1945-09-07

MAIN ESTIMATES, 1945-46

[Stage Direction]
A message from His Excellency the Governor General transmitting estimates for the financial year ending March 31, 1946, was presented by Hon. J. L. Ilsley (Minister of Finance), read by Mr. Speaker to the house, and referred to the committee of supply.
Mr. ILSLEY said: Mr. Speaker, these are the estimates that were laid on the table of the house and referred to the committee of supply in the last session of the last parliament. No change has been made in them. Five-twelfths of the estimates were voted at that session and the government will ask this house to vote the remaining seven-twelfths at a later date. May I add that on Tuesday next I shall ask the house to vote interim supply, that is, one-twelfth of the main estimates that have been placed on the table of the house today, and at the same time I shall ask the consent of the house to the introduction of a resolution, notice of which has already been placed on the order paper, for voting a portion of the appropriation that is required for war and demobilization purposes. That I propose

Mutual Aid
to ask for on Tuesday as well. Both these interim votes are necessary if the expenditures which are falling due from day to day are to be met.


Hon. J. L. ILSLEY (Minister of Finance):: Mr. Speaker, I believe it is desirable to take this first opportunity to inform the house of the action the government has taken in regard to Mutual Aid and to means of ensuring the continued flow of essential supplies to our allies following the end of hostilities.
It has been understood from the beginning that Mutual Aid was purely a war-time measure, intended to make possible the most effective prosecution of the war and to end when victory was achieved. The government has always endeavoured to make this clear to parliament and the Canadian public, as well as to the allied nations receiving Mutual Aid.
Immediately upon receiving word of the readiness of the Japanese government to surrender on the terms offered them, the Canadian government notified the governments of countries receiving Mutual Aid from Canada that transfers of supplies as Mutual Aid would cease at the end of hostilities. These recipient governments were asked if they wished to continue to receive foodstuffs and other civilian supplies which they had expected to receive as Mutual Aid, had hostilities continued, and we indicated our willingness to continue to ship such supplies on the understanding that any of those transferred after the end of hostilities would be paid for. In order to avoid useless and wasteful activity, the production and delivery of munitions and other military supplies were halted immediately it was evident that Japan was going to surrender, although the governments which were to receive such supplies were informed of our action and given an opportunity to say that they would like production to be continued for their account. Exceptions to the policy of immediate cancellation were made in a few instances where manufacture was nearly finished and it was considered more sensible and economical to complete production in the hope of being able to sell the finished article for some useful purpose. There was no interruption in the production, procurement and shipment of foodstuffs and other civilian supplies during the course of these rearrangements. I should also add that the provision of supplies to UNRRA for relief and rehabilitation has not been affected by the termination of hostilities.
47696-2J
The date of the end of hostilities for the purpose of terminating the transfer of supplies as Mutual Aid has been taken as September 2, the day of the actual surrender of Japan.
Under the provisions of our Mutual Aid agreements the Canadian government may decide whether supplies which have been transferred as Mutual Aid and which are still in Canada or in ocean transit at the cessation of hostilities shall be repossessed by Canada or allowed to go forward to the countries to which they were transferred. The government has decided it will retain title to such supplies as had not been loaded on ship board before September 2, but will not repossess supplies which were in ocean transit on that date.
The end of Mutual Aid transfers will not end or delay the flow of essential civilian supplies to our allies. The government has offered to continue to buy such supplies for allied governments if they request us to do so and undertake to reimburse us for the costs so incurred on their behalf. Already several governments have made such requests and purchases and shipments are continuing.
Most of the countries which have been receiving Mutual Aid from Canada will require credits if they are to continue to obtain what they need from this country. Negotiations are proceeding with several with a view to the provision of credits under the Export Credits Insurance Act, passed by parliament at the last session. It would be out of place for me to make public the nature of these negotiations until a later stage.
The United Kingdom and the sterling area generally constitute a special case, because of the magnitude and complexity of their trade and financial transactions with Canada. There will be a problem of some difficulty in working out satisfactory means of financing the deficit of the sterling area in its trade and other transactions with Canada during the period of the next few years when Britain is rebuilding and developing her export trade, which has been sacrificed almost entirely to war production in recent years. A similar problem, of course, will exist on a larger absolute scale between the United States and Britain and other parts of the sterling area. Lord Keynes, representing the British government, has been in Ottawa for several days, discussing with other ministers and myself the financial and trade problems arising from the sudden conclusion of hostilities. We have not endeavoured at this time to devise arrangements or negotiate terms for the financing of Britain's trade and that of the rest of the sterling area with Canada over the whole period of transition, which undoubtedly will last for several years. Full discussion of that problem must
Prisoners of War

be deferred until later. Our conversations have so far been confined to the problem that will exist over the next few months until more definite agreements can be worked out. Fortunately it appears that, as a result of the settlements still to 'be made in respect of past transactions, as well as the continuing expenditures of the Canadian forces overseas, Britain and the sterling area will be receiving sufficient Canadian dollars during the next few months to finance all or nearly all of their requirements in Canada. Consequently we anticipate that the question of providing for a deficit will not arise during this interim period. If there should be a small deficit, it might be covered simply by postponing for a few months payment by the United Kingdom or other sterling area countries for supplies received during this period through Canadian government procurement agencies, or possibly by other purely temporary expedients. These would be simply interim arrangements made in anticipation of a definite agreement which has not yet been considered.



