-mmmwmmmmmmu" ma‘ newt A (with. swim: > iqpqiiiuu From1hgd2) fund-s of the Province. R9 you su pose, if they knew the sinking funds uiere natprovideiPfor at l, that the Government utoiild have sold these bonds at ‘favorable prices, or at ANY price? We are faced with these conditions. We know that further ‘borrow- ings will have to be made, if we continue, as we propose to coir- tinue, the highway improvement work under a modified system, iind it wiill be necessary to borrow sixty p_er cent. of this expendi- lure, If we gqintovthfi money market with this outside audit, the actual truth, how could‘ weask any brokerage house to bu our bonds? We have taken up this piatter and we have _ RED this condition. We have purchased bonds of the Dominion 0f Canada to the total amount of $178,000 (the amount found to be short) and the~1'e hat/e been deposited where they should be, and where they should always have been. (Applause) _ These bonds have been purchased by its at ninety-nine, bearing interest at-fizie tier cont, so that they zvill yield slightly over five per cent. But; my hon. friendswill say: “You had to g0 t0 the Bank to get that money to pay them.” Yes, that is perfectly true’; "And vou have to pay five and one-half per cent for that money._ V05. that is also true. Buta-part from other considerations, taking that bald statement as I make it: Is the good name of this Province not ruorth “more than a fractioin of one pcr cent-less than one-half of one per cent-of interest in the Iianké’ Applause.) GOVERNMENT SHORT LOAN POLICY. _ mun. I have already referred to the short loans. I will give) a brief (iutline of what we mean by that term. statute-of this l rovmcfl was passed in the ea-rly ’ninet1es by which the Government was empowered to borrow money from its own citizens at a rate of live per cent, up to a certain amount that was fixed by t.he_statutc. The terms on which that money could be loaned by_ individuals to the Government were very easy. I here were no stipulations as to the period for \Vl]IL'll the money would bc received; a citizen might receive live per cent from the very day 011 which his money was deposited, and that money might be withdrawn at any day afterwards. _ _ I a , You can understand that in this way money could be oanui to the (lovernnient on much more favorable temis by way of de- posit in Banks and consequently the system became very popular, and the amount of money received has been increasing from year to year; it has passed the half-million mark; and this vear, in the Legislature, we had to pass a statute enlarging the limits of the borrowing amount previously fixed. l‘l1lS'liS‘_]l0l"- ‘llfectly good financing, bccziuse we are paying less, by (inc-Ilia i par -, cent. than we are pa_ving to the Bank. liut we now take t nsyiuv L of it, and I believe it will be held to be the sound view z. lhere . "KZIIC two classes of (ICPOSIIOTS; one class who ileposit their nioncy as they “mild invest iiiany Stftfillflly, f0? lcllit! ])l]ll'p0SlJtl()ftC(lf;ll:lg5 - _, . .» i =ziv~ 1a in .61" 1'1°°"“» =““l.'l‘°l ‘m’ Wm” n M1511 0 "i1 Iimvtheir i... llhere for a considerable period and regu ry wi it‘ l _n tercst ; the other class 1s composed of trustees 11ml 0K 1W5 W 10 51 l ply deposit the money for a very short perIOd 11ml lllll‘ lclllllolllly convenience until they can find some more permanent investment r until it lias been distributed withlthe‘ csliltfi- 01"‘ F0"l1‘"ll"" ll" lJ/ldl the latter class should not rcccizle the sonic rotc os_ those ‘whiz ,q,],,,-,- [Iwfy money ttt a more permanent iciay; and the (itwernmcn. llllpropose to miikc near regiiilotioiis providing thaé tlicfiushofr: depositors shall receive FQUR per can! mistco of t’ ll_ _ - lThis contract will be contained in the deposit receipts which will be given at the time I submit that in doing this we shall savc liiery much more than trill over-balance the loss of filntcgsltlkttigsgi b3? “wrmll m‘: bonds and Iakwg H“, "lomylfronf HIS-St iiare "Ullil .so. Alnd in doing flint ice have inade oitrse vcs 0 1 - , g the warm as a prowl-Ha,‘ 1m, have in.” fag]; qgttlll- our bond-holders 5,, ma; we have our sinking fu-nds and that in our tTflVCIPtlld/HIDIS to them 'll't."