THE DAILY BRITISH WHIG WHIG o PUBLISHING = LIMITED, KINGSTON, ONT RUPERT DAVIES +The passing of Cardinal Mercier has plunged the whole world into » His brave fight against 'disease has been watched with anxious interest, And millions hoped and prayed that he would be spared further years of usefulness. Cardinal Mercier will be sincerely mourned by all loyal Canadians, 'by none more than the party of - Canadian newspaper men who spent a delightful . afternoon with him, in his garden at Malines, in June 1924. - Cardinal Mercier was an out: 'standing figure during the great war. His pastoral létters which had be printed and circmiated secretly forks @ source of great strength and reached the end of our suf- Prepare your plans, place ~ batteries, co-ordinate your movements. Remember, man pro- poses, but God disposes." Greatness is not restricted to men action, and power alone may not 8 & sufficiant title to greatness: but Cardinal Mercier gave undoubted roel of a great mind and exercised eneficient Influence on the eur- It of the world when civilization on trial, Other lofty glories may with the passing of time, but i 'will - hold permanent place 1 ugh all history. sat US A ------ Agnes O. MacPhail, M.P., has 0 the Farmer's Sun, of Toronto, f the recent vote on the put up in Parliament to t the King Government. Here is ception of the issue: Mr. Meighen moved a vote Bt v4 confidence in the Govern- t would ha CONGRESS SHOULD ACT. The Washington administration and congress should heed the appeal made by the Great Lakes Harbors Association protesting against any further stealing of the Great Lakes watérs by the city of Chicago, says the Watertown, N.Y., Times. The asx sociation made a plea for legislation which would permit these lake wa- "lters as a navigation highway and forbidding any further diversion by Chicago. It 'adds: The diversion ser- fously endangers the success of the St. Lawrence canal. Canada can hardly be blamed for not being anx- fous to embark upon this big pro- ject knowing that it will be jeopar- dized by this continued steal. There must be assurance of a fairly defi- nite water level if the canal is to be a success. The United States should act and act promptly to put an end to this menace. We owe it to ouf- selves and we owe it to a friendly neighbor. CREATION OF THE TANK. A British court enquiry into the history of the tank declares that no individual was the inventor of that famous engine of war. It was brought into practical use as the out- come of the combined efforts on the party of the army and navy officials. The first tanks which appeared, in September, 1916, were a surprise more than a success, But they laid the foundations of & new arm of all fighting forces in the future, and an arm which is likely to play an in- creasingly important part. The later British tanks were speedier and more effective in all their primary purposes--which were to provide a bulletproof, armed, machine-gun de- stroying and wire obliterating ma- chine, and at the same time an agent which would give practical assist- ance and protection to infantry ad- vancing under fire. In this way, it might be said, the tank is the final development 'of the shield and of the suit of armor. The credit for inventing the tank, it has now been established, belongs to no one man. It would be of inter- est, however, to know who invented the name. Whoever it was, he had a sound appreciation of racy nomen- clature. "Tank" is a good name, short and snappy, and very apt. SAME GREAT ATHLETES. The secretary of the British For- ~ | eign Bible Bociety, back home from a 75,000 mile tour of! Africa, reports the discovery of "the greatest race of athletes in the world." They are negroes living in Central Africa, from six to seven feet tall and big in proportion, and ruled by a seven- foot king. The Englishman shows a photo- graph of one of those negroes cas- ually clearing a bar six and a half feet high by at least a foot, thereby unofficially beating the world's re- cord as recorded in white men's con- tests. Lord help the whites, says the Bible secretary, if those black giants ever break into the Olympic games. Maybe this signifies a good deal' and maybe it doesn't, comments the Oswego N.Y. Times. The biggest men ought to be able to do the big- gest things in athletics, with their advantage in strength and length of limb, though the much smaller Finns might beat them, along with the rest of mankind, in long-distance running, where endurance is the thing. It athletic prowess were gauged by the size of the contestants, and the smaller ones given a propor. tionate handicap, as they probably should be, the Japs might' beat But | everybody else, though the African pygmies would give them a run for their laurel wreaths. Yet no part of the human race need plume itself unduly on such prowess. The animals and insects are far better athletes. The jack- t rabbbit shames our best runners. The gorilla could take our strongest "weight man" and break his back. And if that African jumper were as good for his size as the flea, he could jump over a mountain. on farms in the United States de- clined from 19,767,161 on January 1st, 1920, to 16,585,759 on January 1st, 1925, a decrease 'of 3,231,402 in five years, and it Is estimated that ut the present rate of production it would take 27 years to restore the horse population to the figures