PRISONERS OF WAR


[Stage Direction]
On the orders of the day:
Mr. JOHN BRACKEN (Leader of the Opposition):: I have two or three questions I should like to ask the Prime Minister. One of them has already been very well answered by the Minister of Finance (Mr. Ilsley). It had to do with Mutual Aid. If I may I should like to thank the minister for his very fine statement on that matter. I am sure it will be taken by the public as an assurance that no serious interruption of trade will be permitted.
My first question is: In view of the anxiety of Canadians generally regarding the liberation of the Canadian forces taken prisoner at Hong Kong, would the Prime Minister make a full statement to the house at the earliest opportunity, giving all information in the possession of the government?


Right Hon. W. L. MACKENZIE KING (Prime Minister):: I may say to the leader of the opposition that the government has made it a practice of giving out just as quickly as it is received any information with respect to those who have been prisoners of war in the far east. At the moment I have not a comprehensive statement that I could give to the house, but as soon as information has been received of a character which will permit of that, I will have the statement made.
'Mr. fish v.i



EMPIRE PREFERENCE


[Stage Direction]
On the orders of the day:
John Bracken: Press reports indicate that the government of the United States is seeking to induce the United Kingdom to abandon the empire preference system. Would the Prime Minister advise the house whether any representations to this effect have been received from the government of the United States or from the United Kingdom, and if so, what attitude the Canadian government has taken?


William Lyon Mackenzie King: No such representations have been received.



FORT McMURRAY OIL


[Stage Direction]
On the orders of the day:
Mr. J. R. MacNICOL (Davenport):: May I inquire from the Minister of Mines and Resources or from the Minister of Reconstruction, whichever one is directly in control, whether in view of the destruction of the oil separation mill and adjacent buildings of the Abasand plant at Fort McMurray the government proposes to reconstruct the destroyed buildings or to return the property to private interests?


Hon. C. D. HOWE (Minister of Reconstruction) :: I may say in reply to the hon. member's question that discussions leading to a decision are now taking place between the government and the Abasand company who wish to take over.



HALIFAX V-E DAY RIOTS

[Stage Direction]
MR. JUSTICE KELLOCK's REPORT-REMISSION OR REDUCTION OF PENITENTIARY SENTENCES
On -the orders of the day:
Mr. J. G. DIEFENBAKER (Lake Centre):: I should like to ask a question of the Minister of Justice in connection with the report made by Mr. Justice Kellock on the Y-E day riots in Halifax. Is it the intention of the government to file that report? Is consideration being given to the remission or reduction of the penitentiary sentences that were passed on the naval personnel as a result of the riots?
Hon. L. S. ST. LAURENT (Minister of Justice): The report of Mr. Justice Kellock was submitted while parliament was not in session, and it was immediately turned over to the king's printer. The copies became

The Address-Mr. Benidickson
available some two or three weeks ago. In view of the widespread public interest in the matter it was felt that it should be made public at that time, and it was made available to the Canadian press. If it is desired to have a copy tabled here I will arrange to have it done at one of the early sittings. Copies of the report are in the office of the king's printer and can be obtained by any hon. member of the house who wishes to have one.
As to the second part of the question, the remission branch of the Department of Justice has been making the usual investigation into the matter of the sentences passed upon not only naval personnel but others as well who were convicted of having participated in the disturbances of that day at Halifax. The hon. member knows that it is not the practice to announce in advance at what time a ticket-of-leave will be issued or at what time a recommendation will be made for a reduction of sentence. It is only when the moment has arrived to give effect to the recommendation that it is transmitted to His Excellency.
There are no reductions made in sentences until they become effective when announced; but a very careful and, I may add, sympathetic investigation into the situation has been under way for some considerable time. As soon as it is completed, and if it appears that it is possible at once to give effect to a recommendation for clemency, it will be submitted. I can assure the hon. member that the most sympathetic consideration will be given to the cases of the misguided young men who participated in that unfortunate disturbance.



VETERANS AFFAIRS


[Stage Direction]
On the orders of the day:
Mr. W. CHESTER S. McLURE (Queens): I understand that a resolution has been sent to the Minister of Veterans Affairs by the government of Prince Edward Island, and in explanation of the question I am going to ask I should like to be permitted to read that short resolution.
Mr. SPEAKER:: Order.


Mr. McLURE:: This is a copy of a minute of his honour the lieutenant governor in council-


James Horace King: Order. That may not be read.


Winfield Chester Scott McLure: Then I will just ask the question. Has the resolution been received by the Minister of Veterans Affairs, and what action has he taken with reference to it?


James Horace King: Order. Only the question is permissible.
Hon. IAN A. MACKENZIE (Minister of Veterans Affairs): I have received several resolutions from Prince Edward Island in regard to the hospitalization situation there. Negotiations are still proceeding as a result of the recommendations of the wartime hospitalization committee, by whom all recommendations must be endorsed in reference to. the hospitalization of veterans in Canada.



THE WAR


[Stage Direction]
On the orders of the day:
Mr. E. G. HANSELL (Macleod):: May I direct a question to the Prime Minister, based upon the announcement of the Minister of Finance with respect to Mutual Aid, in which evidently it was recognized that hostilities have ceased. At first blush my question may appear a bit foolish, but I have a reason for asking it. Is it expected that the government will make a formal announcement, so far as Canada is concerned, that the war is ended and, if so, when may we expect that announcement?


William Lyon Mackenzie King: I would say to my hon. friend that I will take note of his question and answer it at another time.



