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under the new law had substantiall; improved. This, he added, had throw: open the questiocn for discussion, ant while ha was bound to respect the opin: ion of the two Conservative member he was far from being convinced tha conditions were better. "I am open to conviction," he said "Oh, no," gibsd the Governmen! beneh»s. Quoting the Provincial Treasuror's bre--s>ssional statement to show that a revenue of $8,225,000 through proi-- 'ts on sale of liquor, permits, and through fines from infractions had recrued to the Government during the last fiscal year, h> stated that it was quite clear that, had there beon no such revenus, the Province would have re-- gcistered a doficit of millions of dol-- "One thing I am convinced of," h: vwent on, "is that the new act has boer a good thing for the Government frow 2 revenue point of view." 3 Mr. Lethbridges pointsd out from a Torcnto paper news dtem that the Liquor Control Board had sold close to £60,.000,.0090 worth of lisquor during the year, which, he stated, was approxi-- mately $2,000,000 more than the Prov-- mee had sp>ont on all other purposes, schools, roads, administraticn of jus-- tice, Northern dovelopment, included. Incrsase n Drinking. "An Ottawa despatch, dated July 6. 1928, stated," he declared, "that since Govornmcont control went into effect there has bsen an increass of nearly 200 per cont. in the consumption of ltouors. "This statement is based on cus-- toms duties collected on imports of ale, spirits and wines during the fiscal year ending March 31, 1924--28., | s When Premier Ferguson rose to speak Mr. Sinclair, he wont on, when the the Government members started an !boisterons reception of this sally had uproarious banging of their desks that | died away, had called this the "valedic-- lasted for minutes. Finally, when the ]tory" session. Of course, said the Pre-- 'umult died away, the Prime Minister | mier, the Liberal chicftain had set him-- smiled his benign smile on the assem-- lself up as a prophet many times. "In bloze and remarked: "How can I help | fact," he added "he prophesied at the it if it is a one--man Government." !] last election that the wicked Tory or-- He then went on with his speech, and i ganization would be wiped out, and that perticularly addressed his first words to ' the white banner of purity would be Progressive Leader Lethbridge. He had,~ carried aloft by himself, in control of ho said, listened with interest to Mr.« affairs." Lethbridge's address. '"But," he added," "But," Mr. Ferguson smiled, "the "I decline to accopt without question | white plume fell." many of the thoughts that evolve from ; Again the Government members beneath that bencvolent old dome over | thumped out acclaim of this witticism. thero." * Mr. Ferguson recalled that Mr. Leth-- The Boys He Lcft Behind. bridge had said: "We all think alike." Mr. Ferguson smiled on them benev-- cAll tne Liberals and alleged Progres-- |Olently. "You know," he told the sives liked that sontiment," the Premier Opposition, "when I went to England ecntinued. "It inspires me with the e & idea that the honorable membeor from |last summer the boys tock advantasgso ci West Middlesex has had a long, linger-- | my absence and said, 'Call on ?13'"!3{\- and ing affection for the party he supported until he reached to beyond the years of mature and sound judgment." Mr. Ferguson had compliments for the new members in the House, for Hon. Mr. Dunlop, who 25 years ago this month was first sworn in as member; for the HMamilton mover of the Address in reply to the Speech; for the secondet, 'the doughty little warrior from South Bruce." t Paruamentarians' Visit. 