William Lyon Mackenzie King (Minister of Labour)
Liberal
Mr. KING.
Yes. Some manufacturers in the province of Quebec, who believed that, by reason of this American trust, or rather this company operating in Canada under a parent company in the United States, they were unable to sell some of their commodities which they would have been able to sell if it had not been for the methods adopted by this trust, and who also found it difficult to obtain machinery under the
conditions which this trust exacts, made application before the court of Mr. Justice Cannon of Quebec for an order directing an investigation to be held under the Combines Act. This application has been heard, and this afternoon the government received from Mr. Justice Cannon a communication in which he orders an investigation into that trust. He states at considerable length that these gentlemen, having presented their statement to him, had made out a prima facie case as to the existence of a combination detrimental tc consumers and producers. The investigation will be proceeded with forthwith. The parties affected will have an opportunity of each naming a member of the board of investigation. The two, so named, if they are able to do so, will agree upon a chairman ; otherwise, the
government will appoint a chairman, and these three persons will be clothed with all the powers of a court of record. It is also the intention of the government to appoint a solicitor to assist the parties in getting full information in regard to the working of this combination. In this way it would be possible to bring to light a mass of evidence which it would be impossible to obtain from any records or reports which may be in existence at the present time. This is a combination which, as my hon. friend knows, has occasioned a good deal of interest in the United States and in Great Britain. While there has been reason to believe that it is a combination operating in restraint of trade, up to the present time no effective means have been discovered of really getting at its inner workings. What has happened in the case of this particular organization or trust which is operating in this country, although it is an American organization, if there is reason to believe in its existence, may be carried out under the circumstances with regard to any other trust, and I submit that in the legislation which this government have on the statute-book to-day we have one of the most effective means to be found of getting at precisely the information which my hon. friend hopes to be able to secure by the reports for which he is asking.
Subtopic: INFORMATION CONCERNING TRUSTS AND COMBINES IN UNITED STATES.