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Wednesday, January 29, 1941 'riiF, i--!.i:<]iHirrox .\u\a\ce THESE ARE THE FACTS of the Dominion-Provincial Conference on the Sirois Report rr IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT at thU critical phase of ot^ notlotud l(f# that the peoah qf thm Provtnem of Ontario should be given the facta and allowed to btue th^ conatderatlone and Judgmem on them. There i$ very little doubt that in many iMtance$ opinions have been baaed on apeeulatlon, propaganda and rumor. The atatementa given herewith are taken from the OjfieUd Reporta of the Coaferanca aa publlahed by ^ta Dominion Government, 1 HON. urrCHEix t. Htravas, hume ministsk AUD HOVINCtAL TREASUnEi Ol OSTAKIO, (VoL 1, P«SM 14 to 20) 1 "lb. Prbu Hlnlitor ud nntleowD. durinc tUa tlnu •( â- ^•H and •tT»in and rutUau w«mr* I har* utia pnbucly critleiMd th* Siroii report or l\t racoiaiBead- •Uoiu. I did msk* • itataiiMnt about tba ttaiinc ol the pnblioatlon of the report becauia I beliand Oien, aod (till believe, and am joined in thia belia< bf msnr per- •ana, that I did a publie serrloa in ealling attonUoB to the act of throwing into the arena of dtacnaalon a highly eontentioua document at a time when people who love the Empire and all it itanda (or are eoncernad with one thing, and one thing alone the eneeoaainl proae- cation of a Tictorioua var in which onr national aeeur- Itr la at auke. For if our effort taila, Hitler, and not the delegatea present at thia doniBioa-provlnoial con- ference, will aettle our domeatio probUna. In thia regard the poller of the governmaot of Ontario haa not changed in anr partieular. Tbat of na who repreaent the central proTinoe have bean con- alatent in our attitude. Beme while ago a lonner aaaoelate of ailna in the Bonie of Conunona, mr good friend the Hiaiater of nnanee, Joameyed to Totanto, at which tiaie he dii- •naaed with Mr. Nizpn, Ur. McQuaeten, Mr. Walter) and myaelf the adTiaabilitjr ol iatiplementing the recom- Sendatlona of the Siroii report. Along with mj col- agues preaent, I urged â€" fee, almoat begged him to uie hia influence to prevent thia beoeming a national issue during war time. I am aatiafied he conveyed my mes- aage to the Prime Uinister. I waa, therefore, aoBewfaat perplexed when a few daya later, I received a letter (rem the Prime Minister of Oanada advising that a con- ference would be called and that the federal govern- ment was, in effect, recommending favourable oonsider- ation of the commission findings. Again, in order to maintain our consistency, I replied as follows: 'I have your letter of November 2nd, regarding the Slroia commission report, 'I was hopeful that a discussion of thia problem eould be delayed until after the war so that there could be no possibility of any controversial issue arising which might impair national unity and the efTective prosecution of the war, 'However, in view of the fact that a conference is to be called it is the intention of thia government to make available its representatives any tiiAe that may be re- quired after the middle of January, as suggested by you.' Later still, on December 28, 1940, the Prime Uin- ister in a letter stated in part: 'In view of requests from aeveral of the provinces, a proposed agenda which we will recommend to the conference has been worked out and is outlined below.' Not having boon asked for, nor having made any rocommendatious, I therefore am free to suggest that further consideration be given to the following sentence in the letter in question : 'I should like to omphaaize the view of the govern- ment that the opening session should be confined to general statements and not to debate on polnta of detail or special circumstances.' Public Should Be Inff>rmed The following paragraph of the letter inforxna ua that the conference will then reeoive itself into working committees, which will sit in camera. The Ontario delegates desire that we state our case publicly and briefly and at no time be a p«rty to a aoheme which withholds from the press and the publie vital information to which they are justly enUtled. We were not informed nor consulted with regard to the terma of reference contained in the order in council passed by the dominion cabinet which gavA Ufa to the commission itseU. When Ontario's presentation waa made we Baked for nothing. When the findings were agreed upon by the commtsalouers, Ontario had no representative, Mr. Rowell having long before retired because of ill