1957-11-20

WINDSOR AIRPORT


Mr. Marlin (Essex Easl): When is it proposed to have the formal opening of the new Department of Transport building at the Windsor airport?
Mr. MacDonald, Parliamentary Assistant, for the Minister of Transport: Mr. Speaker, in reply to starred question No. 18, the formal opening of the building will take place next spring, by which time additional paving, landscaping and fencing work will have been completed. As the hon. member for Essex East (Mr. Martin) knows, the building is now in partial use.



PELEE ISLAND FERRY SERVICE

Mr. Pickersgill: 1.	Does the government or the maritime commission subsidize a ferry service to Pelee island in lake Erie?
2.	Is such ferry service not wholly within the bounds of one province?
3.	Does the government subsidize any other ferry or shipping services wholly within a province, and if so, what are they?
4.	Does the government subsidize the ferry service between Portugal Cove and Bell island, Newfoundland?
5.	If not, what reason is there for a federal subsidy to a ferry in Ontario which does not apply equally to Newfoundland?
Mr. MacDonald, Parliamentary Assistant, for the Minister of Transport: Mr. Speaker, the answer to part one of this question is yes.
The answer to part two is that this service is extended during the summer months to Sandusky, Ohio.
The answer to part three is yes, such services being as follows: Vancouver and northern ports of British Columbia and Queen Charlotte islands; Baddeck and Iona, Nova Scotia; Grand Manan and the mainland, New Brunswick; Halifax, Canso and Guysboro, Nova Scotia; Halifax, Torbay, lie Madame and ports on west coast of Cape Breton island, Nova Scotia; Ile-aux-Coudres and Les Eboulements, Quebec; Ile-aux-Grues and Montmagny, Quebec; Mulgrave and Canso, Nova Scotia; Mulgrave, Queensport and lie Madame, Nova Scotia; Murray Bay and north shore of the St. Lawrence river, Quebec; Owen Sound and ports on Manitoulin island and Georgian bay, Ontario; Pictou, Mulgrave
and Cheticamp, Nova Scotia; Quebec, Natash-quan and Harrington, Quebec; Quebec or Montreal, Gaspe and Magdalen islands, Quebec; Rimouski, Matane and points on the north shore of the St. Lawrence river, Quebec; Riviere-du-Loup and St. Simeon and/or Ta-doussac, Quebec; Sydney and Bay St. Lawrence, Nova Scotia; Newfoundland coastal steamship services.
The answer to part four is no, although this matter has been considered from time to time, and I might say that the hon. member for St. John's East has several times brought the matter to the attention of the department.


Mr. Pickersgill:: By the previous hon.
member.


Mr. MacDonald (Antigonish-Guysborough):: With regard to part five, there is no such reason; each application for subsidy is dealt with on its own merits.



TRANS-CANADA PIPE LINES-CONTRACTS

[Stage Direction]
Question No. 21
Mr. Benidickson:: What functions are performed by Trans-Canada Pipe Lines Company Limited with respect to (a) awarding of construction contracts on the crown financed gas pipe line route eastward from the lakehead; (b) assuring proper performance of work after award of contract?


Hon. Gordon Churchill (Minister of Trade and Commerce):: Mr. Speaker, the answer is as follows: (a) Under the provisions of an agreement dated May 30,	1957 between
Northern Ontario Pipe Line Crown Corporation and Trans-Canada Pipe Lines Limited, Trans-Canada shall make available such information and advice as the corporation requires in the placing of contracts for the construction and the purchase of materials and equipment. The approval of all such contracts rests with and shall be in the name of the corporation. It is a provision of the bylaws of Northern Ontario Pipe Line Crown Corporation that unless the approval of the treasury board is first obtained, the corporation shall not enter into a contract involving any expenditure in excess of $50,000.
(b) Under the provisions of an agreement dated May 30,	1957, between Northern
Ontario Pipe Line Crown Corporation and Trans-Canada Pipe Lines Limited, Trans-Canada is responsible for the direct field supervision of construction subject to the over-all supervision of Defence Construction (1951) Limited on behalf of the corporation.

Questions



T.C.A., WINNIPEG    STAFF REDUCTIONS AND TRANSFERS

Mr. Siewari (Winnipeg: Norih):
1.	Will there be any reduction of T.C.A. staff in Winnipeg as the result of impending transfers?
2.	Have any employees agreed to move to Montreal? If so, how many?
3.	What will be the situation of employees who, due to family commitments, find that they cannot transfer to Montreal?
4.	How many individuals were in the employ of T.C.A. in Winnipeg on June 1, 1947, 1952 and 1957?
5.	As the result of departments closing down or being removed, how many employees have been moved to Montreal in the last 10 years?
6.	Have any employees lost their jobs as the result of their being unwilling to change their place of residence? If so, how many?
Mr. MacDonald, Parliamentary Assistant, for the Minister of Transport: Mr. Speaker, the management of Trans-Canada Air Lines advises that in regard to part 1-


Mr. Hahn:: Mr. Speaker, on a question of privilege, would the hon. gentleman speak into the microphone so we can all have the advantage of hearing what he is saying.


Angus Ronald Macdonald: The management of Trans-Canada Air Lines advises that, in regard to parts 1, 2 and 3 of the question, the answer is that there are no transfers impending. As to part 4 the answer is 1,422 on June 1, 1947, 1,500 on June 1, 1952 and 1,881 on June 1, 1957. The answer to part 5 is 226, and as to part 6 the answer is yes, 14.



COMPANIES ACT


Mr. Fisher: 1.	How many penalties for default in filing returns have there been under section 125 of the Companies Act in 1955, 1956, and to date in 1957, for (a) public companies; (b) private companies?
2.	How many private companies are in default at the present time for 1950 returns?
3.	What officer of the crown initiates action under subsection 4, section 125 of the Companies Act?
4.	How many certificates were issued in 1956 under subsection 7, section 125 of the Companies Act?


Hon. Ellen L. Fairclough (Secreiary of Stale):: Mr. Speaker, I have a reply to this question. It is rather lengthy and incorporated in it is one small statistical table. I wonder whether the hon. member would agree to this being made an order for return.


Mr. Knowles (Winnipeg North Centre):: Could it not be placed on Hansard?


Mr. Speaker:: Is the minister requesting that it be put on Hansard?


Ellen Louks Fairclough: Whichever you wish, Mr. Speaker; I have no choice.


Mr. Speaker:: Is it the pleasure of the house that the answer be put on Hansard rather than being read?


Some hon. Members:: Agreed.
[For answer to question referred to above, see appendix "A", page 1356.]



ARCTIC OCEAN


[Stage Direction]
Question No. 26
Mr. Lesage:: Are the waters of the Arctic ocean north of the Arctic archipelago up to the north pole, in the so-called Canadian sector. Canadian waters?


Hon. D. S. Harkness (Minister of Agriculture):: Mr. Speaker, I would ask that this question stand until the return of the Minister of Northern Affairs and National Resources.


Mr. Speaker:: Stand.



TRANS-POLAR LANDING PRIVILEGES, EDMONTON

Mr. Broome: 1.	Has the Minister of Transport received a request from Canadian Pacific Airlines for landing privileges at Edmonton for their Vancouver-Amsterdam trans-polar flight, so that passengers originating in Edmonton do not have to travel to Vancouver or Yellowknife to make connections with this flight?
2. If such a request has been received what action has been taken?
3.	Has the minister received a request from Canadian Pacific Airlines requesting the department to negotiate landing rights at London for their Vancouver-Amsterdam trans-polar flight so that they may meet Pan American competition which now flies non-stop from Seattle to London via the polar route?
4. If such a request has been received what action is contemplated by the department?
Mr. MacDonald, Parliamentary Assistant, for the Minister of Transport: The answer to parts 1 and 2 is that an application has been received from Canadian Pacific Airlines for authority to add Edmonton to their present Vancouver-Amsterdam air service. This application is presently receiving consideration and will be dealt with in the context of the general review of aviation policy which the Minister of Transport is presently undertaking, and on which he hopes to make a statement shortly.
As to parts 3 and 4, the answer is no.



DEFENCE ESTABLISHMENT TRESPASS REGULATIONS-PASSES

Mr. Barnett: 1.	Under authority of the defence establishment trespass regulations are passes issued to trade union business agents representing: (a) any civilian employees of the Department of National Defence; (b) employees of contractors doing work within the boundaries of defence establishments?
2.	If so, are passes issued in conformity with a general policy of the department, or is the matter entirely within the discretion of individual commanding officers?
3.	H not, what are the reasons that such passes are not granted?
4.	Are any special terms or conditions attached to passes issued to union representatives?

5.	Under section 24 of the regulations, are official trade union notices or statements permitted to be posted?


Hon. G. R. Pearkes (Minister of National Defence):: The answer to part 1 of this question is: (a) yes; (b) yes.
The answer to part 2 is that the issuance of passes is a matter entirely within the discretion of individual officers in command or persons in charge of defence establishments.
In answer to part 3, I would refer to the answer given to part 1 of this question.
The answer to part 4 is that this is a matter for the issuing authority.
In so far as part 5 is concerned, regulation 24 by its terms requires the permission of the officer in command or person in charge of a defence establishment before any notices or statements may be posted in a defence establishment and, like the issuance of passes, is within the discretion of that official.



UNEMPLOYMENT, QUEBEC AND MONTMAGNY

Mr. Lesage: 1.	How many unemployed were registered in (a) Canada; (b) the province of Quebec; (c) the area served by the Montmagny office of the unemployment insurance commission, on or about November* 1, 1957?
2.	How many unemployed were registered in (a) Canada; (b) the province of Quebec; (c) the area served by the Montmagny office of the unemployment insurance commission, on or about November 1, 1956?


Hon. Michael Starr (Minister of Labour):: In answer to the question asked I may say that as at September 19, 1957, the latest date for which data have been published, the numbers of persons registered for employment at local offices of the unemployment insurance commission were as follows:
(a)	in Canada	
255,896(b)	in the province of Quebec ..	69,227(c)	in the area served by theMontmagny local office ....	969
In answer to question No. 2, the figures for the corresponding date, September 20, 1956, were as follows:
(a)	in Canada	 158,804
(b)	in the province of Quebec 43,653
(c)	in the area served by the
Montmagny local office ..	804



CENTRAL MORTGAGE AND HOUSING


Mr. Robichaud: 1.	What was the total amount loaned by Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation in the provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, for the year ending March 31. 1957?
2.	What was the total amount loaned from April 1, 1957 to date?
Questions
3,	What was the average amount of each loan and number of units involved for the year ending March 31,	1957, as compared with the period
April 1, 1957 to date?


Hon. Howard C. Green (Minister of Public Works):: The answer to this question by the hon. member for Gloucester contains many figures, and perhaps he would be satisfied if we placed the answer on Hansard.


Mr. Robichaud:: Agreed.


Mr. Speaker:: Is the house agreeable to this answer being placed on Hansard.


Some hon. Members:: Agreed.
[For answer to question referred to above, see appendix "B", page 1356.1



TRANS-CANADA PIPE LINE    EXPLOSION IN SASKATCHEWAN

Mr. Lewry: 1.	At what time and by whom was an inspection made on the trans-Canada pipe line following the explosion near Mortlach, west of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, on Sunday, November 3, 1957?
2.	What pressure specifications are called for on this natural gas line pipe?
Mr. MacDonald, Parliamentary Assistant, for the Minister of Transport: The answer to the first part of the question is as follows. The board of transport commissioners for Canada advises in answer to part one that an inspection was made on November 6 and 7 by its district engineers.
As to part 2 the board advises that this section of the pipe line is designed for an operation pressure of 826 pounds per square inch.



NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT SERVICE


Mr. Knowles (Winnipeg: North Centre):
1.	Has the Minister of Labour, at any time since July 1, 1957, issued any directive or directives to the managers of the national employment service with reference to the finding of employment for unemployed workers?
2.	If so, what were the terms of such directive or directives?
3.	Has the staff of the national employment service been increased since the issue of any such directive or directives? If so, how many additions were made, and at what offices were such additions made?


Michael Starr: The answer to parts 1 and 2 is as follows: Upon the request of the Minister of Labour the unemployment insurance commission issued a directive under date of September 20, 1957, to the managers of all local national employment service offices emphasizing the importance which the minister placed upon the job-finding activities of the local employment service offices and giving directions

Questions
for increased activities by local employment service officers to this end. A copy of this circular is available to the hon. member and 1 will see that he is supplied with same.
The answer to part 3 is as follows: No additions have been made to the continuing establishment. There has been an increase in the number of casual employees, which is usual at this season of the year.



GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS FOR UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF

Mr. Knowles (Winnipeg: North Centre):
1.	Has the government any specific program to relieve unemployment this winter? If so, what is that program?
2.	Has the winter employment committee in Ottawa any executive powers to pursue an employment program on behalf of the government?
3.	What are the terms of reference of this committee and how does it operate?
4.	Are any cabinet ministers members of the committee? If so, which ones?


Michael Starr: The answer to part 1 is as follows. There is a specific program the object of which is to increase winter employment so as to alleviate the normal seasonal slump in Canada. The program, known as the winter employment campaign or program, aims at providing an industrial and occupational climate favourable to the planning and execution of projects in the wintertime where possible.
The program, which is being jointly administered by the Department of Labour and the national employment service, enlists the services of national and local organizations, municipal groups and all available publicity media to make employers winter employment conscious. It enlists the support of federal government departments in undertaking new construction, maintenance, repairs and renovations in winter as well as procurement of supplies, where at all practicable. It sponsors a nation-wide information and publicity program.
Through winter employment committees across Canada, working closely with local employment offices, the program is co-ordinated on a nation-wide basis. Successful prosecution of the program is made possible through co-operation by the Canadian Manufacturers' Association, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Canadian Labour Congress, the Canadian Construction Association, the Canadian Retail Federation, the Canadian Bankers' Association, the Canadian and Catholic Confederation of Labour and a number of other public-spirited groups who have lent their willing assistance. Provincial and municipal governments are also cooperating splendidly in scheduling projects in wintertime.
The answer to part 2 is as follows. The interdepartmental committee on winter employment is made up of representatives of a number of departments. Its special interest is in scheduling, where possible and practicable, federal works in wintertime. Its powers are purely advisory.
The answer to part 3 is as follows. This is a committee established to advise cabinet on federal government participation on a departmental level in the winter employment program.
The committee endeavours to obtain information on projects which might suitably be carried on in winter and makes recommendations accordingly. It also attempts to co-ordinate these various efforts on an interdepartmental basis.
The answer to question 4 is no.



FEDERAL LOANS FOR POWER DEVELOPMENT

Mr. Pickersgill: 1.	Are loans based on the principle applied to the Beechwood project to be available only for projects in the Atlantic provinces?
2.	If not, will all provinces qualify?
3. Are such loans available only for projects owned by provincial governments or provincial crown agencies or will they be available to private power companies sponsored by a provincial government?
I 4. Are such loans available only for new or uncompleted projects or will they be available for refunding obligations of established power projects in the Atlantic provinces?


Mr. Speaker:: Stand?


John Whitney Pickersgill: On a question of privilege, sir; this is the last opportunity the house will have to receive an answer on this question before the federal-provincial conference, and surely parliament is first entitled to be told the answer to this question.


Right Hon. J. G. Diefenbaker (Prime Minister):: Mr. Speaker, this is not the last opportunity; there are several more days, and the answer will be given at any time on orders of the day.


John Whitney Pickersgill: Have we no rights?



QUESTIONS PASSED AS ORDERS FOR RETURNS


Mr. Lesage: 1.	Have any transfers of allotments been authorized by treasury board since June 22 in the estimates, supplementary estimates and further supplementary estimates of the Department of Northern Affairs and National Resources?
2.	If so, how many, and in each case (a) what was the amount transferred: (b) from what heading or project was each transfer made; (c) to what heading or project was each transfer made; (d) what was the reason for the transfer?


Douglas Scott Harkness: Mr. Speaker, I should like to have question No. 97 put by the hon. member for Montmagny-L'Islet (Mr. Lesage) made an order for return subject to the agreement between himself and the Minister of Northern Affairs and National Resources (Mr. Hamilton) as to the items to be included. I herewith table the return.