./l(l7/L' made good. (Alllllilllsll) i ' THE FliNANOlAL SIDE OF EDUCATION I would like for a few moments to deal with the financial as- : pect of the various departments of the public seryice; and first with . education just so far as finances are concerned. I_ spoke on iduca ‘ r tional matters fonnerly n1 the House at this session somew iat in “l detail, and I will not go over that ground, but I would like _t( draw attention to the way 1n which the cost of (tdlicillfwlllllt-lbtilgln creased during the lasth few Yfills- l" “J03 lll“ Ho“ ° “lg” I,“ to mis province was $27,500; ten yczirs later, in 4913. 1 I ‘ ooo- 1nd in 1923 it amounted to $193.0“); >0 lll-‘ll 1“ 5“ $155" i 1 s t- cars it Iris pretty nearly doubled. W6 llll eve" dbl.“ 13.5" finish-e’ of ciducation. The importance of tht i apprulllu- ll m‘ ll] p f ‘Ill country cannot bcIlwfl-‘illffll lW 111679 lllll °‘l“°=“"”"'.fyluiilg. igc-YCVCII the earning capacity of fhc country l "m? aim} Lulibitiocni-‘il largely to its standard of education. ‘.111 Wbhél1ll10'l)rl‘i)tltl]) asking ourselves this practical (iucstioii: Are M yvgif”) full qluhtf.’ for the ttlflllt‘)! tor ore expending? _ I ‘. We have all been proud of our system of education and in results which it has produced. Year after Year “T ll-“Vc ha“ ll.“ \ , 3‘~ duayes of 0m- Colp-gcs Qiifcl‘ thc collcgcs of. the world, and in ‘ ‘gm . 1 . | - doiic so with credit to themselves and ti "cry ca?‘ if“), mills, mt- ‘tvnne lint are we keeping up \Vlll‘ I ‘he proiuhcil- rclml will} othcry count-ties? As l have said before uflvi‘"Liicslliliiiieuwi shall endeavor t0 solve. We have mad: ./, lly which a carefulcxaniiiintion of our educatgizongl * _.,;.tem will be made in comparison with other systems. - 0 PL 1'1~ . , . , .. '- ~- 'll s1 lf1lll\'l\ ‘vibe financial zispcct of the case is concerned, I WI iy - , ‘ ' ‘ ' -. st pr ' us “fllltllllOll we have to fact l ‘ i‘ lhill "-111nltlllgtlyllllttlllvllllll ‘c1113; ciliiblilliontil svstcm is the llllllllpllCll.) ,»Oflyl c _ H ', ,1‘ lmpprfi i» mr‘"‘":.°‘*1:‘":i:.:;z. 1115.1: ... 2...... ‘s vincc in which the average .iitcn_.inte I. i I11. ‘ "mend to H“ "3 I am not going to elaborate on this. b"! l ‘Vgllll Th]? n for {hi -," . I - t h . _ ~ ' - ) 5 earnest consldiirlltlon of a" m" Pfuflplfrtehiort tilihiirciiilflu: Sllpcrin y“? nndfplafltlculilrliltlttllil; liiiitthdhisliiiatlor and gives tables whirl ten ento ‘xuca ioi 1 _ . . _ _ _ _" , of i‘, show how much it costs this Province to educate some ‘ -J ' ' a i. pupils. . -( , .____ This system has a very scrionf effect not onlty llliziiitiitlrgarlchdllllll: I'll other ways“ h ls costing this llrovlllchiiliizdtclioiiitl l0 siiy whc it should cost to educate-our P11P1,5- i . . - ,, is io ‘blame for the conditions. 'lhe sclioorls arfilélisgrélitlifiglglllla ‘heterogeneous way, somcof them placed wiere Y ‘l ' l_ we be» time m‘ ‘is a “-°“‘°“‘“t"-"‘f““f‘.‘é‘l "cilia: system A teachelicamlot do Ills lwor "ll‘l(le tlie ‘uiiils lose wiih_ _a disproportionately smith.‘ téacher is ‘wasting hi} ambition and lack in IHtIUSfIfY elf; qhoukbbc teaching’ This .., time over half the number 0 n11!" 5 ,_ ~ . _ $ 0w =1 matter will have to be dealt with. Ilie cost is now alinost/Uéi l. ‘r 00o. That is too burdensome entirel)’ llml mllsl “ml k m '9 . remedied. PAVIMINT OF TEACHERS’ SALARIE3 - ' th t hers thirteen months gatagurkltllgi; iii: Tfelattltfillttet‘ liiubirin; niciatche accounts to the end l‘ f the year. I canpot see any reasoinlgpod 31' lbilgl.‘ ttlgleyfilrlylfifnflilzl; "Clal Ye“ should ‘ml l?“ “lo ‘list of Lcelllher iofith of Decem- ool year a month earlier, in_ Nlovember. ‘c’ Igavm m“ Wm r belongs to the fiscal year 111st the samckilltlhe endlgf {he year ple in mind we havepnid the teachers up o h “d having i r belon s to the fiscal-year iusi as do the other mom": aend of ‘he i at principle "in mind wehave paid the teacher‘: uhp to ‘e! r we m} . 