the best councils of former years. 'Mayor Bel] has given it his approba- tion in what has been referred to as his farewell address. And yet opposi- tion is | of in several of may not inaterialize. Let will'only find #xpres- sign: in a dekire to improve the civie goverment and make it the very best. ; 3 yy. An awakened: public spirit, a mark- Silk mixtures. The [ed manifestation of devotion to puts patterns at the low- |lic affairs by the wiser and more ex- prices, hs Our highest perienced men, a willingness to make p a: "I personal sacrifices in the peoples in- terest, will be welcomed and appland- ed. There should be discrimination, of. course, between the selfish and un- selfish, between the simply good fel lows and the men who have a ea the electors should make such a choice as will reflect the highest credit upon their judgment, ! ---- RE-ADJUSTING CIVIC AFFAIRS, . A reader of the Whig asks if there is to be a consolidation of staffs, (when the electric lighting plant has become the property of the city) and if there will be 'employment for the present employees of the city and the Light, 'Heat and Power company. ; There will ke many things to con sider, and the first thing unquestion- ably will be the extent to which the employees can be utilized in their new relationships. Some years ago an at- tempt was made to bring all the civic financial départments under one head, and it failed because the only pro- mised result was the removal of one official who had been somewhat faulty in his work. The probable purchase the electric works, however, forces our council some serious thought as to what can be done to bring the several departments into harmony, to promote efficiency on the most econo- mical basis. It has occurred to some of the alder- men that in the course of time-under the circumstances which have been already cited--a committee will have to be appointed to go into this ques- tion and report upon it. The commit- tee will have to consider how the civie departments of other cities are ar Ve a most com p'ete all styles and males nice a perfect fit. ranged, 'and how the departments here | can be regulated so that they may conduct the city's business with the greatest convenience, t When the details have been discuss. ed it may be that one of the officials, the oldest and most experienced, may be availablé for the office of control: ler, It may be that when the re venues of the city, in taxes, in elec: tis light ond gas and water rates, are swelled by many thousands of dollars a year that same one may be profitably employed as general super- visor, and he may, with all his time at tho city's disposal, be able to act as permanent auditor ' as well. The mun whose name has been associated 'with this position is now in the city's employment, Reference is made to Frank Ireland, the treasurer, ait ex. pert accountant and for many years the chief adviser of the council in fin ancial matters, JIe may take 'a couple of years to 3, work towards the conditions which {Wome of the aldstmen contemplate, the but these conditions are attainable. Meanwhile the audit. which is follow- ed in London 'and Hamilton, is very desirable--the audit that begins with term of office and is complete--and the conineil of 1904 will do well to give it effect in its appointments at the in. i z the the new council, continues during its | be adopted tive is nearly as bad as the evil ia said to have gone vote hunting with Gamey in North Renfrew. The poli- tics of any man who makes a chum tion, Mr. Stratton attended as a failare. The World says the provincial secre tary "received a splendid ovation." The same pen may have produced both reports. Mayor McClellan, of New York, is being boomed for the presidency of the United States, Tammany Hall can control elections in New York, but it is not very much in evidence in a general election. The voting proceeds in North Ren- frew to-day. The tory papers say the machine is in operation. It is quite likely: Bob Birmingham can hardly "have spent nine months in the riding to no purpose. A plan has been devised by which, it is said, milk can be kept, in a pre served condition, for several years. Embalmed, eh ? The Whig has heard of it. It may be good--for mummies not for live men nor even babies. -- The fact has been commented on that Mr. Stratton and Mr. Gamey did not meet on the public platiorm. Neither did Mr, Whitney and Mr. Garey meet in the same manner, and it is a very