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the old-age pension legislation with- out consulting the Provinces, although the committee appointed to study the question had recommended that a con- ference of all the Provinces should be held. He said that the Alberta Gov- ernment, "a Liberal Government al- though Progressive in name" had re- cently refused to enact old-age legis- lation before studying the qmlstion. "The Government." Mr. Ferguson sald, "wanted to understand the prob- lem before launching into a scheme which would cost millions every year. If you are going to make legislation successful you must first make it ac- ceptable to the people." _ .. . He explained that he had been In- formed recently by the National Wel- fare Bureau. which for some time had been making a study of the question, that it was not yet in a position to sug- gest or outline the type of organiza- tion necessary to operate the old-age pensions scheme. Suggestions Ridiculed. Mr. Ferguson ridiculed the suggestion that It might be operated under either the Compensation Board or the Mothers' Allowances Commission. "The man who says that has no idea of the work necessary," he _said, "The Government hopes that by the time the next session comes around it will be able to present a sate, sound, businesslike method to handle the situ- ation adequately and give relief where relief is needed." Tourists and Money. Charles A. Robertson (Liberal. North Huron) doubted whether tourists left as much money in the Province as was popularly supposed. and he was ct the opinion that the benefits ct the tourist tramc should not be overestimated. He aged better consideration in the mat- t of roads for the more remote parts of the Province. Mr. Robertson regard- ed rural Hydro as a blessing. "it the farmers could get it at a rate that was not prohibitive." Says Rates High. "Before we can undertake the scheme we should have a. thorough under- standing of me machinery which would be necessary for Its operatioty'/ "But," said Mr. Ferguson. "no one has heard, as far as I know. a syllable .rom any member of this Government oppos- ing the suggestion that we should con- tribute to the maintenance and comfort of the old and needy people of this Province. Mr. Robertson instanced another case in which the Government had made a 14-mile extension of Hydro lines in a neighborhood in which they had hoped to encourage its use. But only two contracts had Been negotiated on that line. - _ _ . Mr. Robertson asked why it was that houses of refuge in the cities should be given a per diem grant of 10 cents per inmate when county institutions did not receive it. The Prime Minister asked that he submit him a memoran- dum on the point raised for his con- sideration. Conditions in the schools were not, in Mr. Robertson's opinion, as they should be. He referred to the Town- ship School Board Bill, suggesting that it would still be unpopular. since it was, in many ways. unworkable. Commends Mr. Wilson. Referring to Government control, Mr. Robertson commended the action of Frank W Wilson (Conservative, East Windsor) in supporting beer by the glass. since he had been elected on that platform. There were other members in the House, Mr. Robertson suggested, who would have voted tor the measure it they had been true to themselves in- stead of party. U - Leslie W. Oke (Progressive, East Lambton) characterized the U.F.O. party of three as "still going strong," and as something that s'.ou1d not be; " 111m. I an. uuyrv- - w--_ V, __ . had been elected on that Peter _W. Pearson (Liberal, North ',',t't"li,r",i,?." game were other members York) distributed the weight of his at- in the House, Mr. Robertson suggested, tack on the Ferguson Administration who would have voted tor the measure between Regulation 17, old-age pen- if they had been true to themselves in- sions and the Liquor Control Act. He stead of party. thought that the definition, "dismal Leslie W. Oke (Progressive, East failure." which had been applied by Lambton) characterized the U.F.O. Hon. John R. Cooke to Regulation 17 party of three as "still going strong," was opt'n to question. Study of the and as something that s'.ould not 't'selueidiiiili Inquiry Committee report underestimated at the next ihiirj1tt1.l!.e,,d, led him to believt..t.hat failure of election. Because of their economic .schools in certain localities to measure position, farmers could not stay out l up to standard had not been the fault of politics. .of the regulation itself, but the fault . of unqualified teachers. Temperance Teaching. F In spite of the Government's argu- Mr. Oke was prepared to accord the Liquor Control Act a "tair trial." He deprecated the idea, as suggested from some sources, that the Government should send temperance lecturers and educationists throughout the Province, arguing in this connection that every man and woman of sound judgment--- "not tanaties"--should he a temperance worker, and that every member of Parliament should set an example to his constituents, not only in temper- ance teachings, but in "temperance actions." While, he said, the AW6mey-Oeneral had made a good defense of the act in the House, he could not help won- dering if the some $17,000,000 spent on liquors in the first five months of oper- ation of the new law was going to do Ontario any good. He knew men who had made a lot of wealth through liquor. and had not fared very well in the end. "If it is to work out the same way regarding the Province," he said, "the Province has my sympathy." Speaking of conditions in East Lamb- ton, he said there was no liquor store there. He had had no demand for any. He did not think the riding either, wanted one or needed one. As tar as; law observance was concerned, there; had been no particular change worked' by, the Liquor control Act." h f Mr. Oke argued that the Oovern-, ment had made a mistake in taking" the ballot inquiry out of the hands of the Legislature and turning it over to a Royal Commission. He said that the Prime Minister rightly wanted to get it "out of politics," and he and his "Luv u.r.u. group could have handled It as well as any Royal Commission. George S. Shields (Conservative, To- ronto-Woodbine) declared that the chief objection ot Mr. Belanger to Regulation 17 had been the "blood pride of the French." They had principles, he said, and so had he. His were that the English