New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-27
Volume of Business
Shows No DiminutiOn
in Spite of War.
CLOUDS OF ANXIETY
ARE EXPECTED LATER
Every Casualty List Will Soon
Be a Nightmare-Much
Poverty in Toronto.
lBy Telegraph to The Tribune, J

Toronto, Dec. 26.--The Canadian
holiday season mas been surprisingly
normal. IL any one three months ago
had foretold that In the shadow OF the
anxiety and the business disruption Oh
a life and death war the Dominion
would spend Christmas almost as
prosperous and as cheerful as usual
ne would have been regarded as fooiish'
And yet that very thing has happened
Stores have been amazed at the Vol,
ume Of business. When they received
the reports Of sales each day they
could scarcely believe the figures
Some report the biggest trade IN ms
tory. Others report that the NUMBER
of sales far exceeds last years aggre-
gate. although the receipts are not SO
large. Even in Injuries one OF the
largest specializing stores reports that
il has made the biggest turnover on
record although to do so 1t had to sac
rifice something in profits.
In view Of all the circumstances such
a showing must be described az phe-
nomenal. The celebration of Christmas
itself was subdued. but for the most
part Just az happy as ever. The clouds
of anxiety which will come later when
every casualty list will be like night
mare have not yet settled down. In
many home toast was drunk to the
absent ones in camp in England, but
as vet il is as if they were only away,
on a holiday. And there was an added
zest to the season in exchanging greet
ines and gifts across the sea. Thou
sands of parcels were dispatched to the
Salisbury camp, tobacco being a Ia
vorite gift.
II would, however, be idle TO claim
that everything is perfectly rosy. UP
TO the present, in Toronto about ll,Ooo
men have registered with the unem-
ployment bureau. A newspaper which
conducts Santa Claus fund found
10000 children under ten years OF age
who had no prospects OF Christmas
cheer. and TO whom il distributed
Christmas boxes. This figure means
that about one child out of every five
in the city IL living in poverty stricken
conditions. The economic structure
cannot be said 10 be on q satisfactory
foundation as long as such situation
exists.
There is apprehension as to the New
Year The statement Is made that the
good business of che last six weeks
has been stimulated by forced sales
and that reaction will be inevitable.
January, February and March are eN-
pected TO be hard months, but present
forebodings may be as i'll founded as
previous ones. However, there WIN ne
a sigh Of relief when the first of April
arrives.
Rideau Hall saw the quietest Christ
mas on record. Already the tragedy of
war has come home to his royal high
II
Nearly all the staff which was in at
tendance last year have gone TO the
war and some have already fallen. This
week Lieutenant Colonel Farquhar, for
merly the dukes military secretary, led
the Princess Patricia Light Infantry
70 the firing line in France, this being
the first Canadian regiment 10 get to
the front "Pat's Pets" as they are
called, consist almost entirely of re-
servists and we're equipped By Major
Gault, n wealthy Montreal man, who
accompanied them as second in com
mand.
There were none Of the usual festlvi-
ties at Rideau. During the day the
duke visited the second contingent at
Lansdowne Park.
Canadian Cabinet ministers who have
been criticised for having so little TO
say since the war broke out, all except
the Minister of Militia, who, it is al
legged. has said too much, have re-
Gently adopted new policy. The Pre-
mier has delivered important addresses
in Toronto, Montreal and Halifax. The
Minister of Finance has been explain
ing the intricacies Of international
finance as il affects Canada. Arthur
Meighen and others have also adj
dressed public gatherings. The
speeches have all been absolutely. de-
void of partisanship and have had an
excellent effect on stimulating and
STRENGTHENING public sentiment.