PAGE FOUR 1 - mad Published Dail THE BRITIS od J. G EIMOtt .cocvssveess..,. President Leman A Guild ... aging Director and Sec.-Treas. and Semi Wiekiy by WHIG PUBLISHING Business Office . SURSCRIPTION RATES: Pally Edition) One year, delivered in city ......36.00 One year, if pald in advance 5.00 One year, by mall to rura]l offices One year, to United States ..... . (Semi-Weekly Edition) Offs year, by mail, cash One year, {i One year, to United States _...... x and three months pro rata. Attached 1s one of the best job printing offices in Canada. 1. 1.50 1.50 I'he cireniation of THE BRITISH WHIG is ant ted by the © Audit Bureau of Circulations FARMERS HAVE A CHANCE. The Ontario government is casting about for a new minister of agrieul- ture. -¥#Casting about" expresses the situation precisely, The question is not where a man can be found of pro- gressive ideas or tendencies, of ad- vanced knowledge in farming, pf am- bition to excel himself in his chosen | occupation, and to see his neighbors and fellow-farmers excel. Rather the concern of the government is to find a supporter who, after allowing for a tremendous slump in the vote, may hope to be elected. It is announced that W. T. Allen, of Collingwood, law- yer, is to be the conservative ¢andi- date in West Simcoe, made vacant by the death of Hon. Mr, Duff, and he will be opposed by -E. G. Drury, of Crown Hill, a farmer, and a son of the late Hon. Mr. Drury. Here will be a contest of some interest, one which theifermaers can settle as they like. They have been talking of in- creasing thir lead in the parliaments of Canada. This is one of their op- portunities, With a dictator in the government and a dictator in the press the people of England may have something pre- sently to think about. : SELF-DENIAL CHRISTMAS, Under the inspiration of the press, and encouraged by the leaders in public life, the people of Britain have arranged to observe the Christ- mas week as a season of self-denial. The loss of many thousands of lives ---the supreme sacrifice being made by representatives of every division of society --suggests a calm and re- spectful Bearing, a feeling that deep- ens as Christmas approaches, It did not take any persuasion to induce the masses to accept the an- niversary as a time for reflection, for meditation, for self-denial, for the avoidance of all pleasuring, or Junketing, and the "absence of all self-indulgence in material things." How susceptible the people are to wise direction? A little while ago they caught the idea of erecting at convenient points the little wooden Crosses that reminded them of absent ones, of those who had gone away never to return. The halting steps of passers-by, the bared heads, be- spoke the tenderness, the mindful- ness, the thoughtfulness, the re- verential at home. This new appeal to the heart is touching, and already the Mother Country has united in its determin- .ation to receive, spend, and pass Christmas in the subdued wnd re- spectful mood which the press com- mands. The exhortation is to give, give, give, not for luxuries at home, but for the benefit of those who,are serving the country at the fromt. e shopping is. good. Was money ong the masses ever more plenti- ful than now? - Did the merchants ever do a better Christmas trade?, AN ALL-WISE MINISTRY. The Christian Guardian, and the who all the people will have confi- » _L purpose of achieving success carry on the war With the uyndiv | Where would the Duke find | men? Are they Jn. political life Have they €éver been in | [If not, how can they enjoy the fidence of ** all the people "1 George is not the head of suc! government in England, He rer sents a divided liberal party, 3 the man who helped to bring abou! the political erisis, Lord Northcliff protests against the inclusion Lord Cecil and Mr. Balfour in tur new administration, The King of Great Britain, who is more successful than the Duke of | Devonshire, has not béen able to] call to his new government big and! strong men in whom 'all the peo- ple" have confidence, The World, then, is talking nonsence, and this must be very apparent to any stu- dent of passing events, | day? A conservative in Toronto who does not, of course, give his name, sug- gests that a naticnal government be formed in Canada under Sir Clifford Sifton. He is an organizer of the first rank. But is he not out of poli- ties? ! GOVERNMENT