4 'Then, going on to refer to the SpeecM| prepared every day," said Nr. FOVgN-- from the Throne, he regretted that th@--| son, "It's published every day, and my Opposition had felt -- that it was | nonorable friend's acsisting it cvery "meagre." Did it not refer to the visit;l time he gets on his fect. Phet's the here of the British Parliamentary Asso«)}sort of handbocsk the poople like." ciation? And that, said the Premiet; [ --eNow," he continued, and smiled at was a matter of great Imperial impor= (my, Sinclair, "don't you thin' right tance, for such & visit and the estab-- Egown in your heart. frankly aond can-- tshment of a branch of the association»|Mgidly. that you have a Pr°tftY anod ctrengthencd the ties of Empire, in-- ;CO\'E}!m1?nt')"' creased patriotic fervor. He referred,! [ 'mhe Government membets scain too, to the tour of Lord Lovat, and fénorused laughtor and appleut*. noted that when that great Imperialist--@, «eweil," seid Mr. Ferguson, "thai got home his first--hand knowledge O0D-- }gsoms to be accepicd." tained here was of great valune in work--'|» "po you want an answeor?" MYr. Sin-- ing out the problem of better migra--, 'l'z!e«lr inquired. ( k tion methods toward this country. * r'¥es,." said the FrOMmicr. PP mav say. * Mr. Elinclair rstorted, ; d d y Next he fired a shot at Mr. Leth-- bridge for his remarks on the agricul-- tural situation, declaring that the Pro-- gressive Lfier had never "recovered from an eriority -- complex." Why should Mr. Lethbridge "bew@il" the agricultural gituation in Middlesex, for wasn't that one of the wealthiest com-- munitics in the Province? _ C _ _ Mr. Lethbridge spiked this attack by pcinting out that he had been speaking of South Bruce. 6: a As for the requests for reduction in suto licenses, he declared: "I agree that | when the day comes when it can be don», it should be done. But those who | got the advantage of the highways | should pay for it, and until we reach that posint we can't reduce the auto li-- | censes." But, ho emphasized, let it be | rem>mbered that Ontario has the low-- ' ost license feo in Canada, and it is also llower than the average in the United | States. > 5 "Well," said Mr. Ferguson, "wo'll study the methods in Middlesex and apply thom to South Bruce." "Will you say," Mr. Lethbridgs in-- quired, "that the report of Professor Leitch was not correct?" Mr. Forguson then turned from Mr. | Lethbridge to start his bombardment of iMr. Sinclair. Hs had, h> observed, characterized Mr. Sinclair's speeches in the past in a way which the Liberal ' chieftain did not relish. "In fact," ! he recalled. "last year I said it was per-- mcated with pernicious anaemia. Now, | If I was to undesrtake to charactsr:ze | his speech this year, I'd say he was | troubled with incipient political paresis. | And it's said that that is largely an | old man's disease." j C "Yes," retorted the Premict. '"% never agreed with it. It is unsound, though full of wonderful theoretical pre-- dictions. And I have not much patience with people who spread . that sort of propaganda -- derived from misleading and supcerficial reports from alleged ex-- perts." Mr. Forguson referred to remarks absut the packing companies. Mr. Leth-- bridgo should know, he said, that "what torced the amalgamation of those com-- panies was that they wers ncarly all bankrupt." "But they've done well sinc»," said the Progressive Leader. Roads Expenditures. H> had a word, said he, for Mr. Leth-- bridge's "complaint" on road expendi-- tures. Last vear the Government had given $6,000,000 to counties and town-- ships for roads that generally tended to greater comfort and other advan-- tages in the Province. Yet it ~was charged with being extravagant. " EME Emnpnmeie He had a reply for Mr. Sinclair's ctatemont that cvidences that this was "get--away session w2s that the Con-- servative handbook is alroady printed. "The Concervative handbocsk is being )prepared every day," said Mr,. Fergu-- son. "It's published every day, and my nonorable friend's assisting it every time he fets on his feet. Thet's the sort of handbocsk the people like." --"Now," he continued, and smiled at *Mr. Sinclair, "don't you thin't right own in your hsart. frankly ani can-- gidly.