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4 ] Government Grant to be Largely Increased. _ _A statement by Premier Whitney as _to the intention of the Government with Fegard to the public school act of last fflbcssion was the feature of the session of jll:e Legislature yesterday afternoon. The _minimum salary clauses of that act have been the subject of considerabie contro-- ¥ersy. and amending legis'ation has of late been several _ times foreshadowed. _ The !'Government \:ill not only largely inscrease the grants to the schools. but the new F:egislation will wipe out the basis of dis-- _tribution as adopted last year. and spe-- $262,000 ." rriuution as adopted last year., and spe-- cially encourage the payment to teachers of salaries above $300. -- 1t provides a new unconditional grant of $15 yearly to each school section, and substantial ap-- propriations for equipment and accom-- modation. _ In the aggregate the Gov-- ernment increases its grant of last year to the rural schools by $202,000, The Premier's statement _ was 'as fol-- lows :------ "The situation as to rural schools is : "(1) We have found that there is not a sufficient number of properiy--qualified teachers to meet the demand under the present law,. and that this condition of affairs is likely to continue. to a greater or less extent, until the new _ normal schools are established and begin their work. "To recapitulate, the total of proposed grants to rural schools this year is $380.-- 000 ; the last grant by the late CGovern-- ment was . $118,000 ; therefore the in-- crease b,}: the present Government is "The last ~annual grant to rural schools by the late Government was $118,000. We increased this last vear by "This will work out as follows :--Ap propriation for equipment and accom--. modation, $60,000; appropriation of #13 to each section, $80,000; appropriation of 40 per cent. on salaries over $300, $240,-- 000 ; a total of $380.000. siderable difficulty will arise in working out the provisions of the law as to in-- creased salaries dependent upon the as-- sessments, which vary very much. "For these reasons we think it best to make certain changes in the law as fol-- lows :-- "(a) The minimum grant of $300 per annum by the township to each school section for salary will be retained. "(b) An unconditionsal grant of £15.00 per annum will be made to each section. "(c) A grant will be made for the pur-- poses of equipment and accommodation, and "(d) A grant of 40 per cent. will be made on the--excess of all salaries above $£300 and up to $600 . Cns sn 20 0k_ S & s -- THE PROVINCIAL SURPLUS. MORE MONEY TO RURAL SCHOOLS. Balance on the Right Side Will be Over $300,000. entral Prison Will be Removed and Prison Labor Will Not Compete With Free Laboz--Important Announce ments in Legislature--Mtr. Graham in His Place as Opposition Leader. It has become evident that con perty would sell at Mr. Ferguson, referring to prison labor. said: "The object of the Govern-- ment has been to remove the objection, so far as possible, that prison labor is coming into competition with free labor. In the Central Prison there is a popula-- tion of from five to six hundred pri-- soners, about 80 per cent. of whom are fit to work. It has been a serious problem how prison labor could be em-- ployed without conflicting with free labor, and some means will be devised to that end. The prisoners have to be fed at the public expense. It is in the interests of the public--and, indeed, a public duty--that they shall be em-- ployed. _ The location 'of the prison should be changed. The nrogont «.. Solution of Prison Labor Problem. Touching upon the mineral develop-- ment of the Province, the speaker said that it was thought proper that mines and minerals should be subjected to some sort of taxation. . There should, however, be some form of exemption, so that the burden would not fall upon the mining man, of small capital, but upon the large mining corporations. _ "I think a share of the tax so derived will be set apart for the opening up of roads for settlers in New Ontario," he said. Mr. G. H. Ferguson, in moving the reply to the speech from the throne, said that it was a great pleasure to an-- nounce that the Provincial Treasurer would be able to report a revenue ofs over $7,000,000, and a surplus of over $300,000. _ The matter of school text-- books, he continued, was still before the commission, but if they gave consider-- ation to the information gleaned from newspaper reports of the evidence, there was no doubt that the cost of school books would be reduced to the public at least onc--half. Is it the intention of the Govern-- ment to permit persons who -- have made locations under the veteran land grants act to surrender the same for the cash equivalent now _ offered to those who have not yet located * Mr. Preston (Brant) asks : Is it the intention of the Government to intro-- duce during the present session a meas-- ure for the redistribution of seats in the Legislative Assembly ? _ An interim vote for the purposes of carrying on the government prfor to the introduction of the main estimates was carried. Mr. Ferguson Moves Reply. A number of petitions praying for the abolition of section 606 of the munici-- pal act _were, presonted. _ This section holds municipalities responsible for ac-- cidents ceaused bynon--repair (of high-- ways and bridges. Mr. Moyle gave notice of moution for a return giving the following informa-- tion. regarding _ the _ Toronto _ Eloctric Light Company. Limited : Date of . in-- corporation, --applicants --for <incorpora-- tion; objects of the company, names of the provisional directors, amount _ of capital, increases