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PAGE To~m TEE CANADIAN 8TAT~MAN. BOWMANVRLE. OIITABJO TEURSDAT, MAY Siat, lIS EDITORIALS Let's Have a Rip - Roarin g Campaign By the time this appears in print over two weeks wili have gone by since the pro- vincial election was announced for June llth, yet the most difficult thing ta find is a political argument - or, in f act, any general appearance o! interest or activity. Being somewhat dloser ta the picture than most, we have seen evidence o! organizational work being done. We have also witnessed a hard-working Returning Officer and Clerk, and Enumerators by the dozen, doing their rounds in a mini- mum of time trying ta put the election machinery in motion. But, se f ar there have been no public meetings, the near- est approach being a coffee party in Port Hope with the Liberal leader as honored guest. When is the election campaign going ta, start? When are people generally going ta show any evidence o! enthusiasm? There are only 19 days le! t before voters (some of them) will go ta the polis to cast their ballots ta elect the Ontario legisiators for the next three or four years, but one would neyer know it. Nor would you know if they consider elections of any particular importance compared with their gardens, vamnishing the boat for the s-mmer or an evening's fishing. At the moment, the situation is se dormant - or jqopears so - that, unless somethine is done soon one would wonder if more than a handful would show up at the polis on election day. Wouldn't it be something if we could returu to the election ways o! yesteryear when people, young and old, were red hot in support of their own candidates or parties; when they were wifling ta battie in the streets with their opponents to back Up their belie! s; when election day was a wild affair with aimost everyone par- ticipating? Now, the disinterested, lazy and com- placent electorate sits on its hands, raises its arched eyebrows if one candidate at- tacks another with verbal vlciousness and says "'my won't it be nice when those crazy politicians are off television and out of the newspapers so we can settie down ta regular living again." In the meantime, the leaders of ail political parties find that the most di!! i- cuit task they have is ta find volunteers willing ta, womk hard for their candidates, with no thought of reward. Every elec- tion it becomes more difficuit, more exasperating and more expensive. There must be an answer samewhere and we don't presume ta have it. One day we may wake up and wish that some- one had found it - in time. What is welf are state-ism. costing Canada? By this time it has become an accept- ed doctrine that the govenment should provide the services which once fiowed from individual effort and thrif t. More and more, private enterprise is giving way ta govemument contrai, deciares an editer- !l in The Trentonian. Its most obvieus cost is in dollars. It Is reflected in the deficits incurred in so0 many govermuent operated enterprises. [t la reflected lu increasing taxes ta pay the cost o! increasing services; in soaring costs and the diminishing value o! the purchasing power o! the dollar. But P. M. Fox, president o! the St. Lawrence Corporation, rightly sees some- thing more in this neyer ending demand for allowances, subsidies, bonuses, grants, benefits and other payments which mean simply that government is taking money frorn the public pocket and then putting it back luto other pockets without any effort on the part o! the beneficiary. He sees a growing army of people on the public payroll, at ail levels o! govern- ment, exceeding the number empioyed in the nation's dozen leading industries. Hle sees a loss o! seif-reliance and a growing dependence on the state. Ambition, hard work and the. seekîug o! opportznity is A news story published ini a metro- plitan daily this week provides a pro- found exa.mple of the eventual outcome of too much government contrai in affairs that are essentially the right and responsi- biity of the individual. The story described the plight of two farmers who becamne victims of bureau- cratic regulations because they attempted to solve their own problems rather than leave thei.r affairs ini the hands of so-cailed experts. One of these rugged individualists had operated since 1937 the 389-acre farm that was handed down from his great- great-grandfather. Because of regula- tions set out by a "wheat contrai commit- tee" he was permitted ta plant only 15 -acres in wheat. In 1957 he decided this quota would not meet his requirements for this specific crap sa he planted 23 acres that year. Hie was haled into court and fined $322. His efforts ta obtain