The Omineca Miner

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VoL. VI. ~ SATURDAY, Marcu 24, 1917 “No, 30

‘Lord Shaughnessy may. be best known as the president of the
Canadian Pacifie Railway Company.’ When the inner history of
the war comes to be written he will be still better known ag one of
the effective organizers of victory. From the beginning he threw
his energy, and directed the energies of his staff, into the national
cause.

When asked for a statement as to Canada’s greatest needs at
this critical time, especially in making arrangements for returned
soldiers, Lord Shaughnessy said:—

. The return of our soldiers will be a tremendous opportunity for
the country. Shall we seize it,or bungle and miss it? That will be
the test of the quality of Canadian statesmanship,

We have always wanted men to develop the country. » Well,
there they are, or will be—ready to our hand. Immigration is
desirable, but uncertain. These men of ours will come home'as a
matter of couse, so 7 ,

They will not come back exactly the same a8 they were, but
some people have an absurdly exaggerated idea of the change we
may expect, The slacker has been changed by discipline and-the
downright steady man has certainly not been turned into aslacker.
Taken as a whole, the men who return able bodied will be found
better men than ever, physically and mentally—moie hardy, self-
reliant, and enterprising; their minds widened by experience. Some
of them will naturally take a little time to settle down and get their
bearings, But that will be only a passing phase.

I take for granted that the present system of getting ex- soldiers
employment will be greatly improved and developed, for it is barely
able to place the few thousands already with us. But even if the
system is so improved that every man returning after the war gets
some sort of a job, ‘it does not follow that we shall have any great
cause to-boast. We shall have achieved a negative success: but we
must aim at something higher, a more positive success. ‘

There is too much haphazard employment at the best of times;
and with a flood of men having to be placed simultaneously there is
a preatly increased danger of shoving them into places without
enough regard to suitability. Putting round pegs into square hclas
does not pay.

Having still some time to prepare, there wil] he no excuse if we
do not devise schemes ‘of employment which will use a high
percentage of each man’s capacity, instead of a low percentage.

The man and his employer and the country at large will all cain
by this, The man can make most by work that he has interest in
and has skill for. The industry that he is engaged in prospera by}
his good work, andthe country as a whole prospers or suffers
according to the prosperity or depression of its various industries,

Tam glad to hear that-the national service commission, ig taking},
steps to discover the previous trade or - calling of: each man now
under arms, and his intentions or capacities. for his future’ career,
at any rate in the matter of agriculture. That is the foundation
industry of the whole country, Farming should be‘made so-profit-
able, by educational and financial aid, and the social conditions .of
rural life should be so improved that thousands of men with natural
‘inclinations that way will be attracted to agriculture and will
succeed at it,

But even when that j ig done the great majority of the men will
have to be provided for in other kinds of work. 1 should~like to
see thousands of them,not now highly skilled, given special training
to equip them with the skill they lack. [ am sure it would bay the
country to give it them,

_ We must use brains and ingenuity i in forming our plans for
doing the best that can be done for—and with—the returning men.

Good people-oftet-say to them, “‘Mothing is too good for you,’?}
. It ig easy to talk like that, in vague generalities. Butswe-have got |

to:come down to particulars, and find out in detail what is best for
the men—yes, and for each particular mans, with his ‘individual
Gapacitiés’ and aptitudes. —
_. By’ doing that very thing - for men “returaing disabled ‘the
Military ‘Hospitals Commission has given the country a splendid lead.
This ‘lead should be followed in dealing” with, the masa of. men
returning later on... .
+ We want to get out of ruts. We do. our ‘thinking in ‘rats, and
that keeps us acting in ruts, © ~~ 5
Take agriculture, for- ‘instance, | ‘People’ have. a habit. of thinkiag
. and saying that intensive farming i is not, suited to Canadians; and,
accordingly, it is not developed... + “But Canadians. pride themselves
an, . their adaptability; ahd a them . might... transfer: ‘their .
farming with ‘gréat advantage, y

“It-involves 3 thorough 2
to. hore a c operat

. | tural industry in general, intensive

‘system show. that ,-many of the

dred per. cent. in: valle,
steel bars, plates, . ‘angles, ete,

are costing. three times as much |i ©
as they did before the war, ‘and |i oe
delivery is. ‘difficult to ‘obtain. ——
Springs. for enginés, and cars are
other items which require ‘to be
constantly | replaced, ‘and these |q
‘haveincreased in price about. one
hundred. and eighty-five: ‘per ‘conti,
It is alniost- impossible for ‘any.
‘railroad ‘to obtain” new motive
‘power. whieh i is. badly needed

years ‘ago. could ave ‘been bought]
for’ $27,000. can iat, be ordered. for

and extensive alike?