GOVERNOR GENERAL'S SPEECH


[Stage Direction]
The house proceeded to the consideration of the speech delivered by His Excellency the Governor General at the opening of the session.
Mr. W. M. BENIDICKSON (Kenora-Rainy River):: M.r. Speaker, I have the honour to move, seconded by the hon. member for Gaspe-(Mr. Langlois), the following resolution:
That the following address be presented to-His Excellency the Governor General of Canada:
To His Excellency Major General the _ Right Honourable the Earl of Athlone. Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, a: member of His Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, Knight Grand Gross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Grand Master of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Companion of the Distinguished Service Order, one of His Majesty's Personal Aides-de-Camp, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of the Dominion of Canada..

The Address-Mr. Benidickson
May it Please Your Excellency:
We, His Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the House of Commons of Canada, in parliament assembled, beg leave to offer our humble thanks to Your Excellency for the gracious speech which Your Excellency has addressed to both houses of parliament.
I understand it is the privilege of the mover of this resolution to make a few remarks to the house.	First it is my
pleasure to express to you, Mr. Speaker, my sincere congratulations upon your election to the high office of first commoner, which took place yesterday. I believe my sympathy should also be extended to you, sir, because you have before you a great number of members of parliament, I think something in the nature of one hundred, who are making their first appearance in this chamber. I feel, however, that the new members may expect from you consideration and courtesy, in that despite this high honour you yourself have not long been a member of this House of Commons, though we all realize that you have had much more experience in parliamentary procedure than we have had, by reason of your service in the legislature of your province, and also because of the family school in which you have been brought up, which has given so many distinguished members to the public life of the Dominion of Canada.
I am well aware, sir, that a signal honour has indeed been conferred upon me in the invitation to move the address to His Excellency in reply to the speech from the throne. It is, of course, the custom in this house to select for this high privilege one from among those who are taking their first faltering steps in national politics. In my own case, however, I recognize that another and far from personal reason is responsible for my selection and possibly that of my good friend the seconder of the motion. I believe we have been selected for this high honour particularly because we have been associated with the armed services during the war. It is true that in previous sessions during war time this honour has been conferred upon members of the services, but I understand that hitherto it has been performed by members of the major Canadian service, the army. Therefore I deeply appreciate the tactful courtesy that has been shown to-day in asking that the address be moved and seconded by members who have been associated with the other branches of the services bf this country. It will be pleasing to them that in this great hour of final victory this additional accolade has been bestowed upon these two services whose achievements have been sometimes overlooked in recent days, when the course

of the war focused public attention so completely upon the work, the distinguished work, of the Canadian Army.
Mr. Speaker, if I may be forgiven I should like to interject a purely personal note of satisfaction. I had heard the name and rank of the hon. member for Gaspe (Mr. Langlois) as one elected to membership in the house; but until yesterday, when we met again, I had not realized that he was a former Halifax messmate who had been most helpful to a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force who, rather nervously, was feeling his way in his first contacts with the Royal Canadian Navy as their first air-liaison officer.
In expressing appreciation for the compliment that has been given to the service to which I was once attached, I decline to believe that there was not intended some measure of recognition of the constituency to the representation of which I have been elected. I wish to thank the Prime Minister (Mr. Mackenzie King) and his colleagues on behalf of all the electors and all the citizens of my riding for this honour.
The constituency of Kenora-Rainy River is a very large one. In fact, it is one of the few which can be said actually to span the country, for in the south the constituency of Kenora-Rainy River skirts the boundary of the United States, and moving northward through the rapidly developing mining district of Red Lake, encompasses the shore line of Hudson bay.
Therefore, I say that in the minds of Canadians it might very well occupy an equally strategic position, for it is the constituency in which it can be truly said that east and west meet and mingle.
Many of us, when we think of the city, have in mind the western city of Winnipeg. But always-and of late, unhappily-when we have referred to the fountain-head of our provincial government we have of course referred to the city of Toronto.
Since the creation of our riding some twenty years ago we have sent to the, house, consistently, followers of the present Prime Minister. During that time we have sent two distinguished members who have placed upon a neophite the very heavy burden of upholding a high reputation. Our first member, the Hon. Peter Heenan, was a privy councillor. He had the great honour, one which the constituency still appreciates, of moving the introduction of a bill which made the old age pensions scheme part of the law of our country. All hon. members will appreciate those observations in the speech from the throne which indicates a very necessary extension-

