Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - October 21, 1955, Winnipeg, Manitoba Freedom of Trade Liberty of religion Equality of civil rights Winnipeg press printed and published Dally except sunday by the Winnipeg free company limited. 300 Carlton street., Winni Nec. Manitoba. Authorized As second class matter by the Post office department Ottawa. Tom Kent editor r. S. Malone Victor vice president president publisher Grant Dexter associate editor general lord manager Winnipeg Friday october 21, 1955 failed the Canadian Mission to Washington on wheat has failed. The Story of thursday s conference is told by our washing ton correspondent in the adjoining columns and the main Point stands out clearly. The meeting began with the Cana Dian officials bravely insisting that they must talk to their opposite numbers As the responsible representatives of a government with a mind of its own they would not be fobbed off by being told that everything depended on Congress. That was the Brave beginning. And the end it is of course that the american officials say that Congress forces them unwillingly to take away our wheat Trade and that is that. The one thing that could now save the world wheat Trade from disruption is As has been argued on this Page a Public commitment by the United states to restrain its giveaways to a fixed monthly amount. The . Officials at last recognize that As everyone who knows the situation must. But Congress they say. Would not stand for it. And the Canadian Mission comes Home pretending to be some what satisfied with an agreement that the americans will talk to us every month while going on doing what they Are. This agreement is worse than useless. It is damaging to our Case. It will make the wheat importing countries whose Goodwill matters so much to us suspicious. They can readily interpret such continuing meetings As some preliminary to a Cartel Deal As supping with the Devil the benevolent Uncle Sam who wants to give his wheat away being the Man who is induced to go out supping and Canada being from their viewpoint the Devil. It would have been far better for the canadians to have left Washington without any agreement to discuss wheat sales with the United states again. As it is we simply get the worst of All worlds. Import ing countries think that we Are influencing the against the importers interests far More than we in fact Are. The american Public assumes that its Good Canadian friends Are being considered As usual everything is cozy and the farm lobby can be yielded to some More. And All Canada gets is the satisfaction of some officials in repeating to . Officials the complaints they privately agree with but insist that they can do almost nothing about because of Congress. The proper description the monthly consultations would be talks privately to Embarrass . Officials with their own impotence. That May give some understandable satisfaction to Canadian officials but it hardly ranks As a Concession use Ful to the Canadian wheat Farmer. Such is the failure at Washington. The Canadian officials Are not to be blamed for it. They did their Best no doubt within the framework that or. Howe and his colleagues had provided for them. They did for the first time make official Washington understand Canada s position. That achievement is itself the indictment of the government s slovenly fail ure to get to grips with the wheat problem in time. The . Surplus disposal program has not just begun. The threat to Canada and to world Trade has been apparent a la this year. And yet we have Only just succeeded in making our Case to Well intentioned . Officials who Are the easiest to influence. We have not begun to make our Case to the american Public the politicians and Congress. How can we expect them Ever to have any inkling of it if we agree to go on holding Point less talks in private this is the fundamental failure the failure not of officials but of politics. It is the Gross indifference of Ottawa to the interests of the West. There have been cases of such indifference before in Canadian history and they have some times lit fires that changed the course of our politics. Provincial Power and civic timidity there Are four things to be said about the Power Deal which has now been finally negotiated. In the first place it testifies to the skill and tenacity of or. Campbell who needs no reminder of the Side on which his political bread is buttered. He fought for and has achieved an arrangement which admirably safeguards the interests of Power Consumers in Rural Manitoba. The second conclusion is of a different order. City coun cil after years of bungling on Power matters has behaved As if nothing mattered but to get the thing Over. No one can accuse the aldermen of defending the special interest of Citi Zens of Winnipeg. They have been so much Clay in the hands of the provincial Potter. Thirdly fortunately and due entirely to the fact that the. People of this City Are less pliable than their elected representatives the new arrangement is a considerable improvement Over the late and a lamented plan c. The fourth Point can be no More than