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WOULD FORCE COUNCILS TO PASS EXEMPTION LAWS WHEN VOTERS ASK THEM J. E. Thompson, Northeast To-- ronto, pointed out the danger of obligating Councils to bow to the will of majority votes, preponderant though they might be. sometimes the big majority indicated that there had not been careful and -- mature consideration. Hon. Thos. Craw-- ford thought the apparent perpetu-- ity of Mayor Church in office indi-- cated that there was no insistent de-- mand in «Toronto for a change in assessment policy, despite the big majorities mentioned by the Prem-- ier. Charles McCrea, member for Sudbury, was also opposed to the measure. Although the measure was finally accorded second reading, it met with criticism from Conservative benches. Hon. G. H. Ferguson thought that the citizens were sufficiently safe-- guarded with respect to their desires in municipal policy in the responsi-- bility assumed by members of the Council. > They could be rejected at the next election if they did not carry into effect reforms for which there was overwhelming public de-- mand. No Faith in Majorities. Too often, declared the Premier, the will of the people had been thwarted in connection with this particular measure of tax reform, and he instanced Toronto's . four overwhelming votes in favor of tax-- ation of improvements on a lower basis than land~, Must Remove Obstacles. Desirable as was a program of home building throughout the Pro-- vince, the Premier declared that no proposition of bonusing business could _be entertained. "But we should," he declared, "remove every obstacle from the pathway of muni-- cipalities who wish to encourage building by placing a lesser rate on buildings and fimprovements than they do on land." "I believe the best thing that can be done for this country industrialiy and from a social standpoint is the encouragement of a building pro-- gram," declared Premier Drury in the Legislature yesterday in pressing for second reading of his bill to make it obligatory on municipal Councils to put into effect such ex-- emption on improvements as have been endorsed by the qualified vot-- ers at the polls. Last session a sim-- ilar bill of the Premier's was amend-- ed to death in committee. "JOE" THOMPSON SCORNS MAJORITIES Premier Drury Gets Bill Through Second Read-- ing for Encouragement of Building, Though He Finds Rather Stern Op-- position Even From To-- ronto Members -- SATURDAY, APRIL 1921 OVER FORTY BILLS GET ROYAL ASSENT More than 40 bills became law in the Province of Ontario during yesterday's short sitting of the Leg-- islature, his Honor the Lieutenant-- Governor giving the Royal assent to them after the usual ceremony. OQutstanding among the list of bills read to him by the clerk was Pre-- mier Drury's measure to amend the Public Enquiries Act, which is cal-- culated to release the Timber Com-- mission from the injunction pro-- ceedings which have halted it. Saturday being the fourth anni--| versary of the Battle of Vimy Ridgo.! the 'House, on motion of W,. J.| JTJohnston, U. F. 0. member for South anark, suspended business tor two! minutes, during which members: stood in silence with bowed heads.| Mr. Johnston said he thought the| Ontario Legislature should take| the opportunity of paying its tri--| bute to the Canadian heroes who| sleep on the slopes of Vimy Ridge.| Among the other bills to which} Royal assent was given were: .Suc-i cession Duties Act amendment:; in--| corporation of townsite of Kapus-i kasing; act to amend the Minimum| Wage Act; respecting Crown At--| torneys in the city of Toronto and| county of York; adoption of child--| ren; legitimation of children upon| subsequent marriage of parents. | With Bowed Heads Legisla-- ture Members Honor Vimy Ridge Anniversary