remarkable circumstance. The Mail has a report about a new ballot box which is in use in North Renfrew, a Yankee concern, and cap- able of switching and spoiling ballots. As such a box cannot be used the ab- surdity of the story is quite appar- ent. : The court of appeal has declined to order a new trial for W. H. Callaghan. Which puts a quietus on the conserva- tine yarn' that the man did not get a fair trial and justice. One paper heads the decision of the court, "A Rebuke to Anarchy." Montreal and Ottawa ran municipal fuel yards last winter when coal was scarce and a famine was in prospect. They lost money. But what they did in the public interest they would he justified in doing again under similar circumstances, Five hundred men, idle, met in To. ronto before Christnms and protested against the immigration of others to add to the congestion. Canada wants tillers of the soil, but unfortunately some men will not stay on the farms. They will crowd into the cities and suffer, OBSERVATIONS, Something Serious. Toronto Globe. Mr. Gamey's talk about being mur- dered would indicate cerebral disturb. ance, So It Does. Hamilton Herald. That reduction of wages ordered hy the Massey-Harris company seems like a slap in the face of General Prosper- ity. Look Out For Squalls. Montreal Herald. During the lull in the far east, Mace donia rises to remark that there will be *doin's" in the Balkans in the spring. . It Is Remarkable. Ottawa Journal. A man aged 109 died in Toronto yes- terday. It is a marvel how a man of that age managed to dodge the Do- minion senate. George's Confession. Montreal Herald. Mr. Foster says we would be twenty years ahead "if"" the government of which he was a member had done the thing Sir Wilfrid Laurier's government actually did. Live and learn, George. Guying The Boss. Toronto Telegram. : Jotunte <soryatives Soting = eif- zens will support ayor U art, aud they are not to he! ae ts vo! as partizans 'any lit toerats, 1 commensurate with the service which is rendered. The correc- it- A "liberal" alderman of Pembroke of Gamey is seriously open 10 ques- The Mail refers to one meeting which TO come hi have ex that a for pose is to be submitted for their "Me. Ti offered the conserva Laas Me. Tarte in' Berthier county proval, and many others are at inst | Let me close by ringing the changes Same Yeasons aga. once more on Hamlet's soliloquy al- Sa and took it into consideration. Wise the change and declaring their inten: [ready quoted in part by Nr. Givoon lection, | Man. If there is a softer place to fall Si ne" Thinat at. Pre and Dr.. Ackroyd. = The former would on | Mr. Tarte will ity i. ] both, +} are y. pled Pi) Mint have us bear those ills we have rather of iv -- Jbe | uestion has been subjnle 5 than flee to others that we know not th. So far as the |. The Dominion Maine . Association decision. In fact, as the consent | of "mp." joteer points out that Hag ; of the ratepayers, by majotity vote, |}.¢ was contemplating death, while we he old » 1 ask the government to permanent: is required before the law can be | easily return if we find the new re | ly abolish the canal tolls. 'The experi ehangod Se mmission 3 te by-law ills we are contemplating are worse re {nee of the wisdom of ths course, | estan ba come-ivetly ator Ue | tog Shop, ow bt. Let me add -- coun-il, for no alderman gould be ex. covered country from whose bourne no | W. H. Brainard suggests that as peeted to Scluss to Jeave Jia clostion traveller returns" for = at least five the tipping cannot be suppressed a scale | of the whole city, and in a matter af- | 31 Subsection 7, of section 70 of fecting his own relations to the rate- payers each member of council na- turally and properly enough refrained from any attempt to put a summary end to the question. In a money vote or! similar matter council owes a duty to the ratepayers to block a danger- ous by-law and prevent it from going to the polls, where it would on meet those interested in its passage, while those opposed to it would prob- ably stay at home, The present. ques- tion, however, omce up for decision, was the property of the ratepayers and was properly allowed to live long enough for them to kill it, if it is to be so dealt with at all. It is sincere ly hoped that they will use good judg- ment in the matter, The principal arguments that have been used in favor of the by-law are : (1) that each voter will have a voice in the election of the whole council