The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

As for the increase for the mem-- bers, he stated that smaller Prov-- inces which did much less public business paid $2,000 a year. 1t was said that $2,000 was a good remu-- neration for three months' work, but people did not realize that members worked --twelve months in the year. Not only were members servants of the Province, but also they, in a pe-- culiar way, were servants of their constituencies. A member in the , Legislature was called on to do a 'great variety of things for his con-- stituents. Moreover, a member was expected to contribute to and take the lead in almost every kind of pub-- lic function in his riding. He | thought that every member in the House gave away hundreds of dollars i to deserving matters in his locality.} In that way, he considered, the local' people got back a very substantial portion of the indemnity. I LARGER INDEMNITY T0 LOCAL MEMBERS RECINS THIS SESSION ary of $8,000 a year and members re-- ceive a sessional indemnity of $2,000 a year. The salary of the Prime Minister remains unchanged. Provision for the organization nf township school boards, instead of the present system of local sections for public schools, is contained in a bill introduced yesterday into the Legislature by Premier _ Ferguson. Premier Ferguson, vAkn declared the Government took full responsi-- bility for the increases, said that few persons, even few members, realized how completely absorbed Cabinet Ministers' time was and what a bur-- den of work they carried from year-- end to year--end. He would say to the public that he was not prepared to ask men of ability to carry on public business, provided they did not receive more than $6,000 a year. C ECCE ° =C B ENT P73 The Premier explained that this bill would receive second reacding, and then woula be withdrawn and cir-- culated among various municipali-- ties and local school sections. Attorney--General Nickle intro-- duced an act permitting a foreign director in a mining company to nominate a substitute in this Prov-- ince, who shall have ail the au-- thority the director would have if he were here, but the director is to be responsible for the aclts of his agent so nominated. Another clause '"'The indemnity becomes payable at this session and for coming ses-- sions," said the Premier. "If the people at the next election feel this matter is of sufficient importance to condemn this Government they will have that opportunity." STATES MINISTERS' CASE First reading was given yesterday to Government bills providing that Jabinet Ministers shall receive a sal-- STATEMENT TODAY QN ROUYN RAILW AY Premier Ferguson Claims Ex-- pense Involved Fully Justifies Increase Premier Ferguson Will Deal With Attitude of Quebec Government NEW SCHOOL BOARD BILL \--RUVSC\a\l *A Peter Heenan (Independent la-- bor, Kenora) asked if the Govern-- 'ment was going to do anything to-- ward relieving conditions in the Nova Sootia coal mining fields. The Premier replied that he did not know the merits of the situation, but if the matter were brought up the Government woulq cons#der it. ; at EMPOWERS COUNTIES TO SCHEDULE ROADS IN URB AN SECTIONS ! in this act provides that where a company is in, liquidation it may be 'compelled to enter into a reorgan-- 'ization company or an amalgama-- | tion, uwpon a vote of three--fourths of the shareholMers and with the concurrence of the court, Another 'clause 'permits amalgamation -- of 'fraternal societies. at present. The department also would supervise road systems which connected two counties. Aid will be given to construction of bridges of 50 feet or greater length. Another bill adopted by the House empowers the department to charge 5 per cent. interest on overdue municipal and county accounts. * The bill also provides that county roads shall receive a 50 per cent. contribution, instead of 60 per cent. and 40 per cent. in some instances as MReplying to Liberal Leader Sin-- clair, the Premier said he would make a statement today on the pro-- posed railway extension into the Rouyn area and the attitude of the Quebec Government on the matter. He also told F. W. Wilson (Consger-- vative, Windsor) that he would have an opportunity this session to discuss his local option and _ Government control resolution, and that he would be mnotified in ample time. Changes in the Highways Ilm-- provement Act which were adopted yesterday in the Legislature include a provision whereby counties are to be enabled to schedule roads through urban municipalities where these latter are part of the counties for all purposes, The Minister said the Government could suggest that ur-- ban municipalities in counties that have nc expenditures on the county system within the municipality could return to the towns 50 per cent. of what is contributed to be used by the urban municipalities on their streets, and to return %5 per cent. to the minor municipalities. ALTERATIONS IN GRANTS Legislature Adopts Changes in Highways Improve-- ment Act oc Premier Ferguson replied that he would say off--hand that the amoun of the betting would have a constant relation to the attendance. Mr. Raney, after complaining that the bill was brought forward for second reading before certain questions he had asked the day before had been 'answered. said that he thought the information he asked for would have | been the basis the Treasurer had be-- fore him when he brought down this '"extraordinary measure." sees No Reason for KRoefund. H. Ino Brackin (Liberal, West Kent) said that a hardship was im-- posed on a race--course when, be-- cause of rain or storm, a day out of the meet would be ruin from the ai-- tendance standpoint, yet the course had to pay the per diem tax just the same. After reviewing past logislation relating to race--course laws, Mr. Raney said he was entirely in sym-- pathy with the part of the bill to increase the tax on the haif--mile tracks, but he saw no reason for any refunding -- of taxes. Part of Mrs Raney's speech was based on his understanding that this refund ap-- plied to mile tracks as well as half-- mile tracks, but he added that he saw no reason why the half--mile tracks should be relieved to this ex-- tent. Fecond reading was given yester-- day in the Legislature to the bill to change the iaw respecting the per diem tax on race--courses, but not until Liberal Leader Sinclair de-- clared, that he thought it looked rather strange that the Government should base all its tax on the amount 'of the betiting. To Half--Mile Tracks Onlr. Progressive Leader NRancy ailso flook excepiion to some of the terms of the bill, and asked why there was an 'easing up.'" Why, he asked. should the discretionary reduction apply to the half--mile tracks and not to the mile tracks? He con-- tended there should be no reduction. NO REBATES OF TAX DN WAGER REVENUES alVEN MLE TRACKS Liberal Leader Finclair said it was dificult to say what the Treasurer had in his mind in this bill. If the tracks were to be taxed, they should be taxed on some other basis than the amount wagered; one would think, he added, that the Obasis would be the business done at the gate. He suggested a tax based on attendance or capital investment, or something like that, '"rather than having a tax hingso on that which to a great many people, to say the least, is distasteful." The Provincial Tressurer quoted betting figures from New Zealand race--courses showing they ran to ten million pounds a year in some years and that the pari--mutuel tax there was heavier than in Ontario. The effect of the bill woulid make an in-- crease in revenue to the Province of $70,000 for the half--mile meets. Both half--mile and mile courses would pay the same per diem tax. Not Clear to Sinclair. During.the discussion it came out that the reduction of $2,500 a day, when the betting for seven days was under $1,100,000, applied to half-- mile tracks only. LARGE RETURN TO STATE Reduction for Light Gambling Goes to Half--Mile Events that the Government its tax on the amount