CANAL AND RIVER ROUTE TO NEW YORK
Mr. Chevrier: 1.	Did the international joint commission make a report upon the economics of a route from the St. Lawrence to New York via the Richelieu and lake Champlain?
2.	If so, when?
3.	What were the recommendations?
4.	What were the estimates of costs?
5.	Have they been reviewed since 1938?
6.	What are the depths of water from the Richelieu river to New York via the Chambly canal, lake Champlain and the Hudson river?
7.	How many bridges are there over the route?
8.	What is the saving in distance between Montreal and New York via this route?
9.	Is the Richelieu the only route that can be followed? What are the alternatives?
10.	When the seaway is completed, how many canallers will be made available for use elsewhere?
11.	Has any thought been given to using this fleet of ships on a deepened Richelieu-Champlain route?


EXTERNAL AFFAIRS-EMPLOYMENT OF UNIVERSITY GRADUATES
Mr. Fisher: 1.	By year, how many university graduates have been taken into the Department of External Affairs following competitive examinations since 1948?
2.	What is the breakdown by year for each Canadian university with regard to successful and unsuccessful candidates, such information to be based on bachelor's degrees, not graduate degrees?
3.	What is the breakdown of the total in terms of type of degree for these years (e.g. history, economics, political science, pass, etc.) ?
4.	How many of those accepted by the department since 1948 could be defined as French Canadian?
5.	How many of those accepted by the department since 1948 have since left the service of this department?


Mr. McGregor: 1.	In what countries does Canada maintain diplomatic representatives?
2.	With respect to each country what is (a) the name, salary and expense allowance of each ambassador or other senior representative; (b) the capital cost of Canadian diplomatic offices; (c) the annual rent where Canada does not own its office building; (d) the annual operating cost of diplomatic representation, (i) for salaries; (ii) other costs; (e) the number of employees in each case?
96698-85i
Orders for Returns


Mr. Castleden: 1.	How many Hungarian refugees were admitted to Canada following the revolution in that country, until March 31, 1957 (a) direct from Austria or France; (b) from Great Britain?
2.	For how many of such persons, if any, were the medical regulations regarding entry in Canada, waived?
3.	How many of such persons are in hospitals or sanatoria as of October 31, 1957, at the expense of the federal government?
4.	What has been the total cost to the treasury of Canada for these refugees, for (a) medical and hospital care; (b) maintenance; (c) transportation within Canada since their arrival?
5.	How many of these persons were given medical examination after arrival in Canada?
6.	For how many of these persons has return passage been paid by the federal government as of October 1, 1957?


Mr. McCullough: 1.	How many Indians are presently resident on the White Bear reserve, Carlyle, Saskatchewan?
2.	How many of these are Cree?
3.	How many of these are Assiniboine?
4.	What has been the revenue return for each year since 1948, in connection with mineral leases, oil royalties, fishing licences or other licences on White Bear reserve?
5.	What other additional revenues have there been each year since 1948?
6.	What has been the disposition of revenues each year since 1948?
7.	What was the amount in the White Bear band fund in 1956?
8.	How are disbursements made from the band fund and on what basis?
9.	What was the cost of the construction of the dispensary and nurses' residence on White Bear reserve?
10.	What has been the value of machinery and livestock made to White Bear Indians each year since 1950?
11.	What did this machinery consist of, and what did the livestock consist of?
12.	(a) How many full blooded Indians have held administrative jobs under the Indian affairs branch since 1948? (b) What was the nature of their employment?
13.	What was the total value of food rations provided to Indians on the White Bear reserve for each year since 1948?
14.	How many houses have been built on the White Bear reserve since 1948?
15.	How many years is it since the fence surrounding the reserve was constructed?


Mr. Morris: 1.	Did the Halifax shipyards provide goods and services to the federal government during the fiscal years ended March 31, 1955, 1956 and 1957? If so, in what dollar amount each year?
2.	Did the Halifax shipyards provide goods and services to the federal government during the period April 1, 1957 to October 31, 1957? If so, in what dollar amount?
3.	Were any federal government orders for goods and services from the Halifax shipyards outstanding on November 1, 1957? If so, in what dollar amount?

Motions for Papers


Mr. Morris: 1.	Did the Fairey Aviation Company of Canada Limited, Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia, provide goods and services to the federal government during the fiscal years ending March 31, 1955, 1956 and 1957? If so, in what dollar amount each year?
2.	Did the Fairey Aviation Company of Canada Limited, Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia, provide goods and services to the federal government during the period April 1, 1957 to October 31, 1957? If so, in what dollar amount?
3.	Were any federal government orders for goods and services from Fairey Aviation Company of Canada Limited, Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia, outstanding on November 1, 1957? If so, in what dollar amount?


Mr. Holowach: 1.	What lawyers or law firms, if any, in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, were engaged or retained by the federal government or any branch thereof, during the period from January 2, 1956 to June 10, 1957?
2.	What sums were paid by the federal government and all departments thereof to each such lawyer and law firm?
3.	What amounts, if any, are still owing or being claimed for services and to whom?
4.	Do any contracts exist with any law firm respecting legal services, if so, with whom?
5.	By what consideration or procedure have these law firms been engaged?


AUTOMOBILES AND TRUCKS
Mr. Hansell: 1.	Have any automobiles and trucks been purchased by the government during each of the years 1956 and 1957 from agencies in Coleman, Blairmore, Bellevue, Pincher Creek, Macleod? If so, how many?
2.	From whom was each vehicle purchased and for what price?
3.	Were these purchases called for by public tender? If so, in what way were the tenders advertised?


FEDERAL ELECTION EXPENSE RETURNS, 1957
[Stage Direction]
Question No. 204
Stanley Howard Knowles: 1.	Was a return of election expenses on behalf of every candidate who was elected to the House of Commons on June 10, 1957, filed prior to the opening of parliament on October 14, 1957?
2.	If not, what are the names of any elected members on whose behalf such returns of election expenses had not been filed by October 14, 1957?
3.	Have such returns been filed since October 14, 1957, on behalf of any elected members? If so, what are the names of such members and on what dates were such returns filed?



MOTIONS FOR PAPERS


[Stage Direction]
Motion No. 25-Mr. St. Laurent (Temis-couata):
For a copy of transportation orders and/or letters sent by district directors of postal services, relating to political activities by mail contractors, for all the postal districts, except Ottawa.
Mr. Speaker:: Is it the pleasure of the
house to adopt the motion subject to the usual reservation?


Some hon. Members:: Agreed.


[Stage Direction]
Motion agreed to.

[Stage Direction]
Motion No. 32-Mr. Knowles (Winnipeg
North Centre):
For a copy of all agreements and correspondence exchanged between Canada and the state of New York, from January 1, 1955 to date, in connection with the building, operating and maintenance of the Ogdensburg-Prescott international bridge.
John George Diefenbaker: Mr. Speaker, there is, strictly
speaking, no correspondence or exchange of agreements between Canada and the state of New York from January 1, 1955 to date on the subject of the building, operating and maintenance of the Ogdensburg-Prescott international bridge. However, there exists a financial agreement relating to the Ogdens-burg bridge between the United States bridge authority, the Canadian bridge authority and the state of New York. This financial agreement was submitted to the governor general in council and received approval on March 14, 1957. I shall be glad to table a copy of this financial agreement and the order in council if the hon. member so desires.


Stanley Howard Knowles: That will be satisfactory.


Mr. Speaker:: Is it the pleasure of the
house to adopt the motion with the explanation and statement of the Prime Minister?


Some hon. Members:: Agreed.


[Stage Direction]
Motion agreed to.


[Stage Direction]
On the orders of the day:
Mr. M. J. Coldwell (Rosetown-Biggar):: Mr. Speaker, may I direct a question to the Minister of Transport. In view of the reported offer of assistance to the minister by the president of the Canadian Labour Congress in the matter of the dispute between the Canadian National Steamships and the seafarers international union, will the government press for renewed negotiations on the wage and working conditions of the merchant seamen involved with a view to settling the dispute and returning the ships to Canadian registry?


Hon. George H. Hees (Minister of Transport):: Mr. Speaker, I received a telegram from Mr. Jodoin, as the hon. member has intimated, and I replied to him as follows:
Thank you lor your telegram which I received this morning. I have noted carefully the views which you have expressed. As the wage dispute is between the seafarers international union and the Canadian National (West Indies) Steamships Limited I believe it would be desirable if your offer to use your influence with the seafarers international union to try to bring about a settlement on an equitable basis were submitted direct to the parties to the dispute. I will however inform the company of the offer which you have made.



REPORTED INADEQUACY OF CREWS ON SHIPS

[Stage Direction]
On the orders of the day:
Hon. Lionel Chevrier (Laurier):: Mr. Speaker, may I ask the Minister of Transport a question. According to a Canadian Press report of this morning it is said that the ships of the Canadian National Steamships have left the harbour of Montreal without adequate crews in accordance with the regulations of the Canada Shipping Act. If the minister finds that this is the case will he apply against the crown corporation the penalty section of the Canada Shipping Act?


George Harris Hees: Mr. Speaker, I am advised by the management of Canadian National Steamships Limited that the crews which man the ships at the present time are quite adequate for the task which they have to perform, but if I find to the contrary I will certainly look into the matter. As I say, I will do this only if I find to the contrary.



INSTRUCTIONS TURNING BACK AIRCRAFT BRINGING WEST INDIES CREWS

[Stage Direction]
On the orders of the day:
Lionel Chevrier: Mr. Speaker, may I add another question to the many which the Minister of Transport has been asked today.


Gordon Minto Churchill: And which he has answered so well.


Lionel Chevrier: I remember having many busy days when I was over there but none similar to this one. I gave the minister notice of this question. Did the minister or anyone acting on his behalf issue instructions to Canadian National Steamships which resulted in the turning back of the aircraft carrying West Indian crews to Canada?


George Harris Hees: Mr. Speaker, I wish to thank the hon. member for his courtesy in advising me of his intention to ask this question. I am sorry to disappoint my hon. friend, but the answer is no.
Inquiries of the Ministry


Lionel Chevrier: It is not a disappointment. It is a confirmation.



DESTINATION OF VESSELS WHERE CREWS WILL BE TRANSFERRED

[Stage Direction]
On the orders of the day:
Mr. C. E. Johnston (Bow River):: May I
direct a question to the Minister of Transport. What is the destination of the Canadian National Steamships vessels where the transfer will be made from Canadian to foreign crews?


George Harris Hees: Mr. Speaker, I am not aware of any plans at the moment of Canadian National Steamships to transfer any crews.


Charles Edward Johnston: On a point of order, Mr. Speaker, I cannot hear the minister.


George Harris Hees: I said that I am not aware of any plans on the part of Canadian National Steamships to transfer any crews, and I am advised by the company that the destination at the present time is Halifax.



FINANCE


[Stage Direction]
On the orders of the day:
Hon. James Sinclair (Coast-Capilano):: Mr. Speaker, I should like to direct a question to the Minister of Finance, based on a C.B.C. news story this morning in which a speech given by the Minister of Justice (Mr. Fulton) in Vancouver was wrongly attributed to the Minister of Finance. What are the definite steps which have been taken by the Conservative government, according to the Minister of Justice, to relax the monetary restrictions of the Bank of Canada?


Hon. Donald M. Fleming (Minister of Finance):: Mr. Speaker, I have not seen any report of the speech wrongly attributed to me which my hon. friend says was made last night by the Minister of Justice, and I think it is hardly fair to expect me to answer to something which was in the mind of my colleague, if he made such a statement.


James Sinclair: A supplementary question, Mr. Speaker. The presumption is that the Minister of Justice was speaking as a member of the government when he said the Conservative government was relaxing the monetary restrictions, and I thought the natural person from whom to inquire about what these steps were would be the Minister of Finance.


Mr. Herridge:: Mr. Speaker, I would like to direct a question to the Prime Minister-

Inquiries of the Ministry


James Sinclair: Mr. Speaker, I am still asking what are these steps taken to relax monetary-restrictions about which the Minister of Justice spoke in Vancouver, saying it was the Conservative government which had done this?


Mr. Speaker:: Order. I understand that question has already been addressed to the minister and he has given an answer.


Some hon. Members:: Oh, no.



INQUIRY AS TO REBATE IF EXCISE TAX ON AUTOMOBILES CHANGED

[Stage Direction]
On the orders of the day:
Hon. Paul Martin (Essex East):: Mr. Speaker, I should like to ask the Minister of Finance if as a means of stimulating sales and relieving unemployment which exists in certain automobile centres like the city of Windsor he could give any assurance that automobile dealers will receive a rebate on excise taxes when and if the excise tax is lowered or eliminated-


James Sinclair: In accordance with Conservative election promises.


Paul Joseph James Martin: -in accordance with the practice established by the previous minister of finance?


Ellen Louks Fairclough: Oh, no.


Some hon. Members:: No, no.


James Sinclair: No lecture; just an answer.


Donald Methuen Fleming: Mr. Speaker, my hon. friend of course completely spoiled his question by the rider he added at the end.


James Sinclair: No lecture; just give an answer.


Donald Methuen Fleming: What I would like to point out is that the fears that he apparently alludes to are based upon the actual experience that a great many motor car dealers in this country had under the former government, when that government 2 J years ago proposed a reduction from 15 to 10 per cent in that special excise tax on automobiles.


John Whitney Pickersgill: Is this the budget speech?


Donald Methuen Fleming: It will be remembered that at that time the government left the whole burden of the taxes that had been paid to rest upon the dealers. It will be recalled that following this-


Some hon. Members:: Answer.


Paul Joseph James Martin: Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order.


Lionel Chevrier: Deal with the question.
[Mr. Herridge.l


Paul Joseph James Martin: It is clearly not within the rules of this house, Mr. Speaker, for a minister in answer to a question-


Stanley Howard Knowles: To
make a budget speech.


Paul Joseph James Martin: -to deal with matters that have nothing to do with the question or that constitute a budget speech. Now, I ask the Minister of Finance in view of the serious unemployment situation in the city of Windsor-


Some hon. Members:: Sit down.


Mr. Fraser:: What about the speech you are making?


Paul Joseph James Martin: -whether or not this request made to him by others can or cannot be met by him. If it cannot, all he has to do is say no.


An hon. Member:: When did you stop beating your wife.


Donald Methuen Fleming: Mr. Speaker, I am interested in the way my hon. friend has revised his question.


Mr. Speaker:: Order. I take it that the minister is now speaking to the point of order which has been raised.


James Sinclair: He is just speaking.


Mr. Speaker:: Does the hon. minister wish to speak to the point of order which has been raised?


Donald Methuen Fleming: I thought my hon. friend had attempted to ask a second question. I wish now to go on with my answer to the first question, which I had not completed.


Major James William Coldwell: Mr. Speaker, may I ask a supplementary question.


Mr. Speaker:: I think the point of order was complicated toy a further question, and perhaps the minister might deal with it.


Major James William Coldwell: Mr. Speaker, may I ask a
supplementary question.


Donald Methuen Fleming: I have not completely dealt with the first question yet.


Mr. Speaker:: Order. We must give the minister a fair opportunity to answer the last question asked by the hon. member for Essex East.


Donald Methuen Fleming: Mr. Speaker, I had not completed my answer to the first question.


Lionel Chevrier: You were making a speech.


Donald Methuen Fleming: I pointed out, Mr. Speaker, that the dealers had been left to bear the burden of the tax that had been paid.


Paul Joseph James Martin: That is not true.


Donald Methuen Fleming: Now, following the protests of the opposition of those days over that unfair treatment of the dealers-


Paul Joseph James Martin: Answer the
question.


Donald Methuen Fleming: -the act was amended, and the act as amended permits-


James Sinclair: Who amended it; the opposition?


Donald Methuen Fleming: -the sale of cars on consignment in such a way that if there should be any change in the tax there is no burden then left on the dealer. One would hope that in such a situation those who are interested in what may be done in regard to this subject would take advantage of those provisions of the act and make the purchases on consignment.
I can tell my hon. friend that so far as unemployment is concerned this is a matter of very lively concern to those who are responsible for any of these matters. If it became the intention of the government and were announced in due course that any change should be proposed to the house, naturally all aspects of the matter would be taken into consideration. There have been many representations on this subject. I could indicate to my hon. friend why in the light of past experience the dealers are so concerned.