While we must: avoid imprac- ||
ticable scherses, we must not
turn down a scheme off-hand as
impracticable just because we
thave had no experience of it.
\Nor must we be: seared of hig
things just because they are big.

We must investigate all plans
that seem to contain any promise
of usefulness; experiment with||
those that still seem promising
after being subjected to rigid) if
examination; and boldly adopt}
those that stand the test of
experiment.

Ata critical time like this, with
tremendous problems to salve,
we must be bold, without rash-
ness, and not flatter our timidity
with the name of caution, ‘“”.

I said just now that the Milit-
ary Hospitals Commission had
given a good lead by training |:

men for the occupations. they!
were found most suited to. ‘And
there is another very striking
feature of,its'work that offers a
good example for the whole|{
country to follow,

When a soldier is found to have |#
tuberculosis,he is given, the most '

scientific treatment in a sanator-
ium, for as lone as his’ case re-
quires. And he is taught not
only how to conquer the disease
in. himself, but- how to -avoid||f
spreading it to others, If the
same-systematic care was woe |
to civilian consumptives, the gein |
in health and wealth to the coun=
try would be simply enormous. .
As many-Canadians have heen |i
killed at bome by tuberculosis «
since the war began as have been
killed by the. war itself, Yet it
is an entirely preventable disease. |i
If we stop ils ravages. we. aien|.
more than make up for the ray-
ages of thé war. If we stay in|
the rut, and let this enemy go on||f
killing our people at: home as-fast |
as the Germans ean kill them ati)
the front, then the less we talk
about our national intellizence|f
and enterprise, the better, .

Railway Material Higher
Montreal, Mar. 21:— Railway
executives deelare that the steady’
increase in the price of materials ||
used in large quantities onthe ||
railways -presents-a serious prob-|}
lem. Figures quoted by one of
the officers of the Grand- Trunk

staple products used by the line |
have “more than doubled in price|fj
during the. last year.” Brass ‘has ||
ae
in¢reaged | over two hundred per jj
eent in price, and the railway | .
uses ‘thore'than a million dollars’
worth. of., ‘this metal: each year,
Copper has. risen over : -one hun-

“while

hundreds of tons of which go into
railway maintefiance each , year,:

=

lin the near future to the- -agrienl- @ _
|
{
|

.
7

IF YOU CANT FIGHT
YOU.CAN AT LEAST ©

| STAND. BEHIND THE,
‘MAN WHO FIGHTS
FOR YOU! I

THE CANADIAN PATRIOTIC FOND

Which assists the wives and families of. Canada’ 8 gallant

soldiers, requires millions of dollars to Keep the soldiers’

. home fires burning.

‘Distriet Treasurer: Stephen H. Hoskins, Government Agent.
me . Hazelton Committee:

J. £E. Kirby, R. BE. Allen, J. K.. Frost, - J. Ru: Barker,
and J. G. Powell. Monthly Subscriptions a are e Solicited

‘THE CANADIAN RED (ROSS

The Hazelton Branch requests, the ‘support, of all in ‘its .
efforts to assist in the noble work of this préat humanitarian -
! organization, oe
Honorary Presidents: Mrs. (Rev: ) John Field; irs Chet )
1 (oO W. Hogan” =
Chairman: Dr. H. c. Wrinch i rae
* Viee-Piesidents: 5. H. Hoskins; Mrs, E.R. Cox; W. J. Carr
' Honorary Secretary: Miss J, G. Grant
~ Honorary Treasurer: H, H, Little, Manager Union Bank. ,
. Executive Committee: °
. Mrs. H. C. Wrinch, Mrs, R. G, Moseley, . Mrs. Chas, Reid,
_Miss Hogan, Rev,, John Field, Rev, M. Pike, H. H. Phillipa
” Large or: Small Contributions will be Gratefully Received

‘

SOLDIERS ADD. & EMPLOYMENT |
“COMMITTEE |

“Endeavors _to sapply. soldiers’ from Hazelton: distriat witk
“such comforts and. necessities as ednnot be readily obtained ~
at the front, and will assist them to re-establigh themselves:
“in civil life when they return, “The- Committee i is acting.in..
eo. - operation | with the ‘Provincial. Regufned . Soldiers”
Commission and the Military: ‘Hospitals Commission :
Contributions to the Soldiers’ ‘Aid Tobacco Fand ure Welcome *
 Chairman:: ‘A R. Ma¢donald =~ oo ee |

Honorary Seorctary-Tredurer: RE. Allen,, Distriet Fotester — ny
| a AH, Little, J. K/ Prost, BB; Chettleburgh ‘» |
- B . Cainpbell, ae Pp Giassey.: fae