VS. COMMISSION. The Whig has commented upon the very evident conflict which is now go- ing on between the Ontario govern- ment and the Hydro-Electric Com- mission. There has been a jealousy of Hon. Adam Beck which the mem- bers of the government have vainly endeavored to conceal. They under- took, in the last session, to settle the power problem so that the Hydro- Electric Commission could not act without their consent. Hon. Mr. Beck was reduced in authority as far as possible, In the bBye-election in Toronto, however, the Beck influence asserted itself, The government was practical- ly ordered to take "hands off." The ministers ate humble pie. The muni- | cipalities, which became assertive and troublesome, were assured that no interference could be made with their prerogatives, Later Mr. Beck shook up the governments at Toronto and Ottawa on the Niagara power ques- tions. The great corporations were disposed to fight the commission. They were not willing to sell to it, even under contract, the power it needed at a lower price than it re- ceived for power delivéred to Ameri- can consumers. Mr, Beck was very insistent, and had his way. Then came the appeal to the muni- cipalities to sustain the conmmission on the Chippewa Creek power, and radial ratiway schemes. Two of the municipalities haulked. They were led to do this, and rumor connects the opposition with the government. Fighting Beck through the munici- palities? This could only be the aet of desperate men. There js, however, the feeling that the commission is rushing the municipalities into lia- bilities which may prove burdensome to them; and the municipalities have no represemtation upon the commis- sion, The comseat of the people to contracts, involving an expenditures many miltions of dollars, is necessary, and 'the expenditure of the money, without any check from the munici- palities is objectionable. It is time the municipalities called a halt while they took stock and decided what their course should. be. EDITORIAL NOTES. The council . on' Monday evening holds its last meeting for 1916. 'Will it partake of the usual love feast? public returns the excess profits which have been assessed by the im- perial government, and for the pur poses of war. These profits are all larger than they were in 1915, St ---------- The Montreal Gazette a pro-Ger- man paper? Surely not. It may have its own ideas as to the causes of the war, but" there is no question about the loyalty of our contempirary. Some of its recent articles may re- quire explanation. e------------------ The federal government should equip in/Canada, and at once, a home and school for the blinded soldiers. These should be trained for useful- ness, as they can only be in institu- tions such as the Pearsons have founded in England. fem ------ Sir Edmund Walker says that "for obvious reasons" many of the return- ed soldiers will take up land. Many will not, or cannot. The average man make a sorry mess of it. Farming is heavy .work, too, and only the physi- cally fit ean undertake it, © * ---- The power, or terror, of the press The London Chronicle prints from} dence, men who would fearlessly | election Abstinence in Britain. (Caliegram) The whole resources of the spirit it is believed, will be u 3 ontrol early in the new ven and the accumulated stocks diverted to other purposes than drink. A Sorrowful Admission. (Toronto World): at Verdun had more Collapse to do with his peace proposais than has success in Rumania. It is a bitter moment for the all-conqueror thus to address his army: have made an offer of peace to the enemy," Amerifan Fortunes. (Oswego Times) The income tax returns show that the number of incomes between $50 - 000 and $500,000 has doubled during the past year. comes of $20,000 to $50,000 have in- creased 50 per cent, Supreme Contempt. (Orange Sentinel) ; The most contemptible person in the British Empire to-day is the one who goes about talking of peace while the blood of Belgium is un- avenged, and while the Kaiser's slave raiders are depopulating the cities of France. They want peace that rests upon atrocities. The patriot wants peace that rests upon justice, National Government. (London Advertiser) Canada needs National Govern- ment, with the best men of the whole Dominion called from east and west The best sentiment in Canada favors such a movement. It-is vile that partisanship should