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

Mr. Lethbridge rererred to news-- paper clippings to show, as he main-- tained that brewery and -- distillery. interests had expected the act to be a | sales--promotion act, and for that | reason had thrown their Support solidly behind it. He referred to evi-- . dence adduced under the Customs investigation which showed that liquor interests had contributed to election campaign funds, with "de-- feat of prohibition'"' their one great As further evidence of sales pro-- motion, he read numerous news-- paper clippings, stating specific cases in which men had bought more than 1,000 bottles of beer in addition to considerable hard liquor in less than a month. "I might go on," he de-- clared, "and show how other provi-- sions were made for sales promotion such as increase in quantities that might be purchased, extension in the hours of sale, allowing sale from breweries as well as brewoery ware-- houses, allowing direct sale and de-- livery by brewers. "AI am told," he said, "that in lo-- cating their stores they have sought sales promotion, by locating the Government liquor shops and brew-- ery warehouses at strategic selling centres, just as the chain--selling propositions would have done." Then again, he declared, the board had sought sales promotion by cut-- ting prices on hard liquors and im-- ported wines. The inevitable effect of this price--cutting, he asseverated, was sales promotion. aim Mr. Lethbridge charged, further, that the Liquor Control Board had carried out the sales promotion idea from its very inception. Strategic Centres. '"'The number of permits issued shows the measure of co--oper-- ation," he said, referring to --a phrase in the Speech from the Throne, "Merchants can testify, for they know that every dollar that goes for liquor is a dollar legs to be spent for the goods they have to sell. Instead of the Speech from the Throne commending these indica-- tions of public support and co--op» eration with the liquor selling sys-- tem, they are a causo of regret. All goes to emphasize the folly and the wrongness of the Government of our Province engaging in ~ business the success of which is commensurate with the damage done to our citi-- zens. Opposed to New system, ""While he may not align himself with the Liberal party, I am sure you will see my friend from South Ontario ( Mr. Sinclair, Liberal Leader) and my friend from West Middlesex as political Siamese twins," 'Mr. Ferguson said. '"Well done," interjected William II.__Ed\\_'ards, Toronto-- Bellwoods. "If I were allowed to make a suggestion it would be that the quantity a person could purchase on his permit would be specifically stated in the act, and on his permit. No strong man, no matter how strong, should have the right to per-- mit a man to buy 1,000 bottles in a single month." Applause for Premier, Premier Ferguson took the floor at 8.45 o'clock, amid a prolonged rumble from Government desks. "With Government control of pub-- lic utilities 1 am in heartiest sym-- pathy. To the Government sale of intoxicating liquors which is hurt-- ful to the community I am abso-- lutely opposed. "I would like to make my first word in this discussion one of con-- gratulation to imy honorable friend from West Middlesex on his selec-- tion as the Leader of one of the groups in this Legislature," he be-- gan, praising Mr. Lethbridge as a man ever consclentious and serious in his attitude toward his public duties. > Striking out a moment later, in dissection of the Progressive Leader's address, the Premier continued: "I noiice he a@ttempted, in a haif-- hearted way, to repudiate any sug-- gestion of an alliance between him-- self and his forefathers on the right (the Liberals). Knowing his dig-- position as I do, it is difficult for me to accept value. that statement at its face Says Agriculture Aided. Defending the Government against the Progressive Leader's criticism of scanty reference to agriculture in the Speech from the Throne, the Premier said that no Government in the history of the Province had been of so much assistance to agriculture or exerted so great an effort in be-- half of that industry as had the present Administration. Turning his attention. upon Mr. sinclair, the Premier dropped the milder tone with which he had at-- tacked the criticisms of the Progres-- sive spokesman, and waxed openly sarcastic, The Liberal Leader, the Premier found, had been in a "rather petu-- lant, restless mood this afternoon." The Liberal Leader had apparently treated nothing in serions vein on' his addaress had demonstrated a re-- markable want of useful and con-- structive criticism. Remarking that the British system of government accorded a definite position to an official Opposition, which was supposed to offer con-- etructive criticism, or even arouse the public into action which would impel the Government to launch needed legislation, Mr. Ferguson said that the Opposition Leader had failed , to fulfil this capacity. Q'_AY\Q Continuing his attack on Mr. Sin-- clair's address a few hours earlier, the Premier declared: "Year after year nis speeches are becoming more attenuated in ideas. This year his utterance seems to be suffering almost from pernicious anemia.'" A Conservative member jnterject-- ed: '"Feed him liver.'" Replying to Mr. Sinclair's criti-- cism of the changed editorial policy of The Ontario Gazette, to allow Ministerial reports and speeches to be printed in the Government pub-- lication, Mr. Ferguson said the ef-- fort was intended to give the fullest possible publicity to public affairs, in a concise, authentic and official manner, Mr. Sinclair had spoken of changes in the Constitution. "But," said