepublic will stand behind Sims and his results with war when Benson has been forgotten. THE LAW OR THE LAW GIVER Max Armstrong, a repre.sentative of advanced "red" views, speaking in Toronto recently at "The People's Forum." demonstrated the existence of a class of men In society who. by their partial education, have been led to de- ceive themselves and mislead others. Speaking of religion, lie said: "If any- one in this room believes In a Godâ€" wellâ€" let him go ahead and believe." Mr. Armstrong's "God" is a belief that if the wage system were abolished, and all production be devoted to use and not to profit, there would be an end of all earthly troubles. He has too much faith in human nature. What he de- nounces as "God " is for the wise man a recognition of Inmiutable law. Law is Just as delinite and unchangeable in tlie moral and ethical and social worlds as in the physical or scientific worlds. The failure to understand or to appre- ciate this fact lies behind most of tlie wild efforts of amateur reformers. What we need most of all is a knowledge of natural laws. The more human law is brought into harmony witli natural law the better for the world. Natural law arises from the operation of a Principle in nature, which may be called God or anything else, or denied altogether. It makes no difference to the opera- tion of law. Under lliis all-dominant law, rigid Justice is measured to the world and Its people. Nothing Is to be had for nothing. Every result must be worked for. The laborer cannot be cheated. He gets assuredly what is Ills own. The man of wealtli will lose everything he does not administer wisely and for tlie benelit of lliose for wliom the Great Law has entrusted him witli a Stewardship. Mr. Armstrong cannot be dejirived of his reward by any liunian agency. The law is uncliangeably just. "It knows not wrath nor par- don; utter true its measures mete, its faultless balance weighs; times are as nought, to-morrow it will judge, or after many days." It has been the fault of western civilization in worshipping tlie Law Giver to forget all about the law. So far Mr. Armstrong is right, but he may make the same mistake tlie worsliippers of God have so generally made and omit to take account of tliese inescapable laws, so different from those of liuman law-courts. ELECTION REFORM IN ONTARIO General satisfaction seems to have been given hy the provisions of the new Election Act, although one politician described the placing of the eleclion lists in the hands of a judge as likely lo cause the judicial robes to be dragged through the mire, if our judges cannot be trusted to prepare a voters' list it is difflcull to imagine who could be trusted. Tlic aim of the new legislation is evidently to remove tlie wliole election iiiacliinery from partisan influences. Rabid partisans on either side of politics may not like this, but the people as a whole are not in favor of partisan inelliods. TIk; tendency of the new regulations is distinctly democratic. This is seen in tlie ubolltion of the property qualllicatloii for candidates; the provision for iieo- pie to vote who have moved from one districl to iiiiother before elections, and for patients in hospitals lo exercise the franchise. Nothing is said of pro- portional representation, but It is understood tliat this Important reform In the principle of voting will he introduced at the next session of the legis- lature, when the question of representation by population must also lie dealt with. This r<!ally means redistrihutloii, hiil with proportional reproseiilatlon redislrihutlon offers none of the thorny prolili'iiis wliich atti'iid it uiidei the pri.'sent system, in wliicli tlie leiiipliition to gerryinaiKler is iiresistilile to tlie partisan iiolitician I'roporlioiuil re|>ri>seiitatioii, with its method of large constituencies following natural boundaries, renders it Impossible for any majority to be deprived of its authority, or the will of the whole people from tliiding expression. MONEY IS NOT WEAL I H A well authenticated story <'omes from England describing the action taken by a leading (Irni of piano makers, who llnd tliemselves unable to carry on business in spite of a huge demand, a splendid modern equip- ment and aiiiplt! capital, because the workmen employed refuse to speed up In pro<luctioii The head of the lirm dixdared tliat two men in the United States proiiiiced a-i much as twenty-six of his, and that compelltlon under such conditions was impossible. Reliance on the so-called but utterly fallactious "law of supply and demand" is llie origin of this dilll- culty. and employ<M-s and capitalists who have encouraged Ihe Idea that things wf-re valuable because they were scarce are responsible for the situation. Everybody who knows that ,Momotlme8 a dollar will buy nearly two bushels of wheal, sometimes ii bushel, and sometimes, as at present, less than half a huslufl, ought to be able clearly to see the difference be- tween money and