-« â- ^ THE FLESHERTON ADVANCE WHO IS THIS MAN DREW? by GORDON SINCLAIR Famous Writer, World Traveller And Radio Commentator Who Is Well Known Throughout The Province So all right. The man is Premier of Ontario and got that way on his first try at the age of 49. But tliat's not enough. You want to know more aijout George Alexander Drew and this is the story. The Premier who stands six foot two and weigh!) 2J0 pounds was born and raised in Guelph of a family long promi- nent in the Royal City. He is a hard man to ahush when he has •omcthing to say and that was indicated even during his terms at Upper Canada College. Although still a comparatively young man. Drew has been a soldier for 33 years . . . more than two thirds of hia life. He enlisted with the 16th Battery at Guelph when a high school lad of 16. That was in 1911 and three years later, when the first world war spread over Europe, the 16th was one of the first batteries to go active and George Drew, from Toronto's Varsity Campus, was the youngest officer. Early to mobilize this battery he was also one of the first to fight and the very week George Drew went overseas his father died. That made George absentee head of the family which included an only brother and three sisters. John, that only brother, was killed while on active duty with the Royal Canadian Navy during the present war. During the early battles in France in May, 1916, George Drew was severely wounded. He was invaUded home to Canada but instead of accepting his discharge he was named to command the Mlh Battery of the Canadian Field Artillery, and was soon promoted to the rank of colonel ... a colonel at 23. He had already been promoted and decor- ated on the battlefield. Colonel Drew has kept up his interest in the ex-service men and women from then until now. and that interest is reciprocated. Con Smythe, for example, a two-war artillery officer, made his first political speech an- endorsement for Drew. After that last war had ended in victory, Drew picked up his academic Mudics, graduated from Varsity, was called to the bar. then returned to Guelph to practice taw and run for CouncU. Drew served four years in the Council of Guelph and was then elected Mayor of his native city. After one term he moved to Toronto for a second time, became â- â- aigtant Master of the Supreme Court of Ontario, three years later, Ontario SecuriUea Commissioner, During these years he also found time to write books and magazine features about Canada's part In the war and a comprehensive survey of Canada'* con- tributloo to the aerial triumphs of the last conflict, which was condensed by the BLC.A.y. as a gift to all paduatea under the commonwealth air training plan. In 19M, after a series of Conservative â- overnmenu had ruled for 29 years, Ontario cfiose a Liberal leader. Soon afterwards, seeking to regain their lost imsillon, the Conservatives named Drew their organizer and he held this post until 1937 witen Earl Rowe led the party and was beaten. Within a few months Mr. Rowe had returned to the Ottawa scene, a new leader was needed for Ontario, and on the first Lxillot George Drew was chosen. Some of the so-called old guard of the party had not wanted Drew but his majority was tremendous. Up to this time Drew had never sought a seat in the Legislature, but now he ran for the riding of Simcoe East, was elected and led the opposition in the Legislature until the summer of 1943 when he took full command. Once more Drew was elected by the people on liis first try. As he had become Councillor of Guelph, Mayor of Guelph, Leader of his party and member of the Legislature on his first attempt, so Drew :vw reached the highest office within the .- â- ( of his Province. Throughout his public life George Drew ilas steadily and constantly spoken of himself as Canadian first and native of Ontario second. Never, he declared, would he alts-mpt to advance the cause of bis Province at the expense of the Dominion. National unity, he has said. must and will be maintained. This same broad patriotic view took the new Premier to the Motherland soon after his election, and there he has woiked energetically for post war prosiierity anchored to continuing British connec- tions. He ma<le an intensive study of agriculture, as a r< suit of wliicli Ontario has made more rapifl progress in his twenty months in office than at any previous time in history. "Farming must be run by Farmers" it his creid The Preniici knew in the liisi week of 1944 of the vast and complex military iS^- projects that would be undertaken that year. Today, on the eve of great expan- sion in Ontario, he knows of vast civil plans to be undertaken here at home. George Drew is the biggest man, and the first war veteran, to be premier of Ontario. In fact 8 of the 12 men in the Ontario cabinet are war veterans. In Ontario's 78 years of history there has been only one premier who was younger than Drew, and none whose experience has covered such a wide field. George Drew is soldier, author, lawyer, speaker and bears many another label of ability. Come to think of it he's also a good cook and one of the things he hopes to see and taste in the post war Ontario, are some native Ontario dishes. Here in Ontario we grow the finest natural food products on earth but we don't seem to have any specialized Ontario dish. The Premier hopes