9x933‘ m,‘ “i”; “gtvgjltflv! to deal wit t is in‘: encreylqed y; to d0 5° at theend of. each year. This,_of cgiizsfi. as! flrmn ‘than l ewh“ ‘he may“ paid out ‘m. education‘ d“ s hncontrollable. , cost of education mi ht almost be ferme B reason for theWn in; cost is that for the last two or f; year, t; grater roportion than formerly of first and second .88 tuéhm,’ and ‘n, r proportion ofi mllehteacherst a}? .,. , , . ' reuse: automat cellyt e amoun pa that tip to the end of the war period _\ e high prices paid for labor, attragt‘; vour older” teach s, “Pecllllly ll1¢_ file tteactzarsr. wf£fi:8§y“;he not enlist in t war were attract in o o e l a». ‘ _ .~ -.~ . essentials. theteaching profession, here is another matter connected with the increased cost of. education. tinned by ‘order of subject very briefly refer to the storm for repairs already season. work. Very many attended to. One t the bridges built in THE \/Ve will return \‘Ve ticiilly the same as be very much bette the people that w,» pend largely on the massing that Prince tlrit still adheres to In the matter WIIICII we mg the cost otter a rlcbt falls due. placing of concrete rowed money in a general rcay, is eminent. their original policy he ordinary roads. shown flint. icglectcd fish a limited patrol This extra upkeep eniie we now lltll'l-'L’, adopted by niany ed out admirably. der of summer visito hey will come year En g some assistance .vl1icli will assist iii whole Province. few moments. ‘atcr, in 1923, it wa uhcr provinces has culture. You can understand the wrench it has . ~ - r ' mor lar el collected. gfiglifiirghigiiyingwiizti (‘lzépmfioijsiil lhil ggiolylegi lrlilldhjed reviinue gfriini the collection of_ IISCSC ‘taxes without any more than one-half during the previous years. further hardship on the tax-payers of this rovmcc, means that we must get down to the ver e must let down to dollars and cents. T ere are certain activities which we must carry on unless _we close ihlis all’? To: aTli-‘igllilzrilziiltcillrall ‘fileltehiagebxflutiifli its present Land Assessment Act, hi}! lmfflflifll QKXBIIO" 0h ft-‘lll It simpl 8 h nion of ‘our- young men-going back to * . 1- ' 1 ponhmmiy hi ‘paid; but ‘as soon as labor became psi» we nature I §§§“bl,'l,l"f,{l” ifffpi§lifiglalliigiflisaiisei in connection th Prince system of valuation adopted is practically the some. There is no _. _i , ' _ Ever since school inspectors-three of them-were pai grant forAgi-icultural and since that time, and for the future, will of necessity have to be paid from cunrent provincial revenue. I come to the matter of Public Works. I shall deal with this by the Commissioner of Public Works; more or less temporary in order A great deal of work is troyed along with other public works, and they will have to be say, lias_been impressed more strongly upon us, is the importance of building works of as permanent a nature as possible; because not so well built were swept (away. in connection with the Department of expenditure from this source. niciit to rebuild, iii as many cases as possible, in a permanent way. because rue [relieve that is the most have already been ivarneil by the leader of the Opposition that we are not taking the right course, but up to the present ‘he does not seem alble to outline a better one. The 1920 Road Actjs prac- the 1920 Act for Road inspectors. have fully (lcmonstratetl to the people that this Province would eliminate them from our system altogether; and ‘ZUC Iicwe carried out that promise. (Applause) two acts, since I911, is practically the same, and I tliihl-r it has moved nearly as good as the system of statute labor. will naturally be wiriablc. 1-. standard of general cfficiciicy as THE GOVERNMENT HIGHWAY POLICY laid down when in Opposition ; in fact, in a general wriy, the policy laid down. by the Conservative (lovernment iii 191i); the policy which the Liberal Government at first adopted. as shown by their resolution in the House in I920, but which, unfortunately for this Province, and perhaps unfortunately for themselves, they were induced by some evil genius to depart from. that under the circiimslriticcs it is o- good, ttl0tti">\' for permanent works, but we believe it ‘is as these iuorks are of (ll least suflicivnt permanency as to outlive the period fOTJU/lfflt thc-moncyi is borrowed. Tho! mciins