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March | Plans to Extend ioi Hapways Rest ntario Inquiry e Nee l Not Influenced Doucett States Bv Mine Verd Though the Ontario Department; y Ine er I(t of Highways does not intend to em--; | bark on any extensive road im--| | 'The Government's inquiry into provement projects during the, !the Paymaster Mine disaster, in period of the war, the depaltm('rft' 'which 16 men were killed when a has formulated comprehensive | plans for postwar extension of two--decker cage dropped 1,500 feet, highways, elimination of bottle--| !w_lll not be influenced by the ver-- necks in the highway system, and| |dict of a jury exonerating any per-- other general improvements | de--| |son from blame, Mines Minister sizgned to provide tourist traffic| | Leslie Frost told the Legislature better access to Ontarios summer 'yesterday. ack o. playgrounds, -- Highways _ Minister | Arlhux' Williams (C.C.F., Ontano): George Doucett told the annual| fralsed the matter, and rea'd from | mecting of the Ontario Good Roads a newspaper report of the inquest.| Association vesterday. ;In his opinion this VF'l'dI.('t pre,!udlced Pointing out that in two years| | the approach of the investigating 60,839 trucks and cars have disap--| j body appointed by the Government peared from the roads in Canada,' to inquire into the disaster. Mr. Doucett noted that this was| "According to this newspaper re-- just one reason why ambitious road :' port of the inquest, the jury exon-- programs must wait until the war erated everybody," said Mr,. Wil-- is over. liams. c & | While total expenditures on Pro-- "The verdict is not at all binding vincial highways dropped from $38 upon the Government," said Mr. million in 1938 to $13 million in Frost. "That is the findi~g of the 1944, with the 1945 estimate just coronetr's jury. . I have r-- seen the little more than $12 million, Pro evidence, but I have as«ed for a vincial contributions to municipal-- transcript to be sent me. 1 Ities for the upkeep of their roads can assure all the memi«>s of the increased from $9,513.238 in 1938 to House that, despite the verdict of P $10,841,071 in 1944, with the est: the jury, we intend to investig#fte mates for the present year set a this matter thoroughly." $15 million, Mr. Doucett said. 'The committee of engineering ex-- Mr. Doucett also announced thai perts from the University of To-- the Highways Depariment is plan-- ronto would start its work of inves-- ninz to establish "machinery pools" tigation shortly, the Minister said. in the north so that small muni-- He said that some of the greatest cipalities will be able to have the engineering experts in Canada were advantage of power machinery| connected with the Northern On-- from -- the local -- pool--machiners tario mining companies, but he had _ which their resources would not considered it advisable to select permit them to purchase on their| experts elsewhere rather than have own account. | mining men investigate mining He noted an "alarming depletion regulations and mine practices. in gravel supplies throughout the Full opportunity to discuss the Province and said that in sections Paymaster case would be provided where there is a shortage of gravel in subsequent sittings of the House the department is considering| the Minister said. He suggested using commercial material only on that when the Mines Department the King's Higzhways, leaving the, estimates came before the Legisla-- -- gravel pits for the use of muni-- ture this would be an-- appropriate _ Ccipalities. time to have a full debate on the : A close relationship between the subject. ' main highway systems of t he | country and Canada's future air-- _ | borne transportation system was| | see by Reeve J. N. Allan, Dunn--} | ville, in his presidential address to | the association. | More attention to the marking! ? ef municipal roads in order to at-- | tract tourists off the main high-- ways into the rural areas was urged ; lir. Allan.