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The probe was all right in principle. It was supposed to throw light on, and prevent a practice whereby n mmuhctum or supplier tells the retailer the price at which his product will be sold to the public. and rafuses to let him Curry that brand unless he obeys the mandate. This-contend the crities-interf.eres with proper price competition and leads to \soaking the householder in his purchase of everything from stoves to toothpaste. ANN-“X338 m A “I (Spectator, Hamilton, om.) It ever an Ottawa drama tumed into a vaudeville bonyhoo it is that parliamentary committee's inquiry into male price uninten- ance. Things are so mixed up now it will take a Royal commission to straighten them out, and what started " " a bold bid to rescue the consumer from a dragon has developed into some excited elouting of In elusive mouse. Now, who are the prosecutors? Why those some government trapeze artists who have, tor one thing, a $200,000,000 fund to keep food prices as high as is politically possible. It Was their legerdemaln that stored millions of pounds of butter to keep the price tag up while the consumer was forced to turn to margarine. and bitter poli- tical opposition had to be overcome to get even that relief. It was this talent that had potatoes plbughed into the ground; gave away surplus tUh and neatly t0ched $60,000,000 from the Conadian taxpayers to make good a poor "price-thr" with Great Britain on wheat. And who is one of the main anti-retail price-fixing witnesses? Why Wed A. McGregor, who resigned u combines commissioner not long no because the government had Muted one of its own laws by holding back a report on the ttour-milling industry until, after an election. Then, who is the "little guy"' who is to be helped by the govern- ment crusade? Prom the evidence so far the only people who want the practice made illegal are the mass buyers Ind sellers of merchan- dise, The "little guy" says he will go broke in the retail business if sudden big sales can sharply cut the price of items he carries in rela- tively small supply. And just to show how bright some people can be at the wrong time, in steps Spadina's David Croll to propose that it would be a criminal ottmuse tor I brine-Inn to sell my eon-io- any for less than tive per cent above o-6--to check the loss-leader practice. What an army of government detectives we may have yet! It would be absurd to suggest that resale price 6xing is a simple problem; it is anything but. It would be more absurd to claim there are no valid arguments in favor of letting it stand as it is; certainly for protection of the smaller stores. The main challenge goes deeper. If there is proper competition at the manufacturing level then resale price maintenance seems a secondary issue. because prices could not be kept at an exorbitantly high level'save by cartel or combine methods. It there is not unrestricted competition then that is the combine commission's job. Fred A. MacGregor must be wondering about that; just as others stand awed by the arch-creators of intttttion setting " to do battle for the "little guy". (The Vancouver Daily Province) It has almost come to the point in Canada where the railways are constantly before the Board of Transport Commissioners seeking height rate increases, Even before one application is granted, another is filed. The latest demand is for a 5 to 8 percent increase to meet the 20 percent surtax which has been imposed on railway income as on other income. The public is inclined to get impatient with the railways and to accuse them ot greed. The public knows that freight charges enter intimately into the cost of living and that every freight rate boost will be felt in the cost of commodities that are carried by rail. But, really, the railways are not to blame. They are ground in the inflation mill just like any other business and the public itself And the railway business, being very closely controlled as to its rates, but not as to its expenses, has very little mom in which to make adjustments. If wages go up, as they have done. and the cost ot materials, as it has done, and taxes, " now happens, the railways have no recourse but to apply for permission to incl-cue their in- come-that is. to throw a part of their load on the general public, which ia always the final burden-bearer. Before the railways can receive permission to increase. any of