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~""*4 res 4 ay moxfih ' m': * f i();' |- iIrt,'""*_ "-i."}'.. ' Harding. | TieP my experience wit m.' | n-- Pm on. Mr. Ferguson The r:,e?nber for Grenville sug-- worked out a total charge of about gested that the Callahan retainer _| $12,000 for Mr. Harding's personal was for the purpose of securing in-- : services, which, he said, must be formation against the Shevlin--Clarke added to the total disbursement of Company, which, Mr. Harding de-- $72,000 already referred to, as must clared, was not the case. mr, Cal-- also outstanding accounts. , he said, had given Rim cer-- lam information regarding irregu-- Employment of Rochester, larities which he (Callahan) alleged' Regarding the employment of had been practised for years by the Rochester, Mr. Harding stated, at '| company in question. He wanted lfirst. that he had paid that gentle-- Mr. Harding to bring these before e | man '"'over $20,000." This reply he the Attorney--General, with the ob-- la)tered, in afew moments, to "$33,-- ject of securing an in\:estigatlnn 000 to $85,000." '(Rochester, he said, commission. He (Harding) had !had been introduced to him by Mr. gone once before members of the Hurdman, and his duties were in Cabinet in connection with these al-- 'connection with the Shevlin--Clarke legations. Company, in the Fort Frances dis-l trict. . Returning to the matter of| In the Public Interest. ; the Callahan retainer, Mr. Fergu--| The witness stated that he h)a.d son suggested that the latter per--| begun his investigations in the De-- A |son had secured "the back benefit| partment of Lands and Forests late | of all that was dgne by Rochester."j in February, 1920, and the commis--| f "That whole $35,000 of Provlncial' sion had been issued ahout ten da_-"S; $ money was spent on the Shevlin-- later. in December, 1919, he "dm"'l Clarke area while you held a re-- | ted, in reply to a question, he h"d' tainer from Callahan?" he queried. 'spoken to Mr. Justice Riddell, and '"No. Not to do that.'" 'had asked hira if, in the event of an Asked if it were not a fact that inquiry being ordered later by the this amount of Provincial money Government, he would accept a had been spent to satisfy a retainer commissionership. _ Justice Riddell, Mr. Harding had secured from| Mr. Harding stated, had replied that Callahan to investigate Shevlin--| he would think it over, and if he Clarke affairs, the witness replied:} thought it to be in the public in--| "No. That is not so." *A terest he would accept. ' | On being told by the Attorney-- How Backus Met Premier. { General that he was appointed coun.--| % | sel, Mr. Harding said, and, further, i Mr, Harding stated that he had that Mr. Justice Latchford was to first introduced Mr. E. W. Backus| be one commissioner, he had recom-- + to Premier Drury. At that meeting| mended that Mr. Justice Riddell be he did not know whether or not the the other. purchase of timber rights on certain Hon. Mr. Forguson--You picked a| claims had been discussed. Jt might good one. | have been talked about, he said, and The witness said that on his ap-- he believed '"it had since turned out' pointment as counsel he had not to be the English River limit." | submitted the commission to their Regarding A. D. George, solicitor Lordshins; he thought that the At-- of the Backus interests, he declared torney--General had donse so. that he had had no negotiations | «Peler," with him in any form -- whatever. Appeals to "Peter. Warned by Hon. Mr. Ferguson that Coming to the $50,000 item, Mr. he was to be "very careful" regard-- Harding stated that this was made ing the answer to this question, the up of a vote of the House for 325,-' witness swore that he never, direct-- -- 000 and an accountable warrant for ly or indirectly, communicated with the rest. He had spent $25,000 of | Mr. George in connection with the his own money, he affirmed, be.'m*el Backus deal, or with any business getting "one nickel from the Gov-- affairs of Mr. Backus or his associ-- ernment." } ates that were in any way connected "I said to Peter that T wanted xz atters that had come before some money----*" 92 "Who is 'Peter'?" asked Hon. Mr. Ferguson. "'The Provincial Treasurer," cor-l REMA rected Mr. Hardingx. | [NS ON LIST '"Do you mean to say that you went ' ahead and spent $25,000 of your o:f;n ' Sm mrnaaneetentcecaniirede ) ; _ money without any arrangement?" clmi lhlr. Ferguson persiged. M'n'ster Has Not Read It Mr. Harding then stated that, to ; * s | the best of his memory, he had ar--| and Will Wait jUdgment ranged that the Provincial Treas-- Y furer write to the Gemeral Manager at Revision | of the Home Bank, Mr. Mason, re-- rumennoreeren esn niere aeriahrontoacty garding advances for expenses. ; Hon. Mr. Ferguson--Was it an m Adked 19 Acf. I.;ewm .(Southeast open letter ? # oronto) as to the intentions of the | Mr. Harding--I don't know. T'll | department with regard to "Flag lg(reitn;h?t 1;?1tet:: from Mr. Mason and | ana Fleet," which is among those ; Hon. Mr. Ferguson--Ill be de-- 'b.ooks recommended for educa-- ,_lgghted. dHow many payments have tional reading, Hon. R. H. Grant, | been imade to you? Mini ; ; 1 V ifness--ITwo, both for $25,000. ,ihmster of Education, stated in the Hon. Mr. Ferguson (later) --Did (Legislature. yesterday that the book }you'pay the Pon]mjssjoners? | would remain among those recom-- l }\thngss--X es. mended at least until the end of the Ton. Mr. Ferguson--How much? c | _ Witness--$2,000 each, on account. pr.eSent school term. In June, he | H?"' Mr. I"'erguson----When? said, the whole list would be re-- icornittsness--lts in the public ac-- / vised by a committee of public [ _ _ Hon. Mr. Ferguson--No, it isn't. school inspectors. | That's why I'm asking. r"z'g'lag and Fleet' is one of a list | * 0 recommended books on Eng-- Disbursements and Fees. j lisil:1 li;erai}xre for school librarlesf" | 3 said the Minister. '"Four of this Turning to the 'cost.s of timber in-- list, comprising both prose and quiry, Hon. Mr. Ferguson asked the § poet a witness what his total disbursements | ry, and containing in the ag-- were in connection with the probe. sregate at least 600 pages, shall be Mr. Harding--My bookkeeper and f read by candidates during the year auditor will be able to tell you more preceding the examination for high about that than I can. I think it is school entrance. Wood's 'Flag and 'about $71,000 or $72,000. Fleet' is the only book on this \_ _ Hon. Mr. Ferguson--It may be list that has been specifically re-- _ | more? + commended. It is evident, for this |__Witness--Yes. I reason, therefore, that it would be \_ _ Hon. Mr. Ferguson--That doesn't unwise to officially interfere with |include your _own fees? its position in the schools at this | _ Witness--No, except $2,000 on ac-- time, that is, in the middle of a. | count. * school term. Therefore, it has not: |_ _ Regarding his personal account, been withdrawn. As is usual, the, 'Mr. Harding at first stated that he whole list will be .revised in June" . _could not make an estimate. Later * next _ by a committee of publi ' he said that the amount would be | _ school inspectors. So far, I havgl based upon a per diem fee, regard-l * not read 'Flag and Fleet.'" I ho :rr:ign ;vhi('i'l:) ht?x ':afior:lotMmadIg up his | to do so before the list is reviselc)ie' -- ) . Mr. Ferguson | and «until I do I cannot : ) ~ retorted: % personally the Governteemr?:: yo:g,','" does | express an opinion as to its merits."-- '"I think I ought to have $50 per omm mmamnmmmnmenmmen « § |day for preparation and $100 per ts 5 §