spread- cach jvcor, and providing that the total cost is made lIut such a course is only dcfcirsible in the con- struction of work of a. certain \Vhat we condemn in the was the expenditure of such l on level stretches of ordinary clay great expense, of material so perishable that in two years or less they have been almost destroyed, Jriginal condition or worse. count of that departure this in dcbt, and the tax-payers have lost a great deal of money, I/Vith the material we have at hand we cannot expect to build ticrmoncnt highways in this Province. \Ve have learned to our :ost that our highways require a continuous system of upkeep; hey require continuous repair, and rvapair of a (liffercnt kind from under the old system While built at a great cost, these roads have been and have suffered iii consequence. is the only system we belictic is practical. tho-t out we must hot/c .’c'z/,yiing,a tax on the gasoline used by cor orcincrs. provinccsnnd by the United States, and hos ruor/c- This tax will be paid by those who have a special interest in he upkeep of these highways, and I believe that the saving in ‘he wear and tear of the cars, gasoline used because of thc improved condition of the roads by our nethod of itonstantly repairing them under the patrol system, \Vlll more than repay those who pay this tax. Also, we have a great num- .’.‘l'lII‘-‘0l\l has iaken an interest in the tourist movement and is giv- Associafion, in the importance of this movement to the Ilrovincc :nil the benefits that will accrue from it. :re:iscd number coming; they will want smooth roads, and. ivi-ih the iiglnvays that we have constructed we will not i system of proper upkeep is established. hcin a revenue which they will be perfectly AGRIOULTURAL DUOATIION I would like to deal with the Department of Agriculture for a I may say that this to ine is a somewhat difficult lcpartnicnt. The expenditure in this for the last nuniber of years '1as increased considerably. he total amount because since 191i this department like all the ‘iy way of a special grant for agricultural instruction, an amount ivcraging for this Province about $30,000 a yea-r. wast year we have had over $60,000 expended iii this department. l know that this expenditure is questioned by a great many people; especially in the farming communities. The question they ask them- selves is this: “ls the Province getting value for all that expended?" "This year we are faced with a dlfliculty in that de- with the result that I have mentioned. t l 1911, up to the past ear one-half of one _ ‘out of the Federal instruction. That arrangement was discon- Federal Government durin the past year all our sc ool inspectors the because it will be dealt with more exhaustively but I would like again to of last October. I have referred to the outlay occasioned, but the outlay made last year was to carry on during the Fall yet to be done — permanent large bridges, as well as small ones, were des- h-ing that we have learned, or perhaps I should a permanent way withstood the storm; those So there will he thjsyear, Public Works, an increased lt-will be the policy of the ‘Got/eni- vconoiiiicci! riiay in thc end. ROAD insi5§crons Asocisnso , practically speaking, to the Road Act ‘f 1912. the 1912 Act, except there was a provision in l. think the last four yciirs r without these Road Inspectors. We proniisrii’ "(would discharge those oflicilils, that we would The general system under tlicsc we can devise, so long as we adhere to It is quite true that we have to de- efficiency of our Road blasters, and the results lint it will he our policy to get as high possible. I may remark in lidward Island is, I believe, the only province the old system of statute labor. of highways we purpostnto follow the policy lVc bclicv: policy to Imrrow, only good insofar; ivistir number of ycors, anti/ring; it cosy ‘of piivnicnt up before the amount of permanency. The culverts, the building up in a more or less per- manent way of the low-lyiiig, swampy places, tho reduction ufl grzides——thcse urc of a permanent nature and upon these the bor- shoiild‘ be car/tended, and upon tliinro alone. zlnd that, the policy vcihich ziiill be followed by this Goo- I policy of the Liberal Government arge amounts of borrowed nioncy roads, elaborately built up at the roads going lback to their “In doingthis they have departed from the policy of common sense and on ac- Proviiice today is very much deeply and from They require repair which cannot be done of statute labor; the last four years have lV e purpose to estab- Ihcsc Jiighitiiiynr. That [liit in orilirr to curry some extra provision by ri-oy of retiirnuc. cannot be carried out it'll/i the ordinary r01.’