Mr. SINCLAIR:

It is not altogether fair for the Secretary of State to charge hon. members on this side of the House with being indefinite in-their criticism. I think they have been very definite. My hon. friend from West Lamfoton (Mr. Pardee) has given him a specific case, which he has not been able to answer. My hon. friend from Richmond (Mr. Kyte) has given him another specific case, well known in eastern Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. He has made no reply. My hon. friend from Pictou (M;. Macdonald) has mentioned another case ;n the town of Stellarton. The Secretary of State has not been able to answer any of these. If he wants another case, I will give him a fourth.

Mr. MEIGHEN:

The case in Stellarton was four months ago, when the acting minister was not in charge of the office. Why did not the hon. memtber put a question on the Order Paper and bring the matter up then?

Mr. GRAHAM:

The question was on the Order Paper long ago.

Mr. SINCLAIR:

The case I have in mind is that of a returned nurse. Recently the Government established a hospital in the city of Sydney, called the Moxham Hospital for convalescent soldiers. It was necessary to engage a matron to take charge of the hospital. A very competent young lady, who had seen service at the front, made application for the position. Every one said she was well qualified and should have been appointed. Her name is Miss Black, and the Secretary of State can make investigation about this and see if the facts as I present them are correct.

Mr. MEIGHEN:

Is that the military hospital?

Mr. SINCLAIR- Yes. This young lady was not acceptable to the patronage committee of South Cape Breton.

Mr. MEIGHEN:

Is it under the Military Hospitals Commission?

Mr. SINCLAIR:

I suppose so. In any event, she was not acceptable to the patronage committee of South Cape Breton, and her application was rejected, the position being given to a young lady who had no experience at all, but who had simply completed her training as ia nurse, but her father was a friend of the party in power. This case is well known in the county of Cape Breton. I think we should have no trouble in giving my hon. friend a great many other cases of a similar nature. My experience in regard to the cases of any of the nurses I have been acquainted with is that they got on the force only through the recommendation of some Conservative politician, and I can give the minister specific instances of nurses making application to be put on the service whose applications lay for months in the military head office here, and there was nothing doing until they secured the recommendation of some prominent Tory supporter . That has been the system of the appointment of nurses all through the service. I do not want to bother the Secretary of State by giving him too many specific cases, but it is not fair for him to say that members on this side of the House are making general charges only, when, as

a matter of fact, we have been giving him specific cases which he has not been able to explain.

Mr. MEIGHEN:

I have had the explanation of one of the cases already. Perhaps it is as well to give it to the committee. I have not had time to communicate it to the acting Postmaster General. The hon. member for Prince Edward Island (Mr. McLean) tells me that what the hon. member for Richmond (Mr. Kyte) says as to Charlottetown is quite wrong, that there has been no appointment made at all to the position of postmaster at Charlottetown, that the inspector who was inspector before is doing the work along with his own work, and saving the country $2,000 a year.

Mr. GRAHAM:

He will be in the estimates for extra work done. This condition of affairs will only last until after the election.

Progress reported.

Mr. PUGSLEY:

I do not think it necessary to read ,all these items, but I would like to speak of one matter. There is an item for improvement work in St. John harbour, and I wish to call the attention of the Acting Minister of Public., Works to what I think is a very serious state of affairs in connection with this work. There was a contract given for a large amount of work there, including the building of a dry dock. When I was minister, I exacted a security of half a million dollars. I am told that the Government has reduced the security to $250,000, and that drawbacks accumulated, and that the contractors were at work and had a large plant on the spot, worth $300,000 or $400,000, in respect of which the department would have a lien for the purpose of the work. There was also about $700,000 of cash on hand including the deposit. I understand the Government has returned to the contractors the whole $700,000, and that the contractors are now trying to get the plant released. If that is done, it will he handing over to defaulting contractors, who were under obligation to perform this work, nearly $1,000,000 which this country had a right to insist should be applied towards the completion of the work. I do not think my hon. friend is responsible, but the Government is responsible, and I would ask him to exercise the right of lien which the Government has on that plant to keep it

there until matters can be arranged for the completion of the work.

I am not going to criticise to-night anything in connection with the half million dollars; perhaps that can be satisfactorily explained. But I would ask the minister to retain control of the plant until satisfactory arrangements are made for the continuance of the work and the unravelling of all matters connected with the dry dock.

Mr. REID:

The amount that was handed to the Government went to pay the creditors. With reference to the plant, I promise my hon. friend that I will take it up in the morning .with the officials of the department, see what the situation is and if it is as the hon. member states we will hold it back.

Mr. PTJGSLEY:

If my hon. friend will look at the contract he will see that the Government has a lien on all plant brought to the work.

Resolution concurred in.

Mr. GRAHAM:

I suppose that the Government will see that all these items are right. When we dispense with reading them the Government will have to take the responsibility of seeing that the details are correct.

Resolution concurred in.