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- ..--. UVALMVI uJ - Owing to'the erractic habits of the weather, any kind of prediction will come true occasionally, but scientific observers tell us that in the present state of human know~ ledge it is impossible to predict weather conditions more than a very few days ahead. Perhaps many credulous persons are now watching for a verification of their weather predictions, based on whether the ground hog saw his shadow in their localities on Ground Hog Day, February 2. And even if their pre- dictions are not verified, they will doubtless offer some sort of alibi for that. venerable fm‘ecaster. Then about March 21 these same people will watch for the “equinoctial storm” which is supposed to occur about the time when the sun“‘crosses the line.” 1 Of course, no one with any knowledge of meterology pays any attention to either of these ancient superstitions, but in the popular mind they cling with grim tenacity. Ans.-.“ L_’LL r -u N ..... ux, Vuullb‘y, but of York County and generallgrvthioughout Canada. Un- til the farmer can secure at least the actual cost of pro- duction plus a legitimate profit, there can be no release of buying_ power which the industrialist and merchant so consistantly long for. “Land values have shrunk to at least half their former value and private capital is not interested to any extent in farm mortgages. Farmers who will best weather the storm are those who have not been prodigal of soil fertility; who have constantly. maintained a watchful eye on the spread of Weeds on their farms and with caution and business enterprise have watched all items of expenditure.” Low prices for all classes of farm products are causing great concern, not only among the farmers themselves who are hit directly by this condition, but also by town and city people generally, through reduced buying power of the farmers. This is true, not only in Simcoe County, Lul- AL‘ 17A_'l.. {‘1 . . A , A DIFFICU’Lxl1 POSITION OF FARMERS “It is estimated that at least 50 per cent. of the far- mers of Simcoe County will have great difficulty in carry- ing on their business for another year unless market con- ditions improve or‘their creditors offer unusual leniency.” states the annual report of the North and South Simcoe branches of the Ontario Department of Agriculture for 1nnn 1932. Professor Walker says ‘2tho rmost honor would go to those who performed the most arduous tasks.” WOULD ESTABIHSH UTOPIA The British Government has recently been requested to found and finance an “experimental colony of 100,000 members, managed by engineers, to bring about a state of happiness and well being; for all members of the commun- ity.” This latter “Utopia” would be called “Eudemonisticy” from a Greek word meaning “happiness.” To show what the Eudemonistic colony. and later, the Whole world would become, Prof. Miles Walker, British Iscientist, father of the idea, asks you to consider in our civilization a man 60 years old, working long hours every day, in a sewer, because he has no other way to make a living, and compare that man, victim of our “civilization.” with a young man of 23 or 24. willingly volunteering to do disagreeable, arduous work for the new community, work- ing a few hours a day for good pay, devoting the rest of the time to education and pleasure. All of the old to be protected and honored. In this new land of Endemonia engineers, substituting machinery for hard work, would produce wealth and life’s necessities with only a few hours’ easy employment for each every day, the citizens all employed. F! C“? MILLS HAROLD REID’S SERVICE STATION This is the logical View regardless of the fact that the law looks at it in this way, and any public body that is doing business or discussing public business should not object to having the ratepayers know just exactly what is going on. Public business done behind closed doors does not tend to create public confidence. Moreover, full reports of the discussions by the members are of interest to the ratepayers who pay the bills and are vitally interested in public businessâ€"just as interésted as those who may be sitting on the public body. Public representatives who are not willing to have the full light of public opinion cast on their views and actions should never enter public life. CASTROL OIL . Every citizen, as well as press representatives, have every right to attend all meetings of all public bodies and moreover they cannot withold any information concerning public business from either newspaperman or citizen. What is more, any statement made or opinion expressed at a regularly constituted public meeting immediately becomes public property and can be published by any newspaper. Frequently at meetings of public bodies the remark is made by some member that some certain statement made is “not for publication.” While such a request is generally allowed by the press it should be remembered that when .