health. But later on we were preaented with a costly five hun- dred thousand dollar report â€" iha product of the minds of three profeasors and a Winnipeg newspaper man, none of whom had any governmental administrative experience, and whoa* opinions all of us cannot ahare. In view of the fast that, in the report itaelf, It la atetad that Mr. BowaU had nothing to do with it, his name, which haa been tagged on for purpaaea of propa- ganda, eaa very well be omitted in future. Thoae of na who believe in democracy abhor the very word propaganda because the circulation of ready- made opinions by any centrally-controlled power ia the most dangerous enemy of civilisation. From this per- apaetive we see the evil working of such a vicious system in Kurope, leaving in its wake miaery and anffarlBf which ahakas one'a faith in humanity itaalf. Can Provinces and Dominion Both Win? Let us guard carefully for fear a similar franken- •tain does not appear in our midst. In the first flush of public reaction the propaganda machine made it appear that to implement this document would make Iha provinces richer and, at the same time, make the dominion richer by the simple process of transferring dabia and revenues to the central government. Inasmuch aa there are only two partlaa to the deal, surely one need only to hava an elementary knawladgs of economics to appreciate the fact that both cannot win. Unless there are transferred with the debts sufl- eient existing prevlnclai revunuea, the d>.rainion will have' to increase taxes or debt or probably both. This does, however, ofer an opportunity to explore every possibility of reducing all governmental coita in Oanada and, to this end, Ontario la prepared to cooperate to the limit at the right time. That la a domestic problem to which we can devote time and effert as a pest-war Droblam, and much better be it so too, because the floancial problems of today may have very llUle rala- tlonahlp with those of a rear banc*. I am convinced that tna commisslonera war* genu- iaely aineere, and otliars alao, when months ago they stated that by aaanming the coat of emnloysblaa on relief the dominion would render a financial favour to the pvevlncaa and the municipalities. But anyone who •ays ao today. It conversant with the true (aeta. Is tully of unadulterated 'humbat*. Unemployable* Major Problem Bon. Mr. Howe said soma while ago that, aince the Mpcrt waa written, more than half the amployablSB kava secured jobs and that the other halt wonid be •baorbed in industry during this year. I ballav* Mr. Howe. In fact, if we are foinjg full out In this war •ffort. It is a reflection an ua gttyernmant not to put to work immediately the phyaicauy fit adult males o( all Canada. Hut tha and of aaaployable raliel â- praMams does not by any msans selva (ka Issae. Thara Is stiH Mt the army of aaemplovaUea, who today maka up tha vast burden ot ralief aad, ganerally apaaking, wfll eon- Unae to do so. Under preeent arrangamanta, tha domiatoa contri- bataa forty per eanl. towarda tha eoat o( lead, clotMsg and ahelter. If thia report la adsptad in Ha antiraty, the daailnton will contribute nothing and Ita (onaar ahare will' have to be borne by tha provineaa and munlelpal- Hiaa after revennea, out of whiah thaaa eoata were iar- BMriy aset, have been surrendered to tha dominioa. I asB nre the actual working out of the system la qnHa dUFarant from that anticipated. When the report was writtan, on page 86, Book II, It la aaid that tha taxea left la tba provineaa ars more stable. In Ontario, we •ban kava left Iha proflta tnHD tha Liquor Control Board oparattona, vehida Iteaneaa and gaaoUaa lax. Wharo la Iha atablltt*! Wartime prohibltien, aa a dooilnien meaanra, hai already been requested and. If my memory aervaa ns eorraeily, tha lllnlstar of War Services sUtad, and qnlla properly ao, that tha federal governmrat haa tha pewar le aoaet aaah a maasara. I JUraady a fnal OontndlMr hat ba«n appelattl aad ha haa the powat to racnlaU iha dlatribatton o( â- â- â€¢â€¢â-  Una. Am a war maaaoi^ ba could doprlTa aa anUraly of raraaaaa (ram tha llaaniad taUolaa asd i Wa ahonld than hava to go to tha domlaloa anthorltiaa with a tin cap In oar hands saylnc â€" 'aithar aoatribata to tha axtant of onr Iocs of ravaana or pay (or tha aoaial aarriaas of Ontario' â€" and, ballava me, they ara Biany aad varied In thia aga o( grovring patamalloa. When tha Prima MInlitar addraiaad to ma on Novam- bar 2nd, 1040, a totter wHh rafaranoa to this propeaad eoafaranca, ha