The Ontario Scrapbook Hansard

Ontario Scrapbook Hansard, 2 Mar 1932, p. 1

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"He i quite clear about that," Mr. Crea -:nmented, "and that is the plank much he has issued in the platform of the Liberal Party." Con- tinuing to quote Mr. Bitton, Mr. Mc- Crea said: "Some may think I am not a good publip-ownership man. I am not on the side ot the Province as against the Federal authorities." Mr. McCrea declared that Mr. Simon had said that the power should be for the benefit of all nine Provinces, and not for that of only two. "It is the heri- tage of the Canadian People," Mr. Bitton had observed at that time. Mr. Sinclair Questioned. McCREA DEFENDS HYDRO After recapitulating his speech of last Thursday, Mr. McCrea quoted Harry Bitton as saying in Ottawa in 1927: "The duty of the House of Commons is to the people of Canada as a whole." Further, Mr. Sifton was quoted as having asserted that the costs at the canal must be paid tor by the power used. - " ask the Liberal Lead . . . House," Mr. McCrea went 831119.333" subscribes to that doctrine ' ( he sitton's?" 0 Mr. Mr. sine1air---Why are you asking ""iir. Mecrea--Let you, then-and others, when they 'peak-come out and say if they stand for the Simon Dolicv. me ? Mr. speak House. Mr. now. Hydro took first place again yes- terday in the debate on the Address in the Legislature. It was declared by Dr. George A. McQuibban. Liberal Whip, that this Province was buying power from Que- bec while power was being exported in broad daylight from Niagara Falls and Queenston into the United States. This exportation. he said, took place between the hours ot 7 in the morn- ing and 6 at night. Minister of Mines Turns Guns on Proposals of Harry Sifton Declares Exports Continue at Same Time Short- age ls Alleged TRAFFIC IN POWER SCORED IN HOUSE BY IR lr()ljlllllM 'tl Mccrea---r understand for the Liberal Party it tsinelair---Why are you asking sinelair--I am not speaking stand you ty in this l In respect to a Globe editorial 'articie. Mr. McCrea said: " can say ' to The Globe that I did not have the , inside knowledge that The Globe did; {nor did I have an advance copy of EMr. Church's speech." "i'iiCaitked the Chairman of the Montreal Harbor Commission as stat- ing that in providing power at cost "And yet this is the type of argu- ment, that The Globe, a reputable paper, reports " being valuable, and comments on favorably. I had higher respect tor The Globe than to think it. would take such twaddle seriously. This is the type of argument it puts forth in urging the granting of an in- vestigatiop.'1 .. L "If The Globe is sincere. it owes it to itself to denounce Mr. Hepburn and Mr. Sifton for the principle adopted through Mr. Sifton's resolu- tion at the Liberalconvention," which was. he said. to the effect that the power-users should pay for the cost of the deepening ot the St. Lawrence. Mr. Church Criticized. Reverting to the Georgian Bay Canal issue at Ottawa of some years 'ago, Mr. Merrea declared that on that occasion Mr. Hepburn had supported Mr. Sifton. "The men who 'needed watching' then were Hepburn and simrar---and the principles they repre- sented then were incorporated in the resolution on power adopted by the last Liberal convention," he declared. Mr. McCrea referred to certain pas- sages in Mr. Church's speech, as re- ported in The Globe. "Has any one ever read such twaddle about Hydro?" he asked. __ _ ___ ' _ Mr. McCrea then read the docu- ment, as. he said. "to clear it up." " don't dispute that the resolu- tion was passed at the convention." Mr. Sinclair said, "but I do dispute that it was part of the Liberal plat- fonn later." Refers to Globe Article. "I ask the Province." he went on, "Who is standing tor Sir Adam Beck's policy today? Is it Mr. Gabv. the Mr. McCrsa asked: "Is The Glace aware cf any other party that has given more support to the Hydro than the Corv.ervative Party?" He remark- ed that 'he Liberal Party had not sat in power in the Ontario Legislature sinrte 1905, The editorial in The Globe to which he referred. the Min- ister said. compared his recent speech on Hydro with that of Mr. Church. "I am the last one, I hope to fail to pay tribute to The Globe for its long consistent support of Hydro and of the late Str Adam Beck," he declared. Quoting from one of these editorials to the effect that the representatives at Ottawa "needed watehing," he de- clared that Mr. Hepburn was one ot the representatives on that occasion. and that Mr. Hepburn and Mr. Sin- clair "needed watching today." _ gfaxf hay banal charter in i027. and referred to the front-page editorials it had published on ghgt subiggt._ - "That' looks like that Chicago boys". Mr. Sinclair commented. " think it does myself," Mr. Mc- Cree. remarked, amid Conservative laltghter. going on to explain that it was prepared for Mr. Stitch in 1930 ior the Liberal convention. Mr. Sin- clair denied positively that the con- tents ot this resolution mirrored the policy ot the Liberal Party ot the Province. Mr. Mecrea--1 have made some investigation. When Mr. Church's address was delivered there were eleven people there. "I wuuid like to ask The Globe," he went, on, "with its protestations of affection for Mr. Church, it it stands for the principles there set out by Mr. Church?" Party Support tor Hydro. i,if. MeCrca conceded reatlxly that 'lhe Globe had taken an acfcive part in Imposing the, ryeal t.of (113 Gear- i"""" w-.