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%SOUS ^dA^S C«mmenUry en th* HisUighU of tiM Week's News THAT SALES TAX: The lliaS Budget just brought duwn in the House by Finance Minister Dun- iiin^ pleased a lot of people, nianu- f actAircrs of builders' supplies par- ticularly. Hut others, who had hoped to see that 8 per cent, tales tax reduced wore not so pleased. The sales tax, nicknamed "nuis- ance tax," oriKinated in the teens )of this century as a war tax. In the boom years of the twenties 4t dropped to 1 per cent, then fol- lowing the depression, it made three successive jumps till it got \ip to 8 per cent. Now the situa- tion has reached the point where 26 per cent, of all revenue coUcct- )td by the Dominion Government tomes from the sales lax. Kvcry man, woman and child in this country is affected by the tax because it ups the price of all the property and merchandise, etc., that we buy â€" everything except food. IN DIFFICULTIES: Mussolini's diplomatic representatives are pushing like anything now to have the .^nglo-Italian agreement of April 16th brought into action at once in spite of the fact that the â- War in Spain is nowhere near a conclusion (withdrawal of Italian "volunteers" from Spain at the end of the war was one of the terms of the treaty). Reason for the haste on the part of Italy; Mussolini is hard-pressed for cash, •wants to borrow some from Eng- land; drought pretty well ruined Italian ci'ops this year so Italy will have to buy grain from Kus- sia; thirdly, Mussolini wants roal- for-rure recognition made of the new Italian Kmpire (meaning sov- ereignty over Abyssinia). RURAL HYDRO: E.xtcnsion of Hydro service in rural areas to two services per mile, instead of three, is beginning to show defin- ite results throughout Ontario. More farmers are installing the service and enjoying the benefits of elcctrjc light now that the old "guarantee" contracts (under •which if two farmers wanted to have hydro service they had to sign a third contract and pay a charge of .SI per month) have been cancelled. Soon we won't have to go to the city to see the brights lights .... when every farm home in Ontario is electrified. . . By Elizabeth Eedy READY FOR ACTION: The situation in France? Very com- plex, we assure you, as usual. But here are the highlights: Premier Daladier's "Radical Socialist" (not radical at all) government which came into power in April has gained a free hand to rule the re- public by decree until November, has adjourned parliament and silenced all effective opposition for the time being. While making the utmost diplo- matic efforts to stave off a Euro- pean conflict, the government is nevertheless organi'<iing France on a war-time basis, ready for ac- tion. France's mobilization orders arc printed and ready for use if necessary, in every commune of the republic. The Maginot line of defense along the eastern borders is thought to be impregnable against invasion (But not so the Spanish border â€" there is cause for worry about that, with German and Italian armies on the other side of those mountains). FOURTEEN DAYS: What of France's ally, CzechoslovaT;ia? Pledged to go to her aid, it Is es- timated it would take fourteen days for French armies to find themselves in a position inside Czechoslovakia where they could repel any invader .... It has leaked out within the past week that the plan to invade Czecho- slovakia most favored by the Ger- man military staff schedules a swift, overpowering series of at- tacks on the Czech front crush all opposition, end everything before fourteen days are up. IRISH ELECTIONS: Prime Minister Eamon de Valera of Eino went to town on the issue of his new sweeping agreements v/ilh Kngland, won the Juno elections (second in Eire within a year) with an overwhelming majority. Now Prime Minister de Valera has what ho has been wanting for seven years. In 1931 when de Valera's group, the Fianna Fail, became the Government party, it had a precarious majority; for the last live years it has been dependent upon a small Labor group to hold oflfice. Now for the first time Mr. de Valera will be independent of all small groups, and he is free to pursue his policy of reconstruc- tion and national defense. VOICE CANADA THE EMPIRE THE WORLD AT LARGE o/ the PRESS CANADA No Camouflage Job There seems to be more to the railroad problem than just fixing a locomotive to look like some- thing else. â€" Sherbrooke Record. Cat Out Of The Bag That Japanese admiral who in an unguarded moment, admitted that there is a war on over in Asia, let the cat out of a cello- phane bag, so to speak. â€" Strat- ford Beaeon-Hciald. The Real Patriot The real patriot is the man â- who, without fear or favor, not only disinterestedly supports what he believes to be right in public matters, but takes the trouble to inform himself, to the very best of his ability, upon all ((uestions of public moment. â€" Gueljih Mer- cury. Horror a La Mode Gas Masks are chic, according to latest reports. London society has taken them up and everybody that really matters is attending gas-raid salons. The best-known leaders of the haut moiide are holding smell-soirees. Vials of liqi.id that smell like the real gas arc passed around and delicately miffed, masks are worn, and cIb'pcs in laid-behaviour â€" ex'lu- Bive classes â€" -are held. You can almost hear the screams of tmuse- nien'' over here.