gambling and seeking an amendment of the law dealing with agricultural societies to prevent immoral and indecent shows, gambling, games of chance, etc. Officers elected were: Honorary President, His Honour J. C. Tory, Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia; President, Rev. Hamilton Wigle, D.D.; General Secretary, Rev. H. R. Grant, D.D.

The Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities, with a membership of 64 out of the 69 municipalities in the Province (which, it was claimed, constituted a record for the American continent), held its Annual Meeting in Halifax, Aug. 25-27, 1926. Numerous practical addresses were delivered and 12 resolutions were considered. Of these the most important was one urging the Provincial Government to establish a municipal department, which would audit the books of the municipalities and supervise and control debenture issues and sinking funds. Officers elected were President, J. MacNeill, Municipal Clerk, Cape Breton; 1st Vice-President, D. W. Mackay, Mayor of Liverpool; 2nd Vice-President, G. E. Romkey, Warden of Lunenburg; Secretary-Treasurer, Arthur Roberts, Town Solicitor, Bridgewater.

Steps were taken in 1926-27 to re-establish the Provincial Exhibition, Halifax. On Nov. 9, the Provincial Government announced the appointment of a Nova Scotia Exhibition Commission, composed of Hon. J. A. Walker, Minister of Natural Resources; Prof. W. Saxby Blair, Superintendent of the Experimental Farm, Kentville; W. S. Thompson, North Sydney; Harry D. Biden, Amherst, and John Little, Yarmouth. Representatives were also named by the City of Halifax and the Farmers' Association. At an organization meeting on Nov. 24, Hon. Mr. Walker was elected President, and Mayor J. B. Kenny, Halifax, Vice-President, with M. McF. Hall, Halifax, Secretary, and it was decided to proceed with plans for holding the Exhibition in August or September, 1927. Owing to delays, however, it was agreed at a meeting on Mar. 18, 1927, not to hold the Exhibition until 1928, but meanwhile to proceed with the erection of buildings.

THE PROVINCE OF NEW BRUNSWICK

Incidents of the Session of 1927

Opened on Mar. 10, and prorogued on Apr. 21, 1927, the second Session of the 9th Legislature of New Brunswick was one of the shortest in the history of the Province. In all 93 Bills were introduced, of which 86 were given the Royal assent and became law. Conspicuous among them was an Act to regulate and control the sale of intoxicating liquor and repeal the Intoxicating Liquor Act of 1916. This measure proved to be the most outstanding legislation of the Session, though several other Bills of importance were enacted.

The Premier, Hon. John B. M. Baxter, K.C., met the Legislature with the strength of his following unimpaired, despite the holding of three By-elections, there being at the time 37 Conservatives and 11 Liberals in the House. The first By-election was due to the death of F. L. Potts, one of the members for the City and County of Saint John, H. Colby Smith (Cons.) being elected by acclamation on Dec. 4, 1926; the second, to the resignation of Hon. P. J. Veniot, Liberal leader and member for Gloucester, to contest a seat in the Federal General Election, resulting in the return by acclamation on Dec. 11 of Clovis T. Richard (Lib.); and the third to the death of John Lewis Peck, one of the members for the County of Albert, who was succeeded by Conrad J. Osman (Cons.), elected by acclamation on Feb. 22, 1927. The transfer of Hon. Mr. Veniot to the Federal arena had left the Liberals without a leader, and at a meeting of Opposition members and defeated candidates at Moncton on Jan. 19, 1927, it had been decided to leave the choice of a House leader to the members of the Legislature and defer the selection of a permanent leader until a Provincial Convention was held. At a caucus of Liberal members of the House on Mar. 10, Hon. A. Allison Dysart (Kent), who had been Speaker of the 8th Legislature, was elected House leader.

