In connection with the proposed loan -to the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway Company, which appears in the -Supplementary Estimates laid upon the table of the House yesterday, I desire now to lay upon 'the table the following documents :

A letter dated December 10, 1915, addressed to the Prime Minister by Mr. Alfred W. Smithers, chairman of the Grand Trunk Railway Company of Canada.

A statement showing the outstanding bonds, debentures, loans and notes of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway Company and of the Grand Trunk Pacific Branch Lines Company, as of January 1, 1916.

A statement showing the interest payments for each month during the year 1915 upon securities of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway Company and Grand Trunk Pacific Branch Lines Company, together with an estimate of the deficit in operation for the present calendar year.

A statement of expenses for betterments and miscellaneous purposes for the same year.

A statement showing bonds authorized, issued and outstanding, and the net proceeds therefrom ; also interest payable for the years 1916 and 1917 of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway - Company and Grand Trunk Pacific Branch Lines Compay.

A statement of advances which have been made by the Grand Trunk Railway Company aB of February 29, 1916, to the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway Company, to the Grand Trunk Pacific Branch Lines Company, to the Grand Trunk Pacific Saskatchewan Railway Company, and to the Grand Trunk Pacific Development Company, Limited, and the security held by the Grand Trunk Railway Company therefor.

A memorandum prepared by the Department of Finance showing the amount of the proceeds of the sales and pledges of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway Company's securities guaranteed by the Dominion Government under the legislation of 1914, together with details of payments made to the Railway Company from such proceeds, accompanied by certified copies of the Orders in Council under which authority the payments were made from time to time.

In connection with the proposed loan of $15,000,000 to the Canadian Northern Railway, which aleo appears in the Supplementary Estimates, I desire to lay upon the Table the following:

Statement of all securities of the Canadian Northern Railway System outstanding as of April 15, 1916, showing the total securities guaranteed by the Dominion Government and the amounts issued, the total securities guaranteed by Provincial Governments and the amounts issued, and the total amount of unguaranteed authorized and issued securities, and the maturities of all Issues.

A statement showing the amount expected to be realized from securities which were available as of December 1913, the depreciation as of December, 1915.

An audited statement of loans and liabilities.

A memorandum respecting the funded debt and fixed charges.

A memorandum respecting contractors' accounts.

A memorandum of interest payable by the Dominion and by Provincial Governments under existing legislation.

I desire also to lay upon the Table a statement showing the proceeds of the sales and pledges of the $45,000,000 Canadian Northern Railway securities guaranteed by the Government of Canada under the legislation, of 1914, together with an estimate showing what would have been realized for such securities upon the basis of prices existing before the war; also particulars of the various certificates which have been issued by officials of the Department of Railways and Canale, certifying that payments might be made out of the proceeds of the securities, and showing the balance of proceeds on hand as of May 1, 1916. These statements are accompanied by copies of the certificates given by Major Graham Bell, of the Department of Railways and Canals, who audited the accounts. In connection with the certificates given by Major Graham Bell I also desire to lay upon the Table a letter which he has addressed to me respecting the audit he has made of the books and accounts of the company. ;

Mr. GRAHAM:

I suppose that is all the correspondence there is in connection with the two proposed loans?

Sir THOMAS WHITE:

Yes.

Mr. GRAHAM:

I would suggest to the Minister of Finance that he have these printed as quickly as possible and distributed amongst the members, because he can readily understand we cannot discuss the matter intelligently with only one copy between us.

Sir THOMAS WHITE:

I thought my hon. friend might desire that either himself or some other hon. member should look over and select from the statements that have been laid upon the Table those it was thought desirable to have printed, as was done in 1914. I quite agree with my hon. friend that the statements I have presented should be printed as they have a direct bearing on the subjects referred to, and I therefore beg to move that rule No. 74 be suspended for the purpose of enabling me to move that the documents I have laid upon the Table be printed forthwith.

Mr. NESBITT:

Is there any statement showing the bonds that have priority over those guaranteed by the Government?

Sir THOMAS WHITE:

All the bond issues of the system are shown in the statement I have presented.

Mr. NESBITT:

The proposition in the Estimates is to pay the interest on bonds that have priority over the Government guaranteed bonds.

Sir THOMAS WHITE:

I think all the other issues of the Canadian Northern Railway system have priority over the $45,000,000 mortgage which was executed in 1914. That, of course, was subject to underlying mortgages securing the bond issues of the -system. I think the (Statement il have laid upon the Table will give my hon. friend full information, but if anything further is desired I shall be pleased to bring it down if I can procure it.

Mr. MACDONALD:

Are -any copies of the trust -deeds that weTe executed at the time of the guarantee of 1914 available?

Sir THOMAS WHITE:

Yes, 1 shall lay on the Table a few copies of the two trust deeds executed by the Canadian Northern Railway and the Grand Trunk Pacific in 1914. It will not be necessary to print any more of those.

Mr. PUGSLEY:

Yesterday the Prime

Minister said, in answer to a question by the leader of the Opposition, that he presumed there would be considerable correspondence in connection with the applications for these loans, and I think he said it would be laid upon the Table.

Might I ask that that be done? Amongst the papers that have been laid upon the Table there is no correspondence at all in connection with the Canadian Northern Railway, and only one letter, from Mr. Smither-s, in connection with the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway Company. I call my hon. friend's attention to that, and I think my right hon. friend the leader of the Opposition -supposed that the correspondence also would be laid upon the Table.

Sir ROBERT BORDEN:

I understand

that all the correspondence has been brought down.

Mr. PUGSLEY:

These are only financial statements.

Sir ROBERT BORDEN:

There is a letter from the chairman of the Grand Trunk.

Mr. PUGSLEY:

But nothing from the

Canadian Northern?

Sir ROBERT BORDEN:

No.

Sir THOMAS WHITE:

There is no written application from the Canadian Northern Railway Company. The letter from the chairman of the Grand Trunk Railway Company is an important communication which sets out the position of the Grand Trunk and of the Grand Trunk Pacific.