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Bill Before Legislature to Make Babies Wards of Crown Through Wel-- fare Minister Guardianship of Quints To Continue 17 Years LIVA DIONNE, as a spectator in the Ontario Legislative Chamber yesterday, wit-- nessed the introduction of a bill which declares that for the next seventeen years his famous quintu-- plet daughters shall be wards of his Majesty the King, through the Ontario Minister of Public Welfare. Permanent Guardians, The bill, unique in Legislature his-- tory, empowers the Cabinet to appoint a permanent Board of Guardians, in-- cluding the father of the five babies, with complete power over the finances, education and well--being of the chil-- dren until they reach the age of 18 years, and stipulates that the children shall be reared as Roman Catholics--| the faith of their father. | The rights and interests of Dr. Allan | Roy Dafoe, who brought the quin-- tuplets into the world at Callander on May 29 last year, are fully protected. He is given special authority whether or not he is named as one of the guardians. s The Government measure deals & death blow to the possibility of ex-- ploiting the famous babies. The Min-- ister of Welfare, to whom the guard-- ians shall be responsible, is given full power to prevent interference with, or removal of, the children without his consent. He will have control of the quintuplets'® money, holding it in trust until they reach their majority; also power to approve or disapprove any contracts or agreements made in re-- spect to the children. . _ _ It is belicved that the bill will out-- law the $1,000,000 suit instituted against Mr. and Mrs. Dionne by the Chicago Worlds Fair management as it stipulates that, while contracts en-- tered into by the old guardians are confirmed, those which did not receive their approval "are null and void and incapable 'of performance, and may not be sued upon in any court." _ The Minister of Welfare is author-- izca to suspend one or all of the guardians at any time and authorizes the Cabinet to replace any or all of the guardians The guardians ap-- pointed are authorized to act on & majority vote and constitutes them as a continuing body notwithstanding the death of any members. This, it is pointed out, would overcome any legal difficulties which would otherwise ensue. Explanatory Note. The explanatory note attached to the bill reads in part: "At common law the King is the protector of all his subjects and all infants are his wards. At law the father is the natural and lawful guardian of his infant children, but under the public statutes the nat-- ural rights of a parent may be taken away if the circumstances warrant. In all matters pertaining to infants, both the existing statutes and the courts consider the welfare of the infants of paramount importance and any nat-- ural rights of parents or guardians must give way thereto. "The public interest and the welfare of the Dionne babies demanded soon after their birth that every effort be made to prevent improper exploitation of the babies, and to this end a special temporary guardianship was created by direct intervention of the Govern= ment, which has worked to the ad-- vantage and protection of the quin-- tuplets. "Now that these babiecs are prO-- grossing in health, well--being and agso through the constant care and atten-- tion which they have received, the opportunitics and advantage for ex-- ploitation increase. and it is essential to e~me with the situation which thus develops by some special and perma-- nent guardianship control. _ C "The circumstances require novel treatment, and existing legislation and jurisdiction of the courts is inadequate for the purpose. To ensure that the future welfare of the persons and estates of these internationally famous infants may be safeguarded, special legislation of the character set forth in this bill is deemed requisite. As far as is possible in such a set of circum-- stances, the natural rights of the par-- ents will be observed and protected, and due consideration will est,abu:sn that such natural rights can best be protected by the provision of adequate guardianship control, so that the fate of the babics is not permitted by one specious means or another to pass from the hands of the parents." REMIER MITCHELL F. HEPBURN has no intention of riding P a bicycle to Queen's Park--never intimated he would, despite what his opponents in the House say--and doubts very much if he could stay rigkht--side up if he did attempt to ride one. The Premier trusts now that the, "I'm going to put the House right bicycle talk is ended for good. I%) about the bicycle talk,." he commenced. cropped up in the Ontario Logislature] "Som»> time ago I was criticizing the again yesterday when a bill was intro--| past Government for the cost incurred duced requiring all bicycles and tri-- | in opsrating expensive motor cars. I cycles to carry a bell, horn or siren as contrasted the sp'endsor of today 'with do motor cars. | the days when Sir Jam:s Whitney rode "Is that the bicycle the Premier says to Queen's Park on a bicycle. I never he is going to uss?" asked the Hon | said I would rids a bicycle to the Leopold Macsaulay from the Oppos!i-- Buildin:s and I doubt if I could even tion benches. | ride one." The Premier grinned and then jumped to his fcet. "Is that the bicycle the Premier says he is going to uss?" asked the Hon Leopold Macaulay from the Opposi-- tion benches. Never Said He'd Ride One to Queen's Park Premier No Bicyclist March 3 So the bicycle incident apparently closd, som'd larghtsr. PW Acdo €% 53% f.}!."' d