redress thraugh the courts have been futile. A colleague ini another part o! the country became involved in a similar pre- dicament. He owned a 100-acre chicken farmn. The quota did not enable him ta graw enough feed for his chickens sa he planted 35 acres in wheat. His penalty for f ailing ta obey the "contrai comniittee" amounted ta mare than $5,000 in fines and interest. Strange as it may seem neither of these cases accurred in Soviet Russia nor in any of its satellite countries. They took place in the United States a! America-a coun- try that prides itself in its democratic freedom. Before we paint the finger of scorn at our neighbor ta the south, however, we should take a close look at aur awn land. Etablnhed 1854 wth which is incorporated l'h.e owintiYiU* News, The Newcastle Independefli cind The Oiono News iOth Year of Coninuous Service to the Town of Bownanvffle and Durham County SUISCRIPTION RATES $4.00 a Yomr, strictly in advance $5.00 a Yomr in the United States Authortsed cm Second Cou. ail Post Office D.paroeient. Ottawa Puhlsh.dby THE JAMES PUELISING COMPANT LIMITED Eowmanviul..Ontarle IOHN M. JAMES, Emnyo being supplanted by the desire for secur- ity and leisure. He states fiatiy that indulgence is the essence o! the welf are state, with poli- ticians who care only for votes exploiting the twisted thinking which believes the fairy tale that "the government is paying for it" when in truth every dollar paid eut by govermient cornes directly out o! the taxpayer's pocket. .Mr. Fox's declarations are not new by any means. A few years ago they were faily comman in editariai comment across the nation - comment which has been lacking o! late, unfortunately. The reasan for the absence a! such warnings recently might be that ail political parties seemn naw ta be tarred with the same brush. Possibly the newspapers have decided that bucking the welfare state is a lost cause. We believe that the cycle wili reverse itself only when taxes become so oppress- ive, costs so high and money o! so littie value that the leaders a! our country will have ta take strong and most unpopuiar measures ta gradually return us ta aur senses. We can anly hope that this turn- ing point will corne before we have been so softened in character and s0 dependent on others for aur vemy existence that there is no longer the will te seek perfection, ta improve aur skills and enflarge aur knowledge by sacrifice, and hard work For example we have in this country a disturbing trend taward coilectivist think- ing, toward the growing belle! that gev- enment, the experts its emplays or the commissions it appoints are much better equipped and capable o! handiing aur everyday affairs than we are ourselves. This phiiosophy is net confined te farmers alone. It can be found among groups o! businessmen, trade union leaders and members, industriaiists, a good many civil servants, and government leaders and back-benchers. Those who propound this theary se vociferously aise argue most vehemently that in no way does it vialate any o! the principies o! democracy, which they define as the rule of the mai ority. They hoid te the premise that the mai ority is always right and theref are the minority must fallil ue. The weakness o! this argument lies in the fact that their definition o! democracy is net campiete. True, in democracies the elected majarity does become the ruling authority but that does not preclude the responsibility o! those in power or con- trai ta protect the rights o! the minority. It does not provide the many with a free hand ta ride rough-shod aver the few, te violate the dignity of the individual. The premise that the majority is aiways right is as unsound. History has shown just the reverse te be true. Most o! the protection we enjoy individually and collectively (and which is being whittled away) was attained by one man or a small group e! men, by a woman or a few women who had the courage ta face and fight the much stronger forces o! those who opposed their measures. The two U.S. farmers who, at consid- erable expense te themselves, dared ta defy the restrictions o! bureaucrats, who dared te charge the windmiii of popular opinion have much in common with earlier freedom fighters. In this age o! conform- ity, their country and ours need more men and women like them. - Midland Free Press. "AND TIIEN SOME.. A retired business executive was once asked the secret o! his success. He replied that it could be sumnmed Up in th.rée words --"ýand then smre". "I discovered at an early age,» he de-. clared, "that most 61 the difference be- tween average people and top people could be explained in three words. The top people did what was expected o! thern- and then some. 