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% R F3 ~ ,'/"- fl'("f/'?/',%?fic//';f//;' GETSSECONDREADING v _ __ON STRAIGHT DIVISION Sincleir Charges "Reil-- # ,' # roacding" ard Chance in Collection Policy, With + | Money Being Used to I Stave Of Defisit--Pre-- mier and Henry Vigor-- ously Deny and Explain | LETHBRIDGE URGES _ LOWER LICENSES Hon. George S. Henry's bill to in-- | creass the gasoline tax from three to *! five cents, effective forthwith, got a ?lusty thumping in the Legislature yos-- lterday from the Opposition groups, and Liberal Leader William E. N. Sinciair | forced a 62--28 division of the House before the Minister of Highways was | able to pilot the measure past second rceading. Mr, Sinclair not only attacked the principle of the legislation at this read-- ing, but earlier in the afternoon, when | the resolution heralding the measure was ub for consideration, he took his first "lusty licks" at it It was his charge that the Covernmont was en-- deavoring to railroad the bill throusgh in a last--minute drive; that the Gov-- ernment was changinsg its policy in | collection of the tax, and that the same was now to be devoted to "Pro-- vincial purposes" rather than road maintenance, as heretofore prescribed, in an effort to stave off a deficit at the end of the next fiscal year. Progressive Leader Lethbridge agreed with the principle of gas tax, but felt that the Government should not have provided for the two--cent boost with-- | out being prepared to follow it with a | corresponding reduction in the license plates. It was his appeal that appli-- cation of the rise should be held coff 'until such time as the cuts in markers '+could be put in operation. | No Chance to "Load Up." |__Both Premier Ferguson and Mr, Henry got into the argument, with the |latter, in particular, vigorous in denials < of Mr. Sinclair's allegations. HMe claimed <that the Liberal Leader's objection to \ the bill on a technical point on Mon-- | day last was one reason for its late in-- !troduction. As a second reason _ ,_119; | cited the Government's fear that earlier | intreoduction--inasmuch as it was al-- ways intended to put it in effect at the end of March--would have given the gas stations a chance to "load ug" \ in advance. In that way they might [not only escape the two--cent rise in | the tax on their advance purposes, but _ might embrace the tendency to "hook" | the purchasing public. There was no doubt as to the out-- come of the vote which Mr. Sinclair precipitated. The division was & straight party affair, with Farquhar Oliver, solé Progressive member in the House, casting in his lot with the Op-- position. When the gas tax bill was called for second reading Mr. Sinclair let loose on the Government a flood of sarcasm. He recalled that the measure had been forecast in the Speech from the Throne and he declared that it was "hard to understand" why there had been "de-- lay" in bringing in the bill and why it came in in the "dying moments of the session." He believed that the Govern-- ment was "trying to put it through without full discussion and without giv-- Ing the public full information," and charged the Government with being "derelict in its duties." In the same vein he pictured the bill "lying in the pigeon--hole" throughout the session, and the Government trying to "shove it through undet")oiressure in eight or ten hours." He spoke of Mr. Henry as planning to "fool the fellows on the other side," and of "taxing the people as I like." ' Conmitinved 0n fhext page .