1 ie

By BOB WARD

Nothing to lose but
ants in our pants

E see by the papers that an
W international conference
of entomologists is taking place
in Montreal.

Entomologists, it might be
explained, are scientists who
have to do with the control of
bugs.

The reason for them being
called entomologists is rather
obvious. For if you call a man
who welds a welder, a man
who grinds a grinder, a girl
who assembles an assembler,
it’s easy to see that you can’t
call a man who; bugs anything
else except an entomologist:

The science of bugging is
of more than passing interest
to those of us who aspire to
cultivate the Garden Beauti-
ful. As one aspirant we know
full well that a ‘bunch of
bugs can punch more holes
in vegetation than, say, @
bunch of times-study men can
punch in rates in an unorgan-
ized shop. And that, citizens,
is some punching.

A multitude of bugs de-
scended on Ward’s back-acher
during the vacation, and ate
their way through everything
edible. They beat our beets,
razzed our razzberries, pared
our pears, nibbled our niblets.
squished our squash, dallied
en our dahlias, asphyxiated
our asparagus, and did such
an effective job on our beans
that our missus referred to
what was left as has-beans.

Matter of fact the only thing
they turned down was our
turnups. And maybe that was
because .we didn’t grow any
turnups this year.

Yessir, citizens, the bugs re-
ally bugged us buggy. It was,
indeed, a regular entomologer
what they did to our garden.

ae aS

So as we were sprouting a few
sprouts back, the conference
of entomologists is of more
than passing interest to those
of us who try to weed ’em
and reap.

One item we read about the
conference dealt with “bio-
logical pest control.” This as-
pect of the science is the one
where you get bugs to eat
other bugs.

The general idea is some-
what like free enterprise. All
bugs are let loose on the same
patch of society; but the big-
ger bugs eat up the smaller
ones much like the chain
stores have eaten up the small

corner merchant. But, a la the ‘

chain stores, the big bugs are
still left to strip your vines.
Quite some time of the con-
ference has been taken up
with a sort of Kinsey-ish Re-
port on the “behavioral court-
ship sequence of the male but-'
terfly.” The first three stages
seem all too familiar to at
least one male who is hardly
the butterfly type. They in-
eluded “flying at,” “follow-
ing,” and “quivering flight.”

By the fourth and fifth stage

the. report said, “the poor
suitor is all mixed up.” This,

it stated, was due to “female
duplicity.”

Re ra

But, in any event, we know
that-a lot of good is going to
come out of the entomologists’
conference. ;

Throughout the world, it
would seem, the same type of
bugs have been driving farm-
ers and other citizens quite
buggy and the bug specialists
seem to be entomologered if
they’re going to let it keep on
thataway. 3

The slogan of the confer-
ence would seem to be “En-
tomologists of the World
Unite — we have nothing to
lose, but the ants in our pants.”
However, we doubt a rumor
that the conference chairman
opened each: session by. say-
ing “Let us spray.”

One thing, for sure, if the
conference comes up with
some international method of
eliminating black flies and
mosquitoes here’s one vata-
tioner who won’t do any back-
biting about it.

It also occurs to us that
there are other “bugs” which
could stand some “internation-
al control.” Like, for instance,
H-bombs and nuclear weap-
ons. depressions, war or any
host of other things which
have bugged mankind for
years.

It seems to us that the en-
tomologists are setting a darn
good example that should be
followed in every sphere of
international relations. © En-
tomologered if we don’t.

* Reprinted from Canadian
UE News.

OPEN FORUM

Spending for peace

ADAM FARMER, Rabbit
Lake, Saskatchewan: An edit-
orial in the Western Producer
entitled “Are We Ready For
Peace?” says “How could an
assured return, however grad-
ual, to. peacetime economy af-
fect us? For our part we are
convinced that it would be
economically disastrous.”

After a careful reading of
this editorial it would seem
the editor believes that unless
we spend $1,700,000,000 an-
nually on defense we are just
bound to have a depression.
Therepy tne “tree aorld” will
lose out in the peaceful econ-
omic competition with Russia
and communism.

Is there no other way ex-
cépt a wartime economy that
our wealth can be put in cir-
culation? Could we not spend
a lot of that money on edu-
cation? Could we not spend
some of it on increased old age
pensions? Or on the promised
National Health Service
scheme?

Could we not spend a billion ©

or two on good roads, decent
housing, ‘development of hy-
droelectric power, irrigation,
improved water transportation
and more efficient production
all along the line? ;

We have suggested that the
reason why those in control
of our government find it so
necessary to continue defense
spending is not because there
is no other way to put cash
in circulation. Rather it is be-
eause those financial interests
who find selling munitions of
war to our government a pro-

fitable business are in a
position to exercise, and do
exercise a lot of control over
Ottawa. Not only that, also
over all avenues of information
going out to the public.
Neighbors say our ideas are
most unreasonable, One friend-
ly chap suggests we have an

unbalanced mental condition,

47

a!