wealth. The farmer knows, too, that when it is said tliere is no demiiiid for wheat, there are always people starving lo death for want of It, ami that what should be said Is that the means of distri- bution are Inadeipiate wealth, -that is, IrHe wealth, not money which Is only the symbol of wealth and Is useless unless It represents values, Is the product of lalior. The gri-aler the iiroduction, tlie greater the aiiiouni of real wealth. As long as workmen as paid In nioney-vaiiK's Instead of wealth-values the opposite Idea Is siii)|iorti^d uiidtM- the belief that the less wealth the more money is lo he had in exchange for It. It may take a long time to undeceive the Kiiglish workmen in this respect. They must learn that there Is an unlimited demand for I'very useful thing produced by labor. The more things an^ productHl. the more wealth there is If the unliinltitd market can he reached, and this Is when^ distribution comes In and bec^omes one of the prime reasons for securing the cheapest means of transjMirtatlon. PJngland, with her dominant shipping InteroHt, if her workmen would produce, could easily compete in the world-markets with th^^ United States, which protects herself in her home market against HUcli competition by her high tariff. Evening Sky/Aap FOR APRIL tMOWTH TELESCOPE REVEALS ICE CAPS ON MARS Question as to Whether Place is In- habited U Declared Beyond Human Solution TACE SOUTH AND HOLD THt MAP OVER YOUR HEAD-THf. TOP NORTH.ANDYOU WILL SEE THE STARS AND PLANETS JUST AS THEY APPEAR INTHE HEAVENS. Ursa Major, the Greater Boar, more familiarly known as The Big Dipper, is a very conspicuous object in the April skies. This group, like the poor, wo have ever with us in our northern latitude, and its position in the sky is an index of the changing seasons. At present it is almost directly overhead; in the summer evenings it is in the northwest, in the autumn it lies low on the northern horizon and in the win- ter it is in the bleak northeast. Altliough the Dipper is by no means the most conspicuous object in the heavens; it represents to many people their one bit of knowledge of celestial figures. This may be due to the fmet that its shape is easily remembered, and that the two outer stars in the bowl point ever to the pole star. The idea of the habits of a bear is well carried out by the position of the constellation during the winter sea- son. The bear lies on his back appa- rently sleeping through the winter months, but awakens in the spring time and immediately begins his foraging habits. There is a charming legend about these stars which the Indiana tell their children. In this story, the group of stars contains the bear and also some pursuing birds. When the bear awak- ens from his long winter sleep these birds pursue him, but after his long sleep he is fleet of foot and is gaily indifferent to the pursuit. Many of ThCARItOVvTMROUCH THE TWO STARS IN THE BOWL OF THE BIG DIPPER POINTS TO THE NORTH STAR The star at the end or the HANDLE OF THE LITTLE DIPPER. SOUTH the birds, represented by neighboring stars, tire of the race and drop out until only three are left, represented by the handle of the dipper. In the autumn the bear lags in the race and is overtaken by the birds. He rears in self defence, but is killed by an ar- row shot by robin, and falls over on his back. With his usual greediness, Robin hastens to feed upon the bear, and gets badly spattered with blood, lie flies to a celestial tree and endeavors to shake off the telltale marks, but nothing will remove the crimson spot upon his breast. In the autumn tints of the foliage are to bo found the vivid reminders of the blood which robin spattered far and wide. Through the winter, the bear sleeps his long sleep, but the spirit of Spring touches him with her life wand, and he comes I forth again to be relentlessly pursued in his yearly race of life. Ursa Major was also known in Eng- land as Charles Wain or Waggon, for Charles I. of ISngland, and was in those days regarded as a celestial time piece. Shakespeare in King Henry IV. refers to its position in the sky as telling the hour: •'HcighoIAn't be not four by the day I'll be hanged: Charles' Waiu is over the new cliim- uey " The line drawn through the stars in our map marked "North Star Pointers" passes almost directly through the pole of the heavens and revolves with the constellation every twenty-four hours. The starry hands may therefore be said to trace their path unceasingly over the great clock dial of the northern sky. Between Ursa Major and the north pole winds Graco the Dragon, which is also an important constellation and will be described in a subsequent arti- cle. The two Spring constellations, Leo the Lion and Virgo the Virgin, described last month, are now finely in view in the heavens. In studying the stars, it is very es- sential to remember that the face of the sky changes with the seasons. There arc special constellations for every season, and stars for every