Paul Joseph James Martin: Bring in your budget soon.



ARTS, LETTERS AND SCIENCES CONFERENCE ON EDUCATION    SENDING OF OBSERVERS

[Stage Direction]
On the orders of the day;
Herbert Wilfred Herridge: Mr. Speaker, in view of the Prime Minister's interest in education in general and in particular, including lectures to the opposition, I would like to ask him this question. In view of the great importance of the Canadian conference on education to be held in Ottawa on February 17 to 20 in 1958, will the Canadian government send observers to this great and unique national conference and will observers from the Canada Council also attend?


John George Diefenbaker: Mr. Speaker, there has been no decision made regarding the presence of observers. I agree with my hon. friend that this is a most important conference. As to the question as to whether or not there should be representatives from the Canada Council that, of course, would be determined by that council.
Inquiries of the Ministry TRADE



UNITED KINGDOM-REPRESENTATIVE OF WESTERN POOLS IN DELEGATION

[Stage Direction]
On the orders of the day:
Mr. W. M. Johnson (Kindersley):: Mr. Speaker, I should like to direct a question to the Minister of Trade and Commerce. Has the minister given further consideration to the suggestion I made on Monday, November 11, that a representative of the western pools be included in the trade delegation to the United Kingdom? If so, could he report to the house if any changes or additions have been made in the personnel of this mission since it was announced by him on November 8?


Gordon Minto Churchill: Mr. Speaker, when I was in Regina attending the meeting of the Saskatchewan pool association last Friday, a gentleman-I think one of the vice-presidents of that organization-was asked to become a member of the mission and consented to do so.



TRANSPORT


[Stage Direction]
On the orders of the day:
Stanley Howard Knowles: Mr. Speaker, may I direct a question to the Minister of Transport with reference to the William Carson, which is now plying between North Sydney and Argentia. In view of the minister's statement that if the William Carson could carry automobiles and passengers, and if the Newfoundland board of trade could show that this could be done, it would be done, what is he now doing to see that this assurance is implemented?


George Harris Hees: Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is usually reasonably accurate. I am afraid he is inaccurate in his statement today. When I was in St. John's some time ago I talked this matter over with the Newfoundland board of trade and they told me they were confident that automobiles could be loaded on the William Carson. I told them that if they could demonstrate that fact, then I would recommend to the management of the Canadian National Railways that cars be carried on that ferry.
I have since been in touch with the management of the Canadian National Railways and they tell me that although they believe cars could physically be loaded on the ferry, there are many other factors which in their

Inquiries of the Ministry opinion make it very undesirable if not impossible to carry cars on the ferry at the present time.


Stanley Howard Knowles: May I ask a supplementary question, Mr. Speaker. Has the minister received any representation from the Newfoundland board of trade since that announcement was made by the management? If not, is he aware of the statement made by the board which was reported in a recent issue of the St. John's Evening Telegram?


George Harris Hees: Yes; I had quite a lengthy talk with the president of the Newfoundland board of trade either yesterday or the day before-I am not quite sure which it was- and I think he understands my point of view and I certainly understand his.



LASQUETI ISLAND


[Stage Direction]
On the orders of the day:
Mr. T. S. Barnett (Comox-Alberni):: Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Transport seems to be very popular today. I have a question for him also. I regret I did not And the opportunity to give him notice of it. If he wishes he may take this as notice. Has the minister received a telegram informing him that the only passenger and freight service to Lasqueti island, British Columbia, is cancelled, effective today, and asking him to provide for its resumption or for a suitable substitute service? If so, what action has he taken or will he take to deal with this situation?


George Harris Hees: Mr. Speaker, I have not received such a telegram but I will make inquiries, look into the matter and see what can be done.



PRIVILEGE


[Stage Direction]
On the orders of the day:
Jean Lesage: Mr. Speaker, I rise on a question of privilege. I could have done so earlier when answers were being given to starred questions, but I thought I should not interrupt proceedings at that time. My question of privilege has reference to the answer given by the Minister of Labour to starred question No. 29. The question reads as follows:
How many unemployed were registered in (a) Canada: (b) the province of Quebec; (c) the area served by the Montmagny office of the unemployment insurance commission, on or about November 1, 1957?


The answer of the Minister of Labour contained the published figures of September 19. My question of privilege is this. Since it is well known that the unemployment insurance commission has these figures of registered unemployed throughout Canada every week, is not parliament, the House of Commons, entitled to those figures?


Michael Starr: Mr. Speaker, I posed these questions to the unemployment insurance commission and these are the figures I received as the latest figures available. If the hon. member is not satisfied with these figures, then I shall go back to the unemployment insurance commission and ask them if they can bring them up to date. These are the only figures they gave me in reply to the question.


Jean Lesage: That is quite satisfactory. I am sure the unemployment insurance commission will supply the minister with much more recent figures.



REQUEST THAT MEMBERS MAKE USE OF FIVE-PIN BOWLING LEAGUE

[Stage Direction]
On the orders of the day:
Mr. Daniel Mclvor (Fort William):: Mr. Speaker, I should like to direct a question to the Minister of National Health and Welfare. Since we have in this house, for the use of the members of the House of Commons and the stenographic staff, an active five-pin bowling league, would the minister not consider it in the best interests of the physical fitness and health of the members to make use of this exercise?


Hon. J. W. Monfeith (Minister of National Health and Welfare):: Mr. Speaker, if I may be permitted to answer the question I would say yes, indeed. I think the hon. member who asked the question is possibly the best living example in that regard.


Daniel (Dan) McIvor: Thank you.



TRANS-CANADA AIR LINES-PASSES FOR MEMBERS

[Stage Direction]
On the orders of the day:
Mr. J. A. Byrne (Kootenay East):: Mr. Speaker, I should like to direct a question to the Minister of Transport. I regret that I was unable to give him notice. Since the disposition appears to be to give passes on Trans-Canada Air Lines to Jamaican seamen I wonder whether he would give more earnest consideration to his earlier suggestion that members of parliament living more than 500 miles from Ottawa should be given passes on the air line?


George Harris Hees: Mr. Speaker, as I explained the other day no passes have been given to anybody.


John Whitney Pickersgill: Has the hon. gentleman not got a pass?


George Harris Hees: It was given to me; I did not give it.


James Sinclair: And the Postmaster General?


John Whitney Pickersgill: And the Postmaster
General?


Mr. Hamilion (Notre Dame de Grace):: did not get it from the Minister of Transport.


James Sinclair: We don't care who gives them so long as we get them.



LABOUR CONDITIONS


[Stage Direction]
On the orders of the day:
Mr. O. F. Villeneuve (Glengarry-Prescoit):: Mr. Speaker, in view of recent rumours I should like to direct a question to the Minister of Transport. Have there been any new developments along the St. Lawrence river in regard to the pilots' strike?


George Harris Hees: Mr. Speaker,-


John Whitney Pickersgill: Don't blush.


George Harris Hees: -I wish to thank the hon. member for his courtesy in giving me notice of his intention to ask this question. I am glad to inform the house that the pilots of the Kingston-Montreal pilotage district have today returned to work. This decision was taken on their part on the basis of my assurance to them that we believed we could work out a satisfactory solution to their problems in the course of the coming months before the spring season of navigation opens.



UNEMPLOYMENT


[Stage Direction]
On the orders of the day:
Stanley Howard Knowles: Mr. Speaker, may I direct a question to the Minister of Labour, arising out of his answer to one of my starred questions on today's order paper. I refer to the question which read:
Has the government any specific program to relieve unemployment this winter? If so, what is that program?
In view of the fact that the minister told us the aims of that program, the nature of the publicity being given to it, the organizations who were sponsoring it and so on, will he tell us what the program is?
Inquiries of the Ministry


Michael Starr: I think I adequately explained the winter program. I have nothing more to add.



POSTAL SERVICE


[Stage Direction]
On the orders of the day:
Mr. Louis Lewry (Moose Jaw-Lake Centre):: Mr. Speaker, I should like to direct a question to the Postmaster General, of which notice has been given. Can the minister say as to whether the removal of railway mail cars from the 300-mile run from Saskatoon to Edmonton will not result in poorer mail service to the citizens in that area; and does the minister intend to remove other railway mail cars in other sections of the country in an economy attempt, without regard to service?


William McLean Hamilton: Mr. Speaker, the action referred to was dictated because it was felt that the revised arrangement would result in an improved mail service, and it originated from complaints and information we received from that area that certain connections were not satisfactory.
To deal with the second and more general part of the question, I would say that the Post Office Department has never removed railway mail car service in an economy attempt without regard to service, and there certainly is not any intention of doing so in the future. Where railway mail cars have been removed and replaced by highway service it was for the purpose of improving the mail service, and in many cases because it was the only course of action to follow, the railways having removed the trains or changed them so that no adequate equipment was available. The economy factors which enter into this question are sizeable at times, but they are not the main consideration.



SHIPPING


[Stage Direction]
On the orders of the day:
Mr. T. A. M. Kirk (Shelburne-Yarmouth-Clare):: Mr. Speaker, I should like to direct a question to the Minister of Transport. In view of the wide interest in the matter, will he table the report of the inquiry conducted by his department following the grounding of the C.G.S. Baffin on Black rock on July 4 last?

Inquiries of the Ministry


George Harris Hees: Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for his courtesy in giving me notice of his intention to ask this question.
No formal investigation or public inquiry under the Canada Shipping Act was held, although at the request of the Department of Mines and Technical Surveys a Department of Transport officer made a departmental investigation, the results of which were passed on to the Department of Mines and Technical Surveys. This was a purely departmental report of a nature which it has not been customary to release to the public.


Thomas Andrew Murray Kirk: May I ask a supplementary question. In view of the answer just given, would the minister agree to institute a public inquiry in order to assure the people, particularly those who live on the seacoast, that lives are not being endangered and public property not being subjected to undue risk?


George Harris Hees: I will be glad to look into the matter, and if there appears to be a real need for a public inquiry certainly one will be held.



AIR TRANSPORT


[Stage Direction]
On the orders of the day:
Stanley Howard Knowles: Mr. Speaker, may I direct another question to the Minister of Transport. We know this is not his birthday we are celebrating because he told us last session when his birthday is. In view of the minister's insistence last week that the application by Canadian Pacific Airlines to fly the Montreal-Vancouver route was a matter for the air transport board to deal with and about which we should not ask for any government statement of policy, how does he explain the statement made by his parliamentary assistant today that the application of Canadian Pacific Airlines to land at Edmonton and take on and discharge passengers there is being considered by the minister as part of a government review of civil aviation policy?


George Harris Hees: Mr. Speaker, if those were the words used in answer to the question, the answer should have been that the matter is being considered by the air transport board.


Stanley Howard Knowles: May I ask the minister a supplementary question. If there is any change in aviation policy as envisaged in the statement of the parliamentary assistant, will that change of
[Mr. Kirk.)
policy be brought to parliament before it is put into effect?


George Harris Hees: Yes, Mr. Speaker.



HARBOURS


[Stage Direction]
On the orders of the day:
Mr. D. F. Brown (Essex West):: May I direct a question to the Minister of Transport. Would the minister advise the house if the government has yet named the federal representatives to the Windsor harbour commission?


George Harris Hees: I did not quite hear the hon. member.


Donald Ferguson Brown: Has the government named the federal representatives to the Windsor harbour commission?


George Harris Hees: Yes, Mr. Speaker, and we have just recently received the nominee of the mayor of Windsor. As I said yesterday, we expect to move forward on the matter very rapidly now.


Donald Ferguson Brown: Can the minister tell us who the federal representatives are to be?


George Harris Hees: I can tell the hon. member after we reach orders of the day. I will be very glad to do so then, but I do not have the names with me at the moment.



COMMONWEALTH RELATIONS


[Stage Direction]
On the orders of the day:
Mr. H. R. Argue (Assiniboia):: I should like to direct a question to the Minister of Finance. In view of the very serious financial difficulties facing the government of India at this time and reports that India is seeking loans from the western nations, can the minister say whether India has asked Canada for assistance and what consideration has been given to any such request?


Donald Methuen Fleming: Mr. Speaker, to my knowledge no request has been made by the government of India to the government of Canada for any such loan.


Hazen Robert Argue: Can the minister say whether the government of India has sought private assistance or private investment within Canada as she is reported to be doing within other nations?


Donald Methuen Fleming: Not that I am aware of, Mr. Speaker. Last fall the Indian finance commissioner, when in Washington, was known to be carrying on discussions with officials of the international bank, and also with representatives of the United States treasury.



COMMUNICATIONS


[Stage Direction]
On the orders of the day:
Mr. Raoul Poulin (Beauce):: Mr. Speaker, I have another question for the Minister of Transport. Has the Department of Transport discontinued its former policy of granting subsidies to certain telephone companies in order to help them improve their services?


George Harris Hees: I wish to thank the hon. member for his courtesy in advising me of his intention to ask this question. It is my understanding that the former government had this whole matter under consideration, and the present government also has it under consideration.



INQUIRY FOR RETURN


[Stage Direction]
On the orders of the day:
Mr. G. R. McWilliam (Norihumberland-Miramichi):: May I direct a question to the Secretary of State. When can I expect an answer to my question No. 47, which was made an order for return on October 30?


Ellen Louks Fairclough: I will look into the matter and try to hurry it up.



DOMINION-PROVINCIAL CONFERENCE NATIONAL CONSERVATION BOARD    INQUIRY AS TO PLACING ON AGENDA

[Stage Direction]
On the orders of the day:
Mr. H. A. Bryson (Humboldl-Melforl):: should like to direct a question to the Prime Minister. Have any representations been made to the Prime Minister by any provincial premier suggesting that the question of establishing a national conservation board be placed on the agenda of the forthcoming dominion-provincial conference?


John George Diefenbaker: Mr. Speaker, I know of no such request. I could be in error, but I do not think I am. I have followed all requests and I speak from memory, but I know of no such request.
Inquiries of the Ministry TRADE



FLOUR-CORRECTION OF EXPORT ADJUSTMENT PRICE

[Stage Direction]
On the orders of the day:
Gordon Minto Churchill: Mr. Speaker, I should like to correct an inaccuracy that I was guilty of yesterday in answering a question by the hon. member for Rosthern. I said that the adjustment price on wheat used for flour for export amounted to about 12 cents per bushel. Actually the adjustment price varies from 8 cents to 10 cents per bushel.


Mr. W. A. Tucker (Rosihern):: Will the minister make available to the house the actual amount involved in this subsidy policy over the past year?


Gordon Minto Churchill: I think, Mr. Speaker, that is a proper question for the order paper, because it involves statistical material.



NEW BRUNSWICK


[Stage Direction]
On the orders of the day:
Douglas Scott Harkness: Mr. Speaker, yesterday the hon. member for Welland asked the following question:
Is the Beechwood power project in New Brunswick nearly completed, and is any part of it operating?
This information is, of course, within the jurisdiction of the province of New Brunswick. However, I have communicated with their officials and I have received the following from the New Brunswick power commission, that the Beechwood project is over 90 per cent completed. The whole project should be finished in February, 1958.
In the past few days one unit has been on tests to see if it can meet all the specifications for acceptance. While the first unit is, of necessity, in the hands of the operating department of the commission because the power from the unit has to be fed into the commission's system, if it does not meet the specifications it will be handed back to the construction department. It is a fact that Beechwood power is being used in the commission's system, but it is also a fact that the first unit is on trial runs and has not been accepted yet.



POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT


[Stage Direction]
On the orders of the day:
Mr. Yvon L'Heureux (Chambly-Rouville):: I should like to direct a question to the Postmaster General. It has to do with the issue
1334	HOUSE OF
Inquiries of the Ministry of the stamps showing a picture of Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Philip. How many stamps did this issue comprise?


William McLean Hamilton: If I understood the hon. member correctly he asked how many stamps did this issue comprise?


Mr. L'Heureux:: Yes.


William McLean Hamilton: think that is a very proper question for the order paper.



