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W. Blakemore
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FOR THE Native Sons Ball FEBRUARY 2, 1906 Get your DRESS SUIT from PEDEN 36 FORT STREET The Week TL Provincial Review and Magazine. NEW HOUSES for Sale 3 INSTALMENT PLAN A number ol new homes. Modern ln every respect. Easy monthly instalments. B. C. LAND* INVESTMENT AGENCY, Limited. 40 Government Street. Vol. III. No. 4. <aor~ii VICTORIA AND VANCOUVER, B. C, SATURDAY, JANUARY 27, 1906. One Dollar Per Annum. -\ WRECK OF VALENCIA. [Dominion Government Cannot Afford Life Saving Stations—Nothing So Cheap as Human Life—Consider the Cost!! On the western slope of that Provinee which is a sea of mountains a fair land, a land of sunshine and flowers, of golden grain and luscious fruit, stretches out its welcoming 1 hand to the stranger, and sings its song of invitation and seduction to the sea-farer. Across the Sound is flung the island of the west, to extend a greeting still further over the blue waters of the Pacific, a veritable island of Avilion. "Set in summer sea," where many a storm-tossed and weather-beaten voyager would "healhim of his "grievous wound.' But the fair vision is a mirage, the siren song is of a . Circe, luring to destruction, for behind the rosy vision of beauteous life towers the grim shadow of the skeleton. With ruthless purpose and relentless grasp death seizes his victim snatehing them from the very lap of the bounteous earth whose rest they ', sought. This is the vision conjured I up by the wreck of the Valencia, a I catastrophe which for the tenth time has plunged the province into mourning, and should cause every Canadian to hang his head with shame. In features of disgrace and humiliation it far transcends all its predecessors. In face of its horrid record of selfishness, neglect, indifference and greed, their most appalling aspects are eclipsed. The daily press is flooded with encomiums for the tugs that were sent just a day too late, for vessels and and captains that undertook the "discomforts" of a night voyage and turned back as soon as they got within sight of the wreck, although, as has since heen .proved, there were ninety living souls on board, and nineteen more on a raft striving with the energy of despair to attract the attention of the rescuing steamer (save the mark), just as she was steaming aWay. Seafaring annals furnish no parallel for such callousness and criminal neglect. No wonder that one of the survivors has this story to tell: "When we saw the Queen in the morning we thanked God for saving us, but when she, in company with the tug, sheered off and sailed away, she was followed by nothing but curses. I suppose it was too dangerous for them to try to save us.." Yes it was too "dangerous" to risk a vessel to save nearly 100 precious lives. Then, of course, the Pacific Steamship Co. had to think of the passengers of the Queen, who were eating their heads off at a cost of $2 a day to the company. This must be stopped at any price, even the price of lives. Again the almighty dollar of this alien Moloch counted for more than the lives of those committed to its charge. We say nothing about the wrecked vessel herself, totally unsuitable for this run, an old hulk "adapted.". We pass hy the sad loss that received the first attention of the company, a careful computation of the insurance. We cannot even linger to comment upon the amazement of the half dozen survivors, who fovrad themselves "hospitably" treated in the lighthouse on this most inhospitable of al coasts. No doubt this magninimity will be duly noted by the recording angel, together with the dying moans of the hapless victims who were at the very moment being frozen and numbed into final unconsciousness. But one thing cannot he passed over —the responsibility of the Canadian government for the loss of every one of these hundred precious lives off Beale Point. No amount of special pleading can shift the ultimate responsibility from the shoulders of our own government, who have done practically nothing to minimize the dangjers of this terrible coast. A I solitary lighthouse, no life saving appliances, no lifeboats, no crews, no I bell buoys, no shore lights, no coast guard service, no adequate tele- I graphic communication, and above all in these days, no wireless telegraphy, which would have enabled the Valencia to keep in touch with the shore stations from the moment she left San Francisco. All these appliances are procurable, but they "cost," and that is the only reason the richest government Canada ever had cannot afford them. I What a hollow mockery this sounding the