their rates, they must prove their case very complete!) before the Bond of Transport Commissioners, for the applicath is invariably opposed by provincial governments or some orqgtrniUtion acting in the public Interest. If the railways fail to prove their need ot an increase, the Increase is, of course, not granted. tt they do prove their need and the increase is refused, what happens? We have two railways in Canada under the Jurisdiction of the Transport Board. The Canadian National is owned by the Canadian people. It pays no dividends. Usually there is a deBeit. " it is refused a freight rate increase, its deticiU will be larger and the Canadian public will have to meet them. It doesn't escape by hold- ing the freight rates down. The case of the Canadian Pacific is somewhat different. It is a privately-owned system, which pay: dividends. If it is not allowed a rate which will enable it to continue to pay dividends. it will present- ly cease to be a privately-owned ayatem. The government will have to take it over. just as it took over the Grand Trunk and the Grand Trunk Parufk and the Canadian Northern, years ago. The logical out- come of a refusal of adequate income to the CPR is the nationaliza- tion of the CPR Those who refuse to listen to any application for an increase in railway rates should remember that. Under the circumstances, it doesn't Appear that the Government of Canada was very wise in imposing the defence surtax on the rail- wayli On a business in tstrictly controlled In the railway business is, the tax is a destructive one, end a destructive tax is not In economic tax. The government knew this, end yet it imposed the tax. The government knew the railways could not pay the text and would have to pass it on to the public. which would have to ply in any case. Yet the government imposed the tax. Just whet is the point In the hocurpocus, anyway? It isn't throwing dust in any- we em Editorial Comment I """"oamn'"""&iw"'” _ WW.” taa-r-teta-a-e-h-". Magi”: -____ ---..-' AM-md‘n-imohw ther Editors Say ,.amg iitii, Idlitik?s1tly,'i'i MI ttttsilt?)",'::.':!?,.':)'.,','.".?: tMN me SEAN unmiwm THE WATERLOO 01W HOCUS~POCUS m RAIL RATES t Canadians: The South Ed- monton Sun tells its readers that the sun was 91,318,000 miles from the earth on Jan. 3rd while July 2 it was 94322,00tt miles away and anyone that didn't believe those Mures could measure it them- selves. . . For 33 consecutive years Harry Reader has sounded "Last Post' at the Indian Head, Sask. Remembrance Day services. . . While skating on ice ot a duiout near Melville, Sask., Joe Kre le- wich was surprised to have a 3- inch pike pop out; it is alive and kicking in a jar yet, thriving on Bah food and bread crumbs. . . Ghosts are making life unbear- able at 150 Brooks Ave., Chilli- wack, B.C., for Anna Duryba and her 14-year old niece Kathleen; the knocking and pounding on walls at night has caused the for- mer to lose 20 lbs. in the past five weeks, aceordipg to The ~P‘rogress. . . Supreme Court otReials were all ready", lawyers dressed for re- gular session scheduled for Re- velstone, B.C., but Mr. Justice Clyne didn't turn up; he hadn't been informed, according to The Review, which muttered, ". . . an- other case of Victoria having (on gotten, a chronic condition which has Yersisted through the years". . 675 bs. of turkey was served to 809 persons who turned up for the annual Silver Water turkey din- ner of the community club, ac- cortling to_th_e gore Bay: 2ntr Y,-, cord. . . Cpl. George Voth back trom Korea stepped all the boat at Vancouver to receive a hero's welcome, also the sad news that his father had died in Chilliwack; the wire had been sent a week before he left Korea, two weeks before leaving Japan, had not caught up with him, . . Miss Mar- garet Dixon, Red Deer, Alta., was delighted to receive from Ethio- tt a gold medal as appreciation mm the Duke of Harm. son of Emperor' Haile Selassie who visit- ed Alberta a while ago and was entertained by Miss Dixon. . . Benny Hirock of Cobourg. Ont., using a 44-40 was responsible for knocking over three deer with one shot; if you don't believe it his addregs is'given ",, 1t,IPau.. East. . . . iGeiiUrGi in England is de- Bned by a wit as "competition without orizes, boredom without hope, war without victory and statistics without end". O The most important cause of inetBeiency in the civil service is defined as lack of competition