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; The declaration came after Attor-- 'ney--General Rocbuck explained to the ;Bome his position before the court respecting the eight--hour day, unem-- 'ployment insurance and other legis-- lation on which the court heard argu-- ments. COURT SUPPORT SEEN FOR LAWS Bennett Social Legislation Valid--Macaulay When the Supreme Court of Canada brings down its verdict on the validity of social legislation passed 'by the for-- mer Bennett Government, "those laws will be found to be valid because they are in pursuance of a treaty." Leopold Macaulay, Conservative member for York South, declared in the Legisia-- ture yesterday. In the Labor Commiltee earlier yes-- terday, John Noble of Toronto charged that Ontario opposed the eight--hour day. Mr. Roebuck denied the statement then, and arose in the Legislature at the opening of today's session to make a second denial. Except Ontario, all the Provinces arguing before the Supreme Court op-- posed the eight--hour--day legislation on various grounds, Mr. Roebuck said, but he upheld the right of the Do-- ;n'nlon to legislate for the eight--hour Reading from his brief before the court, Mr. Roebuck recalled that he had contended the Dominion had suffi-- cient authority under the peace. order and good government clauses of the Constitution to effect this. Accusing the Attorney--General of "splitting hairs," Mr. Macaulay said he could demolish his argument in two minutes. Mr. Macaulay charged Mr. Roebuck and his colleagues at the hearing with "harpooning" the social General let them down, the former Highways Minister went on, "and when we've debated this thing in full we'll show you did let them down." Tor Mr. Roebuck, who had once run as an Independent Labor candidate in Northern Ontario, to stand up "split-- ting bairs" in that manner stood out "like a sore thumb," Mr. Macaulay Revelation of Communications Not in Public Interest, Says Roebuck Hydro Information Sought by Tories Denied by Liberals ERSISTENT Conservative attempts to delve into the history of the Hepburn Government's policy on Hydro contracts met with defeat in the Legislature yesterday. Without a division, the Government was twice sustained In its refusal to divulge the desired data, following debates in which the Administration was charged with hanging the Club of dismissal over civil servants' heads, and the Oppo-- gition was charged with pleading the cause of the opponents Oof public ownershin. felt the Attorney-- Queen's Park Astronomer. First the Opposition, through G. H. Challies, former Provincial Secretary, wanted produced all communication between the Government or its mem-- bers or Hydro officials and the fol-- 'lowing engineering and legal firms: H G. Acres, the Stone & Webster Engineering Corporation, J. C. M. German, James G. Harvey, McCarthy & McCarthy; McRuer, Mason, Cam-- eron & Brewin; Long & Daly, Lewis Duncan, and R. S. Robertson, K.C. To this question, Attorney--General Kocobuck replied that the information was not in the public interest. Mr. Challies he said, was like a back-- yard astronomer, who couldn't resist the temptation to focus on neighbors' windows. "If he will confine himself to looking at the stars, and n>t seek to peer in directions and realms that are private and intimate and that do not concern him, he vwill gain more knowledge for his pains, and will ob-- struct less the affairs of 'this House," chided Mr. Roebuck. It was ridiculous, he added, to sug-- gest that the Government reveal its correspondence tn Mr. Robertson, who was its solicitor in the litigation with the Quebec power firms. * the Quebec power firms. Mr. Challies wanted to know why the Hydro nseded "so many lawyers to advise it."' "We have only about half as many as you had." retorted the Attorney-- General and Hydro Commissioner. "There are five Hydro solicitors today.| When we took over there were nine, includng your patronage friend Lucas, l who got $10,000. We have reduced | legal costs in Hydro more than a| bhalf." | Dismissals Said Just, I "What other categories have you got?" Mr. Challiee wanted to know. There was no positive permsanence about any Civil Service position, Mr. Roebuck explained. All were subject to dismissal if a just cause arost. The Tory member then attacked Hydro policies in regard to employ-- ment, charging that men with fifteen years' service had been placed on the '"temporary staff," working by the day and in constant fear of dismissal, Hon. H. C. Nixon, Provincia Secre-- tary, contributed the statement that more Hydro information had been horestly and fully revealed to the House and the Province during the Herburn Administration than during the entire previous history of Hydro. Just because an employee was listed as "not permanent on the rolls he was not necessarily working by the day," said Mr. Roebuck. f Mr. Henry said Mr. Roebuck had reccused the Opposition of being the spokosmen of the enemies of Hydro. and ho stoutly denied the charge. "I throw it back in his face," he shouted. "I see no reason to agree with you." Mr. Roebuck replied. "Actions speak louder than words." The words of the Attorney--Gen-- eral, said Mr. Henry, proved that he wanted every last Hydro employee under his thumb. And when Mr. Maxrch After T. A. Kidd, Tory member for Kingston, moved an amendment to the question and had it voted down. the House similarly voted down the orisinal question. The members then turnsd to the nex'* question, wherein the Opposi-- tion sought all information regarding the purchase of the frequency--changer for the Chats Falls power plant which was purchased in Hamilton. The motion for a reply to this question was also defeated without a division, after a brief and warm debate. Nixon scughs to interject a remark, Mr. Henry added that the (t:l:::r!r'x; ment was equally determined 1& rve one but its own members should mal & speech., "Loock what happened last week." he went on. "The honorable member for Parkdale (Colone!l W. H. Price) made a trenchant speech, and the Prime Minister took a whole afternoon to stage a fiasco, secking to answer LIGENSE FEE FOR EMPLOYERS 1$ PROPOS AL The Industrial Standards Act was characterized as a "spineless, week-- knged milksop act," by Waltor Daw-- son, Vice--President of the Toronto Master Plumbers' Council. His or-- ganization had come under the act, but he protested against lack of on-- forcement. "I won't let this man or anybody else stand here and say the farmers of Ontarin and Canada are chisel-- lers," said Mr. Acres. "The farmer is the best friend of every Labor or-- ganization in Canada." A proposal for a licensing fee for employers in the building industry anrd a committee to regulate the in-- dustry was made t»> the Ontario Icgislature Labor Committee yester-- day by R. A. Phinnemore, Chairman of the Advisory Board of Toronto painting contractors. said building cperations in Toronto were less than last year, and he at-- vributed this 'argely to the Industrial Standards Act, passed at the last ses-- sion of the Legislature. Because of this act, he said, the cost of a $10.000 home was increased by 17 per cent. Mr. Bruce urged the Government to set up a new Commission t> inves. tigate relief payments ana have work-- ers represonted on it. An unfair attack had been made on the Industrial Standards Act by one weekly paper, said Mr Bruce, and it seemed to him as if this was an at-- tack on officers of the Government. "The spirit of the law is right, but we want its enforcement," Mr. Bruce declared. The statement of John Noble. offi-- cial of the Toronto Electrical Work-- ers' Union, that farmers were "as great chisellers as anywhere in Can-- ada," brought a heatod denial from A. H. Acres (Conservative, Carleton), and the demand from Welfare Minis-- ter Croll for a withdrawal. The Labor Committee, at its first meeting, heard reprosentatives of labor express their cpinion on various problems affecting the worker. John W Bruce, representing international labor, in the course of a general out-- line on the position of labor, declared revolution was imminent. "You've got to put people to work and give them a decent standard of living," he said. "If you don't, they will take Ww. J. Fugler, Chairman of the To-- ronto Home Builders' Associaticn. it," *3