The Ontario Scrapbook Hansard

Ontario Scrapbook Hansard, 21 Mar 1936, p. 1

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

Port Arthur Member Replies to Suggestion of Irregularity in Timber Dealings irregularities existed in the cutting of timber and tics on three Indian re-- serves in Mr. Cox's riding, and had asked "what the Indians got out of it, and what Mr. Cox got." The Port Arthur member was not present when Mr. Acres made his speech Thursday night, and Mr. Acres, likewise, was out of his seat when Mr. Cox offered his reply yesterday. Three reserves were mentioned by Mr, Acres--Longlac, Gull Bay, and Lac Seul. And Mr. Cox, in one phase of his reply, toid the House that the Government had received more dues Fhe records are available for thirty years back. If the Province had made as good a deal when it sold its timber in the same area as I did, the Province would have benefited to the extent of $41,000,000." As for Mr. Acres personally, he said, the Conservative apparently knew something about bulls, but noth-- ing whatever about business "He should either hang his head in by Mr. Acres The Long Lac reserve timber rights were sold to him eight years ago for $10,000. Since then a gross business of $1,000,000 had been done there. The Gull Bay reserve timber rights he bought ten years ago for $2,000, paying the usual dues. And as for the Lac Seul Reserve, it was almost inaccessible, and all the timber had not yet been removed, but he had already paid into the Department of Indian Affairs at Ot-- and revenue from one 38--square--mil> tract of land owned by himself in Gull Bay than from the entire 13,000 square miles sold by Ontario Govern-- ments in the past twenty years. "And if he will go out and get the honest answers to those questions, and deliver them here," added Mr. Cox. "I promise you the greatest political sensation since Confederation." Deeply Resentful. Mr. Cox at the outset expressed sur-- prise at the nature of Mr. Acres's re-- marks, since they had, he said, no possible bearing upon Provincial a{f-- fairs, and the circumstances were not the concern of the Legislature. He then reviewed his purchase of timber tracts in the three areas named impuc&:oh'um irregular. I am business record. The records ar Wil Query Acres. Furthermore, in retaliation to Mr. Acres, the Port Arthur member prom-- ised that, when Mr. Acres was back in his seat next week, he would ask the Tory some questions in return. Political Sensation Promised by Cox, Answering Acres NNUENDOES directed against the business dealings of I Charles W. Cox, Liberal M.P.P. for Port Arthur, in the Logislature on Thursday nighkt, by A. H. Acres, Tory member for Carlston, when he demanded Mr. Cox's resig-- nation, were given a full and detailed answer at yesterday's wa more than $50,000. "I deeply resent," he said, "the iplication that there was anything egular. I am not ashamed of my charges, had implied that k --ILb is an '"'The member for Carleton doesn't have to go over to that side," inter-- jected Russell Nesbitt, Conservative member for Toronto -- Bracondale. '"'The difference between the two of you is that he was able to get the Conservative nomination ." dia about the ramifications of the things the Tories were doing in the Thunder Bay district, I refused to have anything to do with either the nonfination or the party. I couldn't be a party to that organization and have any self--respect." Mr. Cox then reviewed his own record of many years in public life. He might even have been able to carry Port Arthur for the Tories, so successful had he proved to be as a candidate. Then came his promise to ask Mr. Acres some questions that would prove the sensation of decades in Ontario political life, if the answers were This sally roused Mr. Cox to further indignation. "During the last election campaign I was asked to accept the Conserva-- tive nomination for Port Arthur," he , "but knowing as much as I March 21 REFUSAL TO PAY TRAFFIG AINES 1$ CENSURED "Not Acts of Good Citi-- zens," Says Roebuck of Cleric, Business Man The much--publicized cases of the two Western Ontario motorists--a clergyman and a business man--who have deciared their readiness to go to jail rather than pay small fines for driving without a tail--lamp, finally reached the Legisiature yesterday. The matter was brought up by W. A. Baird, Toronto Tory, who asked Attorney--General -- Roebuck for & statement. The Rural Dean of TU-- bury and W. H. Moody, whom he de-- scribed as an executive officer of the St. Thomas and Elgin Motor Club, were both reputable citizens, said Mr. "When a citizen is brought before the courts and penalized," explained Mr. Roebuck in reply, "and a fine is levied, the Attorney--General or an executive of the Crown can do little, He has no authority to interfere, ex-- cept perhaps to remit the fine when the charge comes under a Provincial stetute. These charges were laid under the Highways Traffic Act. It is not necessary under this section of the act to prove that the operator knows his tail--lamp is out. It is a blanket section, making it positively and inescapably illegal to drive with-- out a tail--lamp burning--or without the three lights all burning, as re-- quired under the act. "But," he proceeded, "when a fine has been levied, the prosecuted driver has several alternatives, He may ap-- peal to a County Judge and have the case retried. He can pay his fine. He can sit quietly, and, in due course, an officer of the Crown will come and sell something from his effects to meet the fine. Or he can go to jail and serve his term, if that gives him any satisfaction. "Or finally," concluded Mr. Ros-- buck, "the citizen can petition the Legislature to change the law, if he feels 'that it is unjust. However, to merely protest the fine and carry on an advertising campaign is not the action of a good citizen."

Powered by / Alimenté par VITA Toolkit
Privacy Policy