Af Page § =~ THE TRIBUNE, WILLIAMS LAKE, 8.0, Thursday, May 18, 1954, Williams Lake Tribune Established 1931 Give Stangoe, Editor Published every Thursday at Williams Lake, B.C. By The Tribune Publishing Co. Member: Canadian Weekly Newspaper: British Columbia’ Division, C.W.N Subscription: per year Outside Canada Payable in Advance ADVERTISING RATES ON APPLICATION Authorized as Second Class Mail by the Post Office Department, Ottawa Case Against Crime Comics It is our intention as the result of reading a recent book review to purchase a copy of Frederic Wertham’s “Seduction of the Innocent.” The book deals with crime comics and their impact on the minds of children of the United States, The review itself was handled by a man who has made the fight against publication of crime comics in Canada a personal issue and in 1949 sponsored legislation, passed by parliament, to jake it an of ense to publish or sell crime comics. Unfortun- ately though, in Davie Fulton’s own words, this legislation is ot aggressively or uniformly enforced and so the problem is tli as pressing in Canada as in the United States. Here are extracts from’ Mr. Fulton’s review, which peared in the Ottawa Journal: Seldom has a more detailed indictment of an industry or ‘ae more grave, or better documented and authenticated, appeared in print than that which is presented by Dr. Frederic Wertham in his book ‘Seduction of the Innocent.” Those in- dicted are the publishers of crime and horror comic books. The crime with which the are charged is the deliberate demoraliz- ing and degenerating of children --- for motives -of profit. Opinions may var: the hilt. but mine is that this case is proved to But no one reading this book should. assume that he can Go so as a detached and impartial spectator. It is a book success- fully designed to make the reader a protagonist or antagonist of the author’s point of view. Dr. Wertham does not mince his words. In his view the whole of society also stands indicted for bermitting the evil ascendency of the comic book over the minds and actions of children to arise and to continue. The comic book industry is the principal; society in general --- adult society -- is a willing accessory. - The book is more than a presentation of’a case. “Seduction of the Innocent” is the culmination of many years of intensive study of the problem of juvenile delingency by one of the most highly qualified psych’atrists in the United States. It refiects the course of the author’s long, sometimes embittered, some- times discouraging, but always brilliant and selfless campaign to persuade his fellow men to think clearly and intelligently about what makes a youngster delinquent, and to place the blame for the growing problem of delinquency where it properly lies. Dr. Wertham is not merely seeking a scapegoat. He asks society as a whole to realize that no longer can we be content to rely on the comforting assumption that abnormal behavior by young Americans and Canadians is born of some natural or inherent mental disorder or ayes Bee weakness. His theme is that we ourselves have ‘allowed comic book# and other media to create the atmosphere of deSinquency by instilling into the minds of children a dedeliction for violence which is! : % not “natural” or “inherited” in any true sense of those words. | 9°PtS 00k first place in both junior It is not the child’s nature which produces disorder and violence, he says, but rather that as a result of the process we have) allowed to go on, violence and disorder have been made to seem natural --- even attractive -. to the child. He asks us to assume our responsibility. first of recognizing the facts, and then of curing the condition by stamping out the causes of the disease. Certainly this book la: ys the blame on comic magazines as a main contributing cause. One of the features creating boti the interest and readability of this book is that he does not hesitate to admit that many others including psychiatrists and welfare agency leaders, as well as spokesmen for the comic book industry itself -- have not agreed with him. The opposition of the industry he regards as sinister, but natural; the profits at stake are enormous. . The opposition of the others he finds more puzzling, their error more egregious. The arguments of both he disposes of with a logic which appears ag irrefutable as it is straight- torward. For anyone in Canada who may still entertain doubt as to whether crime and horror comics are the real threat to our children’s welfare that some have contended, the reading ot this book is earnestly recommended. What Goes On? Relationship between cruising speed of goldfish, sex lite of female lobsters and high taxes is puzzling William Hamilton, MP for Montreal. Mr. Hamilton wants to know cost, distribution and ecur- rent usefulness of certain publications listed in the Queen’s Printer’s 500-page catalogue, which includes such as