The Ontario Scrapbook Hansard

Ontario Scrapbook Hansard, 18 Mar 1938, p. 2

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TCO ol oHan@ IOr +any such charge like that," declared the Pre-- mier, and he read from documents that in April, 1937, months before the election, Ontario and Ottawa had entered into an Aagreement, sub-- ject --to Washington's approval, whereby sufficient water would be diverted from Long Lac into the Great Lakes and through the We land Canal to provide for a de-- velopment of 200,000 horsepower at De Cew Fails. "Firm power?" asked Mr. Henry. "Peak power," said Mr. Hepburn. "Oh, that's different," said Mr. Henry. "Peak power isn't in the same category as firm power, What the Premier has tried to do--ig to de-- ceive the public again. He is trying !to create the impression that 206,-- v00 h.p. was to be developed at De Cew Falis." The former Prime Minister of the Province alleged that Mr. Hep-- burn's "Back to Niagara" declara-- tion during the election constituted "the most brazen mis--statements of fact" ever perpetrated by a public man of Canada on an electorate. Mr. Hepburn. said he, preached 'Back to Niagara" a hbundred times, when he actually knew there was no more Niagara power to go back to. "I'll not stand for any -- such charge like that," declared the Pre-- migt and hn raunit Ennws "1 _ Cl hAE At the start of his criticism of the Government on Hydro matters Mr. Henry suggested that Engineer Jeffery might have written the At-- torney--General's speech, as he used to (said Mr. Henry) for Mr. Roe-- buck. This accusation Mr. Conant denied, and from then on in the clash of tempers which the Hyaro argument produced there was no Iurt'ner_ "Jefferv' reference. Attorney--General | was only C cerned with the litigation end the power situation." "Which was rigrm." put in Act-- ing Chairman W. L. Houck. "The It was very odd, said Mr. Henry, that Mr. Conant, a newcomer to the Cabinet. should take it upon himself to absoive the Premier of any responsibility for the post--elec-- tion reversal of the election "Back to Niagara" power campaign. The two Hydro Commissioners, said he, had sat idly by in the Legislature and had hsard the Attorney--General say how he had "ganged up" on the Premier and had made him change his mind. Apparently the Attorney--General, to accept his word at face value, was the "king--pin" in all the nego-- tiations for the new Quebec con-- tracts. It was difficult, he said, to. reconcile such a situation with Mr.! Hepburn's assurances when -- the Hydro Commission was re--organized that the new Commissioners would have "a free hand." In various stages of their cross. chamber power argument. Dr. Simpson, in generally milder tones, took his gloves off but once, and then when he charged Rev, A. W. Downer (Cons.}, a neighbor con-- stituency representative, with try-- Ing to rouse "religious prejudices" during the election campaign. Says Engineer Wrote Epeech. Characterizing Attorney--General Conant's recent Mydro speech as "the same old song and dance" that his predecessor in office, A. W. Roe. buck. used to give to the House, L O%. & '0Us stages of their cross-- °" _ power argument. Dr. N. in generally milder tones, s gloves off but once, and _impression that 2 to be developed at HA d ascs i4 s --7:a@1l du , the Legislature | _ of, and if you know only -- con-- of "There was no evidence of the depression in 1930--thar was the peak vear," said Mr. Hepburn, and he added, "there could have been an adjustment of the contracts without the rabid step of repudia-- tion " '"Why did you sign the MacLaren contracts, after the depression set in?" asked Mr. Hephburn. Mr Henry argued that there was no wrong in the Commission of the day over--estimating power require-- ments and in not foresesing the de-- pression. Conant denied it. Mr. Hepburn, in cross--fire pertaining to the firing of Hydro officials, declared: "I told the people in the 1934 election that I would fire F. A. Gaby, the chiet Hydro engineer, and they to!'d me to do it by an overwhelming ma-- jJority and I did it and I have no apnlogies to make." halted by the Drury Administralion. submitted Mr. Henry, it couldn't be inferred that a Conservative Gov. ernment wouldn't have stopped them, too, had it been faced with a similar situation. t__"Why," said Provincial Secretary Nixon, "Hearst was committed to it, hook, line and sinker." "You were the sinker," gibed Mr. Macaulay. Mr. Henry claimed that Ontario had no major power sites outside of the St. Lawrence, the Ottawa and the rivers of the Hudson -- Bay watershed wiien the original con--. tracts were signed. It would have | been criminal of the Commission of | that day to have not looked for | power beyond the Province as the | demands leaped year by year, prior to 1930, he claimed. l He claimed that Attorney--General Conant had misinformed the Housel in his Hydro speech when he in--| cluded 96,000 h.». from MacLaren in | his figure of alleged surplus power|l that resulted from the contracts. | He wondered if he, too, secured | (igures from the Hydro office. | "Is the honorable member churg-{ ing that Mr. Jeffery prepared my address?" asked Mr. Conant. | "I think I woulid be Jjustified in . suggesting that some one down in | the Hyaro office gave some assist--| ance, replied Mr. Henry. Mr.! _ the Gregory Commission did," said Premier Hepburn. "And that Commission cost nearlyv as much as the radials." said Op-- position Leader Macaulay. Just because the radiais had haan Sir Adam Beck, said he dertaken radials to dispos plus power. They hadn't b satisfactory, he admitted. "You didn't stop them," Conant. *""The Greaary (COnmmilant Ir . .. "~, ; 146 fNouse," declared Mr, Henry, with a significant nod at Mr. Conant. "That had all been disposed of, and if you know anything about farming -- you must realize that threshing old straw serves no pur-- pose." Conant in his r'é'("gfit revived. "Long befor came into this house," Spas . _ ) . 