The sun., 1919-06-24
Special DsspafcA 70. THs sux.

| ttOn OF tne PUBIC teaTB tnat unless tne
evidence against the arrested agitators
| In positive and convincing the step will
merely lead to further trouble.
The Government. however. 10 appar-
emily convinced that It has uncovered q
subterranean intrigue which when all
| Its details are known viii startle the
nation, and signs are not wanting that Il
Is preparing Q campaign to tear Boil
sheyism. root and branch, from the soil
Of Canada.
Meanwhile the Industrial Rerations
Commission. which has tust ended an
inquiry into the iabor-cap'tai situation
| in all its phases, has returned to Ottawa
frankly alarmed at the unrest which Il
encountered throughout the country. and
its report. now nearing completion, 10
expected to advocate radical mea sures
to grapple with the situation,
The Budget CarrieA.
The Governments triumph over OPP
ponents Of its budget was more clear.
cut and decisive than expected. II car
ried the mea sure through the Commons
with a majority OF 6fty-one votes. re-
tanning the support Of 75 per cent OF
representatives from the West and los
ing only two of its supporters from the
East
This easy victory, coming after
period Of doubt as to the Ministry'F
ability to hold It's supporters together
may be set down to two causes: %
Disinclination OF Mr. Crerar. the insur-
rectionist leader. who resigned from the
Cabinet. to endanger the life Of the
Government. and f2) incapacity Of the
vast majority Of Unionists to forget the
Opposit,on's policy during the war.
Mr.. Crerar, although an uncomprom-
Using advocate OF lower tariffs, shrank
from the responsibility Of doing any
thing THAT would challenge the existence
VI the Government or precipitate q gem
sral election and this attitude, krawi
70 most Of those disposed to follow him
and added to the deep seated war an
tagopism which still exists between the
divided ranks OF Liberalism. saved the
situation for the Government.
Mr.. Crerar himself spoke and voted
against the budget. but only thirteen
others--not, OF course. including the ofi-
cial Liberal Opposition-supported him.
prominent Western leaders like r. c.
ienders. president of the Manitoba
Grain Growers, standing with the Gov
eminent.
New Party Coming.
The immediate result In that the coaIi-
| tion having successfully withstood such
Il test OF its solidarity a movement has
been set on foot to mould II into per-
manent party. The promoters Of the
schenectady are evenly divided as re-
CARDS their former political faiths--be-
iieve that a new political party. retain
Ing the highest principles and best tradi-
tons Of the two old parties and adding
to its platform new planks TO meet new
conditions, is called for by the times
They believe that II 10 quite possible to
strike a Just balance between the needs
OF the East and the aspirations OF the
West TO ind q political platform upon
which men of all classes and creeds and
beliefs can stand, and they would cal
this party the Unionist party.
In their opinion the old name "Con-
sentative" with its historic associations
and honorable past, has outiived Its use
fulness and they feel that, with its I'M
doubted suggestion to immigrants who
confuse Conservative policies In Canada
with Conservative reaction and autor
racy In Europe, II has come to be
handicap to a political organization.
And So Just as after 1880 the Birrnins.
ham Radicals and British Tories merged
into Unionists there are signs OF u
fusion OF Canadian Liberals and Con
servatives into a permanent Unonist
party. supplsnting the old. historic
organization OF Cartier and Macdonald.
eastern Liberals who are the political
descendants OF Mowatt and Blake.
The first step In this direction will
probably come when Sir Robert Borden
takes up reorganization Of his Cabinet ,
and this. according to all signs. Is not
to be long delayed. The Prime Minister
has not an easy task to achieve, for
while good material Is not scarce. by
elections at such n time OF unrest arr
hazardous; and with labor and agricul-
turists antagonistic. and the Liberal OPP
position active, the opening OF constit-
uencies might only have the result OF
establishing the Governments unpopu.
larity.
Senate Limits Prohibition.
The action OF the Senate this week IL
amending the Governments prohibition
measure SO as to limit its operation Ia
the signing of peace has partially
amused and partially angered the couu-
/ ~. The effect OF the amendment Ii
that Immediately upon the signing of
| peace the Governments bill prohibitIns
| importation OF wines and liquors into
! the Dominion becomes inopernt tive and
| further, a dry" province may import
! liquors from a wet" province, soma-
, thing which, to all intents and purposes
| takes prohibition out of the hands of
the Federal authorities altogether and
places It exclusively Into the power OF
| the provinces.
The anti-liquor workers. powerful and
active, characterize the action Of the
Senators as a challenge to the rights OF
the people as expressed by their repre-
, sentatives In the Commons, and have
begun an agitation Tor the abolition OF
the Senate altogether; but Senate re-
form, Tor years the rallyng cry Of va
r!ous party leaders. has long sirce
ceased to stir any public emotion more
| profound than cynical amusement, and
nothing Is likely to come OF this latest
agitation, ~
The Cost OF Living Committee, ap-
pointed recently by Parliament to In.
quire into prices, continues to unearth
remarkable cases OF profteering. In
one instance the manager Of a well
known firm admitted n profit OF 72 per
cent on invested capital, while another
confessed to the extraordinary return
Of 800 per cent.
Such disclosures, published broadcast
! throughout the country, are tending 1,
aEgravate Industrial unrest. and there liz
strong demand on the part OF tire
press that the Government md some
4 ma "a N k,t.