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e Oe 0 t tof Afrerareenenh t . & FEBRuARX 27 _ Abitibi Inquiry _ fln ONTARIO TO PAY Report Is Asked Inquiry will be made immedi-- ately by Premier Hopburn to learn when the report of the o ut e J Royal Commission investiga-- tion of the Abitibi Power and Paper Company will be pre-- sented. . P 'This assurance was given yes-- terday to Colonelc Gcor:t'l'A- h o when the onservative # f E;::iver said that the legislative Delegation Stunned by committee . investigation , . into Hepburn Announcement; i ministration cou * _ | gcm::'):l;?ldcd until the Abitibi More Than Afl*lClpded report was made. P"f:}"" l!vr;- Snb npeminyestncate css so said he would assume, o Alpersonal responsibility, the ASK PENSIONS RISE duty of seeing to it :hfl'd(-:"";:' Simee-- mm femmraurames ' .:cwa'!l\"'e ::cs:;'o:s :,:n:rap:npor After listening to numerous On-- \::_-::- ,:nswerrd promptly. tario mayors give their views as to what they thought the Provincial contribution toward unemployment > relief should be, Premier Hepburn yesterday stunned the eighty chief magistrates present by announcing that the Province would pay 75 per cent of the cost, Not one of the mayors who spoke at the conference with the Cabinet had gone so far as to suggest such a favorable division of the costs, from the municipal point of view. The Premier allowed them to speak for well over an hour, holding his f own counse! until he had ascer-- tained the views and hopes of a cross--section of the delegation. Cheers greeted the announcement from the Premier that Ontario would take up the slack caused by the Dominion Government with-- drawing all assistance to unemploy-- ment relief, "We had our own officials go into the question from all angles," the Premier stated, "and we thought at first that a percentage of 66 23 would be all that we could offer, but we found out that we could do better, and so we will accept 75 per cent of the cost. I believe that there will be a general improve-- ment in business through war in-- dustriecs--a greater stimulation. I have talked privately to the mayors of Toronto and Hamilton, and we have a good idea of the situation throughout the Province." The Premter's anrnouncement was such a pleasant surprise to the gathering that for a moment or two there was hardly a sound in the room. "We have come to the Provincial Government," said Mayor Morrison of Hamilton, who acted as delega-- tion chairman, "and have got more than we ever dreamed of getting." "Very satisfactory," stated Mayor Conboy of Toronto, who earlier had said he did not think that the situ-- ation in Toronto could be satisfac-- torily handled without a contribu-- tion of at least 70 per cent. In expressing the gratitude of the mayors to the Government, Mayor Morrison suggested that the Govern-- ment consider an increase in the contributions for old age pensions, ' M mothers' allowances, as well as for "I hope to meet the cost of thx::;! unemployvables, situation out of present revenue," | "The Minister of Labor," Mr. Hep-- he said. "I don't want to put it on burn replied, "has been studying: |income tax, as I know the Do--| this question for the last month, and ; _\ minion Government is going to m-i we will do our best. I ask you for | |crease that. As far as am-uscment' the fullest co--operation in this mat--| ) tax is concerned, we experienced a | ter. We have shown that we share | | great deal! of trouble in collecting |t1 good times with you, but if times| |\in smaller places before, and so we | are bad you will have to share ad-- |abolished it. We are advertising | versity with us." ' loxtensively the fact that Ontario is The new agreement takes effect \ a Provinrce where there is no amuse-- on the expiration of the Provincial-- ' ment tax, no meal tax, no sales tax, Dominion agreement on March 31 |\and no toll gates with the hope that | and will run until the first of next \these features will help bring tour--| January. ' ists to Ontario this year." | «&