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"Another item ls In regard to thr Induction ot tho rate of Interest. on farm loans trom 5 per cent. to 4 per mm. In Perth there are 230 loans lrom this fund. mortgagee amount- ing to 8900000. The redurtion m the rate of interest gives a saving of $9.000 a year. "The reduction of the cost. of Hydro power by $2.50 per horse- power for the County ot Perth,nnd the decrease in service charges the City at Stratford and town of St. Marys, both being separated from tho county but part of my con- stituency. there has been an annual reduction handed to us of $27,290. " have gone to some trouble." declared Mr. Dickson. "to find out just how the tinancht record of the Government and its reductions in mutations of various forms have at- tovted the people of my own county. All of the good things that. have been accomplished were not men- tioned in tho Premier's Budget speech. although the advantages brought to us by his mnounce- ments Wore very tangible indeed. Mr. Dickson said events in the l'nited States showed that Moods swept away the top-soil and caused disastrous duststorms such as rav- aged the Middle West. of the neigh- boring country. Similar misfortunes would occur here unless reforesta- lion were taken up on an extended mule, he said. The Perth member lolLthat municipal Councils could do much to assist the reforestation movement. provided the Govern. ment made the necessary funds available. The Ontario Government should adopt a more vigorous reforestation policy it it hopes to save thousands of acres of fertile land in the Prov- ince. w. Angus Dickson (Libs Perth) said in the Legislature yes- terday during the course ot a Bud. get speech. POINTS TO UNITED STATES WOULD STRESS RlR)REiWi(hl V. Angus Dickson Urges More Vigorous Policy Up: on Administration Conservative Probe . Of Surplus Halted Muck tii The Prime Minister waived his right to refuse to allow the notice of motion to be introduced because of lack of the required two days' no- dice. but he emphatically refused to endorse the request, declaring that it was unprecedented and was mere- ly an attempt to raise a "smoke screen." _ , Information gleaned from Chester S. Walters, Controller ot Finance, before the Public Accounts Commit- tee yesterday was the basis for the Opposition's notice of motion. They asked that the committee be em- powereo to call Mr. Walters again and examine him under oath on mat- ters relating to the surplus and the estimated surplus. Bigger Surplus muted. Premier Hepburn Declares Move 3 tt fo r e Public Accounts Committee ls Affem pf of "Smoke Screen" Efforts of the Conservative Oppo- sltlon to have the Public Accounts Committee probe the Gevernmettt'a $7,000,000 surplus and the 82,000,000 estimated surplus for 1937-38 were defeated in the Legislature yester- day when Premier Hepburn and his followers voted 64 to 16 against a motion from George S. Henry, Con- servative Leader, for approval of the move. "This is my first intimation ot such a notice of motion." said the Prime Minister. "It appears " first glance to be an attempt to carry the Budget debate into the Putrlle,Accounis Committee. Let me inform my honorable friends across the way that when the books are closed at the end of this month, the estimated surplus of $7.300.- 000 will be exceeded. As soon as the books are closed, I will estab- lish a precedent. I will have the Provincial Auditor certify as to the accuracy of the financial state- ment. and I will have it published in every newspaper in the Prov- ince. No one will question the in- tegrity of the Provincial Auditor, who has been in the Government'a service for many years. Mr. linlry formally moved his notice of motion which then be- came debatable. Speaking to the motion. the Opposition Leader said the impression had got out to the public that the 87.000000 surplus was a final statement. If the books of the Province were closed. it would be a different proposition. But the surplus was for ten months actual. and two months estimated. An interim statement should not be called a surplus, he declared. Without Precedent. e. "Appttrentlv tho Tories are still emartinsz under the effects of a halanced Budget." observed the Prime Minister. "This move is without precedent. The change in the fiscal year about which there has been so much criticism from the Opposition. came about as a result of a request from Provincial Treas- urers who desired it for the sake of uniformity. This is only a smoke screen. I am prepared to stake my integrity against the criticism of the Opposition. When the final figures are available, the surplus will exceed the figure I gave." "There is nothirig we want to fl""" up," continued Mr. He'pburn. " see no purpose to he served by transferirng the Budget debate from the Legislature to the Public Accounts Committee." . The division was then taken. re- sulting in defeat for the motion. Sam Lawrence, Hamilton C.C.F. member, voted with the Govemi ment. 7 _..