a fervent Hope. It is that the new Power Deal May prove in practice to be better than it looks and better than the conduct of the Winnipeg Council affords anyone a right to assume. Owen s dream of Canada or. Wilfred Owen Leader of the social credit movement in new zealand has just returned to that country after taking a Jook at social credit in Ca Nada. His first report Given on his return to Auckland is enough to make one wonder where or. Owen spent his time Here. Certainly the Canada that he saw or professed to see exists Only in his own imagination. He is reported As saying that Canada is marching steadily towards a social credit eco Nomy and thai the provinces without social credit govern ments Are close to electing them. It would be interesting to hear or. Owen when he Ela borates his remarks for the Benefit of the new zealand faithful reconciling Canada s March towards social credit with the fact that social Cre Dit members constitute just five per cent of Canada s parliament and that none of these has been elected outside Brit ish Columbia and Alberta. He will also it is to be hoped explain Why. In View of the near Ness of social credit to Vic tory in the other eight pro Vinces there is a grand total of two social credit members in the eight provincial Legislatures. These two arc in Mani Toba and among them is Jar. Bull More whose orthodoxy has been questioned. Or. Owen also tried to perpetuate the legend propagated by the More Earnest special Cre Diters in Alberta that the pro Vince s Prosperity is not so much due to the fact that Oil was found there As that the Alberta government applied social credit principles to exploit the Oil Fields. Perhaps or. Owen will later get around to explaining what these social credit principles Are. His statement that Saskatchewan s Kcf government allows Only one Oil company to operate there through fear of nationalization is As accurate As the rest of his observations. The most charitable explanation of or. Owen s findings is that while he was in Canada he steadfastly kept his eyes shut to anything that did not fit in with his preconceived views and As steadfastly kept his ears open to the Blandishments and prophecies of messes. Bennett Manning Hansell and those other social credit leaders whose dreams of spreading the social credit gospel across Canada in the future Are a lot More grandiose than their accomplishments in this Endeavor have been in the past. Today s script ures thou therefore endure hard Ness As a Good Soldier of Jesus Christ. Ii Tim. The defence minister gets on to the Job whear Row in Washington reasoning with a giant Washington the real test of the value of thursday s conference on wheat policy will come in future weeks and months As one is Able to gauge the changes in America s method of disposing of its surplus Grain. It would be unrealistic to expect Ameri can policy to be changed Over night. But two things by con sent of american officials themselves have been achieved by this conference. First the United states administration realizes for the first time and in All its Gravity the critical importance in which american marketing methods Are held in Canada. Second the administration has agreed to hold monthly conferences with Canadian officials to keep the entire pro Sarn under constant review. The significance of these two concessions will be better understood As the conference is summarized. It should be remembered that the meeting was closed to the press. There was no More than a Brief press announcement after the meet ing from the . Department of agriculture. The account i Here is based on guidance re i Cei Ved from both american and i Canadian officials. The Canadian delegation consisted of or. Sharp associate Deputy minister of Trade and Commerce or. Milvor and or. Mcnamara of the Cana Dian wheat Board or. Richards of the department of agriculture and two officials of the Canadian embassy Here. The american delegation was much larger. It consisted of representatives of the depart ment of agriculture the state department and the International co operation administration. By m. F. Or. Sharp said i Don t think it is the intention of the United states to do but he quickly added that canadians take a very serious View of american methods of surplus disposal and feel that the re sults have been damaging to Canadian this is the first time that the United states department of agriculture has Ever admitted in an official statement in these unqualified terms that Canada feels that its interests have been damaged and takes a very serious View of american j policy. I from this Point Forward it is necessary to reconstruct the main discussion As it took place behind closed doors. To the Surprise of the Cana Dian delegation or. Benson the Secretary of agriculture appeared before this Confer ence of officials and made what amounted to a formal statement. There could be no More convincing proof of the importance which he gave to this conference than the fact that or. Benson deemed it necessary to read a. Prepared defence of american wheat policy for the Benefit of six Canadian officials. Or. Benson