trumpet and beating of drums about Canada's great tide of prosperity and Canada's great surplus, purchased at the price of blood. In face of a national calamity, and a national disgrace, it seems trivial to speak of the claims of this Province, the disregard of its just demands, the broken promises; we prefer to place the matter upon a higher plane, that of national responsibility—and to leave it there. In doing so we would sound one note of warning, if the Federal government does not awake to a sense of its responsibility something worse than political reverses will happen. We do not often find ourselves in accord with the member for Nanaimo,' but no truer word was ever spoken than when he said in the House this week that "the cheapest thing on this continent is human life," and disregard for its sacredness and rights is daily strengthening the hands of those whe hold revolutionary ideas. THE PASSING SHOW. [Mayor Morley's Good Start—Education—Is Victoria Waking Up? Dearth of Departmental .Pamphlets—Fire Traps in Victoria Public Buildings—Women Oan Keep a Secret—Coffin Ships— Prefontaine's Obsequies—Quackery and Quillery—Kaien Island Again—A Hall of Shame—Women's Clubs and Divorce— Euthanasia — Monotype and Linotype. Mayor Morley has made a good Jstart as ehief magistrate of the Capital City of the province, and so far has justified the opinions we expressed during his campaign. It is nanifest he has proved a little disconcerting to the old fogies who (itill adhere to the "ancien regime" rod the medieval prayer: 'Let laws and learning, arts and' commerce die, | 'But give us still our old nobility, "j The progressive Victorian, how-i Iiver, will rejoice at anything which j sauses a ripple in the pool of stag-! lation, even if it be only a pebble. 1 Pithont endorsing in every detail ie programme which Mr. Morley as mapped out we have no hesita- ion in saying that it is an enlight- ned one, in accord with the ad- anced public sentiment of the day. 'he abolition of public gambling and _, he enforcement of the liquor law ^vp steps in the risrht direction, and vi'l! be endorsed by the community |is a whole. The futile yaporings of those who are squirming can be disregarded. The public ownership of public utilities will soon be the universal creed in civilized communities and the cry of investors "touch not the Lord's an^ointed," meaning themselves, should not be allowed to stand in the way of realizing this ideal, in a legitimate manner, and with due regard to vested interests. It has been suggested that the aldermen will "stiffen their backs" and resist the fulfilment of the Mayor's programme. We do not take this view. The ratepayers have returned their Mayor with a full knowledge of his views and aims and wll expect the council to give him a reasonable support. • • • Our article on education in last issue has brought us many communications which we regret we cannot publish for lack of space. We are elad to know that our views on thin important subject met with general favor, and that they are endorsed by the most, influential of the daily papers, which are taking a hand in the campaign we inaugurated. Thej present system is the product of! educational cranks suffering from curriculum on the brain and will never be materiallv altered until men with a little sanctified common sense are substituted for men whom a lit— | tie learning has made mad.. The influential dailies that have now taken up the subject wll be able to handle! it much more effectively than "a voice cryine in the wilderness" only once a week, but we are onite content to have blazed the trail. It is said that Vietoria is beginning to wake up. PerhapB so, although we have not noticed it. Neither has the stranger within our gates, who declares that while the Tourist Association assures him in the pages of its very well written and very beautifully illustrated pamphlet that he will have the glad hand extended to him, finds that it is too often the left hand. He confides to our ear that he comes here, registers at one of our leading hotels, takes three meals a day regularly and sleeps the sleep of the just beneath its friendly roof, but "divil" a ctizen, be he merchant, tradesman or official, greets him, looks him up, shows him the city or seeks in any way to acquaint him with its attractions from the standpoint of business or pleasure. He may come, stay as long as he likes, and go away when he likes, that is the end of it. In other cities, even as small as Nelson, there is a citizens' committee who make it their business to waylay every visitor and at least make him feel at home, the result is seen in many a dollar spent