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AFTER HOT ATTACK, LIQUOR LAW CHANGE PASSES COMMITTEE Amendment Allows Con- trol Board to "Bulk" Re- turns From Stores in Arr, nual Reports - Public Should Have Informa- tion, Declares Sinclair, About "People's Busi- ness" OTHER CHANGES NOT CHALLENGED By a standing vote of 49 to 25, the Ontario Legislature yesterday carried past committee stage a Liquor Control Act amendment which will make it pos- sible tor the Hanna Commission, in all its future annual reports, to "bulk" rc- turns from the various stores in the Province, instead ot submitting a state- ment ot sales and revenue from each individual shop. The Government group voted solid- ly tor the amendment. The Liberals and Progressives and the U.F.O. mem- hers in the House, with the exception ot Leslie W. 0ke (East Lambton), voted that it be struck out. Although it was Progressive Leader Lethbridge who moved that it be thrown overboard, it was Liberal Leader Sinclair who voiced the most strenuous objection to it. "Peopte's Business." Mr. Sinclair took the ground that it would weaken confidence in the ad- ministration of the act, and that it would deprive the people of information front the "people's business," which they had every right to have. Before the argument closed, Attorney-General Price, sponsor ot the amendment, and Premier Ferguson were into it "up to their necks," and the cold, lifeless House atmosphere of the past two weeks had been converted into midsummer heat With the principals in the debate "going for each other" at every ppppr_tunity, .. -oiiGiie- Leiision iirfsiii1air, ndttled by the Prime Minister's tactics, refer- red to the latter as "Mr. I." "ENE iidndratge friend needn't be im- pertinent." the chmier shot back, "just because he knows how." Many "Orders'." The "Order!" which Hon. Joseph E. Thompson, Chairman of the committee, interpolated was only one of many he had to issue. during the afternoon. On another occasion both Mr. Sinclair and Attorney-General Price were on their feet expostulating. _ - _ - . "crdrt,ou, sit down." cried Mr. Thompson. "I'll decide this!" _ - - -iiiiiiiirGe ti-rGvirrks" wane touched off by the amendmtyptrA1r1trt?hEt sped-{139. -visiGdwiirGiirirr? Sinclair to Col. Price. H "You sit, down,' replied the Attorney- General. . 7 _ _ - discussion gradually' veered to the ques- tion of whether the Liquor Control Act passed last session had stinulated that the board should submit a report for the the months ot onerat'on ending October 31 1927. Mr. Sinclair said it did. Col. Price said, in effect, that it didn't, but that. for the benefit of the Legislature, he had asked for a sttyterpent, - "That report did not give the infor- mation required by the law." said Mr. Sinclair. "It is in keenlnc with the legislation about to be toassed--not with legislation that has been massed." Y i A3". ,. tl-ey, Other Amendments. 1 Three other important amendments to the act were permitted. to bass unchal- 1iFiii by the Opposition. These were as follows: "Except as otherwise nrovided by this act. or by the regulations. a druggist or manufacturer of patent or oroprietary medicines may sell such medicine in the loriginal and unbroken osueksure---it such medicine contains sufficient medication to prevent its use as an alcoholic bever- age." I__ -ti.1.te, Av n-nvulMPS up". "Any person who obtains or consumes for beverage purposes any of the prod- ucts mentioned in Sections 62 or 63, or who obtains or consumes tor such purposes any of the products mentioned in Section 64. shall be euiltv of an of- tense, and liable to the penalties pre- scribed by Subsection 3 of Section 103 of the act." Must Be Sealed. "No liquor shall be had or kept by any person within the Province unless the package, not including a decanter or . ' ___A.sis,'...r. "an linur.) 83. The liquor business';, he said, was the people's business. It was in competi- tion with merchants the country wide, and was not a private affair. It was "nothing more than right" that the public should have the Information that the Liquor Board was cndeavoring to suppress. Atfdrney-Creneral Price said there were many stores which sold to people residing outside the communities in which the stores were located. At Windsor, tor instance, there was a big transient trade. He didn't think it right that a report should say this store sold so much. and that store sold so much. It might place certain stores in an unfavorable light, when, as a matter oi fact, a large percentage of trade done by the stores might not have been done with actual residents of the