The Ontario Scrapbook Hansard

Ontario Scrapbook Hansard, 13 Feb 1885, p. 3

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kc % u. )0 SSEZ HHgo eX | peouse in printing. 'FThere had also been a year} | incresse in the cost of printing the departmonts | aud other reports which were for the informatior | of the country, In 1884 they had eight voiume: | of sessional papers, while the largest number in ADj ! previous year was only six volunes, Tho cost at | printing and distributing the anuual report: alone amounted to $34,55%, All thesa reports were valuable, containing general information | useful to the country, information which it would l be impossible to withbold, but ai the sams time it must be recognized that it involved a consider-- l able cost, In ul' the departments over which MNB "Ohrath ..A tadret ult Aevtaiercdctsas ds AME 114. ;1 | was one of the grounds why he had contended that we shouid see after our rights and have the proper construction applied to the Act of 73. ' Monourable gontlemen uopposite had opposed that. _ We l'zould press our claims when othor Provinees wore pressing theirs : whenever they zot an advantage, we should get an equivalont. He would not refor fuarther to the qusstion of raliway« at present, bat would do so hereafter, | He would now givo the House a statement of THE EXPENDITURE DURING THE Pasgt YEAR, [These tigures were giveun in Tuz Guosx of esterdny. | | {io said he would make a brief referonce to ons | or two of the items of ax peaditure. 1t would be l noticed that our expenditure in Civil Government had approxiimated very closely with what the estimated expanse would be,. The estimated ex~ ase was $179,707 as agpainst $179,825 expendad, rxoan-g:»rd to legisiation it would be scen there was a very largo over--expenditure which was privcipaily | under the hoad of _ sossional : clerks, printing. and stationery. It was an expanditure which was yearly increasing, and aa !poinbod out last year, it was an expenditure which, to a certain extent, was more under the control of the House than the Government, It had boen impos--ible to make the returps asked for without employing a considerable adlditionat masistance, and Bhuad involyad . O 7 0 ""--THoOns ONTARIO MUSP GET AN KEqtvaLENT If an increased subsidy was given to Quebsc, Ontario was entitled to one and ought to get it. Out of a total of seven mil-- lion, ono bundred and seveuty--two chousand, dollars given by the Act of 74, Ontario had gos $2,882,289 00. -- Hon. gentlemen opposite loat year thought we should contend for this, but have they offsred nne word of condemuation to the claim that was made and carried, whereby Quebec got a return of two million four bundred thousand dollars as aid granted to local railways, when Ontario was refused a dollar for aimiiar aid * (Cheers)}, Have they found fault wito that? _ Was it _ not -- better that -- the Province should take -- the position -- {that if Queboe was to get relief from -- finan~ cial embarrassment under which they were labouring that it should be put upon some basis by which Ontario should get an acuivalang " ppQs ACCEBPTED THAT AS THE INTERPRETATION,. There was no other justification, If this was marely an act of grace, giving an additional sub-- sidy, there wou'ld be no justification in giving it to Quebec and Untario jointly upon the basis of the division of debts as by the award, as it is Uone, while the equivaient given to aother I'ro-- vinces was given on the basis of popuiation. There was no reason tor the division that has boen imade between Outario and Quebec, excent for the reason that it was in connection with the debt due by the late Province, and was really to be a carrying out of the intention of sthe Act of 73. It had been coutended by hou. gentismen that it was uo in the interests of Ontario to ask this,. The Domin~ ion Governmant bave imposed increased taxation and had been able to accumulats a surpius of over seventeen million doliars. The possession uf that surpius no doubt prompted the (GGovern-- ment to find _ new _ outlets for -- their increased revenue. _ Applications bad been made _ from _ various Quariers _ in -- re-- l gard to bow that surplus -- should -- be | disposed of, and it was well known at that time : that Quebec was making urgent demanda that they should have some spscial consideration in | regard to their railway oxtounsions, -- It was pere fectly well known that if Quebec took a perma-- nent stand she would be successful, He (Mr. Ross) stated last year that no doubt Quebec woulid be successful, but that if succossfual ) Mr., MEREDITiL--1 suppose it is a case of Quebec Jomination ? Mr. FRASER--No ; Ontario's justification. Mr. ROSsS--Honouravie geutiemen opposite he supposed wouild contend that the interpret«-- tion be lhad put upon the Act was not really that socepted by the Dominion Government, but he theugut a reference to the Act itself would cleariy show thst was right, He did not wish to detain the MHouss by reading the clause in the Act of 734 but it stated _ that the _ amount now in tbhe British North Americs Act should be read as if it was the in-- creased amount. _ It was open to the interpreta-- tion and construction that we were to be relieved from that dobt. The Dominion (Government had was HAPPY TO INFORM THE HOUS® that the intecpretation he had put upon the Act had been accepted by the Dominion Goverrment; the amount claimed had been conceded as owing to Ontaric, namoly, two imillions eight hundred thousand doliars «id. (Loud cheore.) d possible right, and that it wouid be m gross br:ach of duty on the part of the Dominion if they were to grant it He Pasd hsict : ud ... d tinting. 