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If there was no shortage of pow-- er during the election campaign, as the Premier had repeatedly claimed, said Mr. Baird, then why This paper proved beyond the shadow of doubt, said he, that as early as January, 1937, Mr. Hepburn had been informed by Ottawa and surely must have realized that the additional flow of water at Niagara and in the proposed diversion schemes which he required to in-- crease power production domestical-- ly could not be obtained because of international complications. the Federal Administration had tabled in the House. of Commons Proof Alleged. to blame Mr. King at Ottawa indi-- rectly for the purchases of current that were made, almost as soon as the election was over. But, said he, the Premier's claims were not borne out by the White Paper which It was all right for the Premier to argue that, prior to the election there had been no negotiations with "the power barons," submitted Mr. Baird. "It was all right for him "I believe the Prime Minister had that power in sight, as he said," said Mr. Baird. "And it was the power afterwards purchased from Beau-- harnois and the other Quebec com-- panies." Mr. Baird got into brief but spir-- ited tangles with Hon. M. M. Mac-- Bride, Minister of Labor, and Hon. Eric Cross, Minister of -- Welfare and Municipal Affairs, when he | condemned the former's conduct of the recent coal strike negotiations, and charged that the latter's de-- partment was "a political machine" O 3 H and gcc;dod thorough investigatir;g. * Mr. Baird alleged that the Provin-- Legnslafor Confends ®p-- clal Labor Department should ac-- bum's Sfand Nof Borne ;'t:pt.r son;'e r'neasuredot 'responslbil- * ty for the increase prices to coal Out by White Paper consumers resulting from the in-- Sntinrismmmmmmerorommmmmee ue creased wages paid to the men following upon the negotiations in TWO MlNlSTERS lRKEDMr MacBride's office. The Labor l« lMinister heatedly argued that his 'department could not control in-- No truer words had ever been dustry; had no right to fix prices: spoken than when Premier Hep-- and that Mr. Baird wasn't familiar burn, at Simcoe, during the ln.;t!with his subject. What's more, in . g i \the final agreement arrived at by election, had publicly stated that | the coal industry, under the Indus-- there need be no concern a00U4t |trial Standards Act, it had been future power supplies, because "Ahat | specifically directed, said he, that power is in sight right now, "'"'!hnra be no increase in the cost of liam A. Baird (Cons., High Park), coal to the consumers. | told the Ontario Legislature yester--| "That may be true," said Mr.| day. % oo lBaird. "but I can tell you of Aa | "I believe the Prime M'"'fi"',',' had | charitable institution that is paying | that power in sight, as he said," said 30 cents per ton more for coal than ! Mr. Baird. "And it was the PO"'"'n did before the strike, and will | afterwards purchased from Beau-- have to pay that price for the bal-- harpois and the other Quebec com-l"m_. of the season, just because.' panies." re pmeks »thaw / t 0c cingr es & -- PRE -- ELECTION POWER CLAIMS ARE ATTACKED they say, of the agreement negoti-- ated in the office of the honorable Minister." had it been P17 it been necessary to (go to Quebec or anywhere else for the 250,000 _ horsepower subsequently taken from Beauharnois. Mr. Cross waxed indignant at Mr March 4 "I think you had better investi-- gate your speech," put in Premier Hepburn. "Oh," smiled Mr. Baird, "if I am causing the Prime Minister any perturbation I guess I'm doing all right." Baird's attitude regarding the We;. fare and Municipal Affairs Depart. ments, Mr. Baird, he argued, should not content himself with a mere blanket charge that politics were being played in his administration, but should make some specific alle. gation. Less than two years ago, Mr. Baird retorted, there were 7O Government-appointed and -- paid employees administering relief in York Township and 100 or more doing the same work in Windsor. "I don't believe there were such numbers," declared Mr. Cross,. '"That's why I say investigate," Mr. Baird shot back. "I think you had better investi--