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Commentary on the Highlights of the Week's News . . . By Elizabeth Eedy SUNDAY COMPANY: Take a drive through Eastern or Western Ohtativ's agricultural areas of a Sunday afternoon, and what do you see in every farm lane? Two or three swank cars standing empty after bringing a load of vis- itors from the city or nearest big town to sponge on their poor far- mer friends and relatives for the day. And there you see the com- pany, rocking back and forth on the verandah chairs while the far- mer's wife, up since dawn, slaves in the kitchen in mortal fear lest the table won't "groan" enough to suit those limitless city-bred appetites, always ready for an- other meal, Sweet are the uses of hospital- ity but they can't stand too much strain. If the farmers of Ontario were not such out-and-out indi- viduals, they would long ago have risen up in a body to protest against their Sundays being tak- en away from them in such incon- siderate fashion. But even though the farmer may never go on strike for a free Sunday, some day he will murder the occupants of the first car to turn into his lane of a Sabbath morn. And the jury will acquit him . . .. SENATE KILLED IT: The peo- ple of Canada felt that at last they were getting some action, when, following the report of the Royal Commission probe into the Dominion's prisons, the Govern- ment gave notice of its intention to carry out some of the recom- mended reforms, to establish a three-man Commission to admin- ister Canada's penal system. But the Senate killed the bill as it was rushed through on the final day of the parliamentary session. Prison reform in Canada is thus given an indefinite setback because our parliamentarians were in a hurry to get away for the ~ holiday. A GRIM LAUGH: Vociferous protests from the. British people led by the parliamentary Opposi- tion caused Prime Minister Cham- berlain last week to make a real fuss about the consistent bombing of British ships by 'insurgent air- men in Spain (55 British vessels have been sunk in two years with corresponding loss of life). But the ironic part of it is that Mr. Chamberlain asked Mussolini to -ask Franco to stop the bomb- Ings, when everybody knew that Italian planes were responsible for the outrages! A laugh indeed, but a grim one. FEELING THE PINCH: Pull- ing in her belt another notch at home last week, Japan is prepar- ing for the greater and greater strain which is sure to be felt as the Chinese war keeps on. War essentials are now rationed (no more cotton cloth or iron pro- ducts may be manufactured for domestic use); imports, save of war materials, are curtailed; the government is controlling prices of commodities, Nome Says Japanese War Minister Itagaki: "The war will continue a long time. Chiang Kai-shek may attempt to continue hostilities throughout his lifetime and as long as Chiang continues, Japan must continue, Consequently, Lit is necessary that the Japanese re- solve to continue fighting at least ten years." Political observers are prac- tically unanimous in their view that, at the rate she is now going, Japan cannot possibly last those ten years. BUMPER CROP: Hold your breath now lest something happen to spoil Western Canada's chances for a bumper wheat crop this year. At the moment, everything is all set for the fulfilment of our Prairie farmers' best fbpes, mois- ture conditions Leing just right. The next two weeks will be de- cisive ones. Better times for all of Canada will result if present crop conditions hold. NEXT OBJECTIVE: Poor lit- tle neutral Switzerland is shiver- ing in Les shoes. Within her borders dwel! 2,000,000 German- speaking people, a juicy bite for Herr Hitler whose avowed pur- pose is to unite all the German race into one nation. Switzerland shivers in spite of the assurance given by Berlin last week that no German troops would march through her territority in event of war. One reason why she quakes: German Field Marshal Goring re- cently published in his "National Zeitune map of Greater Ger- many, prepared by Reich propa- gandists for -~chool use, which pie- tured practically' the whole of Switzerland as belonging to the Reich. The Swiss frontier is "the boundary of the internal separa- tion of the German people," an- nounced Goring's news-sheet and claimed Switzerland's 3,000,000 Germans as "exiled citizens of the German Reich". In France, however, the belief is current that the next Hitler "putsch" (now that Czechoslo- vakia has him stopped for the time being) will result in the annexa- tion of Danzig. The capture of this Baltic port would be an easy walk-over, would restore Hitler's flagging prestige. Expect dévelopments in that di- rection, then, not many week-ends