ESTATES SURTAX ONLY TEMPORARY, PREMIER STATES The amendment to the Succession Duty Act was advanced another stage in the Legislature yesterday. when it was given its second reading. Premier Henry explained that the two features ot the bill were those closing up the gap: in the schedule ot ordinary succession duties. and the placing of iu'S'" on the amount to be coi- "This is a special levy to meet the exigencies of the present situation. Treasury omcials state that we have lost millions. due to the declining value of estates." said the Prime. Min- ister. "This is why the surtax is put on, with the understanding that it is not to be continued when times became more normal." Special Levy Devised to Meet Exigencies of Pres- ent Situation AMENDMENTS APPROVED Hon. Harry Nixon-Have you any sumac as to the amount it will bring in? . _ 'eeonttretytintreauoiiGCto"iit" unendment to the Bulk Sales Act, designed to protect both debtors and creditors tn connection with sale Another bill to receive second read- ing was on amendment to the Work- men's Compensation Act, which Gol- onel Price explained would give the board power to reduce the contribu- tions from employers who hill n good record in respect of accidents among employees. Premier Henry-Not very much this tuttttl year. as there are only about six months left. Premier Henry-That was changed last year. At one time estates had to be taxed within eighteen months. then it was reduced to a. year, and now it is six months. He stated that he had learned that some estates. if the first period of time still existed. would have de- creased in value to almast nothing trrvthe time they were taxed. The House in committee approved. with' one or two very minor unend- ments. the Mortgagors and Puro chasers' Relief Act. as well as the amendments to the Surrogate Courts Act; to the Btenogmphie Reportew get anyt to the Conditional Sales Act. Mr. Nixon - Wasn't there some chgnge In the time? Expenditure in salaries and wages hy the Ontario Hydro-Electric corn-l, mission during the last ttsteal yeari totalled $3,009,000. Premier Henry; informed the Legislature yesterday mg reply to a question placed on the, order paper by Dr. G. A. Mcaut'o'aan (Liberal, Wellington Northeast). The totil cost cf the legal department of the Commission. consisting ot an; members. was $42,840 for the same period. . Pot the years 1926 to 1932. in- elusive. the legal firm ot Tillcy. John- sen. Thomson & Parmenter has had a retainer of $4.800 annually trcen the T. & N. o. Railway, the Premier stated in reply to an inquiry of Hon. Harry C. Nixon, Progressive Leader, while the same firm receive: special fees from the same source amount- ing to M40 in 1926: $525 in 1027, and $1,000 in 1928. Group Insurance Costs. The total wage bill of the Work- imen's Compensation Board for 1932. =exclusive of the salaries paid to the members ot the board. was 3229.259. and there are 11? permanent em- ployees. with 1.523 temporary or oc- casional employees being hired last year. Since September, 1927. the sum of $4.913 from the funds of the board has been applied to group insurance certs. and during the same period the employees have contributed $7.134. These amounts purchased $218,800 of insurance. with 142 employees having contributed to the plan. This infor- mation was supplied by Attorney- General Price in reply to a question put on the order paper by T. K. i lack (Progressive. Dutteriny. In answer to another question from D. M. Ross (Progressive. Oxford North). Colonel Price stated that the Werkmen's Compensation Board had first used money from the accident fund for a portion of the cost of group insurance of the employees in 1927. and had done so under its general powers of administration. The total yntnytA.ysed tor this purpose to date FIGURES jlllll GIVEN (h WAGES 0F HYDRO, 1ll(2l0Eln BOARD Special Committee on Fish MOVE FOR LIST OF CARS On the suggestion of Premier Henry, C. A. Robertson tLiberal. Huron North) will move for the production ot a list at all automobiles. trucks and motor- cycles owned by the Government: their total cost and mileage costs dur- ing the years 1929 to 1932. inclusive. Mr. Robertson has had this question on the order paper tor some time. and the Prime Minister stated it would require some additional time to get all the information. is $4.207. and each member of the ward carries $3.000 life and total disability insurance. But since Jan. i, 1931. the members ot the board have paid it themselves. No Pelican Falls Lease. Hon. G. H. Chalues, Provincial Sec- retary and Minister ct Game and Fisheries. stated, in answer to Dr. L. J. Simpson (Liberal. Simooe Centre), that the Special Fish and Game Com- mittee formed in 1931 had cost $11,- 746. No lease for power purposes has ever been given on Pelican Falls. near Sault Lookout. Hon. William Finlayson told Earl Hutchinson (Labor. Xenon). The Government has borrowed, $79,275,000 for the t1ntuteing of Pro- vincial highways for the years 1924 to' 1932. inclusive. the Prime Minister! told s. C. Tweed (Liberal, if'iiiirijiil North). "The retirement of the) amounts borrowed is included in the general debt-retirement plan of the Province. temporarily suspended due to economic conditions," explained Mr. Henry. Apri and Game Has Cost $11,746 .