'They were thoughtful o! others; they were considerate and kind - and then smre. They met their obligations and responsibiities fairly and uquarely-and then smre, They were good friends aud helpfui neighbours--and then smre. They could b. counted on in an emergen- and then wmr». and Distant Past I UrFMM The SUUtmnmM 1'Ik 49 YEARS AGO 35 YBAES AGO May 26, 1910 May 24, 1934 Ini the racing events n Vic- Members of the Canadian toria Day the winners were: Legion Band, winners of the sack race, J. Clou.gh, C. Spry; County Music Festival oham- fat man's raoe, W. J. Culley, pionship, are shown in a pic. Walter Hall; 100 yds., R. Cope- ture along with the late Mrs. land, Fisher; 220 yds., Walker, J. Clark Bell, who directed a Fisher; five miles, R. Foster, baud MInstrel Show. Those G. Judd, J. Baynes; smoking listed below the picture are. race, Thomas Bottreli, W. Hall; F. Jackman, Sam Glanville, A. harnessing horse race, W. AI- Fletcher, W. Shotter, Bandmas- lin, Wes. T. Cawker: guessing ter R. Fountain, H. Allun, W. pald admissions, Hilda Tabb. Carruthers, L. Rowe, A. W. Arthur Baker. Pickard, J. W. Abernethy, S. Fred W. Osborne who has Leggett, J. Tait, L. Dewell, P. been in the grocery department P. Bathgate, H. Foster, G. of The McMurtry Co. for somne Rowe Jr., G. Rowe Sr., Max time, has accepted a position in Tuerk, F. Tuerk Jr., F. Tuerk Brampton. Sr., R. Widdecombe, G. I. Misses Mary Cryderman and Joens, . TCote. WMombe of Ethel Scobeil and Messrs. E. A. tenbnd wh. olwereme inth Loveil and Wilbert Hoar spent photan o were ommy Bnntet Victoria Day in Napanee guests andtA. J. Knommy(Wenetwe cf Mis Gibard.haven't missed any naines. Dr. L. B. Williams, wife and Mr. Jack Cole who for some daughter and Miss Olive W11- years was assistant in Gil- liams, Toronto, were guests of christs has accepted a position Chas. Williams. with S. G. Chartran. J. Casteli Hopkins is new pre- Sons of England church $ident of Toronto Empire Club parade was h'eaded by Presi- and Canon Macnab, another dent Jack Nicholis and District Bowmanville boy, is on the ex- Deputy Geo. E. Pritchard, while ecutive. James Gi was marshall. The Bowmanvilie football Messrs. E. R. Munday and team members in the game R. H. Wood successfully com- against Oshawa on Victoria Day pleted the work for the Degree were: Goal, Fred Spry; backs. of Bachelor of Science in Agri- A. Brown, F. Brown; half backs, culture at the Ontario Agricul- W. Moore, E. Horne, P. Gim- tural College, Guelph. blett; forwards, C. Adams, E. Maple Grove - At the C.G. Elliott, P. Harmsworth, A . Ba. I.T. meeting the following pro- ker, G. James. gram was given: vocal solo, N'ewcastle-Mr. James Rick- Miss Mildred Snowden; piano ard was milking recently when Solo, Miss Evelyn McKinnon, one of his cows turned, throw-voa ut MissFrec ing him over on the pails and and Louise Foley. in some way stepped on 'himi.. Tyrone-Sulday School mis- His face was cut on the rim of sionary programn was in charge the ail.o! Mivss Tena Ferguson. The the pail. aro ndMisfollowing program was given: Mr. JohnaW.Gaovron solo, Mrs. M. Wootton; playlet, Daiy My lovrSuffolk, Miss Nina Hodgson; recitation, Eng., were m'arried by Rev. A. Bemnice Warren; playlet, Marie M. Irwin, B.D., at the residence white; recitation, Elleen Couch; cf Mr. Merkley, Clarke onl playlet, Marjorie Couch; recita- May 14. tion, Helen Werry. Orono-Mr%. R. C. Cowan left Blackstock - Congratulations on Tuesday last for Kinsley, ýto Miss Reta Swain, daughter of Sask., where he will build- a Mr. and Mrs. L. Swain, op ob- residence and store, and put In taining second place in the a general stock of dry goods girls under 16 solo clasm, at the and groceries. His son, Dr. E. B. M'usic Festival at Bowmanville. Cowan, Lindsay, will also locate Nestieton - Miss Clara Por- in the sane tOwn, opening a teous is playing bail with Port veterinary office and iivery Perry girls this year. stable. During the thunderstorm on John Burgess Jr. took fourth Saturday night Mr. Stanley place on the honor list in his Maicolm's barn was struck final examination, College of Little damnage was done how- Pharmacy, winning the chem- ever. istry medal. Enniskllen-Thursday even- Enfield-Our sehool house Ing the immediate f amily o! has been candemned es not be- Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Werry gave ing safe to be occupied. Dr. W. them a pleasant surprise, Sun- E. Tilley, inspector, has noti- day, May 2th being the 3S5th fied the trustees to this effect. 'anniversary of their wedding. (nte-Apparendýy achools have They were presented with a been an issue for years and ]oving token o! remembrance years.