Mr. MONK.

Would not the banks be responsible when he forged the endorsation V

There was the forged requisition in the first place.

Mr. HUGHES (Victoria).

The government issued a cheque on the forged requisition ?

Mr. FOWLER.

The forgery of the endorsation would not make the government liable, but the forgery of the requisition.

Yes.

Mr. CLANCY.

Perhaps the hon. Postmaster General would give me the information now on the item that was allowed to stand-the petitions and correspondence with regard to the Lambton post office.

I am sending to the hon. gentleman (Sir. Clancy) the papers he asked for.

Mr. CLANCY.

I do not wish to delay the consideration of this item to go over these papers. Do I understand that there are in these papers, which the hon. gentleman sent me, all the petitions and letters that passed ?

I think that everythinig the hon. gentleman asked for is there.

Mr. GOURLEY.

I have a letter from the postmaster at Tatamagouche post office, in Colchester county, asking what is done with the money kept as a percentage from the postmasters.

If the officer at Tatamagouche is insured under the assessment system, his assessment goes into the common fund. There is an insurance fund that is deposited in the post office savings bank as an insurance fund, and in the event of a defalcation on the part of any officer so insured, the amount for which he is insured in the fund is withdrawable from the fund by Order in Council. It is the same as with a corporation that issues fidelity bonds. They accept premiums from those insured, and these premiums are the means wherewith the company carries on its business and makes its profits and meets its losses. I think in a place of this size the postmaster would give a bond of perhaps $400 at the outside.

Mr. BLAIN.

Where can we find a report of that insurance fund ?

It is not entered in the public accounts, it is a trust fund. Under the Act there is a trust fund which is not handed over to the receiver general or to the Postmaster General, but it is deposited in the savings bank as a special trust fund to be drawn upon to meet any loss occasioned by the defalcation of an officer.

Mr. BLAIN.

Is it in the report 1

There is no statement of that in the report. I could get a statement from the savings bank. We have an officer who looks after that in the books of the department.

Amount required for compensation for price of islands and improvements to be made on islands in the St. Lawrence river, $12,000.

The American authorities have several islands which have been kept as open parks with public landings. But there is no similar accommodation among the Canadian islands, and the purpose of this is to establish several public landings and to purchase sufficient grounds for the purpose, so that Canadians passing up and down may have some public landing places.

Mr. TAYLOR.

This is in accordance with an arrangement entered into between the Department of Marine and Fisheries and the Department of Public Works, with a deputation from the United States several years ago. The American government purchased and set apart a number of islands at certain points for public parks, both for Canadians and for Americans, and the Canadian government agreed to do the same. The islands that are set apart by the Canadian government belong to the Indian Department, and the government must vote the money and place it to the credit of the Indian Department in order to acquire the lands. I am glad to see that the government have acted on this arrangement after several years.

Mr. CLANCY.

Before the committee rises, I wish to ask the Minister of Finance with regard to a petition to retain a post office where it was in the first instance, and where it had been for years, in a building belonging to a man by the name of McNulty, who was then postmaster. I do not see that petition among the papers.

I brought down all the papers my hon. friend asked for. I told my deputy to go through the ' Hansard ' and see all that my hon. friend asked for, and transmit all the papers asked for. He says he has sent me more than the hon. gentleman asked for.

Mr. CLANCY.

I asked for all the letters, papers and petitions in connection with it. I am not saying the hon. gentleman is withholding anything. I am merely asking if he has complied as far as possible with my request.

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