s cast will be familiar to readers of this Page. He outlined the events which led to the present huge surplus and he admitted that his department is following an aggressive sales program. But he added that we have tried All along not to disrupt world he closed by refer i ring to the tradition of co oper i action Between Canada and the United states and expressing i the Hope that the present Dis agreement would be solved on a truly Friendly and co opera Tive or. Sharp replied for can Ada. It is Worth considerable emphasis that the following Points were put in the press re lease by the american officials. These were the Points which impressed them to the extent of wanting to make them pub Lic. The american press release said or. Sharp told or. Ben son there is great admiration in Canada for the courage with which you have faced domes tic agricultural the Plain inference so under stood by the american delegation was that Canada would like to see similar courage on or. Benson s part in facing America s Export agricultural i problems. A . State department official told this reporter that in the Trade talks in Ottawa last month the Canadian ministers had stated their criticism of american marketing methods with lucidity and in the Washington conference he continued Canadian officials a d presented their Case something like he said that in an experience going Back Many years he had never heard officials of the Canadian government criticize american policy with such frankness and in such detail. He was grateful for this can Dor. As a result of this Over whelming Canadian criticism what the press release gently described As a Frank and Complete discussion of Mutual problems it would now be possible to inform All the interested branches and Agen cies of the american govern ment of the full magnitude of Canada s complaints. This was the first essential step towards making american policy less dangerous and less disruptive. The Canadian delegation began by bluntly asserting that there was no Point at All in proceeding with the conference if the american officials were to Point to Congress As the master. The Canadian govern ment could not negotiate Wilh Congress it could Only negotiate with the administration. It was necessary for the administration to decide on a marketing policy of restraint and moderation and then fight for t his policy before Congress. This reasoning Shook the american delegation for a moment taut it accepted the logic of the Canadian position. An american official argued that the United states was keeping an umbrella Over Canadian wheat prices. He was sharply challenged and told that Canada is keeping an umbrella Over the american did the United states want a Price War with Canada it should be explained that the above discussion concerned Dollar sales. The americans understood that their sales for local currencies were merely disguised giveaways or in definite Loans. Therp was no Canadian complaint of the marginal wheat Given away for humanitarian or Relief Pur poses. Then the canadians explained that Canada could not consent to an agreed division of markets with the United states. This arrangement would probably fail to achieve the desired results. In any Case it was impossible for can Ada to agree to a method of marketing which resembled a Cartel and which outraged the general principles of Canadian Trade policy. There was Only one solution. The United states should begin to show greater restraint in dumping its surplus on the world Market. The Canadian delegation con Vinced the american officials that America s disposal policy has already Cost Canadian Farmers some fifty or sixty million bushels of wheat sales. This loss has a profound Impact on the Canadian Economy. Yet or. Benson s aggressive marketing methods had Only a marginal effect on the american farm problem. It would take ten years at the current rate to dispose of the surplus by the present methods. Did the United states believe that Canada could live with such a policy for ten years the american officials prom ised 1o give careful consideration to the Canadian Sugges Tion that one of the Best ways of cutting Down the surplus would be to use the wheat much of it of Low milling Quality anyway for feed purposes in the american Economy. This policy might mean a conflict with Corn producers but the canadians argued that it would be possible to resolve this conflict within the general terms of american agricultural policy. In any event this Domestic problem would be far less serious than a Long continued controversy with Canada. The american willingness to hold monthly review meetings with Canada is a tacit admission that the american disposal program must be slowed up and greater consideration must be Given to Canadian interests. Chickadee notes by Harold Mossop no. An Island tragedy the important thing now is to Waich the american wheat statistics each month. If the dumping program is reduced Well and Good that Means that the policy of consultation and review is working if not the Canadian government will have to consider other Mea sures. Meanwhile the Cana Dian delegation is so