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CHANGES PROWSED lm BILL IS i)il()?ll)il) ill MIME ACT AS TORONTO M.P.P.'S Price Mfume of ASSAIL IT STRONGLY Notice ot motion was given in the; Ontario legislature yesterday by At-'; torney-Oeneral Price ot proposed! changes in the Marriage Act which will have the effect ot removing doubts as to the right ot Ontario courts to make tutttttlrttents. Under the Britblt North Americw Act the Dominion is given control over marriagcs and divorces. and the Provinces over solemnization. ii. is ex- plained. Later, through the Federal Divorce Act. the Provincial courts were given authority to grant, divorces. but some doubt has existed as to whether the act would be ultra vires in so far as annulment is concerned. Clams of the act which are par- ticularly covered by the proposed amendments are: Where parties can- not contract marriage because one of them is already married: where re- strictions on blood-relationship exist: and where there is failure to comply with statutory regulations. Price Gives Notice of Amendment Motion in . Legislature William Newman tLiberal, Victoria North) gave notice of a bill to change regulations regarding threshers' liens on farmers. Under the present ar- rangements thresher must put a lien on the farmer's grain immediately after it is threshed and haul out the amount necessary to meet the cost of threshing. Threshers consider this method too harsh, and. while the Agriculture Committee of the House decided to take no action last week. Mr. Newman. a member of the com- mittee. is bringing down the legisla- tion. Under the new plan a thresher may hand the iarmer a lien slip after the threshing. and can collect later if payment is not forthcoming. Provincial grants to public hos- pitals and hospitals for consumptives are likely to be reduced under legis- lative power requested by Hon. Dr. J. M. Robb. Minister of Health. Dr. Robb has given notices of motions atteetintt two acts whereby they may be changed to allow the reduction if the Government sees tlt. Forecasts of the reductions have already been made. and when asked by The Globe Dr. Robb also gave notice of motion that he would introduce a bill to vali- dote arrangement.» already made re- cording the cancer clinics in Toronto. Kingston and London. if cuts were to be made Dr. Robttl stud: "Something will likely be done' along that line." t Hamilton Members Join in Opposition With Hon. Mr. McCrea SURTAX TERMED UNFAIR With {Ave Toronto members stand-l, ing up vigorously to oppose the City! ot' Toronto's own bill. and Hon. Charles MeCrea, Minister of Mines. urging its withdrawal, the proposed amendment to the Assessment Act. which would allow a surtax on in- comes of more than $10,000, was given short shritt in the Legislature yester- day. When it came up for second reading and it was found that every spokesman was against it, George Shields (Conservative. Woodbine), who sponsored it, agreed to withdraw it after Mr. McCrea had suggested this disposition. Arguments Against It. Arguing that it would prevent, in- dustries locating in Ontario; drive away some that are now here: lead to rich and influential citizens moving from cities to suburban districts. and discourage the philanthropic endea- vors of the richer classes. the various speakers put up such a barrage ot opposition that it was apparent trom', the first that it would not pass. Not; during the present session at least has! any measure received such unani-' mous non-support. . ""viiot-iaciirir" bower to restore the dead, I beg leave t9 rent.".'? the body. I will withdraw the bill." remarked Mr. Shields. with a smile. after all doubt about its disposition had been dispelled. It never had a chance to get even to the committee stage. Hamilton members joined with their Toronto colleagues in opposition to. it. "Perhaps it, is easy. in times like these, to present a side of a question which appears to attack those of means, those who are referred to as the capitalistic class." said Mr. Mc- Crca, apparently expounding the views of the Government: . It was common knowledge that property was not taxed to its full value. he said. He pictured one ot the ""35 it would hit. a man with a home alucd at 330.000. and probably an income of 330.000. much of which was used to keep up his home. In addition to the taxes on his home. and the regular income tax. he would be asked to pay 40 mills in addition. he said. Would Cut Employmeni. "ts this a fair method of taxation? Would not a Council which attempted this be cutting ort its nose to spite its face?" he asked. It would result in less employment. and would in- Jure the very people it was destined to help, he fttit.i: . L "One ot the things we need in this Province to set the wheels ot industry going again is capital." continued Mr. McCrea. "In the Province we have built no a great gold industry. We have built it up because of our, sane attitude toward the