The Ontario Scrapbook Hansard

Ontario Scrapbook Hansard, 24 Feb 1932, p. 3

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Dual Role of Tilley Deemed by Simpson Detriment to Probe Young Mr. Heighington, -- who learned his bombing in the Salient and in front of Pulpit Crater, chucked a half dozen verbal grenades into the Opposition encampment, in support of his admonit.on to Premier Henry and the Government that they should "stand fast" on the present scope of the Middleton Royal Com-- mission inquiry and authorize no broadening of it. All that the Lib-- erals were basing their argument on, he said, were '"stale whiffs of for-- gotten scandals," street corner gos-- sip, and "feeble and nebulous allega-- tions" that had been launched: after the Parliamentary Beauharnois inquiry as a scheme to raiss the (Mac-- kenzie King CGovernment and the Liberal Party at large out of "the Valley of Humiliation" at the expense of old, particularly when compared Hydro Commission. Agitation over the $125,000 Aird payment was a mere passing incident, said Mr. Heighington, of no more con-- sequence than the 4.4 beer controversy oof old, particularly when compared with more pressing problems with which the Province is now at grips. Demands Other Counsel. Dr. Simpson demanded the appoint-- ment of other counsel on the Hydro inquiry, "with the same rights and privileges as Mr. Tilley." He pro-- duced for the House a copy of the Hydro--Dominion Power Company deal, bearing the name of the Tilley firm, and asked pointedly of the Gov--| ernment: "Can you picture Mr. Tilley | as counsel to the Commission inform-- ing his Lordship: 'I will now put W. N. Tilley in the witness--box and ex-- amine him as to the work of his firm in connection with the purchase of the Dominicn Power and Transmission Company?* l Dr. Simpson struck out vigorously at Premier Henry for the "lack of sportsmanship" exhibited by the lat-- ter, and the "burlesque show and hys-- terical farce" which, h> said, the Premier had staged in the House last Tuesday, when he had attacked the Liberal leadership of Mitchell F. Hep-- bum, MP., dodging "the issue now paramount in the public eye--the matter of the $125.000 Aird--Beauhar-- nois payment." There wore bigger problems today than any mere abuse of Mr. Hepburn, and the Prime Min-- ister, by the stand he had taken, Dr. Simpson submitted, had _ lowered himself "by 100 per cent." in the estimation of the people. Mr. Heighington Replies. Opposition members and Govern-- ment supporters mixed it merrily in the Legislature® yesterday over the evor--varying and vexatious question of Hydro administration, with Dr. L. J. Simpson (Liboral, Centrs Simcoe) and Wilfrid Heighington (Conserva-- tive, Toronto--St. Davids) showing the most teeth in a seven--hour cross-- chaimber argument that engaged the oratory of ton memlkrs. and in so doing carried the House to a 11.30 pm. adjournment. CHIEF DEFENDED BY HEIGHINGTON Part in Power Deal Taken by Inquiry Counsel's Firm Declared Objec-- tionable by Centre Sim-- coe Liberal -- Premier Himself Suffers by At-- tack on Hepburn, House Is Told any time in any onc's mind any thought of a new party or a nsow leader," said Dr. Simpson, definitely contradicting hints to the effect that he would be the leader of such a party. We are," he added, "a united party in our fight against Toryism." Draw-- ing an analogy botween the mustard plasters, the blister flics, applied by mothers of yesteryear to the pains of their offspring, which, by their sting-- «»ing, provided a counter--irritant. and the speech last week of Promier Honry,. '"'Why," he asked, "did not the Min-- ister of Agriculture change the offi-- cials and get in men who actually understand the farmers' problems?" 'The speaker believed that feow farmers played the market, or borrowed money from the Government. "The pecp!s ask for bread and the Government gives them a stone," he affirmed. "The greatest stone of all, I contend, was the Prime Minister's sneech on Thurs-- day. It is ridiculous for him to stand up for hours and hours and criticize & man who is not here," he said. "We have infinitely bigger problems to con-- sider than the abuse of Mr. Hepburn." '"'The transactions of Hydro are as clean and healthy today," he con-- tinued, "as they were in the days when the Gregory Commission roamed over the Province from one end to the other, and without the assistance of counsel, other than the Chairman himself, taking evidence of those who had fought this great public enter-- prise tooth and nail." "I believe the farmeors will speak in no uncertain terms at the next gon-- eral election," he went cn. "If the Government cannct do anything to stabilize prices, cannot they do some-- thing to explain to the public the wide difference betwosen