- â€" Quebec Chron- icle-Telegraph. Not By Lazy Women A woman's convention has plac- ed it.self on record as favoring the appointment of more women to the Senate of Canada. With all due respect for the ladies, we think this is a lazy woman's plea. Women, if they want to get into public life, should be willing to go into the arena and toil for their â€" â€" political honors, and, by fighting elections, prove their ability. Ag- nes Macphail and Mrs. Black, we feel sure, would not ask to be ex- cused from struggle and demand a place in the Senate that can be won by mere appointment, and not by hard work. â€" Fort William Times-Journal. Let's Sing More No, this is no tirade against radios and phonographs. It is an appeal for more singing. Yes. and, incidentally, it is a plea for more whistling. Singing and whistling dr.ve away the blu-j de\ils. I'hey heal neighborly quarrels -tnd pro- mote domestic felicity. The old Methodist church won her way to dor.iinance in the world and to a .special service at untold value by her singing. When she degenerat- ed to having her singing done by pr.ixy. she lost ground. .\'o nation it great, or remains great long, unless her people are singers. Denmark was saved by her songs and her religion. â€" Exeter Times- .Advocate. The Deep Waterway Project ilut, while nature invited this project and it is obviously right that it should ultimately be car- ried out, the new treaty will have anything anything but an easy path in either country. In the United States there will be contin- ued opposition from the States in- terested in developing a water route from Lake Michigan to the (Julf of Mexico, from the inter- ests that seek to protect the traf- fic between Buffalo and New York by the Erie Canal, and from the power corporations an<l others. In Canada, opposition has been expressed to the project in the Maritimes, in Quebec and in Brit- ish Columbia; ami Premier Hep- burn, of Ontario, has been, and still is, opposed. There are many friends of the project in Ontario, however and that Province and Ih.; Prairie Provinces which would chiefly benefit, have a little over half the population of Canada. Canada's Only Pet Cemetery Located Near Aurora Is Abloom With Flowers on the Graves â€" Dogs, Cats, Canary, Horse Buried There. Sweet peas, tulips, daffodils and hyacinths bloom in Ilappy Wood- laud, Canada's only pel cemetery where $50 caskets and phiiii graves mark the burial places of favorite animals. A soldier's horse lies in the cemetery and a eanary whose body was sent from Winnipeg rests be- neath a spreading shade tree. But dogs and cats occupy most of the plots. The cemetery was laid out 11 years ago by Mr. and Mrs. Victor Blochin as a burial place for their pets, but gradually it has become a public place. As its fame has spread the bodies of animals have been sent to Aurora from many parts of the Uominion. Collie and a Monkey A 10-year-old boy brought his collie. Soon afterwards the collie's friend Peier, a monkey, followed. Most of the owners ask only that their pets be buried In simple shrouds with plain headstones over the graves. There are many ex- pensive caskets and memorials, though, among the long, soft grrass and swaying flowers. Plan Developing Canadian Drama C. B. C. Manager Encouragea Writing Plays for Rad:o â€" Drama to Interpret Caniula The great field for endeavor open to Canadian authors In the "drama of manners, a drama to Interpret Canada to Canadians," Major Glad- stone Murray, general manager of the Canadian Hroadcastiug Copora- tion, told delegates attending the 17th annual convention of the Can- adian Authors' Association, In the city of Montreal. last week. The C. B. C. was encouraging Ca- nadian writing and asked that the scripts be submitted, he said. "If we succeed In establishing a Can- adian dramatic presentation, it will serve a double purpose. Not only will the position of the Canadian author be consolidated but broad- casting will get away from imita- tion of other large network ideas." Readings and spoken essays it authentic and well-done are a very worth-while advertisement, he be- lieved. What Constitutes Drama "Canadian drama is not necessar- ily the historical events of the time of Jacques Cartier, General Brock and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police," he said. "If you are inter- ested in writing for radio, put your history books back on the shelf and write something perplexing, amus- ing or vitally real." Highways In Dominion Now Total 400,000 Miles That "Something" Smilers Win the Best Jobs, Says Expert It's the people who smile who get the beat jobs. That is the declara- tion of Mr. Herbert Trevell, grey- haired, kindly-eyed man who In- terviews hundreds of applicants a week for a big Birmingham (Eng- land) business