said in part: "WhUa tha scat o( ansmploymeot raltaf haa baan radaeed, tha war haa eaat additional burdens on gaaam- maota and tazparera alika. It haa Inaviiably iaeraaaad the ooaopatitliBn betwaan govamstants to saeoia rer- anoaa, and baa aggraTatad tiia OTanapping, onmbar- aoBia and dlacriralnatory oharaotar at much n oar tax atructuia.' OMavia Co-opcralaa on Income Tax I tak* Ihk opportonHy of referrlof to the aetSoaa of tfaa govamsMiM o( tha provinea of Ontario with reapaet ta Iha laogaaa Tax Act of Ontario. Farbapa I ahoald irf"" that the Income Tax Act of Ontario dtflera (roB ibe acta of moat of tha other provineea in this raap a et t hat we allow as a deduction from tha ineoma of tha Ontario taxpayer tha amount of lax paid to the dominion government nader tha Income War Tfex Act before we mipoae onr own tax. Is that interfering n competing with the dominion, eapeoially aa it haa bean admitted by former mlniaters of finance of Oanada that for the dominion to levy an income lax at all is to invade provincial fielda of taxation! To make such an allowsnce aa I have aet out ia not comp«ting vrith the dominion ; it ia taking a secondary position to the dominion. Furthermore, let me state that the province of Ontario was the first province in Canada to arrange with the dominion to save the cost of collection of the income tax and the economic waste of time of taxpayers; Ontario arranged with the dominion government that the Ontario tax should ba collected by the same dominion oflicera and at the same time as the dominion tax is collected. . That is not competition. That ia cooperation, ad- mitted by all, and due credit being ^ven by all tax- payers aCFected. Further, the dominion government on September 13th, 19!)0, added a surtax of 20 per cent, applicable to income of 1939 and subsequent periodu. This moant a lesser amount of income loft in the hands of the tax- payers to be subject to the Ontario tax. The province of Ontario agzeed to absorb this loss in revenue. â€" â- ..'. fc ........ ->.'-... J ^.^ Ontario Suffers Revenue Loss On August 7th, 1940, the 20 per cent, surtax and all the old rates under the Dominion Income Tax Act were repealed and in their places newer and higher rates were enacted, and at the same time, exemptions were cut. These changes were applicable to the incomes of 1939. Besides these changes in rates, the new National Defence Tax was enacted applicable to incomes earned from July 1st, 1940. The effect of these added imposts was to seriously reduce the revenues of the province of Ontario, and it is estimated that for the fiscal year which begina on AprH 1, 1941, the province of Ontario will suffer a loss of revenue of upwards of two million dollars. We have turned over the KIgiu Uos|iital â€" a seven million dollar Institution â€" and many other provincial propertiei, without payment or reward and will con- tinue to do ao. We have curtailed our capital nxpenditures and have delayed neeeaaary works â€" works that would have been profitable and would have yielded additional revenue. Then, too, in an effort to encourage the incoming of American tonrisfa who will bring wit!: them much needed American dollars, bo necessary to enable the dominion to save exchange and proaeoute the war, the f>rovince of Ontario haa undertaken to expend on pub- icity and advertising for tourists this year the sum of three hundred thousand dollara. That, according to ofllciala of the dominion government, ia cooperation, not competitiou. And in respect to the Corporations Tax, it will be within the memory of the representatives of the varioui provinces here that the authoritiea of tha dominion government have appointed a board to be preaided over By the Hon. Oharlea P. McTague, Justice of the Su- preme Court of Ontario, which board has been formed X, determine the amount of obsolescence and deprecia- tion that may be allowed taxpayers aa a write-off against profits which will be subject to war taxation. The government of the province of Ontario has announced that it will accept wlthoat question the findings of thia dominion-created board. Ontario Not Competing Time does not permit a lengthy recital of other acta of cooperation on the part of the government of the province of Ontario, but I challenge anyone to success- fully charge the government of Ontario or, for that matter, any other province, with competition for rwvenue In fielda that do not excluaively belong to the provinces, or with any lack of cooperation