The Session was opened with the usual formalities by His Honour William F. Todd, Lieutenant-Governor of the Province. The Speech from the Throne dealt with the following matters:

(1) Death of John L. Peck; (2) welcome to Lord Willingdon, Governor-General; (3) celebration of the Diamond Jubilee of Confederation; (4) the Duncan Report; (5) position with respect to the Valley Railway; (6) progress of Grand Falls development; (7) investigation of conditions in the lumber industry; (8) tourist travel; (9) progress in agricultural development; (10) immigration efforts; (11) administration of highways; (12) care of feeble-minded; (13) favourable state of finances; (14) provisions

to be outlined for sale of intoxicating liquor; (15) completion of consolidation and revision of the Statutes.

The moving and seconding of the resolution to adopt an Address in reply to the Speech from the Throne was undertaken by Arthur R. MacKenzie (Charlotte) and Conrad J. Osman (Albert). The debate was resumed on Mar. 15, when Hon. A. A. Dysart, Opposition leader, made a general attack on the Government, charging laxity in the enforcement of the Prohibition Act, lack of preparation and effort in presenting the Province's case to the Duncan Commission, failure to grant relief from taxation, hostility to public ownership of hydro-electric power, and the handing over of the Grand Falls power to American financial kings for exploitation. Mr. Dysart was followed by Hon. L. P. D. Tilley, President of the Executive Council, who dealt particularly with Maritime claims, but took occasion to charge the Opposition leader with making a political football of the Prohibition question by avoiding a declaration as to his position in the matter of liquor control. The debate was concluded on Mar. 16, Clovis T. Richard (Gloucester) speaking first on behalf of the Opposition, and Hon. Mr. Baxter winding up for the Government. The Premier's speech was most comprehensive and ended with an interesting reference to the liquor question. He recalled that the existing Prohibition Act had been adopted in 1916 as a war-time measure without being submitted to a vote of the people. The only real effort to enforce the Act, he claimed, had been since his Government had come into power. Last year $86,000 had been spent for the absurd purpose of watching the Province's own vendors, some of whom had the interest of private gain as opposed to public responsibility. He wanted to see a system he did not know what it was going to be-that would take the element of private gain out of every feature of the business. Whatever system was adopted, there was no use in submitting it to the people by a name. "Give the people a practical demonstration," he said, "and after that let them say whether they want it or not." The Premier also dealt with the Duncan Report, urging a separation of the question from politics; explained the Grand Falls situation, and spoke of the hopeful outlook for immigration. The Address was then adopted.

The Budget Speech was delivered by the Provincial SecretaryTreasurer, Hon. Antoine J. Leger, on Mar. 18. After outlining what he described as "the list of noticeable improvements in the Province" since the Government came into power, Mr. Leger took up the financial position of the Province. For the year ended Oct. 31, 1926, total estimated revenues had been $3,695,771, and total ordinary expenditures, $4,395,205, or an estimated deficit on income account of $699,884. Ordinary revenues had actually amounted to $4,382,655, or $686,884 more than the estimate; and ordinary expenditures to $4,444,178, or $49,973 more than the estimate. The deficit was accordingly $61,523, which included the deficit on the Valley Railway. Excluding the Railway account there had been a surplus of $236,834. Mr. Leger pointed out that,

while compelled to pay $403,574 in interest alone, more than their predecessors had paid in 1925, they had been able to cut down the deficit to $61,523, and maintain progress in the various services throughout the Province.

Capital expenditures for the year amounted to $1,923,924, made up of Saint John and Quebec Railway, $155,537; Electric Power Commission, $175,357; bridges, $192,100; roads, $1,348,132; vocational buildings, $52,797. Bonded obligations were increased by $2,980,000, as follows: University of New Brunswick building, $25,000; vocational building, $80,000; liabilities of 1925, as providedby Act of 16 George V., Chapter 38, $2,792,000; Electric Power Commission, $250,000, less bonds redeemed, $167,000. The bonded debt at the end of the year was $35,325,909, and the net debt $33,736,939. The total Public Debt amounted to $37,068,979. For 1926-27, Mr. Leger estimated revenues at $4,160,524 and expenditures at $4,831,841, giving an estimated deficit on income account of $671,317.

