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% C k & ' 4 I 5 , Principle Laid Down in the Stratford Case | Mr. W. K. McNaught Protested That Way Would be Opened to Other Municipalities _ to _ Escape _ an Agreement. An attempt on the part of the city of Stratford to break away from its thirty--year agreement with the Hy-- dro--electric Power Commission, with a view to paving the way for an elec-- triec street railway which the city has desired for some time, was blocked vesterday morning when the bill re-- specting the Stratford Railway Com-- pany 'was before the Railway Com-- 1mmee of the Legislature. In the bill, | which was introduced by Mr. James Torrance (North Perth), the city ask-- ed the Legislature to ratify and con-- firm a by--law passed by the ratepay-- ers on January 1 last, and which gave : power to the Stratford Railway Com-- pany to build an electric line on cer-- tain streets of the city. |__When clause 15 of the agreement | was reached in the consideration of ' it by the committee Mr. W. K. Mc-- | Naught, M.P.P., protested vigorously against its passage. This clause pro-- vided for the repeal of section 42 of the old schedule which bound the city to its agreement with the Hydro-- electric Power Commission, and the substitution therefor of a section which would free the city from its agreement with the Hydro--electric Commission. The new section read as follows: "The company shall obtain its . power from the Hydro--electric lPower Commission provided the rates l' are as favorable to the company as )those obtainable elsewhere and other-- | wige." l Mr. McNaught declared this substi-- | tution of the old section 42 meant a | | breach of the agreement -- between | | Stratford and the Hydro--electric Com-- | | mission, and "a breach of faith." If j 'this new section were allowed to pass | and Stratford was thereby allowed,to' escape its agreement with the Com--| mission it would open the way for the other municipalities to escape the agreement also. He moved that the | new 'section 423 be struck out. i | President Ferguson of the Stratford Board of Trade, and Mr. \Vmiam' Preston, representing the manufac-- turers, declared that Stratford was} very anxious to obtain additional rail-- | way facilities, and to strike out this | clause, which virtually freed the city | 'l from-- the Hydro--electric . contract, | 'would be detrimental to the interests of the city. On a vote Mr. McNaught's motion earried. +