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OIIONO WEL Queot's Report Park Alex Carruthers, M.F.P., Durhuam. private BUis The Commitee on PrivaiteBis is flot only ýone of the most im, portant of the standing commit- tees, but from an interest point of view it is both informative and cballenging. Very often municipalities, school, boar-ds, universities, chur- ches, etc.' are faced wlth situa- tions which cannot be deait with unrder general legisiation. The ]Private Bills Committee establish- ed by the legisiature and report- ing to the legisiature hais the re- sýponsibility of deciding in favour of or rejecting petitions for spec- ili legisiation to deal with these situations. The Committee, as is the case of ail standing committees, is composed of members from ail political parties in the legis]ature on the sarne ratio as they have members in the House. Decisions are generally non-partisan and are bas ed on the mnerits of the particular bill. lu order, that the public may be fuliy aware of the legisiation, the bill must be advertised once a week for a period of six weeks prior to consideration by the coin- tinittee in (lhe Ontario Gazette, ani nt least one newspaper p)ublishied o rcua in the local munici- pality. A pivtebillrmust be intro- ~duced by a member of the legi s- lature, but representatives of the ýgneral publie bothl in ýfavour of .and op)posingo the bill are per- .fmitted to present their views at the ýomirnittee bearing. lit is an ýexcelent example of participait- ory demlocracy. ExamYples of pri vate bis deait with recently include the foliow- big: (A) An. Act Respecting the 'outity of Prince Edfard This was Io enatbîe legisiation' to permit te County of Prince Edward to ~asslme power to use, acquire and expropriate land for the purpose ýof estabiishing and. carrying on , indfustrial and comme(rcial opera- 'fons. Local municipalities ut' the present time have this powver and the legisiation slimply ex,,tended it on. a county basis, and was un- animousiy approved by the comi;- mnittee. It is quite possible that the principle of this bal may be later (Irafted in)to general legis- laion. (B3) An Act Respecting the City of Os;hawa. This legisiation, which was approved by the Com- Mittec, empowers the City of Oshawa to increase retirement aliowiances to retired city em- pioyees up to a maximum of CI)STOM-MADE DRA pES CARPET by Harding and Crosley Wali-to-Wail or Area Kugs Complete lire of Kitchen Cýarpet-, Hardsurfaces F. A. Kramp Furniture Ltd. 37 - 41 King St. East Phone 623-7071 Bowmanvilie Free Estimates Deeoratiig Service $3,000. and permits a retiring al-, lowance of one-haif the employ- ee's pension to a surviving spouse. This bill received unanimous con-- sent, and is similar to private legfisiation granted to a number of other muLnicipalities. (Ç) An Act Respecting the Town of Arnprior. This was a controversial bill and resýulted froun the failure of the municipal- ity to pass a suppleunentary by- Iaw ini 1966 to quaiify for goveril- nient sub ii,Id for- over expendit- ures on road construction in that' TIM5S, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2ý particular year. the bill although approved reporting by the committee m~ strongly opposed by a numberr members including myseif. A,, money bill, the Committee hadi authority to dleal with thie le lation and as pointed out. by Deputy Minister of Transpc tion and Communiceations, it a dangerous precedent. Some, similar requests had been i ceived by the department upx date, and without the necesý, (Continued on page 5) DX SERVICE STATION lfgliway 35 and 115, just north ef Newcastle F'eaturing: Pemium Qualitv Products At The Most Reasonable Prices Stove"0' >, ý Desel'Fuel. Available in Any Quantlty Phone 987-4215 t t or Bug ,Get Free' 2 PlOnt Of MiIk BR EA D A%99c Cigarettes Large King 65c Reg.e 64c Carton $40.90 Records Reg $L99 Special$14 Eff ective April 27, 28, 29, K>