are not now paid; the honor of the position is sufficient emolument.  When these and other changes were made, the expenses of government were enormously reduced, so much so, that after ten years, that is in 1945, taxes were abolished altogether, and from that time forward not a cent of taxation has been put upon the people.  The revenue is now obtained in this way.  Up to 1935 the revenue of the country stood at something over $150,000,000.  When the constitution was changed the expenses of government were lessened to $50,000,000.  It was then agreed that for ten years longer the revenue should remain at $150,000,000 (people were prosperous and willing enough to have contributed double), so that every year of the ten $100,000,000 might be invested.  Thus at the end of ten years the Government possessed a capital of $1,000,000,000, and the interest of this constitutes our present revenue.  If any great public works are being carried out, and more money is required, the municipalities are appealed to, and public meetings are held.  All the great cities then vie with each other in presenting the Government with large sums.  How the poor over-burdened tax-payer of 1883 would have rejoiced in all this!

Another great blessing to us is that war has ceased all the world over.  It became, at last, too destructive to be indulged in at all.  During the last great European war in 1932, while three emperors, two kings and several princes were parleying together, a monster oxyhydrogen shell exploded near them and created fearful havoc.  All the royal personages were blown to atoms, as were also many of their attendants.  Their armies hardly had a chance of getting near each other, so fearful was the execution of the shells.  Since then the world has been free from war, and, but for gathering clouds in Asia, would seem likely to remain so.  Anyhow, we in Canada, have not the shadow of a standing army, nor a single keel to represent a navy.  We are too well occupied to wish to be aggressive, and no power except the United States could ever attack us, and even if Americans coveted our possessions they are not likely to resort to such an old-fashioned expedient as warfare to gain them.  They could only annex us by so improving their constitution, as to make it plainly very much superior to ours.  If they ever do this (and as yet there are no signs of it) there might be some chance of a union.  At present the chances are all the other way.  The only sort of union that is quite likely to come about is the joining by the Americans of the United Empire, or Confederation of all English-speaking nations, with which we have been connected for some years.  The seat of the Imperial Government has hitherto been London, but British influence has made such strides in the East that there is every probability of another city being chosen for the capital, and of the seat of Government being made more central.  Should one of the now restored ancient cities of the East become the metropolis of this glorious Imperial Confederation, the United States would certainly come into the Confederation, as great numbers of Americans have already migrated to the Orient.