the Premier, *"no stru:ctural or funda-- mental amendments can be made unless all the Provinces agree, and the British Government assent." There had been, he recalled, some 36 minor amendments to the Constitu-- tion, and only five times in 60 years was it necessary to gend legislation to the British Parliament with a re-- quest for enactment. Publicity to Public Affairs. Changing the Constitution. Then the Prime Minister turned to the subject of water power devfiel- opment, "Ontario," said he, '"has been insisting that the water powers of this Province in any river are property that belong to the Province of Ontario. Gradually there has de-- veloped at Ottawa the disposition to dispute that, and recently it has come almost to a head. '"My honorable friend," the Pre-- mier addressed Mr. Sinclair, "was careful to avoid stating his position whether he would support the de.-- mands of the Federal Government." Provincial Power Rights. Before proceeding with his main points of debate, Mr. Ferguson made reference to the celebration in 1927 of Canada's Diamond Jubilee, the visits to Canada of the Prince of Wales, Prince George and Right Hon, Stanley Baldwin, and to the trans--Canada tour recently of Hon. L. C. M. 8. Amery, and included in his remarks mention of the celebra-- tion last year of the centenary of the foundation of the present Uni-- versity of Toronto. He challenged the Liberal captain to point to anything of a partisan nature which had appeared in the columns of The Gazette. "'"'May I give yeu one instance. Last spring the Hydro Power Com-- mission filed plans at Ottaw« to 'de-- velop further power at the Sault. The answer from the Public Works Department wase: 'The plans may be all right, but what right have you got to develop water powers? The opinion here is that it is vested in the Dominion Government.' s "From time to time there have been these signs from the Dominion Government and the Province of On-- tario and other Provinces have been preparing themselves for the day when the issue had to be decided. -- "Four or five years ago the Hydro Power Commission asked the right to develop power on the St. TLaw-- rence. We have never been able to Ret any answer. The Province, through the Commission, has assert-- ed the right continuously and em-- phatically, and will continue to do so, to the ownership of the water powers in this Province. Ontario has been goiting into a delicate position. It was suggested at Ottawa that this (uestion would have to get into the courls some day if the Dominion Government was not prepared to con-- cede the Province its rights. If we undertook the development and the Dominion Government --interfered we'd get into the courts. And if the A Delicate Situation. Dominion Government undertook the development and we interfered we'd be in the courts. And that would be a& most unfortunate kind of liti gation, for the decision would only deal with the features and points involved in that particular develop-- ment. So it was felt that there should be--and the Provinces and the Do-- minion Government agreed--a series of questions and have them submit-- ted for judicial determination. My understanding was that the Prov-- inces would be consulted before any-- thing was done, and it came as a very great surprise to me when on the 18th of January, without reference to the Provinces--ignoring our rights and representations--a series -- of questions were framed and submitted to the Supreme Court. Naturally this Province protested. The answer was. if we had any kind of representation to make we'd receive consideration." Making Representations., tions tions?"' asked Mr. Sinciair. '"'They're being made," replied the Premier, "I have grave dGdoubt whether the court can answer the questiohs, They are broad, vague. To answer at least one, in my opin-- ion, the Judges would have to write a treatise on the British North America Act. What the Province desires--and I submit should go be-- fore the court--are questions where-- in our rights would be defined, not in an uncertain -- way--questions framed in a way which we all agree on."' He referred to the Gatineau power contract, a thirty--year affair. '"We hope to have the St. Lawrence power development by then," he said, "but we are now just about where we started." "A little less politiecs and more business," interjected Mr. Sinclair. Will Get Before Courts. Ontario, he declared, didn't pro-- pose to relinquish one item of what it claimed as its right, and the Gov-- ernment would "carry on" and "pro-- tect the people" until some solution was reached. "I agree with you," said the Pre-- mier. *"'That's the reason -- 'we are anxious to have the matter go be-- fore * the courtse in the proper ° form. and it will get before the courts in the proper form in one way or another." § * _ _ As for the Ottawa River situation, said he, Quebec and Ontario, taking a broad outlook, could reach an agreement. "But again," said he, '"we are held up by the Dominion Gov-- ernment." gy77%. Referring again to the St. Law-- rence development, he continued: "On the Advisory Committee | the dominating figure is Clifford Sifton, who, I venture to think, is not very seriously imbued with the doctrine of public ownership ~and public rights." There were, he went on, no recordas of what the deliberations of that committee had been. It had met three times in three days, but not long enough to hear any complete argument." Mr. Ferguson next referred to the way he had been questioned by the press for information regarding his stand in the St. Lawrence waterways project. _ He suggested that the Do-- minion Government be asked to ex-- plain matters, "Did you make any representa--