whataoever. On the other side o( the picturi, even although the organisation of Resources Committee, patterned after the one that functioned so effectively in the last war, waa sat up by our Ontario Legialafure â€" and by un- animous vot»-â€" the nucleuB, with power to add, conaist- ing of His Honour Lieutenant-QoTernor Matthews, Colonel Drew and myself â€" and even although well over a year ago ve journeyed to Ottawa and personally pledged, on behalf of the organisation, the fullest mea- aura o( cooperation In every poadibia war effort, the secretary of the organlsaMon now advises ma that not a single request or communication has been received from the federal govornment. Aay juat crltl^iam that may be levelled against the government of Ontario for its considered judgment on this iaaue mv colleagues snd I accept without com- plaint. But If the propagsndiata believe for a moment that, becauae of our attitude, we will remain silent while Inalnuationa are broadcast deliberately for the puryoaa of branding ua as unpatriotic, unneighbourly with onr sister provlnoea, or guilty of doing anything to bledc Oanada In aehiaving onr auiximva war effort, then I aay to them, *Wa shalTdelend onraalTet from that kind a( attaA hara, on tha floor ol tha legialatnrs, and on the puhUa plaKorm.' Bara I avail myaaU of the opportniiity of warning tha purely flnaBelaI> praaa and othara that they hava ovarplayad their hands by atlaaiptlng to sloak thia report with tba garmanla of patrloUiua and under tha ezigaao4ea of war would do irrafarabla daawga to both naaonal unity and eonfldtnce. I daaire to quota one authority as a case in point. The TNnronto Star, a ^uppoVter it tha praaant (ederal govarnrasnt In ita sditorlal of Movamber SOth, IMO, Bays: Ilia 5lar balievaa that tha ganaral Idea of Ihs report Is a (ood one, Iha Idaa that tha dooUaien ahotUa be tha ehiaf lax eolleetar aad, aa aa offsaC aasama eartaln provlaoial raaponsiuHtiea. lliat waa the then (rleodly policy ol that paper. What did tha BImr aay in lu editorial ol Salnrday, January 11, 19411 I quota: ^%a report haa, naturally eaonah, atrosg backing. Orsat flnaacia! eeacams and wealtay Indtvtdnala who ars hsidara of provlaelal bonds sapport a prejaet whieh would plaea tha cradit ol tha donttatlon bskind provln- elal secnrllias whoas aiarket vafn* has iraatly de- tarloratad. A l^ropto brokv baa as||iaat*d that adop- tion of the rapcH nitht aad al mneh si fao.OOO.ooo, 940,000,000 and ««0,OOO,000 to tha valns of tha bodda ol Manitoba, Baakalebewaa and Alberta, respecllTaly. Thia gift to lh,a bondholders would be more eoady to Ontario than any other province. Ontario'a own bonds would not ba laersassd u valne to any marked degrea, Bstmmi^^^sk not only tha MoviadiaritBU, bat tha daiaa on ths aama. This had raashad 18,400,000 1 rUtlsrsst stands now at a andi hlfhar Igaia. Ostum's Isdaral taxpayers provlds nasrly half tha domialon rarsBaa out of whloh this (Ut to tha boadh«Uar» wonld ba provided.' That ahows tha changing opinion of fliat grsst paV llcation. Why I Because that aad oOur aawspapSts, asfising pnUis opinion, ara raOaotinc ths flrowlag sus- picion of ths awakaaug puhUc amid. .As a pditlaal obssrvsr I ssy that thara Is a last dtrslopiag Mdy a( opinion, net without canss, now proBonas.tlM Idsa that bahind this nnUmsly mors, ostansibly as a war laaasnn, is a wall-co<^td, ne(aiiaus deal to malca good tha lossee In depredation ol aartaiti bonds Itald larfdy by financial houaaa, to 'collect unpaid Intersat on Alberta bonda and to cauae a sharp appreelation in bonds ol certain provineea, which bonds ware, baaanss ol dr- enmttancas beyond the control ol ths rsspactivs pto- Tlnoial treaanrera, aotually aold at much laas than par, although the coupon rate waa abnormally high. This poBSihla hnga capital appreoiatlon is not sren Bubjset to lederal income tax. I sdemnlT warn thoae who are obriously pteaalng lor such acnon that tiliay may acgravata that suspicion and destroy completely public oonfldence In govam- msnta. Canada Must Be United Now I coma to a aubject of even greater importancs â€" ^national unity. We have it to-day. All Canada ia behind the prosecution of the war. We are a united people. We need be. We have a common foe In the dictators. I happen to Icnow something about religiona and racial issues. I can apeak feelingly on this subject. We tried, aa a government, to remedy a aimpie ob- vious injustice and inequality with regard to school tax revenues. We failed, and the very ones we tried