- and 7W.’ purpose to ‘make provision for that by That has been system of taking; core of and in the reduction in the amount of rs here. We are glad to sec them and we believe after year in increasing numbers. 'l‘li:s Gov- to it financially. “he bclicvc, with the Tourist We will have an in- have that unless We will get from ‘willing to pay and keeping up the highways, thus benefiting the In 1913 it was $18,500; ten years s nearly double; and that does not represent been receiving from the Federal (lovernment During the money barest " 'i?'i"1ft{i»' is“ I ed a separate system shortly after, and they now have two tax of our friends in the administration of that DAct. _ the Assessment Rolls, w-hich arc the very ‘basis of this Act, upon ivhich (lepciitl the whole success of ilic system, had not been from the first year properly prepared. _ names of the people liiilble Ulltltfl‘ taxcs of fill kmdfi. 011 fibril BSIIITC. personal property and incomc, and examine these and iitakfi 1'6- turns; and on these returns was based the Assessment ROIIS- depended entirely on the manner in which ‘these Assessors per- formcd their duty and upon the iviiy those Rolls wcrcinailc up. In the first year they apparently did their duty, but iii ‘the later venrs the rolls were entirely. niadc up 111 the Treasury. The As- sessors come into the office. them and swear to them, and receive for that $25. _ _ understand whether or not that was a fair meihotfl 3f nnrtment wihichhas already been referred to-the sudden witli- 1118 U16 -’\¢l- l“? "F" “lldflrslaild 5° ‘ifégvglg ilfcorrchtxmd drawal of the a ricutlu-rdl grant. For the past number of years I111"! 56¢" "lllloyedrd Elm lam“ gsked 107m wnore ma“ on“, and numerous expen itures have been based on the expenditure of this llllPfoPl" "lillles l" flvfio silch an extent ywe Say ma, A“ has {with certain orwfization pili ‘been bum up and carried 0'" hgiibre 1i:(l|‘lt3cl"l;p;tidii‘lllfltil¢!f€d, and under the proposed admin- and entwined with the other activities of the D¢PDl_'\f:::t1t;t)thi/s\gdl:: {Shawn the revenue Wm be mom equitably wnecwd, and very of Wales College; and very largely for the upkeep of the Teehni- qaltSchool; for School Fairs and Women's Institutes; and all the activities, more or less, of the Department of Agriculture where there was any excuse for terming that expenditure “instruction- al.” We must remodel our system, we must get down to essen- tials. We purpose continuing our system of agricultural exhibi- tions; our School Fairs; our assistance to Wbmeifs Institutes and we purpose to carry on, as far as possible, our system of Short Courses. THE TECHNICAL ISOH-OOL In regard to the Agricultural and Technical School we have heard and read a great deal about this institution. We all believe in the importance of technical education; there is no question about that. But it is a question, in a small province like this, with lini- ited revenues; just how far we are justified in making elaborate expenditures in this connection. I want to say that as far as I am concerned the expenditure that has been made in connection with the 'l‘echn~ical School is absolutely indefensible when the re- sults produced are considered. . (Aipplanse) I believe that we must carry on these activities; but carefully and economically, ac- cording to our means as a province. Vlle cannot afford these elab- orate expenditures by way of overhead expenses; paying men :1 year's salary for six months’ or less work? paying teachers in that school $2,000 or $1,800 a year for a few months’ work in. the win- tcr. 