mood, â€" dim stars and bright stars, small stars and big stars, red stars and white stars, amber stars and blue stars; whatever type we seek we can find waiting for us in the lonely si- lence. Along the line in the map marked "Ecliptic" will be found the plan- ets. Mars and Jupiter are the bright 'lights in the evening sky. Mars in the east and Jupiter gliding into the west. It seems hard to believe that we can ever chat comfortably to Mars when we are told that a gulf of 54 million miles lies between us. Sending wireless messages to Mars and Venus, and the possibility of pro- jecting a rocket to the moon, are sub- jects of recent speculation which have excited keener interest in the solar system. ' ' Mars always challenges interest, ' ' says William Joseph Showalter in a communication to tne National Geo- graphic Society. ' ' Its day is about the same length as ours, but its year is nearly twice as long. Although astronomers generally take less interest than laymen in the surmise as to whether the other plan- ets are inhabited, since they, more than laymen, realize that that is a problem that must in all human probability re- main unsolved, the question is more often asked abont Mars than any other planet. Ventu' Day 224 of Onia. "Venus was an nniuually intereating object in the sky during July of last year. Not again until February, 1921, will it appear as bright and fair in the evening sky. It has phases like the moon, and these can be seen even through a good field glass. Its day is believed to be the same length as its year, which is 224 of oar days. "It is quite generally believed that Mars has ice-capped poles. The tele- scope reveals white spots at the poles that have every appearance of being like our ocean Polar region. They ad- vance toward the equator in winter and retreat in summer. In the sum- mer of 1916 Pickering, who, with Low- ell, has led the school of astronomers who believe they can see cantls on Mars, said that he found the white caps stretching farther down towards the equator than he had ever seen them before. "He aaid that if there was anv con- nection between the weather of' Mars and that of the earth, the winter of 1916-17 would be the coldest in many years. And it was. May it yet be pos- sible to do long-range weather fere- casting on the earth by studying the waxing and waning of 'the ice cap of the South Pole of Marsf Plcttires the Solar System. "Perhaps our most graphic picture of the solar system is given bv Her- schel. Imagine a circular field two and a half miles in diameter; place a library globe two feet in diameter in the very center: eighty-two feet away put a mustard seed, ' The globe will represent the sun and the mustard seed Mercury. "At a distance of 142 feet place a pea and another at 215 feet. These will represent Venus and the earth, both as to size and lustance. A rath- er large pinhead at a distance of 327 feet will speak for Mars and a fair- sized tangerine a quarter of a mile distant will stand for Jupiter. A small lemon at two-tifths of a mile will play the role of Saturn, a large cherrv three-fourths of a mile distant will answer for I'ranus and a fair-sized plum at the very edge of the field will proclaim Neptune." MR. CLARKSON'S AUDIT A report on Hydro Klectrli- activities In the province lias been made for the (loverniiient by Mr. <i. T. (Markson. A number of irillcs who do uol know anything about the affairs of the Hydro CoinmisKlon. and who do not iindor- stand lis principle of HupplyliiK iiower al cost, have Umn In llie habit of lU'- clarlnR that the syHteni was bankrupt anil that Us liabilities wore overwiielni- Ing. The saiiK! critics ileelared when tht^ project was tirsi started llfleen years aKo that It coulil never Huceeed, that if woulil never use 1(1,00(1 horsepower, and that It would Imnknilit Ontario, II has done none of Ihesi! tliliiRs. It has reduceil the cohI of power lo one third of the former prices cliarKod by private eoiiipanles. It has savt^d Ontario mllllonH ami lullllonH of dollars In this way besides contrlbulInK In a remarkable doRree lo llie development of manufae- luring InteruHlH In the province, and asslstlnK IndlHiieiisahly in the provision of munitions ilurInK the war. The only debt the Hydro ComnilHslon owes Is due to the laat ntloned service as a result of the order of the Dominion Power Controller lo IIk- Toronto Power Co. to dtdlver power to Iho Hydro Com- mission for munition planls. The Commission expected to pay $i:i for this jMiwor, but uH the result of a law suit the courts have ordered the Commission to pay about |4fii»,000 more than was eslimated. A deficit with accounts of the Ontario Power (^o., which was purchased by the Hydro Commission, re- sulted from the cost of ii third pipe line which aiviounted to Ill.fiOO.OOO to supply 10,000 horso power to munitions plants. It Is proposed to sprnnd this cost over an extended period. Instead of crItlclxInK tlieso oxpencllliirefl the sensible people of the provln<!