The Ontario Scrapbook Hansard

Ontario Scrapbook Hansard, 3 Mar 1936, p. 1

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"Tammany" Tactics Charged in Debate On Police Matters Premier Insists Consumer Benefit From Tax Re-- lief to Industry PRICES OF WINE MUST GO DOWN, HEPBURN SAYS The tax relief which his Govern-- wm'nt is giving the wine and grape industry must be passed on to the consumer in the shape of lower wine prices, Premier Hepburn stated last night . The Prem'er's fiat hit into a wine war which has been going on since the Government announced it would repeal the wine tax in the interests of the hard--hit grape growers. The repeal of the wine tax, which has stirred up the grape and wine in-- dustry controversy, was put through first reading in yesterday's Legislature. Some wine men are reported as strongly opposcd to any use of this tax reduction to cut wine prices. These objections, it is reported, de-- layed setting of the lower prices, last week, 'intil April 1. Last night, the Premier made it clear that this was only a siay, and that prices must go down in the inter:sts o the whole industry. * "A reduction in taxation," Hon. Harry Nixon reminded Conservatives. Premier Hepburn's statement after the Legislature killed any winery hope that the Government would permit the tax reduction to be taken up at the winery. The Premior even knifed hopes that the wineries would be re-- quired to put more grapes in their gal-- lonage. The Government, he said, was not going to interfere with the making of wine. "The growers are misinformed," the Premier said when informed of the industry protests. "The Federal Government made it a condition of the excise reductions of last spring that the various Liquor Control Boards give corresponding reductions in prices. That t_n'ou_gm sumption." The Premier said the Ontario tax was being lifted to benefit the Ontario erape--using wineries. It must be passed on to the consumers. "The tax reduction is not designed for the wineries, but for the industry as a whole, which can only benefit when it can compete with hard li-- quors--which they can't do at pres-- ent. The price of wine is altogether +ta«n hich in comparison with hard liquor prices so much in line wines that it dropped wine con-- Bill to Give Councils the Right to Appoint Boards Withdrawn targer municipaliilies the power O appointing Poiice Boards, which now Tests with the Provincial Government, RONTO'S "Tammany I City Hall" and her Police Commission poiicies and appointments for the past five years were the subject of warm cross-- fire in the Ontario Legis-- lature yesterday. Party Lines Broken. Precipitated by the motion of TIan Strachan (Lib., Toronto--St. George) for second reading of his bill which the discussiom broke party lines on both sides of the House before the motion was defeated. Mr. Strachan's motion, almost in-- audible, was interpreted by Opposi-- tion members as a request for with-- drawal of the bill, but the Speaker ruled otherwise, and discussion began. Leopold Macaulay (Con., York South) insisted that Mr. Strachan had declared his opposition to pro-- an explanation. "I can't think of any subject," he said, "that more requires the letting in of light than police affairs, not only in Toronto, but elsewhere. I would like to hear some of the arguments for this bill which must have been advanced to the member for St. George before he undertook to in-- troduce it. I see that the honorable member is being prompted by his for withdrawal." Not in Sympathy. "No reasons were given me in sup-- port of this bill," retorted Mr. Btrachan. "Its object is to place Police Commissions under municipal control. I'm not in sympathy with it. It was introduced along with a num-- ber of others." W. A. Baird (Cons., Toronto--High Park) wanted to know why the Attor-- ney--General replaced the Toronto Police Commission members in 1934, and added that it was clear Mr. Roe-- drew) said: "There is a certain amount of politics behind this bill. It is not so innocent as it appears. The Commission at the present time be-- longs to a political stripe which is slightly different from that of majority of the City Council. It also happens that last year's Mayor was out of sym-- paths;n!lth that stripe, represented by the mbers at my right. So the Council found itself in a peculiar posi-- buck wished to control police adminis-- tration throughout the Province. "The Police Commission was not in political sympathy with the Council, so somebody had this bright idea. Per-- sonally, I am opposed to it. The Prov-- ince, in my opinion, has a larger view : of the question of peace, order and good government than have the small municipalities. If I were in Council I would argue against it there, as I do Attorney--General Rosbuck protested against Mr. Baird's charge that he was seeking to dominate police affairs in Roebuck: give the elective with the bill, and demanded Maxch 3 on his Counciis Of the Province. "In one--and--a--half years, while this Government has been in power," he pointed out, "only one Police Commission has been changed in its personnel by this d>partment. So that, so far as Commission ap-- pointees go, the hand of the old Con-- servative Administration still controls police affairs, with that one exception, thrsughout Ontario." "The idea of this bill," proceeded the Attorney--General with heat, "springs from the Tory idea that athors the principle of a single Lib-- eral in the Tammany--controlled City Hall of Toronto. This is a bit of political manoeuvring to get the Police Department out of the lhrands of a Commission and into the control of the political cliques that infest the Citr Hall. One can hardly imagine anything more disastrous than that I commend the honorable member for St. Patrick for not supporting the bill." MHMe urged that it be killed at once. Hon. W. H. Price, former Attorney-- General, uttered the only support of the measure when he pointed out that it merely gave the Council the right to select the Judges or Magistrates who would join the Mayor on the membership of the board. Poor Showing. "Incidentally," added Colonel Price, "I don't think that the Toronto Police Department showed itself up so well as it might in one recent report." "Didn't all the wrongdoing and pil-- fering occur under your regime?" countered Mr. Rocbuck. "Not all of it," retortea Colonel Price. "And any way, we weren't responsible. Our administration or-- dered the Dorland probe, which went a certain distance--although I believe It should have gone farther. The further we get away from the idea that whon these Commissions act they do so at the dirsction of the Pro-- vincial Government, the better it will be. Steps should be taken to re-- move the impression that police policies throughout Ontario are being dominated by the Attorney--General's Department." Mr. Roebuck bluntly asked if Colonel Price supported the bill. Colonel Price admitted it was a poor bill. Premier Hepburn rose to cut short the discussion. "This bill," he said, "is not acceptable to the Govern-- ment." The House then defeated, with one dissenting voice--+the dissenter could not be identified--the 'motion for second reading of Mr. Strachan's bill. $100,000 Said Already Paid by Citizens Ontario's income tax became law when it received Royal assent yes-- terday afternoon, and it was rumored a few hours later that $100,000 has been already paid in on the tax. This year they sent the Ottawa Government another half install-- ment to care for any tax bill that might be coming down to Ottawa from the Ontario Parliament Build-- Some of this, it was reported, was paid more than a month ago. The ex«-- planation is that every year wealthy people who are starting on winter cruises have been in the habit of making payments to take care of their Dominion tax, which falls due on April 30. INCOME TA X BECOMES LAW

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