‘ statement is made it rests entirely with the press rep 1 esentative whether or not it Will be published and not with lhe public servant making the request. “Public Business” is just exactly what the term im- pliesâ€"the business of the public. And the public has every right to know how the repersentatives they have placed in office are conducting the business relative to the office and their reasons for positions taken in all matters. GENERAL GARAGE SERVICE Sieberling Tires Motor Accessories G; We are exclusive representatives in this district for the Famous Castro] MOTOR OIL. It pairs to use the Best. Call here for your next change of oil and be assured of good service and s quality products. PAGE TWO J. Eachern Smith, Manure! Member Canadian Weekly Newspapei Association Subscription $1.50 per year â€" To the United States $2.00 Covering Canada’s Best Suburban District. Advertising Rates on Application. TELKT’HONE 9 Established 1878 AN INDEPENDENT WEEKLY PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY AT RICHMOND HILL THE LIBERAL PRINTING 00.. LTD. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16th, 1933 “NOT FOR PUBLICATION” WEATHER MYTHS THE LIBERAL Gas and Oil ONTARIO For the sake of clearer understand-l ing, let us translate this generali knowledge, this personal conviction, into a mathematical analysis of ability to pay. From 1925-1929 or ’30, the ability of the Canadian people to pay taxes coincided with and even exâ€"’ ceeded, the mounting revenues levied.) Taking 1929 to equal 100, the indices‘ for previous years were: 1925â€"77 .73 1926â€"8335 1927â€"â€"86.40 1928â€"9425 1929â€"1000 Up Go Taxes and The Burden Meanwhile taxes mounted fairly regularly during the same years from 83 to 100, expenditures from 87 to 100, and debts from 95 to 100. Since 1930- 31, however, the ability to pay in re- lation to taxes, expenditure and debt has been a different story. Tax yields in 1930â€"31 fell 9.6% below those of a year previous but ability to pay fell 21%. Real taxes, therefore, instead of declining in harmony actually in- creased 14.4% in the year. The orâ€" dinary expenditures of all Govern- ments had increased on the other hand 5.49? which made the real increase 33.451. while Government debts in- creased 8.6% resulting in their real appreciation being 37.4%. During the past two years, how- ever, there has been a marked change of opinion in Canada regarding the ex- penditures, debts and revenue efforts of Federal, Provincial and Municipal Governments. On all sides now can be heard the insistent voice of bus- iness and the people, demanding dras- tic readjustment all through Governâ€" ment from the national administra- tion at Ottawa down to the least significant of our Canadian villages and hamlest. This change of opin- ion is easy to understand, as we shall see later. The fact of the matter is that the shoe has begun to pinch in several places and everybody is feel- ing it now. Many years ago, that, is to say be- tween 1925 and 1929 or ’30, governâ€" ment taxation did not Seem to occupy as much attention as it does to-day. True, we heard complaints from time to time of the rapacity of public ad- ministrations. Occasionally the com- plaint was heard that Finance Min- isters and City Treasurers were “soaking the rich” too heavily and sometimes a warning voice proclaimâ€" ed the possibility of public bankâ€" ruptcy. 0n the whole, however, the people at large were not greatly dis- turbed by such criticisms, while Governments apparently were not in‘ the least concerned. I These figures may seem startling‘ but consider {he first nine months of BUSINESS DISCOVERS TAX Anxious as to the present Trend of Public Finances in Provinca and Dominion. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce set up a National Committee of Business Leaders to make a Thorough Analysis into Government Budgets and Expenditures. This Article sets out the Facts Discovered in the Researches of the Committee. as surely comes from the same source, but by a roundabout way that makes the outlay greater. The government pays 80 cents of every dollar, but the government has already collected that 80 cents and probably '20 cents more in costs from the same people who are supposedly paying only the 20 cents. ‘,‘So-called Relief” is very rapidly changing to plunder. This country has started something it will find hard to stop. There have always been people needing relief and they have always been able to get it if they went about it in the right way. Just now it is not reliefâ€"it is debauch. Men who have no need whatever are drawing regular salaries under the name of relief. I have heard of men getting large quantities of tobacco, which indulgent mer- chants are billing as groceries; of one young man getting a skating outfit billed as clothes; of men with herds of cattle, sheep and other live stock drawing relief ; of a single man drawing relief for a wife and three children; of a woman drawing relief and sending away $5 for a doll’s bed; of a man drawing relief for three children, two of whom live in the United States and, as auctioneers would say. “other articles too numerous to mention.” Many think that as only 20 per cent. is paid by the municipality they are only costing it 20 cents out of every dollar got. Where do thep suppose the other 80 cents is coming from? It just The relief problem is beginning to cause