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To suggest that the Ontario House had no right to speak on matters of enlistment and the man- ner "in which payments of allow- ences are being improperly held from the dependents of soldiers" was tar afield from the truth, he said. "Oh, no. yours was not vitriolic." replied Mr. Baker. amid laughter from both sides of the House. Premier Hepburn jumped to his feet. and wheeled in his place to face " party member. "I ask to be associated with Colo. net Drew in that attack on the King Government to which you refer," he aaid. "I don't feel that such vitriolic at. tacks as that delivered by Colonel Drew help the Allied cause," he said. 'an fact. I believe they do more harm and cause more confusion that all the German bombs and tanks and poison gas." like. Shad With Drew. "Many of these people, now desti- tute. are being compelled tn come back upon the municipalities and the Province tor relief-people "ho Hepburn. as members of {he Or- ganization of Resources Committee, had met the Federal Cabinet in their one and only conference. Mr. Baker said he believed criti- clam in the Legislature should be of a purely constructive nature. The House, he said. also had tho rith to criticize "onlistmont ot thr type that put Kirk (Arthur Kirk. Hamilton) into tho poliro court." For. after all. said tho. spunkmyihc jails are under the control ot the Province. "Because of the rallnus rruclty of this type of enlistment. the Prov- ince is forced into the position of having to care for those men." he charged. "To suggest that this is not within the Jurisdiction of this House is either an affront to the Legislature or a display of igno- rance on the part of the newspaper. which. particularly during these times, has a high respons"milit.v. "What Is that you are reading?" asked Premier Hepburn. "Why should we he subjected to that kind ot twaddle'.'" snapped Mr. Hepburn. "Before any newspaper in Can- ode chellenges the right of the Legislature to challenge the man- ner in which the Federal Govern. ment is waging this war. it should put a list of names before it. t"itlos, machine-guns. artillery, anti-tank guns, anti-aircraft guns and tanks, and then put opposite the names the number of modern types in each category which have been sup. plied to the troops. Only until they do that can they Justify criticism of those who raised the question in this House. "I am reading from a speech do- iivered by Prime Minister King," rev plied Mr. Baker. should export payment as a right, not a privilegr." "Neither now nnr at any time ln the future will I apologize for urg- ing the Government in wago war according to the will of the people," he added. Baker Defends Ottawa. He said he had been in contact with the office of Prime Minister King and had been told the Cana- dian Government was in close con- tact with the British and French Governments. and that all three were working in the closest co-oper- ation. Morgan Bakor (I.ih., North York) rose on a question of privilege when Colonel Drew had finished. and do- tended the wartime administration of the King Government. He then started tn read from "ward a speech doliwrod in tho House of Commons on Sept. 8 by Prime Minister King. "To show how unfair the criti- cism can be, I have here the figures relating to the payment of soldiers' Puoyary.res. There have been 42,000 applications and all but 3,600 have received final disposition. Allow- anees have been paid to 26,000 wives and the allowances of 6,000 have been applied to life insurance poli- 'eies. Approximately 90 per cent. of the applications have bean disposed of. "Why should tho department he criticized?" ho asked. "It Couldn't work any more quickly than it has. Why, I have gasoline rebates stand- ing in the Department of Highways tor three months. But I am not criticizing the dopartment. I know tho work they have to do. "I suggeSt that a committee of this House be appointed to get'into direct contact with Ottawa and to make a thorough study of what has been done. To say that there has been no preparation is to say some. thing that is untrue. There has been the greatest preparation dur. ing the past four years at Esqui- malt because the previous Govern. ment let defense fall into disre. pute." DIM-union Said Jutstifted. Mr. Baker claimed leave. to speak on the basis of information he had obtained relative to the debate. More work had been done hy cu. tawa since the outbreak of the war than during a corresponding period following the 1914 war declaration. On Aug. ao, he said, a committee had been established to consider Government policy and to C0-0tu dinate war activities. w. J. Stewart (Cons.. Parkdale) was glad to see. he slid. that his Leader and the Premier could put Mr. Hepburn ropeated that mom- hers in the House were at liberty to speak, and in closing said: "I am glad that a man of his (Colonol Drew's) calibre is leading the party so that we can agree on matters of momentous public policy like