The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

| H P b d A b.tl' t. + * Two Engineers in Statement Say They Never Were © Informed of Eastern Power Purchases and Did ® Not Sanction Them -- Marshall Produces Also & + Magrath Letter Asking Gatineau Pact Approval LIMAXING days of controversy as to the approval or lack of approval given by Hydro engineers to the Quebec power purchases, Wilfrid Heighington, Toronto Conserva-- tive, in the Legislature last night demanded the appointment of a House committee to take the evidence of the engineers named in the controversy. He also claimed the whole question raised by the Attorney--General ought to be set-- tled, either by arbitration or judicial reference. Hon. W. H. Price, with less definiteness, also suggested formal inquiries. In rebuttal of Colonel Price's contention of Monday that an allegedly "suppressed" minute recorded Hydro engineering approval of the controversial power purchases, Hon. Duncan Marshall, Minister of Agriculture, produced a memorandum signed by T. H. Hogg and R. T. Jeffrey, two of four engineers named in the minute, in which these two engineers denied that they had given such approval. "Isn't it the plain duty of the Government, if there is conflict," asked Heighington at the conclusion of yesterday's continued power conflict on the floor of the House, "to sum-- mon a committee? Idon't see why the Government is holding up one minute longer. Let us call Gaby, Hogg, Jeffrey and the other engineers and ask which statement is true." PRICE CONTENDS OTHERWISE. Former Attorney--General W. H. Price continued to hold that the "minute" shows that these engi-- neers had voiced their approval of the (Gaby) report recommending Quebec power purchases. His argu-- ment was backed with private memoranda. In its teeth was thrown the signed statement 0f the two enginecers. Four had been previously quoted to the same eifect by Mr. Roebuck, and yesterday Mr. Hogg and Mr. Jeffrey repeated their statements. With it Mr Marshall presented the original Gatineau letter from C. A. Magrath to Hon. G. Howard Fer-- guson dealing with the allegedly "secret" clauses in Gatineau. Whereas Attorney--General Roebpck had declared the power contracts illegal, Mr. Price yesterday * expressed to the Legislature the conviction that they were legal and justifiable in any court of law, T. Stewart Lyon, Commission Chairman, said last night that there was not time for the two others to sign the engineers' statement. ' C d on es ue ie ave i nc orenitvrern drach Price's Claims mer' Attorney--General dwelt on the "The Attorney--General didn't read "suppressed" document. This docu-- it," Coloncl Price charged. "It didn't Hydro engineers, Hon. W. H. Price ment, Colornel Price tried to indicate, suit his purpose to read it, It didn't maintained yesterday, did back up had proved the engineers' approval of prove his case to read it." Mr. Roe-- the Hydro Commission report recom-- Eastern purchases. buck, it was held, should have used mending purchase of Quebec power, "I pointed out to the Atiorney-- his position to bring down all the Wielding as weapon the "suppress-- General," he said in review, "that he ifacts for the public good. ed" document, the former Attorney-- had suppressed the minute. He says | Colonel Price went back to ths General hammered repeatedly at Hon. that he didn't, but that he read the ;renort he was reading, presumably Arthur Roebuck's contrary contention. last paragraph. | approved by the enginecrs, according The whole basis of his "friend's" "Why didn't he read the whole of | to the minute. The report approved argument, he said, had been that the: the minute? I'm going to ask for more Eastern purchases. engineers did not approve of the pur--| documents. I'm going to find out if "That's the recommendation that chases. | half things can be read to this House. : WAas attached to the minute, and we've "I'm saying this," said Colonei| If a lawyer read only part of a docu-- read the minute." 'The former At-- Price. "I am informed that the engi--| ment in court and misled a Judge, I torney--General referred to the letters | neers did back up the report made| don't know what would be done to $ s ® 'by the Commission to the Govern--| him--he'd be thrown out of court of offer sent by the f&mmission and ' ment." probably." blazoned by Mr. Rocebuck. To him "I have no brief for the bondhold-- Attorney--General Roebuck raiseq| Uhty seemed to be those same letters ers or the insurance companies, but privilege. The member's remarks were _'"'11"?1 wore referred to in Mr. Gaby's I have a brief for the public inter-- incorrect, misleading--"and roflect on "C©NSinccr--approved" report. "'Another est," declared Mr. Price. "If you can-- a member of this House." extraordinary thing--a most extraor-- cel these contracts you will bring suf-- "There is nothing," said Mr. Roe-- dmal_'}' thing." fering to 100,000 citizens who bought buck," "that reflects on my bona "If those letters went out, why these bonds boecause they woere given | fides in this matter." didn't the Attorney--General say they the stamp of approval. This is not | '"We're certainly making the Attor-- were in the approved report. I take a good situation to be in. It is too |ncy--General do a lot of explaining," it there wasn't much attempt by Important to brook of delay. I am {Coloncl Price commented. those opposite to provide the whole not a politician, not a statesman, but Mr. Speaker ssked Mr. Roebuck if| Picture. The letters were attached to in this regard I am on a par with my (there was anything definite which he| the report. Don't read the letters and honorable friends opposite. wished withdrawn. "Yes," said the| not the report." "If you cancel the sgreements it Attorney--General. "I want him to "These engineers." the Colonel said will be these small nolders who will withdraw the intimation that I am | as ho restated his thesis, "recommend--| feel it." he declared. "I hear down-- ©XPlaining unduly." ed adoption of this report--particu-- |town that some of the big corpora-- |"Unusually Sensitive," larly in reference to the figures show--| & tions are unloading some of these "I was j j ing probable power demand. There is ;bonds and that others. who have per-- -- friend a:aiusfinmfifil;g s'g?';m'\l;ab s:;z a record that when these matters |\ haps better information, are buying the former Conservative Minister were brought to the Government they | them up." "That's true and you're not 5+ _ had first been brought to the Commis-- |If Anything Wrong, Prosecute. "I don't need to be,. And I hope fr;m--émf meny was end engmcc;;s. \ _"How." asked the former Attorney-- next time my friend will not charge liclv'e tggzr?l?;e%a:'tzj fxl;:i'uggcr:og'*n; General, "are you going to better our M@N All over the country with near»| invo tporoughly." § position in this country by repudia-- criminality." Conservative benches F0 C tion? If any one has done anything °uOWY applauded Colonel Price. | wrong, prosecute. Bring Gaby, Ma-- . Back to the minute which was be--| grath, Duncan and all the others here !D& POUSht up in detail for the on the floor of the HMouse to give us . fOu'th time in this Legislative session:x * _ all the information about these mat-- 3 ters. Don't fiddle while Rome burns." Cross--fire and "privilege" crackled in the Onu_ry'mislature as the for-- 1 . n