« will ho Rind tliut the Hydro Commission was In a posi- tion and bad the spirit to make Ihoni. Tho adjustments In rales mado from year to your to secure tbo supply of power and light at cost are HometlmiNS n little In or a little over tbo mark, hut the following adjuslment balances the account. Mr. Clarkson's report as a whole is really a splendid toHtlmonlal to the enterprise and success of tho Hydro Commission. I 7 HE BRAIN BOX CONDUCTED BY E. GUNN RAMSAY. Talents wanted. What have you? What do you Ihiiik you have? Is there a niarUel in your part of the world for talent? Do you meiiii lo create a deinand and then lo help to feed it? How far you have (leinoiistr;ited the fact that you possess initiative. I)i-;ilns iiiid talents in your present line of business by proRression. by :il)lliU(le. and hy nood work? Spring Is on (he way. It is a Kreat lime for new ideas. In many of us "spriuK fever" takes the form of a feverish desire lo get out aiul dig. .\liiiosl everyone, even the laziest soul, hecoiues possessed of a i-raving lo net up and do soniethinB. What bin ililuK are you going to do? SpriiiK lime is a Kreat season for cloaiiing and elouring up. It Is also tile liiiii' ol all fresli-Krowiiig llilnss upon the earth. i Ari' you KrowiiiK? ' Why not do a little nieiital spring cleaniliB, and make up your mind lo ciillivale more? Ill his book of talks upon success, (ieorgo .Matthew Adams says: "I will make this day worth while. I will drop the past, remembering it only lis a valuable path ihrough whhii I liavt" walked into the NOW. I will ! take up the work iit this day as a personal pleilge to do my best- with ' iiileresi and eiiiliuslasm. I will do the thing-s I havi' failed to do before ! I will alteiiipt new thiiiKs that I know that I can do. 1 will go ahead t I will he loyal for the concern for which I loll. 1 will be faith- I fill to all my trusts. I will iiiaster the smallest delall. I will boost not knock I will do not Inleiul. I will gel lliliigs dono. I will work be- | cause I like lo. I will lie lair and just because there is no other wav to I win. I will do rlKht because It is rlKJil. 1 will ilrlnk defeat It it comes soiiieliiiies as good medhliie I will sweat by courageous effort deter- iiiliie lo siieceeil at all times. It will make this day worth while." Is not this, after all, Ihe best way lo begin every day, to start off Willi Ihe resolve that we will play a straight game whatever niav come. Only so will you ever deserve success when It comes to you aijd be able lo grasp tin- handle of opportunity Only so can yon give that service to your country which Is rightfully anileipaled of cvi>rv true eltUen. Advice to Motorists as to How to Handle Their Cars it BLACK ROD" MAN HAS "CUSHY" JOB THE CANADIAN NAVYJ It was obvious enough when tho news came that tho naval service was to be domobili/.ed that it waa not the intention to discontinue but to reor- ganize it. Partisnnshiii wos aorvod, however, by making the least probable deduction. Three days later it be- came fully apparent that Admiral Jol- licoc's roconiuiendations were not go- ing to be scrajiped, nor tlio olTer of * 1(1,(100,(100 of warshipB by the Itritish .\dnilralty lightly put aside. Far more Important than ships are tho men to operate them, and if the sucund hand navy now olTered to Canada did noth- ing more than supply tho necessary training school for a future marine corps, this would be great Uttin. Soon- or or later Oanada must assume all the rcspimsibilitiea of nationlKMul, aiul as long ns there are I'rusaias in tho world, actual or potential, so long will it be aecoBsary for other people to protect themselves and their weaker neighbours from tho brutality and ra- paoity of the immature and unmoral races of the earth. "Tho poor ye have •Tsr with yon," aaid ths llMtar. There are always evolving from the lower ranks of humanity nations which care nothing for the traditions and codes of others. They may come out of Kurope, like the I'mssiniiH, or out of .\frica, or out of .'Vsin, or even out of South .Vmericft. The millenium is a long way oflf yet in spite of the laudable hopes of some pious jieoplc. Nation building is still i to be carried on with tho vigilance of; Neheniinh. I OARPENTISR IN PIOrURES. Georges Carpentier, world war hero, iilol of France, heavyweight champion of Kuropo and the must talked of ninn in tho world to-day, has been signed by Kobortson-Cole to appear exclusive- ly in motion pictures distributed by that firm. SOME FIOHT. Two Otant Actors Will BplU Blood hi BlU Hart's Naxt Bslease. V/ook for a lot of "good red blood" in Bill Hart's next picture. It will have a tight between Bill niul that other giant actor, Tom Santsohi, and no one need look for a pink tea af- fair. Hart plays the role of a soldier returned from overseas- and Santschi tho part of a saloonkeeper near the water front in San Francisco. Slammin,'; on the brake is perhaps respoiHihle for more tire trouble than .ill else. The niotorisl should always apply his brakes gently, for every lime they are jammvd on they lock the wheels and run up tire bills. Then driving with under-inflated or deflated tires aiv two iuexeuaable faults that shorten the life of tires. .