Kas:

“What do you mean get my
own breakfast? I’m back
from work !”

using the descriptive word
“crazy.” Regarding this matter
we are unable to express an
unprejudiced opinion.

On hero worship

MRS. JEANNE TEATHER,
Enderby, B.C.: Although the
announcement of the short-

comings of Stalin and the
worship of the individual ™
have surprised many peoP™y
it really isn’t so hard to undel :
stand. For capitalism has ™)
stilled hero worship in
working class for centuries

We are always having 5%
thing put forward to wol®
kings, queens, beauty que
the Lone Ranger and sup
man.

All of us are schooled”
this hero .worship — keeps ¥
from worrying about the ™
and the high cost of livin’

The Soviet people just 10 5
another “idol.” Education YF
help to change this, but Le :
hope they don’t make ‘id?
of Krushchev and Bulga)

However, we ;
have no right to be smug
has no one commented 8)
the Salsberg incident? su
the LPP national co
is not composed of yes gy
Was Salsberg the only (uF
who was willing to CUM
Stalin for his mistakes? a
is something very wroNé |
and just reinstating sash
will not eradicate the © i

A reappraisal of. thé
leadership in Canada shy
be made. We must have (4
and women strong enous!
stand on their convictions” fl
not those who “toady” ®
leaders. They must think © 4
themselves.

Also, let us use our
able space in the Pacific
une for real workil
articles and not stories
as the one about how
liquor Krushchev and 8
in consume.

{
Ny

(

swing around the

us. When he stands in the

legislature and recites the
statistics of the Social Cred-
it government’s road-build-
ing program, Gaglardi can
be quite convincing. To
motorists forced to drive
through egg-sized gravel,
as I was the other day along
the highway from Cache
Creek to Savona, the pro-
gram is less impressive.

Not long ago one of our
readers chided me for what
he termed my “recurrent

sniping at Social Credit
road policy.”
His advice was, ‘“Let’s

attack Social Credit where
it is politically vulnerable
— and leave its strong
points alone.”

At the moment I am won-

| | G iffi
| have just returned from a 1,500-mile
Interior with a
better appreciation of why Highways
Minister Philip A. Gaglardi prefers to

fly, leaving his autographed billboards
along the roadside to console the rest of

dering how.I can pay a
bill for around $75, the cost
of damages I incurred on
my trip. I could, of course,
send it to Gaglardi, but I
am not collecting auto-
graphs unless they are on
cheques.

The bill represents one
ruined tire and_ stove-in
gas tank (from rock on the
Lillooet - Bralorne road),
one stove-in oil pan (from
rock on the Lytton-Lillooet
road), one door catch and
two seat rests snapped off
in negotiating the Cache
Creek-Savona road.

Even a Social Credit re-
fund of the $7.50 in gaso-
line tax I paid out to incur
this bill would be accept-
able.

I am not denying that

the Social Credit govern-
ment is- reconstructing old
roads and building new
ones. Any government
coming to power in the past:
few years would have been
compelled to embark on a
road - building program
after the stagnation of the
thirties and forties. Even
the old Liberal-Conserva-
tive Coalition, which built
the Hope - Princeton and
Hart highways, was begin-
ning to reflect this need
when the voters threw it
out of office.

But good roads are not
necessarily synonymous
with good government. The
proof of this is the Liberal-
Conservative coalition
which governs Vancouver
under the pseudonym of
the Non-Partisan Associ-

ation. It has paved streets

that were aes disgrace to A few miles of black
any .city — the majority of here, a few miles there, tory |
them on the west side from Stretches under dest ere |
which it draws its major construction everyW But

support.

As in the province gener-
ally, the roads were in such

condition that work had Ke |
be done on them. }

ment’s road policy is no J¢
riddled with politics. W” a
the Coalition built a politi
machine in the highway®
department and
maintenance work 0
roads,
spreading
throughout the province @ vane
relaying on the impress |
created by a multipli
of road construction 5
to win the voters.

is apparent. With the ©
ception of the Hope-Pringy, 4
ton Highway there is har@. |
a road in the Interior
can travel for its full Jen
Inevitably you are
to detour over long

signers “io?
Coventry make no provis® jf

may be good politics.
it’s a poor. policy for
motorists who have to
the bill for it.

The Social Credit govet™
where 4

‘dO
di nthe
Credit

road work

:

Social
its

The result of this polief

you |
gt):

0 dy
gtret

of

August 31, 1956 —

PACIFIC TRIBUNE —