The Address-Mr. Benidickson
the dominion-provincial conference permitting -of the benefits flowing from that splendid piece of legislation.
The second hon. member to represent our constituency was Hugh McKinnon. I am sure a great number of members in this chamber, with me, regret his untimely passing during the last parliament. I have already had evidence of the great affection in which he was held by former members of the house, through the number of courtesies already extended to me by members of this house as his political heir, by reason of it being known that he and I were great personal friends.
Traditionally both these hon. members were Liberals who regarded the title as being as well spelled with a small as with a capital "L". It was they who pioneered the very natural association between Liberals and Labour which was so decisive a factor in the last election.
And, speaking of that election, may I say that I became convinced and tried to convince other people that the retention of the present government in power after the war was necessary in the best interests of the country. This opinion was based largely upon the government's splendid direction of the Canadian war effort, and naturally upon the conviction that a government with so much behind it in the way of war-time accomplishments could not fail to show equal wisdom and equal imagination in the handling of the equally difficult problems of peace. They, I felt, could not fail to understand that the world of 1938 had, in fact, dissolved before our eyes, and that a new world had stirred toward its birth six years ago this week.
From its programme it was evident that the government neither clasped the past too firmly, nor reached too eagerly toward the distant future. The record of the government and the outline of its programme during the election campaign were such, I believe, as immediately to satisfy the great majority of the people of Canada. According to the people's verdict, the government's programme approached most closely their requirements. I am pleased to note from what I read in the speech from the throne that performance is following closely upon the heels of promise.
The governor general's speech which we heard yesterday embodied at least the spirit of those reforms which the times demand. And if as members of the house we cannot ensure that the letter and the detail of those reforms are made effective, then I suggest, with all deference and respect, that we shall have failed in our task.
The raw material has been dropped into our laps by a government which, I believe, has appreciated what must go into the warp and woof of the new fabric. As I understand the matter, our task is to suggest into precisely what patterns it shall be woven. The materials given to us as outlined in the speech from the throne, are good materials. They conform with what we had been led to expect from past performance and practice.
For those materials, the spinning of which we gained some intimation during the 1944 session of parliament, and during the election campaign which followed, I should like personally to acknowledge the definite hand of the Prime Minister. We younger men who think we feel within ourselves and are led by the precepts of Liberalism-even left wing Liberalism-are told that this is a phase in our philosophy which young men rightly ex- , perience, but which they will forget as they grow older. I think the thirties are the time when we are supposed to abandon and to break away from some of those ideals.
Sometimes when, through private business success, we attain a degree of prosperity, we are inclined to abandon what I should like to call real liberalism. However, in the face of this allegedly natural transmutation, and in contradiction of all that we have been told is an inevitable and natural process, I would make so bold as to draw to the philosophers' attention the Right Hon. William Lyon Mackenzie King. The years have not changed his relative position to the right or to the left. He remains one of those fortunate ones, regarded by one party as radical and by the other as conservative. To-day, as always, he fulfils the ideals of those who are most eager to do what they can for social reform and for the advancement of their country, without entirely scrapping the whole system under which so much progress in Canada has already been made.
We may disagree on details, but I claim that in the speech from the throne which we heard yesterday were included the indications of all the major policies which we can count [DOT]upon to carry Canada through the difficult years which lie ahead.
May I be forgiven if for a few minutes I give expression to what is possibly obvious to all hon. members. First, Canada has fought a great war. The magnitude of our achievement is, I think, not readily discernible as yet to Canadians as a whole. For example, we say that we had an army in the field, but I wonder if any one has yet been able to explain properly to Canadians what is meant by that very technical word "army"? We have had a
The Address-Mr. Benidickson

navy. Possibly my hon. friend who is to second this motion may wish to have something to say as to what is involved in the way of men and ships when we say "navy".
We have had an air force, and in this connection I am on more familiar ground. The Royal Canadian Air Force has meant that there have been Canadian airmen from Iceland southeastward to Burma. For example, when we say that Canada had a bomber group in action I wonder how many Canadians were able to translate that innocent word "group" into the immense formation, among many other formations, made up of ten thousand men and millions of dollars worth of aircraft which was dispersed over hundreds of square miles of England and which was carrying as much as fifty per cent of the British bombs launched against the enemy.
These illustrations of the contributions of Canada to victory were obvious to the men overseas, but how well were they understood at home? On the other hand, how well was the achievement of Canada's home war effort appreciated by the men in the field? How well could those men, satisfied by what they saw of the deliveries of men and equipment, yet concentrated upon the evidence before them, appreciate and evaluate the excellence of the home war effort, the handling of the financial aspects of the war and the equally excellent handling of the defeat of inflation? How well could they evaluate what had been done in fulfilling the appalling demands for supply and equipment which must have staggered those responsible for meeting them as truly as did the instructions to wipe out Brest and Lorient which were given to our troops in the earty days of the air war or which were given, I imagine, later on to the army at the time of Dieppe?
In passing, I suggest that we have within the government departments adequate facilities for writing what might be called the statistics of this war, the brave ones of the number of free enlistments and the tragic ones of those who have not returned. There will be the statistics of the food and munitions we produced and the hours of work that were put in in this country to assure victory. But there are no statistics, nor can there be, of the intangible things which went into the winning of the war. By "intangible things" I mean the sacrifices made by men and women who were parted in the doubtful early days of the war; and the sacrifice that was made by a man when he gave up a good job to enlist. At that time, in the eagerness with which men threw overboard their present happiness in order to serve a cause in which they believed, there appeared an example of the Canadian spirit

which is all too readily overlooked to-day when men say, as if ambition instead of idealism had motivated that action, "Oh, he did well enough in the army or the war plant, but he will have to work for much less now that the war is over."
For a moment I have strayed from my theme. I had meant to argue that no one of us can yet grasp the extent of Canada's effort and I hope that none of us will deny the fact that as a result of this great conflict this country has become a great nation. I have heard expressed in private conversations our peculiar Canadian brand of isolationism, and I have no doubt that we shall hear of it hereafter in this house. It follows naturally upon the fact that we in Canada have not what might be called the normal ambitions of a nation. We do not want anyone's territory; we are content to keep the peace and leave other people alone. So far so good, but I think there is more to be said.
Whether we like it or not, as a result of our achievements through the war years, the achievements of our armed forces, of our economic administrators, of our diplomatic representatives, of our scientific forces, we have been lifted up far above the stature of a northern adjunct to the United States or a western dependency of Great Britain. Whether or not we like it we have been forced into the position of being respected as a great power in the world; we are the spokesman for a great deal of the best in the world that we hope will emerge from the holocaust. This fact has already been recognized by much more of the world at large than some of us at home are prepared to realize. I believe wre confuse ourselves by thinking that the major figures in the world of to-day stop off in Ottawa only for reasons of courtesy or convenience.
As a great nation we have ever increasing obligations. With our immense resources of food, minerals, forest products and manufactures we must ensure that the rest of the world is supplied with its share of what it needs. Morally, we must exert every influence to ensure that whatever settlements or agreements are made to-day, twenty years from now they will not disturb the peace that Canada loves. Socially, we must use to the full, as w7e have always done before, the progressive spirit of our own people to introduce reforms which may in turn be a pattern for other parts of the world. Economically, we must prove that our existing freedom will work and seek to enlarge it rather than narkening to those who say that either it must be scrapped or so changed in one direction or the other that it is no longer freedom.