of -- capital stock, names of the directors and sharcholders of the company, according to last return to the Government. New Opposition Leader. ~Mr. George P. Graham, the new lead-- er 'of the Opposition. sat for the first time in the seat formerly occupied by Hon.. Geo. W . Ross. When 'he enter-- ed --the-- House Premicr Whitney and several other Cabinet Ministers walked across the floor and shook hands with the new leader. _ _ Later in the after-- noon the Premier, in agreeing with Mr. (iraham's motion to adjourn the debate until Tuesday,. made a ~pleasing refer-- ence to the new Opposition leader. "We on: this side of the House," he said, "wish him every personal 'comfort and satisfaction in the position he -- oceu-- ples." i We d y Surplus Over $300,000. A Provincial surplus of ,$300,000 and a revenue exceeding $7,000,000 was fore-- shadowed by Mr. G.H.. Ferguson, in mov-- ing the reply to the speech to the throne. YThat About Redistribution ? n _ of the prison The present pro-- as much per foot 1907. f Ti es inatnltines ~Warics | Tt 5.1 debate will be resumed on ternoon. An interim vote of $610.000 by -- the House, on motion of Matheson, for the purpose of y on the government pending the of the main estimates, %'he I Journed at 5 o'clock. f T¥ i. 2A C e TY Aennaliiveatseexts o Hon. G. p. Graham, of the Opposition, was t terday of a flood of cons graims from all parts ¢ All were appreciated an knowledged. One which ham exceptional pleasure from the Liberal Associq ville, his OWn cOnstifrinn. | WL..T PARRY SOUND WANTS Urges Guarantce of Bonds for a C. & | 0. Extension. Dr. Reaume ye ernment to gus extension of Ontario Rail wa; north of Parry such an extensi as the Temiskar Railway has o Railway and th and also to com railroads of the had been put, and said: owing to the peculiar ci which T find myself this ; leave to move the adjou debate." . Thig was agre debate wiiy 3,., ._ n "*& sent Government t Ontario would conti as during the past New Leader Moves Mr. (iraham rose had been put, and ; owing to the peculi which I find myself ; leave to mova' th. -- Mr. Donald Sutherland, South Oxford, who seconded the motion, devoted some time to a discussion of the state of agri-- culture in this Province, and the encour-- agement given by the Government to ' that industry. _' iere was, however, he | continued, a feeling of unrest among the farmers in the Province because of the exodus of their fellow--farmers. and the _ scarcity of farm help. During the past seven years 76,321 farmers had left its boundaries. The Government had under-- taken to try to remedy this state of affairs and was making special efforts | to turn the tide of skuteq agricultural | help into this Province. Quantity rather | than quality was aimed at, but it was : the latter that Ontario wanted. 13 Electric Power Problems. | _Mr. Sutherland dealt with a number | of other Government measures now on | the statute books or projected, and pass-- ed on to a-- discussion of the electria , power problem, arguing that it was' on this power that Ontario, in the absence of coal fields, must depend largely' for ' industrial expansion. _ He spoke parti-- 1 cularly of the situation in connection _ | with Niagara Falls development, : Vested _ | rights were spoken of, but he wanted to «. know to whom vested rights belonged . Was it not the public ? *R § Mr. Sutherland referred in compli-- _ mentary terms to the Attorney General x and the manner in which the law chad _ been enforced in many cases where, he de alleged, it 'had been lax before, to the fact that the day was 'the second anni-- _ versary of the defeat of the late Liberal _ Administmtion, and concluded by ' ~ex.' pressing the belief that inaag ie U waited on As farm land could be bought for pe acre. _ On a farm prison the Drisoners could be employed during: the summer months and the products could be con-- sumed in the public institutions of the -- Province. _ A subsidiary prison should _ be established along similar lines in the | Soo district, thus effecting a saving in | transportation expenses." I Mr. Donald Sutherland. it to guarant > the bonds for an on of -- the Canadian Northern o Railway from a point nine mile§ of Parry Sound to North Bay; n extension, among other things, Temiskaming & Northern Ontario x usn ~ Adcpok l a L 3 _ < Ond UGeisilt wIith sz mmabay t'her Government measures now on tatute books or projected, and pass-- n to a discussion of the electria r problem, arguing that it was' on power that Ontario, in the absence al fields, must depend largely' for trial expansion. He spoke parti-- ly of the situation in connection _ Niagara Falls development. ' Vested were spoken of, but he wanted to -- *n / uihhe mwie n 1 ap ++ io uie arry _ Sound on Hon. Mr. Cochrane an aume yesterday and urge L0 ' 8 C es 2 * M CE m all parts of the Pro appreciated and are bei d. One which gave Mr i B i we i J . oys i nhas over the ard the C,. x connect with the thr-e; main the country. "~ . EP ~eolltt was k C 'ral Assoeiation of constituenc_v. ) was the second'axim- e defeat of the late Liberal n, and concluded by ' --ex. belief that under the pre-- nent the development nf 'nt the deve%n continue as sat;i irabham, the T CCCE as the recipent yes-- congratulatory fele. ts of the Province, and are being ao-- hiAk © .3 a. ol onl said: "Mr.. Speal lar circumstances this afternoon J adjournment. of : _agreed to, and . Adjournment. after -- the district deputation ced to, and # & on Tuesday af. hrane and Hon. *C Oof carrying g the ad tion The Hou?; ad-- Grand Trunk . to Toronto, of Hon. Mr satisfactorilj new .. Speaker, -- was ma de Mr.® Gra-- t?legrapn f Brock-- motion leader of the m