house. ' Smilers stand a much better chance than the glum ones," he told me. "I see so 1 ny men and women in my little office every day, as I have done for years, that I can tell at once whether the applicants have got that 'something' that is the dif- ference between success and fail- ure. ''And the smile goes a long way towards that 'something'." So keep smiling. It may get you a raise or a better job. The standardization of fruit and vegetables is being studied by the British agricultural depart- ment. Raging Yellow River Drowned Chinese and Japanese Both Canada's Vast Network Is On* Of Outstanding Develop- ments of Present Century- Cavalcade of Four Million TourisU A Year. Invaders can bo stopped by shell and bullet, well directed and in sufficient quantity, but China has never been able to curb the Yellow river â€" that is why the groat waterway, at once a blessing and a curse, is called "China's sorrow." The Yellow river again in revolt and already has claimed an estimated 150,000 vic- tims over hundreds of sciuare miles of Honan province. Scenes like the ABOVE, once more are the rule as refugees flee the raging waters. Here you see a Ciiilroad rendered useless by the flood. The river plays no fav(ftites, cither, for it is reported that thousands of invading Japanese troops were among its victims. Ontario's War On Ragweed Plant Is Responsible for 80 Per Cent, of Hay Fever â€" You Can Help Eradicate It TOKO.NTO. â€" In an effort to eradicate ragweed, the pollen from the flowers of which is believed to be responsible for 80 per cent, of Ontario's hay fever, a joint letter has been sent out by the Department of Health, Education and Agriculture of the Provincial Government to municipal clerks urging that war be waged on this weed. Spread Increaset The conmiunlcation which bears the signature of Harold J. Kirby, Minister of Health; Dr. L. J. Simpson, Minister of Education, and P. M. Dewan, Minister of Ag- That makes the project one of na- tional importance. If half the country benefited directly, the rest of the country would assured- ly benefit indirectly. â€" Winnipeg Free Press. The EMPIRE Why China Must Be Helped Germany has annexed .\ustria. From the Baltic to the Adriatic they now cry in frenzied passion "Heil, Hitler!" What next! II Duce is now the head of an em- pire and he dreams visions of the glory of ancient Rome. Spain will soon be a complete Fascist .State. All that is lacking now is a Jap- anese victory in China. That would be the signal for real action by the dictators. Fortunately, China by her own determined efforts has prevented the fulfilment of that aim so far. Far from lieing crushed and l)eaten, China's spiiit burns more luminously than ever. Her will to win remains as str(mg as it ever was and she will main- tain the resi.stanre and make any further sacrifice required by her. n return China asks, and the democracies must give her, every assistance to continue the strug- gle until victory has been achiev- ed. The defeat of China is the surest way to put the cloi k back fifty years and to ensure the visi- tation on humanity of the grea et horrors it ha."< endured since the dawn of time. â€" Hong Kong l'.ea.<>. viculture, leads in part: "The several interested depart- ments of Government have during the last few years been reminded 01 the increase In the spread of ragweed. This plant is apparently found with increasing fretjuency in all parts of Southern Ontario. Three Per Cent. Suffer "While hay fever is not consid- ered to be a serious form of ill- ness, it is extremely disturbing to those who are affected by it and its complications are frequently serious enough. It is estimated that somewhere in the neighbor- hood of 3 per cent, of the popula- tion are susceptible to various manifestations of allergy, with hay fever due to ragweed as the most important single item. "The plant can be easily iden- tified, and as it is listed among the noxious weeds, suitable ar- rangements should be made to en- sure its destruction in all com- munities, both> rural and urban, before the plant begins to flower in late June or early July. The second growth of the cut ftalk should be again cut down late in ••Vugust or early September." Accident Toll Outranks War U.S. 1937 Fatalities More Than Double Number Killed At Front The U. S. National Safety Council announced last week that accidents claimed lOG.OOO lives In 1!>37 â€" a total more than twice as great as the number of American lives" lost in the World War. Injuries from accidents disabled 9,9(10,000 persons during the year â€" at least one member of every fourth family. Cost $3,600,(X>0,000 The calculable costs of all acci- dents ran to |3.GOO,000,000 which, the council said, was enough to bi ild 7.') (Empire State buildings. Motor vehicle accidents during l!i;!7 caused 3!t,500 deaths, l,:t«0,000 personal Injuries and an economic los.s of $1,700.000,0110. The traffic fatalities represented a four per- cent. Increase over l!)3(i. Ordirtiy colds cost England .Sl-..>,0!)v',i>05 in the last t velve I. ouuis in lost v.