The Ontario Scrapbook Hansard

Ontario Scrapbook Hansard, 3 Mar 1937, p. 2

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Will Give Evidence Concern-- ing Province's Capital Advances to Hydro The resolution calling for their subpoenaing was moved before the committee at its organization meet-- Iing yesterday by Arthur Ellis (Cons., South Ottawa). Mr. Ellis was balked by the committee on his request for authority to inves-- tigate a similar $4,000,000 item "ap-- pearing in the Public Accounts of 1935, on the ground that the com-- mittee could not go back further than a year in its inquiries unless with the consent of the House. T. Stewart Lyon, Chairman of the Ontario Hydro Commission, and T. H. Hogg, and R. T. Jefferey, Com-- mission engineers, are to appear before the Public Aceounts Com-- mittee of the ~Legislature, next Wednesday, to give evidence per-- taining to $172,000,000 in capital aedvances that have been made Hydro to date by the Province of Ontario. Public Accounts Group Re-- fuses Request to Probe 1935 Item MOTION BY ELLIS "I object to going back to 1935," declared Provincial Secretary Nix-- on, when Mr. Ellis raised the issue. "We have no power to do so without Instructions from the House." "But have you any reason for ob-- jecting to any item in the public accounts for any year since you came into office?" Mr. Ellis retorted. "Why object? You should be only too glad that full light should be thrown on any item. If you want to go back and examine any expen-- diture during the Conservative regime I, as a Conservative, cer-- tainly have no objection. If there is something to hide it should be given the light of day. What objection can there be to examination of 1935 items unless you are worried?" It is expected that such consent will be asked immediately by Mr. Ellis, and that he will pro¢eed at a later date with the second half of his probe in this connection. Mr. Nixon declared heatedly that the Government had nothing to hide, and Attorney--General Roe-- buck, Government counsel to the committee, charged Mr. Ellis with making a political speech. "It is all very well," he said, "to throw out hints that someone is afraid of something. That may be good poli-- tical warfare. But the question is one of the authority vested in this rommittee by the House. My friend (Mr. Ellis) had better think this over. If he wants to go into the 1935 accounts, he must follow the proper procedure and request the House for permission for this committee to do so." Mr. Ellis also moved to investi-- pgate further expenditures on the Kenora -- Fort Frances Highway, totalling $1,677,892 during the fiscal year ending March 31, 1936. In par-- ticular he secks to investigate ag-- gegau payments of $8,807,779 made respect of .northern road con-- in respect of .northern road con-- struction and bridge work to the Dufferin 'Construction Company. R. M. Smith, présent Deputy Minis-- ter of Highways, and R. A. Camp-- bell, who was Deputy Minister last year of the now defunct Northern Development Department, will be subpocnaed for examination under these items. MMITTEE CALLS LYON TO TESTIFY : _ _ Premie~ Hepburn denied the truth 'of the Grand Jury findings, declar-- ' ing that the foreman of the jury iadmitted later that he had been : misquoted in the press. Making his first set speech in the Legislature since his victory in the by--election of last December, Dr. Welsh said that many of the pa-- tients whom he and other physi-- cians brought to the Belleville Gen-- eral Hospital from remote sections of Hastings were in a critical con-- dition when they arrived, due, in most cases, to the distance they had to travel for hospitalization. If the Government could see its way clear to paying part--time salaries to some designated physicians, so that they would be more readily available to outlying areas than they now are, and the fees they or-- dinarily charged would not be pro-- kibitive, a great boon would not only be conferred upon the type of rural people affected, but the ac-- tion would rebound to the credit of the Administration. Dr. Welsh expressed the hope that some definite form of health insurance was not far distant in Ontario. Establishment of a system of bonusing physicians so that people of outlying rural districts could be provided with prompt and adequate medical care when they required | it, was urged upon the Hepburn Covernment last night by Dr. Har--. old A. Welsh, Conservative member' for East Hastings. i A few moments later the Premier explained that when the foreman of the Grand Jury was asked to make a statutory declaration, he said he had been misquoted in the press. He had been quoted as say-- ing that patients were eating off the floor of the institution. Queries Crowding. o o o e . | Would Provide Prompt and| Adequate Medicar Care in Outlying Districts, Dr. Harold Welsh, M.L.A., Contends 4 Urges Bonus Plan _--_--For Rural Doctors "I wasn't referring to the matter of eating off the fioor or off the table," said Dr. Welsh. "It was said that there was serious overcrowd-- ing. Is that true?" Dr. Welsh made his maiden effo--t a spectacular one when he crossed swords with Premier Hepburn, Dr. Faulkner and Hon. Harry Nixon over the Grand Jury report on al-- leged overcrowding at Mimico Hos-- pital. Hectic Debate. "The other jury will sit before many months go by and you'll have to face it," taundered Mr. Henry, emid applause from his followers. It was at this point that Mr. Henry asked the Government what were the findings of the Grand Jury, and the Premier, apparently exasperated, retorted: "Oh, what do you know about it, anvywav?" "I think I am entitled to an apology from the Prime Minister," declared Mr. Henry. "I merely asked a'civil question." "You were dealt with by a grand jury of the people," returned Mr. Hepburn. C y 4 oo s "The Grand Jury that says the Mimico Hospital cannot accommo-- date more tkan 800 patients is ob-- The debate grew hectic when Op-- position Leader George Henry and the Prime Minister started a duel on their own, ending up with direct threats against each other's political party. Mr. Henry demanded an apology from the Premier for what he declared was deliberate rudeness. but it was noi forthcoming. March 3 viously wrong," said Hon. Harry Nixon. "What we want to know is this: Is the Grand Jury report right or wrong?" asked Wilfrid Heighing-- ton (Cons., 8St. Davids). "It is wrong," answered the Pre-- mier. '"That is what we have been trying to tell you." Hon. Dr. J. A. Faulkner, Minister of Health, said the hospital had accommodation for approximately 1,300 patients.

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