a feeling of apprehension not only in this county, but throughout the whole Dominion, and there are many who share this feeling with Editor George Thomas, of the Bracebridge Gazette, who, commenting editorially on relief abuses and Where it will all end, writes in a recent issue of his newspaper: THE LIBERAL, RICHMOND HILL, ONTARIO WHERE WILL RELIEF END? We shall jot down a few comparisons. therefore, to make things clearer, more understandable. Before the war. in 1913, the current erenditures of all Governments in Canada: amount- ed to $275 million. This equalled 50% of the farm value of all field crops in that year. In 1931. hnwevet Govern- ments expended a sum not less than 1929â€"1000 , 1930â€"75104 ’ 1931â€"5627 1932â€"~45.30 (nine months) During- this period, public debt and expenditure have been slightly up and revenue from taxes slightly down. No wonder we find that the “shoe pinches in several different places.” A Miniature Maze People naturally want to know a great deal more about our Govern- ment expenditures and debts. “Are we spending much more than we did in pre-war days? Let us have the facts and figures.” Very well, if the reader can screw up the courage to following through a miniature maze we can set out precisely what he wants to know. Less than thirty years ago, in 1904 to be exact, the total expenditures of all Governments in Canada amounted to the reasonably large figure of $120 million. In nine short years to 1913, expenditures had more than doubled and stood at $275 million. We do not wish to appear astronomical in the Way we set out figures but in 1931 our Federal, Provincial and Municipal bodies saw fit to spend $920 million. Adjusted to population, these figures mean that expenditures per capita were $19.08 in 1904. $36.72 in 1913 .822 $88.68 in 1931. During the period un- der review population increased 78%; government evpenditures 666%. But that is not the whole story for it does not include Dominion Government Capital Exnenditure nor special out- lays for railway subsidies, war and demobilization, although pensions and debt charges are included. A Few Comparisians The significance of mere figures. however. is generally hard to grasp. “v 1932. Government debts and ordinary expenditures have shown‘ further in- creases. Despite new taxes and high- er rates, revenue shoWs a. slightly further drop. Our ability to pay meanwhile has decreased to a marked degree. For the first nine months of this year the index of ability to pay a fixed number of dollars stood at only 45.3% of 1929. In plain lang- uage, general business activity had not quite 2/3 the volume of 1929, at prices averaging 30% lower. The figures below show how our ability to pay has trended downwards since 1929: It may be countered that business has not been asking for funds these past two years. That is almost en- tirely true bul: business will need mon- ey in Hue course snow-r or later, and meanwhile our public bodies have taken up a dangeroust large portion of our available assets. It would seem that our reserve finances are Let us endeavour to grasp the sig- nificance of these debts a little more clearly. The $5,300 million of gross government debts (disregarding other items) is a sum greater than the total capital invested in all manu- facturing in Canada. The increase in our industrial capitalization was 210 % between 1913-1031; the increase in total assets of Chartered Banks was 100%; total ~ bank deposits 103%; total external trade 64.4%; increase in field crop acreage 63.8%. Our public administrations, however, in- creased their debts by 392% during the same period. Where’s Money For Trade? For almost 30 years, Dominion, Provincial and Municipal Governâ€" ments have taken almost 65% of all our bond money while business has enjoyed the remaining- 35%. In war time, of course, business was hardly able to raise any bond money at all. Between 1923 and 1929 business got a better break but in 1931 and last year, our Governments have practi- cally monopolized the bond marketâ€" to pay for public services and to balâ€" ance budgets. Per capita $ Per capita 3 expenditures taxation 1904â€"â€"19.08 15.98 1913~36.72 31.20 1931â€"8868 66.6 (approx) The effect of such financial practice or malpractice, is dramatically reâ€" ‘vealed in the increase of gross public debts. It is informative to read through some more figures. Be- tween 1913 and 1931 the Dominion in- creased its gross debt by $2,127 mil- lion. In addition, the principal and interest was guaranteed on bonds for the C.N.R., Harbour CommiSSioners', etc., amounting to almost $740 million. Our Provinces owe over $1,000 million more to-day than they did twenty years ago. - Even the increase in mun- icipal debt it staggering at $1,000 million; In 1913, we Canadians owed less than $150 apiece for Govern- ment account. Toâ€"day our individual obligation is well over $500. This computation does not include a side item of $1,276 million which repreâ€" sents the Canadian National Railway long term debt to the public as ascer- tained for December 31, 1931. In 1931 the total amount of income assessed against all individuals was $815.7 millions but Governments