satisfied with the results of the Confer ence that it believes the informal policy of review at least deserves a fair trial. It is conceded without argument that the Best solution would have been to have the United slates accept a Public commitment to Market no More than a fixed amount of wheat each month in smaller volume than present sales. But no american official believes that he could make such a Public pledge and be Able to enforce in. Congress could Al ways change the Law to compel larger marketing. Remember . Officials say that powerful forces in Congress want to vote More Money for the disposal program and to have it applied More vigorously. Think of the outcry in Congress in an election year with farm income falling if there were a Public commit ment to keep mid Western wheat off the world Market for the Sake of Canadian farm ers. American officials explain that they might conceivably be Able quietly to negotiate a go slow marketing agreement with congressional leaders hut it would be absolutely fatal to make such a Public agreement with the Canadian government. Once upon a time there was a Beautiful besides they Point out that it was the protest of Canada which prevented All the funds at the disposal of or. Benson from being spent in one crop year. It was the state department s support of the Canadian position As presented by the Canadian embassy which put a voluntary ceiling on the disposal pro Gram. American officials believe the proposed policy of review and consultation will have beneficial results. We can Only wait and see and the canadians have left the americans under no illusions about the revulsion of feeling in Canada if the results Are unsatisfactory. At no Point in the Confer ence did the International wheat agreement now us for negotiation and renewal play a serious or important part. Birthdays William Moore Morris Man.-. Born Lachute Quebec oct. 1872. L. S. Greenlay Portage la Prairie. Man., born Portage la Prairie Man., oct. 21, 1876. From Lake Manitoba Way comes news of a new White Pelican and double crested Cor Morant rookery on a Small Island about two Miles from the main land. Calamity seems to have be fallen the nestlings however the cause is not quite Clear. Or. George Cotter 19 Glen Avenue St. Vital heard that there were nests containing Young on sept. 24, which is extremely late in the season. This late does not give the Young time to develop their Powers of flight before the fall migration. On oct. 10, or. Cotter visited the Island with a camera. A sorrowful scene was his Reward. The total of 83 nests almost All contained one or More dead Young 48 cormorants and 55 pelicans All fully feathered. Also on the Island were a num Ber live Young of these species also fully fledged but As yet not capable of flight. These promptly look to the water on his approach swimming about in groups gulping dead fish that floated in Large numbers in the Vicinity. A few adults both of pelicans and cormorants were also in the Vicinity but kept a Safe distance out on the Lake. Explanations two probable explanations of this catastrophe May be consid ered. The first the migrating urge compelled most of the adult Birds to depart for the South leaving their Young to certain death. However in View of the approach of freeze up they were doomed anyway. This situation though rare is certainly not unknown among Birds. The other explanation in View of the Large numbers of dead fish More than a dozen adult ring billed gulls and two piping plovers dead on the Island and a close observation of one apparently ill Pelican Points to deliberate poisoning. This May have been done in an attempt to destroy the Birds be cause of their supposed depreciation of the fish population of the Lake. We say As it has been demonstrated that for the most part pelicans and Cor Morants take those classed As coarse and not considered of commercial value. No doubt an overabundance of these Birds on a Small Lake would make serious inroads on commercial fishing. However we believe that if we were As concerned about illegal fishermen As some Are about feathered Fishers there would be More 1 Isle for All. Many consider these Birds of value As they keep in Check the numbers of unwanted fish. Cormorants obtain their prey by diving and direct Pursuit underwater. How such a Large Bird with such Large wings is Able to attain sufficient Speed under water to Oatch even the More sluggish types of fish is amazing. Observation of them in action in Large Glass tanks has shown them to be marvellously Graceful in the water being Able to remain under i or half a minute or More. When a fish is secured it is brought to the surface tossed into the air to be caught and swallowed head first to avoid danger from spiny fins. The White Pelican uses a Dif Ferent method. Swimming on the surface with head held High until a school of fish is sighted it plunges its famous Over sized Bill into the water and the fish Are scooped up in the distended Gular Pouch. This is then contracted to expel the water after which the fish if any Are swallowed. At other times the Bill is kept underwater while the Bird swims