In Canada

It was just 11:00 in the evening when a plump little man bustled into the railway station at Ottawa. "All aboard. Toronto train", called the conductor, and the little man scrambled up the steps. As the train rolled away, the sandman came upon the plump little fellow; for he had had a very busy day.

In the morning the cabinet had had a sitting, and then at the lunch hour the Premier had rushed off to call on the Governor General, Lord Byng. All afternoon there was another session of the Cabinet. And the evening saw still a third session--a very rare event indeed at Ottawa--lasting until just ten minutes before Premier William Lyon Mackenzie King had to rush to catch his train. Naturally he was tired.

Next day, greatly refreshed, the Premier spoke at Richmond Hill, Ontario, and then the first of his previous day's labor became apparent. In the first place three members of the Cabinet had re- tired (two were appointed* to the Senate) and three new members had been appointed, likewise a whole batch of new Liberal members were appointed to the Senate.

But even more important, the Premier had had the Governor General sign an order dissolving the 15th Canadian Parliament. He did so according to his own account, because the country was faced with four new issues which could be disposed of only by a new parliament and a party with a substantial majority in the House. The four issues are: 1) transportation--plans for a combination in ocean carrying; 2) immigration undertaking of a vigorous distributing policy; 3) reduction of taxation; 4) senate reform--making the senate elective instead of appointive and depriving it of all but a suspensory veto.

On these issues with the tariff probably thrown in for good measure, a new election will be held-- probably towards the end of October.

* In Canada all Senators are appointed by the Governor General.