what the farmeors sell and what they buy?" "It is well," Mr. Strickland said, "that the affairs of this Province, of this Dominion, are in the hands of such a party and such a Government. The party is headed by a Prime Min-- ister with sufficient courage to say to those who would and do attack the Hydro with fair means or foul: 'You shall not have another fishing expedition into Hydro such as the Gregory Commission.' the speech last week of Promier Henty Dr. Simpson said: '"Through you, Mr Prime Minister, we present a united front today." While Premier Henry adjourned the debate until Thursday next, he will not speak until the wind--up, probably a week from last night. Peterboro' Member Speaks. Other speakers were: J. F. Strick-- land (Conservative, Peterboro'), Aus-- tin B. Smith (Conservative, South Essex), F. J. McArthur (Conservative, Northumberland), R. A. Baxter (Lib-- eral, South Oxford), T. P. Murray, (Liberal South Renfrew), Barl Hutch-- inson (Labor, Kenora) and J. A. Sangster (Liberal, Glengarry). h "Emphatically, there was never at Feb 24 | the same ' sent wha '"'The Prime Minister has respond»d partly and somewhat belatedly to the i demand of the people of Ontario, ex-- | pressed through the Opposition and &the press, for the investigation of re-- | cent Hydro transactions which are be-- | HMeved to be against the interests of the people and the great public own-- ership enterprise," he went on. | "He has appointed a Royal Com-- | mission to investigate but two of a | mumber of contracts and purchases. | While exprossing a dosire to restore th: gconfidence of the people of Ontario-- who are the real ownors of Hydro-- | in the activities of th»> Ontario Hydro-- | Electric Power Commission and the ' Government, he cannot disguise the | fact that he is dodging in a manner ' which is clear to the public. \ Full Investigation Demanded. ' the same powers as Mr. Tilley, to pre-- | sent whatever evidence there is to : support the criticisms of these two -- deals. ' Photostat Is Produced. Fear | Fear Is Suggested. Declaring that, through that speech, "Mr. Henry fell about 100 per cent. in the estimation of the people of the Province," Dr. Simnson wondered if it indicated fear on the Premier's part. if it showed him the handwriting on' the wall. Mr. Honry. the speaker said, had "assumed the role of a dug--out general rather than of a fighting leader, as the Opposition ex-- pected he would." "In the past few years Mr. Tilley's firm has done practically all the con-- sulting work for the Ontario Hydro-- Electric Power Commission. I have nere in my hand a photostat of the agreement ander which the Domin-- on Power and Transmission Company was purchased by the Hydro--Electric Power Commission of Ontario. From the cover you will notice that the firm of Tilley, Johnston, Thomson & Parmenter acted, and, from the agreement, Strachan Johnston, meimber of the firm, is the witness to the Hydro signature. How do you think the public is going to be satis-- fied with a lawyer, even of Mr. Tilley's standing, being asked to investigate his former, if not his present, client? Mr. Tilley's firm, or a member of it, is also said to have searched titles in connection with the Madawaska deal, the other matter under investigation. "'This same firm also acted in the purchase by the Government of the SBeymour--Central Ontario Hydro sys-- tem," Dr. Simpson said. "In over @&a dozen such cases in the last two years, Mr. Tilley, his firm, or one of his part-- ners, has been engaged by the Gov-- ernment in legal matters Can you picture Mr. Tilley as counsel to the partial attitude in this inquiry, but, Mr. Speaker, the Prime _ Minister knows that the press and the public are of the opinion that other counsel sahould be appointed or invited to ap-- pear before the Commissioner, with "Mr. Tilley is one of the most able ecounsel in the Dominion. He ha been honored by his fellow--members of the legal profession, and his ap-- pointment as counsel for the Govern-- ment or the Hydro Commission could in no way be crmifitcized, but at pres-- ent he is placed in a position that simply cannot be understood by the pe(aple of this Province. Mr. Justice Middleton states that Mr. Tilley has given his assurance that there is nothing to prevent his conducting a thorough and searching inquiry into the matters referred to. I do not say that the association of his firm with the Hydro and the Government would cause him to adopt other than an im-- '"Whether this course is the one he personally favors or that forced upon him by his Cabinet colleagues matters little. However, in the limited inquiry, reluctantly granted, there is little hope that the two matters be-- fore it will be thoroughly probed un--

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