PRO PATRIA.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 80, 1 April 1912, Page 5

PRO PATRIA.

A DISCURSIVE DISCUSSION ON I DIVERS DOINGS. BOTHaSWEET and fitting. (% Will Desmond. ) Wo are not all millionaires. And a good job, too! If we were, we would all be as poor as PolicQi;Court mice. WhichjnOf itself seems paradoxical; but to assert its error would be to presuppose that the late lamented vVilliam Sehwonok Gilbert was in error when he laid down as an axiom that "when everyone is somebody then no-one's anybody!" Therefore, to proceed, a poor, patient, painstaking pen-pusher cannot hope to "nave annual holidays more than once'a year. If he did they would cease to be annual holidays, and, what, is more 'important, if holidays become "as plentiful as tabby cats" | they would become, following out the same rule', as troublesome as aforesaid tabbies; and a man, even a professional Ink-spreader, would long for the period when lie should again be chained up l , the off-the-ohain periods being more nauseating than the on-tho-ehain.!! periods. Wherefore, making another sincere endeavcuvi to proceed, the abovenamed cannot be present at the East Mountain .House every iunv and again to see with his own eyes how affairs stand, to ttake a record which shall be "photographically lined on the tablets of my mind," and thereafter, in peace and;,quietness, a very -rare, probably an unknown, quantity, to set down without malice and free from contracted or expanded tacts that which heftras seen, thereby, to bring a very long sentence to an end, putting a feverishly expectant public in foil and free possession of those facts which to their individual welfare, upon which, so the rule lays it do.wn. depends the welfare of the home, the community, the province, thfe'kingdom, and, pushing tinpoint to the,extreme, the human race. Ergo, skilled mathematicians, working with,,basic facts for materia labora (or thereabouts) and the white light of reason for modus operandi (01 something similarly sounded), will be able easily, to assert and prove flat it is a lew months short of a ( year since W.;D. saw fit to visit the last Mountain,,House and saw fit, further, to be gui.ty of a kind of elliptical seizure on the, matter of the Curtis Falls. All of ', which, reduced to its most vulgar iand repulsive fractions, amounts pi the remark, which could be organised and executed by the most unlettered and unintelligent individual:.,''Here we are again!" Wherefore, something will happen. ; ~. . ~ "Something is always happening as tiie man said tb his wife. Regarding the Heading. There is much virtue in a heading. Also great possibilities for vice. For instance, there is the vice oi putting up a heading and politely ceclining to say anything about it- -to spruik and skite, to gabble and tc babble, to'hum and to haw, to traj and to blow, to chiack and to chin, and to generally develop into an overworked Sprachentoufel concerning out thing and'another, of which, a.* \h(man said ; to his wife, life seems large-; ; ly to; bo 3 fc'omposed. ■ As regards- the, heading, then: This tale''is', really and truly & signeel 1 to be': Written round the axioum "Dulce e%''' decorom est pro vnu ia mori." '"'.' Mciri—and Other Doings. It is indisputable that it is sweet and see:njy fl .tq die for one's country: nobody ,denidS,' though it is nowhere asserted,. that it is none the less comely ana fitting that one should live for Ins country; and he woil'.d be an unwise.' person who argued (in W.LVs presence, anyway), that onr & name deserves to get into the hisTiry books if he merely actively lies 01 passively-lives for his country. It is unremitting individual effort that counts. VSA ' Parochial Patriotism. It has | been laid down herein that the welfare of the human ' ace is dependent on the welfare of the -ndividual. Let us argue the propositus backwards, as it is possible to i.igut all good propositions—any t.uh proposition it's will not be so a'sH'td either is Wot- a good proposition or h only a cheap imported substitute foi a proposition. It is proposal: Dulce b't ! Decorum est pro the Hu- ' marl Race Mori: Hence: '' Dulce ' r et ' Decorum est pro the codiltry Mori: Wherefore*':" 1 Dulce et Decorum est pro the community Mori: Ergo: Didce et Decorum est pro the Community to Live and Act. All of which, you say, is neither good, new, nor topographically .attractive, and may, on investigation, prove to be untrue. But What About ItP What About It? What .about it? What about what? What .about the East Mountain House? ~, Is it demanded of me that the existence of the East be mathematically demonstrated? it can,, be. done! Must (Jne,. under oath, step into the witness-box and by the production of written and signed documents eliminate the possibility of doubt as to its existence.!? , ' ; That, also, can be done! But one thinks everybody will admit its existence, from which point one naturally gravitates to the pro position ,\yhat About It? Is Dcing Demanded? Nine out of ten persons will hqp< to effectually answer the propositus by answering "Something Must be Done!" Too True! But three million people opening their mouths simultaneously and asserting and reiterating "Something Must be. Done!" will not in. five in:llion years' produco the effect made by one man's whole, and entire, one and indivisible! Do (or Act). 'Dcing is Demanded. Therefore; it savours of the platitudiinirity of axiomosity to assert that Doing is Demanded. i>OrXG : is Demanded: DoinguTS Demanded: Doing is DEMANDED: DOf\G< IS DEMANDED. Alteration of the incidence of the ■■-■'■put docs not appear to produco for one any loophole for escape. WWat Doing is Demanded? That is. a Silly Question, being answered before being asked. It is merely imperative that everybody concerned be guilty of some action, whether simultaneous or alternatively, intermittently or unremittingly. . What Shall One Do? This barely- escapes being a Silly Question. \ But one will bear with it and state