to help were as anxious as anyone else to have us retrace our steps. Is not a similar situation, on a larger scale developing today! Already there are rumblings that Quebec is getting preferred treatment. I know that, to some extent, there are extenuating circumstancee. But the fact remains that Quebec is being relieved of some of her municipal debts, while other provinces are not. Quebec is to receive an eight million dollar yearly irredticible sub- sidy, while others including Ontario, are not to receive a cent. Again there are extenuating circumstances. But explanations do not always explain such cases with certain sections of society. The Toronto Teleffram is a powerful newspaper and reflecte the opinions of many citizens of Ontario who have, a IT^at respect for its considered opinions. The 'Toronto TtUgrdm haa dealt with this aspect of the report with great effect. I shall not quote from its editorials â€" thot is not necessary. All I can say is not to underestimate the power of the press in this regard. This new issue being developed presents a challenge to those of us who believe in national unity. To blind oArselves to the obvious is not fair to Canada, not fair to our neighbouring province of Quebec, especially when by this deal, according to the best constitutional advice I can get, Quebec and the rest of us will have to agree to a surrender to a central authority of rights and privileges granted by the British North America Act. 1 say that so long as my colleagues and I have any say in directing public policy for Ontario and ao long as there is a British North America Act in its present form, which caunot be amended at will by a mushroom government that may in future take office in Ottawa, we ahall, as a sister province, stand solidly beside Quebec if at any time her minority rights are threatened. On this sound foundation of national unity we stand aa firm and resolute as the Rock of Gibraltar itaelf. To lay hands on the life work of Sir Wilfrid Laurler and Sir John A. Hacdonald is nothing short of national vandalism. Do We Fiddle While London Burns? In the post-war period we may have to open our gates to thousands, yes millions, of European homeless and destitute. If this eventuates, the British North America Act may serve a useful purpose until the pro- ceaa of assimilation is completed. Is this the time to send a courier to bomb-torn London wlt^ a document in hia hand and have him step into the Hall of Westminster and ask the British parliament to pause in Ita consideration of questions determining the very life of the British Empire in order to debate the question of a new constitution for Canada? To me it is unthinkable that we should be fiddling while London is burning. In the heart of the Empire the citizenry â€" men, women, boys and girls â€" with their bare hands are beating out the flames spread by ruth- less vandal^ upon the housetops and the roofs of thhir homea. Britons, on the shores of the sea and in the streets of their cities, will resist the invader foot by foot with their very lives, as their great leader said they would. Instantly concerned with their struggle to survive and to save us throughout this Empire and with nothing else, they are waging a winning flght to-day, the remembrance of which will never die while freedom lives. They have no other concern. To-day,_ while these brave people are shielding their homes with their bodies and braving the burstiug bombs and the hall of machine gun bulleta, do we read that the Lord Mayor of Loudon has paused in his efforts to save the nation and has called a meeting of the aldermen to consider a readjustment or a revision of the borough system of the great metropolia which ia now a beleaguered fortreaa ! I listen to Mr. Churchill, to Mr. Roosevelt, the two jrreat democratic leaders who stand out as beacon lighta in this bewildered world today. I believe In their aln- cerity. Only an all-out effort vrill aave civilisation and ehristianity. Our central government now, under the War Meaaurea Act, haa extreme, even dictatorial, ;iower. If there ia anything apeciflc that the dominion govern- ment wanta to help in ita war effdrt, aay so, and I am sure every province will aaaiat by passing immediately the necessary enabling legialation. This can be accom- plished without controversy and without upsetting our reasonably well-organised system of government. Onurio Shall Continue to Help In our war effort we of Ontario believe we have been helpful and shall