Hon. T. W. CROTHERS (Minister of Labour):

I place on the Table the report of the investigation held into cold storage of commodities in Canada. I move that this report be printed and that Rule 74 be suspended in relation thereto.

I would like to give notice to my right hon. friend (Sir Wilfrid Laurier) that on Monday next I purpose moving the resolution which stands in my name on the Order Paper with regard to the extension of the parliamentary term.

(translation): Mr. Chairman, I trust the

House will allow me to. draw the attention of the hon. Minister of Justice to the peculiar conditions, which owing to its immense area, exist in the district I have the honour to represent.

If I may judge from the explanations given us by the members of the Government, since this bill is under consideration, I do not think these particular circumstances have been absolutely met.

The hon. Minister knows that the- front line of the Chicoutimi-Saguenay county, between Chateau Bay, the intersection point between Labrador and my district, and Mistassini, extends over some 800 miles. From the Labrador coast down to Tadoussae, there is a population of 15,000 inhabitants divided into groups living,at distances of twenty-five, fifty and even one thousand miles respectively from one 'another. I may also point out that, for a certain portion of them, there is no regular means of communication between these communities, no boat service, and that the mail service is most irregular and slow. It is easy to realize what difficulties these people will have to contend with, in order to obey the law, on account of that very distance. Let us now suppose that they were called to the colours by a proclamation of the Governor^General; they would never hear of it, in all probability; and, by the terms of this Act, they should be considered as slackers and as deserters.

I therefore believe that these special cases should be provided for by the Act itself, for they might arise in some other parts of the country. The people I refer to, although

most honest, cannot afford to lose a cent, no more than a day's work. They are all fishermen who go, day after day, to make a living from the products of the sea -and as the returns are not always satisfactory, they are not well off. It is therefore necessary to save them every possible expense. It will then be seen how difficult, it is, not to say impossible, for them to navigate for three or four days, often under contrary winds, to reach a -place where a tribunal may be sitting, and then they would be liable to pay a fine for not appearing within the delay fixed by the Governor General. At Lake St. John, supposing the tribunals would be located where the court is held, either at Chicoutimi or at Roberval, the people called out under this Act, .may however have 75 or 100 miles to go in order to put in an appearance. I want it to be understood that the people of my district find themselves under most difficult circumstances to comply with the law and that they should not be held liable to any penalty if it is impossible for them to obey this law within 'a certain delay. It seems to me that the remarks I have just made are as much in the Government's interest as in that of that portion of the population. I know that my people are earnest; I will not say that they are partial to the Act, but I am positive that they will submit when it will be finally passed. My only object is to protect them against hardships which will surely arise.

Mr. H. BOULAY (translation):

I agree with _ .my hon. friend /of Chicoutimi and Saguenay in the remarks -he has made. I might say the same about a large portion of the people of Matane -county and also, seeing the absence of the hon. member for 'Gaspe (Mr. L. P. Gauthier) about that part of the -population living along -the -sea-cost in the county of Gaspe. All those people are subjected to the same inconveniences just -mentioned -by the -hon. member for Chicoutimi and Saguenay. I hope the Government will also pay attention to them when the time -comes.

Hon. Mr. DOHERTY (translation):

I may assure -both hon. members that the -Government will take every possible means so that all can fill their due obligations.

As I stated yesterday in -answer to the hon. member for Bonaventure (Mr. Marcil), -we will try and put tribunals in sufficient numbers, -so they may be easily reached in every part of the country where a -community is found large enough to justify the location -of such a tribunal.

Now, as to the suggestion that some might be liable to penalties for not having reported upon the date fixed in the proclamation; I might first say that we will always consider those people's conditions and that different dates will chosen on account of the difficulties peculiar to each locality. At all events, according to the law, if the hon. members will look it over, they will see that no one is liable to -be sentenced for not having reported in due time, as long as there is a reasonable excuse, and the conditions set forth by the hon. members who cannot be suspected, would be, I believe, accepted as reasonable excuses.

If, on account of the physical conditions of the country he lives in, or from lack of facilities or of means of communication, a man found himself in the case of being utterly unable to atppear, I think I may safely say that -such would be considered a fair excuse; but, we will do every thing humanly possible in order to give every one the means of discharging his obligations.

Mr. GIRARD:

The hon. Minister states that the tribunals will -be as numerous as possible, according to population. With his leave, I will give him a few details as to these people's situation. Along the northern shore, there are villages of some 600 souls; others contain only a -score of -people and -some loealities where there would be only four or five families at -the -most. Without deprecating them, they are all fishermen who -are not wealthy, therefore the expense they will be -put to should -be reduced as -much as possible. It is for the cause's own success. Every thing is not accurately reported and I would like to have the interested parties absolutely satisfied as a result of the hon. minister's statements that they are fully protected. These small communities are sometimes scattered at a distance of some 60 miles from -quite an important centre; there -are some 75 and even 100 miles aw-ay. How are you going to reach those little villages very thinly populated; how do the Government intend to protect them, to save them from travelling expenses? Would it not be preferable for the tribunal to move from place to place?

Hon. Mr. DOHERTY:

Hon. Mr. MARCIL (Bon-aventure):

(translation) : I entirely approve the remarks made by the hon. members for Chicoutimi-Saguenay and for Rimouski. I am glad to hear that the hon. minister will give special attention to these regions. There is one point, however, which these hon. members have not mentioned and upon which I wish to call the Government's attention. About August or September, a large number of young men leave Bonaventure and Gaspe and the two other counties mentioned, to go-and pass- the whole- winter season in the lumber camps, -some in the Ottawa district and others around Tupper Lake, in the United States; they are then absent five or six months a year. Should the call be made during their -absence, the case of these young men should, I think, be taken into consideration, for they will be away from their -homes. I would like the hon. minister to consider this case in his regulations.

Mr. TURGEON (-Gloucester) (translation):

It is important, in my opinion, to consider the peculiar case of the fishermen who are in very large numbers in the Maritime Provinces. I second the remarks made by the members who have just spoken -and I must tell the hon. Minister of Justice that the county of Gloucester has a- fishing population perhaps larger than- that of the other neighboring counties. We have a fishing fleet of more than two hundred boats, schooners, manned by four or five fishermen each; the father with one or two of his sons, or with the hired help of neighbours, to develop the resources of the sea as well as those of the land; just as do all our Acadian families in Gloucester county and other districts.

For these reasons, I join the hon. members who have preceded me and I ask the hon. Minister of Justice to so fix the regulations that the tribunal which may sit in

Gloucester county as well as in the neighbouring ones, be duly notified of these special cases.

Hon. Mr. DOHERTY (translation):

In

answer to the two members-it would be useless to repeat what I have just stated- but I can assure them we

shall try and give every possible facility to everyone that he may fulfil his obligations.

It may not be out of order to ask the hon. members, when the time comes to apply the Act,-if there are any special circumstances in their counties or in their districts, to communicate them to us-if they have any suggestion to offer as to the best way of meeting such special difficulties, they may submit them to us and I may assure them that we will give their suggestions all due consideration.

Now, as to the possibility of the absence of persons called to serve, I may point out that, as provided in this Act, it is not necessary to apply to one's home tribunal; the application may just as well be made to the nearest tribunal to the place where one happens to be. Thus, for instance, if a young man residing in Gaspe should be in Ottawa when the Governor General's proclamation is issued, he may apply to the tribunal sitting in Ottawa and obtain an exemption certificate from that tribunal. We have no intention to make special provisions so that every young man be compelled to apply to his respective tribunal; I repeat it, the nearest tribunal shall be authorized to hear his case.