> and a nicely worded address. Oshawa-We extend congra- Salem-Mr. W. Cann had a tulations to Mrs. Birdie G. Pol. narrow escape from lightning lard on her success at the re- in Sunday mornings storma cent examinations at Toronto when a boIt struck some steel General Hospital, having ob- fittings of the barn, giving tained highest -hanours, win- freight to a colt and several nlng the $50 prize. hogs that were in close range Tyrone-While ?&. and M.rs. to the course o! the lightnIng, A. Hawkey were absent from, but fortunately no serious dam- home Sunday their residence age was done and no fire was east of the village w'as ran- started. sacked and several valuabie Orono-Mrs. Neil F. Porter articles stolen. h'appened with a painful acci- Mr. Harry Rahm la remod- dent Tuesday merning when delling his residence. she fell ,heavily on the siippery Mr. and Mrs. James Bing- floor fracturing the bone of her ham celebrated their golden an- ieft arm siightly above the niversary May 20th when be- wrist. tween 200 and 300 friends met Mr- Garnet Gamnsby, King- at their home. They were pre- ston, was at his fathers for the sented with over $ 200 in gold. weekend. Gamnet has opened a Speeches were made by Messrs. sausage factory in the Lime- W. Brent, Peter Werry, W. R. stone. City and is reperted do- Clemens and W. J. Roy. ing a good business. TEZONINO REAEINOS Dear Edtor. In your editormal "It Got Out o! Rand" you make the state- ment, "'the municipal board of- ficials were acting in a semi-ý judicial capacity'l, and, "In some respects, the hearings could be compared with a court o! law." You then go on te discuss the matter e! a policeman being present, and corne te the con- clusion, "Now we believe it would be well te forget the In- cident. No particular beinefit can accrue te anyone from car- -rying it further." I cannot agree. At the hear- ings, oneo'e our ministers stood Up te speak for his community in the intelligent and respect- fui way characteristie o! his profession oniy te be told this was net an occasion for politi- cal speeches. In acting in this manner, the board flot only put itsel! outside the respect ac- corded ta the regular courts but gave offenoe ta every self- respecting person in the comn- munity. We are, o! course, prepared te forgive their action, but net te overlook it. The respect e! the clergy, whatever their de- nomination, is one af the foun- dations o! our society. And it is individually our responsibi i ty te employ every legitimate means te secure fromn the board a public apology. That is the condition o! any further rela- tiens with them. What can we do? If we cir- culate a public petition. the "eout", will be the insinuation that individuals are trying ta make capital eut of the hear- ing. But in Durham we have the answer at hand. We al know Premier Frost. After ail, he is a back-fence neighbour. And what is more important, we know what kind o! a man he is, and that he would not tolerate for an instant a public insuit te one o! Our ministers who was only concemneod fer bis people's intercsts. Individualiy, therefore, we should send per- sonal letters to the Prime Min- ister at his home in L.indsay asking his support in securing a public apology from the board. To do any less wouid be te make a meckery o! our church and its ministers, and aur obligations te them. If the board has te be taught, then let it be taught new that this community has a conscience and that it cannet insuit our clergy with imuni- ity. James Lovekin, Toronto, Ontario. Courtice, Ont., May 19. 1959. Dear Mr. James, The Rev. Fred Reed la ab- solutely right, when he says that lie was net in any way disturbing the peace when he arose on a "point o! order" and was rudely toid to sit down by the chairman. and forced te do se by a policeman. The policeman himself teid me that he was ordered by the chairman not to let anyone speak excepting the lawyers. When did it happen that a pri- vate citizen must only speak through counsel for as chap- lain o! the Canadian Legien, I have gene into court and plead- ed t.he case for members o! the armed forces. On one occasion I saved a yeung man from a long terrn ini penitentiary and on several occasions I went be- fore the "Commission" at York Street and secured pensions for widows and orphans who had wrongiy been denied the same. I went ta college with Mr. Reed and, know him te be a very sincere and well inform- ed Christian gentleman, who has served the church in the Far East fer many years. He iived next door te Russia and knowa what a police state is really like and he hlmself pasa- ed tlirough the Chinese revolu- tion. Those who are wrongly re- porting the conduct o! Mr. Reed had bebter net underestiniate either his ability or 'bis sincer- ity. It seerms strange that thous- ands o! men and womnen died ini two world wars and it cost the taxpayers billions e! dol- lars te destray fascisai and make the world safe for dem- ocracy and now a form o! fas- cism has raised its ugly head at Ottawa, Queen's Park and Hampton. There is only one thing that we must do and that is te or- ganize a ratepayers' association together with the "League for Action" and preserve the four freedeais for which some o! we ex-service men have su!