to correct that and he plans to improve the tourist accommo- dation throughout the province so that Ontario will truly be the traveller's paradise it has often been called. After the premier is re-elected there will be a ministry, dealing with tourist matters from which all of us, home towner and visitor alike, are sure to benefit in at least, three ways. Also, aa you've already been told, highways will be widely extended and improved. One thing I've often marvelled at Id relation to public figures is how they can stand the banquet circuit. You know how it is with mayors and ministers and premiers; it's often one head table aftei another all around the province and at head tables the food is often of a same ness. George Drew stands it with full marks. His digestion, in fact, is about as good ai you'll find anywhere in Ontario and if he just half tried the Premier could welgli 300 pounds or even more. One thing h« really hates is lettuce in sandwichea Something that gives him quiet pleasure is the realization that his admimstratioB definitely closed the gambling "clubs" and bookies joints which were a blot on the Toronto suburban area for almost 20 years. Although his left arm will never recovei from his last war wounds George Drew it a strong awimmer and can circle a goli club in the middle eighties. About five 3rears ago at Port Colbornt he swam out to two men from Buffalc who were in distress, and brought on< man in. The Premier then swam and got the other one. One man could no( e revived, but the other owea hia Uf< to Colonel Drew. Drew has no time for amall gossip and becomes indifferent or hostile to anyont who indulges in childish or mallcioui criticism. His opinion is never influenced by this sort of thing nor will he express a critical opinion of anyone. In some circles Drew is considered a soft touch for a loan and in this connec- tion he never seems to harden up even though he's often been let down. In practically all waya Drew is quick ta forgive. His staff consider him a grand guy. You might say that if this were not so It wouldn't be found in these notes. Mayb« so, but if you can produce anyone who has ever worked for George Drew and won't back up this statement that he'i all wool and a yard wide then the drinks are on me. When HMCS Otter was lost at sea, and John Drew was lost with her, the Premier was wakened with the sad news at three in the morning. The legislature was in session at the time and when |)rayer time came around he was in hii seat as usual. As I've said before Drew is a difficult man to shush and was once summoned to court under the Defence of Canada regulations for disclosing that a Canadian force was sent to Hong Kong with insufficieiit training. These charges, as we all know, were quickly and thoroughly dropped. Drew is an Anglican who sometimes reads the lesson in his Guelph Church. His wife is the daughter of Edward Johnson who was Canada's most noted tenor and has, for many years, been general manager of the Metropolitan Opera House. The Drews were married in 1936 and have a son, Edward, and a daughter Sandra. The Drews have one of the biggest private libraries in any Ontario home and Mrs. Drew, whose people are o pioneer stock, speaks five langu.iRes. These are being passed .Tiling to Edward although .S,imlra i.s .â- ilill luiving trouble with English. Edward is also studyin* the violin. Tliis is George Drew. I know yu»''' like him. '"' BOWL HYDM) ECONOMIST BAKED RHUBARB 4 cups cut rhubarb, '/a cup sugar 01- Vi cup sugar and V\ cup honey. Wash rhubarb and cut into inch lengths. Place in casserole, add sugar and cover. Bake in preheated electric oven for 20 mins., a'; 350 de- grees. RHUBARB SHORTCAKL 2 cups flour, \'-> tsp. soda, 1 cup thick sour milk, 1 tsp. salt, 2 tbsps. shortening. Cut shortening into measured flour, soda and salt. Add liquid gradually while mixing with a fork to a soft dough . Owing to the dif- ference in sour milk, it is not always possible to determine the exact amount of liquid. Turn dough on lightly floured board and pat out. i Cut into circles and bake in electric oven at 450 degs. for 10 mins. Split and serve with thick rhubarb sauce between and on top. SAUCE: Cook 6 cups of cut wash- ed rhubarb in saucepan placed on el- ectric element turned to Low for 5 mins., then to High. Add about two thirds cup of sugar and cook only I a few minutes stirring frequently. RHUBARB TARTS 2 cups thick rhubarb sauce, 2 eggs separated, 1 tsp. grated orange rind, Vi cup fine sugar. Combine the rhubarb sauce, egg yolks and orange peel. Cook in top of doable Ijoiler, stirring constantly, until thickened. Pour into tar* shells. Beat the q%% white till stiff and add sugar gradually, beating until mixture stands in peaks. Place a spoonful in each tart and bake in electric oven (350 degs.) about 12 to 15 mins. or until delicately browned. Makes 8 tarts of fairly large size. TO CAN RHUBARB Wash and trim slender stalks. Do not remove skin. Cut into % inch pieces. Use 1 cup of sugar to each quart jar (or Vb cup to a pint). Put a thin layer of sugar with a layer of sugar on top. Pack very tightly, using a wooden sipoon or masher. Partially seal and process -n boiler by gentJy boiling on electric element 25 mins. TO CAN RHUBARB SAUCE Add enough water to rhubarb to prevent burning. Cook until soft. Add % cup of sugar to 1 quart