The five girls born together last year into the family of a Canadian farmer by the name of Dionne in the province of Ontario have been, although it may seem strange, converted into a commercial enterprise of a quite peculiar type.

The American and Canadian press at the time of the birth and long after devoted to these quintuplets more space than to any other event of world importance. In connection with this wide publicity, enterprising businessmen appeared and began to show the tiny girls to the curious public, to film them for the movies, to sell their portraits, to record and print every word said by the girls' physicians to numerous interviewers, to reproduce verbatim conversations with their parents and relatives and to pump money out of the public by all possible means.

Last year the same businessmen made an attempt to bring the quintuplets to the Chicago Century of Progress, but the attempt ended in failure.

As a result of the commercial exploitation of the quintuplets, according to the Canadian papers, close to a million dollars has been collected already. This money, it is assumed, will be kept on deposit in the bank until the girls reach maturity. To conduct such a complex and far-flung business undertaking as had grown around the " quints," a special advisory council was created. This council has already been confirmed in its duties by the Canadian government, which had taken the girls under its special care. The quintuplets' parents meanwhile were deprived of their parental rights and removed from every participation in bringing up the girls and, of course, in sharing in the profits brought in by the enterprise.

The father of these girls, a poor farmer, receives relief from the government. The mother of the girls--she has ten children--was confined with the girls for only five days, as she had to leave her bed and feed the rest of the 3children. The Dionne family was so poor that the mother did not even have enough diapers for the newly-born infants.

At present a special nurse is employed for each girl. They have the care of several physicians, but the rest of the Dionne family lives as poor a life as before. So affirms the girls' mother. She complains that the quintuplets are not even permitted to see their older sisters and brothers.

After the girls were born, the parents were in a state of confusion. They had no idea that so many "good-hearted people" would be found to care for the children, and, consequently, they painted the future in gloomy colors.

But when many "good-hearted, generous people" appeared, and when the Dionne parents were deprived of their parental rights and removed from participation in the care of the girls, they came back to their senses and demanded through the courts reinstatement of their rights. The lower courts, according to the Canadians newspapers, decided against the parents, but they intend to file an appeal.

What the outcome will be nobody knows, but if the higher courts also decide against the parents they will be forever deprived of their parental rights, and the girls as heretofore will remain objects of commercial exploitation for the benefit of enterprising businessmen.

All this shows that in our times every event is considered from the commercial viewpoint and is taken advantage of by businessmen. Commercialism has finally spread even to the children.