CANADA.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 July 1923, Page 4

CANADA.

A BIRD’S EVE VIEW. 1 NTERESTING SUBJEC’TS. VANCOUVER, June 10. A Dominion election soon is liiuteti at by the “Brookville Recorder and Times,” owned by the Minister of Railways in the present Government, Air Georgo P. Graham. This paper states that it lias been informed that it is finite likely that the present Parliament would be dissolved and an appeal t ) the country made on the popularity of Hon AV. S. Fielding’s “middle of the road” fiscal policy. Liberal politicians believe that if Sir Wilfred Laurier had had his own way and appealed to the Canadian people on the fpiestion of reciprocity immediately after the introduction of the reciprocity agreement in 1!)11. lie would have swe])t the country, and these politicians now believe that tbo same result would happen if an appeal were made at this lime. The Premier declined to make any comment on the foregoing item.

The world is rapidly becoming one great madhouse in the opinion of Dr A. H. Desloges. director of asylums of the Department of Public Health in the province of Quebec. If in fifty years or so the vast, majority of the civilised world will have become or will he on the way to become insane unless something; is done to stop the rapid increase in mental derangement. The past year, the doctor says, has been a record one in the number of eases of insanity treated, not only in the. province ol

Quebec, but throughout the whole world. Dr Desinges, in common with most alienists, believed this to be the result of the extraordinary intensity and excitement of everyday life. “Nobody works, or plays, or does anything normal these days.” the doctor said. “When we work, we work like mad; when we play, we play like mad ; whatever we do. we do it with ail the intensity oT a crazy enthusiasm. There is also the general and economic shock of the war which has had its effect everywhere, and has largely given rise to this condition of things. It has left a. tendency to lose all sense of balance mid proportion, both in work and piny. This is increasingly disorganising the nervous system oi the individual members of society to ibe exlent that insanity is becoming one of our social evils which have to he dealt v ilh by energetic measures.” Back to a simpler life is the dneTor's advice.

Of tin 1 fifteen Canadian :ii>jlnow (•■•fore the .Judioial Commit tee ol the Privy Cnuileil. one is the appeal of the nrnvime of Brilish Colnmhin against he Dominion Cnverumeuf s disallownii v of the proviurial Art validating ()rders-in-Cnuneil rospe<fin;r the einidovment of Japanese lahonr in British Colinnhin. On n previous net onion the Privy Connril sustained prnvineial legislation prohibiting the employment of .Innunese and t liinest' on Crown propertv I>v timber f iieuse-holders, lint the point was left nlidoeided as In whether sueli legislation was ultra vires (lie Canadian-.fapanose treaty. Ihe present issue on the Canadinn-Jnpnn-agreement was raised hy the provinee ef British Columbia sttli:niLtintx tpieslions for the dot ision of the Su-

nreme Court of Canada. Tin's Court decided against till' province. and the anti-Orient id I opislat inn was consequently disallowed lj y tin' Dominion Government. It is from lids decision that the province ol British Columbia is appeal ini' to t.lm Privy Council. The (ase is being watched with close interest 1:v the local Japanese and Chinese living within the province.

The disappearance of Indian totem poles in the village along the northwest coast of British Columbia has (a used the Canadian Historical Associatin nte ask the Government In assist it

in preserving the few remaining totem pole villages. U was stated that although the carved totem pole to-day has no connection with religion, when Indians suffered a religious revival they felt it impend it e that they should gel rid of what they considered it sign of their heathen state. In many of tie' totem villages, the totems were as la! 1 a- littv feet, and elaborately tarveil with figures representing the salmon, crow. hear, eagle and other animals ami birds. The totem pole was the record of the flean and familv life of the Siwash Indians of British Columbia, tmt as they have been imlmed to tor rake the * r old-l.iine gods, they wish to get rid of all the outward symbol--.

Canadians have so often rend of droughts and breaking of droughts ill New Z"aland and Australia that to the average Canadian this has become one of the principal iiems of news coin 'ruin the anlinodes. It will, therefore, he a novelty to readers in Australia and New Zealand to learn that east -m Canada has been in the throes 'I a drought since May 171 h.. which was .<•■- .1 ieveil only recently bv light rains. In j Im wake of the drought faille the tores t fires whirli spread with rapidity, and for a time endangered th ■ lin-s m d home sof settlers principally in X ii'lliwostorn Ontario. In the more set Ceil portions of Ontario and Quebec, the drought wrought havoc with the guwing oat crops and acres of laud t ins oil a parched desert like appearance. At this writing the drought has been i••lievod by showers, hut in some of the eastern provinces small Infest tires are still ranging anti should a period ol dry weather ensure these might a-,-time alarmin'' proportions.