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\ | the House was: t's the man | who has been advising the Govern-- N\arck 6 ment. 'They should have sought the advice of a good man like Arthur Slaght " Letter Written--in 1921. @ ' The letter to which Colonel Price , referred during his Hydro speech in . remle' ' Ou the Legislature was written onOctY 19, 1921. It follows: | | ' "The Right Hon. Arthur Meighen, _ / & | \ _ "Prime Minister, Ottawa, Ont. _ l t r un can # "Sir: With reference to my claim © , for one thnousand two hundred and ; fifty dollars ($1,250)--three months'| @ o salary as examiner and Ontario coun-- l S sel for the Board of Commerce ot' a S l :r cesslve Canada, I have been informed that the Government has been advised that | it can by the exercise of two reliecs of > mmmmemeneenanmmmemematmers # absolute government prevent me en M . .. forcing my rights. These relics are Payments to Legal Ad-- the prerogative right to deny a subject i access to the courts against the Gov-- viser on Hy dr 0 COI\- emment; and the prerogative right to refuse to ca out contractual obliga-- tract Matters Stopped, long . _ _ * After $16,571 Paid "It is hardly necessary to point out that no citizen can prevent another e citizen from resorting to the courts of law to obtain justice; for this right HE He.pb'v:n'n Govern-- has been established from before the ment is "through for time of Magna Charta. Nor has any »» # * citizen any right to refuse to carry good '?'lth Lewis out his contracts But it is alleged Duncan, K.C., its legal ad-- that the Government has these rights; viser on Hydro contract S'gu';gh,;fvfk?f,fg;fy Government that matters. "No Dispute to Claim......." j During Price Speech. "There is no dispute to my claimiinj This a IKKT the merits The three Orders--in-- Mmade b?a?:e 'xfl'(rje:iil::;t 12'2?5&?&':::; Council which were passed relative tog afternoon during the speech of Colo-- my employment express the agreement | n€l W. H. Price, Conservative mem-- arrived at with me by Judge Robson ! ber for Parkdale--a startling clintax ?f"d Mr. Murdock. The Government, | & to the former Attorney--General's h "'lfa" dsucceed at all, must rely on three--hour attack in the Legislaturs | 'rihat :ied jflifig to deny to a subject on the Government's Hydro policies. | i n € R \__Colonel Price had been reviewing | If t;'e Govelan&:ent x;eruses g:sdlsgi ; the cancellation of the Quebsc con-- ; To oor c . ol COMfAA con ibs. mer | a1 leaves me the political remedy: that is tracts, which he called "a bad thing | o to say, an appeal to the electorate | from almost every angle." yRA } o against an altogether arbitrary and i _ '"I deplore the attitude of Lewis unjust use of absolutist power | Duncan, K.C.." he proceeded. "I "The (iovemment'is aware that 1| think he has misled the Attorney-- | | was overseas from February, 1916, un-- General, and I think the Attorney-- til June, 1919, and that the terms of General has, in turn, misled the Gov-- , my agreement were based upon the ernment,. Mr. Dun-- fact that, if, in the interests of re-- P can said there was turned men, I took up Board of o no sanctity of con-- | Commerce work, it might prevent my ; tract clause writ-- | return to my profession before the K .. ten into the Con-- advent of hard times. The Govern-- rek ; a e stition _ of _ On-- ment knows that the Toronto office e~ . + tario a nd _ yet of the Board of Commerce did all * o. s I have a letter that was humanly possible in the here in which he | interests of those suffering under demanded -- from 'high prices. The Government also hss Right Hon Arthur | knows that when it refused to carry & : *% e Meighen, then out its written word it put me to un-- if e Prime Minister, expected expense and inconvenience. payment of a bill | "Deliberate Attempt " u"s Dllncln. on the ground that y *# tbave liswned to speeches by it was a contractual obligation. | yoursel! and other gentlemen detail-- 'Here is a man," said Colonel iIng what your Governmert has done '@ Price, "advising the Government to for the returned men. You will, I repudiate contracts, and when it i hope, permit me to say that in view comes to collecting $1,250 himself on of the deliberate attempt made by his own account, he uses these ex-- your Government to deprive me of treme lines. $1,250, to which I am entitled, such "And I suggest now," said Colonel Ispeeches do not ring pleasantly. Price, "that Mr. Duncan today is | _"I have had no answer to my last + charging the Government more for letter to you of some four weeks ago | M his services than they are willing to --nor to my letter to Sir George Fos-- | P8o .' ter referred to in that letter. If I am | Leaping to his feet, Premier Hep-- to receive no reply by Oct. 26 to this | burn, without a moment's hesitation. | letter, I shall assume that the Gov-- said: "Unfortunately, that is true. I | ernment is determined not to dispose ' don't like Lewis Duncan, and I don't | of my case on its merits, but to leave ; like the size of his bills. And I me to the political remedy; and I won't pass the account. Make no shall act accordingly. mistake about that." "Yours truly, § t "Lewis Duncan." Amplifies Remarks. | "When it was first presented to A few minutes later, after adjourn-- f Cabinet," the Premier saig later, "I ment, the Prinie Minister readily am-- objected to it and, with the full sanc-- | | plified these remarks to this extent: tion of my Government, served nbtice | | _'"Mr. Duncan submitted a bill of that Qusen's Park would have no' | which the last itent alone was $6.000, ' more dealings with Mr. Duncan. There j | and the total bill exceeds $20,000. I is a large--sized bill in dispute at pres-- . gon't intend to pass it. I'm through ent, but we aren't going to pay it. with Mr. Duncan. He's out--and There are a lot of lawyers who are try-- he's out for good." ing to bleed us--who are endeavoring Later, in a note sent up to the to throw into us, fost, horse and ar-- press gallery, Mr. Hepburn stated that tillery--who evidentlv think we're a lot the amount actually paid to Mr. Dun-- of easy marks, Wel!!, they can have / can from Aug. 27, 1934, to May 27, their notice now. We'll pay for services 1935, was $16,571.67. rendered fair and reasonable re-- . * The Prime Minister's short note munera:ion, but no more. added: "Bills not paid, grand total, "I don't want to have anything | $6,700, plus a counsel {fee commen-- more to do with Lewis Duncan; we're : surate with value of services rendered xo mmmmnmen m m n in connection with Quebec power pur-- through with him, and he can say chase contracts. All payments stopped what he likes As far as I'm con--. on my instructions and services dis-- cerned, you can construe my action to-- | ; pensed with." night as a public repudiation of the _ _The only comment Colonel Price man." ® e would offer after the adjournment of t : d t i gg, i . . . II WWinu viidt wilker oo l ds h n in