Evening star., 1923-02-11
CANADA AFFECTED
BY WORLD UNREST
Parliament Faces Difficult
Task in Combating Post
War Conditions.
Bl JOHN GARDINER.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch 10 The star
MONTREAL. February 10.-The
Canadian parliament has met und er
political and economic circumstances
that will make it's present delibera-
tions momentous.
Canada is not escaping the back
| wash Of turbulence in Europe.
Although she is free from the dis
quiet that threatens the old world
with chaos, there has been no time
since the great war when her prob
lens were more grave or more press
ing.
In the great west there is un-
doubted distress.
The upheavals in Europe, with their
disruption of markets. credits and ex-
changes, largely nuliffed effects of a
good harvest. In consequence of this
and some other things adversely has
discontented and under a smarting &
sense of grievance toward the exist
| ing order.
Discomfort Is Evident.
With wages continuing on a high
level, with taxes increased. with
transportat tion charges a burden, with
| the cost of everything he buys much
above the level of pre-war days, the
agriculturist faces the fact that the
higher than before the war while
the dollar he receives in return has
a greatly reduced purchasing power,
as compared to former times.
1t is menacing to the Dominion that
so large and so important a portion
of the population is discontented.
There c;sl be no solid advancement in
trade and industry, officials admit, be-
cause agricultural prosperity and
business growth, aud agricultural de-
preston and business stagnation run
on parallel lines and are largely in
terdepeEdent. 1t means further a sit
uation which lends itself to the in
element and wiles of the demagogue
and 10 the plausible figments Of the
economic visionary. Already the voic-
animosity pervade the land and are
finding many listeners.
Hence the Just grievances of the
west, and of the farmer, demand in
telligent consideration by parliament.
There also is the vital problem of
immig igTation. BY common consent, a
select immigration is one of Canada's $
vital needs The census figures prove
that between 1911 and 1921 as many
pc ople left Canada as entered it.
Other figures reveal that today emf
grafton surpasses immigration. Yet
the government. apart from a futile
conference with the provinces-a
conference that, because of its very
nature. was doomed to fail-has done
absolutely nothing.
Call for Economy.
There is an imperative call every
where for economy by the lawmakers.
Canada'S financial position today Is
very serious. How serious may be
grasped from the fact that since the
close of the war-since the armiStice
the national debt has been in
creased by a billion dollars, and on
November 80. 1922, was s2,391, ,635.S1S.
The country is not much interested
in political tactics or Stratagems.
The old war cries. the old shibboleths
and formulae, almost always divorced
from reality, have entirely lost their
appeal and potency in contact with
existing difficulties. Today the coun-
try is not SO much concerned over
whether progressives or liberals or
conservatives (names that have lit
tie significance to fit the times) are
triumphant in tactics and debate.
It's concern is almost solely that
parliament as a. whole shall legislate
with a simple regard for what prom
iSes the public most good.
Copyright. 1927