Sir WILFRID LAURIER:

I understand that the Bill of which my hon. friend has given notice of his intention to introduce, is, as represented, a very important one. It has been represented to me also that the banking staffs have been so depleted by the necessities of the military service that it is impossible for them to do their work within the usual hours. Therefore the Bill becomes a public necessity. It can inconvenience nobody. It is simply to provide that bills of exchange may be protested at half-past-two instead of three o'clock.

Sir SAM HUGHES:

Does it make halfpast two the closing hour of the banks?

Mr. DOHERTY:

That would be the practical effect.

Motion agreed to and Bill read the first time.

Hon. CHARLES MURPHY (Russell):

I desire to ask the Government, in view of

the reply given the farmers regarding the exemption of their sons of ages twenty, twenty-one and twenty-two, if it is true that an arrangement has been made whereby bank clerks of these same ages, who *were to report for military service on June. 1, or July 1, have been granted exemption up to January 1, 1919, and if it be true that the reason for granting such exemption to these bank clerks is that these boys will be required to help in the next Victory Loan?

Sir GEORGE FOSTER:

The Minister of Militia is not at present in his seat. 1 will confer with him, and give my hon. friend the informatipn he asks for at the earliest possible moment.

Mr. MURPHY:

Later in the day?

Sir GEORGE FOSTER:

Yes.

Sir SAM HUGHES (Victoria):

In The Ottawa Journal this morning I observe two articles, I do not propose to read them, pointing out a charge that in the Naval Service Department the Military Service Act has not been properly administered. I take the liberty of drawing the attention of the Government to this matter.

Sir GEORGE FOSTER:

In what respect?

Sir SAM HUGHES:

That officers are exempted who should go. The articles speak for themselves. I take the liberty of drawing the attention of the Government to this fact, that nothing will break up the Military Service Atet quicker than any attempt not to give even-handed justice all round.

Sir WILFRID LAURIER:

With regard

to the same subject of the application of the Military Service Act, the Minister .of Militia some days ago informed the House that conscripts would be allowed leave of absence to complete seeding. I have to represent to the Government that at the present time in certain parts of the province of Quebec, and I presume also in the Maritime Provinces, seeding is now at its most active period. Men are bein" required to report at Ottawa, coming say from the county of Labelle, which compels these men to travel via Montreal necessitating four days to make the trip. This, of course, means that they lose very valuable time in the seeding season. I call the attention of my right hon. friend to the matter.

Sir GEORGE FOSTER:

I shall consult with the Minister of Militia with respect to this matter, which is one of detail, and information will be given later on in the day.

Hon. Mr. BALLANTYNE (Minister of Naval Service):

In answer to the hon. member for Victoria (Sir Sam Hughes) in reference to the editorial that appeared in this morning's Journal, respecting a clerk in the Department of the Naval Service, I wish to say that I 'shall have the matter very carefully looked into, and I shall be glad to-morrow, or possibly this afternoon, to give the hon. member the information for which he asks.

Mr. H. A. FORTIER (Labelle):

Is it the intention of the Government to have the only support of a widowed mother, and the only son of a family, exempted from military service? Is it also the intention of the Government to send new instructions to the registrars, especially to the registrar of Military District No. 3, where farmers and sons of farmers have been called up at the same time as men from the cities and towns? I am speaking particularly of the county of Labelle, where hundreds of farmers have been called up at the same time as men from the -cities and towns, and have been obliged to report, and have actually reported, to the great detriment of the farming interests of that county?

Sir GEORGE FOSTER:

I shall have to make to my hon. friend the same answer as I made in regard to the other two questions. When I have an opportunity to see the Minister of Militia, I shall draw his attention to the question, and the information will be given later on.