Wednesday, April 12, 1967

This is Centennial Year and many people are going to make an effort, individ- ually and as members of a community, to beautify their surroundings. I don't know whether you are aware of it, Mr. Speaker, but there are many people at this time who are saying to themselves of what use to expend money and effort to beautify our sur- roundings when the probability is that when Hallowe' en night comes vandals would just go about their work in disguise destroying what was so painstakingly done. I would not wish to be interpreted as a “s poil-sport” and the last thing I would wish is to deprive the children of the fun and pleasure that they get out of that particular night, but I think the Minister of Highways would bear me out that it is costing this province thousands of dollars every year in the destruction of essential signs on high- ways, and this is not the work of small children who are having fun. This is the work of senseless vandalism and I suggest to the Government that this matter be given very serious and earnest consideration.

There is another matter which I would like to bring to the attention of the House, Mr. Speaker and that is a subject which has been mentioned on other occasions, is the question of a pension for members of the Legislative Assembly. There are some of us who have been here a number of years. Comes the time when the “X” is marked and we are out and the years of service that we have devoted to public interests re- ceive very little recompense beyond the sessional indemnity. I think, as in many other provinces and to encourage young men to seriously consider taking up the cudgels here in this Legislature, that some provision should be made to compensate them for their efforts, time, money and the sacrifice in personal privacy which we all experience as members of the Legislature.

There' 1s another matter that I would like to bring up at this time, I am not sure whether sufficient consideration has been given to it, but there was a serious outbreak of rabies in Ontario and not so long gago a number of incidents in our neighbouring province of New Brunswick. I wonder if the government is considering the impact of an outbreak of that disease here on the Island. Apart from the danger to human be- ings should a person be bitten by a rabid animal, there is the destruction of segments of our wildlife subject to that particular disease also to be considered. Again I think this is a matter for the Government to consider and the suggestion would be to perhaps vaccinate dogs entering and leaving the rovince. Is thisgo 1n to discourage thepe tourist trade because a lot of people travel wit their dogs? I thing any one that takes the trouble and the ins to travel with a dog, a pet, thinks a lot of that animal and for its protection, and or the protection of other people, would certainly agree to vaccination.

There is another little item in the Throne Speech which deals with higher education. Now my colleague, the former Minister of Education who, with me repre- sents the Second District of Prince, has dealt with this at some length. And from what has been said in the House up to this time, I think a lot of ple assume, rightly or wrongly, that the government accepts the principle of two niversities for this prov- ince. The question arises then how this 1.7 million dollars allocated by the federal - ernment for higher education will be allocated when it reaches the hands of the v- ernment. I certainly hope that the disposition of these funds will not be left in the hands of the University Co-ordinating Council, which the Minister of Education sug-

gested or indicated was goi ng to be established to deal with this question. Beside being

a member of this Le gi,slature I am also a member of the Board of Governors of the Prince Edward Island Teachers’ Federation, and I think the Minister in reply to a question I put on the Order Paper said that there was no strong rotest from the Fed- eration on the 375$¢ a day given to more than fifty ercent o the teachers of this province. My recollection 13, I don't have the clipping 1n rout of me, that the Federation regarded it as an insult. I don't know what strong gprotest, how stronger the protest could be, but I do feel, I really feel that 37%¢ a dag s hardly an increase in pay for a common labourer. It certainly is not enough for t ose men and women who have — they are professional people — many years of practical experience in the field. I hope the government is going to give this a little more consideration.

Honourable Gordon L. Bennett: Did anyone person protest at the Convention on Friday morning, Sir?

. Robert A. Grindlay: I said I wasn’t going to answer a question, but I am go- mg to say this.

Honourable Gordon L. Bennett: Would you answer that one? —I51—-