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< C o o noas "Af all in bringing down the papers. It & c'lls F"R PA was not the duty of ,the Crown to 4 l Prosecute to the limit: unless the Crown was confident there was suffi-- cient evidence to warrant a convie-- tion. The Crown had to be fair and just. The Crown would be wrong in pressing a case if it thought that the ' neigennmininatiniprsesmarmaiinn facts were insufficient to warrant a prosecution. Mr. Rowell Asks Why Prosecu-- Mr. Du Vernet's Letter. s The Attorney--General produced a tion Was Dropped letter written by Mr. E. E. A. Du Vernet, K.C., who was requested by "the solicitor of your department to _ O o write you giving in detail the rea-- sons why I consider a conviction un-- WANTS PUBL'C PROTECTED hk'ely in this case. 'The only points made against the defendants," the letter continues, n amnmnicl mm amime anmemesscomeee h '"were that they filed declarations | showing how they carried on their sees Danger if Corporations Are Al-- sales, and that there was an addi-- . € 0o tion of a royalty or commission -- of lowed to Control Business in On-- ifil;.e pler cent. The evidence of any ; p > in the egal or improper combination was. tario as They Have Been in t very slight. and the Grand .[urv' United States. thought the case a weak one, bu re-l turned a true bill. I do not consicer ; that an enhancement of price of five C o s o cetnt per cent. would be an unreasonable | or undue enhancement on which to In a spirited exchange between ,E'_On\'iCt the defendants under the sec-- s : oy and the leader | ion,." Attorney Gener'til F. * the Legiqlature' Mr. Du Vernet then instanced thel of the Opposition in * | case against the plumbers' combine, , yesterday afternoon, there was a re-- in wh:ch he said the Court made a' i rosecutions in-- conviction on facts that were much vival of the combine p 0 in 'Toronto stronger. Concluding his letter, the stituted several years ag . * Crown counsel said that the section On motion for a return of all infor-- ?_f the law bearing upon combina-- JP¥ £ oceedings taken be-- ' lons was difticult of proper construc-- ;natlon dnd[. pl'N(;. istrgate together' tion, and manufacturers and whole-- ore the Police Mag » salers were placed in an awkward s with copies of correspondence be-- position by not knowing how far they | tween the Attorney--General's De--| Coulcd go in trade associations without | F. A. Du Vernet, infringing upon the law. partment and Mr. E. E. A. ; ' "I would be ashamed of myself," K.C., who was Crown Counsel at the ?aid Mr. Foy, "if after this advice time, Mr. Rowell contended that af-- rom the Crown _ counsel I should 4 push the prosecution to the limit. I ter the Magistrate had corrlxmltted the would be unworthy of my position to | persons named in the indictment for ind;lot and put men in the dock wheni | P | (a] --: true bill had been return-- I thought they should not be there." trial ?m:ha PV nd Jury, 'the Govern-- \ The Attorney--General added that he} ed by e gra » had been criticized by the Liberals ' ment should not have been so ready 'in Ottawa for pushing the case to drop the prosecution, but should against the grocers' combine, and Fave d to the very Lmit here in Ontario for dropping the pro-- ave prosecute o ; -- very * secution against the tack combine. Mr. Rowell went on to show that '"'The hon. gentleman might have the proceedings were instituted in been to blame in both cases," re-- we . 1905, and after a lapse of two years marked Mr. Rowell, while the House | the charges were withdrawn. Con-- laughed. ditions in the United States in re-- When the House was in committee ' straint of trade were an object les-- on the civil service bill, Sir games o 8 > of Ontario, and if Whitney introduced an amendment | ;figréo"--t:se le?:i(;ly)'l(onmthe ;)arrt of dthe. to provide that the Chief Clerk of the Government to protect the interests| office of the President of the Execu-- of the consumers, these conditions| t"'*'])(~""'p?'{1$h.°;"d be given the rank would be transferred to Canada. l "f]ne?g,']'\cu'r;&lg eil;{ the amendments, Should Protect the Public. Mr. Rowell said he would propose a resolution for the appointment of '"'Corporations in Ontario and in | a Civil Service Commission on the k the Dominion for that matter," con-- | third reading. k tinued Mr. Rowell, "will not be dif--! | e e ferent from those in the United States unless we have a vigorous and] j : efficiecnt enforcement of the law. It y WANT TRUNK RUAD FRBM | may be that the law néeds strength-- | ! ening in this regard. At any rate, it' WIARTUN TU TUBEBMURAY' . is the duty of this Government to be ' | particularly vigilant and see that the} Pn aine iicimniennrec thiee s f © ordirary men and women of the o 6. . peurk t +A Th m Hapiactarms | Frovince are protected by a vigorous DEPUTATION AsSKS GOVERNMENT enforcement of the law." He thought TO SPEND $50,000 IN NORTH in such a case, if it had been con-- BRUCE. sidered by a judge and jury, there ! would have been no acquittal. F * "How about the grocers' combine?" j North Bruce wants a road from| h asked Mr. Foy. SW1z r y e distance "I am coming to that," replied Mr. ]," lfrton t.n Pobetimotay, The 18L al Rowell, "I am dealing with condi-- is fifty miles, Part of the road is al-- tions in Toronto just now." 'ready constructed and only needs im-- "It seems to me in this tack com-- ' provoment, but five miles lies in a ' bine case that the hon. gentleman | o 5 it 4 $50,000 to' has undertaken to be judge and jury | SwWamPs and it will cost * [ himself. He gave the benefit of the , put the entire road in good shape. A | doubt not in favor of the consumer, deputation from North Bruce waited | but in favor of the combine.' j £f L '"'The hon. gentleman has not stated on Hon. J. O. Reaume, Minister o j a fact yet," remarked the Prime Min-- Public Works, asking that this road'f ister. incli i > colonization road ; "It is a fact that the Police Mag-- fbe .mcluded 'n t'he ,c.l.o | istrate committed the combine for estimates for this year. 1 trial. It is also a fact that the Grand The deputation was introduced by| Juryb_hrqug'};'; in true bills against the Mr. M. A. Van Dusen, defeated Con-i C . D are f \'?er?v x:fe thosemt"gcf;el tt\l\xf'nlfafrtlz GoIvI} servative candidate in the last Pro--| ornment should not have withdrawn | vincial election. Some of those m'e-I 'rile case. If my hon. friend were as sent were: Mr. B. B. Miller, Police! n vigorous in prosecuting as he is in 4 F3 fary dropping prose(:utions,g as in this Magistrate Wwiarton; Mr. MMosent Instance, the administration of justice Givens, Reeve, Albemarle; Mr. J. in this Province would be in better Cook, Reeve, Eastnor. ,Dr. Reaume shape to--day than it is In view of will take the mater up with his col-- the importance of this matter, and it EPE HMELY . | . nc en cerinine t en vcey d cce avicy | is only one amongst many, I move e t o f that the documents be brought down." it s ';Mr. Foy said there was no objection We .o ..