The month of July proved to be 'a. very dry one throughout Eastern Canada, While there was sufelent rain to prevent a dangerous drought, came in the form of sudden thun: der storms, which are never as bene-'Hcial to the land as steady showers. 'The water level in rivers, lakes and wells has dropped down' very ser~ Tously, and it is becoming an open question how far-reaching' the effect may be before the end of the year's flow water period, which usually comes at the end of September or the early part of October.
'There has undoubtedly been a good deal of damage to field crops, though rains' during. the coming month might repair this to some ex tent. "Many fruit trees the badly frost-bitten during the recovering much more they would have done iminer of moderate heat inferspersed with light rains. Bush and forest fires have caused much damage, and the forest floor is still in a tinder-dry state that. bodes ill for the rest of the summer.
One of the most serious aspects of the dry period and resulting low water is the" increasing menace to navigation. Last fall I pointed out how the levels in the St. Lawrence Rellet Expenditure fe the fact that most of the! sountry's legislators are supposed 1o summer vacation, an important! conference of federal and. provincial executives was held at Ottawa during the past week to discuss the future policy in regard to relief expenditure. Representatives of the) various provinces met with Premier Bennett and some of his Cabinet to hear the outline of the Government's plan, and to offer suggestions of their own. "Before mentioning what the new method is, it may be well to outline the recent policy in elation to relief, and to. point out some important difficulties.
For the past two years direct refief has been administered by the municipal authorities in the' various Jcentres of population where help for the destitute was needed. The funds River have been dropping for some years, until now any dry summer makes the ship channel between Quebec and Montreal dangerous.
T write the level in Montreal harbour is only one foot above the low of ast October, and is considerably Tower than it was at the same date Last year. The Department of Mari and Fisheries is conducting an inv Ligation of these low levels during this summer, and its engineers will probably make some report on the matter to Patliament in the fall. the meantime this is not providing fany "assistance to navigation, and Shipping interests are much perturb-
Not only in the river itself, but in the canal system that leads up from Montreal te the, Great Lakes, there very lew water. have been raised by contributions of one-third each, by the federal, the provincial and the municipal govern ments. There has been no set annual budget, and the authorities in the ities and towns have gone ahead of their own to alleviate distress, gardies of the size of the bills that they might have to present to the joint sharers in the enterprise.
While in some cases this plan was notable success, it was almost inevitable that a certain laxity should develop, and grave abuses crept in, The cost of relief mounted month by month, and when the federal officials demanded a thorough audit of the relict books, much duplication was brought to light. Men were found collecting relief who were working steadily, and others were obtaining help for their families when there were several other wage-earners in the household.
Now Premier Bennett is suggesting that each provines prepare a of its requirements' for the year. These requirements will studied by the Ottawa officials and, if they consider the sum asked for to be fair 0 all concerned, it will be granted as a lump payment. Then the province must igo ahead and ap-Portion this amount as it is needed, Is your skin pimply, rash or easily irritated? Then start using Caticura Soap now. Containing medicated, emo) Kicnt and healing properties, it Mahe elt oes sensitive aking and does much to keep them clear, healthy and in a vigorous condition.
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Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.