by the Wetaskiwin, Alta., Times, Ir- suing that without competition there is no' need for the little ex- tra services that make one busi- new more popular than its com- petitor. . Cammae Canadian: We are being bombarded day by day with th argument that hunger will generate the ideology of Com. munism, " again: t at of demo. crecg. But did you ever hear of the ommunuts feeding the starv- ing millions of the world? . . . Even Chin: got millions in relief from the democracies, then turned around. contueated their property and kicked them out. It is good to hear of the Chinese getting edu- cated under Stalin's rules. . Noun] that the Local Coun- cil of Women is raying for milk for 100 school chi dren, about one In ten, the Swift Current Sun an that bu become of the family Allow!!!“ paid by the gown:- ml which in taupe-ed to uh an of such thing: T . Says the Huntingdon (Qua) Gleanor: Canadian people now have the highest standard of liv- ing in their history; alums! the mum" in the history of the world. It would be a good thing if Canadians talked more of m- billty todar; lest of either boom or depression, The problem ahead of us is to hold our aim. {love their equixment Ind facili- ies, and that is improvement would, in the and, moon thnt Can. adm- would get the best possible railway service at the lowest poc- nlbb ram. . A paper calls it a sensible statement made by D. s. Thomson, vice-arena")! o the Canadian Plci " Winnipeg, "that, if the runny: could get Rumble pm an, thgyAwoulgi be nble}? ina- Country Editor Couponsurél by The Ontario Te-tsee Federation. The Hotel Anocint'lon of the Province of Ontario. And The As.oeutiott ot Toronto Hotel Proprietors. They'd Like 'a Happy Holiday too! DRIVE SAFELY DRIVE sonny By Mm Oren-Nu GO EASY, MISTER . ly days, tag days, moans the Melfort (Sash) Journal. . I seems we have been two-bitted on every street corner in town, and to some it's just a little more than they like." . Canadians are Also puzzled as to why public and private wel- fare agencies should require so much money for charitable pur- poses at a time of full employ- ment and high prosperity, de, clares the Simcoe ioni3 Reform, ' A‘ v C i _ . y, [ _ IlREEii,, Ak , away with such subsidies alto- gether, concludes, "With federal subsidies to the province, and pro- vincial subsidies to the munici- palities, granted on no f1xed or reasonable basis, the country's Bnances are in such a mix that the average taxpayer doesn't know what becomes of the money he pays in taxes of one sort or another. It would be a healthier state of affairs if politicians would quit trying to bribe people with their own money." ' O The High River (Alta.) Times is against colony settle- ments, such as Hutterites, etc, as something which retards develop- ment. " all Canada were made up of colonies, each living to it- self, with its own way of life the Canadian exchequer and almost all Canadian business would very quickly feel the ettect." . The Goderich (Ont.) Signal- Star referring to Mr. Jolifre, C_CF leader pledging to pay a subsidy to every municipality if they won the election, argues that, "we like to think there are Tt,u"iglt in this province who woul be glad to vote ty. a party that_ yroul ‘do By Mud Meotrdr Weld: MEREDITH HARRIS, known as Mam Strat nl hau- msete in Hm A voice startled her. “Why are you here working? Are . . . you crying?" "n Merry, sat at her desk in the big insurance othee and fought back her tears. n was Hugh Mallory the agency head. Merry aid, “Just 1r8t.1i?q up. Everyb6dy's in such a hurry. "It's Christmas Eve. be! every- thing tti' Hugh started to his ot. tice. erry’s eyes followed " tall Pure. She liked him very muc . He turned back. "You didn't tell my why vou wen crying." "If: nothing. My slicer and her family have “one to California. 1 guys k. . . In} lonely." _ . _ -. His trider-in-law who tad looked alter his little (burner since the death of his wife our years Mo, had left unexpected]! Hi: Aunt Amanda was still wi h them, but she was getting old. There was no one to do the things to make a little girl happy. Would Mere- dith help him? - V “That may tte my' good luck,"' he__uid aurytrisitteU.. . . . It GG them three hours to an.. Uh shopping. At seven o'clock, Hugh's luxurious car turned on the dy.iy.e oflap imposing bong. A little girl out in a big chair looking lonely. She held out her am and cried a little. 