among the enterprising tradesmen, and in many a permanent resident secured. But then in Nelson every business* man does not rush home to his lunch, but occasionally patronizes the downtown restaurants, this is the custom in Portland, Seattle, Spokane and all other progressive cities, "Ver- snnp." • • • Complaints are constantly being made about the dearth of literary matter available dealing with the resources of British Columbia. True there are the Blue Books, but these are caviare to the general public, and are only used as works of reference. The governmeut departments are practically without attractive reading matter which they can put into the hands of enquirers, and as there are hundreds of applications of the kind, which within the next year or two are likely to run into the thousands we venture to suggest that they might do worse than secure a thousand copies of such bright, well written and splendidly illustrated publications as the following and distribute them among, outsiders eager for reliable, up-to-date information. Okanagan Valley, "the land of fruit and sunshine," on fruit and agricultural lands by the Vernon News Publishing Company. The annual Xmas issue of the Phoenix Pioneer on the towns and mining industry of the boundless Boundary. And "Mother Earth's Treasure Vaults," by Percy F. Godeneath, on the agricultural, fruit growing, mining (both metal and coal) of the Boundary, Southern Okanagan, Similkameen and Nicola. • • • We wish to direct the attention of the police authorities to the criminal inadequacy of the exits from many public buildings in the city, which need not be particularized. Tliere are more than a few such buildings from which escape would be impossible in the event of any panic which led to a stampede. The greatest defects are the absence of a sufficient number of emergency exits, lack of system in familiarizing] the public with the whereabouts and method of using those extra doors actually provided, and perhaps worse than all the congestion of human traffic in consequence of the convergence of all or practically all exits. As these defects involve a breach of the law, there is absolutely no excuse, for allowing a condition of affairs to continue which if not remedied will assuredly lead to catastrophe which, in one or two instances at least, would rival the Iroquois holocaust. • • • For a longer time than we are in a position to state it has been a matter of popular belief that women cannot keep a secret, and the dear creaures have had to bear the reproach of the sterner sex, who hnve ! claimed superiority in that respect. i The stigma has been removed. ; There is a third pass across the j Rockies, not the Pine river nor Yel- I lowhead, whicli was selected by thc j G. T. P. long ago, at least two years, ' but it is still a profound secret, and j —a woman has known it all the ' time! I • • • Let all the steamship companies plying in thp Sound set their house; j in order. It is whispered in ship-1 ping circles that one of thc vessels I plying regularly on this coast is just j about as rotten as one of Samuel Plimsoll's coffin ships. , I • • a The action of the Provincial Gov-. ' ernment in sending a floral wreath to decorate the bier of the late Raymond Prefontaine was a fitting recognition of the public services-of a man who possessed many of the elements of greatness and who had given promise of a distinguished future in the service of his country. Recent marine disasters only serve to accentuate the vast importance of the department over which he presided, and its intimate relation with the interests of the Pacific eoast. . a • • Vancouver has been selected as the battle ground for a dire conflict between the forces of quackery and quillery. We have not the slightest doubt which will win. The knight of the quill will put his opponent of the pill to sleep in short order with a dose of his own medicine. So soundly asleep in fact that he will wonder how long he has in chamber lain. • • • It is amusing to read the vapor- ings of the .Liberal press on the subject of the Kaien Island deal. With all their anxiety to make political capital out of tlie transactioi they are unable to show that it is not a good bargain for the province, and they can't, show where a better could have been made. What more could the people ask of their government? Meanwhile the Pacific Coast Realty Company ari' "saying nothing and sawing wood," but they are also doing business at the same old stand. • • • The Rossland Star, referring to that traversity on greatness, thc American Hall of Fame, suggests a hall of shame, or endorses the suggestion emanating from the fertile brain