thai any action, concerted or individual, is good. Every person concerned should do every possible thing he can to help the house forward, and should refrain, if posoible, from speculating beforehand on what result his action will have, relying on the proposition that if out of a good notion aught but good can eo.no, the evil resulting from good effort is easily excused. A Chapter on Roads. After so much preliminary skite, perhaps a few facts Avill he acceptable. ■ There are roads, and roads. There are real roads. There are imaginary roads. There are alleged roads. And there are plain, unblushing imported substitutes for roads. And the track to the Mountain House in spots resembles each of these, specified descriptions. During this season, to get down to basic bedrock fact, about £2OO has been spent in connection with the House, but the whole of this money has been supplied by the central Government and the National Park Board. The Board says in effect: "We will not spend money on the Stratford House: Stratford people ignore its existence: Tlioy make no personal effort to improve it: They display no Community Patriotism, failing to make use of it: They seem not to care a tinker's most frequent remark what happens to it: Therefore, so also actually do wo comport ourselves: If they will display interest by spend: ing their own money o;i the House we will spend some of the Board's: Otherwise, of course, we will not." And even the Government may develop the tired feeling, after being frequently called on to spend money on works which immediately benefit a community which will not openly appreciate that benefit by helping to pay the piper. Necessary Work. The work at present clamant for accomplishment is ridiculously small in material volume. "Material" volume, mark you. A small sum (say £25) is required to re-form the part at present dry, about two miles. This piece of track has been formed for five years, and the cambre has been entirely worn off. The re-forming will hold the track good through the winter, and probably last for another five years. No Man's Road. Then the eighty chains from Pembroke Road to the radius line needs to be graded and formed,, at a cost of, say, another £25. The road has been made undoubtedly a County Road, and Mr Feaver, who occupies the land bordering it has entered into negotiations for the erection of a fence. With a fence up work done in grading the road will he permanent. Metal in Good Supply. Mr. Murray, District Engineer of Roads, was up last week arranging for the grading of the top section. He has been connected with all the road work in connection with the House, and his word can be accepted on any subject referring thereto. He • says that good metal is easily accessible at various points. So that grading and forming done this winter will probably merely be the percursor of a metalling programme next summer. Th 3 Local Committee. Rumour hath it that there is a local committee consisting of delegates from local bodies who are charged with the duty of looking after the House. ' '; " Docs this committee exist? When did it meet last? What did it do the last time it did anything? Echo answers: What About It? Suggested Action. Either the local committee or some citizen or citizens should take active| steps in the direction of raising funds. It is suggested that a social be held, that Madame Bernard be asked to give a benefit and that a picnic at a handy overall charge be held at the Mountain House. If all or any of thes2 things be done the House twill assuredly come into its own, or some appreciable portion thereof.