SEARCH AND RESCUE


[Stage Direction]
On the orders of the day:
Mr. A. W. Stuart (Charlotte):: I should like to direct a question to either the Minister of Transport or the Minister of Public Works. In view of his sincere interest over a period of many years, would the minister say when we might expect the establishment of an improved lifesaving service or a coast guard service on the Atlantic coast?


George Harris Hees: I answered a question by the hon. member for Burnaby-Richmond, I think it was, some time ago in regard to what Canada does in the field of lifesaving and the preservation of lives on our two coasts and the great lakes. I think if the hon. member will refer to my answer he will see what the government does at the present time. If he studies the answer I think he will agree that the service provided is adequate.


Andrew Wesley Stuart: The minister did not think so earlier.


George Harris Hees: In further answer to the hon. member for Charlotte, may I say that if upon looking up my answer to the hon. member for Burnaby-Richmond regarding what is the equivalent, in Canada, of the coast guard it is considered inadequate, I shall be glad to make a more detailed statement either on my estimates or before, if hon. members wish me to do so.



THE CANADIAN ECONOMY


[Stage Direction]
On the orders of the day:
Hon. George C. Marler (St. Anioine-Wesl-mounl):: May I ask the Prime Minister whether or not it has yet been determined when the royal commission on energy is to hold its first meeting?
[Mr. L'Heureux.l


John George Diefenbaker: I am unable to say at the moment, but as soon as I have any information in that regard I will communicate it to the house immediately.


Major James William Coldwell: Is the chairman of this commission in Canada or is he abroad and not available?


John George Diefenbaker: That I do not know, Mr. Speaker.


Mr. Mcllrailh:: All the rest of the members do.



EXTERNAL AFFAIRS


[Stage Direction]
On the orders of the day:
Mr. A. B. Patterson (Fraser Valley):: I should like to direct a question to the Prime Minister. In view of reports that one nation has withdrawn her troops from the United Nations emergency force, and another has announced the intention of doing the same, would the Prime Minister advise the house whether or not Canada is contemplating any similar action?


John George Diefenbaker: The answer is no. In explanation I might point out that on September 23, when I spoke to the United Nations, I stated that Canada would be willing to continue its contribution to the United Nations emergency force as long as the United Nations considered it was necessary to do so. There has been no modification in our stand, and there has been no suggestion by the United Nations that there should be any alteration in our participation.

The house in committee of supply, Mr. Courtemanche in the chair.


DEPARTMENT OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE
[Stage Direction]
406. Departmental administration, $264,655.
Mr. Richard (Otiawa East):: Mr. Chairman, it is not unusual for a man to inquire into the budget of a woman at home, but I think you will agree it is a distinction for a member of parliament to be the first to speak on the estimates of the hon. lady who sits as a minister of the crown. I think all members of this house will join me in congratulating the minister on the presentation of her first estimates.
(Translation):
I congratulate you, Madam, upon your appointment as Secretary of State and hope

that you will put all your abilities as a hardworking and genial lady at the service of your department.
(Text) :
The Department of the Secretary of State, Mr. Chairman, is not too well known to the public at large, but it is an important department dealing with a variety of matters of vital interest to the administration of our country. I do believe that more time should be devoted to the discussion of the estimates of this department, and that the members of this house should know more about the functions of its several branches. I am sure that during another session the minister will welcome a more detailed inquiry.
One of the functions of the Secretary of State is to report on the civil service commission. I am always happy to hear hon. members refer to the devotion, loyalty and standard of efficiency of our civil service. I thoroughly agree, and I believe this is at least one legacy whose transfer to the new government will stand them in good stead. What the civil service requires most, Mr. Chairman, is security and fair and honest treatment in matters of wages and promotion.
I have always said that we have the finest civil service in the world, but that we should also be the model employers. There are very important matters which confront the Secretary of State and the civil service commission, and I believe the time has come when the Civil Service Act should be revised to define and enlarge, if necessary, the powers of the commission; to establish its authority in certain matters relating to employee selection, salaries and promotion.
There has always been an open space between the treasury board and the civil service commission which allows for a great deal of ball-throwing and delay to the disadvantage of the civil service. In recent days we have heard rumours that a royal commission may be named to inquire into this matter. The minister might tell us if that subject has been discussed or whether it is the government's feeling that this is the proper course to follow. On the other hand, there has been talk that the commission itself is working on amendments to the Civil Service Act. Is it the intention to present any such amendments at this or future sessions? I am of the opinion that it would be much better if the government suggested its own revision of the Civil Service Act and gave the members of this house an opportunity to inquire into the matter. I do not think we should leave to others this task, which is essentially one belonging to the government and the House of Commons.
I might inquire also, Mr. Chairman, whether or not the minister has had any
Supply-Secretary of State recent talks with the civil service associations in connection with collective bargaining and strike rights. There was much publicity about this some time ago. I believe that much has to be done to clarify the situation in the minds of civil servants and the public at large, but our first endeavour in any event must be to preserve for the civil servants of Canada conditions of employment which are the most favourable anywhere.
I should like to be brief, Mr. Chairman, and I do not want to deal with all the branches of the minister's department, but rather than stand up repeatedly I would direct inquiries to a few subjects at this time.
Has the minister received any of the reports of the royal commission on patents, trade-marks and copyrights? If the answer is in the affirmative, when were they received and when does she propose to table them? I do not need to ask the minister about whether the patent office will be moved this year to the experimental farm. I think it is a bad move initiated under the former government, but I had great hopes that the new administration would have seen eye to eye with me, the public and interested parties.
Finally, and to be brief, I would appreciate it if the minister would tell us whether all salary adjustments have been completed in the printing bureau. I am particularly interested in the case of the pressmen.
I think the minister will agree that I have been short. She may expect that on other occasions I will have something further to say. However, I wish to repeat what I said at the beginning, namely that this department is one which I hope will be given a little bit more publicity because extremely important branches of government fall under it.
(Translation):
Mr. Chairman, I feel that it is also one of the functions of the Secretary of State to see that bilingualism is maintained in the departments of the civil service. Of late years there has been quite an improvement in this respect, but the fact remains that, on many occasions, for all sorts of valid reasons, French-speaking Canadians have to complain about the way they are being dealt with. I hope that the hon. Secretary of State will recognize the justice and rights of bilingual representation in the civil service, and will take the necessary steps to improve the present situation.
(Text) :


Stanley Howard Knowles: There is one question I should like to ask the Secretary of State with regard to her estimates in general. As she will recall, when the Minister of Finance tabled the estimates early in this session he indicated that the new

Supply-Secretary of State government did not necessarily stand by all the estimates printed in the blue book. His suggestion was that some of' them would be modified or that in some cases all of the money would not be spent. Would she indicate at some stage whether that observation made by the Minister of Finance applies to any of the estimates of her department or to any of the other estimates for which she is responsible? Since I have made that reference to other estimates for which she is responsible, perhaps she might indicate whether she would welcome discussion by members on such items as the estimates of the chief electoral officer and of the printing bureau now or whether she would rather wait until her main estimates are disposed of.


Ellen Louks Fairclough: I thought it might be
better to answer a number of questions at one time, but with reference to the last question put by the hon. member for Winnipeg North Centre may I say that I think it would be advisable to take them according to the divisions of the department rather than all at once, because the officials of the other departments will be here at that time.


John Whitney Pickersgill: As a former incumbent of the office which the hon. lady now holds I should like to join with my colleague the hon. member for Ottawa East in wishing her well during the brief stay she will be making in the department. I say that because I feel that either the government will not be there very long or the hon. lady's merits will be recognized and she will be given heavier responsibilities more in accord with her abilities.
I rose to ask only one question. When the hon. lady answers the question asked by the hon. member for Winnipeg North Centre I wonder whether she would give us any example of waste and extravagance that the Minister of Finance has been able to find in her department.


The Chairman:: Shall item 406 carry?


Hazen Robert Argue: No, Mr. Chairman. If we are on the first item I want to associate myself with the remarks of the hon. member for Ottawa East in extending my sincere congratulations to the hon. member for having been the first lady in this country appointed to the cabinet. Knowing her as an opposition member and finding out what a genial person she is I am sure the opposition members of this house will get along with her just as cordially now that she is in a position of much greater responsibility.
I am wondering whether she can give us any further information-I think the question has already been asked-as to when the various reports of the royal commission on

patents, trade-marks, copyrights and so on will be tabled and made available to the members. I know that the commission [DOT] vas set up in the summer of 1954, and that apparently the report it is to make on patents will be considerably delayed. Apparently they are just starting new hearings once again. I am wondering if there is some way in which the new administration can speed up the extremely important study which the royal commission is making in this field so that we may have the benefit of the recommendations of the royal commission to the end that the injustices in relation to patents may be corrected at an early date.
I believe that this is one of the most important studies that have been made in the country over the years. There has been a great deal of interest in the whole question of patents. There is a growing feeling that current patent law is not in the best interests of the nation, and that corporations are able, by way of patent registry, to prevent competition and to prevent developments and so in an extremely serious manner retard industrial growth, expansion and innovation in this country.
I might say that already in the past a number of eminent persons have appeared before the royal commission and some of them have been sponsored by two daily newspapers from Saskatchewan. I refer to the Regina Leader-Post and the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix. Both papers have taken a great interest in this field. I believe they have rendered an important public service. From my study of their submissions to the commission I express the hope that a substantial number of the propositions they have put forward may be in the report of the royal commission and its recommendations. Even more than I did a year ago when I made a statement on this subject, I believe there is no room for restrictive practices to prevent competition and to prevent industrial growth in this country.
Having regard to our development the matter is more serious today than it was even a year ago because we know that today we are losing the race with the soviet union in a great many industrial fields. We hear that statement from experts almost daily. Now that this new administration and this new parliament are declaring war on restrictive patents and restrictive practices that have grown up around the use of patents as a method of preventing -competition, I hope that the new government may be able to get action in this field at a much quicker pace than was the former administration. I would ask the minister, if she will, to make a general comment on this particular subject

and problem and to say whether she can hold out the hope that at an early date the report will be received from the royal commission on the question of patents. I would also ask whether she can say that any particular study is being made in that field by the present government in the hope that the recommended action may be taken.


Mr. Irwin:: Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to convey my congratulations to the hon. member on her elevation to the post she now occupies, particularly having regard to the fact that she is the first lady cabinet minister, on a dominion basis, in this country.
I have had the good fortune to obtain a list of the acts which the hon. lady has to administer. I might say that in looking at the list it does seem somewhat formidable and I know she is going to put in some long hours at night trying to catch up with the various matters which come under her jurisdiction.
I do not want to take up any time just now because we will probably soon have a few questions to ask with regard to specific items but, just as a matter of curiosity, because I am a new member here and probably also for the enlightenment of some of the other new members, I would like to know what is the union office for the protection of literary and artistic works? This is under vote 412. I do not know what is the function of this organization and would be very pleased to hear something about it. I am sure the other new members would join with me in this regard.


Ellen Louks Fairclough: Would the hon. member repeat his question. I did not catch his reference.


Thomas James Irwin: I was asking with reference to the title of the organization under vote 412, the union office for the protection of literary and artistic works. I just wanted to know what was their peculiar function. I am asking this information for the benefit of myself and some of the other new members in this house. Later on we will probably get around to this subject and will ask some questions. I do not think, Mr. Chairman, I have anything further to say just now except that I hope we dispose of this matter easily and quickly.


Mr. Macdonald (Vancouver-Kingsway):: would like to appeal to the hon. minister, after congratulating her on her new position, with respect to a case which I think does involve a grave injustice. I believe the hon. lady's department covers the field of custodian of alien property. Under the Japanese peace treaty such property as may be seized under that treaty is retained by the custodian.
Supply-Secretary of State
I am referring to a case which I do not think has anything to do with war reparations but does involve a point of great personal injustice. In British Columbia two Canadians of Japanese origin, Mr. and Mrs. Kubodera, lived and became Canadian citizens; the husband was naturalized. In 1924 as they had no children of their own they adopted a Japanese girl; she lived with them for 12 years. In 1936 she returned to Japan where she became a music teacher and where she still lives and teaches music.
Mr. and Mrs. Kubodero are now dead, but they expressed in their valid last will and testament a desire that their estate should pass to the girl who was considered at the time of their death to be their adopted daughter. That estate was not large; the amount presently involved is, I believe, $6,325 but under our treaty with Japan, article 14, Canada specified that it shall retain, seize and liquidate the assets of any Japanese national. Under that provision the government of Canada is holding, and perhaps has already disposed into consolidated revenue, this sum of $6,325, which in their last wishes these two people wanted to pass on to their adopted daughter.
Now I think it is reasonable to say that when the Japanese peace treaty was concluded nothing of this sort was contemplated; I do not think we wanted to seize a relatively small estate such as has been left to this girl as part of war reparations which we could not otherwise exact from Japan. She, of course, is a private individual and it can hardly be suggested that she was to blame for the war.
While we run into situations in wars of this modern age where we cannot collect reparations from a whole people, it does not seem reasonable that we should turn about, as in this case, and seize a very small estate and chalk it up as some gain we have made in the way of collecting reparations from Japan.
Therefore, I hope the minister will look into this matter and see whether, in the interests of good relations with Japan which is a very good customer of Canada and a very important nation in Asia, it is worth while to hold on to this small estate left to a girl now living in Japan.


Frederick George Hahn: Mr. Chairman, I would like to associate myself with the remarks which have been made with respect to the hon. lady's elevation to the office she now holds. I would certainly be one of the first to congratulate her upon such a wonderful achievement and I am very much in agreement with the hon. member for Bonavista-Twillingate in that it is certain as time goes on, should the government be in office, I am very sure she will

Supply-Secretary of State probably receive a portfolio of greater significance than the one she holds at present. Not that this one is unimportant. 1 do feel it is a very important portfolio since it has control over the civil service commission which is an essential part of our society. I have always made it a practice to devote a certain amount of time to discussing these particular estimates. I intend to do so again today.
With respect to the expenditures hon. members, particularly those who were here during the last parliament, will recognize they seem to increase. I have particular reference to the items for paper work. Here I notice there is quite a steep increase with respect to publications of departmental reports and other material, to which I have no doubt we will come later, but we have an increase of from $472,000 to $658,000 which is better than one-half of the total increase which the department requires for the operation of the office of Secretary of State.
This figure is a most important one and I was just wondering, when I viewed the overall chart which indicated the comparison between last year's estimates and this year's estimates, why there should be such a marked difference in this particular field as compared with the others. I notice the other increase comes under civil service which accounts for approximately the balance of the change, a matter of $140,000 under civil service salaries and wages, making a total difference of about $320,000 or so in the actual estimates.
Now it does seem to me that this matter of the use of paper and stationery is a most important one in the operation of our governmental departments. I have frequently wondered, when I come on occasion to the House of Commons very early in the morning and find a heaping cartful of newspapers, exactly what does become of the paper. Is it used for some particular purpose? Does the government realize anything on the sale of it; is it consigned to an incinerator and burned or just what does become of the paper from this building alone, much less the Department of the Secretary of State? I would hope that the hon. lady in replying later would have something to say on this question and if the time permits and I should be in the house I will probably have more to say on the civil service and the operations of that part of the department. More particularly I would like information on this question having to do with paper.
Another question that has given me considerable concern is the Canada Elections Act and the part having to do with the operation of our elections. I will have certain recommendations and suggestions to make with respect to that at a later time, some of

which might cost us a little more money but all of which I hope will result in a little more efficiency in getting our electoral lists more completely arranged so we do not have so many names that should be on the voters list omitted by mistake. However, I will reserve my remarks in that respect for a later time.


Herbert Wilfred Herridge: Mr. Chairman, I simply rise to congratulate the minister on her appointment and to ask for some simple information. It seems such a short time ago that we were colleagues together behind the curtain on this side of the house-


Some hon. Members:: Oh, oh.


Herbert Wilfred Herridge: -and it has taken very few months for changes to have come about. I do sincerely congratulate the Secretary of State and trust she finds much happiness and achievement in her new position.
The question I wish to raise is this. We all know that if a celebration of the 50th or 60th wedding anniversary of a constituent is brought to the attention of the Prime Minister he is usually kind enough to recognize that occasion by sending a congratulatory telegram to the persons concerned. The former prime minister was always kind enough to send the member who brought to his notice these very important events a copy of any message that he might send, I presume in order that the member would know the matter had received attention. Would the Secretary of State when answering questions inform the house what is the procedure in these instances at the present time?


