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M y ax«ra e MA sns * 'at the present time holds abou' _ ;necessary legislation wiu'?e dealt | o n e 62 m 9 <'%g |$2,000,000 of the debentures of the _ |with at the Ppresent session of th enabled" It +0 effect--reauctions in ; townships; and, to the credit of the _ | n of the |rates of a sweeping character in h Legislature. n | ,towtmmu, let it umwd. with one p gs;gl ?33'1 (;nd cgmn municipalities. | or two exceptions, the payments o i * e on standard . both prlncl:al and interest are in # ensions for the Blmd farms has been cut from $24 to 312§ good standing. The rate of interest , 'The Government has learned P°" Y°AT, and the interim rate for which the debentures carry is 5 per with satisfaction of the intention ot -- POWET aS 8014 by the Commission to: cent. per annum. The Government the Dominion Government to give :he m;onlcipal:lt fes Nat beenTr'e'cilueed. proposes to reduce this rate of in-- pensions to the blind when they d° f? hperb orso;lpov;eg. bs {f' | terest to 4 per cent. per annum ef-- attain the oge of 40 years. I have muuciclo':alit?:s ::nth arc'o:su:?ersy an:l: fective April 1 next, and in due pleasure in announcing today that has b';pn warmlyewelcomed ' The course the _ necessary enabling this Government is heartily in sc-- | saving to the City of Toronto in lfig:'ssl:tlon will be introduced in this '(':rd with this, another evidence of decreased payments to the Pro-- * 'ill'::acle(é}o:zi:rln lefiSlat;onh.l;y a vincial Commission du;ing tt?et :ur-, * * f ent an «wi-- rent year as compared wit ose : License Fees on Commercial ready taken steps to enact comple--| _ in 1936, will amount to over $700,000. Vehicles mentary enabling legislation which j "Mr. Speaker, in order to empha-- will make the pensions effective in size the importance and far--reach-- "It is with some degree of satis-- the Province of Ontario at the ing benefits of the effects of the faction that I inform the House to-- _ earliest possible date. If the measure| -- t2X reductions contained in this . day of the intentions of the Gov-- passes the Dominion House before, _ Y°2TS Budget, made possible by our | ernment regarding license fees on this session prorogues, the legisia| . SUCCestful financial record, they% compmereial vehicles. tion will be introduced this year. | |MSX be summaticed as followest /( . "For the coming fiscal year, the % . "First, a reduction in th.e rate ot; oo cem reduetion' in (barp; fo| | _ Provincial Bubsidy . | |inttrest on mptaniesh Aromect col be charged for the registration of |_ "One year ago when delivering my| tile drainage debentures as well.) 'all commercial motor vehicles and Budget Address to this Assembiy, ; which will be not only a benefit to' | commercial trailers. This reduction | I concluded with these words:; 'With. the municipalities themselves, but | will become effective November 1. | the saving of interest and a conse-- to the individuals and will undoubt-} 1937, when 1938 permits will be _ | quent reduction in the cost of Gov-- edly encourage many farmers who | 'available and will mean a saving of | ernment, we shall be able to carry care to take advantage of the Gov-- 'approximately one million dollars ;the blessings of good government ernment's generous gesture in this Il?hoperators of commercial vehicles. | Into the homes qf the humblest reEard. f | \The reduction of operating expenses -- | man and woman in this Province The complete abolition of the ; by such a sum should provide a diss | "This statement was not lightly amusement tax, which has in the' tinct impetus to business generally, _ |made; and, after careful considera-- past proved so annoying to the peo-- and will benefit particularly those |tion, the Government has decided ple in .Ontario and particularly engaged in farming and in small _ ; that, during the forthcoming fiscal those who can only afford to buy enterprises where the margin be-- _ | year, there will be paid, by way of tickets at 25 cents and less. 'This |tween profit and loss has been a grant to every city, town, village nc\iniance tax, I hope, has disappear-- $5ma". In a *4ransition per]od of a ' and tO"'nShlp of the Pl'ov'nce. a f bl'Dm (:ur statutes forever, never \few short years the farmers of On-- sum representing the equivalent of 0"'1'?1 re;sved. * tario have become increasingly de-- _ | one mill on the dollar of their re-- »o n ooo Aeo : EoL hent, teqnction n pendent on the use of commercial spective rateable assessments . lor commercial vehicle licenses will be $ A ons % o . . es felt by practically 80,000 truck own-- i oonk on e pF UCpnetems Of _nei! --[general municipal purposes, . Such . ere of Ontaric,; and throush th produce and live stock. The benefit grants are made unconditionally, p * rough them, of this reduction in license fees will' |but in the expectation and with th y reduced transportation rates to be felt in all parts of the Province| |; P hy a a P the consuming public. , a ¥ €' {intent that they shall be passed on # ht |and savings will accrue to approxi-- o the I&Xpavers of every co might remind the House that 'mately 80,000 truck and trailer .munit * bv aperucllon af or);e T{:l in the last fiscal year we pruc!ently |operators, and through them to the | ; ; th) 4 1 icipal mil; overestimated our . expenditures consuming public n the gneral municipal tax ratei and underestimated our revenues, j or, where from unavoidable cause| _ and at this moment we are budget-- Amusements Tax _ { such reduction is precluded, then, _ ing for a surplus of $2,200,000 next E _ by avoidance of a one--mill increase: _ year, but there is no reason to be-- I doubt if there is a tax in the . gin the general tax rate which, but'! lieve that, with our record of the fiscal system of this or any other| | for such grant, would