'l‘his, Province is too poor to stand ihai kind of expense. t Applause.) . - Another department in which we have a very large expendi- ture, to ivhich I have already reverted, isthe Falconwood Institu- tioii. This is another instance of where our expenditures have been vary steadily growiii-g. There are many causes for this. In the first place the number of inmates has been increasing until the institution is now practically over-flouting. Then again there is the increased price for material, supplies, wages, etc. ‘The cost for the past year was about $126,000. \Ve found the conditions there zicutc, which liiid to be remedied. At the tireseiit time, so far as ihehcat- ing and powcrrsystem is concerned, the institution is in a better condition and is giving better results than perhaps it cvcr has in its history. For the first time for many years we have an ade- (uate sii )l of ood fresh ivztter; that has riven rciit concern for l Ill Y ll l1 l! a number of years. MANAGEM ENT OF FALiCONWOOD Wc zi-rc isiitcriiig on this yciir with the belief that :1 very con- sitlcraible reduction will and czni be made in the management 0f that institution. Further than that, it is the intention throughout the year to make a very full and careful review of the list oi paying patients, and I hclicvc as a result of that the revenue of the institution will ‘be very considerably increased. I believe also iliere can be :1 saving, at least over last year, in ‘the matter of purchasing coal, by paying a little more llll(‘llll0ll to the quality of the article purchased. I ivish now to refer briefly to the Nilniinistraiion of justice. In that department, as you will notice, for the last year the expen- ditu-re is within revenue. TIICTC will be sonic small reduction this vcar in the expenditure 011 account of the reduction. of salaries and also, we believe, on account of the operation of the new jury Act. Apart from that the expenditures of that department are vcrv largely uncontrollable, and remain very largely ‘the same from ycar to year. I11 flic estimates for this year, Interest has reached the figure of $70,000, and that does not include the highways debentures. 'l'h¢- total interest charges approximate $100,000. We see the con- dition we are in financially when we non- tliis fact, that the two itciiis of Iidiicalion and Interest alone will more than tiikc, up ilic full amount of our Federal subsidy-Alic- largest single source of revenue. We have been blamed ‘by our friends on the other side of llll‘ llousc for not collecting the revenue last year. We are accused of being remiss in that regard, at least by the Lihorall press. (tur friends are very difficult to please. They say: “You did not col- lvct the revenue”; and they say: “You should not collect the revenue. You have no right whatever to collect the Poll Ta ” lloiy are we going t0 please people who are so tlifiiculit and capti- ons. the tax which above all] others should be imposedJ And now ihi-y tell us we should not have collected it! kVas it not part of their revenue? lVe have carried out our pre~elcction promises in that way, lVe have repealed the Poll 'l'o.i‘, but we propose to collect the arrears. (Applause) It does not lie in the months of our friends to say that we have not collected the revenue. Four years is not a very long period; ilic average memory will extend fairly well over that, and we all remember how they collected the revenue of 1919; how they ileliberately ——I was almost going to say, illilllClOtlSly—-ll6glCCl0(l to collect the important part 0f the revenue of that year. 12y iicglcct~ ing to send out the necessary notices as to iiicomc tax, which prc- vcntcd that tax from falling due, iiiiil still they my t/iot rue how 7l(‘_(/ll’t'ft'li to col/ct! thc rcvcnnc 11ml so iiicrvitrrii’ t/ii‘ ilrflcit ago/its‘! them. THE TAX ACT Wihcn we came into p0\\’t‘l‘ we found the TIIX Act, concerning which we have heard so much boasting-Abe idol of flit-late Gov- erninciit—-iii operation, being (iperatcil by their own officials whom they had officially appointed to carry out its provisions. We came in, in the middle of t-lie year, when this official and his assist- ants were in the midst of collecting that revenue under the pro- visions of that Act and we allowed them to do what they asked the people of this Province to permit them t0 do during the election campaign. We allowed their officizils, so far as the it-nx of 1719 was conccrncil, to finish their work without any interference, and to do it in their own uia_v. 