The Address-Mr. Langlois
I believe that these suggestions of mine are implicit in the speech from the throne. Asking your patience, sir, and that of the house I should like to touch upon two points, one of which was not mentioned in the speech but both of which I regard as being of special importance. They both concern the man who has served in this latest war. On all sides of the house we are obviously determined that the best possible deal shall be given to him.
I think that some confidence will be given to these men in the knowledge that in this house _ there are over thirty veterans of this war in addition to possibly many more who saw service in the great war that went before.
In the first, and lesser place, there are numbers of young men who after long service in our forces during this war have decided that their special aptitudes and special interests lie in continued membership in the armed forces. They were volunteers at the outset of the war. To-day they would like to be members of that relatively large permanent force which we expect Canada to maintain as a nation, if not to contribute to an international police force. To the best of my knowledge two at least of these services so far are not making it possible for the men so minded to remain in the service. I suspect that in consequence the cream of the crop, from the military point of view, is being lost.
In the second, and much greater place, I ask, Mr. Speaker, that the government give the utmost priority to provision for the housing of veterans. I am glad to see that subject mentioned in the speech from the throne. We know' that constructive action is under way in cities, and we are hopeful that when the occasion comes a still broader programme will be announced. We are also hopeful that control over housing, the major emergency which Canada faces to-day, may be vested in one central agency. We would welcome an assurance that the benefits of the wartime housing policy will not be concentrated in the cities but will be dispersed among the smaller towns as well, where the problem of overcrowding is relatively equally severe.
In the meantime may I respectfully ask my colleagues in this house, including older and wiser members, to remember that the final victory is not much more than a week or so behind us and that while the transition from the old to the new is ahead of us, it cannot be accomplished overnight. At the same time we as members of this house must as legislators and public servants keep ever fresh in our minds a vision of our worthy calling. In this connection I should like to plagiarize a story that appeared recently in a popular magazine.
There were three stonemasons at work, and a passerby asked each of them what he was doing. The first replied, "I am cutting a stone." The second one said, "I am making a wall." The third replied, "I am helping to build a cathedral." And so I say, Mr. Speaker, that even those of us who are new here and back-benchers must keep in our minds the fact that we have the great privilege of being stonemasons in the building of a better social order.


Mr. J. G. LEOPOLD LANGLOIS (Gaspe) (Translation):: Mr. Speaker, I rise to' second the motion which has been moved with so much eloquence by my honourable friend the member for Kenora^Rainy River (Mr. Benidickson).
I thank the honourable member for his very kind remarks, and wish to assure him of my most sincere friendship.
May I first be permitted, Mr. Speaker, to congratulate you for having been selected to>
preside over the debates of this house. Your high qualities and your past parliamentary experience give us the assurance that you will discharge that important function with dignity and impartiality.
I must also compliment the great Canadian who is our prime minister, the Right Honourable William Lyon Mackenzie King, on the-splendid victory which he and his party have recently won. It must be quite comforting: to a patriot like him to see an entire population put its trust in him at the most tragictime in its history and I hasten to add that never was such a comfort so well deserved.
I have often heard it said,-of course by political opponents of the prime minister,- that his greatest quality was that he knew how to choose able associates. His opponents perhaps find in this fact an excuse whereby to account for his outstanding success at the head of the Canadian nation for nearly twenty years and perhaps they also find in it a reason for trying to minimize the great work he has accomplished for this country.
To my mind, Mr. Speaker, a man must be-great in his own right to be able to secure the cooperation of outstanding associates. That is -the secret weapon of our prime minister; his personal greatness which, with his inborn humility, he is forever trying to conceal.
In a recent article entitled "Canada's Mackenzie King" published in the September issue of The Readers' Digest, Mr. Stanley High confirmed this opinion when he said: Mackenzie King that is to say is one of the-world's important figures.
He is also one of -the least known.
The Address-Mr. Langlois

