The Ontario Scrapbook Hansard

Ontario Scrapbook Hansard, 7 Feb 1934, p. 2

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Mr. Nixon entered into 2219 body ot his address with a resume ot the. re- cent election in East Kent. Describ- ing in detail the history and technique involved in the calling ot a by-eiec- tion by two members. he said: "If I am eorreetN informed. this was the first time since the paying " the law that two members ot the Opossum: have taken the responsibility ct bring- ing on e tty-eleetion. I am glad in- deed that we have we'd ettabiished e preeeden's" Summing up the East Kent situa- tion. he said: "The Government then announced that they would have a candidate in the field defending the policies of the Government. but they found it impossible to and one who mid take on his shoulders the sins ot the 2'lte'lleNitt angmvlhey when many comm comp y cap 11- late. The mighty have tallen, and the Government permits a mum- enetrto,1ttttakenHtmnthemoniiie eve of the general election. and it is of tremendous MgniBeanee throughout the Province." - Just Benn-yum. fuse Speech iron: the Throne was I "as no mention is made in the Speech tmen the Throne of any amendment to the Legislative Assem- bly Act extending the lite of this legislature. a general election will [evidently intervene before another Speech from the Throne is read in [this House," he commented. Citing the returns from Nova Scotia to British Columbia. the Progressive Leader declared: "Any one at all in touch with public sentiment in On- ltario knows well that this Govern- ment is going out." The member (er Brant drew the Mit, Conservative barrage a few min- utes later when he .tendered con- gratulatisms to the mover and secondm- ot the reply to the Speech from the Throne. Referring to H. J. Davis (Conservative. Elgin East). Mr. Nixon said: "To his lot will tall the onerous duty ot opposing the election ot Mit- chell Hepburn, Ontario's next Pre- mier." The Premier rose and naked why the honorable member did not go all the my and say "my Leader," while the Tory back-benches shouted, "Come on. Tell us. Where are you?" Referring to Mitchell Hepburn as "my honorable friend and colleague." Mr. Nixon answered that he remained Leader ot the Progressive group dur- ing the present session. but "after this Mouse is dissolved I will be proud to acknowledge Mr. Hepburn as my' Leader." l described try the Progressive Leader as "particularly barren." Continuing. he commented: "We now know. ot course, from the recent much of the Premier that the party does not need any program or policy. that their leader is their platter-m, the Premier is their policy. It that is the case. my honorable friends. you are no longer Tories, Conservatives. liberal-Conser- vatives. or what have you; you are Pntiraltou.ldhr_ur8ttopnrititstm and meet its $835,000 bunk ovum-oft. " was the fifth session ot n Par- iiament that should have been dig. aoived long before. The Government was going into the tray or n genera election with its hopes dampened by name to and a candidate for the Mast Kent itreteelloa, "an admission to the whole Province that this Government hears the rumblings ot on advancing populace." L "The tenure of this Government." "The team of this Government." he concluded. "has weighted down with debt every department. " has sountenameq a policy In Hydro which has very seriously shaken the whole system. It has utterly 'ailed to ad- minister the nuances of this Province to the pubtie good. There is no har- bor for i'q safety. It has outworn its Wei-com: in CH? Don." The rrvttrcsy.ve Party Chieftain followed Dr. 2139,111an with a cec- ond zeth'l ot the Government's al- leged iailures and etnttarrasstnenM. Speaking slowly and informally, the former Provincial Secretary baited with sarcasm and humor what he termed t Government ready "to take the plunge oft the deep end. even than: they know they cannot swim." The Conservative benches gave the Recursive leader their continued at- tention. frequently breaking out in comment and laughter and occasion- ally. led try the Prime Minister. in. terrupting with sharp questions and corrections. Nixon Is Critical. In jovial mood, the Premier recited a verse he had remembered from uni- versity days. about the freshman who was so green that the cow devoured him, mistaking him tor grass. " ean't figure out yet how the member tram mt Kent decided where he'd sit. unless he looked at our multi-colored chart ot House seating. and decided he'd rather be with the pinks (Liberals) than with the greens tProgressives)." Journ with us for one session will be a pleasant one. He seems to have come to us in the midst of some difficulties, ushered in apparently by the leaders ot two different parties. I don't yet know which party is his; it was significant to note that his sponsor came in on the left of the Speeker when he should have been on the right. With him was the Leader of the U.P.A."