the following: “The Cruising Speed of Goldfish in Relation to Water Temperature,” “The Abdominal Width and Sexual Habits of Female Lobsters off Canadian Coastal Waters,” “The Ling Codophiodon Elongatur Girard,’ and ‘The Orbit of the Spectroscopic Binary 1149 Groombridge.” Such titles, and the size of the Queen’s Printer’s catalogue, seem to suggest some relationship between Ottawa’s astfo- nomical level of taxation. printing and publishing outlay and the current The Pacific Great Eastern Railway Co. Ly-Vancouver (Union Pier) Ar-Wins. Lake Ly-Wms. Lake Ar-Pr. George Ly-Pr. George Ar-Wms. Lake Ly-Wms. Lake Ar-Vancouver (Union Pier) THROUGH-FAST PASSENGER’ & EXPRESS SERVICE between VANCOUVER, B.C. AND PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. Including Sleeping & Dining Car Service Operating on Daylight Saving Time April 25th to Sept. 25th inc. Prince George - Squamish Dock 9:30a.m.-MomWed-Frid THROUGH FREIGHT SERVICE Ly-Vancouver-Mon-Wed-Frid Ar-Wms. Lake-Wed-Frid-Sun FREE PICKUP AND DELIVERY ON FREIGHT AND EXPRESS Op.m.-Tues-Thurs-Sat Op.m.-Tues-Thurs-Sat ‘Tues-Thurs-Sat 6:30p.m.-Wed-Frid-Sun The Cracker Barrel Forum By A. J. Drinkell The boys cértainly did not ov. Jook the leading article appearing in [last week's issue of The Tribune re proposed agricultural school for B.C. It got a good going over at our last, Shold-forth, It was agreed the main points raised were-well taken. It 15 from the urban centres we will have to recruit future farmers but it vill require far more than a ten-month course in a central school to induce men to take up agriculture as a car- eer. Consequently, we feel there ary far more urgent needs at the mo- ment. We must first make farming worthy of inclu- sion in the ranks Hitherto, too much — emphasis has been placed on the drudgery attached to farm- ing and too little upon its advan- have seemed visionary. We do not believe the young folks of teday raid of work than were their forebears. What is required hy them is a greater certainty of ade- quate return for that labour and |some assurance the accummulation lof a lifetime of effort will not be swept away over nipht by an incom- prehensible collapse of farm prices and values. The value of the farm being no greater than its earning capacity, a prolonged period of depressed prices tends to eradicate all that most own- ers have to show for a lifetime of effort. That is a dire calamity for people advancing in years. These un- warranted fluctuations can be cor- rected only by the concerted action of our various farm organizations. They must, at all costs, take control of the marketing of thir own pro- ducts particularly the livestock as: sociations. Reluctance to try some- thing new in the way of marketing methods or being talked out of doing any more’ s tages, largely because its advantages}ao by those prophets of doom, the agents for slaughterers and middle- From the Files. of the Tribune ONE YEAR AGO May 14, 1953 A public meeting in Williams Lake with all four candidates for the com- ing provincial election on the same platform is the aim of Jaycees— Ten teams from Kamloops to Wells will be competing in the big annual soft- ball tournament at-Lac La Hache. Wlliams Lake Motors and~ Maple Leats are entered from Williams Lake— Death by gunshot wound by his own hand was verdict of jury jn- quiring into death of William David Roberts— Sam Abe, employee of Lignums, loses three fingers and thum) of right hand in accident at local milli— Discovery of bodies of man and woman, believed to be mur- der and suicide, found by Tribune correspondent Perey Willard at Jone Butte— Commissioners to con- sider cost of replacing old mains with new pipe— Firefighting started early with seven blazes reported, largest in the vicinity of Marguerite Lake— George Fielder, Peggy Day and Maureen Ann Stewart_win top prizes in anpual¥inspital pabterse: test— Esther Neilson passes away at Tatlayoko Lake— Quesnel stu- and senior sections of the Cariboo Public Speaking Contest— George Owen carried off top honors in the first rifle shoot staged by Rod & Gun Club— FIVE YEARS A: May 12, 1949 30 tural gas may be “on tap” in Williams Lake within a year or two, if plans of West Coast Transmission Co. proceed, according to representa- tives of company Visiting Williams Lake— William Bowen, aged 84. kuown as ‘'Bill the Barber,” has been believed fallen into the south forl of Quesnel River— New type of schoo] desk and chair being made by Williams Lake Woodworks, owned by Alf Smallenberg— Mrs. H. G. Lockwood is acting matron at Hos- pital during absence of Miss Mary Wilmot— Sixty track and field events lined up for Sports Day sponsored by Student's Council— Forest Grove Women’s Institute decided to buile two-room First Aid hospital as asked by Dr. Mills— Charles Hamilton celebrates 81st birthday at Lae La Hache— Bridge Lake's second an- nual stampede plans well under way— Good,for Children INTERIOR WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTORS Williams Lake, B.C. TEN YEARS AGO _ May 11, 1944 Mackenzie, chairman of local drive, rks meeting, of Vie- tory Loan Rally. Charles Milton Vorbes, operator of store at 100 Mile Heuse for past eight years, passed away at War Memorial Hospital— Most of Cariboo woke up to find two to four iches of snow one day this week— Huge old Becher Hotel at Riske Creek to be turned over to families of service men— Showing at Oliver Theatre, “Yankee Doodle Dandy” starring James Cagney— Rev A. F. Sheward, minister of An- glican Church, returned for visit in his Army Chaplain’s uniform. It is not known who will be taking his place -here as yet— TWENTY YEARS AGO Sale of bulls held under auspices of Cariboo Co-operative Livestock Selling Association, highest price paid being $200. Most sales ranged from $85 to $155. Twenty-five bulls disposed of, Mr. Vick purchasing s: Duke Martin four, Western Chadian “Ranching Co. six, C. Moon _afie, Mel Boon two, Ingvard Johnson ote, Ken Moore two, Indian Dept. two, and Geo. Reynar one. Social doings re- ported by Miss H.B.T. “R. C. Cotton in Ja cunning ensemble of loose tweeds, jingling his loose change and looking very lost without his mous- tache. Charlie Moon in the latest creation of Dervish Brown checks, not, jingling any change and looking. as though he was very glad he hadnt got any mountache.”— Sum of two hundred and three hundred dollars stolen from till of Mackenzies Ltd., also new service car taken from For- estry Garage— Miss Stewart and Rodk. men, is simply getting them nowhere, EVIDENCE OF AWAKENING ‘There is evidence of an awakening in the prairie provinces, the of The Wheat Board, but for which wheal would most probably be now selling for around thirty cents a bushel. A confliction of opinion should not be construed as the sign of {utility or disapproval, especially in the initial stages of decision. Only from free and frank discussion can a workable marketing board evolve The will to achieve that end is the crux of the matter. - The question of an agricultural school was fully debated recently in the Okanagan and rejécted mainly because of the cost involved and a feeling the project was premature at this time. This forum has consistently contended the subjects needed to be taught to prospective farmers can best be given through our high schools in conjunction with the Uni- versity of B.C.. We still think so. We further believe the student should be able to spend alternate periods in school acquiring a knowledge of ag- ricultural sciences and upon the farm obtaining an insight into the funda- mentals of-farm operation and man- agement together with a practical knowledge of farm equipment, ma- chinery, ete., for which he would re- ceive remuneration to assist his fur- ther theoretical studies. Also, more scholarships must be made available to outstanding pupils. Agriculture must be attired in much more allur- | ing costume if she is to beguile more ruitors to her retinue. As we have frequently pointed out dle economic pressures aré changing the enure complexion of Canadian agri- culture. Some think this challenge can only be met by creating larger farms. Mass production so to speak. We must not subscribe to that view- point. We firmly believe the most successful farm of tomorrow will be the small unit scientifically operated trom ploughing to processing. it will be a sorry day for Canada if those advocates of placing our natvral re- sources under the monopolistic con= trol of a few financial moguls ever carry their point. It is but a short step from there to total dictatorship. SMALL OPERATION IMPORTANT Every effort should be put forth to create opportunties for the small operator and establish safe; uards for his investments. He is the backbone of any progressive nation. he great- est service present day farmers can render their successors is to take an active part in their local organiza- tions and become more articulate re- garding the manner in which they should function. The small operators, still being in the majority, have no need to feel overwhelmed by the antics of the larger fry nor is it ne- cessary to endorse their eyery whimsy merely because of their size. The custody of their rights of ownership and a fair share of the nation’s in- dustrial opportunities is clearly in their own hands. To consolidate their position is of far greater importance at the mo- ment than the erection of an‘agri- cultural school. The dispensation of scientific knowledge may safely he left to the high schools. | } | ~ ay 0% ats here [ae e, afeke ng age AK: Re bs. * cant Distilled in Canada and distributed by The House of Seagram This advertisement is not published or displayed by the Liquor Control Board or by the Government of British Columbia. You'll find ihe bi yeminder att draws easily 86° today Or there are? WILLIAMS LAKE BRANCH N. J. F. P. NICHOLSON. Manager