Mr. BALLANTYNE:

We have the Canada, the Hochelaga, the Petrel, the Gulnare, the Arras, the Arleux, the Vigilant, the Mala-spina, Stadacona, the Armentieres, and the Givenchy. They are distributed as follows: On the east coast the vessels are: Canada, Hochelaga, Petrel, Gulnare, Arras and Arleux; on the west coast, Stadacona, Mal-aspina, Armentieres, and Givenchy, and on the Great Lakes the steamer Vigilant.

Mr. J. H. 'SINCLAIR: I wonder whether we are not spending too much money at the present time in fisheries protection service. There is really nothing special to protect. We are allowing American fishermen to come into our harbours freely to purchase

supplies, etc., and are not in the same need of protection we were in a few years ago when we had to watch the American fleet and when the regulations called for more care than at present. It strikes me the minister might make some reduction in the cost of this .service if he looked into the matter carefully. I think he could find we could do with fewer boats thereby reducing expenditure.

Mr. BALLANTYNE:

I have been looking into the matter carefully and we have been increasing the revenue especially in British Columbia which will make up for any deficit shown in previous years. The fishermen call constantly for the protection we are now giving them, and while I have gone carefully into the matter I do not see how we can very well cut it down any further. We have not got a very large fleet. These vessels are protecting our fisheries and seeing that American vessels do not fish within our limits.

Mr. J. H. SINCLAIR:

There was a proposal made recently by people engaged in the fishing industry that a special deputy be appointed to give special attention to the fishing interests on our coasts. Does the minister approve that idea, and is it likely to be carried out?

Mr. BALLANTYNE:

I was going to go into that when the fishery Estimates are before the Committee. I have been favoured with a delegation from the Fisheries Association. I realize that great opportunities exist for increasing the fisheries of Canada, and I hope before very long to be able to separate entirely the Department of Naval Service from the fisheries. In the meantime I am taking active steps to develop to the utmost the fisheries of Canada, and to make that branch as efficient as possible.

I shall be glad to go more fully into the matter when the fishery Estimates are up.

Radiotelegraph service-to provide for the building .and maintenance of wireless stations, $285,000.

*Mr. McKENZIE:

Is this for new stations, or repairs to old ones?

Mr. BAiLLANTYNE: It is mostly for the maintenance of our present stations., but also for the construction of some new ones. We intend to construct one on the east coast at a cost of $7,500, one on the west coast at a cost of $48,700, and another on the Great Lakes at a cost of $1,000. The balance of the item is for the maintenance of our present stations.

Mr. McKENZIE:

Where is the one on the east coast going to be built?

Mr. BALLANTYNE!: At Grosse Isle.

Mr. -McKENZIE: Is there not a wireless station there now?

Mr. BALLANTYNE:

Yes, but we have to rebuild the present station.

Mr. McKENZIE:

How many Government-owned wireless stations are there on the Atlantic coast?

Mr. BALLANTYNE:

The Government

owns all the wireless stations on the east coast except the one .at Pictou.

Mr. McMASTER:

Has the minister in his Estimates any item dealing with the wireless' equipment on Government boats? If he has not, I am going to ask permission of the Committee to raise a matter concerning wireless equipment on Government boats, information concerning which I have been unsuccessfully endeavouring to get from the Government since the opening of the session. If there is an item in the Estimates dealing with the matter I shall not interrupt the work of the Committee to [DOT]deal with it now.

Mr. BALLANTYNE:

My Estimates do not contain any item for wireless equipment on any boat of the Canadian Government Merchant Marine. I must apologize for the delay in giving my hon. friend the information he has asked for. I have personally inquired about it several times, and the information is now in preparation, but in these 'busy days it seems difficult to get information as speedily as we would like. [DOT]I hope in a few days, however, to give my hon. friend the information, he has asked for.

Mr. McMASTER:

I thank the minister *very sincerely for his kind promise. It is *now several days since I received from the gentleman who occupied the position of *Minister of Marine and Fisheries during the regretted sickness of the present minister a letter which led me to suppose the information would be forthcoming about the 20th of May. I am glad to know that 1 shall have it in the course of a few days.

Mr. McKENZIE:

I did not know that the large wireless station at Glace Bay was owned by the Government, but I understand from the minister that it is. There is a small wireless station at North Sydney and a large one at Glace Bay, which I thought was private property. Will the minister tell us how many stations there

[DOT]are altogether, and where the others are *located?

Mr. BALLANTYNE:

Mr. McKENZIE:

Glace Bay is not included in that list.

Mr. BALLANTYNE:

That is a private station, owned by the Marconi people.

Mr. McKENZIE:

The minister told us that Pictou was the only private-owned one, but I understand now that both Pictou and Glace Bay are private-owned.

Mr. BALLANTYNE:

That is correct.

Mr. COPP:

Has the Government any

interest in the wireless station at Newcastle?

Mr. BALLANTYNE:

That is a private-owned one.