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That there would be no object in such a. proceeding, since the consumer would eventually have to pay through increased taxes, was the reply given by the Premier to the suggestion of Mayor Peebles that municipalities should be permitted to impose taxes on the Hydro Commission. The cen- tmlitation in Niagara Falls of the power plants might result in some re- yef being granted there, Mr. Henry The Prime Minister saw no hope that the Municipal Councils would be given the power of revising Board of Education estimates. In addition to Mayor Peebles, the spokesmen in- eluded Mayor Bezeau of Kitchener. Mayor Swayze of Niagara Falls, and Mayor Allan of Ottawa. while North- cm municipalities were represented hr Earl Hutchinson. Labor M.P.P. for Xenon. should pay the rising costs of this form of education. Mr. Henry point- ed out that a desire for expensive Innings. too, was often evinced. The thought that. the costs of sm- ondary education had got out of hand in some communities was voiced by the Premier, who heard a suggestion from the deputation that the Govern- ment should either assume a share of the cost or else make other pro- vision by which the municipalities Part ot the work on the trans- Canada highway, in any event, will be continued during the warm months, it was indicated by the Prim: Min- Members of a deputation of Mayors of Ontario municipalities. to the num- ber of seventy. who appeared before Premier George S. Henry at Queen's Park yesterday. were assured try him that both the Dominion and the Provincial Govmunents would con- tinue to lend assistance. in the form of direct unemployment relief. It was very likely. the Prime Min.. ister thought. that Framer Bennett would share his own views in the matter, although he had not recently discussed the matter with him. Mr. Henry asserted that the scrlmisness of the situation was completely ap- preciated by the Government. and the intention was that then should be eo-operation of a kind which would give-ht the municipalities having to r the whole burden. Reading the deputation was Mayor John Peebles of Hamilton, who pre- sented a sheaf of resolutions to the Premier. among them one asking that direct unemployment relief be con- tinued after May 1. Voicing the fear that such action might defeat the ambition to find work, Premier Henry suggested the municipalities inaug- urate a campaign urglnz citizens to start works which had been delayed owing to bad conditions. tsal GOVERNMENTS CONTINUE DIRECT All) FOR UNEMPLOYMENT I2EP0ThTl0hl IS HEARD Premier Assures Help in Bearing Municipalities' Burdens FORM OF HYDRO BILL REBUIIE GIVEN BILL MI) SPONSORS OF IT ON MUNICIPAL AUDIT SCORED BY SINCLAIR Goes to QJEommntee "Terribly Drawn Affair," Declares Liberal Leader in Onslaught Two new pieces of Government legislation got first reading yester- day. They were Hon. Thomas L. Ken- nedy's "Live Stock and Live Stock Products Act," which makes the Do- minion legislation of the same name now operative in Ontapio. mg Atty- Claiming that the Ontario Hydrc's bill to amend the Public Utilities Act, which is new before the Ontario Legislature, was "a terribly drawn af- fair. and should be sent to a special committee so that It, may be put in intelligible shape," Liberal Leader William E. N. Sinclair provided a re- freshing fifteen minutes in an ordi- narily dull House afternoon. yester- day, when he repeatedly clashed with Hon. J. R. Cooke. Hydro Chairman, over the form of the bill, and twitted the latter regarding the "high-priced" legal advisers responsible for the same. Mr. Cooke struck back with the argument that mm. I. B. Lucas, for- mer Attcrney-Gcncral of Ontario, and now solicitor to Hydro, had drawn the bill, and that afterward it had bc-cn approved by the Law Clerks ct the House, Allan Dymcnd, K.C., and H. B. Cumming. Did Mr. Sinclair with a moment's hasty consideraticn of the measure desire tMr. Cooke queried) to put his opinion against that of the advisers who had given careful con- sideration to the bill? ney-Oeneral Price's bill amending the Workmen's Compensation Act. This latter measure Drovides. amomr other things. that "tmrsit2s," or "house- maid's knee," and dermititis be classi- fled as diseases under the act. IS SENT TO COMMITTEE On the suggestion of Attorney- General William H. Price, who be- lieved that certain clauses "might be rearranged," the bill was sent to com- mittee. "And tho honorable gentleman (Mr. Ccoke) shouldn't forget," interjected Hon. Harry C. Nixon, Progressive Leader, "that the people ct Ontario said a good many years ago that they didn't want Mr. Lucas for their At- torney-General." . Last year Mr. Sinclair had explain- ed at an earlier stage in the verbal battle a Hydro bill had been sc, "un- intelligible" that it had to be sent to committee far redraiting. At that time he had had the said; to submit to considerable "abuse" from the Hydro Commissioner for suggesting that the legislation was "poorly dmwn." The bill now before the Hoqse muequally bed. _ - - "Pm telling you it is not right," said Mr. Sinclair. "And I'm sutti- cient ct a solicitor to say you are not." With his (Mr. Sinclair's) "limited ex- perience" he could make a better job of the bill, he added. than had been made. While he approved of the principle ot the measure. he could not endorse the "terrible shape" in which it; had been brought to the House. "If the 1urncrabre gentleman wants an answer," rctortcd Mr. Sinclair, "let me say that I don't take back a single word I've said." "The remark is uncalled for," said Mr. Cooke. 'Wm telling you that it has been prepared by the solicitor to the Com- mission, and is right," said Mr. Cooke. Mam/5, Goes to Special Committee After Rural Members' Criticism Fred V. Laughton. Conservative member for North Middlesex, and a sturdy tighter at all times for farming and farming municipalities. took a stinging crack in the Legislature yes- terday at the "uncalled-for" attitude of many big-town members coward the "back concessions" and the people and problems there abiding and tx- istJng. Mr. Laughton's "breeze" was cre- ated by Arthur Ellis's (South Ot.awa; bill to amend the Municipal Act, to the extent of providing tor tho compulsory appointment of regularly qualified auditors in all municipalities. in order that auditing should be more t.fi1ciont, and public funds should be hater protected. Mr. Ellis's suggestion that, in rural municipalities men were often appointed auditors who were not properly trained and lacked sufficient knowledge to protect their municipali- ties, provided the spark that touched oft the tinder in the North Middlesex member. Both D. J. Taylor iihrgrestsive, North Grey) and Fred W. Elliott 1Lib- eral, North Bruce) backed Mr. Laugh- ton up in his argument that the prom legislation was "quite unpecetisary." Premier Henry finally suggested (and the House concurred) that Lhe bill be sent on to the Special Munici- pal Act Committee ot the House, which will sit all through the next interim for its consideration. The bill was then withdrawn by Mr. Ellis. "The remarks of the member for South Ottawa are unnecessary," said he. "They are not in good task, and it is not good practice to call the people of rural Ontario ignorant." The bill in question was "no good" for the rural tidings. he contended; and. speaking for Western Ontario, he was confident that every person in me country took an intimate interest in the financial affairs of their respective municipalities: and sometimes they went almost to jealous lengths to make certain that municipal funds were not misapplied.