language should be the lan- guage ot the schools of Ontario. both public and separate. " would stutt them with English just ac, the Minister of Agriculture stuffs his cockerels be- fore he sends them to market." Teaching of English. On the question or old-age pensions Mr. Shields thought that the Govern- ment was quite right in looking before it leaped. "But I wish they had looked sooner and were able to leap now," he said. He deplored the tact that the liquor question had such prominence. "Every- body is talking about liquor," he said; "leave it alone for tive years, don't issue all these figures and reports, and watch quietly to see how the act is working out." "Then, perhaps, We would lose the rest of the ballots," smiled Premier Ferguson. Judgment and Reason. He iauded the friendliness that Mr. Ferguson had shown toward Hydro. He had, however, visited the Gatineau and he sounded a warning against the "menace of such large corporations as could purchase newspapers." "They get what they're after," he said. He wanted, he said, the assurance that the English who were in the minority in a French section ot the Province should not suffer in the mat- ter of learning their own language because instruction was given in French. When the French come to Ontario it is in their best interests that they should learn English, he said. "Sound judgment and good reason," said Mr. Ole, "would settle the ques- tion in practically no time. In my opinion, it is a big fuss made.out of nothing." Mr. Oke registered a strong plea for old-age pensions, saying that he and his two followers would support the Sinclair-Mewhinney amendment before the House in this regard. When, he said, the Government was in a position to make grants to pretty nearly every request of merit which came along, it should have money with which to take care of the aged and needy after they had passed the age of 70 years. In spite of the Government's argu- ment, he felt that it had not "the will to do" on the question of old-age pen- sions. "Any Province." said he, "which can afford to spend $38,000,000 or 340.- 000,000 a year for liquor can well afford "O pay out the money required to give 'roper care to people who have given heir lives in the interests of the Prov- nee." "V VS iv.i, r\Avc, Mr. Pearson tackled the "short' weight" in liquor conditions which had been disclosed by a man named Dewar.; He said that in the days of the open! bar there had been slick bartenders] who had not been averse to short-S changing a fellow, but the least that; one could exp ct from the Ferguson: Government inspect of its liquor sys-" tern was honesty of administration. Yet, apparently. it was not to be had, he said. He said there was an inclirE nation to pass off lightly this "short; weighting" of liquor. A farmer's wife: could not go to market. he said. and? sell a pound of butter two ounces, short, even though it came from a; regular print. without being hauled up? before a Magistrate in a hurry. i Mr. Pearson related the story of a young man in his home town who only that morning had had his permit .taken away from him. A 30 per cent. l disability case. a chap who had no job. and who frequented poolrooms. he had Ibeen able, nevertheless, to buy 31 bot- l tles of spirits and "hundreds of bottles '_of beer" from the Liquor Board. For l one purpose only-resale. Hammered on Barber Shop. Those "Reputed Quads." At some length, Mr. Pearson dis-I puted the Government's claim thatl bootlegglng had been cut down by the) new act, and that there was less drink- ing by young people and at young people's parties. He used the recent "beer-by-the-glass" argument of Prank W. Wilson, East Windsor member. to show, as he contended, that retail sale by bootleggers had increased. He used newspaper statements credited to Rev. W. A. Cameron, Toronto, and to Rev. Father 00er of Kingston. respectively. to show that young people have re- cently been carried out of Toronto dance halls, drunk-and that the ap- palling extent to which drinking has increased in Kingston among the yobllxth of the community is "unbeliev- a e." In relating the story of a travelling man who knew conditions in Northern Ontario intimately, and who had said {that in Sudbury and North Bay he had seen more drunkenness and had heard more barroom language in the last few months than in the three previous, years. Mr. Pearson drew the fire of Premier Ferguson. l - _ - -_-. The North York member's story of a woman who recently staggered along Bay Street, hammering on a barber shop window, using profane language, and who sprawled all over a policeman, and yet went unapprehended. because, in the polieeman's words, "We don't bother with people like that," drew an indignant interruption from Fred- erick G. McBrien, Toronto Conserva- tive member. "Where was that barber shop?" asked Mr. McBrien. " don't know." said Mr. Pearson. " didn't think you would," said Mr. McBrien. ' "You don't need to talk to me that way, young man," snapped Mr. Pear- son, and Mr. McBrien wilted. "Are you sure of that?" asked Mr. Ferguson. "Well. I haven't been there," said Mr. Pearson. "Well, I have," the Premier' return- ed. "and I don't believe it." 7 N"This man of whom I speak is a very estimable gentleman." said Mr. Pear- son. "and I'm confident that he would not mislead me." Praises Liquor Act. Frederick J. Skinner (Conservative, Leeds; declared that conditions in his constituency under the Liquor Control; Act, socially. morally and industrial-! ly, showed improvement even though]; the act had been in force but a few! months. The Leader of the Progress-u sive group, John G. Lethbridge. had produced permits, Mr. Skinner said, showing that vast amounts of liquor had been purchased, but he could. he said, produce permits with very few of the spaces filled. Referring to the Hydro transmission line being carried across from the eastern side of the Province, he declared that in the east it was felt that industrial progress was being re- tarded by lack of power. The east, he said. with the added power soon to be available. would rival the southwest- ern part of the Province industrially. He offered the suggestion that when the St. Lawrence River development was be- gun a. two-phase system should be used, since it would make the power avail- able tive years earlier and would re- quire the flooding of a smaller area of farm. sure of that?" asked Mr.