spent $920 millions or rather more. If all individual incomes had been ex- propriated above the moderate exemp- tions of $3500 for married persons and $1500 for single persons, our public bodies even then would have been short $100 million! “Alice-In-\Vonderland” “But,” it is remarked, “the Govern- ments are spending more than they are receiving through taxation.” We must sorrowfully agree by pointing out that public administrations of this country have been spending annually} 3134 for every $100 of revenue. By; catigories: Provincial Governments have spent $152 for every 3100 rev- enue, Municipal Governments have ex- ceeded every $100 of income by $24, while the Federal Government has run behind approximately 35% every year. 216% of Elie value of all field cropsâ€"â€" $920 million as compared with $425 million. Some may feel that we are overâ€"exaggerating by taking a poor agricultural year so we shall point out that the average value of all field crops for the 5 years, 1927-31 (which include three years of good prices), was $866 million while public expen- ditures in 1931 were $920 million. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16th. 1933 RICHMOND HILL We solicit order for Cut Flowers for all occasions which will be promptly apd cheerfully filled. l elephone Sundays V'ights . . . . . 50 Holidays 57 This greatest of all questi< squarely before the Canadian demands a forthright answer. the people have given this their consideration, let them their conclusion in a manner f1 quate to the circumstances. justified in increasing legislation and overhead expenses by $34 million in l ten years so that now our bill for this item alone is $118 million? Are the people getting fair value from the doubling of expenditures on natural resources this past ten years so that now We spend nearly $19 million on their development? How is it that immigration and colonization cost us 814 million in 1930-31 when there was practically no immigration and colon- ization, whereas in 1921-22 less than 841/2 million was apparently suffic- ient? Public charity and welfare stood at $641/2‘million last year in comparison with 3271/4 million ten years previous but the special unem- ployment relief included only consti- tuted a moderate fraction of the total. Are we getting-.value for the $140 million and more per annum we are now spending for the protection of persons and property which compares with $115 million in 1921-22? Are our Governments giving this country $140 million worth in communications, $18 million worth to‘ agriculture, $16 million worth of health and sanitation and $8 million worth of recreation which was what these items respec- tively cost us in cash last year? Every classification shows an increase of from 25-200%. Governments are spending over 30% more on public services to-day than they did only ten years ago. Are we getting one billion dollars worth of value from these services. It would seem quite clear that we cannot afford to contemplate anypos~ sibility of keeping up the present rate of public expenditures. It is a burden we cannot possibly carry with- out disastrous consequences. Many functions may be desirable and We may, in fact we shall: find many Who will loudly oppose the curtailment of' any service, however small. Are We Getting Value? The public may Well ask if we are receiving full yalue for the $166 million we spend on education to-day in comparison with the $96 million which met our requirementsten years: ago. Have our Governments been What Shall We Do? It may be quite fairly asked, “Now, where is all this. discussion leading us?” .It seems quite inevitable that any thinking citizen reading these facts of public finance and comparing them with the “more familiar facts of everyday business, must come to the conclusion that Federal, Provincial and Municipal Governments are def- initely overspending. If that con- clusion is fully endorsed, it is logical that the people should insist upon a drastic retrenchment by all public ad- ministrations. It is not important to ask how and why all our governing bodies have so eittended their activ- ities that even $1,000 million a year is insu ficient to maintain them. John Dunlop & Son FLORISTS low and it is doubtful whether we have enough for adequate economic pro- gress if there is any business stim. ulation during the next 18 months, We have had to lend our Govern. ments so much of our savings from past good busineSS years, to cover budget deficits largely, that it is not unreasonable to suggest that there will be a mighty scramble for money when business does turn the wished: for corner. MUSâ€"KEEâ€"KEE $1.00 per bottle AUSTIN’S DRUG STORE Richmond Hill - Ontarir Fee only 5c. THOS. WOODS’ POND Every Afternoon and Night BEST OF ICE lllru inated at Night SKATENG! 3orner Elgin Sideroad and Balb..rst )enses by $34 million in that now our bill for this $118 million? Are the 1g fair value from» the expenditures on natural 3 past ten years so that of an questions, now ght answer. When given this question I, let them express a manner fully ade- action of the total. due for the $140 ‘er annum we are the protection of Canadian people Ontario