off. The Human Skin Is Illness Clue Doctors Foretell Course of Disease by Its Elasticity Ability of the human skin to stretch is a newly discovered prognosticator of death or recov- {ery in several serious diseases. ~The methods of using skin stretch, worked out at Tulane University school of medicine, were reported to the American Medical Association by William A. Soderman, M.D., and George Burch, M.D. When It Tightens The skin, which doctors call "the outer defense of the body," changes its elasticity during disease. The change is connected with alterations in the pressure of body tissues. The Tulane phy- sicians have worked out methods of measuring both skin stretch and tissue pressure and of using them to foretell the course of ill- ness before the patient himself feels a change. In disease the skin tightens; the tissue pressure rises. In health the abdomen skin has the greatest elasticity, six times as much as that of the shin bone, and twice as much as the skin on the back of the hand. The pressure in the- tissues of the back of the hand is equal to a column of water half an inch deep. From this lcw it 1anges up to an inch-and-a-half of water for leg tissues. But in some diseases these tissue pressures are multi- plied up to 10 or 15-fold. The diseases are heart edema, kidney troubles, pernicious anem- ia, peritonitis, pregnancy toxem- ias, malnutrition and sclerodema. The latter is the "steel skin" de- scribed by Sir William Osler. The skin loses all its elasticity, until fingers cannot bend and finally it cracks, A Good Voice Is An Asset An Unpleasant One Ruins the Whole Effect Otherwise Pro- duced by One's Personality. It's a mistake for any girl to work hard to improve her figure, hair, skin and her taste in clothes but ignore completely the fact that she has an improperly placed, unpleasant voice. Because, no matter how attractive she is, un- less her voice has a fairly sooth- ing effect on others, they just aren't going to listen to her--not for long anyway. To say that a girl has a nice voice that she has a low voice. It can be high and still be pleasant to the ear. Breathe Correctly One good way to begin a voice- improvement campaign is to do a breathing exercise regularly until you breathe correctly all of the doesn't necessarily mean time without thinking about it. Do practice speaking slowly and enunciating correctly. Nothing is worse on anyone's nerves than having to listen to a woman who rattles on, slurring words together and speaking so rapidly that half she says can't be understeod at all. The exercise to correct bad speech is as simple as the breath- ing exercise that will tend to im- prove the voice. Just read aloud for fifteen minutes every day. Go to your room, close the door, then read. Listen to yourself and try I PL I - Lobster-eating Champ Charles A. Young won the world lobster-eating championship at Atlantic City by eating 22 lob- sters in 2 hours, Silica, sand, salt and limestone or lead, the four principal sub- stances 'necessary for glass-mak- ing, are well distributed through- out the world. Nearly all the ma- terials necessary for the many branches of the glass industry are obtainable in the United States. VOICE THE WORLD AT LARGE of the CANADA . THE EMPIRE PRESS CANADA Farmer's Utopia The farm without weeds is either owned and operated by a master farmer, or the soil is so poor that nothing will grow.--Farmer's Ad- vocate. Not For Him And then there is the story of the motoring fiend who had his first ride in a trailer. He nearly went mad because he couldn't pass the car in front. --Toronto Saturday Night. , Where The Taxes Go Where some of our taxes go: To pay interest charges on the. public debt of Canada, makes necessary a weekly outlay of $2,750,000. Try working that out in days and min- utes.--Niagara Ralls Review. Sometime We'll Learn The Highway Traffic Act now makes It ¢ltear that passing another vehicle on the right is not permit- ted, and no exception is made in respect of street intersections, but the news does not seem to have got around. Public Service Its Purpose This is something The Journal has sought to emphasize all along; the clear fact that interest on the national investment in the Canadi- an National Rallways Is and must be in resultir.g public service; just as the interest on investments in many other public works--aids to navigation, harbors, post offices, etc.--is and must be in public ser- vice. In other words, to put the thing briefly, transportation, in a land such as Canada, 1s a basic and essential government function--its cost a part of the cost of govern- ment; of the national existence.