'l‘h:ii is our answer. If the taxes arc not collected the blame is upon these oftidals, upon the system they established, and not on this (jovoriiiiii-iit. _ _ Th8)’ boast about the 'l‘a.\' Act. \\'c adiiiitlthat it is a very wcll drawn Act, and they say that imitation is ilic sniccrestlorm 0f flattery. lVe have incorporated in the new Act such provisions of the old Act as we thought were good. But the Fax Act is not the creation of the late (iovoriiincnt; if they accuse tis of c<)_py'iiig we can refer tht-in to the British Columbia Act, from which ii was copied in toto, and adopted in the I920 ACI- S0. M1’- Speaker, there is nothing new under the s1in._ I do not _fii1d any fault with it as a picce of legislation, but British Colunibiaadopt- ltut I find fault with the method We find that Acts, as we have done this year. The Assessors were to gi-t the It look over the rolls, sign We can readily We will have very greatly iii- THE LAND ASSESSMENT AiOT It has been stated, and rc-iterated, that this Government by These must be ke on. 1 r I l It estate. Thai is dltsoliately untrue. The rate irttie some. The X.| The Poll Tax was their favorite, their fundamental tax,» i Upon‘ Eveninfle tor; Public Inspection h We have just unloaded three ‘cars loads of CHEVROLET flllll STUDEBAKER Latest open and closed Models And we now announce to the public that they may have the opportunity of inspecting these models in our Kent Street showrooms where they are 0n display. ' - Our showrooms will be open each evening this week. A. llfIBNE 8i 00. ., _‘ it will be more fairly administered. I can guarantee that no great- cr hardship in the way of Iteration will be placed on the farmers of this Province. (Applause) We ‘belicvc—-\ve feel assured-that we will obtain a far much larger increase of revenue from that-source, and that without any greater hardship. It was in that part of the administration of the Act that our friends almost completely fell down. \Ve are zidopiing a system by ivhich we w.ill have the Assessment Rolls checked carefully to date ; by which we will get correct and com- plete returns from every district, and by that means have a proper administration in the Treasury‘ office. We expect to get a very large increase of rcvcmie from that source. Ily taxing the land and [icrsonal property under the same system, as in the 1920 Act, it was unduly cumbersome, and unncces“ sarily cxpcnsivem The same series of notices had to be sent to all _ tzix-piiyvers. Under the 1912 Act it ivas not_ necessary to send so many; they were served by the local colector and in that way a great deal of expense 11nd labor ivas saved. We have returned to that systciii so far as tlic tax on liiiid is concerned, and we hope - in that way thcrc will hi: a vcry coiisiileriiltle saving in the ad-' niiiiisirzitiiin of tlic Act. ' THE MITCHELL SCANDAL . I have gone over the various ilcpartmcnts, and our estimates las far as we can ascertain, are completei but there is one other matter to which I must refer, and it is that unfortunate matter lof Andrew Iirziscr Miichclk \\’e are confronted with a situation lihiii is very, very ilifficuli: w.- hnve demands made upon us by _ihese people who have been deprived of their money, which in the iaggrcgiite zinitiiints to bci\vce.i $15,000 and $18,000 and the re- quest has come, even from ilie Courts of Great Britain where this man hlitchcll \\’1l5 iricd, that ihesc moneys ‘be reimbursed‘; that the funds of which these men have been robbed should be returned to thcin. We believe, as I have said before in this House, that . that duty primarily falls upon the Federal Government for the reasons ivhich I have already given, because it iuas the Federal Govunnment that fiirii-ishco’ this man's expenses, without which he itiulrld 11o! how g/oiip thcrv and curried out his Xcheme. Iii pursu- ance of that conviction wc have made :1 demand on the Federal (.i0\‘t2rli11I(‘Ill, upon the Department of Inimigrziiioii at Ottawa, but, I am sorry to inform iilie I louse that up to the present time I have not received from ‘lll(‘lll any reply’. IVe are in tlhe position that we cziiiiioi considci- ihc responsibility of this question-whether provision should ln- nuulc out of ilk‘ funds of the Province to pro- vidc for iliis rviiiiburscincnt, or not. It is :1 most unfortunate posi- tion iiidct-d. CLAIMS AT OTTAWA .