® that vyou have a protty szod my absence and said, *'Call on & elections and seo how weoe get Well, they got along all right: are plenty of men to direct ernmont whother I'm here tr four by--clections, you know, : won by acclamation and the cf most as easy. I'm proud of | I loft behind." pict'If mnay say, 1 WIl. S L!'S_hat I didn't know w to_ think " eb rvua r Y -- ze had any right ht eP in L right direct r1°ere C1 knov. on ethers ; there \ Gove-- was | In the past, said he, the many | speeches which Mr. Sinclair had "in-- flicted" on the Hous> had been mark-- \ed by "lack of constructive criticism." \The Government hbad told him this, |and so, said Mr. Ferguson, this yeer | he had come back "filled with sugges-- | tions." ideas that would "revolutionize | the Province." ® "Unless my honorable friend thinks' more clearly than in the past." Mr.' Ferguson shot back, "he should be de-- prived of that risht." Mr. Sinclair, he went on, had com-- plained that the Speech from the Throne had nothing in it. "This Gov-- etrnment," he explained, "is trying to get away from a multiplicity of legis-- lation. We belicve that administration should have greater attenticn, and with constantly greater attention we'll lossen the demand for legislation from year to year." He was proud of th2 fact that the Speech contained only one or two outstanding legislative propcsals. More Intensivs Administration. "Now," the Premi>sr reviewed, "what are they? First, he wants us to chase up department officials and get reports earlier. The second is he wants us to get returns in faster. Then he wants a memorandum on bills to be consic¢-- ered. And last, and the fatal one, he suggests that we should follow Ottawa in the administration of our finances. God forbid--" 6 Another roar of applause from Mr. Ferguson's followers silenced him for a mcoment. He naused, smiling, and then ccentinued--"that we fall into such a colossal and fatal error." "¥ou see." he added, "the amount of my honorable friend's suggestions, The mountain labors and brings forth a mcouse. Thoss are the four suggestions. That may b> ths maximum of duty of the Leader of the Libsral Party. but it is not what I seo the purpose of leadership to be." . * . : | _ "My honorable friend from South On-- | i tario," said the Prime Minister, "can | lcall it inteorferencs. political interfer-- | ence, or what he likes, but it was evi-' | donce that this Government intends to ! soe that the act is enforced. Whenever | |I see a Commission or Commissioner | | undertsking to do something that is not | lin the bes, interests of the people of' the Province I shall always be prepared | to make repressntations protesting thcil',' | action." | | Sarcastic With Mr. Sinclair. | Mr. Ferguson referred at this junc-- ture to Mr Sinclair's charges that hs had dragged "political interference" into the administration of the Liquor Control Act when,. last fall, he had rescinded the banguet wine permit issued by Sir Henry Drayton, Liouor Board Chairman, to the Ancient and Honnrable Artillery Camnany of Rostan. who hod bsen visit-- Comnany 0i LostOn, wHYJ 12fi USCH FAnkLT ing Toronto. and who desirad. afier a rustom of 150 years, to pledgs the King's toast in port. Cut Restrictive Principle. "On the face of the visitors' request," explained the Prime Minister, "it aid not appear to the board to be such an undertaking to issue a permit, but when they talked it over the Govern-- ment realized that such issuance would cut down to ths core of the rostrictive princsiple of the law." "Why was authority to issue such a permit ever put in the act at all?" ackod Edmond Proulx, Liberal, Prescott. There might bs occasions, said the Priinmns Minister, wheon the nsed for would occur. For instance, there wore religious sects in the Provinss which, on certain festivals, might ask for #t. As yet, however, they had mads no re» quest. JAAA oo _ ol 3 In his most caustic vein, the Prim® Minister dubbsd Mr. Sinclair as a man who--in thsir flare--up over the same question on Tuesday last--had not had the courage "to stand up and say he cither approved of granting the wine pormit to the distinguished visitors from the States or disapproved." "No," he continued; '"my honorable friend knew he dared not do it,. So he slid away from the question. Do you rccall his answoer when I asked him if ho had beon %1 my position would he rave dons as I hbad done or would ho have granted the permit? What he said was that if he had given his word that he would not interfere with the ast he would have kept his word. Mr. Speaker, was that a straightforward answer to my question, or did it indi-- cate any dssire to be frank with the Legislature?"