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it was the honpe and desire of the people of the Province at large that the present Farmers' Government should do something that would assist in bringing about better con-- ditions, so far as the farming ~om-- munity. was concerned. | Hon. G. H. Ferguson, Conserva-- tive Leader, will take up the, de-- hate this afternoon. IPrnry Fails to Help Farmers. '(The Liberal Leader opened with an exhaustive analysis of agricul-- tural conditions in Ontario. He}| agreed in the main with the condi-i tions placed before the House on the previous day by R. M. Warren, U.F.O. member for North Renfrew, as to falling prices of farm products, ; with no corresponding decrease in | those things which the farmer must purchase. |___"I take issue, of course," he add-- | ed, "with the method of obtaining ' what you thought you wanted, After twenty--four months of opportunity no measure of legislation has been brought before this House that would be a--suggestion to better the '| financial position, so far as the | farmers of the Province of Ontario \ are concerned." Mr. Hay placed one concrete sug -- gestion _ before the Government which was generously applauded, and that was a system of farmers' banks, to be organized, controlled and administered locally. He also declared the need for immediate, reduction in freight and express rates to assist agriculture. On be-- half of thoe Liberals, he promised co--operation in any measures that would 'better the condition of the agricultural population, which, he agre~1, was capable of some im-- provement, and in that some con-- nlection declared that in 24 months power the Drury Government ;z:d so lar failed of its purpose. Speaking as a business man, and tfor business men generally, he said, The Liberal Leader's speech last-- ed throughout the whole afternoon, occupying practically three hours. He became jocular at times in prod-- ading the Government and the Pre-- miler for appareut inconsistencies in public policy and practice, and delved at great length into Hydro anae Hydro--radial matters. He de-- clared that the Government could nmot be held entirely 'blameless for the expenditure of millions on Hydro development, and on the lat-- ter issue, Hydro--radials, urged that if the municipalities wanted Hydro-- radials the Government should pave the way by legislation which would permit them to build and operate on their own reponsibility. Farors Farmers' Banks. Investigation of Chippawa de-- velopment expenditures by a com-- mittee of the Ontario Legislature was suggested on the floor of the MHouse yesterday by F. Woellington Hay, in his first address as Acting Leadoer of the Liberal party. Mr. HMay eaid that the purpose of such investigation would 'be to settle in the minds of the public the misgiv-- ings that had arisen as a result of the controversy between the Gov-- ernment and the Hydro--electric Power Commission of Ontario. Acting Liberal Leader Would End Public Misgivings About Chippawa Urges Grain Storage Scheme to Tide Farmers Over Slack Market RAPS THE FARMERS' SUN --TORONTO, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1922. orous par 7--TCC" made some humorous references to Premier | Drury's weakness for speech, and [went on to quote some of his older 'utterances and contrast them with his present practices. For instance, two years &ago the Premier had elo-- quently announced that "caucus Government" would be a thing 0G the past, because the U.F.O. members were not the servile followers that Liberals ana Conservatlves had been, LCE ----«uufin I No townsmen or city people, he |thought, took any comfort out of the |financial -- situation of ~the United Farmers' commercial organization. But he regretted that when the rshares were being sold to farmers by the vendor, who took so few him-- |self, the Attorney--General's pro-- mised "blue sky'" legislation had not been in existence ag a sort of pro-- tection,. "But I believe T speak for the 'members of the House," he said, \ '"when I say that if there is any legislation the farmers in the House want that will be beneficial to them ~| we are prepared to give them every iasslstanco with it." _ The people of Ontario, the Libera] |Leader continued, demanded the ut-- I most economy from the bresent Goy. fernment. They would insist, however, "upon every care and consideration being shown to 'the incapa.cltated 'soldlers and the dependents of those 'who had fallen in France and Flanders, fP!-oml!ie Versus Performance. { in The Liberal Legader®' MAGAGR eanms UA Asmall _ L A veilled shaft at Mr was greeted with laught Hay, referring to the U.F tary's complaints of incr ation, said that, inasmuct were levied for the most p basis of farm property fments, Mr. Morrison, hac engaged in farming for th years, would not have had crease in the way of ts pay. * Mutual Protection La¢kins | *Then I am very strongly of the l opinion that we ought by some "} measure or means establish in the 'Province of Onfitario and the Domin-- ' lJon of Canada a system of farmers' I banks.'" He did not mean organiz-- l ations with tremendous capital, con-- | trolled by boards, he said, '"'but ] banks which are easily organized, with a reasonably small capital, and ,, locally managed, so that the men --, who are interested may be interest-- -- ed in the granting of local credits to local industry, and foster local indus-- try, that local money should not be sent in large amounts from our country places to the big centres to be, loaned in tremendous blocks to big concerns." |The Farmers Sun and the Premier, Mr. Hay convulsed the House \| with some Jocular references to The Farmers' Sun and the certificate of character it had once given to Prem-- lJer Drury; to the United Farmers' commercia] organization; and to : Secretary J. J. Morrison. I He did not believe that The Sun ; would now give the Premier a certi-- ficate to character. He, himself, was / nuut the millionaire that The Sun had represented him to be, he sald, and never expected to be, because all his business was conducted with the farmers, whose total income tax payments, he said, would not equal the income tax payment he would have to make if he were actually a milltonaire. Wants Banks As a concrete suggestion for help-- ing the farmers, Mr. Hay proposme& public grain storage . facilities. "T cannot help but think," he SA4id, | "that if we could provide in the | Province df Ontario a public storage | plant, wherewith the farmer would have the opportunity of tiding cver his marketable grain until #ich time as he was ready to dispose of it, it would help in a way to at leaet reélieve the early pressure on the fall market." Hearty applause greeted his next sauggestion of legislation to assist agriculture. "1 believe very strong-- To t o e o en 4 ba u4 1 7 cer o117 . °V L GUSEe greeted his next sauggestion of legislation to assist agriculture. "I believe very strong-- 1y," he said, "that as the first step we must see that a very substantial reduction is made in the freight and express rates on the common car-- riers® of the Dominltam af Taus i. P " P GIHIIUI vcakness fopr speech, and to quote some of his older 8 and contrast them with it practices, For instance, i &ARO tha p... _ _, -- 19kt Irges Public Grain Storage. lton is made in the freight and 8 rates on the common car-- f the Dominion of Canada." Banks Locally Managed, n J am very strongly of the i _ that o we ought by some e or means establish in the ce of Ofitario and the Domln-' Canada a system of farmere' . _190f Ihe most part on ifié irm _ property improve-- . Morrison, had he been C ts se Hee o2 ol o 12 tP Pimniiatiiihnts i tvaduth 25. 04 4. that, inasmuch as Bucl. w% try, and foster lbv:'a'findus- ocal money should not be large amounts from our to the big centres to tremendous blocks to Lacking, at Mr. Morrison laughter. Mr. 16 U.F.O. Secre-- ' increased tax-- made some to Premier speech, and of his older for the past 20 ri0o a public storage the farmer would inity of tiding cver grain until smich ready to dispose of in a way to at leaet Y pressure on the d much in-- taxation to hnd the Domin-- m of farmers' mean organiz-- taxes