- fered much and thousands have died. Yours sincerely. H. Stainten (Fmom The Guide, Port Hope.) Port Hope, Ontario, May 11, 1959. Dear Mr. Editor, With e! erence te a letter dated May 11, 1959, over the signature of 'A Group a! Par- ents. the writer wishes further clarification regarding the rea- sens for this letter. A meeting o! some parents with the High School Board was apparently requested -and grant- cd. According te the letter of May 11, 'many complaints were aired'. Your correspondent, however dees net state in his letter the nature e! these cam- plaints. A second meeting wvas appar- ently called and held on April 23, at which, ne doubt, many mare compiaints were * aired', but again your correspondent leaves an air o! mystery by net stating the nature o! the ceai- plaints, if any and genuine, that were brought up. Further in the letter o! May Il your correspondent mentions 'a general desire among many parents te have a public meet- ing, where these questions can be discussed without fear o! re- prisaIs." New we have a reference te 'these questions', apparently a group of questions. the sub- stance o! which must be kept secret freai youm readers for 'fear o! reprisais'. Reprisais f rom whom?-the High Sehool Board or the parents' ewn chul- dren? Apparently Mm. P. J. Bigelow aroused the ire o! 'A Group of Parents' by me! using ta allew the said greup te take ever the operatien o! the High Sehool, a Iiigh Schooi that bas had in the past a very enviable reputation for producing scolars a! high academic standing, which repu- tation, incidentally, is expected te be further enhanced by fu- ture grade 13 classes. One question was stated me- garding the Port Hope High School taking !rom 1956 te put into e!fect a ruiing e! tha De- partment o! Education; how- ever, this ruling was net stated, again bringing about the air o! mystery. Anether question was regar- ding impreper handling e! the Cadet issue. The so-called Ca- det issue apparently came about either because same students and their parents could see ne value in the discipline and training o! the Cadet Corps, or because the students them- selves were tee Iackadaisical te indulge in any constructive phy- sicai activities. A request for an open house seems rather illegical as the school is open te parent visit- era at any time, but the ques- tions o! failures in French, etc., etc.' can only be blamed an students net wishing te study and parents net caring suffici- £'etters Jo ai1e Yours very truiy, W. Stanley Frost, Parent o! one gzraduate ad one H-igh School student, CLAIMS REPORT INAO- CURATE Bowmanville, Ont, May 10, 1959. Dear Mr. James, Net wishing to antagonize anyone but having a sense or fair play I cannot refrain freai speaking up regarding the se- called public meeting o! May 5th. I happened te be et the meet- ing and I de net consider my- self either blind nor deaf but I did net hear the chairman call eut "please sit dewn"', and I was sitting pretty close te the front and the Rev. J. Reed ini the row df«04y behind me. It is absolutely correct that ho spoke olr, "Mr. Chairmnan", when he was told by an officer o! the law te sit down, and the contents of the petition 'which he frameci on the behai! e! the general public were net allowed te be read ail during the day. I don't knew where the editor got his information from but the report was net quite ac- curate. Since he invited anyone who disagreeÉs te write, I feel 1 must tell what I saw and heard as an eye witness to the whole thing. As fer as 1 can see, ut was to- tally undemocratic ta have a- policeman et a public meeting. for alter ail, just what did they expect there, an ignorant mob? No one was speaking at the time Mr. Reed respectfully ad. dressed the board, and whea Mr. Wyman could neot answer the lawyer's question o! how much it would cost te, erect a dwelling o! 1500 square feet, and someone voiunteered te help hlm eut, he was teld te keep quiet. No mention was made o! hew the Rev. Stainton spoke Up in defence o! the pub- lic eand its rights, just as ad* journaient for lunch w'as cail- ed, fellowed by a !ew but meaning!ul words by Mr. C. Snewden. Mot people ieft the meeI~ with a justified sense o! ij,' nation, including myseif. A net comprehend how it is peg.'" sibie te disregard the majorit3r o! citizens in faveur o! Just a few i a democratic country. I. as Mx&. Reed and ofiher tex. payera, am in agreement witk seme o! the by-laws but the needs and rights o! the people should be recognized and the extremes eliminated. Respect!ully, Mirs. B. Budai Jr. Ideas are the mightiest Influ- ence on earth.