should, it declared, be equipped and despatched and maintained at the expense of Canada and, on the 13th, editorially described the Government as "Cowards in Council" for not taking decisive action along this line. Its general position was stated on the 16th: "Canada is now and long has been big enough and strong enough to bear her share of the entire responsibilities of Empire." Meanwhile great public interest had been felt in the statement that a friend of Sir C. Tupper's had volunteered to insure the lives of the troops. The name was not made known and it only transpired years afterwards that Mr. Hugh Graham was the donour of the large sum of money which must have been required for premiums. On Oct. 14th the Opposition Leader wrote to Sir W. Laurier confirming his previous telegram and added: "The offer of the gentleman to whom I have referred in my telegram, and whose means are ample for the purpose, to provide an insurance to the extent of $1,000,000 to meet any casualties that may occur will greatly lessen the expenditure involved on the part of the Dominion."

The policy of prompt, efficient and ample aid to the Empire in the time of war or stress was maintained throughout the South African struggle while a Children's Patriotic Fund was also established to aid the families of British soldiers killed or injured in the war. To this 150,000 children subscribed through the columns of The Star. Incidentally, the whole matter put this Montreal journal in a very clear light as having national influence, as being more than a local or Provincial paper, as being, in reality, an Imperial factor. During the following decade this policy was developed along lines of closer Imperial unity in Council and commerce, in tariffs and transportation, in Naval and Military organization, in Cable systems and press relationship. This latter element was further indicated by the Knighthood which came to Mr. Graham in 1908 and the chorus of approval which was expressed by the newspapers of Canada while it was strengthened by the prominent part which Sir Hugh took at the Imperial Press Conference of 1909 as representing the Montreal Star.

Meantime The Star had continued its policy of helping good causes and trying to destroy local evils. In 1898 it came to the rescue of an historic church building in Montreal which was threatened by the foreclosure of a mortgage-St. James Methodist Church. A public appeal was made on Nov. 17th and in a very short time enough was raised to clear the Church of its burden. In 1890 a crusade was initiated against Lotteries. Under a great straining of the clause in the Criminal Code by which the raffling of small articles at bazaars for charitable purposes and drawings. at art unions were permitted, there had grown up in Montreal scores of professional lotteries with thousands of ticket agencies. Drawings were openly held twice a day. The Star decided to organize a crusade against them and on Apl. 19th it editorially

summarized the situation as follows: "Out of every $100,000 expended in tickets in a certain lottery only $15,000 were returned to the public in prizes. It is strange that people should need to be protected by law from going into such business as this; but thousands of Montreal families are being impoverished at the present time by these lotteries. Of course the victims belong to the least intelligent classes and are quite incapable of forming any idea of the tremendous odds against them in the game. Some of these lotteries are controlled by very prominent and wealthy citizens." Senator R. Dandurand was amongst the first of the public men to espouse the anti-lottery crusade; the fight was sternly carried on and at the next Parliamentary Session an Amendment was passed repealing the mis-applied clauses in the Code and the lottery shops and agencies promptly went out of business.

In 1905-6 another illustration of this newspaper's influence was given in the matter of usury and by a fierce campaign against certain conspicuous usurers. Its action was precipitated through the exposure of the business of a concern called the Canadian Finance Co.-a Pittsburg, U.S., Company with its Montreal office managed by a man named Max Roth. The business by 1905 had grown to formidable proportions, it advertised extensively and hundreds of poor people were victims of the system while other similar establishments were quick to organize. Interest of 120 per cent. and upwards was exacted, no delay was granted in collection of amounts due or in foreclosure on the bills of sale and many cruelties were practiced.

Max Roth finally became reckless through immunity, used forged telegrams to frighten the simple people he had to deal with, and even dared The Star to attack his "lawful" business. The response was quick and to the point. On Dec. 19th appeared an editorial of the most concise character: "There is no business so unspeakably mean as that of the usurer. He is a vampire who preys upon the necessities of the weak. He is a ghoul who robs the wounded on the battlefield of life. Misfortune does not appeal to his sympathy but to his cupidity. When he finds a fellow-being in a corner he does not help him-he plunders him. He is a financial thug who waylays citizens in the dark alleys of poverty and hardship. Parliament at its next Session should put first upon the programme an effective law against usury." Pictures were published of the agreements between the usurers and their victims; on Dec. 21st the former were described as "slaveholders" and told that "a man who takes usury should be sent to the penitentiary"; elaborate particulars were given in succeeding issues of the brutalities practised by these concerns and of the experiences of the victims; reiterated demands were made for Government action.

The first victory was won when, on Dec. 29th, the AttorneyGeneral of Quebec ordered the seizure of Roth's offices and the arrest of the usurer. Before the latter's trial, however, he broke bail and fled the country. The next point was to get Federal Government action and legislation-something for which M. J. F. Quinn, M.P., in 1897, Senator Dandurand in 1899, and J. A. C. Madore, M.P., in 1901, had striven. The campaign was continued in the columns of the paper through 1906; interviews were published continuously from men of religious, educational, business, moral and public standing; attacks were made upon other and similar financial sharks in the city; a great petition was originated and circulated by The Star asking Parliament to pass a law making this system illegal and impossible; public opinion was thoroughly aroused and Parliament stirred up. On July 13, 1906, a Money-Lenders' Act was passed which embodied clauses relieving the present victims of the system and protecting the borrower in future. The Star at once opened a Bureau of Information and started to instruct the public as to the new law and the best way of dealing with or avoiding altogether the net of the

usurer.

A movement was next aided by the newspaper which looked to the strengthening of the Montreal General Hospital; on May 20th, 1908, a Fund was initiated in aid of the Sick Children's Hospital and the collections amounted to over $25,000; in 1910 the action taken by The Star against C. D. Sheldon, the "financial broker" who took $1,000,000 out of the people of Montreal, was instrumental in (1) compelling him to give up and flee the country; (2) through the offer of a $10,000 reward was instrumental in having him captured and brought back to trial. So the record might be continued as affecting in a myriad directions the social, moral, political and practical welfare of the people. But enough has been described to explain the rise of this newspaper from days of struggle to days of historic influence and obvious success. Let the figures of average daily circulation in 1901-10 speak finally in this connection:

Since incorporation the Association has earned for, and paid to, holders of participating policies profits amounting to $3,778,092, or 14.3 per cent., upon all premiums received.

CORPORATION BONDS-secured by mortgage on the real estate and under- Our Statistical Department is at the takings of the issuing Company-yield service of our clients. Its files are kept a rate of interest which varies according up to date with frequent reports on to the stability, character and earnings Companies whose securities are availof the Company.