these." Holds Criticism Unfair. Mr. Baker continued and said that due to the close co-operation be- tween the Canadian, French and British Governments. which Prime Minister King's secretary had as- sured him existed, Colonel Drew'r attack on the Federal administration was also an attack on the Allied cause. lie charged that the publisher of tho Star. in an interview in the Pro- mier's office relating to the Govern. ment's policy opposing the C.I.O.. "told me in the presence of one of my colleagues that unless I support- rd his policy he would harass me and attack me to the end of my public life. " had the privilege of telling him to get out of my office," the Pre- mier said. He turned to his followers and pointed remarked that. "I want the members of this House to feel free to speak in public what. they think at this critical time." He re- called the "munitions scandal" of the first Great War, when "Asnuith, like Ottawa. adopted a wait-and-see poliry." "But," he added. "when the people were aroused, they did not fear any newspaper (at this june- ture he hurled the copy of the To- ronto Daily Star onto the floor) and these people of Britain, who defied public sentiment of the time. were the men and women who saved the British Empire." The Premier said he had not been aware of the Star's editorial attack until it had been brought up in the House. "As a matter of tact," he ex- plained. "I do not read editorials of tho Star. Anything I do read is with the intention of improving my mind, not of destroying it." Members Urged to Speak. "Well, if it wasn't. it w: cause I didn't mean it to Mr. Hepburn. J MUARV ttb "r am not going to exchange' personalities," declared Colonel) Drew. "But I do say that there shall he no implication of motives and I am going to insist upon my rights." Insists Upon Rights. He attain resumed his address. "st'eing," he said, "that I am barred from using the words promote and purpose, I say that the trend of his (Colonel Drew's) work is in that direction, rather than the other." Any one, he said, should be privileged to discuss the defense of his country, because if defense fail- ed there would he no country left. Sharp criticism he levelled against attempts being made to credit the King Administration with tho suc- cess of the recent war loan. News- papers which talked that way, he said. were attempting to build ,"chcap party advantages" out. of :"the loyalty of the common people." r References to the "wait-and-see" jattitude of the Ottawa Government :hrouzzht frequent clashes with J. A. luabol fFrotttrh-Canadian member itor North Cochrane). Mr. Stewart termed the latter "a narrow parti- san," and refused to take hack the 'term. notwithstanding appeals to lthe Speaker from both Mr. Babel land Mr. Roebuck. Colonel Drew immediately leaped tn his feet, declared he did not wish to enter into argument with the member, and invoked the rule for. bidding a member to impute mo- tives on the part of another mem- ber. "Wo can deplore the unjust, in- teonsidprate--1 won't say the un- patriotic hut mistaken - attacks. which have been made. Possibly the Leader of the Opposition is much more concerned in attempting to vacate the Prime Minister's office in order to promote the Conserva- tive Party than the national effort in theposecution of the war." Mr. Roebuck. interrupting: N never made anti-war speeches in the last war, and as a member for Bollwoods Riding I am not going to take that. I have as much love for my country as any man here." Mr. Hepburn: "Inasmuch as dur- ing the last war the Bellwoods mem- ber was making anti-war speeches while Colonel Drew was fighting for his country in France. I---" Mr. Roebuck said he deplored what had been going on in the House "in reference to the creat national et. fort. in what appears to me to be a partisan attack on those responsible tor making the war a success. " say," continued Mr. Roebuck, "that the purpose of his remarks is to put forward tho interests ot the Conservative Party." Colonel Drew again objected on the basis of the House rules. Ufa:- country first and parties sec- ond in dangerous days like the pres- ent. The Legislature, he said, was perfectly justified in discussing Canada's war effort. a matter of importance. like the prosocution of the war, I do not think his (Colonel Drnw's) sincerity should br questioned." When his turn came-immediate. ly next in linen-the North Cochrane representative warned the House that in his opinion they were hy their attacks and criticisms on the Canadian prosecution of the war violating the Defense of Canada Regulations. Such criticism. he said, was ill advised, and would do more harm than good. Statements that had been made would spread all over Canada and create misgiv- ings and unrest. Deplored by Roebuck. "Oh, let him go on," Mr. Hahel callod out. "I'll take care of him when my turn comes." "It a man can't speak his mind in this House," said Mr. Stewart, "he shouldn't, be here." ttttree," said Mr. prhurn. "In