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SINCLAIR CHA&EES EVIDENGE FALOIFIED BEFORE CGOMMITTEE Promises to Make Forests Department "Look Like 30 Cents" CHECKED UP ON STOR!ES Public Accounts Witnesses Disowned Their State-- ments, He Says During his criticism in the Budget debate of the practice of making pay-- ments of salaries in Northern develop-- ment in lump sums, Mr. Sinclair re-- verted to evidence given at the last Public Accounts Committee by em-- ployees under the Northern Develop-- ment Department. \ _ After the last session, the Liberal |\ House Leader continued, at his own expense he had gone to Porquis and cbtaincd affidavits which, he said, proved that false evidence had been given before the Public Accounts Committec. 5 & C "If you give me a fair show at the Public Accounts Committee, with two lawyers to help me, I'll make your department look like thirty cents." William E. N. Sinclair, Liberal House Leader, hurled that challenge across the fioor of the Ontario Legislature yesterday afternoon at Hon. William Finlayson, Minister of Lands and Forests. in the course of one of the sharpest exchanges which have fea-- tured the present session. | | _ _ "If you will give me those state-- ments," said Mr. Finlayson, "I'll have the matter investigated. The Public Accounts were delayed for a week last | year to give you an opportunity to bring witnesses down. I thought the | matter was closed. Why don't you lay '\the information before the Crown | Attorney, so that, if there was any | porjury, he can prosecute?" \__"I'm giving the information now to the House," said Mr. Sinclair. "If you | want to, take action or take the con-- sequences from the public. If you 'wm give me a fair show before the Public Accounts Commltt_eg;g_nd tw lawyers to help me, I'll make your dacpartment look like thirty conts." M:. Finlayson--Pretty cheap. Mr}. Sinclair--1 am human, even if I am a lawyer It is impossible for' me alons to bring out all the evidence at »Public Accounts and attend to other dGulics in the Legislature as well. Costly, Says Minister. Mr. Finlayson stated that he quile realized that Mr. Sinclair was under a disadvantage through lack of sup-- port at the Public Accounts. But he veiterated that last yoar, at the cost ~«{ about $1,000, the Public Accounts Commitice had sa, an extra woek to bear evidence relatingz to the payments o° workers undor the Northern Develi-- opment Departmeont. _ _ c "I haven't cost the public one cen Mr. Sinclair shot back. "There is doubt who is costing the pub money." a Leccduduiciud" Ad This exchange was approached by Mr. Sincslair's discusion of evidence at last year's Public Accounts. He re-- cited evidence that one inspector of the Northern Development Depart-- wont was pald $6 a day, managed his own farm of 147 acres, used road men on the farm when needed, and ocwned a store selling goods to the Govern-- ment. This inspector, F. C. Richard-- son, continued Mr. Sinclair, reported his own time and the time of the men ae hired to the Government and de~-- Hrered their cheques. "HMs is away for hours while men work. yo! he re-- ports their time," caid Mr. Sinclair. 'A great system. How could any Gov-- 1 work. yot he re-- said Mr. Sinclair. ow could any Gov-- public no He referred to witnesses whno AAL been brought before the Public, Ac-- counts Committee last ycear, and montioned changes and conflict in thoir testimony en this point. After the sossion, he concluded, he went to Porquis himself to investigate the statements at his own expense. As a result of thes> investigations, he said, he learned tha, witnesses had signed 'statemefihs last year which they later | disowned at the Public Ascounts | Committce. "What does the Minister think of | this mess?" asked Mr. Sinclair. *"He t had better pult his travelling auditor 'to work on this right away." ernment control its expenditure?" Aflidavits Discovered? terposed with the remark that if the Liberal Leader had found evi-- dence of perjury he should have laid it before the Crown Attorney. \ MHis conclusion from his investiga-- | tion, declared Mr. Sinclair, was that |a political patronage system existed, |and that workmen, under pressure lor the fear of losing their jo'hs, were reluctant to reveal fasts which would injure the Government. "The Minis--| .. ter had hundreds of inspectors, and -- The clause struck out was one to these inspectors employ thousands ®G extend from ten to fifteen years the men. The total covered by lump sW% period in which the city might defe: payments in 1930 under this Minist®| entry on lands taken for street widen-- was $6,154,455," Mr. Sinclair cOR:|ings. Fred G. McBrien (Conserva-- cluded. From statements obtain@ tivye, Toronto--Brockton) strenuousiy since the last session, Mr. Sinclai"| opposed the measure, pointing out claimed, there was ample proof thak | that & business might be compelied tc (oe Rupiite, "t "Oe" biton befOr8 | efent a Building back 'of the existiit _____'__'_______m. line and be "pocketed" there fo: ~ameenmtomaecene uies n ; years. Such a condition had occurrec Q{'"nm Rn ARD R" I | on Kingston Road, he said. & a 4 ala 1Clause Laid Over. SCHOOL BOARD BILL, IN ITS AFTH YEAR, § SHELVED AGAIN It was here that Mr. Fin!ayzson in-- This Time Ferguson Town-- ship Scheme May Be Forgotten for Good PREJUDICES ARE BLAMED There w'. be no revival by the Henry Government this year of for-- mer Premier Ferguson's Townships School Board proposal, and from the attitude of the present Prime Minister it is doubiful if the bill will be heard of tor some time. | -- . _ * Mr. Henry confidently believes that the arrangement will eventually oper-- ate throughout Ontario, but contends that, at the present time, "local preju-- dices" are still too strong to warrant any re--presentation of it. In illustrating the local prejudice angle, the Premier recalled to The Globe yesterday that he, personally, had recenily tried to introduce the proposal in his own county, in the nature of a trial exporim>nt, and even offer>a gratis sufficient acreage from 1is own property holdings on which to build a ccnsolidated school, but his proposition had fallen througp whex: C & yeludac Yement FVDe m mssX C C No Een d oAE on es ds Gete C the various factions involved could not come to terms on minor details. | The Townships School Board Bill appzared for four straight years in the Legislature: was debated at length; was even pushed so far at one session as to br printed and circulated throughout the Province to educate the general public as to its aims. But now it has bsen shelved this session, as it was in 1930, and It would not be at all surprising, unofficial sources of information say, if it has been shelved for all time. Mdrch 25 CITY BILL SHORN OF ONE CLAUSE, TWO LEFT OVRA One clause was struck out of the City of Toronto bill and two other clauses were left over until the city \ authorities can be again consulted as | to their wishes by the Private Bills | Committee of the Legislature yester-- Land Entry Extension Proj-- ect Meets With Opposition CITY TO BE CONSULTED day. A clause to require the city to pa; the excess cost of paving streets ove. 36 fect, was laid over. The proposa meant that pavements of less thar 36 feet would have to be paid for en tirely under the local improvemen law. Colonel Goodwin Gibson urge« that on residential streots only pave: ments under 28 feet should be charget to the residents. This view wa: strongly supported by other member: of the committes, until City Solicito: Colquhoun asked Russell Nesbiti (Conservative, Toronto--Bracondale) it« withdraw the clause. A controvers, arose between Mr. Nesbitt and other Toronto members as to his right tc withdraw the clause. Attorney--Gen-- eral Price, Chairman of the commit-- tee, finally suggested that the clause be left over until the city could be again consulted. Colonecl Gibson Objects. Another clause left over for fur-- ther consultation with the city would have empowered Toronto to require buildings cn any street to be set back a cortain distance from the existing= frontages. This was objected to by Colonel Gibson and several others, on the ground that it would "pocket" new buildings on certain streets. The clause to validate the city's Univer-- sity Avenue extension by--law, where-- by 75 per cent. of the cost will be assessed against the city as a whole and 25 under the local improvement law, was passed without discussion,. Among the other provisions in the city's bill which carried were clauses to permil expenditure of $185,000 in lreconst.ructlng the old technical | school, to empower the Council to | carry out agreements for the con-- | struction of stables at the Exhibition, to enable the Council to spend $130,-- 688 for a new fire hall, $192,000 for |new police stations, and $65,000 for 1Eg]inton Park swimming pool, and to | ratify the Church Street extension land Avenue --Road widening. The clause to permit the city to construct ;\ incingrators _ outside city limits \ brought to the committee represen-- | tatives from the surrounding Yorks 'and Forest Hill Village, who rectived .! assurance that thess communities | could dscids on the location of any \ suzh incinerators within their boun-- \ daries. ns' RFitod The bill to incarporate the United Farmers' Co--operative Assosiation was carried in spite of strenuous objec-- tions, led by Robert H. Halbert, former President, and J. G. Whitmore, 2 former director.