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the tribune stouffviue out thursday january 30 1941 continued from opposite page these are the facts of the dominionprovincial conference on the sircis report continued hon t b mcquesten kc ontario min- ister of highways and municipal affairs vol- 2 pages 83 to 87 mr prima minister and gentlemen before this conference dissolves the province of ontario would like to place before it its financial position with regard to the effects of the sirois report on the provinces finances perhaps i might properly preface what i have to eay today by referring to two points touched upon by the premier of manitoba mr uracken in the pre sentation of his argumtttt before the oinning session of the conference yesterday hon mr uracken made what l might cam an earnest plea to the delegates of this conference and particularly to the premier of ontario to consider the attitude taken by the late lion george brown at the various conferences leading up to confederation in bringing mr browns name into the conference he has suggested that mr brown very properly forgot his own ihrsonal feelings in the matter and joined hands with micdonuld and others in shaping confederation as expressed by the british north america act i consider it rather an unfortunate choice of argu ment to ask that the premier of ontario emulate brown i hold that in taking the attitude he has hon mr hepburn has been but living up to tho traditions of brown and has defended and upheld all that brown stood for and is safeguarding the rights and responsi bilities vested in the separate provinces by confedera tion i prefer to support and adopt the material structure which was created by brown rather than attempt to interpret its spirit as mr bvcken has pur ported to do if mr brackens argument were to pre vail history would be degraded our ideals shattered and the names of our public men cast into the ossuary of time mr bracken was on better ground when ho advanced tho idea that provincial autonomy without adequate revenues for discharging the functions of government for which provinces are responsible is but little more than a farce to put the same idea in another way without fiscal independence there can he no provincial autonomy i am prepared today to review the financial history of tho province of ontario particularly relating to the years since the present government has been in charge at toronto of ontario this inaccuracy amounts to the large fijura of sh 758000 the reconciliation of these amounts is available and can be explained by the technical officers of the treasury department with respect to tho present fiscal year tho situation is infinitely worse if the sirois plan were adopted and made effective for the present fiscal year which euds on march 31 next the province of ontario would be faced with a certain net loss in revenues of the sum of 17000000 this for the present fiscal year alone the province will be required to give up annual revenues of 40000000 deduct from this expenditure as sumed by the dominion and tho one mill subsidy to the municipal ities which could not longer be paid a total sum of 23000000 ontario balances budget briefly let me state that we have followed since the 1st of april 1930 a sound financial policy as shown by our budgetary position in 193637 193738 and 193839 we had balanced budgets this year we are promised by our premier who is also the provincial treasurer a balanced budget a surplus and a reduction in debt this wholesome and enviable budgetary position has placed us in a position to carry out a policy of assist ance to the 900 municipalities which form the local government administrations of ontario for example tho province has assumed the entire capital cost of construction of our great highway system the financial burden of which formerly rested in part upon tho municipalities the province also contributes in various ways toward highway construction expenditures by municipalities in matters of public health ontario has made great strides and has since this government took charge at an annual cost of millions of dollars assumed the entire burden of the care of indigent tubercular patients public heilth in ontario costs the province of ontario a sum exceeding 900000 per month then in exchange for tho income tax which was formerly collected by a few of the 900 municipalities we have substituted a provincial income tax and havo assumed tho entire cost of the share formerly borne by the municipalities of old age pensions and mothers allowances tho annual cost to the government of ontario for old age pensions as represented by the present fiscal year amounts to three and a half million dollars this in cludes the provinces share of pensions for the blind tho annual cost to tho province of mothers allow ances this yenr will exceed the sum of five and a quarter million dollars all of these items that is old ago pensions pensions for the blind and mothers allow ances are annually increasing in amount i quite agree with tho estimate made by prominent actuaries that they will continue to increase for tho next fifty years it is difficult at this time to estimate the final limit of the cost of these three social services which as you are aware were never dreamed of by the fathers of confederation wo also pay to the municipalities an annual subsidy of one milt based on the general assessment of the municipalities and this amounts in round figures to tho sum of three million dollars per annum another function of government that is growing annually is education and it is estimated that for the present fiscal year the province will spond upwards of thirteen million dollars compares relief costs ono of tho services that hns cost enormous sums dur ing the past decade is that of the cost of relief under tho present basis of contribution the dominion pays 40 per cent of direct relief costs excluding medical services including medical services the dominion con tribution is 38 per cent of tho total expenditure for the present fiscal year that is tho period ending march 31 next relief will cost ontario tho sum of ten million dollars of this tho dominions share will bo 3800- 000 the provincial sharo 4300000 and tho muni cipalities share 1900000 estimating tho cost of relief for the fiscal year which begins april 1 1941 calculated on the present basis of sharing the cost of relief and estimated from the beat available information the relief picture in