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® 9 AINST CONMEE CLAUSES. EHEY WILL GO TO THE NEW MUNI-- CIPAL BOARD. esd wommmmnanmstnmemmmnememmmmemmmen ' 'Toronto Bill Again Before the Municipal Committee of the Legislature--The M Assessment of Small Telephone 8 Lines. '~_ The Municipal Committee of the Leg-- _ dislature resumed consideration of the _ _city of Toronto's bill yesterday. The _\ clause giving the Council power to regu-- _ late signs or other advertising on build-- _ ings or vacant lots was approved, The _ clause proposing in effect the repeal of -- what are popularly known as the "Con-- --> mee clauses," which provide that befor'c ; entering upon the establishment of munt-- | _ cipal--owned utilities, such as gas, water, power and heat, municipalities must first | ! negotiate for the purchase of existing _' private plants within their boundaries, were struck out, but not because the committee was opposed to the idea,. Mr. Preston (Brant) was of opinion that, while there had been in the past a good deal to say in favor of protecting ex-- _ isting companies from injustice, the Leg-- islature had no right to protect them against the advance of science. If there was to be municipal transmission and dis-- tribution of electrical energy, and there was a tendency toward that, the clauses might be found to constitute an insur-- mountable obstacle. He suggested that . the Conmee clauses be referred to the Railway and Municipal Board to be cre-- _ _ated by the CGovernment's new measure _« for consideration and report. Hon, Mr. Hanna said this was in line | _ _'with a suggestion made by Premiet --. Whitney last session. They could not refer the clauses to the board until that body was created, but they could recom-- _. mend that it be done. This was approved [¢ of. Mr. Preston also suggested that the _ _board should be recommended to devis< _ _ a uniform system of bookkeeping in re-- ; spect to municipal--owned utilities. E: The Committee approved the clause au-- . thorizing the Park Commissioner to re-- ---- _ move trees after giving 48 hours' notice; -- such notice to be left at the buildings; . in front of which the trees stand, in «_ _case the owners of the property cannot _ _be located within the time named. An-- other clause passed provides that Coun-- cils of cities have power to compel per-- sons to destroy tussock moths and co-- ~coons thereof on trees or elsewhere upon premises owned or occupied by them. Where such is not done within ten days civic officers of the Councils may do the work and the owner or occupant of the| premises must bear the expense. The clause giving power to municipal-- itiee to prevent the sale of fruit from -- waggons, carts, baskets, etc.. upon such 'streets or portions thereof as appears desirable was strongly supported by Mr. E. M. Trowern, Secretary of the Retail Merchants' Association. _ The clause * was held over. _ So, also, was the clause giving municipalities the same power in cases where it is necessary to construct . pavements and assets the cost against .. the property affected, as is now the case h in respect to sidewalks. Mr. Munro's bill to amend the assess-- ment act in relation to telephone com-- panies carried. _ It provides that the lines of telephone systorns chartered to _operate in specified localities shall be as--, _ sessed in every township through which _ they run at their actual value, but not exceeding on the whole the rato per mile _as set out in the general act, which is $135. _ | At the present time the lines are uni. formally assessed and this, it is held, is' a hardship in the case of cheaply c:m- structed lines for parely local nurposes The committee held over 1hc'mmsu're' introduced by Mr. Preston (Brant) en-- abling Municipal Councils to issue debén. tures for buying fire appliances. § m'