2 =ABBOTSFORD, SUMAS & MATSQUI NEWS In Your Hands The future of Canadian Red Cross is in your hands! Written into the articles of the Treaty of Versailles was the wish and the requirement of all mations that Red Cross should continue its ministry in Peace as in War. Today the heart of Canada s open to haman need at home and abroad is never be- fore and a great work in a peace time world awaits the doing. ‘ Because of your magnificent work during ‘the war years the prestige of Canadian Red Cross has never been higher. Groups, small and large, through coordinated effort have To Relieve Inequalities A neatly sprained ankle gave us the op- ortunity over the weekend to peruse in some Seal an important report which we had pre- viously only scanned for highlights — the Report of the Commission of Inquiry into Ed- ueational Finance by Maxwell A. Cameron. While we do not necessarily recommend that you sprain an ankle to do it, we would commend the report as valuable reading, at jeast for councillors, trustees, and most tax payers and parents. A small magazine in size, the Cameron Re- port as it is now commonly called, contains 100 of easy-to-read findings and com- ‘ment pertinent to British Columbia taxpayers —isnt that all of ust ‘It could have been embellished with pic- tures, some of which we might not have much cause to be proud, but the simple language of the Report brings the pictures easily to mind. It will probably surprise the aforemen- tioned pens that Dr. Cameron casually ‘observes: ‘We note in passing that until the current year, the Government of British Col- umbia bore in grants a much larger fraction of total school costs than that borne by the it of any Province in Canada exeept Prince rd Island. "* Simee 1920, the Report reveals, the Gov- ernment contribution has hovered around one- third of the total expenditure. Before the end of the book is reached, Dr. Cameron recom- mends a foe whereby the B.C. Government will bear 57 pereent of the total cost, incident- ly more than the recently announced Ontario plan to pay, varying over that Province, grants amounting to one-half of school expenditures. We will give you a few more passages: from the Report that we marked as interesting : March A MORNING PRAYER a made it mighty and the Canadian people look to Red Crow for leadership in a world that 7 needs peace and happiness, Eternal a High So long as Canada is fourteenth among Renewed by hove the nations in infant mortality we cannot We see Your glory in the sky, boast of being third in world trade. 4, rising sup aod waning moon; as disaster relief, services to. veterans amt Sn Seats cadet ben, — veterans’ families ; outpost hospitals and home In oceans surge and snowcast tod fees gtd we cannot brag of mine We hear it in the robins cai’ and forests, So long as there is sufferin, humanity at home and abroad, so long will we Br hadith eein, Our, Voice and need the Cross. - And all that life to us imparts The future of Canadian Red Cross is in Ot joy to mind and heart, and lifts your hands! Us to a higher plain Than that enjoyed by bird or We thank You with an humbie As share we in this bounteous J Because of faith in what You Rreatly less in most of the other schools, Mis- Your wisdom purposes and power, cellaneous expenditures, such as those for heat. Greater both of near and far, light, supplies and general operations, bulk Te Stes5 Fg i a even larger than this’ One valid criticiam of All that we may yet acquire the present grant system is that it fails to Or may become— ‘as yet untold— take account of these necessary costs. For service as You may require. By the end of his second chapter, the seek ayer Commissioner finds: ‘“We are justified in say- Rr Shciny ease Ze Reowriotts ing that costs per pupil vary so widely (a We peneiy ask You them lead; mong municipalities) as to indicate great dif- pata woh RM ferences in the quality of the schooling pro- ‘them protect from vided, and that the differences in ability, to 4s they, the whale -wide yonaa pay for sctucation, and in the burden of school Bring in the more abundant life, taxes, are undoubtedly substantial , . .”’ Re sow i, 0 Startling is the opening observation of Father, Son ad ny St Chapter IIT: ‘Approximately 25,000 children Tet us feel thy presence nigh, who live in the 99 percent of British Columbia ~ pH ela ae ‘Lord, be so a net co peo ged municipalities are As we neice and You ide: educa! rough several hundred rural sehooi Be present our board, districta.’” And in our hearts, Dear God, abide. it is in this chapter that Dr. Cameron begins to develop his recommendation for larger school units. ““We have seen,” he states, ‘‘that the ex- Ppenditures, ability, and effort of rural sehool districts are characterized by extreme in- equality of opportunity also characterizes our sehool system .. ."’ much to commend it, and often be left untouched. A’ good Secondary program, however, cannot often be provided in a tiny & Large school districts must be created, existing schoo! 1. Large munic! which ae consist of one ‘The act will create in place of It districts: ipal districts Dr. Cameron contends, if education is to be rs or two or — In early comment, Dr. Cameron notes financed at all satisfactory, and, from the municipalities, or a municipality | Sven with a that: ‘‘In general most of the admini jon public hearings and briefs ed to the vb. with rural | bao is in hands of lecal Boards of School Trustees. inquiry he finds that public opinion is ready | #7eas; poet and an In fact, however, the Boards have not as much for an enlargement School districts. The} 2. Large rural districts formed | hassed away freedom as this E i ditions and a ‘‘ i suecess’’ of the Peace River and| by the combination of present |” 7),_ strong teachers’ association reduce the Boards’ M-S-A Educational Areas, he believes to be|"%#! areas. on matters; the Public Schools Act greatly restriets them in the dis- charge of teachers, amd two Departments of the Provincial Government supervise them in erecting buildings.”’ One of the many informative tables in the Report shows that as early as 1924 mun- icipalities, on the average, were devoting over 29 pereent of their total expenditures to schools. This had declined during the depres- sion to 21 percent by 1933 but is on its way back now, being 25.7 percent of total muniei- . pal expenditure in 1943. While we might comment that “A rose by any other name would be just as aweet,’’ . Cameron notes that: ‘. © . the district municipalities of Matsqui and Sumas, the vil- Jage of Abbotsford and some rural areas are combined under the monstrous title of the Matsqui-Sumas-Abbotsford Educational Ad- ministrative Area .. . We. shall hereafter cali it the M-S-A Area.’’ Dr. Cameron notes a fact admittedly of- tem negigeted: ‘“The great importance of ex- penditures for other purpose than teachers’ salaries. Expenditures per pupil for em- Ployees other than teachers amount to over $10 @ year in most high schools, and are not Mr. Hart’s Twentieth Budget Mr. Hart must have a serene mind and a command over his mental faculti cludes all worry, says The rtnay-Comez Argus, otherwise it would be hard to see how he could carry on under the immense amount of work that his offices entail. He ix first of ali the balance wheel of a two-party govern- meat and that requires a fine iplomacy. Secoudly he is Minister of Finance. As sueh he is the watchdog of the treasury and this requires the ability to say “*No’’ firmly and © continue to say ‘‘No’’ no matter what the pressure to unreasonable requests or demands that cannot be granted Presumably Mr. Hart has this ability because no Provinee in Comada has been so well governed financially due ‘‘more to their: largeness than the fact >>| provide that asic it y that they are not managed by school boards. le by the Province to a school : Association. The Commissioner views larger school dis. a fiseal year. in quar- | Bennett's contribution, however,| The home of B, on the 2 . obvi old Kilgard road wi tricts as administrative units, and says they erly instalments pal, we Coen Oe dion. ~~ : must disregard municipal bo ies, They | UP of: masts Sumas-Abbotsford high 1 do. not ily imply Lidation of ,1,TBe minimum salaries, of = | upils realized '$30-trom a Candy ¢ , transportation of pupils and the elim. | ‘eachers regular finest 29 Appa ination of small schools, Ie ¢ of | Sarcence, “wih 8 f. xe the Dominion of Canada. Pe Maye of Trade moet. the older pupils in some districts should be and authorized by the Council) = very was urged for the Mt. Leh. tranaported to central points. of Public Instruction. pr ae eR Ls district. ideration bp the Leen, DON Ruder on] 2. Any od’ "Public imttuctife | in Britian Galtoabia' ie stansted | ed tof teins Sim for the Welfare sideration by the Legislature. It is pertinent, | Council Peblic a $61, or an se of | Club, Mr % gave a therefore, that the public give heed to the | makes St gs on eg apne $6, over| history of the organization” of summary of di that it ins, | responsibility or of a cm, | MINING the 1044 total, it] the club, particularly the first and third: ployed in @ remote and isolated | PRODUCTION by the Hon, Mr.