'There had also been a yearly i the cost of printing the departmontsal reports which were for the information ntey. In 1884 they had eight voiumes I papors, while the largest number in any bar woas amiur ohe wl l 2 hous y six voluiaes . The cost at ibuting the annual reports | $34,502, An thesa reports taining general information | , information which it would l ibold, bat ai the sams time esE V . s yearly increasing, and aa r, it was an expenditure 'xtent, was more under the than the Government. It to make the rsturns asked f a considerable aiditionail :nvo!vecl a very largo ex= mss 2 4) 2% & t ThremeP oof . dnCuer cButncas l w kss 1 fused a doilar for aiwilar they found fault wito not better _ that the ke the _ position {that get relief from finan~ T se tniraint PiPctmtpde BP o hat uidns io onA oc UA L). ut tave. _ That question could be discussed at anothor time, aod he did not wish to say suythxpg that could be looked upon as being of a hestile or offemaive | spirit, -- but there was _ no _doubt that that -- expenditure was _ forced _upen the Province. -- Of course there had beenr an additional expense incurred in consequence of the construction of the C. P. R. through that that section, _ He would briefly refer to a large Kem in our expenditure, the MALNPEXANCGE OF® PCBLIC INETITUOTIONS. He had gone fully into thst la«t year, and had given the House tables showing the expenditure from _ year _ to year. It _ woulid _ be recollecled _ that _ from thoso _ figures ho bad drawn the deduction that in regard to eur Retormatories and Ceontral Prisons, our Institations for the Deaf, Dumb, and Blind, that | the expond:iture had arrived at what the Province . might assume to be a maximum expendituce for | their maintenance, Although variations might! take place from year to year, still there would | not be that progrossive and continuous increage | that had ex sted in former years, -- The deduce. | tions that he had drawn from those tables had ; been disputed by honeurable gentlemen oppogite, | nEgUIRKD A urkar prar or rcrrarm, and i had $aken wore than tbuey had aut c pated. There td also been an over--@Xpoudituwe in cons nection with the north--wesieru and other parts ofi the Province. That expense had been forced on the Provincs partly by the unwarranted invasion of what was then a disputed territory, but now disputed no longer, That. invasion had been in-- aigated from«quarters thatit was not nocessary for him to point out, but the violation of our territory had forced upon the Government a large increased expenditure in mamtaining the authority of the Provinge in thase parts. There had consequontly baen an over--expenditure in connection with that vt $5,000 odd more than anticipated. Hoe did not desire that the financial statement should re= fleet upon the camses that led to that ex pardi-- taure.: 'That question could be discussad at Hon, Mc. ROSS said they wore placing the account for repairs of public buildings uuder a separate hoead instead of having them charged under the Departmental secounts as formerly. if the buildings were to be maintained in a proper s.ato of repair it required a large expeaditure, Hon. gentliemen had an opportunity tor seeing that for thomseives. They had an opportnunity of seeing that the repairs were not of xn extrava-- gout character, being onliy thoss that were absolutely necessary. _ An pid building such as f.'t ® Mr. MEREDITH--The hon, gentleman is passing over a large expenditure under the head of repairs und maintenance of departmentai buildings. sop d in e e o ty agricuiture and arts there had also been an over-- expenditure, _ and the -- remarks _ alreadty made in regard to legislation would apply here, _ Thero had been an over--expenditure in regard to the Experimental Farm. The House last year made an allowance for the purchase of thoroughbred stock. It had been impossible to necurately estimate the expenses connected with the purchase of stock in the Old Country, and it would be seen that the expenditure was $27,000 odd instead of tha $25,000 _ asked for. Under the head of msscsilansous it will be seon vhere had been an additional expan--e incurred owing to the cost of the Boundary dispute. An expense of some $29,000 odd had been incur-- x':.er:{l\ as agaimet an eslimated sum of some $19,-- KIGHTY--ONE HOLLARS, or an _ over expenditure given to the counties of $2,181, There _ had niso beon an over rexpenditure in roegard to iminigration, and without gouing into details he wou'ld state that about $6,000 of the amount appearing in the present accounts was for car-- mage of immwigrants, which should have been charged in last year's account, but which had bean left out because the railway companies had failed to send in thoir'billl in time. -- In regard to CONXTROLLED THE DISTRIBUTION, but be would draw the attention of the House to the matter, and it mipht be expedient to con-- sider whother the expense in that direction could not be lessened. Provision had been mado last year form large distribution of the acricul-- tural reports which contained information of inestimable value to the country, but it must be remembered that they were expen-- sive, and that was one reason why the expendi«~ turs under legislation had exceoded the estimate by the amount it had. Under tus head of Ads ministration of Justice it would be soen there had aiso been an over--expenditure. _ That over-- expenditure was mainly due to the amount refuuded to the counties, As had been expiained before, our expenses in connection with the ad-- ministration of criminal justice were larcely under the control of the imnunicipalitioes