Mr. Cardin:: Mr. Chairman, I would also like to extend my congratulations to the minister and I think I would not be far wrong if I were to say that she is the most gracious Secretary of State Canada has ever had.
The problem to which I would like to refer has to do with translations. Although I realize that the problem of translating government documents can be extremely difficult and we must expect there would be some delay in the translation of English documents into French, it has occurred to me there have been instances where the delay in translating publications has been rather lengthy. I am more particularly aware of the delays that have occurred in the Department of External Affairs where a delay of two or three months sometimes occurred before the French translation of English documents was available. I must say that while I was parliamentary assistant to the Secretary of State for External Affairs I did try to get an increase in the number of French translators in that department. I must also say I received a most

sympathetic hearing from the officials of the Department of the Secretary of State but I am not sure whether my efforts were rewarded in any way nor am I sure that there was an increase in the translators for that particular staff. The problem that exists in the Department of External Affairs I think also exists in other departments and I would urgently ask the minister if she would consider making a check on the delays that occur in the translation of government documents.


Mr. Leduc (Verdun):: Mr. Chairman, I would like to pay tribute, as a gallant Frenchman should, to the first Canadian woman to achieve cabinet rank, the Secretary of State. There is no denying that Canadian women will be well represented in this gracious lady and for this the Prime Minister deserves commendation. It was Young who wrote, "He who wishes a woman ill must let her act as she pleases", but the Liberal members harbour no such ill feelings for the Secretary of State. She will therefore allow us to criticize such legislation and estimates as she might bring down. Like Sheridan, we in the Liberal party recognize that the wisdom of men depends on the cultivation of the spirit of women. Let the Conservative government take heed of this useful counsel.
May I recommend to the Secretary of State two things. The purpose of these recommendations will have for their effect the amendment of the Canada Elections Act, first so that it will compel all candidates to divulge the address of their real domicile. The second recommendation is to fix the fee of enumerators who should be paid according to the number of persons duly registered on their lists. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.


Ellen Louks Fairclough: Mr. Chairman, I shall try to answer at least some of the questions which have been put to me. First of all may I thank hon. members for their kindness and for their compliments which I truly appreciate. I hope that in the length of time I have already been in this house hon. members have come to realize that I am not averse to criticism at all. Indeed, I welcome it and I trust I will have the wisdom to take an objective view of whatever criticisms are levelled at my department.
Dealing now with the questions which were asked by the hon. member for Ottawa East. He first of all made some inquiries with regard to the civil service commission. I quite agree with him that the government of Canada should be the model employer. However, with reference to the establishment of a royal commission no such thought has entered the mind of the government to date but the civil service commission itself is considering all aspects of the relationship
Supply-Secretary of State of the employer to the employee in all departments where it is concerned. If it is found necessary to amend the act to bring about a better relationship I can assure the hon. member this government will be glad to welcome suggestions which are made to it in that respect.
The hon. member for Ottawa East also asked what progress had been made with regard to the institution of collective bargaining. I might say he knows as much about it as I do because I think everything that has happened to date has been reported in the newspapers and even some of the things that have not happened to date have already appeared in the newspapers. In making that last remark I have reference in particular to a much publicized meeting which was prophesied by the press and which has not yet taken place but which will take place in the near future.
With reference to the royal commission on patents, a matter which was brought up both by the hon. member for Ottawa East and the hon. member for Assiniboia, I would point out that on October 28 I answered a question which the hon. member for Assiniboia put to me with reference to the availability of these reports. At that time I told him that the report on copyrights was ready in English but a final draft in French was still in the process of being prepared. That is still the situation. I expect to have it shortly but in the meantime it has not come to hand. The hon. member for Ottawa East asked me when it would be tabled. I can assure him that it will be tabled just as soon as it is available.
Since I am speaking of the royal commission, I might refer to the remarks of the hon. member for Assiniboia. I agree with him that there is every urgency in the matter of these reports. The commission was given a tremendous task and it must be borne in mind that the members of the commission have other duties as well as those imposed upon them by reason of this particular commission.
While it is true that the sittings on patents will be resumed in March, and it may seem to the hon. member that that is quite a long way off and that the report will be delayed by reason thereof, I should like to point out that we expect to have the report on industrial designs shortly. It is thought well to take this step by step and table the reports as they are ready rather than hold up all of the reports until such time as the complete result of the deliberations has been printed. I shall be very glad to inquire whether there is any way in which this work can be speeded up.

Supply-Secretary of State
Since he asked me to comment on the necessity for an early report, I might say I agree with him that it is in the interests of industrial growth that the matter of patents should be examined carefully; that the recommendations of the commission should be in the hands of the government with a view to taking such steps as may be feasible and desirable to protect our industrial life and the works of our inventors.
The hon. member for Ottawa East spoke about the move of the patent office and practically answered himself. This move was undertaken before this government came into power. In fact the plans were so far advanced that there was very little that could be done about it. Accordingly the move is proceeding or plans for the move are proceeding. Of course there are different opinions amongst those who are required to use the patent office and I can only say I hope that they will find they will be much better accommodated in their new quarters.
The hon. member's question with regard to the printing bureau perhaps could be answered by saying that some time ago I received a request for a conference with those concerned on the matter of salaries and wages. Probably the hon. member for Ottawa East had specific reference to what is now known as a time lag in the adoption of rates after negotiations by printing employees in other centres. I immediately answered the letter and said I would be very pleased to see those representatives at an early date and, to my surprise, they said they were not ready. Maybe they were not used to getting such a fast reply but in any event they were not ready and I am now waiting until such time as they are prepared to meet with me.
I assure the hon. member that I too would hope that bilingualism would grow in the civil service. Of course he understands as well as any that there are many parts of Canada where it is not necessary and where, even if it were a requirement of the service that a person should be bilingual, by reason of having no place in which to practice the second language it would soon fall into disuse. I know that from personal experience. It is unfortunate that the acquisition of a second language does not always bring with it the opportunity for its use. I could wish it were true in my own case.
The hon. member for Winnipeg North Centre asked particularly with respect to the individual items and the amounts which it was expected to save in each department or on each vote. Mr. Chairman, one of the first matters that came to my attention was the expenditures which were authorized for this department-maybe "authorized" is not
[Mrs. Fairclough.l

the word because just now we are seeking the authorization, but the estimates which had been proposed for this department. It took a few weeks to investigate them and by the time I had the reports all in I found to my surprise that the largest part of the estimates either had been apportioned or had been committed pending the approval of this house. So that in this department, although we expect to make a saving, I do not think I can pinpoint it to the extent of saying so many thousands of dollars on one vote or another. I can assure my hon. friend that I am keeping an accountant's eye on the amounts which are appropriated for the various votes.


Stanley Howard Knowles: Perhaps the minister will permit a question at this point. It is clear, is it, that she will be asking the house to vote in full all of the amounts set opposite the items in her estimates?


Ellen Louks Fairclough: Mr. Chairman, this is
a matter to which I gave a considerable amount of thought and, having regard to the commitments which have already been undertaken by the department, I think that in so far as my own department is concerned it would be advisable to ask for the votes as they stand and then effect what economies we can rather than try to cut regardless of the requirements of the department and then be forced to ask for some of that cut-back in supplementary estimates at a later date.
The hon. member for Burnaby-Richmond made reference to the rather formidable list of acts which are administered by this department and said that he expected I would spend long hours in perusal of my duties. I can assure him I have already spent long hours in that pursuit and I feel that I shall spend many more before I have a complete grasp of the many and various matters which are the responsibility of the Secretary of State.
To answer specifically the question which he asked with reference to Vote 412, the union office for the protection of literary and artistic works is a copyright union office, and this is the contribution of the people of Canada to this international office.
The hon. member for Vancouver-Kingsway brought up the matter of the claim of this young Japanese woman who has been unable to claim her inheritance by reason of confiscation. I might say to him that, regardless of the sympathy which each and every one of us has for individual persons, this is a principle which has been adopted by all countries. It is not Canada alone which has adopted this principle, and even if we wanted to it would be almost impossible to differentiate between claimants. What is right for

one claimant is right for another without regard to the amount involved. It is unfortunate that as a result of wars many innocent people suffer not only financially but also in health and in other ways. I am sorry I cannot give the hon. member any encouragement to think that in this particular case anything can be done other than what has already been done.
The hon. member for New Westminster asked about the increase in the amount expended for paper. I think the hon. member has had some connection with the paper business and he probably knows that prices have gone up, as have the prices of a great many things. Not only have the prices of paper gone up but the prices of printing and otherwise processing, such as the making of envelopes and so on, have increased as wages and other costs have increased. I fancy it would be a study in itself to determine to what extent this accounts for the increase in the appropriation for paper.
But I might say to the hon. member that there are many ways in which an eye is kept on the amounts expended. For one thing, the organization and methods division of the civil service commission is constantly studying ways and means of effecting economies in staff and paperwork. There is also, as the committee knows, a suggestion awards board which receives suggestions from civil servants, many of which have been acted upon with resultant savings to the government. The Queen's Printer, I may say, also has the authority to question what he considers to be any abnormal requisitions and sometimes he does just that. All of these practices are pursued by the department. I would be glad to see if I can get a more factual reply to his question, but I believe that in general that fairly well answers it.


Frederick George Hahn: Would the minister permit a question? The reason I mentioned the matter was that it has to do with the publication of departmental reports and other materials. I note on checking the summary of standard objects of expenditure and special categories that this department, taking this year compared with last year, is the only one where there is such a huge increase. For example, in the Department of Mines and Technical Surveys there is a drop from $216,000 to $179,000. In the case of the unemployment insurance commission there is a drop from $164,000 to $153,000. In the case of the Post Office Department, which usually has a good number of publications, there is a drop from $150,000 to $144,000. I was wondering whether there were many more separate publications this year compared with former years.
Supply-Secretary of State


Ellen Louks Fairclough: Mr. Chairman, just as a matter of speculation I would think it would be apparent that as the country grows and more people are in the country more and more reports will be required by more and more people and consequently the numbers will increase year by year. I realize that is not a complete answer, but in so far as any other departments are concerned no doubt the hon. member can get a reply with respect to those departments when their estimates are before the house because there may be particular reasons for a department having an increase or a decrease. There may be special reports and so on of which I would not know.
In answer to the question of the hon. member for Richelieu-Vercheres, may I say that I will be very happy indeed to check into the delay in translations. Of course, as the member knows, at different seasons of the year different problems beset the bureau. When the house is in session there is a great deal of work for the house and its committees which might at some period of the year delay other work. But in so far as is possible the bureau does try to have translations available as quickly as it can. If there are any specific instances the hon. member has in mind about which he would like to inform my office, we will see what we can do to speed them up.


Louis-Joseph-Lucien Cardin: Perhaps the minister might be able to answer whether, for instance, there has been an increase in the translation staff of the Department of External Affairs, which I considered to be understaffed.


Ellen Louks Fairclough: I can say to the hon. member that so far as I am aware there has been no increase in the translation staff of the Department of External Affairs. If it were required by that department I believe they would have to make a request. The Department of the Secretary of State would hardly suggest to them that we should provide them with extra translation staff if they had not asked for them.


Louis-Joseph-Lucien Cardin: Perhaps the minister may find in the records that the Department of External Affairs did ask for an increase in the translation staff. As a matter of fact, I tried very hard to get a couple of extra translators last year.


Ellen Louks Fairclough: I am informed there was an increase a year ago for the Department of External Affairs. There has been none this year.


Henri Courtemanche: Shall the item carry?


Ellen Louks Fairclough: Just a minute, Mr. Chairman. I still have a couple of answers to

Supply-Secretary of State give. The hon. member for Verdun asked some questions and with his permission I will wait until we reach the estimates of the chief electoral officer before answering them.


John Whitney Pickersgill: Is the hon. lady not going to answer my question? I think it is the only one she did not answer.


Ellen Louks Fairclough: I am sorry, Mr. Chairman, I thought I had answered them all.


John Whitney Pickersgill: I would be happy to repeat the question. It was a very simple one. My question was, would the hon. lady enumerate the examples of waste and extravagance which the Minister of Finance found in her department?


Ellen Louks Fairclough: I thought I answered that when I answered the hon. member for Winnipeg North Centre.


John Whitney Pickersgill: The answer is none then.


Ellen Louks Fairclough: No, I would not say that. I told him, as I tell the hon. member for Bonavista-Twillingate, that we expect to make some savings but at the time that I came into the department the funds were pretty well allotted.


John Whitney Pickersgill: Perhaps the minister has not realized that the Minister of Finance has said over and over again that he had already discovered many examples of waste and extravagance, and we on this side of the house are naturally very curious to have some specific examples.


Ellen Louks Fairclough: I am quite well aware of what has been said, Mr. Chairman, and the hon. member's curiosity is evident.


John Whitney Pickersgill: And unsatisfied.


Herbert Wilfred Herridge: I am now the only member whose question the lady minister has not answered.


Ellen Louks Fairclough: I apologize to the hon.
member. With regard to congratulatory messages on wedding anniversaries, it is possible to obtain a message from Her Majesty the Queen on the occasion of 60th wedding anniversaries and one hundredth birthdays. I believe also that if citizens are long-lived enough to go beyond those years it is possible at intervals, such as 65th or 70th wedding anniversaries, to secure messages. These should be channelled through the Department of the Secretary of State. It is the practice in the department to inform the Prime Minister also of such outstanding occurrences and I believe he usually adds his congratulations as well. Is that the information the hon. member requires?


Frederick George Hahn: Referring to the question I posed to the honourable lady earlier, I would draw to her attention that possibly she misinterpreted my remarks. It appears that in this instance, in so far as departmental publications are concerned, we have a 40 per cent increase, which is possibly the greatest increase for any single department. The increase in other departments seems to be only about 5 per cent or 10 per cent. I am fully aware that there are probably more publications issued by this department, but I do not think the price of paper has increased to such an extent that it would account for the full increase. I am wondering, therefore, if there are many new publications or is this possibly one of those instances in which the Minister of Finance is going to make one of those savings about which the hon. member for Bonavista-Twillingate was so interested. Has that figure been reduced or is the $658,000 the figure with which the department intends to carry on?
Further in respect to the Department of the Secretary of State alone, I would point out to the minister that we have one increase that is probably the result of the increase in the price of paper, which I fully recognize has occurred. I draw her attention to the fact that in the case of office stationery, supplies, equipment and furnishings, we have an increase of $2,000 or about 2 per cent, yet as I indicated earlier there is a 40 per cent increase in so far as publications are concerned.


Ellen Louks Fairclough: I am sorry but I did not hear the last part of the hon. member's remarks.


Frederick George Hahn: In the case of office stationery, supplies and equipment, we have an increase from $96,000 to $98,000, which is about 2 per cent. Then, under publications and departmental reports, we note there is an increase from $472,000 to $658,000, which is approximately 40 per cent. I am saying that this increase must represent new publications, and if so would she be prepared to tell us what they are?


Ellen Louks Fairclough: These figures are slightly misleading, because in the year 1956-57 there was a supplementary estimate of some $300,000 which brought the amount up to $770,000 instead of the $472,000 shown here. There is actually, therefore, a slight decrease, and that is one of the reasons for the change in the appropriation asked for this year. In addition, one of the reasons why this amount has increased so startlingly is because of the number of patents that are being printed.


[Stage Direction]
Item agreed to.

[Stage Direction]
410. Administration division, $122,670.
Mr. Small:: I should like to ask the minister about the patents and copyright office. During the last two years there has been a considerable amount of complaint about the backlog of patents in the department. Last year I asked the minister about this backlog and he reported that considerable success had been achieved in catching up with the backlog. It was stated also that the department was being reorganized. It was admitted that there was a shortage of staff and a shortage of space which they were trying to rectify. I should like the minister to say a word about this backlog and the improvement being made in this condition and the increasing of staff to take care of it.