rhu- barb. Fill sterilized jars. Seal tightly. ♦ * Â¥ TAKE A TIP 1. To prevent rhubarb pies from boiling over, use strips of wet cheesecloth or butter-wrapping cut in 2-inch widths. Press the one edge to rim of pie and let the other edge fall over fluted pie crust. Over- lap ends well. 2. Other variations for rhubarb d€-serts: Upside-down Cake, Rhu- barb Betty, Rhubarb Steamed Pud- ding, Deep Rhubarb Pie, Rhubarb Sponge. * * * THE SUGGESTION BOX Mr. C. M. says! Xo protect potatoes against blight soak them for one hour before planting in a solution of one gallon of water and 2 tsps. of Copper H. Miss G. B. says: Berfore putting your badminton racket away covei strings with vaseline. Mrs. K. 0. says: Never cool boil- ed, meat in the broth. Remove as soon as it is cooked; cool and store meat broth separately. Mrs. C. A. says: Any burned food stuck to enamelware should be soaked off the utensil, but never scraped. Javel water helps a lot K.k. says: Watercress leaves are very tender. If stored with other vegetables they crush and break. Watercress should be washed and stored in a closed sealer in the elec- tric refrigerator. * ♦ * Anne Allan invites you to write to her clo of The Flesherton Ad- vance. Send in your suggestions on homemaking problems and watch this column for replies. HOW TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF HAY In producing quality hay, the time orf harvest is very important, be- cause as the plants mature there ia a decrease in the percentage of pro- tein and an increase of the fibre content. This decrease in protein in young alfalfa goes from over 20 per cent, and in clover to less than 10 per cent when fully matured. The same is true of timothy, except that the decrease starts at 10 per cent and is reduced to below 5 per cent when ripe. Protein is the expensive part of the ration nd fibre is prac- tically indigestible, so why not har- vest the crop when the percentage of protein is high and the fibre low? The proper time to cut alfalfa is when between 10 to 20 per cent of the plants are in bloom, says W. S. Richardson, Dominion Experimental Station, Lennoxville, P.Q. Red clo- ver should be cut when about 50 per cent in bloom, and timothy at the first bloom. As all the hay cannot be cut on the same day, it is advis- able to start before these stages of maturity are reached, in order that the last fields will not be left too late. By cutting hay early this year, live-stock production will be improved next winter. Sergeant â€" "I'm all in. I've been running around all day trying to get something for my wife.'' Private â€" "Well, have you had any offers." Unlike most other animal pests, the rat has not a single saving qual- ity. Even as a scavenger, the filth it leaves behind' may be more in- fective than the offal it may con- sume. 1 Hi^t s^^^ll^^o^R X 'A We Canadians, together with the citizens of the United States and Great Britain, will eat less sugar during the balance of 194S. To meet our avrr\. needs and the urgent requirements of our Allies and the liber- ated countries, our share of the reduction must total nearly 200,000,000 pounds of sugar during the rest of the year. To assure feur distribution of what is left, the sugar ration is to be cut by five pounds during the next seven months by reducing the monthly allotment to one pound in June, July, August, October and December. In September and November, the allowance will remain unchanged at two pounds. The ten pound sugar allotment for home canning, represented by twenty extra pre- serves coupons, remedns unchanged. Two regular preserves coupons will continue to become valid each month. ANSWERS TO TOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT SUGAR Q. Hew does Canada get its ahaie of wwM . angai nqwlies? A. World stocks are pooled by the Combined Food Board oi the United Mationi which allois sugar to Canada, United States and Great Britain on a uniform per capita basia. Q. Where deea the trntH of the world migar •apply go? A. To other claimants, including liberated areas; European neutrals, Russia, the Middle East New Zealand and other sugar-importing coun- tries. Approximately one- half of this total ia destined for liberated areas. Q. Is there less sngar in the world today? A. Yes. Because needs are up and production is down, world sugar stocks reached a new low at the beginning of 1945. By the end of the year, they will be down again, this time to a dangerous minimum. 1. Q. Why is there more demaod for sugar? A. The rising demand largely reflects the needs oi liberated areas. Q. Why is there less prodvctioa? A. World sugar output is lower for these reasons: Enemy occupation of some sources such as lava and the Philippines. lava, of course, is still in lapanese hands and, although the Phihppines are liberated, production is not expected to be restored until late in 1946. Other ezport countries have experienced serious shortages of labour and fertihzer. Record drought conditions and hurricanes have also cut into production in the im- portant West Indian area. INDUSTHUU AND QUOTA USEKS WUL ALSO OCT LESS EMccUvt loly I, IMS, Maar aud* aTaiUbU to indiulrial u»n, ,nch a. b>li». •ugar qnelu lei ••ivim pcnoual. ^ *»"»•* reices U Ih* -r A ^ -4 4 â- 4 4 .* V y â- * â- * R ATI O N A M 1 N I S T R AT I O M THE WARtlME PRICES AND TRADE BOARD %yQk^ IS SCARCe " USE IT SPARINGLY -A A -* A