| HOUSING FILMS = “That the Provincial Government. reor- aah, Carson, Minister of Mines. Films planning ganize its present system of school districts # 3. a Focal wa pea. Be vies ‘The t of Mines is| housing in — Brit- Without seeking local approval. chee 7 sar gentah 12 O:,$17 [stil concentrating on the dis-| Sotiniige hates Caste aent ter “That the plan be arrived at in of the characteristics of an adequate school district enunciated in this report.”’ We should, however, formulate our judge- ment of the report entour support of the inereased provincial aid proposed entirely on the basis of the good ofthe children we would edueate rather than™on personal, community | ‘ of municipal prejudices in relation to finances and jurisdiction as under his guidance. He must also have a good mathematical brain. The presentation of his twentieth budget by Mr. Hart was a unique event and the congratulations he received were fully earned the light | P°" Pu 10 to 13, and not less than $260 for each el in ti Deducted from these sums, however, will amount of money that can be raised by a 5-mill levy of carry the Government's prospec- tors’ grubstaking plan fourth year on a than has been the fore, i to 9; $20 in grades the assessed value taxable land and 75 per cent of improvements. = Plans are now being made to into its ler scale case hereto- to train re- Intrinsically it was noteworthy for a definite ; thereby Peace, a consummation that has been ea:m- paigned for and hoped for without much is of belief these many many inforees Mr. Anscomb’s basis it turned men in prospecting and create for tl old P.G.E. to the promise to extend the dear ¢ years. Then r, Al roads with another twelve making about twenty five millions in all. The sooner that money is spent us will be pleased Cheap Insurance The old proverb, “penny wise and pound ish,” can often uted, says The Sedro-Woolley Courier-Time. merchants who ram around their off lights during busin hours leaving the place throughly darkened after shopping hours. Light ix always gc ary and fire insurance and in that matter ne, the few cents or dollar or two tha a ved by leaving the place darkened is hardly a win more wll dressed to public eating Places may charge on these sales, @ maximum of two cents per pound above the wholes ceting price as ustr NO SUGAR FoR ALCOHOL No sugar is alloc $f leries or distilleries in Canada. A mail allocation goes to facturers of rape e but this mount has ‘been seriou beige wll em tailed in line with similar reduc- tons imposed on all other dustrial users of sugar itimates for million dollars, ful of special the better all of | ‘raining school for veterans to and steel and other Police departments in all cities would be pov ony See to pros. @ lot happier if all the store owners would | Dect gneraly. ahorn couver he resided in Nelson and Peer the Tan” ct lights burning, preferably], This will be tollowed by 21° Saiveraiy*"st ust eeieage | ene arty “sean tee over the back entrance and in the store pro-|{w0 months basle training course! pave sre el ade Liscienast As per. One 100-watt lamp burning for ten ho teak al Pieet Oe Coe ee hours costs in the neighborhood of one or two Wing Commendes Cock cage basa | Soies id calicting to V7 cents for that period in the average business in Chilliwack ead ane sthied te | in 1941 and ts well known in the establishment. At that rate, the amount for New Westminster, He enlisted in| Lake Cowichan arse. @ month would not come over one dollar. No Vancouver Giclee Seuadon Leck es one can deny that that ix cheap fire and theft ited to brew- long one of manu due. |"A City Sings, National Film, in BOYS’ CHOIR FILM The Winnipeg chotrs participating in the Mani- }eda Carries On Ir ed personnel and the other half for prospectors already qualified Last year eighty-three grub- stakes were age to Boys’ Choir the mest popular fery been @ | Number of good lo . 1945 season has just been Val, ‘appears ID) brought to a close with » series " Produced by the] of sixteen lectures and the plan Board in the Can- Series bia has been acclaimed as the resided at the time. ph now instituted in British Colne | operations in Burma, im Vancouver in I 1c he Flying out of Vancouver with | stigted in Vancouver Im the earl TCA. betore enlisting, Wing Com- | mad 4 mander Middleton is well known in | BC, aviation eleclen, = of the war on November 6, Graduating in B. Comm. trom UBC in 1940, Squadron Leader Rae, who was born in Vaneou- ver, enlisted there and sew five | High School and UBC. He lived Completing a tour of transport | in New Westminster priet to n= a Squadron | listment_