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f ,:{:;u s . Cek. s it n M f' o TL -- » ~3 a & > 1 o+ K UV k K; * eeadck .. on Premier Hearst Says Impos sible to Quote Figures nly Urgent Poblic Works to be Pro-- ceeded With During War -- Mr. ' Rowell Presses for More Details of ___ Government's Plan, An estimate of some kind of what the proposed Provincial -- highway scheme would cost was asked by Mr. Rowell in the Legislature yesterday, when the second reading of the bill on tho subject came up for considera-- tion. Thoe Liberal leader considered #t inconceivable that the Government . ghould embark on a project involyving the erpenditure of several million do!l-- lars without having some idea of the . probable cost of the undertaking. ""he information sought for was not #supplied, Premier Hearst stating me was advised by engineers that, maving regard to the uncertainty of the future cost of labor, and so forth, ' it would be impossible for any engin-- * eer to giveo aven an approximate .esti- anmnate at the present time of what the i road would cost. 'Ll'eel lambor Scarcity. Hon. Mr. Macdiarmid, in moving the second reading, stated it was not the intention of the Government to imake any large expenditure on roads during the present year, as thero was i scarcity of labor. and it would be @imost a crime for the Government to enter the labor market in competition with manufacturers of -- munitions. €'onstruction < work would proceed after the war, and in that way -- the Crovernment hope to give employment to a large number of soldiers,. In the meantime the highway from Windsor io Montreal could be assumed,. and yrovision made for its maintenance, Revenue From Motor Licenses, The Minister said that in 1916 the sumr«f $614,000 had been collectea from 'automobils taxes, and this year they expected the amount would be $750,000. Five years from now the probable 'revenue from -- that source would be $1,250,000. The Govern-- inent had set aside $3,000,000 for, the roads system. Wive Farmers a Cbance. Nr. Sam Clarke (West Northum-- berland) said he would rather see the Government Suild roads that would serve the farmers and lead to the mar-- ket towns of the Province than a road that would be a pleasure road for mo--> torists. Radial railways were more desirable, in his opinion, than a speedway for automobiles. With re-- gard to assessment, he thought it would be unfair to ask as much money from municipalities that were only touched by the road on the fringse as from municipalities where the road passed through the centre of the municipality. _ The proposed road would be a luxury so far as the muni-- ; eipalities he represented were con-- | * aMr. Roweh r. Rowell pressed the Governm Tor their estimate of the probable c':;t of the road. "It is inconceivable," said he, "that the Government should embark on a project involving the ex. penditure of several million dollars without having some idea of the prob-- able cost of the undertaking. I do mnot ask for details, but I do think we are entitled to an estimate of some . kind. Have the Government an esti.