The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-02-26

from thursdays Daily.

A
= VI. A. Dobbin. n young man of this
city. who has lived during the past
two-and-ahalf years at London.
Ontario. came to the city last even
ing and il visiting here at the home
Of his father. travelling salesman
for the Human Milking Machine
company. The son is n salesman
for automobiles In Canada. but he
says business has been almost AT a
standstill. and he has therefore taken
this time for vacation. He expects
to go back to Canada about the first
of April.
London has a population of about
$1,000" he said today. 1T is quite
a city but it Is very dead just now.
There are six hundred men in Lon
don. who are constantly after the
city for jobs of any kind. saving
wood or anything else. They have
no bread line there yet. but ] be
lieve they soon will have one II is
expected, however. that things will
open up in the spring. as is always
the case at that time of the year
But II the war keeps up. things are
going to be worse than they are
Manufactures in London are closed.
with the exception OF those that
have war contracts. Shoe com
panies are running contracts: also,
some of the machine shops are turn
ing out shells. the same sort of ac
,ivity also prevails I'm the harness
and saddlery factories. Other man
ufacturing business. however. is at n
stand still
! Stove Works Closed Down.
The largest .stove works i'm the
Dominion, McCleary's. closed down
about three months ago, with The
exception of the cnameling depart
ment. The enameling works closed
just recently. This department had
contract with the government for
tin cups. and such goods. and that
was what kept II going for while.
The closing down of this great es-
adjustment threw 800 men out of
work. But the dealers and other
an increase of business about the
first of April. IT the war continues.
however, II will be very Tough on
them next winter.
There are 2.500 soldiers in train
ing in London The same thing may
military conditions in Toronto and
other Canadian cities. Soldiers are
being recruited every day. They
have just started on the Seventh
Canadian Mounted Rifles. The very
first day they had about 16O of them
at, London Men In many cases en-
list Just because they are out of
work and do not know what else 10
do. so they join the army.
Here is letter that ! just got
from friend of mine. French
soldier in the hospital mt Versailles.
He froze his feet. while serving in
, the trenches. He Is of French des-
cerft but of Canadian birth. You
notice that the letters sent out by
the soldiers are all censored. for here
is the censor's stamp right over the
postage stamp. He says conditions
are good on the whole. The boys
are not worked so very hard. They
go In for about two hours every
noon Then they come back
Keep News From People.
| England is trying to keep all
things secret and they are doing il
right well. We do not get most
of the news until a long time after
IL has happened.
II am i'm the auto business I'm
Canada. To state just what the con-
dition is. am trying to sell cars
there But the auto duty has been
increased. until now II amounts to
forty-two per cent. Fouriifths OF
the cars used i'm Canada are Of
American manufacture. Just now
there is hardly anything doing in
the auto business there. License
rates are high. amounting to six to
twenty-five dollars a year. according
TO the horsepower of the machine.
THE government has just announc.
ed tax to be placed on liquors.
medicines. etc An extra one cent
stamp must go on letters. There Is
also a cent tax on kilograms. II
they can arrange II they will put
tax on telephone calls.
Buy Canada Made Goods.
Everybody there is strong on the
idea of buying goods that are made
in Canada. or at least i'm some other
part of the British empire
The first Canadian contigent that
was assembled for the war was
made up about as per cent of Eng
lishmen. but now the French are
beginning TO do pretty well. especi.
ally In northern Ontario.
Large numbers of Americans are
going over the boundary to enlist.
Many have come from Detroit. Cleve.
land and Toledo.
"Deserters are Very few. There has
been just one case Of desertion
at London. as far as I know.
The soldiers are paid we'll. The
pay runs from $1.lO to 50 day.
Mechanics and tradesmen who enlist
get So"
NJ G. Tetterineton, local manager