-- Ottawa Journal. The Dictionary Says So Those who lost money some years ago betting that "transpire" didn't mean '"'sweat," are now being ask- ed to lose some more by people who say they can produce diction- ary authority for accenting the noun "envelope" on the second syl- lable. And they can. Funk and Wagnall, Century and the New Im- perial give this as the preferred ac- cent. As for pronouncing the first "e" like the "a" in "alms", some authorities "favor that too, but the Oxford English dictionary, while admitting it is permissible, says there is no good reason for giving this French sound to a word that has been Anglicized in spelling nearly 200 years.--Toronto Star, Not "News" We just thought we'd tell you that: There are 48 nations in the world still at ace. A large num- ber of autoists drove safely anil courteously through Vancouver streets yesterday. Several million Canadians are working and draw- ing regular pay cheques. We saw people laughing this morning. The mangle-wurtzel crop is good this |y ar. Most people really like spin- ach. A girl and boy sat on a Vie- tory 'Square: bench at lunch-time yesterday, and lost track of the world around them as they looked in each c.her's 'eyes. This isn't news, but we thought we'd tell you. Sometimes we get so fed up with news that we like to stop and think of things like these. -- Vancouver Sun, mo The EMPIRE Tools For Peace Construction It is reported that when the League Council assembled on the last day of its recent session at Ge- neva a spectator fn the gallery stood up and shouted: "I speak for "the people of Europe! Long live Peace! Long live the League and the United States of Europe!" He was promptly ejected by detectives. "In the circumstances, perhaps, this was wise; for the 101st session of the Council will surely go down on record as the most depressing in its history. In considering the present sickness of the League, however, it is important to distinguish bétween cause and effect. The cause, as has often been pointed out, is no fault in the organization or principles of the League but the weakness and stupidity of its members. So when, recently, the Council rejected Spain's appeal, gave but cold com- fort to China, and encouraged the abandonment of Abyssinia, these were the failures of Governments and, in particular, of the Govern- ments of Britain and France. Such failures may be disastrous, but they need not directly affect the struc- ture of the League of Nations. In time new and different Govern- ments will be elected to power which, by using the same tools as those now thrown down, will con- struct peace in Europe.--Manchest- er Guardian, { What Science * |g Daing, * DRUG ATTACKS PNEUMONIA LONDON, England. -- A drug that attacks pneumonia by break- ing down the capsules or shells of the bacteria and allowing the white tlood corpuscles to vanquish the or- ganisms points the way to a new line of medical research, experts believe. Two physicians at St.:Bartholo- mew's Hospital, reporting in the Lancet, describe results of pneu- monia treatment with a new mem- ber of the so-called "sulphanilamide group" of drugs, "M and B 693", named after the makers, May and Baker. NORTHERN LIGHTS MAKE « © NOISES Many persons have claimed they could hear sounds from the heavens during displays of northern lights, but most of the observers were without scientific training. A re- port by Professor Carl Stormer, of the Institute of Theoretical Astro- physics, Norway, states that during the great auroral display on Janu- ary 25 and 26 methbers of his staff distinctly heard sounds which they associated with the movement of the white beams in the lights, and reports from outside observers con- firm their findings. LISTEN TO BLOOD STREAM HAMILTON.--Medical men at- "tending a clinic at the General Hos- 'pital here saw a demonstration of an amplified stethoscope, a new in- strument which actually '"broad- casts" movements of the organs of the body and the blood stream. The demonstration, was one of the features of a two-day program. VACCINATION FOR CAN:ZR TORONTO.--Vaccination against experimental cancer is being suc- cessfully carried out in the labora- tories of the department of medi- cal research, University of Toron- to, in the Banting Institute To date it has been proved effective in mice, against chemically induced cancer and will have to be tried out on monkeys when further de- veloped. . After that, its arplication to hu- man beings would be considered, Dr. W. R. Franks, assistant profes- sor in charge of the work, says. NEW ELEMENT TOO ELUSIVE TORONTO.