YIS 177 hh wihekner it would have the confidence of the House. The Premier then explained his change of policy. The Government had first accepted a committee of the House, but as the problem de-- veloped it became more sand more apparent the scope must be greater than a Parliamentary committee could' undertake. A Parliamentary committee was all fight to investi-- gate things that had happened. But there zere, many millions yet to be Danger of Bad Advice. Premier Drury said the success of public ownership rested on --the ability of the Hydro to produce power at prices people could afford to pay. The surest way to ruin public ownership was to have all development proceéed on wrongly sup-- plied advice. The present time was &n opportune one for investigation. Months ago there was nothing to in-- vestigate. The only thing that could wreck public ownership in Ontario was mismanagement, he said. The Government had moved the AaAmendment to Hon. G. H. Fer. guson's motion to know, once and for all, whether it would have the csonfidence of the House. ' and turning more water into the canal, whether it would be better to. vary the present plan of selling power, and if the organization and methods at present were the Pproper ones to be used in the future. Premier Drury, in his speech early this morning on the debate to ap-- point a committee of the House to investigate Chippawa, reviewed the reasons why he stood for a Royal Commission. A commission, he said, was prop-- erly the body to investigate mat-- ters that would lead to a formuila-- tion of what might be a new policy. It would investigate the advisability of closing down some power plants New Policy on Hydro? Throughout the evening the mem-- bers listened to 'various members give their views, and late at night Premier Drury started to speak to the confidence motion. In introducing his motion, the Minister of Agriculture said the seconder was Hon. W. E. Raney. H. H. Dewart, K.C., objected, on the ground that Mr. Raney was not in the House. Premier Drury stepped into the breach and seconded the vote of confidence in his Govern-- ment. } This was characterized by W. F. Nickle, Kingston, as a shrewd piece of political strategy on the part of Hon. Mr. Doherty. In response to this Opposition move, Hon. Manning Doherty, Mln-i Ister of Agriculture, introduced a motion that the Legislature had con--| fidence in the Government's a.bmtyf and intention to conduct a full and ; impartial investigation of the expen-- ditures and estimates of the Hydro-- electric Commission. for several hours yesterday af--* ternoon and evening, and con-l tinued into the early morning| hours. The subject under dis-- cussion was whether Chippawa matters should be probed by a committee of the Legislature or by a Royal Commission. Hon. Mr. Ferguson had put a motion that the inquiry should be conducted by a committee of the House. VOTED "CONEIDENCE" _ _ _ oN CHIPPAWA INVESTIGATION: A prolonged and keen debate, featured by a strong attack on the Drury Government by the Conservative Leader, Hon. G. Howard Ferguson, and engaged in by many members on both sides of the House, occupied the attention of the Legislature been appointed to --deal with the Chippawa development scheme. *"'The report is not true," said the Premier. 35 _A ~PVif4{it}, NHUL _ IL GIiQ nOtC &CCEBt the accuracy of the preamble. Mr. Ferguson, after thanking the Premier in rather ironical terms for his willingness to waive any rights the Government might have, asked him bluntly if the report was true that already the commission had wGl.. sls s 1 2 ' U The Conservative Leader began his speech by reviewing the situation that led up to his motion. He said that about the time the House met, ESA ] lullll\ll.yo _ _Thomas Marshall, Lincoln, favor-- ed an investigation by a committee, in a brief speech, as did Charles Mc-- Crea, Sudbury. At 1.30 this morning Hon. G. Howard Ferguson rose to speak Again, in reply to the Govern-- ment orators,. He launched into a vigorous attack on the arguments AaAdduced by the Premier and other Government speakers. "Out of Order," Says Premier. Just before Mr. Ferguson started his speech, the Premier said he wished to remark that his resolution was out of order. It was held by rule 33 that no notice of motion was to be prefaced by a recital or pre-- amble. This notice of motion was prefaced by a long preamble, which the Government was not prepared to accept as accurate. The Govern-- ment, he said, was willing to waive any objection to the motion~because of irregularity, but it did not accept the accuracy of the preamble. He said that Hydro was always wrapped up too much in obscurity. He took his respensibility as far as he was responsible. The . 'true enemies of public ownership were those who followed it blindly. | F2 2 P in & 12 L9 Hon. Dr. Carmichael said he favor-- ed the appointment of a Royal Com-- mission. He reviewed the conditions that led to his former statement, and said that an investigation would show that either ithese estimates were given in good faith and the money efficiently expended or other-- wise. H. H. Dewart, Southwest Toronto, said that if the Government was not informed of the situation in regard to:Hydro, the Premier was to blame. It was his duty two years ago to have known the condition that existed.. He recalled the suggestion he had made in December, 1919, to reorganize the commission, giving representation on it to each of the parties and to the municipalities, and to have on it also an eminent engineer. The Premier failed to follow the suggestion. The Government wanted to know whether it could depend on the presg-- ent organization of Hydro. '"We want to know, and we must know," he said. They had to form a policy for the future." A constructive in-- vestigation was needed, and it could only be carried on by a commission. \ A committee of the House could not do anything toward properly formu-- lating a policy. When going into committee it was impossible to leave politics, cutside. The commission must be: constructive, not restrictive. Effi-- clency and reasonable development were best served by a commission. The commission, he hoped, would | be able to give valuable advice. Dewart Blames Drury. It would want to know whether the plan of selling power should be varied, whether the organization and methods in existence now were the bproper ones to 'be used in the future. spent. The Government must know something as to future policy.-- -- It would want to know, for instance, whether it would be necessary to clqpse down some of the existing power plants and turn more water into the canal. Must Have Commission. \p e