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HIPEL CHARGES BID TO WRECK STRIKE PEACE Charges that William A. Gunn, secretary--treasurer of the 'Toronto Retail Fuel Dealers' Association, had prejudiced amicable settlement of the coal strike by spreading false rumors, was made in the Legislature yesterday by Hon. Norman Hipel, Minister of Labor. 'The Minister rose before the orders of the day and said he wished to assure the House and the people of the Pro-- vince that the strike had been definitely settled and that it was not of a temporary nature. Mr. Hipel referred to a report in The Globe and Mail which described the coal agreement as hanging in the balance. This had resulted in uneasiness and his office had been besieged with telephone calls from coal dealers, their employees and the public, wanting to know if the strike was really over. There was no mention of Mr. Gunn's name until Provincial Secre-- tary Harry Nixon asked his col-- league to name the person he was referring to, and Mr. Hipel im-- mediately complied. He charged Mr. Gunn with circulating false rumors and with having told a Hamilton group that he had all kinds of "pull" with the Labor De-- partment and could get anything they wanted. "I notified the Hamilton people my office was open at any time and they were welcome to come and see me about their problems," said Mr. Hipel. "This man became dis-- gruntled and spread false stories. He acts as secretary--treasurer and adviser to a small group of dealers. He went so far as to run over to my department yesterday, when he felt a final settlement was about to be made, and tried to influence the press and attempted to get his picture taken." The Minister asked the public not to get excited over the coal situa-- tion and order their fuel as re-- quired. He expressed every confi-- dence in the men who had signed the strike settlement. Claims W. Gunn Spread False Rumors: L atter Denies Accusations NAMED IN HOUSE Replies to Hipel. Replying to Mr. Hipel last night, Mr., Gunn said he was called to Queen's Park by the president of the Toronto Fuel Dealers' Associa-- tion, Norman Blanchard. "Mr. Blanchard wished to consult with me regarding the terms of the agreement," said Mr. Gunn. "I spoke very favorably of the agreement and the Government's work in effecting a soettlement. I would refer you to Mr. Blanchard as to what I actually said. "I refute the charges of Mr. Hipel, which I would simply term low-- down political rubbish. I have al-- ways thought he was above that sort of thing and the use of such tactics. It shocks me to think we have a Minister who would go out of his way to injure a fellow--citizen who has not the privileges of the House. "I did head a delegation of coal dealers from Hamilton shortly after Mr. Hipel became Minister of Labor, but only because they asked me to do so. He told them in front of me there was no need for them to secure my services as his door was open to them at all times. I never at any time said I had 'pull' with the Labor Department." FEGRUARY 24 COUNT OF LIBEL AGAINST PAPER URGED BY DREW A demand that the Crown tak» action for criminal libel against the Toronto Daily Star because of a *dastardly and cowardly attack on the integrity of the civil service" was made on the floor of the Legis. lature yesterday by Opposition Leader George Drew. in question. _ Hon. Peter Heenan, Minister of Lands and Forests, also contributed his views, but he mads Mr. Cox the target for his attack, declaring that the charges supposed to have been made by Mr. Cox were in the manuscript which he (Cox) handed to the press. When Mr. Cox came before the committee, how-- ever, he lacked the "intestinal forti-- tude" to make thom, Mr. Heenan asserted. The attack on the newspaper was started in the timber committee it-- self by Colonsl Drew, and was car-- ried over to the floor of the House by Mr. Leduc, who rose before the orders of the day. Attorney.General Gordon Conant said the matter was already under careful scrutiny of his law officers and if the facts were as alleged, pro-- secution would follow. 'The Toronto Star is alleged to have published in its issues otf Thursday, Feb. 22, charges purport-- ed to have been made before the lands and forests investigation committee by Charles W. Cox (Lib., Port Arthur). Theso charges were to the effect that civil servants had been "greased" by sums of money to influence their actions. No such charges wore made before the committee, Colonel Drew assert-- ed, and no aspersions were cast on the integrity of members of the civil service. He claimed it was no error in reporting, and called upon the Government to evoke the law azgainst "this venomous publication." The Leader of the Opposition was joined by Hon. Paul Leduc, chair-- man of the timber probe committee. in a denunciation of the newspaper Colonel Drew charged that the Star, aftor publishing the repo®t, had actually increased the scope of the libel by changing words which were in quotation in earlier editions. He declared that freedom of th* press must be preserved, but that freedom of the press "do€es not mean unbridled license on the part of \;éaft:i{); x;r;;s -ifihgnates." Charges Contained in Report Were Not Made, He Declares in House Y