--The chances of man ever discovering or seeing the ele- ment "illinium," one of the few mis- ~ sing links in the table of elements, have vanished. Dr. T. R. Wilkins, of the Univer- sity of Rochester, Rochester, N.Y., told the American Physical Society meeting here last month that a new method of precise chemical analysis indicates the element either does not exist or at most comes into ex- istence and vanishes again in a few millionths of a second. i Illinium has been the most elu- sive of the elements and was so named by a group of University of Illinois physicists who made the nearest approach to isolating and identifying it. It is one of the so- called "rare earths," samarium and neodymium being its nearest neigh- bours. i Crop Outloo Is Favorable i For Ontario Department of Agriculture Re- port Shows Bountiful Har- vest for Most of Province; Damaged Tobacco Replant- ed. TORONTO.--Spring rains and warm weather have brought prom- ise of good crops in most parts of the province, the Ontario Depart. ment of Agricultur: announces. The report says: "A new indus- try in the form of an alfalfa de- hydration plant is in full swing in the Oakville district. This plant is me chandising approximately 20 tons) per day." -t Look Promising North Simcoe reported that fre- quent and heavy rains in the past two weeks "have promoted very rapid growth," although damage was heavy in the north part of the county from a recent storm. Prince Edward County, in Central Ontar- fo, reported that- "all crops look promising." "Hay crop is looking very good as we have had plenty of rain, but the grain crop is probably damaged by a little too much rain," the de- partment's representative in Coch-. rane said. The report added that "all crops, however, looking better than average." x Abundant Feed Pastures in Middlesex County generally are in excellent condition with abundant feed for all kinds of livestock. Spring grains there will have a fair length of straw while 'corn and roots 'are rather back- ward because of cool weather, but in most instances are a good stand." Britain is aiding emigration to Australia. : : A--C MAREE LLL LESTER ETL P PEPER TREN IIOP POPPI Py INAMES NEWS 2000 EIILIIIOSIIIL IPO 0IILILL0000000000000600 Australia Boasts Underground P.O. ADELAIDE, Australia.--Philat- elists (stamp collectors) are just beginning to take a marked in- terest in Coober Pedy, the remote South Australian opal field, :be- cause it possesses the only under- ground post office in the world. The prospectors live in "rooms" dug into the soft earth of the low sandstone hills. Here, too, is their bank and their post office. Recent issues of stamp journals carry articles dealing with the unique interest of covers bearing the postmark of Coober Pedy, which is the aboriginal name for white man's burrow. It has been suggested that specially decorated covers should be made available for use on Coober Pedy's inter- national air mail. : New Zealand plans to abolish its unemployment tax on wages. THE WONDERLAND OF OZ WN 7 "That's the way to talk I? cried the gnome King. "What is your name, general?" "I am called Guph, your Majesty." "Well, Guph,", said the King, "come with me to my private cave and v.e'll talk it over." Then he turncd to the army. "You are to obey the commands of General Guph until he becomes dog feed," he raid. "Any man who fails to obey will thrown away. You are now dismieséd," Guph went to the King's pri- \ vate cave and sat down upon the King's chair, Then he lit his pipe and threw the live coal he had taken from his pocket upon the King's left foot and puffed smoke into the King's eyes, making him ver uncomfortatle, For he was a wise old gnome and he knew that the best way to get along with the King was to show him that he was not afraid of him. "I am ready to talk," he said. The King looked at his new gen- eral fiercely. "Do you not tremble to take such liberties with your Monarch?" he asked. "Oh, no," said Guph. "You mant to conquer the Emerald City and I am the only gnome in all your dominions who can do it, so you will be very careful not to hurt me until I have carried out your wishes" "But suppose you fail?" asked the King. "Then it's the slicing machine. I agree to that," an- nounced Guph, "But if you do as I tell you there will be no fail- ure. The trouble with you, King, is that you don't think enough. You would go ahead and march your army through the tunsel ine 'to Oz and get defeated. I won't. And the reason I won't is because hen I march I will have a host allies to assist un" i LRA a a a Ng Cg Cg a A. N. MITCHELL: Chosen ag the new President of the Canada Life Assurance (fom- pany, Mr. A. N. Mitchell, of To- ronto, still in his early fifties, 'is one of the most brilliant of the younger insurance men in Amer- ica, Only last month he was elec- ed President of the Life Insur- ance Officers of Canada. Mr. Mitchell has had a diversi- fied career, starting out as a school teacher, branching out into news- paper work, then