33 _ _ rooqUW*UTeSSIN® of the worst type." said he, "Of course the company will sell more power if the price is made right for them,." More fur flew momentarily as Mr. Henry erossed rapicrs with the Government benches over the old Hydro _ radials Isgue which M qs o 8 . $ Rebukes Conant. The Government, from previous correspondence, which it had had with Ottawa, should have realized that there was no chance for the diversion it sought, said Mr. Henry, and vyet, parried Mr, Hepburn, Ot-- tawa had sent the agreement on to Washington with its blessing. The whole situation, said Mr. Henry, resolved itself down to "Ccamou-- flage." None could tell him, said bo, that the present Administration at Queen's Park had not realized that no more power could be ob. tnined at Niagara. More "bosh and bunkum"--of a similap type, said he --~~was to be found in one of the closing clauses of the new Beau-- harnois contract, where it was pro-- tided that the terms of the contract might be extended to the yvear 2003 "Thet is just window-dressing of the worst type." said he, "Of course the company WwWIHH sell MOGFrA mnauras is uC o, [ASs no chance for the it sought, said Mr. Henry, barried Myr, Hepburn, Ot-- sent the agreement on to on with its blessing. The uation, said Mr. Henry, itself down to "camou. Vone could teoll him. said adlals to dispose of sur-- . They hadn't been very 'P@eSs hn voues Mavcl\ 8 before you radials had heen is Diessing. The| said Mr. Henry.} wn to "camou-- | 14 tell him, said | it Administration had not realized over the old which Mr. speech had .:had un-- said Mr. ever He regretted that Hon. Earl Rowe, Conservative Leader. did not see fit to enter the Legislature, but to attempt to lead and dictate poli-- cles from Ottawa. He said he saw signs of resentment from the Op-- position. "It was the most contemptible thing--an attempt to embarrass new members. 1 want you to re-- member some of the abuse you heaped uipon the Prime Minister during those vears. I venture to say that no man in~the public life of this Province had to take the abuse that the Hon. Mr. Hepburn had to take in those years from the Conservatives." tate the work of the House. He recalled when he was a mem-- ber of the little Liberal Opposi-- tion, before Mr. Hepburn took over active direction of the affairs of the party. He recalled how Hon Mr. Henry, then head of the Gov-- ernment, rose from his seat and "tried to put every member of the Liberal Opposition on the spot as to which Leader he would attempt to follow." ship and his wiliin-é-ness to -- do everything in his power to facili-- tate the work of the HUamnea uy _"__ [fCV PCOR AAAICIIOVEEAOF 'And HOot Government House." Dr. Simpson observed that the present session was "very largely a love feast." He congratulated Hon,. Leopold Macaulay, Conserva-- tive House Leader, on his leader-- P ETTTRE Ladt A 2 1 LC Crown is the Lieutenant-Governor himself, and there is no intention of interfering either with him or his office." Surely, he claimed, Sir James Whitney was loyal, yet he in 1906 opposed the building of Govern-- ment HMouse because of the expense, Dr. Simpson then read from the House Journals of 1906 a record of how the Conservative group urged aAn amendment that Government House be discontinued because of expense in maintenance. "YTet," said Dr. Simpson, "my honorable friend spent an hour of this House's time ranting about the closure of Government House. I repeat, the link with the Crown is the Lieutenant--Governor and not: Government House." "Does he with the C Surely not ment House, after all, he did the flag very well, and sugg the most stupid thing he could gest--that the Prime Minister not as loyal as he is," said Minister, Dr. Simpson claimed that Henry had threshed more old : than in any speech he had heard in the Legislature. "When he referred to Go D ESPSR oBPE S uy --~OL power from Beauharnois and it was refused?" asked the Premier. Mr. Henry couldn't recall it. He claimed that charges that the terms of the original contracts were iniquitous "were largely built up by persons who wanted to make something political out of it," He recalled that last summer asg Beauharnois bonds showed strength a man on the street told him there fvere new negotiations for Begy. harnois power. "Didn't you ask 2 suggest that the link Crown is Chorley Park? t. The link with the the Lieut_enant-Governor Prime Minister was for_ a stay of suggested that Myr. old straw had ef\--'é'r did wave said the Govern. Ssug»--

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