ontario will bo represented as follows dominion share 2555000 provincial share 2892000 municipal share 1278000 if tho sirois basis bo adopted for the fiscal year 194142 tho cost is estimated as dominion share 5cgc0 provincial share 4927000 municipal share 1232000 thus it will be observed that by adopting tho sirois basis the dominion would enjoy a saving of 1989000 while the province of ontario would bo called upon to increase its expenditures by the sum of 2035000 and the burden of the municipalities would be prac tically the same as under the present plan tho differ ence wing less than 50000 the officers of the treasury and welfare departments are here and are supplied with all details with respect to relief figures and in fact other relief figures and wo aro prepared to discuss these matters in detail if and when required at this juncture i desire to make a statement with respect to the estimated saving or gain to the province of ontario as contained on pago 90 book ii of the recommendations of the sirois commission the estimated savings or gam to the province of ontario on the 1937 base is 5320000 per annum but a careful analysis of he figures indicates that in stead of a gain of 5320000 the actual ncl los to the province for the 1937 period would be 0432000 thus it will ik seen that the information given on page 90 of the sirois report as to the expected improvement in the financial position of the province on the 1937 base is inaccurate and not in accordance with the findings of the treasury department of tho province leaves o loss of 17000000 one of the first results of this loss in revenue brought about by the giving up of the succession duty taxes would be the loss in revenue to the university of toronto of the sum of 500000 i would refer you to the revised statutes of ontario 1937 chapter 372 section 129 which is the statutory authority for pay ment from the proceeds of succession dvities to tho university of toronto in the sum of 500000 per annum set education back 50 years but that is just one indication of what the loss in revenues would mean to education in our province education in ontario would be set back fifty years this would apply particularly to the little red school house and to the struggling separate schools which under present conditions require the same as public schools annual grants from the provincial treasury the splendid work done by the department of health of ontario in waging a successful fight to stamp out the menace of tuberculosis which fight is being con ducted at an annual cost to the province of upwards of 3000000 could not be carried on unless revenues from some other source were forthcoming this would involve some new type of taxation but inasmuch as taxes on estates taxes on incomes taxes on corporations and taxes on mining profits would no longer be available lo the province of ontario any additional burden of taxation required to raise revenue to continue a reasonable standard of education would inevitably fall upon real estate upon the farmer tho homeowner and the business man i also bring to your attention the fact that muni cipalities of the province of ontario will suffer for tho present fiscal year by the implementation of the sirois report the loss in revenue exceeding 5000000 now if you will add the net loss in revenue to bo sustained by the province of ontario of 17000000 to the 5000000 certain loss to bo sustained this year by the municipalities of ontario you have tho enormous sum of 22000000 net loss to the province and the municipalities this mr chairman is only tho beginning these losses are bound to increase because the functions of government left with the province arc from their very nature increasing in their burdensome character in so far as the need for revenue is concerned real estate burden intolerable no ono conversant with tho problems of public fin ance that beset the provinces and the municipalities in canada today will attempt to deny that the burden on real estate at present has reached a point where it is difficult for the farmer to meet his rates and taxes it is discouraging for anyone to attempt to build a home and in fact daily in ontario discouraged home owners are attempting to salvage something from their equities and are parting with their homes which rep resent in large measure their only life savings the real estate owner today who can barely raise the amount of his taxes will find that for every dollar of taxes he pays today in ontario he will be called upon next year to pay 120 and this under war condi tions where tho cost of living is already mounting and is generally speaking ten per cent higher than it was at the outbreak of the war as the priino minister has said you leave us with tho expensive functions of government and i hold that the figures i have submitted prove thnt we will have insufficient funds to discharge theso functions of government that health and education in particular will suffer and tho standard of living of our citizens who are in the class of what might be described as the lower economic scale will be akin to a condition of servile dependency now mr prime minister i havo finished with my presentation of the financial effect of the report as it appears to this province and i am authorized on behalf of tho premier of the province of ontario the ontario delegation and tho people of tho province to announce that our association with this socalled conference is over some other members may take this opportunity to present their reply to the financial address of tho hon mr hsley and to withdraw as we are doing- we leave it to tho rest of the members to continue their efforts to do what wo are bound to say would result in wrecking confederation as we understand it and in destroying provincial autonomy and rights we aro returning to our business and our finnl word to tho dominion is that word with which we opened if tho dominion decides to prosecute the war on a basis of cooperation we shall bo ready as we havo always been in tho past to coociate in every known way and to throw tho full weight of our great province into the dominions war endeavour rt hon ernest lapointe minister of justice and attorney- general of canada vol 2 page 100 i read tho ontario newspapers and this morning i read a statement in a toronto newspaper to the effect that this commission report was a quebec report prepared by and for quebec for tho benefit of that province that article urged tho