hold sway in wartime, a positive crime when the matter is given serious considera- tion IXINGSTON EVENTS 26 YEARS ACO The Christmas rush is oun in the stores. A bumper business is being transacted by the merchants. A large number of citizens signed the temperance pledge at a meeting held in the Opera House by Joe Hess. The men appointed as city firemen will receive $3656 per year. CONSERVATIVE VIEW OF THE WAR Toronto Mail (Con.). There are few grown-up Cane adians who could not give intere ing accounts of this or that military operation, of tragic incidents ol the war, and of heroic performances of sons of this Dominion at the front, Hence it may seem that any apat'iy there is about the war is not to be set down to want of knowledge. This is an error, We believe the principal cause for the lack of seriousness about the war, for the continued absorption of so many of our people in the pursuit of pleasure and of gain, is their failure to grasy the meaning of 'the war, No one is ignar- ant of the struggle that is goirg on among the Great Powers of Europe, but the knowledge of it that our least concerned people have is hardly better than no knowledge. but persons with the heedlessness ofl insanity could go on in their oid selfish ways and at the same time be possessed of the right idea of the Si "Soldier I! The receipts from in-| Noae 7' THE DAILY BRITISH WHIG, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1916. Eel p---- wrmm---- gravity of the Pgussian periel. There] 7 Jae many degress of knowledge that] these | PUBLIO OPINION Frany Canadians Tigve of the dangers; Bose . i jour overseas forces are helping to! bield-us-from.--So-far from setting more careless ones thinking and re-| | solving, the war has scarcely scraped | he surface of this. consciousness. | e will need. to 'be tremendous hings done, incredible hardships suffered by many armies, and great of our brave men slain, if our -easy-minded stay-at-homes are! ! not to have a rougher acquaintance ials of this' war than they number of the now drea r PUTTING ON PRES- SURE IN ENGLAND MM Louther, Britis MP * Almost two years passed before an htened press, led by Lord North cliffe, succeeded in forcing the Gov- |ernment to introduce compulsory military service. Armchair pessimists | predicted the measure would never be acceptéd by the country, since the | spirit of compulsion was alien from our character and traditions. But the people recognized its ne- cessity The principle which the measure enshrines without a doubt been accepted by an almost un- ianimous nation; and that principle holds good for all persons and all ser- vices, whether military or otherwise. } 1 demand for this country what far- ghted Germany recognized as vital to her existence--compulsor dustrial labor. There is nothing logical or harsh in this demand---no- thing that anyone in earnest about winning the war couid object to. For surely if it is just and right to com- pel a man to shoulder his rifle and enter the ranks, it cannot be unjust or illogical to compel another man, better suited for the work, to enter workshop and fashion the rifle or his brother to carry To-day no one in the enjoyment of health should be allowed to-.continue a drudge upon thé nation. ldleness s a luxury the country ¢an no longer afford. enl has has the SPEEDING UP BRIT- AIN'S MAN POWER London Mail Has the Man-Power Distribution Board recommended an amendment of the Military Service Act, rendering every man up to a certain age, attest ed or unattested, liable to military service, without right of appeal to ranybody other than a military com- iad That, in the judgment of tall in touch with the recruiting ques- {tion, is the only possible solution of the problem. It would give equality {of treatment and justice to ail. It | would not faver the "rich" man's son at the expense of the '"'poor," or the shirker at the expense of the patriot. | Why has it 'mot, already been done? Can the Governfigent explain? Sir Douglas rig must have the men, and the nation will never forgive the Government Af it fails to provide them, Are ministers gware that Ger- many is at the present time mobilis- ing her entire pgpulation, women as well as men, for a gigantic effort next- spring; tha! Italy is preparing to take a similar course; that France is discussing it and asking her Allies to send more men to the front? And what gre wé going