The Budget debate lasted for several days, and was not concluded until Mar. 30. Thirteen members, including Premier Baxter and three members of his Cabinet, spoke in support of the Government, and ten members, including A. A. Dysart, spoke in opposition. The debate was featured by the introduction on Mar. 25, by J. E. Michaud (Madawaska) of an amendment to the motion to go into supply, the purport of which was to express the appreciation of the Legislature to the Rt. Hon. W. L. Mackenzie King and his Cabinet for the appointment of the Duncan Commission and for having adopted its recommendations, and asking assurance from the Provincial Government that the money coming to the Province as a result would be used for the benefit of the people. On Mar. 30, following a closing speech by the Premier, this amendment was negatived on a vote of 34 to 11, and the main motion carried by the same plurality.

The Legislature had meanwhile been awaiting with keen interest the introduction of the promised legislation on the control of liquor. The first step was taken at the evening session on Apr. 6, when Premier Baxter moved for leave to introduce and give first reading to a Bill entitled, "The Intoxicating Liquor Act, 1927." In doing so he recalled that in 1916 he had introduced the existing Intoxicating Liquor Act, and declared emphatically that it had produced neither prohibition nor respect for law. While there was difference of opinion in the Government ranks regarding the new Bill, a majority had decided upon the course to be pursued. In explaining the provisions of the new Bill, which introduced a system of Government control of the sale of liquor, he pointed out that it provided inescapable penalties not only for the bootlegger, but for the man who patronized him. After a three-hour debate the motion was put and carried by 27 to 20. Nine Government supporters voted against the motion, while the eleven Opposition members, though not all opposed to the principle of the measure,

contended that the Government had no mandate to deal with the question, and also voted against the motion.

Second reading of the Bill was moved on Apr. 7, and this again provoked considerable discussion. Hon. Mr. Dysart, after declaring that a mandate was lacking and that the Government were pledged by pre-election promises to a vigorous enforcement of the existing Act, moved an amendment, setting forth these views and concluding "that this Bill be not now read a second time." Premier Baxter replied and moved an amendment to the amendment that the Bill be read a second time. The House divided on the amendment to the amendment, which was adopted on a vote of 26 to 18. An analysis of the vote showed that two Government supporters who had voted for the Bill on first reading were absent; that Gordon Grant (York), who had voted against the Bill on first reading had changed over to its support, and that one of the absentee Conservatives was paired with a Liberal. The Bill went into Committee on Apr. 8, and passed through this stage with only minor amendments. It was given third reading on Apr. 19 with the understanding that there was a division in the House, those who opposed the Bill in the earlier stages still opposing it, though no formal vote was taken. It was provided by an amendment made on the last day that the sections constituting the control Commission should go into effect on the passing of the Act, but that the rest of the Bill should not come into force until proclaimed. The Commission, as appointed by the Government, was composed of Rev. R. G. Fulton, pastor of Centenary United Church, Saint John, Chairman; E. R. Teed, Woodstock, Deputy Chairman, and F. J. Robidoux, Shediac. Mr. Fulton announced that he would retire from the ministry at once and take up his headquarters in Fredericton.

An important enactment of the 1927 Session was an Act incorporating the Petitcodiac Tidal Power Co. The Bill was introduced by Hon. Mr. Leger on Mar. 31, and given second reading on Apr. 4. It was considered by the Corporations Committee on Apr. 6, when Matthew Lodge, Moncton, chief spokesman of a delegation from the County of Westmoreland, explained the nature of the undertaking. The estimated cost was $32,000,000, and the development would produce between 100,000 and 200,000 h.p. New York financiers had expressed willingness to finance it, and what they wanted was enough public-spirited citizens to raise $100,000 for the surveys necessary to advance the project sufficiently for financiers to take hold. Sir Henry Thornton had promised to have a survey made relative to the electrification of the C. N. R. from Saint John to Halifax. The Committee named a sub-committee to confer with the promoters. There was considerable discussion of the Bill and eventually it was re-drafted. As finally approved on Apr. 20, the incorporators were given the power to proceed immediately to form their company, carry on preliminary surveys and prepare plans. These plans, before actual work of development was commenced, were to have the