people of ontario to oppose it my friends who aro here know that at tho same timo in tho province of quebec this report is considered by some as leading to tho destruction of provincial autonomy and tho sacred rights of the citizens of that province it has been stated that the frenchcanadian race will bo enslaved if this report is adopted and accepted rt hon w l mackenzie king prime minister of canada vol 2 page 112 may i say this next when my colleagues and i con sidered tho calling of this conference there was between us a great diversity of view as to tho wisdom of having such a gathering at this timo in saying that i do not think i am betraying any cabinet secret which i am sworn to respect i for ono took the view that it was cry doubtful whether it would bo wiso to havo a conference in war tlm hon adelard godbout prime minister of the province of quebec vol 2 pjge 117 the prime ministers remarks wero given in french the following is the knglish translation should the continuation of this conference con stitute a menace to canadian unity i would suggest mr prime minister that it bo dissolved published by the authority of the government of the province of ontario taking 8a1i goods slightly shelfw0rn goods not in our line will be discontinued watch our west window goods at half price or less away below cost riches hardware writing ix prison p g wodehouse creator of the unexampled jeeves is writing a bock about crooks in a room in a herman civilian internment camp that once was a padded cell it is re ported he is shown here with his wife 8th line markham mr and mrs murdpck entertain ed toronto friends on sunday a large number from this line attended the sessions of the sunday school convention at victoria sq mr l w hoover was confined to his home for a few days last week through illness but we are pleased to know he is now better misses marion and thelma grove sponsored a quilting for their young friends last wednesday mr and mrs j l byer visited with friends in the claremont dis trict on tuesday the wms of peaches church held a quilting at the home of mrs william painter on tuesday we are sorry to report that miss elizabeth byer is on the sick list and we hope she may have a speedy recovery miss evelyn spang and friend of toronto visited at her home here en sunday quite a number from this locality attended the young peoples meet ing at north markham mbc church on monday evening rev c culen of gormley missionary on furlough from africa was the speaker and the henderson sisters of gormley sang several numbers mr peter byer of winnipeg who has been spending a couple of months among relatives and friends in this vicinity returned to his home last week mr byer has not been here for many years and his many friends were pleased to see him and to know that the passing years have rested lightly upon him he is a travelling representative of a winnipeg mercantile firm covering the province of manitoba altona spent it a p official in canada air chief marshal sir hugh dowing is in ottawa to pay his re spects to the canadian government and air oflicials prom ottawa he will go to washington and other us cities on a mission connected with plane construction atha out two soldier boys from new market camp were home over the weekend joe tran and vern hoover a number from here took in the s s convention at victoria square or thursday mr and mrs a carruthers and ernie were recent visitors with mr and mrs r lloyd of pickering congratulations to mrs john scott who now is a great aunt sunday guests at the bycrs home were mr and mrs jim coates mr and mrs joe byer mr and mrs jacob meyer all from stouffviue al so miss foskett mr and mrs m dunkeld and family mr and mrs f wagg altona notored to leaskdale on sunday and spent the day with mr and mrs a wagg and family on sunday morning a family here was greeted with a song from a cricket which spent the winter in the warm stable of unthreshed grain spring must be around the corner goodwood charlie plews returned from the hospital a few days ago much im proved in health we are glad to re port mr john ashenhurst was laid up with a heavy cold for several days mrs wesley plows of woodville was visiting among friends here for a few days mrs gordon blight of windsor and mrs s boynton are spending a few days with the formers par ents mr and mrs fred baston mrand mrs bert icls friday in toronto miss alma fretz left last week fo kitchener to attend the bible school mr and mrs will malloy of stouffviue had dinner with mr and mrs f mcxair on tuesday mr and mrs r jones and family of toronto with her parents mr id mrs n bunker over the week end mr and mrs murray dunkeld and family with her parents mr and mrs f wagg on sunday mrs b reesor is visiting with her aunt at tilsonburg for a few days mr and mrs fred mcnair with her parents mr and mrs william reesor on sunday mr and mrs d crosier and irene mrand mrs wm malloy had tea on sunday with mr and mrs howard stjohu miss verna millman of oshawa visitedwith her cousin miss lucille howsam on suiiday mrand mrs j mcdonald of kmsale were guests of her father mr a davis and esther on sunday our sunday school attendance was much lower on sunday owing to so much sickness in the commun ity sorry to hear master kenneth pilkey has been laid up with bron chial pneumonia but is slowly im proving miss ruby tindall is pngaged with mrs t brown greenbank measles are quite prevalent in this neighborhood at the horticultural potluck supper in stouffviue on wednesday last dave crosier came second in a guessing contest winning a lovely bouquet of mixed flowers miss eva latcham toronto was home for the weekend tho regular meeting of goodwood institute was held at the nome of mrs g stewart opening with the ode followed by prayer in the bus- mess that followed it was decided to buy a war saving certificate mrs sheehey gave a report on the girls sewing club and the institute is to give some help to carry on mrs ashenhurst then gave a paper on agriculture particularly apples and care of trees a contest on nam ing apples followed the ypu held a sleighing party on monday evening to lillian bac ons home where numerous games were enjoyed at a quilting hold last wednes day at mrs c watsons two quilts wero done for relief work ebvood baston and claude wat son had a very enjoyable trip to windsor last week sfm 4 1 hvcs ottawa one of tho royal canadian navys growing fleet of destroyers is out into the atlantic on patrol duty shown as she steams