And in order to illustrate that statement, better, I should add: because Mackenzie King always places the interests of Canada before his personal interests.
As regards the prime minister's associates, there is one of whom I now wish to make a special mention; I refer to the Honourable the Minister of Justice, (Mr. St. Laurent). He is a worthy successor of Laurier and Lapointe and the province of Quebec is proud to number him among her most illustrious sons. The confidence that has recently been shown to him by that province and especially by the constituency of Quebec-East where he had an unprecedented majority, affords an ample proof of that fact.
Mr. Speaker, I also tender my sincere congratulations to our new Minister of Fisheries (Hon. H. F. G. Bridges) who last week had the well-deserved honour of being the first veteran of this war to enter the cabinet.
May I also refer to the presence in this house of another member of the Royal Canadian Navy, the honourable member for Churchill (Leading Stoker Ronald S. Moore). I congratulate him most sincerely on his election.
Mr. Speaker, it is indeed a great honour for me to have been requested to second the address in reply to the speech from the throne. I know that such an honour has been conferred on me on the one hand because I represent one of the finest constituencies in our Canadian confederation, and on the other hand because I am a member of the Royal Canadian Navy. On behalf of each one of the men and women electors of Gaspe, and in the name of our Canadian sailors, I offer the prime minister my heartfelt thanks.
Mr. Speaker, I represent in this house the beautiful constituency of Gaspe. The Gaspe peninsula is the oldest section in the country from an historial standpoint. Indeed, it was in my constituency that the first white man set foot on Canadian soil and took possession of it in the name of the king of France. Let me carry you back in thought to the year 1534 and to the great French explorer, Jacques Cartier. This land where Cartier set foot four hundred years ago is now an immense territory inhabited by honest and generous people. The population is mixed and the soft accents of the French language mingle with those of the language spoken by the majority of the citizens of Canada. Indeed, it is a miniature Canada except, of course, for the proportions represented by both racial groups.
It is devoid of industry, except lumbering, and the majority of our people are engaged in the toilsome occupation of fishermen and [Mr. Langlois. 1
in the more peaceful chores of the farm. This lack of industry in the Gaspe country upon which nature seems to have lavished its richest resources, while endowing it with matchless scenery, is due to the almost total absence of communications. Except for the railway running between Matapedia and Gaspe and the highway which circles the peninsula, both of minor importance for that matter, waterways are the only commercial means of communications available to our people. And here again, our harbours are highly inadequate. Even our fishermen have few harbours where they can shelter their boats when, tired out, they finally return to their homes after having battled the sea in their attempts to wrest from it its savoury harvest.
Mr. Speaker, notwithstanding all those difficulties of an economic nature the people of Gaspe have responded most generously to the country's appeals in recent times. We have witnessed an endless procession of future heroes, brave fishermen and doughty farmers going towards remote recruiting centres of our Canadian navy, our army and our air force. In proportion to its population, our constituency has sent as many men to the armed forces as any other constituency in Canada; and we are proud of our record. Soldiers from Gaspe were at Hong Kong, at Dieppe, in Africa, in Sicily, in Italy, on the beaches of Normandy, in France, in Holland and finally in Germany, on those battlegrounds where the valorous Canadian army has written the finest pages of our history.
The Victory Loans, the appeals of the Red Cross and other auxiliary services afforded another opportunity to the people of Gaspe to show their patriotism, and here again their contribution was no less substantial. They have made those sacrifices in order to contribute to the great allied victory over the enemy of our civilization.
Mr. Speaker, the part played by our country in attaining victory has been as great as, if not greater than, that of any other nation and we may justly be proud of our achievements. Under the capable leadership of the prime minister, Canada has shown to the whole world that we are a nation that must hereafter be reckoned with. Our war effort, voluntarily agreed to in the early days of the conflict, has enabled England, this great democratic nation, to weather the storm at the outbreak of hostilities. At that time, the whole world, a large part of which was already trembling under the enemy's blows, was looking up to Canada, the chief ray of hope at the sides of brave Albion.

The Address-Mr. Langlois
We have remained united and firm in this gigantic struggle. Mr. Speaker, our men of the Royal Canadian Navy and of the Canadian Merchant Marine were the first to take part in the battle. I wish to pay tribute here to the valour of those brave sailors, heroes of the first phase of the battle of the Atlantic, who did not hesitate to man their inadequately equipped ships in order to bring supplies to the last bulwark of democracy and of civilization. Their courage has never faltered and their contribution to final victory was of an inestimable value.
Mr. Speaker, I take the liberty to digress for a moment. I wish to emphasize the praiseworthy work done by our first minister of Naval Services, the Hon. Angus L. Macdonald, which was zealously continued by his worthy successor, the Hon. D. C. Abbott. From a few obsolete units at the outbreak of the war, our navy has developed, in less than six years, into a powerful fighting force. It is easy to visualize the ardruous work which this task must have imposed upon those two ministers.
Our brave soldiers and airmen followed closely our sailors in the struggle and they brought great credit to our country on the battlefields and in the skies of Europe. Nor must we overlook the patriotism of the Canadian women in the various auxiliary services who so ably supported our armed forces.
Mr. Speaker, in these opening days of a new era of peace, we must say a grateful prayer for all those brave sons of Canada who have made the supreme sacrifice in the service of their country.
It is the custom in all the countries of the world to erect monuments to the memory of those who have died on the battlefields. To that end, we attempt to carve in stone a symbol which will remind future generations of the ideals and greatness of those who have gone before.
I congratulate the government for wishing to commemorate in this manner the memory of our dead, for this memorial will express the nation's everlasting gratitude. To my mind, however, we will raise the most beautiful memorial to our gallant men by giving a practical expression to the ideal for which they fell. A more symbolic or lasting monument we can never build.
Mr. Speaker, when our sons fought with such courage and sacrificed so much, it was to give the world a lasting peace, peace among the various nations which people the universe and peace within each of these nations. How can our country participate in winning this peace? In the international sphere, it is our duty to promote understanding and co-operation among freedom-loving nations, since
liberty is the basis of our democratic civilization. Our sons fought to restore to the world its lost freedom, and plain logic demands that we share in the protection of this privilege. Our country has already made great strides in that direction at the San Francisco peace conference, whose decisions will be submitted to the approval, of the house. At this point,
I wish to express the admiration Canada feels for her representatives at this memorable Conference and particularly for the head of our delegation who represented us with such distinction. From the aforementioned article,
I quote Mr. Stanley High's opinion on the matter:
Canada has heretofore been classed as one of the small nations. Under King's leadership, it has emerged from that category. Representing a people conscious of their increased unity and strength, Mackenzie King, at the San Francisco Conference, made Canada leader and spokesman for "The Middle Powers".
I express the wish that our country will pursue this path and make itself heard just as eloquently in future international meetings.
We must insist on being kept informed of all decisions of international import taken by major or minor powers. We must press for front rank recognition and specify this as a sine qua non condition of our fellowship with other nations. This right we have acquired by the loss of thousands of young Canadian lives and by our country's magnificent war effort.
Mr. Speaker, the principles of liberty which form the basis of a lasting world peace apply just as well in our own country. We must keep in mind that Providence has entrusted two great races with the mission of moulding the Canadian nation in this land of America, and every Canadian should deem it his duty to help bring about the success of this mission. Our present Prime Minister has, on various occasions, shown more skill and firmness than any other Canadian in effecting the unity of the two races. Among his numerous achievements, I feel convinced that history will consider this accomplishment the most outstanding and most characteristic of his long political career. Our national unity has just survived its most severe assault during the war years, and we must preserve it, for twice in a quarter of a century our sons have sealed it with their blood.
Mr. Speaker, I hope that this solemn unity will soon be symbolized by a Canadian flag and an official national anthem. The speech from the throne informs us that this house will be called upon to consider the first of those two projects. Let us hope that the second will follow very soon.
The Address-Mr. Langlois