of the editor of the Spokesman-Review. The trouble is that neither architect nor contractor can be found willing to undertake so large an order. • • • We made a few remarks last week on divorce. Cardinal Gibbons, surely a high authority, declares that woman's place is at home and that women's clubs are answerable for innumerable divorces. If so they must be frequented by anything but "domestic" hens. Of course the Cardinal ought to know, but we have, in our ignorance, been apt to lay the blame on men's clubs. • • • Dr. Charles Elias Norton of Cambridge, Mass., has usurped the functions of Dr. Osier of Oxford, England, in advocating Euthanasia—the putting to death of the hopelessly insane, and the incurably diseased. This abortional fancy is only fit to be classed with "chloroforming at sixty," and "unconsciousness of a future state." » • • As Thp Week has installed the only Monotype machine in British Co>- liunbia we shall shortly commence a series of articles dealing with its mechanical and commercial possibilities, nnd comparing it with its great rival, the Linotype. They will be written from a popular standpoint nnd will set forth onr own experience and opinions for the benefit of all interested in the printing of newspapers. , « OF UNDOUBTED STRENGTH AND PUBITY." MENIER COCOA 15c, 25c, and 50c per lb- ♦ SOLUBLE COCOA 25c per lb. t) GHIRARDELLI GROUND CHOCOLATE 36c per tin DIXI H. ROSS & CO., Ill Government St. Progressive Grocers. Where You Get Good Things to Eat. • K68a THE WEEK, SATURDAY, JANUARY 37, 906. PROVINCIAL Hot Air and Inflation. The Nicola Herald in a recent issue waxes wroth with one Lamont, the champion lightweight booster of the Nicola Coal & Coke Co., of Portland, Ore., for publishing a hot air prospectus of the type which has done so much to disgust "bona fide" investors with the exploitation of B. C. mining properties. It is said to be a tissue of exaggeration, misrepresentation and false statement. With some knowledge of the coal de- osits of Nieola, we warn the public against this alien gas bag. The Nicola coal field needs no flowers of literature to recommend it to a discriminating public with money to invest. The unreliable "booster" is the worst kind of a "knocker." Well Done Rossland. Despite adverse conditions, well known to those who have followed its history, the Copper City of the Kootenay is struggling manfully with its financial burdens and shouldering its liabilities. Just how much self-sacrifice this involves cannot be lamed by outsiders but the member for Rossland stated this week in the local legislature that it had necessitated the assessment of real estate at double its market value. Such conduct on the part of citizens is worthy of all praise and is as rare tfs it is refreshing. It certainly furnishes a very fine object lesson for some other municipalities. They finished up the year with $3,788 in the Bank of B. N. A., a truly credtable showing. SWEET PEAS. The best collection up to date. Seven varieties for 25c. Also sold in bulk. JOHNSTON'S SEED STORE Oitv Market. WE DYE FROCKS COATS SUITS GOWNS HATS, ETC., BETTER THAN OTHERS. B. C. STEAM DYE WORKS HEARNS & RENFREW. 141 Yates St. Victoria PHONE 200. ... .. BC667 »»*>>>'»>^a^N^>»tw«»*<V»WV^«*»t|Vl>"' ^N****"^** A Vernon Poet. There is poetry in every phase of human life, and beneath the tiniest fluttering of the most prosaic heart. It is the hearing ear, the quickened eye and the sensitive touch that are required to discover it. These are withheld from the wise and prudent, but sometimes a hard-worked pressman is dowered with the second sight, and then he sees visions and dreams dreams. J. Forsyth Smith, of the Vemon News, is such an one. If you have any doubt about it just procure and read his book of "Verse Waifs," published in an artistic pamphlet by the Vernon, News press. Among these waifs "The Moulding Touch," "Success," "Policy" and "To Cupid" may be mentioned as the tuneful fancies of a poetic imagination. Signals of Distress. The Crow's Nest Pass Coal Co., presented with coal lands worth untold millions by the Laurier administration as a sop for services rendered in the election of 1896, have never earned a dividend out of operation, although they have paid several out of profits on the sale of treasury stock. They have reached the ■end of their tether, and having failed to find salvation in the arms of the philanthropic J. J. Hill, they are now rushing "reorganization." They were up against that or "liquidation." Princeton the Centre. "
W. F. Teetzel, initial post, northwest corner
A. Mackay, initial post, north-west corner
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