joining the staff of the Manufacturers' Life as ad- vertising manager in 1921, He remained with the Manufacturers for ten years, rising to the posi- tion of Assistant Secretary of the company. In 1911 he joined the Federal Lifé in Hamilton, was ap- pointed General Manager the fol- lowing year, When the Federal was absorbed . by the Sun Life in 1915, Mr, Mitchell joined the Canada Life as an Assistant Superintendent. In 1926 he became Assistant General Manager; General Manager, 1930; Vice-President, 1985. In the period during which he has been General Manager of Canada Life, the country has passed through very difficult times, Mr. Mitchell had a tough job, but he has done it well. His sound conservatisin, his great energy and capacity for work have been in- valuable assets, will continue to aid him in a distinguished career. Men Welcome Practicality Women Should Remember This When Shopping For Them Salesmen in men's shops never forget that they have to have in stock what they call women's mer- chandise--things that appeal to wives who shop for their husbands and are subsequently exchanged. It is a woman's duty, obviously, to steer clear of these cye-catch- ers. This turns out to be laugh- ably easy if the woman keeps in mind one fundamental; the gar- ment or accessory the woman is considering for her male relative will be welcomed if it has prac- tical value, Several men's shops in New York were combed for practical, attractive summer things this week, A shirt made like a carpen- ter's jacket of closely woven nubby cotton has 'a row of deep pockets across the front below the waist, where a man can tuck the things he wishes to carry about with him. For the man joining the ladies on the terrace of his country club there has been de- signed a collarless jacket of heavy crash linen that is cool and looks easy to wear, Single-breast- ed, with long sleeves and an elas- tic strap across the back to give it a slightly nipped-in line at the waist, it can be had in Favy or white. Pitt Invented Weird Taxes British Treasury Once Taxed Windows, Hats and Hair A hundred and fifty years ago, says the Magazine London "Tit- Bits", when we had lost our Amer- ican colonies and had just con- cluded a war with France, Pitt, as Treasury dictator, invented all sorts of weird taxes to raise the money needed to pay the ccun- try's way. He put a tax on horses, which so enraged a farmer, named Jonathan Thatcher, that he rode a cow to market as a protest. Windows were also taxed, the larger the house the greater the tax -- 'which explains the many blind windows to be seen in old mansions today. Hackney coach- es, hats and hair-powder; game licences, hearts, and candles, all brought unpopular grist to the Chancellor's mill. That was in 1784. : "Plum-pudding" fax In 1797 a clock tax was im- posed at the rate of 2s. 6d. in London and Middlesex, and 1s. elsewhere. The tax was a failure and was repealed the next year. Cromwell invented the *'plum- pudding" tax, one on currants and raisins, while 200 years ago a tax on malt drove the Scots to strike by refusing to drink beer. But here the Chancellor won, and the Scots swallowed the tax. Crop Is Best In Six Years . --_-- LI Finance Minister Dunning Says Conditions .in Western Wheat Belt Unequalled Since 1932. OTTAWA.--Crop conditions in the wheat-growing areas are bet- ter than at any time since 1032, Finance Minister Dunning told the House of Commons last weck. "In the southern drought trian- gle the improvement in moisture conditions' has been substantial although current rains are needed in other areas. Increased plant- ing of Thatcher wheat gives a more effective insurance against rust than we have ever had be- fore. Sounder Basis "The adequate preparations be- ing made by the provinces to deal with the somewhat less intense, but perhaps more widespread in- festation of grasshoppers, should assure that losses on this account will be minimized, "In other words, although we are only at the beginning of the critical period of the wheat crop, we may agree there appears to be a sounder basis than at any time | in the last ten years for that buoyant optimism which is again evident on the western prairies. May Restore Balance "Even with a lower world level of wheat prices a good wheat crop would, in my opinion, do more than any other single factor to revitalize our whole economic life, to establish confidence and to restore a more normal balance between the West and the East." Week-Ends In Jail Convicted of embezzling his parents' pension cheques, an American has been sentenced to spend 40 week-ends -- Saturday afternoons and Sundays--in jail, Reason: On week-days he can work to support his wife, his two children, and his parents, £ ou % Y > < KS he