\s soon as tliis tiovcriiincni czinn- into power we had a con- ft-rt-ncc a1 Halifax attended by illn: Premiers of the three Mari» time llrtivinct-s, and, as a matter of fact, Fby the whole executive of Nova Scoiizi. .'\t that conference the matter of the claims of the Nlariiinie Provinces :igaiiisi the lilOlllllllOfl (ioverinnent were fully ilisciisseil and a gent-rat linc of action laid down. The matter has been refcrrt-il to experienced counsel to prepare the claims for ilic rlircv: Provinces. .-\ri":iiigi‘iiiciits arc being made now, and I hclicvc will be completed sl‘.0l'll_\’, to hold a conference 0f rill tlic I'f‘t'l1ll0l'$ of tlu- Provinces of Canada regarding this inat- tcr, at which thcsc claims will be discusscil. So far as I am cori- ccrncil, everything possible will be done in order that this matter will be |)I'(.‘SSC(I to a succcssfnl issue. IV.’ niitst remember that the conditions on‘ not iis fu:'oriilih' as they owe some few years ago. '/‘/ii- cry for economy is ltflitli/ stressed this yvor in connection with Fvili-riil ofiiiirs", pvrhti/is- more than cwr since the War, as wi- dcnccil iby thi‘ ‘zi-it/iilriisviil of our af/rirullurul grunt,‘ but inrverthe- lcss if any fiirthcr rj/“orts on thc port of this (iovernni-ent iuill bring this mot/er Io it swxccixiirfiil issue, then I wont to assure this [Ioiisc t/iiit thvsc irfjiirts will not In‘ spared. (Applause) ' riii-z 1924 ESTIMATES The estimates iis tab/rd “fill” show that lhc revenue we estim- otc is $733,046, onil the avpviiilitiirc for the ycor, $728,025. Where ore rut’ g/oing; to gr! the incriviscil rercnuci’ I Iiave already 071M087’- I'll that; we will get it by ll proper and equitable administration of the Tar Act: m‘ will got it from o. number of other sources.‘ by the collection of all soiirci-s of fi"ll('tllll‘. Tilt‘ cxpenditiares have been kept zililhin Ilie mark of ccoiioiii_y-—iiot that economy practised bv the late Liberal (iorcriinien! in. rcfiisini/ Io ‘pay their proper and honest debts, or by storming the public utilities of the Province. Nu .' lVc how's mode tltllfllt’ oiiil proper provision for all these neces- sitics. We have cut down n-hvrcwcr it 70113 proper to cut doiuti, in vricryithing; biil in the iniittcr of Interest, Education and such items TUIIPVC‘ expenditures arc uncontrollable. I do not think there is aivvthing more that I need to say in support of this motion. The outlook in many respects is not as bright _as we in this Province would like to see it. The increased interest dhargcd from year to year is not a bright outlook; but when we compare our condition with other provinces and other countries, I ‘believe that we have no reason for alarm. We hate, here, provided by Providence, a wonderful heritage, what we licvc is the finest picce of green earth in the universe. We are I1 need of many things; of mor: population; of improved and em" tended transportation facilities; o greater assistance by wayftf subsidy from ilie Federal Government; but there is one thing. that we need more than all these things, and that is a greater amount of optimism on the part of our people. Wewant ffltlll Itlt the future? greater faith, iii ourselves and in our Pfoilltld. '1 . t, r01‘ LI -' , ' ‘ I d- . h o, THEN scan FACE ‘_ iii Wiiiiiiosiiiiioi/iiiicc WITH COURAGE ' I believe that if we Iiaw that; i we encourage itog EQUANIMITY. (Loud and prolonged applause.) ' , -_ ' method by which values "will be automatically increased, or by“ ‘iillllfll the {arcs will be incrcoscil; but I zoill say this, that we hope‘ " t: ‘I