continue to be ao, even to the extent of BOt Joining in ttie clamour to unload over two billion dollars of debts of other publie bodies on the dominion treaaury in war tlma. nia prooeaa of tranafer Itaalf wonld be involved and upasttlng to our whole financial. system. A tranafer of all tax eoUsctlon actlv-. Mas of tha elaaaas Indicated in tha raport to the centra) authority eould only ba atada alta* eomplleatad and (ar reaching legialation could ba enacted. Tie time apd effort of the federal parHsaisat would be devoted In this dirsetion whan every onaaa ol aCort la required In tha snccaaalul onMsennoa o< tha war. And while Sn tktta obllgatsd youraalvss to flght this war with a last drop ol printer's Ink and to tha laat page el Baiuard, eonfaslon. utter oaataslea, would prevail in an govasnannts aa aalsUng tax machinery bogged down. Ws, In Ontario, I amphaaisa, hava anxiously co- operated vrlth tha daminloa toaatniaaat in Its war eflort snd shall eonUaua la do so. But this is a peasstlais document, aid wa baUava hcaiastiy and ainearsly that the tims to di sea s s It is not new, but oalv wkea IIm aaanace to ear daaaaeiasy, OhrtstiaBltr and (rasduB k rtawl w d by Ike ssrlala daiaat and svoa anBlhUstloB ol the luwiaaa Axis powers." HON. A. 5. m-MILLAH. PUME miNTSTBt Of NOVA SCOTIA. (VaL 1, p«B 32) i "If we vrere asked to five a eataaorleel answer lavourlag or opposing tha report aa a whole, that snswar, representing Nova Seotla as we do, wonld tare to bs 'Ho'." 1- -«i;- ""Hair hff^^a.^^J^^.'SM"^ ^ 'At the ontaal^ X si^ mr tt«t ws do p/A «aaW te tha flndiaaaol fta samnisgoa as stl ant in dlq^lni â-¼ aad VI ol sssoon w ol Tolams u, whara asitm apodal claima adrancad by tha govsnuosnt ol Msv Brunswick ara diseniisd;" ...... ^j«t^;jfl HON. JOHN aKACKEN, aaJUE MtNISTEa Of MANtTOaA. (VaL 1, paffa 30) i "Dtenitoba does not think it unreasonable, U it waaiad to borrow mooKt on tha credit of ths daniniaa. that it should ba axpasted flrst to obtain ths approTnl ai sash National Vinancs OoBimJaslon. Ws Issl aatlafled that ws shall hava no dUBaater in obtaining Hia approval of anah a body ia all assss vrafre our appUea t loa marlta such approvaL 11 a cass soiaaa «p ia which such ap- proval b withhold, that wU not prevent ua 11 vra think the objaet iaa worthy one Irom borrowinc upon our own eredit. It hsa bsan suggested that such borrowing apon psovlneial eredit alona wiU be im- poaslble II the eommiasion'a recommendations ara made effeotive. We do not agree. Any province which can borrow now ooidd still borrow II the commlaaion's lecoBunandatioau wiris in force, nis snecsss of suA borrowing in either case depends upon the eredit ol the province whieh Is attempting to borrow. I'or ex- ample, with their resources we do not think that either Ontario or Quebea win have any difllcnity in borrowinc 11 tliis report is iaplemented; some other provinces might have ; but is there not a question as to whether these latter could borrow aatisfactorily even if the report is not implemented f If they could not, then they are certainly no worse off after implementation because then they can borrow in proper caaes upon the credit of Canada. â€" .. ...^.v.... â€" .-~4 "nie fact is, and tha report mokes it clear, that in the matter of future borrowing, the provineea are to be left in exactly the same position in which they now are. Indeed, they can continue to borrow upon their own credit. In addition, they are given a new and valuable right, exercisable wholly at their own option, of borrowing upon the credit of Canada." HOiV. T. D. PATVLLO. PKJME MINISTER OP BRITISH COLUMBIA, (VoL 1, pages 44 and 43): "Money, of courae, ia at the root of this whole ques- tion. While monetary measures should be based u^ton the iiroductive capacity of our people, the productive capacity of our people can foe amplified by wise mone- tary measures and other considerations. We are now told that it ia neeeaaary immediately to tmplement the recommendatlone of the commission suc- cessfully in order to prosecute the war. The govern- ment of British Columbia disagrees with this view. I am sorry th-.it the winuing of the war has been used ss an argument to fasten permanently upon the provinces and the Dominion of Canada a change in dominion- provincial relations which I firmly believe will work to the injury and not to the benefit of the dominion and the provinces of which it ia composed. If there had been no commission, war measnrea would still proceed ; and right now without any change