of 1920. During the five years from 1918 to 1923 horses in Canada de- clined from 3,609,257 to 3,630,641. Thi decrease was chiefly in Eastern Canada, Ontario showing a loss of 59,606, while there was a consider- able Increase in Saskatchewan, Al- berta and British Columbia. SPARERIBS, How many ribs has a hog? The question is evoking considerable in- terest among 'the breeders of swine in 'the Province of Ontario. At the recent meeting of experi- mentalists, held at the O0.A.C., Guelph, Prof. Wade Toole announc- ed the fact that out of a'stated num- ber of hogs slaughtered some were found to have twelve pairs of ribs, some fourteen, some fifteen and six- teen, and there was one with sixteen on one side and Seventeen on the other. A new turn is now taken to the experiments in the development of this branch of live stock, says the Guelph Mercury. It is easy to un- derstand the advantage as a market- able product of a hog with seven- teen or more pairs of ribs over one with only twelve. Experimenters in field crops have made several blades of grass grow where none grew before, and experi- menters are, since the discovery of the multi-ribbed hog, studying the possibilities of increasing the length of the animal for the added profit likely to accrue, thus helping to make farming more profitable. Probably in the near future hogs will be judged largely by the num- ber of ribs they possess; hence a new field of endeavor is opened that will provide profit and pleasure for the farmers of the future. The hog with the larger number of ribs will be the proudest on the farm. »> EDITORIAL NOTES. Kingston fair will, during the fall of 1926, be the greatest on record it signs do not fail. ee Too many of those who are res- ponsible for the making of homes are neglecting their duties, Look about! . Investigations are being made to determine the feasibility of connect- ing American and English telephonic lines by radio. An old broker says that the reason some stocks go up and down so regularly is that, being mostly wa- ter, they rise and fall with the tide. Fo e-- The latest move of Mussolini of Italy is to impose a tax on idleness. A tax on egotism is not anticipated, as the dictator might find 'himself ruined. What forest wealth Canada has should be rigidly conserved and re- production encouraged. Fifty years hence Canada will need all her woods, The Ottawa Journal is hinting that the tariff is not a practical issue in = politics today. Mr. should be called up to dispute the statement of his favorite paper. ---- -- Probate Judge David Brucs Deem claims the unique distinction of be- ing Missouri's chief knot tier. Judge Deem has married 8,042 persons, or as many as the population of the city of Poplar Bluff, Mo., his home town. ---- ---- "Be like Byng's Boys at Vimy, who went over the top as united Cana- dians, and you will be able to accom- plish anything," wrote Adam Brown in the last message of his life as he neared the century. It Is the best of advice, Three of the "Progressives 'who vot- Meighen | {most of a largér and hetter structure, pos- sessing appointments more in keep- ing with the demands of modern education, will be reared. The cost | will be $700,000 and the governors are looking te McGill graduates to come Across. A woman with a muff caused con-~ siderable giggling on the part of the younger generation in a street car a few days ago, but the present-day generation are missing a real thrill, says the Hamilton Spectator. There never was a better place to hold hands than the inside of a muff. Ask dad, he knows. An investigator into Cleveland's administration of criminal law says it does the work swiftly and surely. The courts are always free of crim- inal cases. He thinks that even Ca- nada, so often pointed to as a shin- ing example in this respect, appears to suffer by comparison with Cleve- land, St. Thomas public library suffers from mutilations and thefts of books. Articles that have appealed to some reader, and particularly fine or at- tractive reproductions of paintings or illustrations have been ru lessly torn from books or magazines. Van- dals of ths ilk are not confined to St. Thomas, Bingston 1 suffers simil- arily. Brockville pessimists want the school nurse am to save ex- pense. We agree with the Recorder and Times when it says: "If there is to be any curtailment of the Board's operations, it should start elsewhere than with the school nurse, who has earned her salary a hundred times over by her work in behalf of public health and by promoting the effi- ciency of the schools." A vacation in law making is a new plank in United States': political platforms. The head of the Bar As- sociation, Mr. F. C. Dewey, Detroit, is looking for candidates who will pledge himself against wew acts and to dévote his best energies to de- feating as many acts as possible and to the judicious repeal of as many laws as possible. Canada could stand the same brand of candidates. ba News and Views. Seeing Both Sides. Progressive Grocer: There are two sides to every question; both of which are often entirely wrong. Masculine Conundrum. *' Detroit News: Why is it & woman, who constantly complains that she has nothing to wear, has to have six closets to keep nothing in? They Still Drive By. Indianapolis News: Every once in a while, after a fellow has forgotten there isisuch a thing, somebody drives by