-and in answer to an Opposition ttowl-va mean the U.F.O.. now the Progressives, though that is en abuse of the term, I'm sure, as they are not progressing, but retro- gressing. A - Premier Henry received an outburst ot Conservative enthusiasm when he rose in reply. At the start, he con- gratulated the mover and seconder of the Address in Reply. and extended his congratulations to include the new member trom East Kent. Regarding the last-named. he had the following double-edged greeting: " trust his so- Giieiinihui the populir convention of opmion has been established and the Government claim them." Ovation {or Premier. my Revenue and Expenditure. he said: " definitely charge that this infomtatitm is misleading and in- correct." Mr. Nixon concluded by charging Cannot-mum utilization of Mr. Hep- bum's proposals. "The Premier has criticized very severely the speeches and proposals ot Mr. Hepburn." the Preemive leader said. " think he should thank him, because about the only actions and suggestions to which the Govemment can point with pride are those that Mr. Hepburn has_adt. The accent '40,000,000 loan and the Otyeeettmettt's bookkeoplng were both targets of the Progressive Leader's attots. Ot the statement carried on the Prospectus__qf Orgi- On the subject of Hydro salaries, Mr. Nixon warned: "That question will be warned to the order paper and I trust frankly answered this year. It not I give you my solemn tumuaneettustifitisinmypowerl will divide the House. not only this session but even' session as long " I may be . member, until the in- herent right ot the legislative As- sembly to receive such information is well established." A The member tmm Bram commented that "the old hardy annual. the Mort- gagors and Purchasers Act,is going to be trotted out"; and stated: "I sin- cerely trust it has not interfered with the Premier's philanthropic institu- tion, the Toronto Mortgage Corpora- tion, and that they have again been able to pay their regular dividend earned with ample margin and in- oreased fees for the directors. A re- quest for the report of the annual meeting was answered by the Prenner 'gintllefno"ndthe1'eirinnimmo" e. The letter from James Lyons (Con- servative. Sault Ste. Marie). in which a Conservative convention was urged to go on record against Ministerial directorships. and in favor ot open statement ot salaries of Cttmmissiott. era and Government and Omission employees. was alluded to by Mr. Nixon. From this point of attack he swung, to a diectmsion of the Mu- secret conference when Mr. 'Alfred mow Electric Association. referring to press reports of the recent annual meeting and pointing out that a conference between a member of the Hydro Commlsion and the Chair- man of the association would result in "Mr. Alfred Maguire going "ttte? fiibruar 'il "We expect in these new schools." he said, "to apply direct, vocational guidance, training the pupil for his future pursuits rather than in aca- demic classes. Each year we have been [developing more vocational classes, ' and soon we shall have them operat- ling outside the bigger centres. In smaller towns we plan agricultural vocational classes to induce boys and girls to remain on the farm and to As for the January bond issue. the Premier said he was being criticized for putting them on the market at an attracth'e price; for advertising the Provinee's wealth so that integers would put their money in the securi- Bonds, he held, always should sell readily. If they dragged along on the market, future borrowing would prove tar more costly. Hence the need ot a set thrure, something that would attract the investing public. Progressive Leader Nixon had thought the interest rate of 4.63 to 4.78 per cent. on enormity. How about the muarer Govermnent's issues. when Mr. Nixon held Cabinet rank? Their rates ranged between 5.93 and 6.29 per cent. and if it had not been for that fact "our rate today would be very much lower." Regarding training ot teachers. the Premier explained that Normal School pupils had to return for a second year's training after they had gained their Pst..exerienee in washing. _ ties. The price of " was the Brms " which a. person could buy one band, but it would not tho for the figure a; which $15,000,000 in bonds could be sold. make them of value there There had been some suggestion. said the Premier, that a. Commission on Education should be given author- ity now resting in the Minister. He boasted that he himself had establish- ed what was in effect the most effi- cient Commission possible: Dr. Colqu. noun. Dr. Merchant and Dr. Rogers, "men of outstanding ability who have developed our present school system. The Department of Education is not standing still: it is constantly study- ing further development." Training for Pupils. " dont know about that," replied the Premier. "but it is significant to note that the Leader wasn't there. It calls to mind a famous character in history who threw up his hands and cried. 'Et, tu, Brute.' " The Premier declined he had news. paper evidence to show that Mr. Sin- clair learned about the caucus only when questioned on it by the press. 'That caucus wasn't called by me," interjected Dr. McQuibban. Further extending his congratula- tions now to incdlude Dr. McQuibban, the Premier grew serious and accusing as he said: "But I can't congratulate him on the methods he used in be- coming Leader. I have a clear recoi- loction of sitting in this House lastL year and watching him do all he could, , as Whip. for his then Leader (W. E.! N. Sinclair. K.C.). Nevertheless. sol far as I could gather, there was a; caucus called by this Whip, to which, his own leader was not invited. Ini "My honorable friend's Leader isn't in the House, but, out with the board of strategy pulling strings," said Mr. anry. Continuing his explanation of why he had helped sponsor Mr. Campbell, Mr. Nixon said: "He asked me to," only to be met with an "Ah! ah!" enofus from tlle Government side. Mr. Nixon grew impatient. "Isn't it sumcient that he's in the House?" The Premier was not to be diverted. He continued, in the same strain, won- dering why the Liberal Whip had not come in with the new member, instead ot -tttPrpgreissive Leader. N ixon's Query? protesting]

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