Ellen Louks Fairclough: One of the difficulties in the department has been the trouble we have had in recruiting engineers to examine inventions. Probably I could give the hon. member some statistics for which he asked with regard to the backlog.
The total number of cases pending as of March 31, 1956 was 72,608. In the ensuing year, new applications received amounted to 21,762. The number of applications allowed in that period amounted to 16,400; the applications which were abandoned, 3,941; leaving a total number of applications pending in the office as of March 31, 1957 of 74,029. This represents an increase over the number pending in 1956 of 1,421.


Robert Hardy Small: Has there been any increase in the floor space allotted to this department, for which they were looking some time ago?


Ellen Louks Fairclough: Well, that was one of the matters brought up by the hon. member for Ottawa East. There is a move contemplated but it has not yet taken place. It is expected that somewhat more space will be available after the move has been accomplished.


[Stage Direction]
Item agreed to.

[Stage Direction]
346. Departmental administration $561,934.
Stanley Howard Knowles: wonder if the minister would comment further on the matter of adjusting wage rates at the printing bureau, and in particular would she say whether she or the government is giving consideration to asking parliament to amend one of the provisions of the Public Printing and Stationery Act? I have in mind what experience has proven to be a rather ambiguous provision, the one which relates the wages of the employees of the printing bureau to the rates paid in the printing industry in Ottawa, Toronto and
Supply-Secretary of State Montreal. This provision is generally regarded by the employees at the printing bureau as some sort of protection, but in practice it has not worked out that way.
As I recall it, though I have not the wording of the section in front of me, it says that the wages of employees at the printing bureau shall not be greater than the wages paid in the trade in Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal. That wording permits them to be less. I wonder if consideration is being given to clearing up this ambiguity and making it a little more mandatory, if I might use that word, that the rates paid employees at the printing bureau or in the greater Ottawa area shall be the rates paid in those three metropolitan centres.


Ellen Louks Fairclough: So far as I know, Mr. Chairman, that has been the case. The problem which has been presented over some considerable period of time I believe has been one of the retarded action on behalf of a certain number of employees where their wage rates are related to those which are the result of negotiations in the city of Montreal. In that regard, I should like to say that this is the very question which I agreed to discuss with the employees of the bureau. They are not yet ready to discuss it. If and when they are ready I would be very happy to discuss it with them.


Stanley Howard Knowles: am sure that after one of the linotype operators sets the minister's words tonight in the government printing bureau it will not be long before that meeting will be held.


Ellen Louks Fairclough: The date is already set.


Mr. McPhillips:: This vote involves the officer known as the Queen's printer. I know that the minister's department is concerned to some extent with protocol; in fact the minister is custodian of the great seal of Canada. I am sure that she is concerned with the history and traditions of the nation. For nearly a century, in fact, for well over a century if you want to go back to the history of the provinces of Canada-the Queen's printer has always been known as "Printer to the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty" or "Printer to the King's Most Excellent Majesty", depending on the reigning sovereign. While it is true that the title set out in the statute is simply "Queen's Printer and Controller of Stationery", that has always been in the statute. That was not changed. To my knowledge it was only concurrently with the issues of the statutes of Canada in the second session of 1951 that this time-honoured title of "Printer to the King's Most Excellent Majesty" was corrupted down to simply the words "King's Printer". I think that is a shame. I think the time-honoured

Supply-Secretary of State title belongs to the history and traditions of this particular office and I am going to recommend to the minister that this practice be put a stop to forthwith and that the traditional title be used for all government publications.


An hon. Member:: An earth-shaking recommendation.


John Whitney Pickersgill: Perhaps the hon. member could do that when he dismisses all the deputy ministers.


Herbert Wilfred Herridge: I understand that when a department requires some printing done by the Queen's printer, an outline of the work required is submitted to the Queen's printer and then an estimate is supplied to the department. I ramble around this town quite a good deal on occasion and during the past 12 years I have had a number of discussions with quite senior officials in various departments. I And that on the question of estimates the Queen's printer is a most unpopular person with some people. I find-and I have heard this quite frequently-that a department will ask for an estimate on a certain number of publications and give the Queen's printer the specifications. Then when they get the bill it is about twice as much as the estimate given by the Queen's printer. On a number of occasions it caused quite serious embarrassment in the departments concerned because the costs were considerable and I am informed that on some occasions it actually meant the necessity of asking for a supplementary estimate.
My point is this. Surely a branch that has been in operation as long as has this branch must acquire some experience in giving estimates. I would suggest to the minister that she look into the question and ask the printing bureau to supply her with a list of estimates for work to be done by departments and also to supply her with a list of the bills submitted in relation to those estimates.


Ellen Louks Fairclough: If I were to procure statistics, I wonder whether the hon. member would be willing to work a few nights looking over them. I can assure you, Mr. Chairman, that that is work that should be done by the department of the Queen's printer and not by the minister. However, I have every sympathy for the departments which find their quotations to be inaccurate. If the hon. member would care to give me a list of the particular quotations which have shown the inaccuracy to which he has referred I shall be glad to try to find out the answer.


Herbert Wilfred Herridge: My information is such that I can speak only in general terms. However, I can assure the minister that my information is correct.
[Mr. McPhillips.1


Ellen Louks Fairclough: I am assured that those instances are few and far between.


[Stage Direction]
Item agreed to.
347. Purchasing, stationery and stores, $1,175,114.
Stanley Howard Knowles: There is one other question I should like to ask the hon. lady. What consideration has been given to the suggestion that has been made from time to time that the government should show its belief in the right of labour to organize by entering into collective bargaining so far as the printing bureau is concerned and also by arranging for any printing that is farmed out by the Queen's printer to be done in union shops?


Ellen Louks Fairclough: I should like to answer the last question first. So far as I am personally concerned, I should like to see all printing done in union shops, where it is farmed out.


Stanley Howard Knowles: The
hon. lady is now in a position of authority.


Ellen Louks Fairclough: Sometimes there are
occasions where work is going to a given area and they find there are no union shops in that area. I grant you those occasions are rare but it does happen on occasion. Just recently there was one order which had been placed with a shop which was not able to place thereon a union label. That situation was rectified at the suggestion of the minister.
With reference to the first part of the question, in a sense collective bargaining has been established for those workmen who belong to the trades because, as was intimated earlier, in one class the rates prevailing in Toronto, Ottawa and other places take effect immediately upon the effective date of the agreement reached by the local printers with the trades concerned in their own areas. That is also true of another group whose rates of pay depend upon the negotiations which are successfully completed in the city of Montreal. When you go beyond those classes, I think the matter is one which falls within the purview of the civil service commission where they are considering, along with the government, the whole field of employee relations.


Stanley Howard Knowles: May I ask the hon. lady one other question? I ask this without prejudice to the position I have already taken, namely that in my view all government printing should be done in union shops. Pending the day when all printing is done on a union basis is there any reason why such printing as is now done in union shops could not carry the union label?


Ellen Louks Fairclough: So far as I know, there might be the odd instance where it could not

carry the union label. I think each case would have to be decided on its own merits, depending upon the type of work that was done.


An hon. Member:: What type?


Stanley Howard Knowles: Somebody is going to get close to a pun if he does not watch out. May I ask the minister if she will give consideration-I do not ask her for an answer now; I would rather she gave consideration to the matter and came up with a better answer later on-to the possibility of a directive being issued that wherever work is being done in a union shop that work should carry the union label?


Ellen Louks Fairclough: I shall be glad to do so.


[Stage Direction]
Item agreed to.
727. Plant equipment and replacements-further amount required, $148,774.
Stanley Howard Knowles: Perhaps the hon. lady would indicate the reason for this supplementary item of $148,774.


Ellen Louks Fairclough: Yes. It is largely occasioned by a carryover from the previous year. In some instances equipment is ordered.
In some instances equipment is ordered and the appropriate amount is shown in the estimates. The end of the fiscal year arrives but delivery of the equipment has not been made. In the meantime the estimates for the next year have already been prepared, but this equipment having been expected within the previous fiscal year has not been included and when it does come in in the following year, it is necessary to ask for supplementary amounts with which to pay for it.


Stanley Howard Knowles: Then may I ask if the printing bureau, in view of the amounts involved here, is now fully equipped according to the plans?


Ellen Louks Fairclough: Mr. Chairman, I think the general plan of equipment is pretty well completed, yes, but of course from time to time there are always replacements.


Stanley Howard Knowles: And
improvements?


Ellen Louks Fairclough: Oh yes.


[Stage Direction]
Item agreed to.

[Stage Direction]
60. Salaries and expenses of office, $73,115.
Mr. Howe:: Mr. Chairman, I have a word to say on this item with respect to advance polls at election time. The act was amended in 1951 but I notice that the people who are allowed to vote at advance polls are still covered by a very narrow list which takes
Supply-Secretary of State in commercial travellers, fishermen, those employees employed upon the railroads, airships and other modes of transportation.
In this day and age when there are people working on construction, who leave their homes early Monday morning and do not get back until late Friday night, I do feel they should come under the same jurisdiction as commercial travellers. There are also people who work many miles away from their homes, who leave in the early morning and are not able to get back at night in sufficient time to vote on election day. I am just wondering whether the minister and the officials are giving any consideration to amending this act so that the categories of those who are entitled to vote on election day may be broadened.


Mr. Winch:: I would like to add a few words with respect to this question of the advance polls. I realize it will probably require a change in the act but, speaking as a member from the city of Vancouver which is the source of supply of hundreds, if not thousands, of workers who actually work out of town, I wonder if it would not be possible for consideration to be given by the minister to extending the regulations with regard to advance polls to a far greater extent. I can assure the hon. minister that in British Columbia there are many thousands of people who are disenfranchised because of the limitations of the advance polls and I do hope that very serious consideration will be given to an enlargement of that section of the act.
There are a number of matters which could be raised under this vote but I merely wish to raise two questions. One is with regard to a question asked quite a while ago by the hon. member for Winnipeg North Centre to which an answer may have been given. If so, I regret raising the matter again, but it is of importance and I would like a comment from the minister. In Vancouver I was informed during the last general election- and I am sure this is the case in respect to many other members in British Columbia -time after time that it was becoming almost impossible for union shops to compete and do the work in the preparation of the voters' lists and other material required in an election by the federal government because there had not been a change in the price that could be paid for such work.
Now in view of the statements made by the minister as recently as a few moments ago, I hope she is now in a position-bearing in mind that she is one who has in the past spoken so strongly in favour of the trade union movement-to give us an indication that, prior to the next election, the necessary
1346	HOUSE OF
Supply-Secretary of State changes will be made so that the union shops may be able to do the work required in the printing trades in a general election.
One other most important point, I think, to a great many if not all of the members of this house and to all candidates in all parties, is the assurance that those who are entitled to vote will know exactly where to vote. Under the present policy-indeed it may be the law-with respect to federal elections, after the lists of enumeration are closed the returning officer sends around a tear sheet upon which the voter's name appears. Now the fact that that tear sheet is sent to every person whose name is going to appear on the voters' list must be a mighty expensive proposition. This is a notification to the majority of the people that their names are on the list but it has been my very definite experience-and I think it must have been the experience of others-that most people upon receiving this tear sheet of the voters' list see their names thereon, feel happy and then the tear sheet goes into the wastepaper basket or the furnace. They do not notice that on the upper right hand corner of the tear sheet it tells them in very small print, that they vote at this or an approximate address. I do not know what has been the experience of the hon. minister but I do know the experience in my own constituency is that the phones are busy all day long with inquiries as to where to vote. We ask if they have not received a notification that they were on the voters' lists and they say "Yes". Then we ask "Did you not notice in the upper right hand corner it tells you where to vote?" The answer is no.
I think, Mr. Chairman, that in an act of parliament making provision for an election every care should be taken to ensure that the person knows where he votes. I can only speak provincially so far as British Columbia is concerned, but under our British Columbia provincial elections act no tear sheet is sent out at all. The returning officer sends to all those whose names are on the voters' list a post card telling them where they should vote. Now every person on receipt of that card knows he is on the voters' list and also knows exactly where to vote.
I would hope that it might be possible for something of that nature to be followed through on a federal basis but if it cannot be done immediately without a change in the act then I would suggest to the minister, through you, Mr. Chairman, that a change be made-and surely this does not require any amendment to the act-on the notification on the tear sheet in print of such size that the voter receiving this notification will know that this is the information as to where he


votes and will hang onto it. This action cannot be taken by the returning officer because I took it up with the returning officer in Vancouver East and he told me he had exactly the same thought. He tried to have the size of print increased in order that it would be brought to the attention of the recipient and he was told he could not change the size of the print. I am certain the minister wants everyone to know just where he should vote and I would ask if she could arrange to have the chief electoral officer give authority to the returning officers to put the notification as to where a person votes in larger print than it has ever appeared in the past. I see no reason why this cannot be done.
There are many other things that could be spoken about on the subject of the Canada Elections Act but I will rest content with these three matters I raised hoping that something will be done in the near future.


Mr. Smith (Calgary South):: Mr. Chairman, in view of the fact the question of advance polls has been raised I would like to offer a suggestion to the minister which I am sure has been brought to her attention previously and that is the suggestion which has been raised by the Canadian federation of mayors and municipalities for the last four years that some uniformity be attempted in the regulations as far as continuity of advance polls is concerned. I am not suggesting the act should be changed in order to satisfy municipal or provincial representations but they have presented very comprehensive briefs on the question of continuity and also on the question of flexibility which several hon. members have raised, both of which suggestions are valid.
Having experience in the province from which I come where such uniformity has now been reached it might well be that the minister will take this into consideration in view of the remarks that have been made because of course there has been confusion with regard to advance polls which has created a problem in the past.
Before resuming my seat I would point out that my name being what it is I certainly have no objection to the name Smith being kept on the sample ballot.


Alexander Bell Patterson: Mr. Chairman, I know we have progressed far into the estimates of the Department of the Secretary of State but I would just like to add my words of congratulation to those that have been extended to the hon. lady on her elevation to the office of Secretary of State. I was impressed with the evident change in tone which has characterized the statements of various members as they have asked questions and made their contributions in this debate and it occurred

to me that if we ever reached the point where a lady headed up each and every department of government this house would be a very quiet place.


James Allen (Jim) Byrne: It would be all lady members.


Alexander Bell Patterson: Many of the caustic comments would be omitted from our discussion and in fact it might even get monotonous at times.
We are now considering the estimates relating to the office of the chief electoral officer and several of the points I had intended to raise have already been raised by other hon. members, for instance the question of advance poll. I believe that the purpose should be to try and make it feasible for as many as possible of our citizens to vote in the various elections. If it requires changes in the act or in the regulations those changes should be effected because, as I have said, I believe that every qualified voter in the country should have the opportunity, shall I say with the least possible inconvenience, to cast his or her ballot in the elections that are held. I understand there are just certain areas designated under the Canada Elections Act where advance polls can be set up. There are also very close lines drawn as to who can vote at advance polls. I would suggest that consideration be given, not only to increasing the number of advance polls and placing them strategically across the country but also to extending the categories of those qualified to vote at advance polls.


Stanley Howard Knowles: Why should there be any restrictions?