-Channing. A book introduces new thoughts but it cannot make them speedily understood.- Mary Baker Eddy. An idea, te be suggestive, must ceaie te the individuel with the force o! revelation.-Williarn James. I -:SUGAR and SPICE.- Did any o! yeuse guys ever have a bad case o! ribes break eut between your tees? Before yeu start answeming i the a!- firmative, it might be a good idea ta memd sanie more about the disease. Ribes, 15 prenoun- ced "Rye-bees," and is a tiny spore that begins life on a wild gooseberry or currant bush then, When conditions are right, leaves the host plant, ledges on a needie of a white pine tree, werks its way aleng the limb, ta the trunk o! the tree, where it causes a canker, which final- iy destroys the tree by what is known as white pine blister rust. Aithougli one spore can muin a tree, it needs twe spores ta produce a "fruit" which wil leave the pine, lodge on a goose- berry or currant bush, and be- gin the cycle ail over agin. Ihese spores are se tiny they can oniy be seen by a micros- cope, are egg-shmped, and look se much alike that, ne one lias been able te figure which 15 maie or female, themefore no one knows whether the little blighters have any sexual l! e or whether there is merely a physiological difference. Aithough must spores have been known te travel one hua- dred miles, it is generaily as- aumed that, if ail currant, and geoseberry bushes are eradîcat- ed withln ene huadred yards e! white pine trees, the latter's chances e! becoming infected wouid be slight. And that is precisely what your scribe is dei at the present time: Hai! a dozen or more men ferma Unme about twenty feet apart, and walk alowly through the foreat, with their eyes glued to the ground, and as each in- dividual spot.s a geos'eberry or currant bush, he pulls It up, belig careful te get all the recta. because the roots are like twltch grass, lihey will aprout a new bush; he then hangs it on a nearby shrub, where it will dry out, and die. As he hang.s It Up, he cals eout a nuniber, for kmtance, if nom.ehms just cafled eut "ferty-five", then the next number weuld be "!orty-six". Maybe At sounds goefy, but that la the only sen- sible way e! knowiag hew bad- ly the area is infested with these troublesome blister rust breeding plants. The disease can net be traasmi.tted freai one pine tree te anether, it must go through the cycle e! gooseberry bush te pine tree, and back te the gooseberry bush. In seme parts o! the United States, it la unlaw!ul te have black currant bushes la a pri- vate garden, in pine country. One person wlks behind the line o!famea, and snags any plants that may have been missed. And the man an the "outside" drops pieces e! pa- per which act as a guide on the retumn trip. Each persons wears leather gioves as a protection against the tiny thorns on the bushes; he aise carnies a four foot handie with a sharp steel crook on one end, te help yank out the teugh ones. Although you might not find many wild gaeseberry or cur- rant bushes on land that has been intensively cultivated for many years, and then ellowed to remain idle, you will find theai beside roadways, and fen- ces. Thev don't thrive in dense forest cover, bec-ause they need juat the ight amount o! su- shine, and moisture, thus wil be quite prolific in mixed stands o! woods. Blister rust is rarely !ound in stands o! virgin pine. Why? We think saow cas, lnnocentiy, help prepogate gooseberry bushes by bending the tip of the plant te the ground, where it will start a new plant. O! course, a "basai" spray couid be used, which would enter the bush through the bark, and follow along each root, and kili it, but at eleven bucks a gallon, In rock country, spraying mmy be the accepted methed, but la the Durham For- est, most plants pull !airly easily, which sems te be an ef- fective, and ecamnmcal medus operdL There 15 e tendency as we stmrt pushing 40, and 40 starts pushing back, te don rose-colomed glasses every timne we look back at Our childhood. This us one o! the more disgustiag sympteais O! approaching senility, and should be resisted stoutly. For example, 1 was thlnk- lusg cf wrltlng a colunin about the Twenty-fourth of May. It was going to be nostalgie and saccharine: what a grand ce- lebratiosi the 24th used Fs a ; what a pity