Sasa ato mth HE STR ike! i ery 4 Si ek Dg ATFORD M ™ a ee a eA, Sk ta Pubbdished Weekty by the Stratford Mirror Press, 123 Ontario St. BENSON JOHNSTON, Publisher DAVID RAE, Manager Vol. 24 Circulation 4,200 STRATFORD, AUGUST 16, 1946. No. 33 Alderman Rogers Plans Retirement Announcement of Alderman J. H. Rodgers that he will not run for the 1947 council will be met with regret throughout the. city. It is largely through his efforts that the 30-year Master Plan for Stratford's future development was so_ successfully evolved, and the city owes him a deep debt of gratitude. Stratford today is in a very fav- oured position in regards to the at- traction of new industry. Interest in her Planning and Development schemes has been nation-wide, focus- ing the attention of business exec- utives across the country on the de- sirability of this city as a site for future industrial expansion. More and more modern industrialists have come to realize the importance of the community in the success or failure of their projects. A city which has a concrete and well-de-|, veloped plan for the betterment of community life and control of future expansion is certain to attract their favour. Not for many years will the full benefits of this far-sighted program be felt, and future circumstances may necessitate further changes and improvements. The influence of Alderman Rodgers in the years ahead, when the plan must be trans- lated into actual practise, could be of inestimable. value. It is to be hoped that, after a short vacation from municipal affairs, he will de- cide to return to active participation in civic government. Ottawa Still Without Immigration Policy Is Canada missing the boat on im- migration? Most competent. author- ities agree that large numbers of immigrants are needed in Canada if this country is to maintain its high living standards and hold its posi- sion in the international field. Yet ~fitons of minority pressure and /¢@tional differences, the govern- mént is treating the whole subject like a hot potato. At the end of May Canada cauti- ously lowered her immigration bars a little to permit entry of certain relatives of people already resident here who are in a position to re- ceive and care for such relatives. So far there has been no indication of over-all immigration policy for the future. Our sister-dominion Australia, by way of contrast, has decided cate- gorically that she wants 70,000 im- migrants a year. Large-scale im- migration is slated to commence just as soon as the country has rehabil- itated veterans and war-workers and solved the housing problem. Already the Australian Minister of Immigration has visited England and Europe and received an encour- aging response to migration appeals. He was surprised at how many Nor- dics were interested. One group of young enthusiasts in Norway were even prepared to build their own boat and sail it to Australia. It is such types of people that Can- ada needs and is turning away from her doors. ¥ moe 1 SEE IT BY ELMORE PHILPOTT IN LAST WEEK'S ARTICLE I INDICATED THAT THE CCF government of Saskatchewan is on the spot. It has done most of the things which could be put in the "opportunist" class. But has just got to the doorstep of really fundamental change. Whether it steps through that door is a matter for future history. : The plight of the CCF in Saskathcewan highlights the rapidly approaching social showdown in all the Prairie provinces. That coming battle is between the co-operative form of business and the old-fashioned competitive system. At Ottawa the battle between the co-ops and big business seems just another more or less academic issue. But in any Saskatchewan or Alberta town you soon get the true picture. The forces are lining up right now for a knock-em-down and drag-em-out fight. The fight will cut across all sorts of institutions. It has already begun to line up members of the same families on opposite sides. WHEN ONE READS THE EXPENSIVE ADVERTISEMENTS of the bureau of big business called the Income Taxpayers' Associa- tion, or when one hears the slanted radio blurbs against co-ops, one is inclined to think in citified terms. But in the Prairie town where the brother who owns the local hardware store is hardly on speak- ing terms with the sister who is the main push in organizing more and more co-ops, the coming events already plainly cast their shadow before the fact. The co-ops have long been strong in spots of the Prairies. But recently, their progress has reached the point where remaining private business feels immediately and personally menaced. * * * IN THE WEEKS I HAVE BEEN ON THE PRAIRIES I THINK I see a difference in the technique in two provinces. In Saskatche- wan there seems to be more of a local militancy--more of a deter- mination to drive out local private business. In Alberta there is somewhat more disposition to buy out going concerns on the lock- stock-and-barrel basis.- From the standpoint of the people benefitted by co-ops the danger in the Alberta tendency is obvious. The prices paid may 'prove too generous. Just as dying capitalistic institutions sometimes unload on governments -- who buy them out at inflated prices, as Canada did with the old Grand Trunk -- so now expanding Prairie co-ops are in danger of finding themselves' loaded with too high (Continued on page 5) os Aa Few men are satisfied with less than the best, for good apparel contri- butes to one's well-being and com: fort, and is always better value. If you feel that the best shoes should be among' your possessions, re- member, you can't buy a better shoe than the Hartt shoe. GOOD SHOES PROPERLY: FITTED ONTARIO Horn Honkers Annoy Residents (By Q. E. D.) We Stratfordites like to look upor. our community as one of the lead-- ing musical centres of Ontario. And,. what with our Festival, Communty~ Concert Association and the Perth: County Music Teachers' Federation series of concerts, we are at least half right in our claims. Where we do fall short is in our support of Stratford's own musical organiza- tions. For example, we feel that the attendance at the concerts in the band shell could be wastly improved... Perhaps we're unkind in saying this,. but if a fence were built around the: shell, and an admission charge de-- manded, perhaps the attendance: would be improved. Maybe it's just- the old story that something for" nothing isn't worth bothering about. While on the subject of band shell concerts we might point out, as politely as possible, that the conduct of some members of 'the audience. leaves quite a lot to be desired. Take: the case of applause. The musicians: are giving of their best, for your" entertainment, and they certainly" deserve a hand from the audience.. However, let's leave it at a "hand". The raucous honking or blaring of horns serves no good purpose. It probably is disconcerting to the musicians and it is certainly disturb--- ing to householders, especially alone the river, who are making a valiant effort to get small children to close their eyes and seek the land of Nod.. The harmonies of the music have a: soothing effect, tending to hasten: sleep, and then all the good work is: shattered by a harsh cacaphony of horn blowing from enthusiastic con-- cert goers. We appreciate the gest-- ure being well meant, but we're sure that the musicians themselves: will join us in saying that we could' do without it. In closing, just a thought about future concerts. We wonder if, next season, something couldn't be done: to improve the variety of the con- certs, thereby adding interest and increasing attendance. We have good bands in Stratford who serve us faithfully every summer. But, we also have a Stratford Civic Orches- tra and a goodly number of out- standing solists. Perhaps some en= terprising citizens might band to- gether and see what can be done to really utilize the band shell next summer. OUTPOST HOSPITALS NEED ADDITIONAL NURSES Toronto, August 16, 1946--'"The © Ontario Division of Red Cross is in urgent need of a dozen or more reg- istered nurses to take the place of staff nurses who are either leaving to be married or to enrol for post-. graduate courses," states Miss F. I. . McEwan, Supervisor of the Field Nursing Staff, Ontario Division of Red Cross. "The nursing staff in the chain of outposts directed by Ont- ario Division has been seriously de- pleted and we are really desperate at this time trying to maintain our policy of an 8-hour day with a 6-day week." Applications should be made to the Outpost Hospital Dept., Ontario Division of Red Cross, 621 Jarvis. | St., Toronto.