-ork, treatment a d ol\-:;f ej.pensea. Domestic Pig . Is Slandered We often say someone Is "a dirty pig," but little do we realize that we are slandering the poor pig. This little animal is natural- ly clean and will not wallow or sleep in filth unless nothing better is available. Pigs are among the cleanest of all ftg-m animals if allowed to be so. Most pigrs are "pigs" because their owners force them to live and bathe in dirty places. Neither is the pig more lazy than other animals, if al- lowed his freedom. Germans registered with the police of England number 9,000 men and 11,000 women. Canada's vast network of high- ways, comprising more than 400,- 000 miles, is among the outatandinf developments of the present cen- tury. In addition to providing ar- teries of travel for more than a mil- lion motor cars of Canadian regis- tration, these highways also carry a great cavalcade of more than four million tourist automobiles a year from other lands. The surfaced highway mileage in Canada ex- ceeds 99,350 miles, while unsurfao- ed roads totalled more than 311,000 miles. Early Travel by Water In the early days of settlement roads were auxiliary to water routes as avenues et transportation. They were used during the sum- mer season when portages were na- cess.iry to avoid obstacles in river and lake travel, and in winter â- when Ice prevented navigation. With ths spread of settlement and the de- mand for means of communication between centres of population, overland routes became necessary and road construction got under way in the pioneer stages of the de- velopment of the country. Road building in Canada receiv- ed additional stimulation with the advent of the automobile, which ra- volutioni^d the mode of travel of the nation. This gave birth to the motor tourist industry, which has been an lucentive to governing bod- ies to improve trunk roads and scenic highways within their juris- dictions. Today Canada's highway systems link T-^ndern cities with re- gions of almost primeval wilder- ness, and serve a land blessed by an indulgent Nature with an unriv- alled wealth Oi travel attractions. Parks, Scenic Wonders From east to west, there is the scenic beauty of the Maritimes, the old-world charm of Quebec, the On- tario lake regions, the world-famed Niagara, the Great Lakes, the park- lands of the prairies, and the grandeur of the mighty Rocky and Selkirk mountains, to mention only some of the more outstanding while countless lakes, river and forests provide facilities for fishing, hunt- ing and summer and winter sports. Among Canada's greatest attrac- tions for travellers by highway or other means are the National Parks, comprising twenty separate units with a total area of about 12,525 square miles. Within the National Parks are almost 600 miles of all-weather motor high- ways and more than 200 miles of secondary scenic and historic asso- ciations. 5 Head-Hunters Are Sent Down MANILA, P. I.â€" Five Kalinga head-hunters drew minimum sen- tences last week for lopping off the heads of two Christian youths. The court was lenient because the head-hunters were uneducat- ed, lived in wild country and be- longed to a non-Christian tribe. The ruling of the Philippine Court of .\ppea1s upheld the trial court. Each of the Kalingas was sentenced to 12 to 16 years in prison and to indemnify the heirs of their victims $1,000. NAMES t'h'e news the Ontario alcoholic picture," Dr. Little called for a vigorous cam- paign to restrict its sale. The speaker charged that campaign funds from brewers to politicians, as well as the liquor profits in the Provincial Budget, were responsible for the continuance of beverage rooms. Controversy Rages The suggestion was advanced that Liquor Commissioi.r E. G. Odette ''plants beverage rooms" near Protestant Churches and avoids putting them "near a Roman Catholic church or near the home of a Roman Catholic Pries'." ''We need not hope," Dr. Little said, â- 'that the traditions of English Pro- testantism will be familiar to a man of French-Canadian. Catholic ex- traction." A great stir was created iu the Ontario piess by Dr. Little's state- ments chiefly by virtue of the con- trover.'^ial Issues raised. Aside from the liquor question, whether one is an advocate of temperance or not, one deplores the unfortunate refer- ent!' to a man of French extraction v.-hlch is lively t a; )Hae feelings of antagoni' i in this day when Can- ads n-fils all the 'hands" towards national solidar; y she < n mnater. REV. GEORGE A. LITTLE Addressing a Temperance Ually in TiinilyUnited Church, Toronto, last week. Rev. Dr. George A. Lit- tle, a well-known official of the United Church of Canada whose picture appears at the head of this column, inaugurated a Province- wide campaign against the bever- age rooms of Ontario. Dr. Little charged that both Lib- erals and Conservatives In Ontario had been "plastic as putty" in the hands of the Moderation League. The Moderation League, he said, "had more Influence with the Oov- ernment than all the churches." Terming beer ' the danger spot iu I'-i'Nt ./"-; »â-  I' «~ 's^ t *' i-' ♦