The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-03-02
Letter from Canada.
CLAUDE, ONTARIO. Feb. 18, 1881.
The Cold Weather.

CLAUDE, ONTARIO. Feb. 18, 1881.
The Cold Weather.
Messrs. Editors,-Canada and frost are
so closely joined together in the mind OF
every Southerner, that your readers will
hardly expect Canadian to speak of cold
as phenomenal; and yet the coldest Jan
uary, save three, in Al years, through
which we have just passed, excited in us
not a little sympathy for our Southern
friends, to whom this winter has been of
such appalling severity. We have been
deeply touched by the stories of suffering
from the intense cold in the West and
South, where the people are not prepared,
either as to dwellings or as to clothing, for
hard winter. Except among the poor,
we have had no suffering; but, on the
contrary, have found the steady cold not
only conducive to health, but most favor
able to the business of the country, which
is always improved by good sleighing.
We are hoping that there may be no soft
weather for six weeks still to come. In
our towns and cities, where alone the
very poor are to be found, their condition
has not been improved by the unusually
high prices of coal, which is now in To
ronto $9, and in Montreal SO and up
wards ton. A protective duty of so
cents ton, with coal rings, both at the
mines and in the cities, have forced up
the price. Our coal mines in Nova SEQ
tia are so far away-1200 miles from the
head Of Lake Ontario by rail, and con-
siderably. further by water-that their
product scarcely comes into competition
with that of the Pennsylvania coal re-
glons, from which our supply is derived
Construction of the Pacific Railway.
The Dominion and Ontario Legislatures
are at present in session, the former at
Ottawa, the latter at Toronto The event
of the session at Ottawa has been the rat
ifcation of the bargain for the construc-
ton of the Pacific Railway, which is to
connect our Atlantic Seaboard with the
Western Ocean, and opens through the
wide prairies of the Northwest The
work has been handed over to a Syndi-
cate, composed of native and foreign capt.
tallsts, on, to say the least of them, extra
ordinary liberal terms, and it remains to
be seen whether what is admittedly
great bargain for the Syndicate, will be
as good bargain for the country. In
any case, even if the prediction as to the
rapid filling up of the Northwest should
prove too sanguine by half, the new work
thrown in the way of our Canadian
churches will strain them to the utmost
We can but go forward in faith, and fail
only when our very best has been done
We shall be infinitely the gamers for the
effort. Would the churches of the Re-
formation have been reduced as so many
OF them have been, to Laodicean luke
warmness or Sardis-like deadness, had
they had broad fringe of new territories
for Home Mission field?
The Liquor Traffic.
Strong pressure has been brought upon
our local Legislators at Toronto by the
Licensed Victuallers," to take off the
restriction a0hich shuts up bar-roons from
O'Clock Saturday night till 7 o'clock
Monday morning. Their demand was to
get four hours more on Saturday night.
The law, as it now stands, is the friend
OF the laboring man, and meets with al
most universal approval outside the cir
Gle OF liquor sellers. The attempt to
nave it changed has proved complete
failure, while the Legislature is making
new enactments for the complete suppress
sion of the illicit traffic, which the Lii
censed Victuallers assert the present Sa-
turday night law favors. 1t is contem-
plated to submit the question of enforc-
ing the Scott Act" to the ratepayers Of
the neighboring city Of Hamilton. By a
majority vote of the ratepayers of any
county or town or city, the Scott Act,
which secures entire prohibition, may be
brought into force. 1t is new act, and
has been taken advantage of in only too
or three counties as yet, and solely, as to
make it impossible to pronounce upon its
merits. The consumption of liquor has
largely decreased in country places in
twenty years. In the cities, although
heavy drinking at dinner parties has be-
come obsolete, saloons flourish amazingly,
and the total quantity of liquor consumed
shows yearly increase. The government
of the Province is preparing to give IL
censes at half price to places where only
beer and native wines are to be sold,
without increasing the total number of
licenses. / fear that such places for
soft drinks" will but entice more to
make start on the inclined plane, which
ends in dangerous entanglements and en-
tire loss of self-control.
Christian Union.
The Toronto secular papers have been
occupylnp themselves q oood deal of late