and that each voter is thereby bene- fited; (2) that only worthy representa- {ives can be elected in a general vote, or at least that the weaker men will fail, and that the personnel of the council will thus be improved; whils incidentally the canvassing evil will be lessened as few will care to canvas the whole city; (3) that the retont con- flict of ward against ward will cease, and the city no longer be divided: ainst itself, : he first argument is good and will, at least, stand on its own legs while we look at the others. The second argument is plausible and could natur- ally enough justify a hope of the good results it su, ts, but for a serious intervening p culty, namely, the in- fluence of politics and of such other forces as are strong enough to exer- cise a voutrolliag ufluetice upon the vote. Men say these influences are al- ready felt in ward elections. Even when that does happen, how- ever, one ward can correct or offset another, and the total result is not likely to be unfair or oppressive, Un- der the proposed plan, on the other hand, any dominant power or influ- ence could (and shall we say would) elect its whole ticket of twenty-one al- dermeh. Can any fair-minded man say that such a result would not be de- plorable ? Surely the danger involved in this second argument must destroy its effectiveness, and undoubtedly the incidental .advantage referred to above in the matter of the canvassing evil would not be great enough to encour- age us to accept the risks of the "straight ticket." The third argument begs the ques- tion. It assumes that it is an un- mixed evil to have ward opposed to ward, and that it would be an unmix- ed blessing to have the eouncil peace- fully quiescent on all matters of local policy. This might be true if each alderman received a fair salary, and could and would devote his whole time to the task of correcting difficul- ties and rendering unbiassed judg- ments for the welfare of the whole municipality, But these premises are contrary to the fact. No alderman din ever Hevote his spare time to in- vestigation of 'all the difficulties ex- isting throughout the whole city, and so long as these matters are not rele- gated entirely to permanent civic of- ficials they would receive treatment that would be fair rather by chance than by good judgment. The fact is that direct representation of each dis- trict in the city is a necessity unless permanent officials are given greater power and great responsibility ; and while the opposition of one ward to another in the division of funds is bad enough, the .proposed "happy family" idea might prove much worse, especially if the probabilities happened and men whose business connections and interests lie in the centre of the city proved to be the only ones well enough known to win out in a gen- eral election. We might escape one evil, but the outlying districts would quite probably enjoy the same repre- sentation that North Renfrew has en- Jo) since the provincial representa- tive died a year and a half ago. A boardwalk such as the long stretch out Union street west, condemned one year and the next year definitely resolved to be torn up and réplaced by a new one, might rot away altogether of its own accord if there were no ward re- presentatives to continue their repeat- ed and urgent demands and to insist upon fair and final treatment at the very outset of the third season when it comes. To go back to the remaining argu- ment--the first cited. I may say it commends itself to me as only fair to the whole body of citizens. I we grant the abstract principle involved in it, however, would we not also have to argue for parliament. elections on the same lines and ask that the honor member for Kingston and the honorable member for anywhere else should hold their respective seats by virtue not only of the will of their respective electoral districts but also by virtue of a majority vote of the whole list of voters in Canada ? Those of us who believe col ation was a good thing and who hope to see the whole country even further united, would have to do so anyway. The thought suggests itself here that there are some voters in Ki 0 may. gi o a PR MoE AT LEAST FOR FIVE YEARS their satisfaction now the desired pure the officers. it was mainly which decided me to drop not good for After Passing The By-Law to |the idea of bringing the matter into Nr Tarte nd] Wipe Out Wards--Better Stay [pit === ba: Where We Are Until We Know | ments on each side to which I have i More. not referred. x B) Wood's Foent let- an address in | Kingston, Dec. 24. (To the Edit |ter contains valu information re- "the conservatives puri- on) "Sen i ie tin lavas garding the effect of the & Stem Jn (a man swal. | ably of Faroe hangs i th a iat. arate id then takiig of tthe sity 1 considered the main reasons for thé by- law, certain serious intrinsic defects, and of themselves suggest reasons for hesitation. . the consolidated municipal act of 1903, makes this clear, --~FRANCIS KING. ---- THE OLD LANDS. Mail News Of General Public In- / terest. There are sixty cases in' Glasgow. The Glasgow Samaritan bazaar realized £25,240, An earl is one of the applicants for the chief constableship of Fife, Piper Milne, 'who distinguished him- self at Dargai, has been appointed keeper at the custom house, Aberdeen- Mr. and Mrs, David Heggie, a happy Auchterarder couple, have celebrated the sixty fifth anniversary of their wedding. An average of 2,090 yearly of smallpox hospital B 8 lives are lost 3 ly among British seamen; the French lost 250; the on. 400; United States, 1,100, About £2,000 was realized by the exhibition and sale of Irish manufac. tures held at Windsor, and visited by the king and queen. Lieut.-Col. Korbes Maclean, B.C., retires from the command of the first battalion of Gordon Highlanders at the Glasgow Garrison. The formal handing over of Pitten- crieffi Park and Glen (Carnegie's gift) to Dunfermline, took place in presence 'of over 20,000 persons. The Penrhyn ladies' choir, which has ceased its work now that the 'quarries strike is over, during its three years of singing, colleted £31,000, The manuscript of Milton's "Para- dise Lost" will be sold by auction by Sotheby in March unless previously disposed of at private sale. Mrs. Kate Purnell, South Croyden, accidentally trod on a piece of wire, the sharp point of which punctured the big toe, and she died from lock- jaw, From recent experiments there seems little doubt that the coming engine for torpedo boat destroyers, to which speed is a paramount necessity, is the turbine. The death occured at Hasler Naval hospital of Fleet-Surgeon Gilbert Kir- ket. While performing an operation he contracted blood poisoning through having pricked a finger. Lord Rosebery unveiled a memorial tablet erected in St. Giles' cathedral, Edinburgh, to officers and men of the Royal Scots who lost their lives in the South African war. James Henstock, of Matlock, Bath, head postman, who has walked 226, 300 miles, delivered 9,198,000 letters and carried 600 tons of mails during Lis forty-two years of service, has been awarded an Imperial Service Or- der by the king. The Second battalion of Royal Dub- ling Fusiliers got a great reception in Dublin. The regiment, returned from Aden, where they were detained on their voyage home from South Afiica owing to the disturbances in the Hin- terland, are stationed at Buttevant, county Cork. Some people in London earn respec- table livings solely by exercising dogs, and some who so live are ladies. T every suburb and park these exercisers of dogs may be seen every day, and one gentleman pays fifteen shillings a week for the walking-out of his bull- dogs, the young fellow who under takes the job having a dozen other employers. The British admiralty has issued re- gulations to secure the earlier retire ment of naval officers when not em- rloyed in active service by increasing the rate of retired pay. It will also ensure speedier promotion to younger The number of admirals is increased from eleven to twelve, vice- admirals from twenty-one to twenty- two; rear admirals from thirty-seven to fifty-five. Sick At Your Stomach. Perhaps feeling as if the bottom had dropped out of your life. It's Nerviliné you want. Nothing restores quiet and order to the stomach so quickly. All squeamishness auf] pausea goes away the minute you take Nerviline and an extra dose or two is always sufficient to sel vou up in first-class shave. Nerviline is an old tested re- medy for stomach and bewed troubles large 25¢. bottles. Kidney Losses Stopped. The escape of albumen from the sys- tem is most dangerous. The trouble is you may not know it. Get to the root of the disease, the kidneys, by using Peck's Kidney Pills. Two weeks treat- ment, 25c. at Wade's. Money back if not satisfactory. -- Kant Krack. Rubbers sold only at Abernethy's, The Dreyfus commission unanimous- ly recommended a revision of the case by the criminal branch of the court not consider themselves favored on be- ing asked cheap. Lawrenson's, , | and always can be relied on. Sold 4 & CEYLON NATURAL GREEN tea is pure, delicious and beneficial to health. 