Alexander Bell Patterson: I am being modest in my request. There are several other matters I would like to mention and one is the system of enumerating as it is now conducted. I have not any plan to offer in this particular respect but I believe the system of enumerating could be vastly improved in many areas. For instance, in the last election we found there were whole blocks of residences entirely left, out. I think I am safe in saying we found there were hundreds of eligible voters whose names did not appear on the lists at all. This may have been due to errors in human judgment but there were also instances where the names were given to the enumerators and then when a check was made at the time of the sitting of the court of revision the names were still not on the list and in some instances when those very same individuals went to vote on election day they found their names were still left off the list. I do not know just what can be done, whether it is a matter of enforcing the regulations or what other means can be employed to correct the situation, but I believe some attention should be given to these seeming irregularities in the matter of enumerating.
Supply-Secretary of State
Another problem is the posting of voters lists. This question was raised during the last campaign when we discovered that some of the voters lists were nailed up on trees in different places and many were defaced possibly by children or by the weather. The lists had become almost impossible to read and in some cases they had disappeared altogether. It was suggested that when this particular section governing the posting of voters lists was placed in the act it had reference to the days when there was a common meeting place in each community perhaps under some great tree and the lists were placed there in what was possibly the most convenient place to find them. I would suggest that the voters lists be posted somewhere where they will be protected from the elements and where some supervision could be given regarding the condition in which they are kept.
The court of revision should be set up in perhaps the most populated area of a community. As it is now, I believe that those who are responsible for the court of revision can set up the office possibly in their homes, but in some instances that home may be two miles from the most thickly populated area of that community or of that section. Therefore the people from the populated area have to make a journey of one or two miles and perhaps turn off to a side road somewhere and look around in the dark to find the place where they are to check their names. I suggest that some attention be given to this particular matter as well.
Then, there is the matter of the political affiliations of the candidates on the ballots. I know this has been turned down. It was turned down by the previous administration on the basis that we were elected as individuals and not as members of parties. I think we ought to be at least realistic. I know we can possibly look back and say, yes, that was so; but after all we have to keep up with the times in some respects. It would save a lot of confusion if the political affiliation of the candidate were included on the ballot. This would be of tremendous importance in the event of two, or perhaps even three, candidates having the same name and in some instances the same initials as well.
Therefore I make these suggestions and recommend that consideration be given to some of these matters with a view to eliminating some of these irregularities and in other respects bringing our election act more in line with present day realities.


Mr. Peiers:: I also would like to congratulate the minister. I was afraid for some time last year that the first lady cabinet minister of the government was going to come from

Supply-Secretary of State my riding. I am quite pleased to congratulate the present incumbent.
I would like to mention the matter of printing. Over the years we have seen where the printing for elections has been done, and where a vast quantity is given out at one time, the system of patronage is quite often applied. This means that while there are a number of printing shops in an area which could do this kind of printing, because a particular printing company is a friend of the party that has the giving of this patronage the contracts for printing are sometimes done on that basis. In a number of instances it works a great deal of hardship. I can recall one printing shop that did the printing for three ridings, and the time limit had been reached before the printing was available. On a number of occasions the time had expired before the printing was done. The problem was raised in my riding in the last election. I think the printing could be spread around not only because I do not believe in the principle of patronage in this matter or in anything else but because it would facilitate getting the printing done a lot sooner and would meet the requirements of the time limit.
I have another matter I should like to discuss, namely the voting of service personnel. I had the unfortunate privilege this year of being able to see all the ballots of the service personnel in my particular riding. I do not expect that to happen again, but it did give us the opportunity of seeing some of the things that were wrong with the system that we are now using in service personnel voting.
There is a time in December when the service personnel name the riding from which they come. When that is done I think lists should be made available to the candidates on the same basis as the voters' lists from municipalities are made available. We find that it is almost impossible for a candidate to find out not only the areas that the service personnel are in but also how many service personnel are in a particular riding. In most instances we do not come within 100 per cent of guessing how many service personnel there may be in a particular riding.
In discussions with some of the service personnel we find that there are a lot of things to be desired in the methods they use for taking the votes of the service personnel. We are told that-obviously the ballots that I saw and the areas from which they come bear this out-some particular areas are well represented. A large vote comes from them. Other areas have no votes coming from them. A directive should be issued to the officers in charge of voting along

with information for election purposes and all the service personnel should be given the same kind of information as to who are their candidates and the ridings in which they are registered, together with all other pertinent information.
In a provincial election I had the opportunity to visit one of our large army camps at election time. In that particular camp the commanding officer informed me that he had no interest whatsoever in elections; he was not going to get mixed up in them, and no election discussion would take place at his particular camp. He would have been quite happy if they had declared all the service personnel out of bounds. The result is that one particular party who has a friend in that camp reaps the advantage. There will be a large vote.
We have examined the vote in this particular instance. The information which was given was in most instances one-sided. At the end of the year, in December, when the list is compiled-and I understand it can be changed only once a year-they should be made available. If the particular lists, with the number of people and the names of the people, can be made available, as is done in municipal elections, and still meet security requirements then that should be done.
Perhaps I should tell the committee why I saw the ballots in the last federal election. There was a recount and obviously we had the opportunity to examine them and find out from what areas they came.
There is another problem that enters into the situation when there is an army camp in a certain area. The service personnel themselves are listed as being registered in whatever district or riding they choose. As I said, they make their choice at the end of the year. But if they have their wives with them at the camp, then the wives must vote in the riding in which the camp is located. That in turn works another hardship because, if there is no method-and I think there obviously should be some method-of getting information to those people who are voting in that riding-in this instance the wives of the service personnel-hon. members can see the difficulties which arise.
In a recent election I was informed in Camp Borden that there were going to be no public meetings; no posters were to be allowed and there was going to be no literature distributed, although at that time there were 700 women in the riding who were eligible to vote. Therefore, I think some consideration should be given to changing the act. If we believe-and I think we all do-that our service personnel have the right to vote, then I think they have the right to know who they are to vote for. They should

be given some information and that should not be just the prerogative of certain candidates. All candidates should be entitled to that information, and I think the women who are in the riding should be treated as other citizens in that riding, and they should be allowed to hold public meetings, or whatever the candidates decide amongst themselves should be done.


Robert Hardy Small: I should like to add to the suggestion made by the hon. member for Fraser Valley with regard to the posting of voters' lists. He brought to the attention of the committee that these lists are exposed to the weather and are subject to being torn up by children or damaged in other ways with the result that they may not be complete. When the tear sheet is sent out people are notified that they are already on the list but there are always some people who are missed. To overcome that I suggest that there should be some central place in each subdivision where the lists can be seen. The location should be advertised and, if necessary, certain hours in the day should be set and someone should be there to give further information if it is needed.
I think it is a very necessary part of the enumeration process that the lists be posted and what I have suggested will overcome many of the difficulties that have been encountered during an election. It is a simple thing. It would only cost a little extra. These lists are exposed to the weather and subject to the hazard of being pulled off the post. The only way we can overcome that is to have the lists available under cover at some central spot.


Herbert Wilfred Herridge: Mr. Chairman, while I am sure the majority of members recognize that we can improve the election act by a number of amendments, I am also sure that for two reasons we can be proud of the way in which elections are conducted generally in Canada. The first is the sense of fair play that exists among the Canadian people. The second is the excellent and efficient senior officers who administer the act.
In view of the thousands who are denied the opportunity to vote under the present act, I support wholeheartedly the representations made by previous speakers regarding certain amendments, particularly with respect to an extension of the qualifications in the case of those who are entitled to vote at advance polls. My constituency is one of those that are particularly affected by the restrictions in the present act. We have large numbers of lumbermen and miners who have to work some distance away from home.
It is the practice in large sections of my constituency for loggers and lumbermen to travel anywhere from 20 to 50 miles to work 96698-86i
Supply-Secretary of State and to return during the week ends, often by water transportation, sometimes by air or over rough mountain roads. Quite frequently a man returns for the week end or for a few days to the village in which he resides and then has to leave on Sunday to be back at work for Monday morning. Because it is not possible for these lumbermen and loggers to return at any reasonable expense for election day they are denied their right to vote under the present act. The same situation applies to a lesser number of miners in my constituency, particularly those who are working in small mines at high levels and in isolated places.
But we have a particular situation in the interior of British Columbia that I want to bring to the minister's attention, and I presume it exists in other forested portions of Canada. Large numbers of men can be denied the opportunity to vote on election day should they be called away to fight a forest fire. To illustrate, Mr. Chairman, some three or four days before the last election on June 10 a large fire started in the Big Bend country of the Columbia river.


Stanley Howard Knowles: Who started it?


Herbert Wilfred Herridge: I think it was started by lightning at high levels. In order to meet such a fire menace in very large and valuable stands of timber it is often necessary to mobilize several hundred men and get them to the scene of the fire as soon as possible. In our district it is nothing unusual for all the mills to be closed down and anywhere from 100 to 300 men quickly mobilized and transported 100 or 125 miles. This fire was 175 miles away from the home towns and villages of the men who were gathered together to fight it. Here they were taken away on Thursday or Friday without the opportunity to vote at advance polls.
They were faced with this question. These men value their votes. These are men who should have the right to vote like all other Canadians should. Under the law they would have been able to leave the scene of the fire but it would take so long that if they demanded their right under the act to have the opportunity to vote they would have only been able to work about half a day and then return to their home towns in order to vote. Fire is a very serious thing in our district because the economy depends to a great extent on the forest industry, the sawmills and so on. These men decided to go to the fire. The heads of several lumber companies concerned telephoned me and also telephoned the returning officer but I said that the law was the law and we could not get around it under these circumstances. I

Supply-Secretary of State did promise to bring the matter to the attention of the house at the first opportunity.
A large number of men were mobilized to fight this fire and they proceeded to the Big Bend country in the upper reaches of the Columbia. Happily the weather turned mild and there was some rain at high levels. By working like the very devil indeed they were able to put the fire out by Saturday night and they arrived back at their home villages in time to vote on Monday, fortunately for me.


Stanley Howard Knowles: And for them.


Herbert Wilfred Herridge: And for them, I trust. Anyway, Mr. Chairman, I bring this matter to the attention of the minister because this situation can develop very quickly anywhere that forest fires are likely to occur in British Columbia, and I think other members will corroborate me in that respect. The result is that hundreds of men can be disfranchised under such a situation.
I urge two things upon the minister. I urge that very serious consideration be given by the minister to the extension of the qualifications for those with the right to vote at advance polls in view of the numbers denied the right at the present time who are working in the lumbering and mining industries and the relatively large numbers who can be denied the opportunity to vote in forested country should we be faced with a serious fire situation.
Second, I do think that to meet this situation fully and properly there should be an increase in the number of advance polls. At the present time it is usual to have advance polls in some of the larger centres but if our people, even under the present legislation, are to be completely and properly served, especially in these more or less isolated districts, provision should be made for a larger number of advance polls.
Finally, I simply want to say that the people who are denied the right to vote under the present legislation are usually workers involved in our primary industries in isolated places who are helping to increase the production of this country, people who have the right to vote and who treasure their vote. We want all Canadians to vote and I do urge the minister to give serious consideration to amendments to the present act to remove this injustice suffered, I presume, by hundreds of thousands of Canadians under the present law.


Charles Edward Johnston: Mr. Chairman, I should like to say a few words.


Henri Courtemanche: Order. I recognize the hon. member for Burnaby-Richmond.


Thomas James Irwin: Mr. Chairman, I want to say a few words on this matter and follow up what the hon. member for Kootenay West has said about advance polls. There are two features with respect to advance polls that should be given attention within a reasonable length of time. I do not know whether it is possible to do it between now and the next election. I hope it is. These matters should be given attention because not only do the conditions outlined by the hon. member for Kootenay West arise but in a constituency such as mine something else happens.
There are a large number of fishermen in my constituency.
They generally come home on Friday night and have to spend all day Saturday fixing up their nets and getting their boats in order to go out again on Sunday. The advance poll is generally set for the Friday and Saturday prior to election day. The result of that is that these men, because they are not included in the schedule of those permitted to vote at advance polls, are disfranchised.
Furthermore, under the present schedule of districts that are eligible for advance polls the returning officer is confined in a constituency such as mine to Burnaby. The Richmond area cannot have an advance poll. Now that is wrong in principle because the fishermen all reside in the Richmond area. They are disfranchised because the returning officer cannot set up a second advance poll in Richmond. Then again when the advance poll is set up in Burnaby these men have to travel about 12 to 14 miles if they want to go there.
I am not a bit surprised that under the present system of enumeration we get a great deal of skipped enumeration. When an enumerator is paid only ten cents a name and finds a person absent from home there is not the foggiest chance in the world of that enumerator going back again. I would not blame him. I would suggest to the minister that consideration be given to raising the amount paid enumerators. I would point out that the return of ten cents per name has been in effect since 1934. It has not been altered during all that time. I would suggest that the cost of enumeration today is not too high when one considers the work that is done. If we are going to insist on enumeration, then we should take every possible step we can to be sure that the enumerators are properly compensated so that they will carry out their work in an efficient manner. You cannot expect an enumerator to call at a home three or four times for the ten cents paid for securing one name. It cannot be done.
I would suggest that the minister take up the question of a running enumeration, that

is a voters list which is permanent, as we do in British Columbia. The voters lists are kept permanently and any person can get on the voters list whenever he wants. If a person moves from one place to another, he can get on the voters list there. The result is that the voters list is always up to date. I realize that would mean establishing a permanent registry of voters, such as we have in British Columbia, but that is less costly than enumeration.
I should like also to support the request of one of the other members for a reconsideration of the line rate that is paid for printing the voters list. This is not a question of unions or anything like that, but at the moment the line rate is such that printers cannot take voters lists in union shops. The line rate for printing these voters lists has not been changed for many years. It is about time that these matters were given a little consideration. I do not believe an amendment to the act would be required to take care of these things.
There is one other little matter which could be rectified by a change in the act. At the present time when the returning officer sets up polling areas one would naturally expect that he would put the polling station in the middle of the polling district. However, they do not do that. They set up a polling district and then they set the polling station over in one corner of it. The result is that in an area like Burnaby, what happened in two different places was that the polling station was established in such a way that people who were living within three quarters of a mile of the polling station had to travel nearly four miles to get to it, simply because it happened to be on the other side of a creek. I would suggest the returning officers be instructed to set polling stations where they will be equally accessible to all persons within a given polling area.
With regard to the matter of putting the political affiliation of a candidate on the ballot, I think that is a must. Now that there are quite a number of parties participating in an election I feel the people should know the affiliation of the person for whom they are voting. There are plenty of people who vote for the party. They do not know the candidates and do not know whether they are Liberals or Conservatives. I think they should be given a chance to vote for their party if they feel like it. There is no reason why they should not be given that opportunity. May I point out that the service vote is strictly on party lines because a serviceman can write in the name of the party on the ballot, not name the candidate at all, and that
Supply-Secretary of State vote will be accepted. If that procedure is valid for the service vote, why should it not be valid for the civilian vote?


James Allen (Jim) Byrne: While I have never been noted particularly for my gallantry, I sincerely congratulate the minister upon her ascendancy to the high position she holds. I might say further that is probably one indication of the fact that the bill which she brought forward so assiduously concerning equal pay for equal work for women was not so important after all.
I join particularly in supporting the hon. member for Burnaby-Richmond in his observations that we are not paying the printers sufficient for printing the voters lists. In my travels during the last campaign I visited the printing office of one of the weekly newspapers. I noted they were not busily engaged in printing the voters lists. I asked him why that was so. He said he could not afford to do it, his time was too valuable, and he could not afford to hire help. He had no interest in printing the voters lists.
I cannot agree with the hon. member for Timmins that there is a great deal of patronage with respect to this, because it seemed to me that almost all the newspaper offices I visited were busily engaged in that work. They all had the same complaint, that they were not being paid sufficiently for the work they were undertaking.


Gordon Knapman Fraser: How about the candidate paying for his own printing, ballots and everything. The hon. member said there was no patronage, so how about the member paying for everything.


James Allen (Jim) Byrne: I have no knowledge of what might have happened in the hon. member's riding, but I know in my riding those things did not happen.
The question of paying enumerators is also one which I am sure would not require a revision of the act. I am sure that an order in council might very well provide for a higher rate for each name an enumerator put on the list. This pay is not sufficient even in the urban areas, but the greatest difficulty is encountered in ridings which are predominantly rural. I feel that something should be done before the next general election.
With respect to the grievance which the hon. member for Kootenay West had, namely that constituents may be away fighting fires, perhaps that matter is not so urgent. This may transpire before the real hot weather comes so I do not think this matter is as urgent as is the need of increased rates of pay to the printers and to the enumerators.

Supply-Secretary of State
With respect to changing the act in order to provide for enlarging the number of people who would be able to vote at advance polls,
I think that is something that needs to be studied by a committee and I have no further recommendations on that matter. I have heard that innumerable difficulties would crop up if that course were to be undertaken. At the present time I do not want to press that point. I think the main thing to be kept in mind is that an election is pending, and I think the rates for the printers and for the enumerators should be given thorough and early consideration.


