Mr. TURGEON:

I have listened with attention to my esteemed friend, the exMinister of Labour (Mr. Crothers), as I do every time he rises in fhis House, and I am led to believe that in regard to appointments made by the Provincial Governments my hon. friend has forgotten one essential thing-that since 1911 appointments of the class of officers enumerated in the amendment have been made exclusively by the Conservative party, and that probably there is scarcely a collector of customs-

Mr. CROTHERS:

Perhaps my hon. friend will allow me one word in reply to the Te, marks he has just made, as well as to those recently made by the hon. member for Shelburne and Queen's (Mr. Fielding). In speaking about the Opposition being unwilling to trust any man appointed by this Government, I had no reference at all to the officers now operating under this Government, such as postmasters, collectors of customs, collectors of inland revenue, and so on; I was referring to men that this Government might appoint from this time forward as returning officers under this Act ,

Mr. TUEGEON:

This amendment enables the Government to make their appointments from among customs officers, and, practically speaking, every one of them now holding office is an appointee of the present Government. Therefore we are not partial in respect to the class of men to be appointed. The same remark applies to postmasters-there is scarcely a postmaster who has not been appointed by the present Government. Therefore the Government will find that they have all their appointees since 1911 from whom to select returning officers. But there is another reason why I am so strongly in favour of this amendment. The hon. member for Kent county (Mr. Leger) said he wanted to see men of responsibility appointed as returning officers. By this amendment the Government is in a position to appoint men as returning officers from among a thoroughly responsible and substantial class, for the officials mentioned in the amendment are men who have won the respect of the community by the faithful discharge of their duties, and therefore it may be safely assumed that they will so act as returning officers that their reputation will not suffer, for they cannot leave the country if they have done something of a questionable character at an election.

Mr. BELAND:

That is .the point.

Mr. TUEGEON:

They are men who are held in the highest respect by the community, and in the interests of themselves and their families they must so act as to preserve that respect. So the Government is sure to have the right class of men appointed as returning officers. These men have by the faithful discharge of their duty gained the respect and esteem of the community, and they may be trusted to do nothing to injure their reputation.

Mr. H. A. MAOKIE:

Does the hon. member insinuate that a candidate would select a "high binder" as a returning officer, who would leave the country after the election? _

Mr. TUEljJiON: Not at all; but mistakes are made by the most honourable men in the selection of appointees.

Mr. BUEEAU:

Even by ministers of the Crown.

Mr. TUEGEON:

Yes. I do not say that they would, do it dishonestly, but such mistakes may be made. The reputation of these officials is the best guarantee for the proper discharge of their duties as returning officers, and I believe this amendment

is broad enough to give us not only officials appointed by the Federal Government, but officials holding their appointments from the provincial and municipal authorities. Therefore I hope and trust that the minister will accept the suggestion contained in this amendment.

Mr. GEIESBACH:

This is an Act which is applicable to the whole Dominion, but up to the present the discussion has been confined largely to hon. gentlemen representing constituencies in the eastern and central portions of the country. In so far as the amendment is applicable to the West, I would say that it is unworkable. There is no guarantee or assurance that the persons named will be available for this service; that in many western constituencies they will be found at all. In fact, I can mention constituencies in which none of the persons named are to be found. One of these is West Edmonton.

Mr. DENIS:

Is my hon. friend not

aware that the amendment provides that if none of the officials named are available the Government may nominate whomever they please?

Mr. GEIESBACH:

That is just the point I am coming to. In many Western constituencies these officials named in the amendment cannot be found. In any case, I rather think that the municipalities who employ them will not always be ready to consent that they shall be taken from their service for two or three months for the purpose of conducting an election. If the amendment is to have any value at all, a large number of officials will have to be added to that list,-so large a number, in fact, that you will be getting back to precisely the effect of the Bill as it now stands.

Mr. FIELDING:

Surely my hon. friend

has failed to read the amendment. If these officials cannot be found; if they refuse to serve; if their employers will not allow them to accept appointments,-if any of these "ifs" happen, then the Governor in Council may appoint any competent man. My hon. friend's argument, therefore, is based on a misapprehension.

Mr. GEIESBACH:

Therefore the amendment is quite unnecessary.

Mr. FIELDING:

That is quite different from the view my hon. friend expressed a moment ago-that the amendment is unworkable. It is perfectly workable. If any of these officials can be found; well and good. If not, the Government have 'a. free hand. What more can be asked?

Mr. GRIESBACH:

The effect of the

amendment is to have a state of affairs prevailing in one part of Canada which does not prevail elsewhere, whereas the Bill is intended to apply to the whole of Canada.

Mr. FIELDING:

The Bill applies to the whole of Canada, hut what my hon. friend describes as possible in one place is equally possible in another. In a large city-Montreal, for example-there are many constituencies, and so many returning officers are needed that it may not be possible to obtain them all from this list. The condition applying to West Edmonton may apply anywhere, and this amendment fully covers it.

Mr. JOHNSTON:

I am sure it is the

feeling of hon. gentlemen who have spoken that the law should be administered in a way that is fair to all. I have a proposal to make which, I believe, if agreed to by the Government and by the Opposition, would be in the best interests of all concerned and would give no advantage to either the iGovernment or the Opposition. I suggest that in each constituency, wherever possible-and I believe it would be possible in ninety per cent of the constituencies- the returning officers be selected from among those who have become identified with and are supporters of the new national policy. Under that arrangement neither Government nor the Opposition would get any advantage, and the law would be fairly administered.

Mr. POWER:

Mr. Chairman-

Mr. MICHAUD:

May I put a question

to my hon. friend (Mr. Johnston)?

Order. Mr. Power

has the floor.