8old in the same form as *'8alada" black tea. Sold in seated tead packets only. By att grocers, OPEN TO.NIGLT! | 88 XMAS GIFTS Our Muffiers Are Beautiful Large assortment in new silks snd new shapes. Where's the man who doesn't like to feel the silken hug of a RICH MUFFLER ? 60c.. 75e., $1," $1.50. THE H. D. BIBBY 00. --We don't know where you can find a more complete line of LOVES than we carry. £ +:;3We have Gloves made by the best makers at home and peross the seas Gloves of all kinds," 80c. 750, $1, $1,25, $1.50 to $8.50. THE H. D. BIBBY C0. For a Shirt That's Different Something that's new aod smart-- come here. We select the patterns and material for every one of our Shirts and then have oy made by the best of shirt-makers. NO RIFF RAFF in Bhirts here, at 50c., 76c, $1, $1.25. THE H. D. BIBBY CO. Christmas - Neckwear Oome, see it. New weaves in silk --fresh from the looms. The latest 4 shapes from the best makers. NECKWEAR ELEGANCE! NECKWEAR PERFECTION 1 Not expensive either, 15¢., 26c., 50c., 7Ee. FANCY BWEATERS, 50c, 76c., $1 to $3.50. NIGHT ROBES, 50¢ , 75¢, $1, $1.25, $1.50. GROBVENOR ENGLISH RAINCOAT, a suitable gift, $10, $12 50. SUITS AND OVERCOATS. THE H. D. BIBBY CO. Cash and One Price Clothing House, Oak Hall. . | | Christmas Will Soon Be Here. @ The usual problem confronts you; "What shall I give?" A visit to our store will help you to decide and afford you relief. Our store is full of "ar- ticles suitable for men's, and youths' ~ Christmas. - You will certainly find something * he ** would be delighted to have. Suits, Overcoats and Furs For Men, Youths, Boys and Children. Come in and see our ready- to-wear Clothing. It will cost you 'nothing to do so. The best, choosing of fabrics and workmanship are here. We are selling more Suits 'and Over- coats than any other store in town--we wouldn't if ours were not the best and the cheapest ; every piece a right and satis- factory one; a good investment for a Christmas gift. $tylish Neekwear, White and Color- ed 8hirts, Underwear, Fancy Hos- iery, Collars, Cuffs, Gloves and Mitts, Umbrellas, Raincoats, Sweaters, Car- digan Jackets, Hats, Caps and Silk Braces, etc, TARAS Christmas Gift ! Jos. Abramson The Peopjes Clothier 1 Box Fine Toilet Soap Gems Punisher, Given Away with each REMEMBER the place--Betwoen. | $1 purchase during Redden's and Crawford's. 7 © N.B. == This store wil be open ev evening during this week. THIS WEEK. Member Of Parliament Dies. ba of cassation. The court will assemble Why next month to hear the case, London, Dec. 26.--Charles Lindsay | Suffer with dyspepsia, indigestion, Must not be confounded with som Orr-Kwing, member of parliament for | flatulence, sour stomach, h , Or mon cathartic or purgative pills. Car- | the boroiigh of Air, Scotland, died on | waterbrash when there is a Fmedy at ter's Little Liver Pills are entirely un. | Thursday, He was born in 1860, Band, Wade's Dyepein Cure Whe Shem in every. respect. One trial ts the trouble at once. ot Wade's. prove their superiority. Henry Cunningham, piano tuner, Sis hives Zoe ab * * Pool | from Chickering's. Orders received at | See our all steel filled corset, at 50: MeAuley's book store, Princess strpet, ° aststcasanscannes Nine cases of consumption ov occur in this way: A person catches a cold. The not properly eured, and they catch another one, This cold dallied with by no treatment, FR L Call at For Tru Not; Yet. Too Late to C "HAPPY TH( 168 of these ranges sold i kitchen now and you will produce Wa have just now a fer cook and heating -- cheap. ---- McKELVEY & BIRCH, CE ------------------------ STOCK, GRAIN & CGT! We beg. to announce that we ha! ened 'a branch office in Exchange C bers, 114 Brock spreet, with direct connections, to all' the leading oxcha We buy stocks outright for inves or on margin, all orders are execut legitimate cxchange. The late advices from New York, B go and Toronto, are alwa our office for the benefit of ested in the markets. those - McMillan & Magu: Exchange Chamkers 114 Brock Street - Kingston, O) Also Toronto and Peterboro, FOR SALE. THREE GOOD, NEW MILCH C( one of them: halbbred Jersey. « A to' Dr.' Gibfen, 'Oity, corner sad Barrie streels. D. . LAY FOR "DANCING (PIA i ¥ 181 Alfred sirest,