Mr. Rea:: May I first offer my congratulations to the Secretary of State. I am not very often shocked, or at least that is what I am told, but when I went to the United Nations in September I was terrifically shocked to find that no government employee who is posted or who is on duty outside of Canada can vote. I see no reason why these people who are serving our country should not be in the same category as are the armed forces. The situation is very unfortunate. For example, at our embassy in New York, the clerks, the chauffeurs, the office help, and even the ambassador are not allowed to vote because the government has sent them there on duty and by so doing has disfranchised them and deprived them of their opportunity of voting. That is something that I shall discuss further.
What I wanted to say this afternoon is this and I have given this matter a great deal of thought. When the proper authorities come to discuss how this matter can be dealt with I shall offer some suggestions. I have worked out a system that I think will be all right. The first thing you must do is to preserve the secrecy of those that are voting. In some areas across this country there might be only two or three employees there and that matter would have to be guarded very carefully. I should be glad to offer my suggestions at the proper time when this matter is discussed.


Mr. Fisher:: I should just like to ask a few questions of the minister. I should like to know how much money each individual returning officer in a constituency is permitted to spend in advertising two things, first, the courts of revision within the constituency and, second, the hours that employees may have off from work under the election act.
I make this further point in connection with the court of revision. To the junior chamber of commerce in our area which spends a great deal of time advertising the actual election day, I have suggested that they could take up this particular chore of advertising the court of revision.

I want to close with the comment that I hope the development in Toronto where they had the difficulty over the certificates that went to the court of revision will not lead to any change because we found those particular certificates to be very useful on the part of all parties at Port Arthur. The certificates to which I am referring are the ones where people go into committee rooms and fill out a petition and then the committee room people can take it over to the court of revision. We found that certificate to be extremely useful and I think it should be retained.


Charles Edward Johnston: May I also congratulate the Secretary of State on her appointment as minister for that department. I should like to back up the statements made by the hon. member for Fraser Valley with regard to names left off the voters' list. I say that because I had some experience with regard to it in the last election. Odd as it may seem, the enumerator came around to our own place and we were enumerated and given receipts. We had first, of course, looked at the main list nailed up on telephone poles and found that our names were not there. On the day of the election when we went down to vote ours were the only two names that appeared on the revised list.
I had about ten or so calls from people who were concerned about the fact that when they looked at the regular list which was posted they found that their names were not there. Then they went down on the day of revision to have their names put on the list. As far as I can understand it, the people in charge there took down the names on a book-that is on the poll book-and said, "Your name will appear on the voters' list." But when they went to vote their names were not on the voters' list. The fact that they had been enumerated and had slips did not give them the authority to vote. These people had absolutely no recourse whatever.
That sort of thing happened in the very poll at which I was myself. As I say, my wife's name and mine appeared on the list and we were the only two in the whole poll. The voter is put in a very bad position. He complies with the law. After enumeration is made he is given his slip, if he is in an urban area, showing that he has been enumerated. Then he checks the list when it appears in a public place, such as on a telephone pole or whatever it is. He finds that his name is not there. He goes down on the day of revision to have it put on. Then when he goes to vote on election day and finds that his name is not there, it is a serious matter. These people have complied with all the laws and all the regulations with regard to the matter and yet they are disfranchised.

To the minister and those in charge of this matter I suggest that there possibly is a way in which to overcome this difficulty. When the voter finds that his name is not on the regularly posted list it seems to me that when he goes on the day of revision to have his name put on the list he should at that time be given a card which has on it an appropriate government stamp to show that he has the right to vote, whether his name appears on the final revised list or not. He has gone to the trouble to inspect the list. He finds his name is not there. He goes down on the day of revision to have it put on the list. Yet when he comes to the poll, he finds that he is still not on it.
It seems to me that it would be a very simple thing for the government to send out cards which could not be duplicated, with government stamps on them, and which would be handed out by the returning officer on those days of revision so that such a person would be assured, after having gone to all this trouble, that he would have his vote when the day came. It would not be a very costly matter because there would not be many cards sent to each city. I would not imagine that there would be over 50, 75 or 100 in each case. It would be a simple process. It would assure the voter that he would at least have the right to vote after he has gone to all the trouble of making the proper inspection. I hope the minister will give this suggestion some consideration.


Mr. McMillan:: As the member from the Niagara district and also as a neighbour I would like to extend my best wishes and congratulations to the gracious lady and minister, the hon. Secretary of State.
I have a question I would like to ask and that is the following:	What would be the
position taken by the chief electoral officer or the returning officer if the sample ballot hanging outside or inside the polling booth bore a name with an "x" after it which was the same name as that of one of the candidates.
I know this happened during the last election and I do not think it is fair at all because some of the people come in, see this name and think they should put the "x" after the name of the candidate whose name appears in this fashion.


Mr. Hardie:: I would like to concur in the remarks made by other hon. members with respect to advance polls. As the minister knows, although the act says that people working on transportation are allowed to vote at advance polls, this does not apply in the Northwest Territories. We have somewhat different conditions in the Northwest Territories from those in most other parts of
Supply-Secretary of State Canada, not only in respect to transportation. We have people working on water transportation, aviation, fishing, trapping and the like and, with no advance polls at which to register their votes, what happens? Frequently- as a matter of fact at just about every election-these people in varying walks of life are disenfranchised. I think the house should try to make it possible for as many of our citizens to exercise their right to vote as possible.
Now, as I have said, in the north these trappers and fishermen, because of their occupation, find it necessary to travel from one point to another. For instance in the last election we had people normally resident in Fort Providence and Fort Simpson who, because there was not sufficient work available for them, had to move, say, to Great Slave lake to fish for their livelihood. These people normally appear on the voters' lists in the posts or towns in which they reside. I think the situation in the Yukon is also different; people are nomadic and move from point to point in order to make their living; they had to go say from Whitehorse to Carmacks or to the United Keno mine, or some other part of the Yukon in order to make their living and so were disenfranchised. When they went to the polling booth the returning officer or his deputy would know that they were residents of long standing in the Yukon in the majority of cases and he would allow them to vote. He knew they passed the residence qualifications but, when the matter came before the courts, approximately 500 votes of a total of 5,000 registered in the Yukon were thrown out. In other words 10 per cent of those people who did cast their votes-there were many others who did not-by the actions of the courts in charge in the Yukon were disenfranchised.
Now I think hon. members will agree that 10 per cent of the people who actually vote is a very high proportion of the total figure in any constituency. I would like to suggest to the minister that with respect to the Yukon and the Northwest Territories special provision should be made.


Henri Courtemanche: I will call it six o'clock.
Progress reported.



BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

Lionel Chevrier: May I ask the leader what will be the order of business tomorrow.


Howard Charles Green: Tomorrow, Mr. Speaker, we shall continue with these estimates and then take the estimates of mines and technical surveys, veterans affairs, fisheries and justice.


Lionel Chevrier: In that order?


Howard Charles Green: In that order.


[Stage Direction]
At six o'clock the house adjourned, without question put, pursuant to standing order.
[Stage Direction]
Questions

[Stage Direction]
The following answers, deposited with the Clerk of the house, are printed in the official report of debates pursuant to standing order 39:

Mr. Pickersgill: 1.	Has any change been made in the procedure for dealing with Chinese immigration applications since June 21, 1957?
2.	If so, when was such change made and what is its effect?
3.	How many applications for the admission of Chinese as immigrants have been received since June 21, 1957?
4.	How many applications for Chinese have been (a) refused; (b) approved since June 21, 1957?
5.	How many such applications are still pending?
Answer by: Hon. E. D. Fulton (Acting Minister
of Citizenship and Immigration):
1.	No.
2.	Not applicable.
3.	688.
4.	(a) 14; (b) 544.
5.	209.


SALES TAX ON PANSIES
Mr. Huffman: 1.	Have any changes taken place since January 1, 1957, in respect to sales tax on pansies as grown by nurseries for home consumption?
2.	If so, what is the nature of the changes and the date on which same took effect?
3.	Have any refunds been made during the past year to nursery firms or individual growers of pansies in respect to sales tax previously paid?
4.	If so, what are the names, addresses and amounts thereof?
5.	Are pansies considered as nursery stock and if so, exempt from sales tax?
6.	What is the regulation governing the refund of money paid in error?
7.	Is there a time limit in which to make claim for refund?
Answer by: Hon. G. C. Nowlan (Minister of
National Revenue):
1.	Yes.
2.	Exemption from sales tax by reversal of ruling re classification of pansies as nursery stock and by budget resolution providing exemption for "potted, flowering or bedding plants . . .", effective March 15, 1957.
3.	Yes.
4.	It is contrary to the established practice to disclose any information which would divulge the business of individual taxpayers.
The Department of National Revenue had held for some years that pansies were not nursery stock but changed its ruling in the light of conflicting expert advice. One company had consistently opposed the payment of sales tax on the grounds that pansies were nursery stock and, having paid under protest, were entitled under the law when the ruling was changed to a refund of $207.48. For greater certainty the statutory exemption referred to in 2 was approved by parliament.
5.	Yes, also under the exempting provision for "bedding plants".
6.	Section 46, subsection (6) of the Excise
Tax Act.	i'
7.	Yes, two years from the date of application to the department in writing.


SUCCESSION DUTY COLLECTIONS, 1956-57
Mr. Christian: With respect to the years 1956 and 1957, how do the amount of moneys collected under the succession duty act, as of October 31, 1957, compare to those collected as of October 31, 1956, giving figures?
Answer by: Hon. G. C. Nowlan (Minister of National Revenue):
In the first seven months of each of the fiscal years 1956-57 and 1957-58, the total amounts of dominion succession duty collected were, respectively, as follows:-
Fiscal Year
1956- 57 (7 months)	$53,028,777.07
1957- 58 (7 months)	$41,611,693.01


UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE APPEAL BOARD, MONCTON, N.B.
Mr. Murphy (Westmorland): 1.	Who are the members of the appeal board, unemployment insurance commission, Moncton, New Brunswick?
2.	How often do they sit?
3.	What pay do they receive?
4.	How many decisions have they given since the board became operative in 1940?
5.	How many decisions upheld the insurance officers decision?
6.	How many decisions were given in favour of the employee, for each of the years from the time the board was set up to the the present date?
7.	How many appeals were taken from the Moncton board to the umpire in each of the years?
Answer by: Hon. Michael Starr (Minister of Labour):
1.	Chairman
L. D. Wadman
Employer Rep. R. D. Bannon W. C. Cosman C. I. Mills
Insured Person Rep, G. W. Myles W. Touchie E. McAllister

2.	See below.
3.	Chairmen receive $35 for a full day's sitting, and $22 for a part sitting. Panel members receive $25 for a full sitting, and $16 for a part sitting.
	1951	1952
1. Part sittings held ...	25	32. Full sittings held ...	Nil	163. Number of appeals ..	181	1354. No. of appeals disallowed 	172	1315. No. of appeals allowed	9	4Number of appeals taken to umpire	9	1


UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE ACT, ONT.
Mr. Martin (Essex East): 1.	Have there been discussions between the Minister of National Health and Welfare and any member of the government of the province of Ontario, regarding participation by the province of Ontario in the Unemployment Assistance Act of 1956?
2.	Has the government of the province of Ontario indicated to the government its intention to take advantage of the Unemployment Assistance Act of 1956?
Answer by: Hon. J. W. Monieith (Minister of National Health and Welfare):
1.	Yes.
2.	The matter is currently under discussion.


FEDERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION, NEWCASTLE, N.B.
Mr. McWilliam: 1.	Have steps been taken to begin construction of the federal public building at Newcastle, New Brunswick?
2.	Was a change made in the site of the building?
3.	If so, of what nature?
4.	Did it entail much change in plans and specifications?
Answer by:	Mr. Hodgson, Parliamentary
Assistant, for the Minister of Public Works:
1.	Yes.
2.	Yes.
3.	The town officials made available a 10-foot strip of land to the rear of the crown site and it was therefore possible to meet their request that the building be set back 10 feet from its planned position to help traffic conditions.
4.	No.
Questions
4,	5, and 6. The information requested is shown in the attached table. Detailed statistics for periods prior to 1951 are not available.
3 qtrs. only
1953	1954	1955	1956	19575	1	13	8	1110	15	6	6	2111	90	179	141	148101	83	172	137	13410	7	7	4	141	2	0	1	1[The	following	items were	passed	in committee
of supply]:


DEPARTMENT OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE
[Stage Direction]
Public printing and stationery-
346.	Departmental administration $561,934.
347.	Purchasing, stationery and stores, $1,175,114.
348.	Distribution of official documents, $337,520.
349.	Printing and binding official publications for sale and distribution to departments and the public, $570,000.
350.	Printing of Canada Gazette, $110,000.
351.	Printing and binding the annual statutes, $35,000.
352.	Plant equipment and replacements, $562,198.
406.	Departmental administration, $264,655.
407.	Companies division, $104,860.
408.	Trade marks division, including a contribution of $3,800 to the international office for protection of industrial property, $182,490.
409.	Bureau for translations, $1,331,100.
Patent and copyright office-
410.	Administration division, $122,670.
411.	Patent division, $1,582,890.
412.	Copyright and industrial designs division, including a contribution of $2,100 to the union office for the protection of literary and artistic works, $28,535.
Special-
413.	To provide for special expenditure in connection with a commission under the Inquiries Act to inquire into the working of the Patent Act, the Copyright Act, the Industrial Designs Act and other related legislation, $17,300.
Public printing and stationery-
727. Plant equipment and replacements-further amount required, $148,774.
1356	HOUSE OF COMMONS
Questions

[Stage Direction]
The answer to the above question is as follows:
1. Corporations are in default of filing, in the years indicated, the annual summaries under section 125 of the Companies Act as follows:
Corporations
without
Public	Private	share	Year	Companies	Companies	capital	total1955	57	158	16	2311956	53	161	3	2171957	287	893	31	1211
When a corporation is in default of filing annual summaries under section 125 for the current year, the department sends it a notice so advising.
When a corporation is in default of filing such annual summaries for three years, a registered notice is mailed to the corporation and, if no response is received, the company may be deemed not to be a subsisting corporation and no longer entitled to the sole use of its corporate name.
Such registered notices are being mailed to the 231 corporations, both public and private and without share capital, which are in default to file the annual summaries in the years 1955, 1956, and 1957 and, if no
response is received, a further notice will be sent advising each company that it is deemed not to be subsisting.
A similar procedure will be followed in 1958 with respect to such corporations as are in default to file annual summaries for the years 1956, 1957 and 1958; also in 1959 with respect to such corporations as are in default for 1957, 1958 and 1959.
In order to specify the number of corporations on which the said penalty for three years' default was imposed in 1955 and in 1956 a considerable period of time would be required, since an individual examination of approximately 12,000 files would be involved.
2.	See answer to No. 1.
3.	It is for the Department of the Secretary of State to bring to the attention of the Department of Justice, for consideration and such action as is warranted, any case where a prosecution may appear to be in order. The Department of Justice Act, R.S.C. (1952) chapter 71, entrusts the Attorney General of Canada with "the regulation and conduct of all litigation for or against the crown or any public department, in respect of any subject within the authority or jurisdiction of Canada".
4.	None.

[Stage Direction]
(1)
April 1, 1956-march 31, 1957
Loans	Units	Amount Average LoanNew Brunswick	
409	415	$ 4,034,833	$ 9,865Corporation loans	
21	21	178,988	8,523Insured loans	
388	394	3,855,845	9,938Nova Scotia	
519	565	5,513,550	10,623Corporation loans	
24	24	192,376	8,016Insured loans	
495	541	5,321,174	10,750TOTAL	
928	980	9,548,383
(2)
April 1, 1957-october 31, 1957
Loans	Units	Amount Average LoanNew Brunswick	
377	445	$ 3,916,982	$ 10,389Corporation loans	
28	28	241,424	8,622Insured loans	
349	417	3,675,558	10,532Nova Scotia	
377	394	4,007,353	10,629Corporation loans	
30	30	255,306	8,510Insured loans	
347	364	3,752,047	10,813TOTAL	
754	839	7,924,335
(3) Answered by Nos. 1 and 2.
[Stage Direction]
Thursday, November 21, 1957