Mr. Speaker, in my humble opinion, in order to develop within the mind of every subject of this country, to whatever racial group he may belong, the legitimate and commendable pride of being an outright Canadian citizen, it is necessary that concrete symbols of his Canadian citizenship be given to him. A distinctive flag and a national anthem constitute the greatest of these symbols and they will serve as a stimulant to the external manifestations of the love we have for our country. Once those two great projects have been carried out, the people who are entrusted with education in the nine provinces of this country will perhaps agree, at least I hope so, to consider another no less important project, which would consist in making available for our students a uniform textbook of Canadian history. It should not be a history doctored so as not to offend certain touchy people, but an impartial and complete history. It would be ,to the 'benefit of every citizen of this country to study such a history dealing jointly with the two great races that form our nation. Our greatest educators have always attached considerable importance to training through the study of history. If this science is shorn of certain prominent facts, it loses its formative value. The truly Canadian soul is shaped through the knowledge of valourous deeds as well as of past errors.
Mr. Speaker, we must win the peace in the economic field as well. To this end, we must without delay reconvert our war economy to a peace footing. Let us thank God that the government have initiated their efforts in this field before the close of hostilities. That our country was not taken by surprise on the seemingly unexpected surrender of Japan at this early date and the complete suspension if hostilities which had kept our pprple on a war footing for the last six years, is due to this commendable forethought of the administration. Among the measures already enacted and in force, I shall mention the Unemployment Insurance Act. A crisis in the employment situation may easily be provoked in the transition period; in fact, I understand that it already exsits in certain districts. The conversion of our war plants to peace industries, following the cancellation of large war contracts, the accelerated demobilization of our armed forces, and other transition activities, cannot take place without a certain decrease in the demand for man-power.
The Family Allowance Act is another social measure which the last Parliament passed at the appropriate time. The advantages of this measure are many. It constitutes a new application of the principle of reducing war taxes in proportion to family responsibilities

and it also has the merit of assisting the poorer classes, taking family obligations into account. It will offset a possible decrease in wages and raise educational Standards, making it possible for a larger number to benefit from .onger periods of schooling.
We must think first of rehabilitating and reestablishing our soldiers and, here again, the government have fulfilled their duty. On the return of our veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs was already in full operation. I realize that temporarily uncontrollable circumstances, the lack of trained personnel among others, have delayed the normal operation of this important service. The task was far from easy, especially while the war was still being waged; however, 1 hope that peace will permit this department to operate with the greatest efficiency at a very early date.
Mr. Speaker, if one class of our citizens is more deserving than others of the greatest interest on the part of the government, it is that of the war veterans. We have the obligation, not only of reestablishing them after a fashion in civilian life but also of guiding them in their new callings. I hope it will be possible to increase the scope of our vocational training services, which I consider essential. Our young men leave the army without experience of normal life and are therefore easy targets for speculators; they are readily attracted to new experience which may be disastrous for 'them and society in general. On their leaving the forces not only should they be thoroughly informed of the advantages offered them, but they also should be advised by specialists in the choice of a career according to their respective skills. I shall make another digression here to praise the government and especially the Hon. Minister of Transport (Mr. Chevrier) for their practical recognition of the valorous services rendered, by the members of our Merchant Marine in granting them a service allowance based on the length of service. They have well deserved of Canada,
Mr. Speaker, we have also witnessed the inauguration of the Department of Reconstruction. This service has done a considerable amount of work both in the field of planning for the future and in implementing certain measures for maintaining industrial employment at a high level. The creation of the War Assets Corporation, the rapid reconversion of our industry, the inauguration of -the Industrial Development Bank and the National Housing Administration, the promoting of greater credit facilities and more extensive banking services are reconstruction