investment' ot capital. It has been brought in under a fair system. and brought in in hundreds of millions of dollars. It has built up a. gold industry which is the sheet anchor ot this Dominion in time of stres=. We have a heavy load of taxes, but the only way we will escape from that burden is to set the wheels of industry in motion cnce more. We should not now throw obstacles in the spokes ot industry. Urges No "False Moves." "There must be a leader and a directing force to lead us out of the present situation. The United States will be led out or it by the great new President. And this country and this Province will be one of the first to emerge and lead don: the van of progress. But do not let le,to, these '01".ku -M... -- --VV things; do not let us make false moves. Do not. let us injure Toronto," urged Mureh 1. Mr. -MeCrea in suggesting that the bill be withdrawn. The bill would have put; a surtax on incomes of more than $10,000 on the following scale: $10,000-$20,000, 3 per cent.; $20,000-$30,000, 4 per cent.; $30,000-$40,000, 5 per cent.; "0,000-$50,000, 6 per cent; $50,000- $100,000, T per cent.: $100,000-$150,000. 8 per cent.; $150,000-$200,000, 9 per cent.; more than $200,000, 10 per cent. In introducing the bill for its sec- ond reading, Mr. Shields stated that it would apply to 1932 incomes in certain municipalities. The object of the bill was to change the assessment on in- comes in every municipality in the Province. "Income taxes, if reason- ably and equitably applied, are the most fair of all forms of taxes," he said. At another point he remarked: " still maintain that there would be loopholes, and some municipalities would dodge making income assess- ments." Russell N e s b i t t (Conservative, Bracondale) was opposed to it, be- cause he felt that it savored of class legislation. People of substance pro- moted the welfare of the city. "Sub- scriptions to charitable organizations are made up to a great extent by those who would be affected by this bill. It would discourage philanthropy," he said,and dwelt at some length on how it would react against industries com- ing to Toronto, and believed that they would go to Montreal and other Que- bee centres instead if the taxes were increased here. "Legislative Piracy." Wilfrid Heighington (Conservative. St. Davids; thought that the only reason the bill was on the order paper was the good nature ot its sponsor. "Let us not approve of a principle of adding to the burdens of a tax rate which is already too heavy. This bill is, in effect, legislative piracy. It is penalizing those who have been the best means of providing charity," he said. "I do not object to the taxation ot the rich for the benefit of the poor," said E. P. Singer (Conservative, St. Andrews), "but I object to this bill. Why put it on here when there is none in Quebec? It is not, fair to us. It is not good policy for our Province to be singled out. If there is to be a surtax, the Dominion Government should put it on. Personally I would like to see the time com? when all income taxes are abolished." " considered it was the proper source from which the revenue should be secured, and I still see no better source," he said. Commenting on the refusal of the Provincial Government to entertain the city's bill, Controller Ramsden, sponsor of the surtax, expressed the opinion last night that the Govern- ment had made a serious mistake. to it. "I do not think there should be any additions to income taxes until they are uniform, and the rural parts pay the same rate as the urban." said he. Argue Martin icon.. servative, Hamilton West) held that the bill would provide unjust dis- crimination against (mtario in fawn of all the other Provinces. E. J. Murphy (Conservative. St. Patrick) remarked: "If this were passed, individuals who have been contributing to philanthropic organ- izations would just say that they would give no more. The municipal- ity would just have to pay out maybe Ev? or three millions more fcr re- e ." Ramsden's Commmt. W. A. Baird tConmrvativc. Hig.h Park) who has had considerable mu- nicipal experience himself, said that, Councils often took action one day which they would be glad to undo the next. He referred to the increases in Council salaries in Toronto, and the present action to decrease them. melpalmes as Forert Hill wpre o'p- posed to income taxes only because they wanted to attract the wealthy to it. " do not think there should Harry Price (Conservative, West, York) told of one industry which was going to come to Toronto, but when it heard of the present bill being brought up, it decided to settle else~ where. and did so. If it werr not. for Ontario's favorable geographical situ- ation. it would be very difficult to get industries to settle in the Prov- inee, he said. William Morriscn ICA.' Hamilton East) said that nicipalities as Forest Hill 'lfictt (conservative, said that such mu- 1 Conservat when being else- ot, for