The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17th, 1924. A MEDLEY OF INTERESTING MATTERS.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 October 1924, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17th, 1924. A MEDLEY OF INTERESTING MATTERS.

Although the addresses delivered at the recent annual meetings of tlio

Jtritisli Association for the Advancement of Science held in Toronto, were of tlie usual scientific and academic nature, a few subjects were discussed of more or less interest to industrialists and business men. At an early meeting of tho section devoted to economic science and statistics, says an English paper, Sir William Ashley was bold enough to review the foundations of the doctrine of Free Trade, and contended that it has not been so clear during tho last half-century of economic life as it had been to those two great men, Adam Smith and Cobden, cnat human well-being can be achieved by the application of one symmetrical •yele of principles. Sir William was if the opinion that by the whole eur■ent of its industrial legislation tho •ivilised world has protested against he all-sufficiency of cheapness, and it las now embarked upon tho double task if making a living wage a first cWlrgo upon the community, and of giving security a larger place in industrial life. “Society,” he added, ‘‘has been so sorely disappointed in the hope that, if it sought first cheapness, all other needful things, like social peace, wduld fo? {uldefj to it, jhat it if in th<? wood

to ‘explore other avenues,’ as Vho phrase goes—avenues as yet impel fcctly charted.” In the Educational Section there was ail interesting discussion on the training in secondary schools suitaide for hoys and girls destined for oversea life, and there seemed to he no doubt that the value of agriculture as an educational instrument has been overlooked ill the past, and should now obtain practical recognition. Addressing the Agricultural Section, Mr .Martin (Minister for Agriculture in Ontario), taking the tobacco industry as a typical instance, declared that under favourable conditions the industry in Ontario should reai.li a point where there would lie serious competition with growers in the United States and the West Indies. Canada figured prominently in the discussions at otliwr sectional meetings. The Engineering Section considered at some length the present use and future ptcspecls of "ater power in the Ilomiuion. The total water power in Canada is estimated at over 18,000.0(10 h.p. of which 3.227.11 I h.p. is now developed and another 750,000 h.p. is under construction; future prospects centre for iho must part around the successful development of the low-cost water power ol tile St. Lawrence River. In the course of a joint discussion by chemists and geologists on liquid and powdered fuels, reference was made to the great potential resources of nil in the tarsands ol Alberta and the oil shades of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, and it was stated that the former, which occur over an area of nearly B,OHO square miles, give in some portions 20 per cent, bitumen with an oil content as high as 09 per rent.: while Iho oil shales could produce 30 to ,'JO imperial gallons of oil to the ton, with some valuable hv-products. Professor Guest. University of Toronto, predicted a greatly increased use for pulverised coal, and Professor W. A. Bone, Imperial College of Science, directed attention to the large quantities of lignite ami brown coal in the -Empire, and to the need of a classification of them preparatory to their increased economic use. The world's supply of timber was discussed at a joint meeting of the Sections of Botany and Agriculture, and it was generally realised that the age of exploiting virgin forests was quickly drawing to a close, and that the future, of timber supply for all purposes could he secured only by methods in which replacement hv planting more than made up lor the depletion by cropping.