The Address-Mr. Langlois
steps full of promise. A third department, jugt as important as the others, has been created, that of National Health and Welfare. Its programme is essential to the social welfare of Canada and, in common with the other two, its efficient operation will require the close cooperation of the provinces. Let us hope that the Federal-Provincial Conference, which met, on the invitation of the government, on August 6 last, will have a happy ending for the future of the country. The progress and development of Canada demand that the various governments come to an agreement.
(Text): A great task has been achieved, Mr. Speaker, in connection with the winning of the peace and the smooth transition of the whole economy of our nation from war-time to peace-time needs.
The speech from the throne outlines what the government proposes to do to implement what has been done in previous sessions. The new sessional programme mentions, among other things, the intention of the government to speed the orderly release of men and women from the armed forces ,to maintain long-term markets, to restore external trade, and to promote a high level of employment.
We are endeavouring to ensure world security by promoting lasting prosperity. As this objective cannot be accomplished by any nation in isolation and requires international cooperation, we must therefore restore and expand world trade. Canada has the obligation to share in this cooperation by obtaining export markets and also by stimulating larger imports, which will respectively, and as direct advantages to this country, increase employment and raise our standard of living.
Apart from the aforesaid advantages, this increase in the volume of our exports and imports will soon necessitate the establishment of a Canadian fleet of modern oceangoing cargo ships. Such a fleet, in my opinion, would add to Canada's prosperity, because it will give employment to a greater number of Canadians both as crew members to man the ships and as workers in our shipyards which will build and repair them. It is to be noted that our country ranks second only to our neighbours to the south in the production of cargo ships. Furthermore, the creation and maintenance of a merchant fleet will require proper nautical schools to prepare deck and engine room qualified .personnel. Naval architecture and marine engineering are among other fields of activities which will thus be opened to our Canadian youth.
Canada, Mr. Speaker, is a maritime country. It is bordered on the east and west by two oceans, and our inland waters form a waterway which goes to its very heart. We must therefore take advantage of this gift of nature and make more use of the cheap means of communication it affords.
I sincerely hope that in our post-war planning, our coastal and inland shipping will receive the attention of our government. This brings me to matters of particular interest to my county. There is a large number of these smaller ships in the gulf and river St. Lawrence. These ships provide an essential link by water between Montreal and Quebec and outports along both the south and the north shore. Better port facilities and an increase in the number of existing harbours along the coasts will be of benefit to those engaged in this trade and consequently to those .parts of the country which depend entirely on these ships as their only means of communication with the industrial centres I have mentioned.
The government has shown its interest in our fisheries by the very appropriate floor placed under fish products. This measure is much appreciated by our fishermen and will be followed, I hope, by the consideration the government will give to markets for these products when new export markets are sought for our Canadian trade. The fishermen of my county, in addition to the building of other fishing harbours, would also welcome the establishment of a meteorological service. In my opinion, such a service could be provided at very little cost by using local radio stations to broadcast weather forecasts at regular and frequent intervals. This improvement should also prove of great assistance to our coastal shipping.
Furthermore, a plan of insurance to cover at low cost to their owners the fishing boats and their gear against marine perils could also prove feasible, with the cooperation of provincial governments, and would surely be beneficial to our fishing industry. I must add that for various reasons it is almost impossible to cover the smaller sized fishing boats through private marine insurance companies.
We are assembled here, Mr. Speaker, for the opening session of the twentieth parliament of Canada to fulfil the definite mandate we have individually received from the people of this country at the polls, which consists in the laying of sound foundations for a better and greater post-war Canada, whilst contributing our share toward international security. This task is great and far from being easy. I also wish to draw the special attention of this house to the many difficulties which will present themselves along the road which our country must travel to revert to its peace-time
The Address-Mr. Bracken

activities. We have united in our efforts to make Canada great in war, and we shall also unite to make it great in peace. This common objective cannot be attained without the full cooperation of every citizen of this country. I pray God, who has granted us victory and peace, to guide us in our endeavours to preserve that peace in both international and national fields.


John Bracken: Mr. Speaker, it is not expected of me that I should continue the debate at this time, but before moving its adjournment I should like the privilege of making two or three brief observations.
It is a veTy great pleasure in my first words to have the opportunity of complimenting the mover (Mr. Benidkkson) and the seconder (Mr. Langlois) of the address to be presented to His Excellency. Each of these hon. gentlemen is to be commended upon the manner in which he has discharged his responsibility, and I am happy to be the first to offer my congratulations. It has been my privilege to know the mover of the motion since his early days at the university of my adopted province, and from his experience and training I feel sure he will prove to be a useful and valuable member of this house. It has not been my privilege to know the seconder of the motion, but judging from his performance to-day and from his experience while in uniform I feel that he too will be able to make a valuable and constructive contribution to our work.
With much of what these hon. gentlemen have had to say there will be general agreement. With some portions of their remarks it is perhaps scarcely to be expected that those who see the government from a different angle will be in entire agreement. If each of the speakers has shown unsual zeal in the task of discovering virtues in the government and in the art of keeping a blind eye turned towards its errors, I am sure I shall not wish to be the first to censure them for what they have done. It will be for those who follow to fill in the omissions and to shed any necessary light on the places they have not seen fit to enter.
Yesterday, Mr. Speaker, it was my privilege to extend to you my compliments, before you were elected to your present post. To-day on behalf of those sitting in this section of the house I wish to welcome you to your new work and to wish for you the same high measure of success which characterized the work of your predecessors.
With respect to the plans of the government as announced in the speech from the throne

and its administrative record over recent years, and with respect to the state of the public welfare generally, I propose to reserve such comments as I wish to make until the next sitting of the house. Therefore I move the adjournment of the debate.
Motion agreed to and debate adjourned.
On motion of Mr. Mackenzie King the house adjourned at 5.00 p.m.
Monday, September 10, 1945.