with a horse and buggy. But That's As Far As They Go. Chicago News: Probably neither the United States nor Canada can think of a sweeter or more desirable country to reciprocate with than the other, 'Wanted Him To Do His Staff. Landon Sunday Pictorial: A young lady, on being introduced to a famous professor, - exclaimed, "Oh, professor, please do something ab- ent-minded!"" Coming Out Soon. Ottawa Journal: Sir Robert Bor- den, it is understood, is well under way with a constitutional history of Canada; Mr. Lemieux is said to be working orn a life of Sir Wiltrld Laurier; and Sir George Foster is penning his memoirs. All three works, considering the parts played by the authors, should be of deep in- terest. . Quantity v.'Q v.' Quality. Kitchener Record: It is the paper age. A single newspaper in Néw York announces that ft will use 118,000, 000 pounds of paper next year. That. is more paper than hid been used In the whole history of the world, for 'all purposes, when George Washing- ton was born. And yet, there had been paper Shousl to write and print the Jitezature of t.and i Duman race has uced. In cer- tain "things, in science and machin- 3 ors tha 200 years have done 1 your best. quality of our new *40.00 BIBBY"S COAT STORE (3 pieces) *37.50 At. $25.00 BIBBY'S THE MEN'S AND YOUNG MEN'S SUIT AND OVER: DRESS WELL AND SUCCEED Good clothes are a mark of gentility and prosperity. Look . We are now giving a demonstration of the superior style and TUXEDO SUITS The Olympic The Varsity The Oxford 45.00 The elegance that comes through perfect and skilful tailor ing will appeal to you in these Suits. DON'T MISS OUR JANUARY SALE Suits and Overcoats Here is where you can save at least a Ten Dollar Bill. insincere and based upon self-inter- est, there is undoubtedly much truth in what the president says. So long as a steady and progres- sive improvement in the situation i discernible, the public will be ready to wait patiently for the happy day when the system will have ceased to be a burden and 'be one of the Do- minions greatest assets. That the day is coming may be confidently predicted from the actions of the critics themselves. Their very per- turbation---ostensibly based on con- cern or the public interest--is a sign that they regard the National system either as a dangerous rival or as a desirable acquisition. The public will be content to hang on till all dit. ficulties have been overcome, con- fident that the system is in good keeping and that the president is capable of fulfilling his promise of putting it on a paying basis. It can- not be done in a day, and it cannot be done without the loyal support of the public and the willing ¢o-opera- tion of all classes and even rival systems. If a spirit of mutual help fulness prevails, it can and will be done. It is surprising that such pro- gress has been possible, in view of the strong organized opposition to which the management has been subjected. Brave Attempt at Whitewashing Hamilton Herald. So far as this paper knows, the London Free Press is the only Con- servative newspaper which is bold enough to attempt a defence of Hon. | Hugh Guthrie's open bid for Pro- gressive support. "It is twisting of Mr. Guthrie's. words and the mean- ing of his statement to say that he offered to forego principles of the Conservative party and proposed to surrender to the Progressives if they would support Mr. Meighen" as- serts the Free Press. The party loyalty of 'the London paper is more conspicuous than its| candor in this statement. Mr. Guthrie | told the Progressives that if they were to vote the King government out of office and a Meighen govern ment into office, they would conf tinue to occupy a "dominant. in the house." That is to say, would be in a position to dictate the | policies of the government. And Mr. Guthrie, by his | | exercise n Swvernmeat | servative over tbe Liberal Sw mitted that itation to them to | A SPLENDID NUMBER. Queen's Has Fine Collection of Bliss Carman's Works. Winnipeg Free Press. Here is the best number of "Queen's Quarterly" that has come my way for some time, albeit that |} magazine is one of the best two In Canada. If I remember, we used to get the "Who's Who," but now not a word. Therefore I do not know who Lionel | the |} "Canadian Poetry ||| and the Universe," nor who Nathan |} van Patten may be, that tells how |} Stevenson is that contributes critical article, Bliss Carman is the first Canadian poet to nourish the passion of the collector, It seems, from all signs in current bibliomanta, that the rage is for first editions of writers, Bliss Carman is the one Canadian writer who has captured 1 the heart of the bibliophile. Indeed, Mr. R. H. Hathaway gives the long Odell |} list of fibst editions for Mr. Shepard's eritical volume on Bliss Carman and his werk, published a f few years ago. There is an excellent collection in fhe (ibrary of Q 's university we are told. "To possess a complete set of all of Bliss Car- man's works is beyond the hope of even the most optimistic of ecol- lectors." Mahy books by him have been issued in limited editions. "DRY CHIEF bénefit of a contributor's |} living and modern || All special orders made up promptly and a pertect a Sudr- anteed. Private office for Siena and fitting. See the celebrated "Comp" Belt for Men and Women -- strong, light and comfortable. 'PHONE 343. 185 PRINCESS STREET