Evening star., 1938-07-10


akin to the manner in which Wall Street
regarded the late Huey P. Long. They have
revenue enough. and more. for their own
needs. and they don't want their income
and succession duties taxable only by the
Dominion. The reason is quite obvious.
Little is derived from these revenues in the
maritime and the prairie provinces while
they bring in huge sums in Ontario and
Quebec
Thus Hepburn has shouted hands off
Ontario and down the st. Lawrence an
echo has come from Premier Duplessis.
Ontario Premier Hepburn said. lis not
going to be a milch COW for the rest of
Canada"
He was answered by Premier Jonn
Bracken of Manitoba, who said the Prairie
provinces must have aid or they would
default on their debts. 1t was as il his
remarks were directed beyond Premiers
Hepburn and Duplessis. to the invested
wealth of Ontario and Quebec when ha
said that II these two provinces wouldn' !.
aid through increasing the Dominion's tax
revenues, they would pay in losses through
default
Compromise Is Favored,
In Toronto and Montreal industrial and
financial circles there is considerable senti-
ment in favor of seeking a compromise
agreement, at least, with the prairie and
maritime provinces. Several of the most
prominent men in finance in these cities
expressed to me in private their ANNOYANCE
at what they considered the intransigent
stand OF Premiers Duplessis and Hepburn.
benind the axis. however, are political
factors of much influence which. help to
determine its direction.
In Quebec, for instance, the church is
a powerful influence in the provinces fight
against granting any further authority to
the Dominion government over social serv-
ices, and IN this province, the cry of pro-
vincial rights is perhaps loudest. 1t has
come, even, from prominent leaders Of
the church, including Cardinal Villeneuve,
and there has been considerable talk in
the province of separatism and secession
Party labels pean about as much IN
Canada as they do in the United States.
and party irregularity is about as rampant
on this side of the border as it is on tine
other.
Premiers Hepburn and Mackenzie King
are both members of the Liberal party,
Hepburn the leader in the province, Mac
kenzie King in the Dominion. But they
have been at outs politically for some time
and the hostility between them is such tina.
Premier Hepburn has challenged the prime
minister's authority in appointing the COM
mission.
nall way through Headed by Newton
Wesley Rowell chief justice of the Supreme
Court OF Ontario. widely known Liberal
liberal with small a. as they say up
here. to distinguish them from Liberal
party members not so liberal-the COM
mission has finished its public hearings
in all the provinces. 1t is preparing now
for a conference with the provincial pre-
miers this fall, after which it will submit
its recommendations to the Mackenzie
King government.
The commission is more or less quasi
judicial and its members have refrained
from any public declarations on any
changes needed in the British North Amer
lea Act. From all Indications and from
private reports circulating in the capital,
the commission is wholly acceptable 20
the idea OF changing the B. N. A. to
strengthen the authority of the central
government, and feels that the constitu-
tional position of Ontario and Quebec Is
untenable
These provinces, together with New
BRUNSWICK adhere to what is known as
the compact theory of confederation
that confederation was a contract entered
into by the provinces, and that therefore
any amendment to the contract must be
agreed to by all parties to the contract
Against this theory, however, lies the
view of the prairie province. of constitu-
tional authorities generally, and Of the
Dominion government leaders themselves
establishing q strong central government
with widest authority. One of the strong.
est arguments they use to support this
view is the power of veto which still rests
with the Dominion government, although
the Judiciary Committee of the British
Privy Council has virtually emasculated the
rest of the powers given to Ottawa by
confederation. With this power, the Ottawa
Parliament can disallow any provincial
legislation which it deems inimical to the
interests Of all the Dominion.
Hope Premiers Reconsider.
Notwithstanding its apparent adherence
to this broader theory of dominion author
ity, the commission Is greatly concerned
by the attitude Of the government heads OF
Ontario and Quebec, and it hopes that
by September, when it meets with the
premiers in Ottawa, Premiers Hepburn and
Duplessis will have reconsidered their
position.
In Ottawa, whether among associates In
the government. or on the outside, there
Is general belief that Mackenzie King
desires to carve his own place in Canadian
history as the prime minister who strength
ened the Dominion government to meet
modern needs. Should the Rowell COM
mission present report advocating
changes in the B. n. 4 to do this, not
few pefsans mere believe the prime minister
will accept 1t, whether or not Premiers