themseives and the Government reimburses to the municipalities a certain proportion of the expenditure. The estiumataf of iast session had beeu found insufti-- cient, aud instead of paying to the countion ons bundred and twenty--tbree thousand dollars, as estimated, wo have actually returned to them something about ONKE HUNDBED AND THIRTY--TWO THOUSAXD aAND he had auy control he had directed the officers to condense as much as possible when _ issuing _ the _ reports, -- and _ had also suggested that a lessor nuimmber of some of the reports might be distributed but the House itself to a very largo extent s the financial statement should re= camses that led to that ex pordi-- question could be discussed at aod he did not wish to say anything looked upon as beimg of a hestile spirit, -- but there was -- no that _ expenditure -- was forced 'ix lMmvo that last year, and had tables showing the expenditure to _ year. It _ woulid _ be t _ from -- those figures ho f dcduc'l.iog that in regard to 2, CAPITAL MELD AND DEBTS DUE BY THEK DoMin-- J0X _ so _ ontaxk1O, BKARING INTEGBST : U. C, Grammar School Fund, (¢ Vict., Capt. 10). U. C, Building Fund, (18 Bee.. Act 1854(............ Land Improvement Fund, (580 _AE ): 11 s c ast c n + ar Common -- School Fand, (Conbol, Stats., Cap. 25)-- proceeds realized to ist Juily, 1867, $1.520,959.241-- after deducting Land 1m-- provement Fund portion bolonging to Ontario. ... Capital declared owilag to the late Province of Can-- ada by Dominion Ast, (¢7 Viet., Cap, 4)-- §$5,597,508.-- 15, bearing interest at 5 per cont. Ontario's pro-- portion on basis of award as devised by Finance Denartment......0.0 0. 0 In regard to the over--expenditures in the differ-- en't Departments, he supposed it would be one of the matters to which honourable gens emen opposite would take exception, It was well knowoa that in times of depression there was more likely to be oversexpenditnre than at other times. At Oitawa, although they had an overflowinp treasury with seventieen -- mils lions surplus, having thersfore no induce-- ment to uunder--estimate their expenditurs, yet during last year there bad been very large ! and heavy over expenditures on the part of the | Dominion, over expenditures to the amount of \ over a million. Mr. WHITE--That is no exouse for you, Mr, ROS:S said they did not claim it was, but it showed that it was impossible for any Govern-- mont at the commencement of a year to foresse all the expenditure that may be required, Cir-- I cumstances . would _ arise _ which _ would call for exponditurre in -- different ways ! and it had to be met or the interosts | of the Province jeopardized. He would now lay before the House m statement of the financial i condition of the proviace as of the 3ist Decem ber, 1884, as regards assets and liabilities. OQar assets | were as follows :-- J Dec., 1884,, ....$241,602 48 Tiie drainage 5 per ) ot, debon-- _ lures, invesied 3st December, 1804...++:«.. 1.« -- 5.200 61 Overdus interest on above........ _ 1,649 99 Drainage works --municipal as-- sessments...... 278,779 77 Drainage 5 per ct,. debenturss, invosted _ 3lst ssskKTs OF THE PROYINCES, 1. Dirszor Investagxr:s; -- Dowminion 6 per cent. bonds . ....$3500,000 00 M'rk't value over pality that sent them. We in Ontario, because our ravenus had cuabled us to do so, had man tained them at the sole experse of the Province, and had maintained the institautions i2 a manner that was not only creditable to the pseople of the Provincs, but in such a way as to receive the encemiams of those who were eapable of judging, who had visited our institutions. In no Staie or Province were institutions conductsd with the same ability as those of the Province of Ontario, nor were they State aud a portion bein'g paid by the munici pality that sent them. We in Ontario. becaus A STEADY AND PROGREKSSIVE INCRKKASE in the numbersadmitted and the cost of maintes nance, and this year, as will be ssen, the Governs-- ment will be obliged to ask an additional amount from the House for the purpose of providing ad-- ditiounal accommodation tor thoss unfortunates. In vonuoction with this matter he was happy to say that the Province of Ontario dealt in a most liboral mauner. Thers was no Province in the country that dealt so liberally as Ontzsrio. From iuquiries made by the Inspector of Prisons and Asy'umus it was secertained that seven of the United States assumsd the whole cost of the maintenaunce ¢o[ their lunstics and idicts ; that in eighteen of tho States the whole cost of the _ maintenance _ was _ tlwown upon the municipalitiee from whence the patients came, that in thirteen of the States they uivided the cost, a portion being pmud hby the He was happy to say, by the return uf the Inspector of Prisons, that another year's ex-- perieace had added force to the contention. He found in regard to those institutions, not re-- ferring to our insane asylnims, that the numbers tuat were confined or taken charge of in 1884 were leoss than in 1883. . He thought it might be fairly assumed that with regard to the maintenance of those institutions we had arrived at a maximum expenrnditure, and that any ins crease now would be mainly due to those mioor fluctuatious that take place fram year to year, or due to the increasse in our population, He was sorry to say in regard to our lunatic and idiot asylums that these deductions had not held good. 'That wo were year by year finding par value...... 50,003 00 MAINTAINED AT 80 LOW A COSI _ 548.271 To ~--~----*--~~----£1,008,271 7 $ 312,769 u$ 1,472,391 41 1 24,685 18 $ 550,000 00 891,201 74

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