have become| past, we will not only repeat but | Province oltCanhada thalt gi;es r:;ore-l : requisite. | possiba' surpass this year's show--| annoyance to the people than does : C . | | ing. aving this in mind, it is the| : |the amusements tax. The Govern--: | On Sctientitic Basis intention of the Government to| ment has given considerable study| "By means of these grants or' |watch closely the actual revenues to the question of reducing the: subsidies this Government believes) / and expenditures for the ensuing amusements tax charged on admis-- ; that it can benefit all citizens--the| |fiscal year, and should they march sions to entertainments and thea--: |Property owners directiy and | |in harmony, as we fully anticipate,| tres and places of amusement. Jt through them, other taxpayers.' |then even this estimated surplus is is a difficult and expensive tax to| | Whether a continuance of such| ; going to be passed on to the tax-' collect, particularly in the smaller: Subsidies and benefits will be pos--| | Ppayers of Ontario, and on October centres. sible in future years is a matter| |15 of this year a complete survey| "Nuisance taxes are bad taxes. that will, in some measure, depend : | Will be made, in order to decide to and should be reduced and discara-- 'upon the findings and recommen-- what degree '\V': can put 'xnto effect ed wherever possible. The Govern-- |Gations of the Royal Commission a flat reduction of the license fees | ment has decided that on June 1, |which is to be appointed by the . OM PaSsenger automobiles. 1937, the amusements tax will be |Dominion Government and which '"But, Mr. Speaker, this House totally abolished. I am sure that. |it is expected, will conduct an in--; | Wil!l agree that the crowning fea-- in giving uo this source of revenue, fqmry into the whole system of, |tUre in passing on the fruits of a} the Government will earn the com. | taxation in Canada with a view to| |Dalanced Budget and an honest 5".'" mendation of all classes of citizens: its thorough revision on an eco.| | PIUS is the direct subsidy that will for it might be added that this tax: --nomic,. equitable and scientific; b,f paid at the rate of one mill Of! reform w'll put Ontario in a very| basis, with full regard to the tax--| the as:e'ss;?d value °f }he rateable! enviable position in competing for, |Paying capacity of the people in| . PTOPET i a 0'_?lvery city, town,, in-- tourist traffic which is becoming| |regard to the taxes properly col--| ::grporz;e '}: age _?"d townshxp,, such an important factor in our| |lectible by the Dominion, by the| roughout the Province. economic life, but most of all the: |Province, and by the rrmnlclpality.I "We Are Marching on." ; abolition of this tax will be of im.--! |The estimated cost of this subsidy' | "Could anyone conceive how a} mense benefit to the citizens in has been included in the estimate :wider distribution of the benefits of ; what might be termed the lower for the coming fiscal year, and it' |a balanced Budget could be more : economic scale, because over 80 per is expected it will amount in round | properly distributed to a well--de--| cent. of the amusement tax is col-- figures, to the sum of three mil--] |serving people. Mr. Speaker, it is' lected from admissions of twenty-- lion dollars. my sincere hope that when I stand . five cents and under. "The contentious and controver-- in this House next year on the oc-- P sial Hydro issues have been thor-l casion of my fourth Budget pres-- OH-AQO Pensions and oughly dtebated hin thlst;-louse. dis&x gntauoni,d iI shal} be agajin ablc:l to # cussed from the platform, and | ring tidings of great joy and a Mothers' Allowances through the press, but regardless of| 3udget that even surpasses the one. the Government is prepared to facts remain clear and uncontr0--} honorable assembly. Surely, when / recognize the claim of property vertible: a dl the people of Ontario have had an owners to be afforded some measure "Due to purchase of unneeded| opportunity to carefully analyze the of reli--f from taxation. Effective ; POWer at high prices, dut'e g:s'::; new picture that is now presented, April 1 next, this Government will Iisty's'x?:s'elt":eds t:?';nm:f:oun': of more: there should be new hope, new relieve municipalities from contrib-- ithban $12,500,000. In 1934 three sys-- vistiotn!{e alzgd new courage through-- uting to the cost of old--ag* P®N-- |rems and the Northern OntarioProp-- °4 wousl | y ht sions and \ mothers' SllOWAnC@S, _ |prrjes were in the red, the combined | Angd . in . conciisitls mig | thereby making it possible for is,vstt;m deficit amounting to $3,032,, _ State, Mr. Speaker, we are march-- municipal councils to reduce their / ing on. It is my considered opin-- | [77095. In 1936, Hydro repotts &A his G t h not taxation. Earlier in the year it was . |surpjus, and the combined surplus jon that this Governmen ':i , }announced that the municipalities' ' of all systems amounted to $3,583,-- reached the pinnacle of its a'ac eve-- | share of the cost wouid be borne by |g92 54. The chief gain has been _ ment; rather is it in its early staze:: the Province of Ontario from Jan. 'wade in the Niagara system where and I am persuaded that by lg;es. '1, 1937. Let me say, however, that, |a deficit of ?,950.932.54 in 1935 was tinuing to follow sound po § : there being no legislative authority _ turned into # surplus of $3,118,117.13 'and to give honest Government W¢, \for payments for the months of in 1936, an improvement in one year +shall carry the people of this eouli!;' January, February and March, the |of over $6,000,000 -- iry on to the great destiny that new arrangement will come into et-- "The 'signal betterment in the; (the hefitage of the sturdy offspring ; fect on April 1, of this year, andthe |Commission's financial position has| &