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$25,000,000 PER ANNU M The Minister foresaw the time when the "foreign" tratBc would be increased on county and township roads, and then the percentages of costs might be changed. Similarly the "other-than-local tratfic" might still increase on the Pro- vincial highways, and the 80 per cent. might be somewhat enlarged. But, the Minister emphasized, he could not see the advisability of making it 100 per cent. mBut." he told Mr. Miller, "if we ever go as tar as my honorable friend suggests we practically step in and take control of all the roads. The areas will lose their local control. and all will be in the hands of Government officials. You haven't argued along that line in school matters. and I can't understand why you should argue like that in road matters." Percentages Might Change. Mr. Miller wanted to know how the Government had arrived at the figure of 80 per cent., its present contribution to Provincial highway costs. Mr. Henry explained that it had been estimated that 80 per cent. of the traffic on such roads was "foreign," other than local traffic. and so that burden should not be borne by the community. A similar estimate accounted for the grants of 30 per cent. for township and 50 per cent. for county roads. -- Lag: year the total expenditure in the three Provincial. county and' townshln units amounted to nearly $19,000,000. and with 4 1-2 millions for northern roads and other expenditure tcr bridge work. the total reached ap- proximately $25.000.000. 'tlo," said Mr. Henry. "there is a need of at least $25,000,000 annually to- ward the development of road systems in the counties and newer sections of the Province." Mr. Henry's address was the chief contribution to the Budget debate yes- terday afternoon. He was followed by William Newman (Liberal. North Vic- :oria) and A. E. Honeywell (Congerva- Live, North Ottawa). The House finally rose at 6.30 p.m. William E. N. Sin- clair. Liberal Chiefnin. moved the ad- journment. End of Statute Labor. Hon. Mr. Henry led off in the after- noon's debate proceedings, and his ad- dress was chiefly in the nature of a review ot highway history in the Prov- ince. He looked forward to the day in the not too far distant future when statute labor would be wiped off the statute books. __ _ It, said he, it was assumed that the Government should step in and take full control of the Provincial high- ways by bearing the full burden of their cost, then it would follow that the Government would also eventually take the responsibility of all roads, county and township. And so local autonomy would pass away and direct taxation would be applicable. Basis of M Per cent. This "100 per cent." thought is em- bodied in the amendment of R. F. Mil- ler (Liberal. Haldimand) brought in during the Budget debate last week, and in the final moments of his ad- dress Mr. Henry fired a broadside or two at this amendment. Hon. George S. Henry, Minister of Public Works and Highways, speaking in the Budget debate yesterday after- noon, returned the fire ot Opposition members who wanted the Government to pay 100 per cent. of the cost ot Provincial highways. OPPOSITION VIEWS ON HIGHWAY COSTS hlli1El) BY HENRY Minister Says Local Control Would Vanish Under 100 Per Cent. Plan \h UVSAAK", Mr. Honeywell had a couple of sug- gestions for the Attorney-General. One was that all solicitors, at the time of their enrolment, be put under bond. The other was that the Attorney-Gen- eral keep tab on organizations and per- sons collecting money in the Province. In this latter regard Mr. Honeywell pointed out that he had in mind the Prohibition Union, and in speaking of this he made reference to Ben Spence who, he said. had been "expelled" from several Prohibition bodies and who always started' up another similar organization. Mr. Honeywell spoke chiefly with re- gard to the Liquor Control Act, and its administration in his Ottawa rid- ing. Conditions generally had shown a great improvement, he thought. Solicitors Under Bond. Then the speaker turned to what has been described as his favorite topic. "Wolves," and told how these "cursed animals" were galiivanting around through Victoria and Halibur- ton, howling, killing sheep, destroying deer. He thought that there should be a "more serious consideration" ot "this menace" and urged that "a com- mittee or commission, or something of that nature make a real study of the situation with a view to exterminating the brutes," and also, he suggested, there should be a real inquiry into some method of conserving the fish in Provincial waters. Mr. Newman, continuing the debate and speaking of the dairy industry. thought that with the exception of the testing work in creameries, the duties of the other Provincial Inspectors might well be carried out by one man, at a saving to the Province. "With 4.500 miles of hard-surfaced road," said Mr. Henry, "the Pennsyl- vania Highway Commission found that these roads annually saved motorists $51,750,000. Ontario's Provincial high- ways include almost exactly 1,500 miles of hard-surfaced road, or one-third the mileage of Pennsylvania. On this basis, therefore, the annual saving in the cost of running cars over our highways would be $17,000,000. Too Many Inspectors. In emphasizing the value of concrete construction Mr. Henry told ot experi- ments made by Iowa State College showing that a car weighing a ton, in- cluding load, will travel 31 miles to the gallon on a concrete road, 21 miles on a fairly good gravel road, and 14 miles on an earth road. Translated into the terms of money, the saving effected by a concrete road as compared with a dirt road was 2.6 cents per mile. The average motorist, travelling 5,000 miles yearly over hard pavements, would save, therefore. 8130, although he might not know it, in operating costs. Against this. in the Province of Ontario, he would pay $7.50 in taxes tor the 250 gallons of gas he would use, allowing 20 miles to the gallon, and, roughly, a $11 license fee, $1'l',000,000 Saving. "I wonder what Toronto's boasted assessment would amount to," asked Mr. Henry, "if there were no Ontario to trade with?" "Objections also reach. me from the cities," said Mr. Henry, "that gasoline tax is collected from cars which do not go outside the city. I remember a cripple who owned a house in Toronto once objecting to paying taxes for the sidewalk and street alongside his house, saying that he never used them. He overlooked the fact that other people used them when they were visiting him. It is the same with the roads outside the city. Along these highways comes a stream of traffic into the city. They are the arteries of trade and com- munication, and it does seem to me rather frivolous when complaints are made by residents of a city that they get no benefit from them." Campaign for Relief. Mr. Henry said he did not wish to criticize Toronto unduly in this con- nection, but there was a campaign under way here, he said, with this re- lief as its objective. Mr. Henry deplored the attitilde ot certain cities that they should be re- lieved of their 20 per cent. payment on Provincial highways. Deplores Cities! View. '