they've changed the date te the nearest or farthest or something Mon- day and lost ail the signifi- cance of thse holiday; how the kids nowadays don't have as mnuch fun as we did on thse 24th cf May. Fortuaately, seeking a lit- tie extra background, asked mny wi!e whmt she did when she wvas a kid, on the 24th. "Nothing" she replied. Smdly but scensibly, I realized that what I'd been about te write was pure piffle. There wasn't mny great celebration on the 24th, when I was a kid. It was just a welcome holiday, and ne kid 1 ever knew cmed two firecrackema for oid Queen Victoria. * * 0 What's more, kide DOWa- days have luit as much fun as we ever dld only they're a Ilttle more uophistlcated about IL. Looking back. ail I ean remember about the 24th lo geint around ail day beefînt because 1 couldn't buy ail the flrcworks I want- cd, and golng te bcd that nlght wlth a couple of burn- cd ingersansd a ginged eye- brow et two. Thst lu exact- ly what my kida do, 5o they must be havlng Just as much fun asi 1dld. In thse tird place, 1 think tre M «Muelent Usa te move Dispensed by Bill Smiley the 24th te the preceding Monday. When a holiday has ne significance in the history or tradition o! a nation, At leat Iet's have it faU on Monday, and make a long weekend o! it. Long week- ends help educe the surplus population, as Scrooge put it. The whoie conception cf holidays in this country is sorely iu need cf a major ~uverhaul. 1'm a great belle- ver ia holidays, but ours are as haphazard as the politicai system we've inlîerlted. Un- der our present set-up they are net only poorly arranged, but scanty. Somne e! our months are all right. In July, o! course, we have that great national holiday that stîrs the blood of every Canadian, The First o! Juiy. August has Civic Holi- day, September gives us Lab- eur Day, and October is rich with Thanksgiving. But how about that Nov- ember? Thirty of the mont diamal and depresslng day. In the year. and net a holi- day to llghten the gi'oem. Why flot cali a holiday for the second Menday In Nov- ember? We could naine It Lant Cail For Storm Wilndows Day. In Decembr. we have Christama, Boxing Day, and only ..a _week .-later, .-New- Year's Day. Fine. We need thern ail. But long, dark and cold loom Janumry anid Feb- ruary, witheut a break in either o! theai. We should stick a couple o! Monday holidlays in there. In January, we could celebrate that cere- mny that is rapidly gaining popularity in Canada, and have Packing For Fiorida Day. Februaryooudb. brokia *up nicely by moving Valen- tlnc's Day te thse nearest Monday and calling It Love Day. There isn't a single day in the year set asîde for love. We could love our nelgh- bours, 'sur neighbours' wlveu and anyhody else who was ln the mood. It would cer- tainly liven up duli old Feb- ruary. March and April get tricky. with Eastem. But if Easter came in April, could we net have a Monday holiday in Mmmcli, called Mmmcli Hare Day. We could ail go mad with delight at getting through the winter, fling ef! eur uuter habiliments, and dance in the streets. In our overshoes. If Eater came ln Ma.rch, we'd need a speclal M'snday holiday about the middle et April, which ih the crueleat month. We inight deaignate It as April Fuel Way. It would be a suitably icyou. celebra- tion if tlîe government mark- ed by dellverlng a boad et fuel free te every loyal citi- zen. Just enough te carry bis through te the tirst cf .uly, when he can let his furnace eut. That takes came e! every moath but June. Do you. reaize there isn't a single long weekend in June, one o! our most delightful months? And one o! our buslest months on the higtiways. Think o! th« triumph with which aur daii iy papers could trurnpet: FIRST LONG JUNE WEEK- END K.TLLS 108. Yes, we must have a Mo day holiday li June. Me)~ shall we eall It? Let'a se% June Is the month of mar- rnages. We could have a na.- tlonal holiday on the second Monday, and naîne it RUA* Awakeaing Da", 8cktor ently to help in the studentO studies. The air o! mystew previously mentioned agýà deepens with the exprssiiA 'etc.. etc.' WhaO ot . 4iMa failures are there tha.IU net bear mention? Finally. this 'Group of Par. ents', who apparently wish to remain nanieless. must repres- ent a very small mmority o! the parents of High SChool Students because. with over 500 students in attendanoe probably repres- enting about 300 families, the alleged 'GrouP' makes up oniy' ten per cent or possibly iess, of the parents of High Sehool Stu- dents. The writer would like to hav* further clarification of the ceai. plaints te which your corres- pondent alluded. .àioo High a Cost Non - Conformists N eeded 1 PAGE roim TM CANADUS ONTAM TEU SDAY. MAT 21«ý IM