Ontario Legislature Ends 8-Week Session Amid Booming Guns
Prorogation Follows All-Night Sitting-- Lieutenant-Governor Gives Royal Assent to 141 Bills Passed by House
Few Spectators View Ceremony
Prorogation of the Ontario Legislature at 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon came like a dose of soothing syrup to a House which had sat all of Wednesday afternoon and night, and until 4 o'clock yesterday morning, to write "finis" to its 1929 sessional business.
Hon. William D. Ross, Lieutenant-Governor of the Province, came and went amid the time-honored formality of booming guns, cavalry escort, guard of honor, glitter of dress and ceremony, and in between times gave Royal Assent to the 141 bills fashioned by the House during its deliberative period of an even eight weeks.
Few spectators followed prorogation proceedings. The Legislative Assembly itself was fairly well represented--Toronto members, in particular, rallying to the occasion-- but the galleries held only a scattering of people. Usually the general public is all curiosity on occasions of this sort, but yesterday the general public, for once, stayed away.
Administration Praised.
The Speech from the Throne occupied little time in reading. Given over almost entirely to a commendation of Government Administration, it approved enthusiastically of plans of the Hydro-Electric Power Commission to invade Northern Ontario with a power policy for people and mines; of the development of considerable social legislation, including the Old-Age Pensions Act; of the setting aside of large areas of alnd for the reproduction of the forests; of further provisions under the Security Frauds Prevention Act to safeguard investors; of the increased gasoline tax; of the increased expenditure on Northern Ontario development; and of an attempt to effect closer co-operation under the new Constables Act between the Provincial Police and the county authorities.
The speech struck an optimistic note with regard to agriculture--a much debated topic during the session ended. "It is a matter of satisfaction," read the Lieutenant-Governor, "to observe the promising outlook for agriculture for the coming season. Crops and live stock have wintered well, and the prospect of an early spring points to a successful year's operation by our farmers."
Features of Session.
Fromthe point of view of legislation, Premier Ferguson's Old-Age Pensions Act, and Hon. George S. Henry's gasoline taxd amendment, proved as expected, the most contentious measures before the House during the session. Some features of a different kind were the Prime Minister's absence from the House for a week; Attorney-General Price's introduction of 41 bills, and the work he had to do in that connection, in addition to his activities on various committees; Hon. Charles McCrea's stirring defense of the administration of his Game and Fisheries Department, and its Deputy Minister, Donald McDonald, against the criticism of certain factions and newspapers; the near-shave the government had from defeat in Public Accounts Committee on the motion of Liberal Leader Sinclair to have revealed all revenues and expenditures of individual liquor stores in the Province; Premier Ferguson's announcement of a great copper refinery near Sudbury; and the vote of the Liberals and Progressives against the principle of the legislation validating among other matters, the Southampton Hydro power by-law.
"The Government may smile," said he, "but there will be no smiling when the motorist drives up to the gas station and gets his gasoline."
"Said That Before."
"You said that before the last session," Premier Ferguson remarked.
Mr. Sinclair declared that he believed that the Government was giving the public a false statement of fact in its resolution on the order paper, which heralded the gas tax bill.
In the final analysis, said he, and despite the wording of the resolution, it was the motorist who paid the tax. He believed that a motorist might well question in court the constitutional rights of the taxation as framed, or at least if he had enough money to press his question to the Privy Council.
He declared that the money from the taxation on motorists didn't go into the roads of the Province, but went into other departments, which meant no aid to the taxpayer effected.
Sinclair Delayed Bill.
Hon. Mr. Henry expressed himself as "somewhat surprised" atMr. Sinclair's attitude. He recalled that he had tried to bring in the bill on MOnday and that the Liberal Leader had stopped him by a technical objection as to the time that must elapse between the notice of motion and the introduction of the bill. He delcared that the members did not need to read the bill to see what it was all about, because it had been forecast in the press. And he maintained that the revenue raised byt he tax was helping to build up not only the main roads of the Province, but the backroads which were of particular use to the farmers.
Hon. Harry Nixon (Progressive, Brant County), stated that he must object to the bill unless the Minister gave definite assurance that it would be met with a reduction in motor licenses. He declared that the Government, bringing in the measure "so late," was remiss in its duties.
Mr. Henry then made known the idea behind the Government's action. Would the Opposition said he, propose introducing the bill earlier when it wmeant that gas stations could load up with gasoline and, when the bill came into effect, make the motorist "pay the shot" on the extra tax?
Forthwith.
Mr. Nixon wanted to know when the tax would be collected. "Forthwith," said Mr. Henry.
Mr. Henry, recalling the technical objection to his introduction of the bill on Monday, wanted to know if Mr. Nixon in his four years in the U.F.O. Government, had observed the rules of the House.
Mr. Nixon retorted that on every possible occasion Mr. Henry and his colleagues, then in Opposition, had tried to embarrass the Government on the question of the application of the rules.