in our constitution the dominion can take any action deemed necessary to the winning of the war; and tha people are solidly behind the government that every resource whieh we possess shall be brought into action at the earliest possible moment for the purpose of fur- thering our war effort. Let us face this question fairly and squarely just aa if there were no war, aa waa the condition at the time of the appointment .of the commission ; and not place those wno believe that the proposals are of a harmful character under the indictment that they axe hindering the war effort of this dominion. -<! Would Retard War Effort The commiaaion further states : The immediate effect of Plan I on dominion finances would be adverse, since in some degree provincial fin- ances would have improved at the expense of those ol the dominion.' Inasmuch as the finances of the dominion, accord- ing to tha commission, are not immediately to be imp proved but the reverse, it doea not seem logical to sn^ gest that the implementation of thia recommandatioa of the commission is essential to our war effort. RaUiar decs It suggest that during the period of the war the implementation of the plan will be a burden on -the domrniou's war effort, not alone through the assump- tion of additional financial obligations but through the time and effort which muat necessarily be expended in the sotting up of the new organization as proposed by thi :::s:mi:sion. It would therefore seem the part of wisdom to get on with the war and postpone so far-reaching and eontentioua a problem until after the war." _ - â€" aSS^ HON. WILLIAM ABERHART, PRIME MINISTBE OF ALBERTA, (Vol. 1. page 63 )i "Our people will ask, 'Why are they so anxious to ralae an issue like this when we all have onr hands full with the job of the wart' And tha whiaper has gone around, 'It ia the money p<)wers.' I am going to speak frankly- I believe that ths perilous situation which is facing our nation and the empire demanda sincerity of speech and boldneas ol action. 1 maintain that it would be most unfortunate if the Idea gaina popular credence that there is a con- certed and deliberate attempt being made by the money powers to increase centralized control of our national lite while our attention Is tolly occupied with the firoseculion of our war effort, and that thereby there a developing an endeavour to obtain an unfair ad- vantage over the people by meana of Impoaing upon them a cnr hing debt structure under which they will Ite further • islaved. I am aure that every man in thia gathering must be aware that considerable suspicion haa been sroiiaed in the minds of many because of the Intensity of the propaganda campaign and tha great expenditure of money and the frantic and unwarranted haate that )<:ia been urged in connection with the adoption ol fie Rowell-Sirois recommendationa. Make no mlatake about It Not only the efforts to gain the adoption of these recommendations, but ths barrage of obviously inspired propaganda to win aup- port for the "union now" propoaala have b«>on causing growing uneaslneos in the minds of many. Whether it is common knowledge or not, we in Alberta arc fully Informed on the actios which was taken in Australia regardiag thia sinister propaganda. In that British country Ihsj seem to have much more direct methoda than wa hava to deal with auch matters. We note that instead of aSowIng the use of radio facilities for ita dissemination, aa waa done here, they treated this "union now" propaganda aa being aohverslve to ths British empire and raised auch a atorm of protest that public adt^ieaaaa on the aubject had to be abandoned. Surely It muat ba evident to any loyal British sub- ject that to sit calmly aad indifferently by while we are being hoodwtehed aad inveigled ir.;c - financial dletatorahlp ar a laaeisl atate. at a time when v e ar' giving Um best ol ear aHMthood to the empire and are saerlAelBg onr ail to ovfroome that foul thina; which haa ralaed Ita head in the world in many guises â€" a totali- tarian arder ol cenltaliied control and regimentation â€" is aot only ridiculous bat dangerously erimjnal. I hava ao apok>gy to mahs lor speaking thus." "°^iw'2JrJ*7'Ji^i f>OUlNiON MINtStiR 6t FINANCE, (Vol. J, page aoii 1 •PÂ¥!?"''*t *^" cooperation that we have so far received ffoaa the provinces and I want to mention la Mrttcnlar the cooperation from the province ol i^t m^- ^â- ^w PUBLISHED BY THI AUTHORITY OF THI OOVIRNMiNT OP THf PROVINCE OF ONTARIO CCNTiiNUED ON PAGE 5