'We're not going)» have a Christmas tree or huh Mallory swung his little daughter up in his arms. "Oh, yes, we are." He put her down. "This it Miss Meredith Kurtis. Sh_e's going to we to everything." "Aunt 'Hildu, you but?” "Yes, Dee, I know my duty: even if your {other and I _ . .' Hilda broke on staring " Merry "Who', this?" "It's an. Merry Chrhtmnl,.. ittingt" Hugh went uptown on In er- rand m the later afternoon. Boon after a handsome worn-n in rich {my Ind my!!! came in, And it was the most wonderful Christmas Dee had ever 1nd and the most beautiful tree, But Mer- Ty gift wu best of all. A beau- tiful Siamese kitten. After the present: bud been div tributed, Merry and Dee at in a " chin Dee stroking the kit- ten'IJIeld. "How did you know luv-med I kitten more'n any ”nah; glam. Gi he, upwind: Miss Merry Christmas a was done. too, he Erbium. triater-in-law who h looked game I was a line girl once r ." Aitstttt (IMO But it wasn't over. Two hours later Hugh Mallory knocked on her door. “I hunted through a hundred otRce ftlea for your tttG dress and t found you " last." He nodded. "She's zone tor good now. We'd had a disagree- ment. You see. I fou_nd she was teaching my little girl to be I snob." He broke oft, smiled again. "Dee wants you to come back and so . . . do I. For good. Do_you urtdepsttyyi, dyrl.i.ntrr'. . . Merry was flushed. "Your sis: ter-in-law came back." She went to her small awn- ment sat down in a chintz c air, holding the kitten. "Well, after all, it was fun even if it is over," she confided tearfuly to the eat. She was afraid to believe he'd really said that. But he took her hands, drew her cloer. “book. Merry, rye been. searching Jo.r the Hilda looked at Merry coldly. "You can go now. And take that cat with you. They're full of germs." "No . . . Not" Dee cried in In- But Hilda tore the cat from her thrust it in Merry's arms. The next thing Merry had been usher- ed out the front door. hands, drew her closer. “book,‘ Balsam has been the favourite Merry, I've been searching for the! through the years as it holds its right girl for a long time. I knew needles better than the spruce, It I' found her when I saw you sit- (spruce is cut more than two weeks ting in that big chair with Dee before Christmas the householder and the cat, Oh, my dear, say youiis liable to have a tree without love me, say.you'li Parry me. needles a few days after Christ. that's what I call her. She fixed my beautiful tree, did every- thing." Dee and t neird "you so.' Kitchener Bus I. chkol I Joseph Sn. A Christmas tree with its dec- orations has become an integral part of the celebration in almost every home. Besides supplying trees tor Canadian homes, many thousands of trees are shipped by truck and railway to cities in the United States. This means substantial financial returns to the land- owners. to truckers and labour in connection with harvesting the trees. CHRISTMAS TREES All the pines hold their needles . well and it is a common practice with its dec- to cut pine for Christmas trees in , an integral early November. The Scotch pine on in almost has gained in popularity very much in the past five years. This , trees t or .ss rettected in the price which has a), thousands increased from 25 cents to " b truck and cents on the stump in that time. {he United Scotch pine this year sold from . l . State forests in New York at $1.35 t 1e,sud,t,itl on the scum , e an - . m d labour in Plenum; Search Pine on Authority rvesting the and County Fonds G bong“. by the Counties and River uthorilies. They hope to liquidate most of the cost of plant- ing the 100 acres in 20 years, from the sale of Christmas ttees, The Zohe Foresters plan to plant a small acreage of Scotch pine on every hundred acres that _- L-.._I.A "- n.- fs-...-.. an“! _t'tii, ioisting of Scotch pine for All should remember am it a Christmas tree is cut Ind taken from private property it is the}: and the one taking the tree coul be prosecuted tor stealing. It is a better policy nnd will teach Four children honesty if you speak to I the owner and secure his permis- sion to choose a tree. pool-l shaped tree in town com- tlWd the native M and white Provincial Police Asking tee timber is not recommended as I mu of Sale for Carmina by». All licensed carriers (trucks) must have a bill of sale (receipt) showing who was paid tor the trees. the lot and conceniou num- bers and the township where they Were cut. Cutting alarm-nu 'ueel on Mule Lam! 7 --