\ deflated tire should always be re- moved It is far less expensive to come ia on the rim. j Driving In ruts or street car tracks | is e(iually hard. Sui h carelessness v.'ars the casings down to the fabric in a line following lire lireumter- 1 once. j The careful motorist never drives ' with tight chains Chains properly! put on are Uhvsh". so that they can 1 work about If this is done the cross j caains will not strike the same spot j at each ivvolution uiul tho wear wiU ; be more evenly distributed. > The old adage of "a stiteh in lime j savi's nine" certainly applies to a ; tii>' cut. .Mthough it is often Im- ' possible and impractical tix iraniedi- ' alely attend to a tire, tho thrifty inot- crisi makes it a rule to repair his casings al the earliest possible mo- ment. The too general practice of bump- ing into thv curb when parking re- â-  suits in blisters. This seldom affects Ihe exterior of the tire, but the tube ! becomes overlw<ated by friction from the broken carcass, and a blowout is inevitable. Oil is oni' of the griNitest enemies i of rubber. Within a comparatively j few bour'< n tire iH'comes blistered ! from coming in contact with a fatty i '•uhstance, Uy using ii gasoline-satu- riitvd rag grease and oil can be re- moved from tho tire at a grt>at sav- ing to Ihe motorist THINaS MADE OF WOOD. Here are some of the strange uses niaile of wood and its byproducts: "Silk" socks, made " from wood tlbrc. which look like .lilk, feel like silk, but are far cheaper than the real thing. Sawdust sausage casings, in which wood, converted by ohemioal processes into viscose, is used instead of the old type of sausage casings, produced from the by-product of the slaughter house. Wood flour phonograph records, com- pressed under enormous power, to help make nnisic from sawdust. Tanbark shingles, made from the waste hemlock bnrk, after it has been through the tannery. Paper milk bottles to help fight the high cost of living, by saving the breakage of enormous quantities of glass bottles in the kitchen and by the dairyman. All of these unusual commereisi ar- ticles are made from what 'vas once waste of the sawmill. Gentleman of King's Household Has Really Nothing To Do King George has appointed Licut.- CJen. Sir W. V. I'ultcuey as gentleman usher of the Black Rod in succession to the late Admiral Sir Henry F. Steph- enson. The ofTice is one of those pure- ly ornamental ones whieh are numerous iu this country. •'IMack Rod," as he is called for short, has next to nothing to do and gets $1,000 a year for doing it, and a suite of apartments, rent free, in the House of Lords. He â- ; a glorified niesicnger of the hereditary legislators. When on duty he is gorgeously attired in court cos- tume with knee breeches and a plumed cocked hat and a dandy little sword by his side. The emblem of his authority is an ebony wand, but he never doe's anything with it. When members of the House of Com- mons a'v suuinuucd to the Uousro ..f Lords to hear speeches from the throne or th- Ko\ul ass< ut given' to acts thar have been passed, Black Rod enters the I'pper House aud makes his way to the "woolsack" on which sits the robed and wjgged Lord Chancellor. He is told to inform the members of the House of Commons that they are wanted. Then he has to walk half way to the door backwards, making a bow 'at every few steps and looking very solemn. ' When he arrives within a few yards of the door of the House of Commons the Sorgcaut-atArms of that body, who is on the lookout for him, shuts the door iu his face. Black Rod has to suppress his feelings and knock hum- bly at the door. Then the Sergeant at-Arms opens a little panel iu the door aud asks him what he wants, or Something to that ef- fect, and Black Kod tells him what he already knows. Then Black Rod is ad- mitted. This little bit of comedy is supposed to iudicatf that thQ House of Commons does not take any orders from the House of Lords. Then Black Rod, with chasteued mien, advauoei to where the Speaker sits ia state aud in Ncurman Kreuch delivers his message. In dressing up your old car for the coming suniuicr '» touring, the cellular part of the radiator should be painted â€" not with the often-used aluminum paint, but with lamp black, which ra- diates heat more readily and does not assume the dead look which aluminum paint takes on after it has been heated for a number of times. A very good radiator paint is made up by stirring about four ounces of lamp black in a mixture of three ounces of boiled Unseed oil and qne ounce of turpentine. A sprayer, such as often used for spraying body polish on the ear, makes an excellent deviee for ap- plying the radiator paint to the intldes of the cells which cannot very well be reached by means of a bruah.