to do? Ever notice how particular a bald man is about the care of his hair? Pleasure before duty means that duty will lose out, Random Reels "Of Shoes and Ships and Seallng THE 5.CENT LOAF The '5-cent loaf is a once popular article of food which has vanished into space, along with. 9-cent gaso- line and the resilient bustle. {Owing to the great number of Russian prisoners who have been captured while still in the possession of their appetites, the demand for bread in Europe has increased faster than the receipts of a temperance bar at a county fair. This has made it necessary for thousands of people in this country to go without any- thing that looks like bread, except on Sunday, when they attack the hot soda biscuit and repent in an earnest and heartfelt manner all night. Until the European war struck its stride a large loaf of bread, con- taining nourishing qualities and numerous air-holes, could be hought anywhere in this country for the small sum of five cents. One loaf of this bread would sustain a med- jum sized family for several hours, when served along with such dain- ties as a pot roast of corned beef Wax, of Cabbages and Kings" See Our Silk Knitted Scarfs for Ladies and Men, $1.00 to $5.75 ~ Bibby: AR USEFUL GIFTS FOR BOYS Ty Dents i tin Wool Lined Dog Skin Glove $1.75. - See Bibbys Boys' Sweater Coats $1.00, $1.50 -- Sweater Coats For Boys Sizes, 28 to 34 Boys' Knitted Toques Special values 50c Boys' Shirts ial value 75c. $4.00 each. ----_-- Soft roll cuffs. Spec- Boys' Bath Robes "NT $7.50 Boys' Overcoats Sizes 28 to 33. Good warm ulster, with new two-way collar. TN Boys' Overcoats Special Values, + $12.00 Real classy sort of ulster, shawl col- lar, belted back, blue, brown and grey chinchilla cloths, fancy Scotch tweeds. Splendidly tailored. Sizes 29 to 34. i ee a MOORES ~ ELECTRICAL _ SHOP , oh THE SHOP of MANY XMAS GIFTS EVERYTHING ELECTRICAL SEE our new Mahogany Parlor Lamps. nm HOW CHRISTMAS SHOULD BE SPENT London Chronicle, "The Daily Chronicle's" appeal for a Seif-Denial Christmas--which does not mean: a Christmas without festi- vity, but a Christmas without thoughtless extravagance--is meeting with widespread approval, as com- munications from all sides testify. Christmas in wartime ought to have ad and cabbage. This caused many people, who would naturally prefer a cream puff or chocolate sundae to buy a G-cent loaf every week and work it up into toast ever and anon. When the price of flour began to climb steadily toward the top of Mount Popocatepetl the baker was obliged to do ome of two things ---- leave out the flour or climb with it, As miost people objected to bread without any flour in it, it was deemed best, for the good of the order, to construct a 10-cent loaf which looked just like its predeces- sor and would quench thirst just as well. People who are in favor of the war in Europe have to pay just as much for, this bombon, as the pacifist, which teaches us that retri- bution occasionally lands in the right spot. The only remedy for the disap- pearance of the G-cent loaf as we knew it when it was in good health is to go without it and live on the 1 aerated soup bone. ~~ neither economy nor fsting as the {keynbte; the proper keynote is simp-|} |1y unselfishness, the old Dickens key- inote; and when this is maintained {everything else will fall into its pro- | per place. The ritual of merely self- ish indulgence, which has often us- urped the names of hqspitality rand generosity with all too little right to them, ought to become impossible this Christmas for any patriotic man or woman, One thought of the im- mense self-sacrifice of our soldiers and of the greatness of the cause, to which it has been dedicated, ought to purge that sort of grossness away. If we want to spend let us spend on the men at the front or the wounded in the hospitals; but let us remember the need of fhe nation, for which they have! fought, and not do. our little best to help the Germans, by spending needlessly on ourselves. First Car Ne w Raisins Just Arrived. At all Grocers. Insist on SUNKIST LADIES' COATS Get your winter coat made and dresses for very New York low prices. Skirt and DALY GARAGE 335 King Street. Phone 363. We furnish aste supplies of all kinds; gasoline, motor oll, ete. Cars washed and stored at rea- Nonehle Vr romiptly ed epale w. » attend to, Satisfustion gunranteed. J. P. Daly, Prop. dd dd 7%