a considerable distance evidently in the Hope of scooping up some edible Morse As we might Seine for minnows. Scr Eccli owl does t screech most of us Are familiar with the quavering Call of the screech but not acquainted with Many of the other sounds it utters in the night. One very in Bird like Call of this owl in a sustained tremolo whistle that has a strange Ventri Loquias effect at times sounding As if it came from a distance when in fact its author May be but a. Dozen feet away. This we believe is the Call described by or. S. H. Forrest in writing of a nocturnal sound heard in the Woods at Souris Man. Or. Forrest also re ports the first whip poor will he has heard in this Western Mani Toba town in almost sixty years stating that he was familiar with its Call along Wellington cres cent in Winnipeg years ago. No doubt there Are still a few old timers who can share these memories with or. For rest. from Swan Lake Man., comes news of a pair of whooping cranes in migration. There is no doubting the accuracy of their identity states or. F. Ward of ducks unlimited the source of information is known to him. Both Birds flying South were seen at close Range by several observers. An Early Winter could the Early appearance of some Northern Birds that normally spend the Winter in this latitude portend the Early Advent of Winter we Hope not. Al though scarce last Winter in this area there have already been numerous reports of evening grosbeaks some As Early As sept. 20. Or. C. Ridley Charles Wood then reported a Hawk owl on sept. 21, and miss w. Downes informs us that she has seen several crossbill in fort Garry. Also that a family of White winged crossbill was present on the University Campus last july indicating that at least one pair of Northern a Esters remained South for the summer. Art bargain for All free Day at the gallery by b. R. Another of those enchanting facilities which makes life in Europe so exciting has been instituted in Winnipeg. It is the free Day at the Art gallery one of the greatest of All Europe s Art attractions. Until recently the free Day has not been a practical possibility in Winnipeg because every Day has been free. Any one Learned in the ways of human kind knows that this has been tantamount to an invitation to stay away on All seven Days of the week. Now however the gallery is charging a 50 cent admission Jee to the current major fall exhibition. So sunday has become free Day. And what business Man in his right mind can turn Down a 50 cent show when it is offered to him for nothing we write of this with a considerable and greatly cherished background of experience. It is not so Long since we were planning a tour of Europe to fit in every possible free Day in every possible important Art gallery. Who would pay 100 francs to see a room Ful of Picasso on Friday when he could see it for nothing simply by waiting until Sun Day who would pay 50 lire to tour the enormous Vatican museum to gaze on the Price less masterpieces of Raphael and Michelangelo when he could see them All for free on sunday obviously no one of those Dull dogs More inter ested in Art than in life. For the wonderful truth is that no painting however interesting can be As memorable As 3 free Day in a gallery this writer is never Likely to forget his free tour of the Vatican galleries pushed shoved battered along Miles of corridors by frantic free dayers gathered from five continents. He will never forget elbowing his Way through the crowded sistine Chapel uttering a Brief prayer of thanks for Michelangelo s thoughtfulness in painting most of his masterpieces on the ceiling where not even the free dayers could obstruct the View. The free Day is the great est existing Force for the propagation of Art appreciation. Every year thousands of peo ple who would never normally look at a painting go into Art galleries for no other Rea son than that they know it is free they can t resist a bargain. Of these thousands possibly a few dozen develop a real interest in the baffling and Beautiful paintings that confront them. A few individuals May retain an interest Strong enough to Send them to their local galleries in Winni Peg Kansas City or Liverpool when they return from their vacations. So Here it is this exciting priceless free Day now in Winnipeg. From two o clock to five o clock on sundays 50 cents Worth of artistic commodity top Quality stuff the Best Money can buy. Will lie Given away to All Comers. It is rather like free candies for kids. Even those who do not like Candy cannot lose by going along. The Man who thinks that Fine Art is for the elect few can slip in and put one Over on the elect few. The Fel Low who is mildly interested but somehow spends his Avail Able 50 cents on Jane Russell cigarettes or an occasional paperback by Erskine Caidwell can now have everything. If the gallery is not crowded every sunday it will be a serious reflection not on the artistic sense but on the econ Omic sense of the Ordinary Winnipeg Ger. And if our Citi Zens have lost their ability to Tell a Good bargain when they see one what future can there be for this great com Mercial City ;