- a-.. UlulJi " want to say to The Globe that, instead of writing editorials on Tommy Church and the 'smoke screen,' it would be better occu- pied smoking out Mr. Slfton. Mr. Hep- burn and others who would wreck Hydro in the Province of Ontario." Mr. Nixon-the Attorney-Generali would have known. wouldn't he? l yprt1ing the; the Liberal Mf. McCrea, produced a pamphlet. whteh he atterward declared to be that! issged by Harry Bitton, con- Mar: by Harry Bittoh, -coir..' resolution he presented at convention. (Fe have done is to send our money ito our sister Province of Quebec for [power instead of sending it to the "United States for coal to generate [power by ateam," said Mr. Mecrea. " i am surprised at The Globe and Its at- Macks for buying $15 power from ;Quebec. The Globe has a great cli- entele and I am one of its readers. It will be fair enough to tell this side of the facts to its readers." i "In the different Provinces," Mr. McCrea continued, "the people, be- icause of their right to say so, have different policies." He stated that in Quebec power was developed by pri- vate interests. Ontario, he said. start- :ed out that way; then, he said, "we instituted the great Hydro System of lpublic ownership, investing millions (to aid the industry." The alternative to this purchase of Quebec power, he declared, would have been to resort to steam. "Would Mr. Church have resorted to steam? And would The Globe have patted him on the back if he had advocated the generation of power by steam? What 1mm Quebec cheaper than it can be generated in Ontario, it ill be- comes men on the other side of the House to criticize Hydro for making a bargain which assures. there shall ince." . Says Steam Was Alternative Mr. McCrea declared that the Lib-l eral Party should get rid of Mr. Hep-l, burn and Mr. Sifton, and throw outi the power resolution adopted at its) last convention, in the interest of the industrial life of the Province. In time we shall have a great St. Law- rence canal, said he, but the Liberal policy of havmg this canal paid for by the users of the power generated was errom-cus. The canal would be useless to Canada, he stated, with- cut ships. To have ships. Canada must be able to produce goods cheap- ly, to compete in the markets of the world. To this end, cheap power was nus-essarv, and cheap power could not, be made available under the Bitton policy adopted by the Liberal con-, vention ct making power-users pay} for the cost of canalization. l Difference in Policies. Referring to the so-called "power! barons of St. James Street," Mr. Me-l Crea said: "These made it possible; for power in Quebec to be sold to the i Province of Ontario. Don't let us run away with the idea that they are! criminals. Let us take a horse-sense,, business view of the situation. Let? us review what happened in our own) Province. We are attracting indus-i try, where Montreal and Quebec are! losing it. What is all the ballyh00! about? Nobody has put his tInger on[ one wrong act on the part of the. Hydro Commission or of the Govern- l, ment." T He added that this power was ac- quired at seven or eight dollars per horsepower less then it would have been had it been acquired by steam. Uncertainty as to Exchange. Mr. Nixon suggested that payment in American funds might make a difference of 20 to 30 per cent. Mr. Sinclair--" am not so pessimis- tie as the member for Brant. Mr. Nixon-You don't know what is going to happen in the monetary markets ot the world in the next six months. "I wonder," Mr. McCrea went on, "how many realize what the state of Hydro is. Ontario has invested more than two hundred million dollars in cash, and that is independent of guarantees in bonds which we took over from certain quarters. From that two hundred million we have not anv seeuritv---thsst is. securltv in any Mr. Nixon--Aren't some of these contracts made to be payable in American money? _ Mr. McCrea responded that the contract in 1926 with the Interna- tional Paper Company called tor pay- ment in United States money. Mr. Nixon-Do you agree with it? Mr. Mecrea--T will give you the answer that the Hydro gave. It was a question of getting power when this Province was on the verge of finding itself in desperate need of power. no -shortage of power' -irfiiiii" SW: pol:

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