communities. but with "out- siders." P. W. Pearson (Liberal. North York), E. Blake Miller (Liberal, East Elgin) and Progressive Leader Lethbridge warmly supported Mr. Sinclair's views. Mr. Lethbridge, seconded by R. H. Kemp (Lincoln), moved that the clause be struck out. "Strike It Out." Mr. Sinclair heartily euncurred. "We were told before this session opened," said he. "that there would be no big amendments to the Liquor Control Act. And yet here is a big amendment. Unless the Government can give me more substantial reasons for it than the Attorney-General has advanced, I sav strike it out." Mr. Ferguson maintained that the amendment was an attempt to remove diniculties'in the way of a complete and satisfactory administration of the act. Moreover, said he, it was not in the public interest to let the infor- mation regarding individual store busi. ness get abroad. "Fancy," he added. "showing that in a community there was a small sale of spirits and a large sale of beer and wine. That would practically be an invitation to the boot- :egger to get into a field of that na- ure." He thought that the change should be made "tor the present at any rate," so that "the Commission may have the fultlest opportunity of carrying out the ac ." 'CHas anything happened to require this amendment?" Mr. Sinclair asked. or kept by "Matter of Policy." "No," the Premier replied. "tt is just R matter of policy." The Commission, said he, had rec- ommended such an amendment to strengthen their hands, and the Gov- ernment was acting on that sug- gestion. "Why not go further," said Mr. Sin- clair. "and strike out the clause so the Commission will not have to bring in any report, but just the money." "The Commission hasn't suggested it," rctorted Mr. Ferguson. The Liberal Leader continued to ob- ject. "This amendment will do more harm than any other you make." Col. Price pointed out that it didn't, mean any weakening of business ad- ministration. because the figures of all sales were checked hy auditors. Stores to Draw Tourists" D. J. Taylor (Progressive. North Grey) suggested that the public should know the business of the liquor stores. because merchants could judge from the various figures the strength cf tourist trade in various localities. Ho thought that there was an agitation in" stores in some towns particularly as ' a drawing card for tourist business" - - IIPI'IREIITICESHIP BILL M BUILDING TRADES GETS SECOND Ell)lli(l Endorsed by Government and opposition-Pre- mier Explains SKILLED WORKMEN CORPS The bill proposes an organization ;that will provide for the systematic itrainipg of apprentices, and the Gov- .ernor-in-Council is to protect the ap- 'torentiee from imposition. The Gov- iernor-in-Council may appoint a com- mittee to be composed of employers and employees representing the trades involved and, as the scheme goes on and local committees are required, the dovernor-in-council may appoint them. These committees will assist the boy who wants to learn a trade and help him adopt himself to his proper call- ing. For nine months of the building season, the apprentice will be guaran- teed employment at stated wages ap- proved by trade unions. In the off- season months he will attend technical school. where he will receive. as well as some cultural "polish," valuable, practical and theoretical training. While it is proposed that the scheme be tried out first by the building trades, it is intended that other trades Be included as time goes on. Unanimous Approval. Described by Premier Ferguson as "one of the most important pieces of legislation ever brought before this House" and endorsed by both the Gov- ernment and the Opposition, the bill to establish a system of apprenticeship in the building trades was given second reading in the Legislature yesterday. Judging from the sentiment ot the House, this measure, with perhaps a change or two in committee, but no interference with its principle, will be- come law at, the end of the session. Systematic Training. Explaining the measure to the House yesterday, the Premier emphasized that both employers and employees are unanimously back of it. The plan, said he, would provide a system of voeatiqt- a1 training which Wits badly needed by Ontario at the present time. -. - -- -.N____-----_.r_ lunar-ha- My VIILKIAA\I t'u --- _ r "It is hoped," Mr. Ferguson emphao sized, "that we may develop what is generally needed in this country, and that is a corps of skilled workmen." William E. N. Sinclair, Liberal Leader. voiced his approval of the measure, and joined with Mr. Ferguson in commend- mg it to the favor of the House.