Mr. VIEN:

Will the report of the managing company be distributed amongst the members? .

Mr. LEMIEUX:

And when?

Mr. BALLANTYNE:

I cannot inform the hon. gentleman definitely now. I will find out and let him know at the next session of the House.

Mr. S. W. JACOBS (George Etienne Cartier) :

A newspaper despatch announced last night that the Canadian mission in London had arranged to accept Roumanian Government bonds bearing interest at 7 per cent, to cover indebtedness due by the Roumanian Government for credits which were granted a few sessions ago, and it is further stated that the interest on the loan will be paid to-day. I should like to ask the Government whether, seeing that the banks are now closed for the day, the money is to the credit of the Canadian Government, or whether this is merely a cruel hoax on the part of the Roumanian Government, as this is "All Fools' " day.

Right Hon. ARTHUR MEIGHEN (Prime Minister) :

I do not receive hourly or momentary reports from the banks as to what money is paid in, and I have not knowledge of the subject to enable me to answer the question. I will bring the matter to the attention of the Minister of Finance.

Mr. C. G. POWER (Quebec South):

I should like, with your permission, Sir, and for the purpose of asking a question, to read certain extracts from the Quebec Telegraph of March 30, with reference to the rocks from the Citadel threatening the inhabitants of a certain portion of the city of Quebec.

Mr. SPEAKER:

I have no desire to object to the hon. gentleman submitting his question because it may be of an urgent character, although perhaps local in its nature. If the lives of people are endangered through lack of attention on the part of the Government, it may be proper to put the question; but the hon. member is not called upon to read a newspaper article in order to put his question. He might summarize it.

Mr. POWER:

The newspaper report

sums up the situation probably better than I could do so. As regards urgency, these rocks are falling at almost the identical place where a great landslide occurred some years ago, causing a number of people to loss their lives, so that the question is really one of some urgency' and of more than local importance.

Mr. SPEAKER:

I think the hon. gentleman has submitted his case sufficiently to put the question to the Government and get the answer he desires.

Mr. POWER:

There is just one more thing I wish to say, namely, that the city disclaims all responsibility, and it was to that portion of the article that I wished to call the attention of the Minister of Militia.

Hon. HUGH GUTHRIE (Minister of Militia and Defence):

I will see that the matter is communicated to the officers of the department and that they be instructed to take any precautions we should take in the matter. I do not know who is liable in such a case.

Mr. MACKENZIE KING:

Will the minister explain the increase of $175,000?

Sir GEORGE FOSTER:

This appropriation covers the operations under the supervision of the Board of Grain Commissioners in carrying out the operations authorized under the Canada Grain Act. The increase of $175,000 over last year is almost, if not entirely, due to reclassification and the raising of salaries consequent thereupon. This appropriation covers all expenditures for salaries of officials, permanent and temporary, and contingencies of the various officers under the eastern and western grain inspection division; it includes salaries and contingencies of the Board of Grain Commissioners, the working expenses of all Government elevators, internal and at port terminals, and salaries and expenses of the grain research laboratory, with the exception of the chief chemist, who is on the Civil Service list and whose salary has already been passed.

I may say generally with reference to this service that it is self-sustaining, and a little more than that, varying from year to year according to the crop. For the year 1920-1921 up to January 31, the fees collected amounted to $1,118,813, which is a little larger than the revenue for the whole year 1919-1920, so that we may expect to find, when the accounts are closed to the 31st of March, that the total receipts for the year have been considerably above those of the previous year; and if we have as

good a crop next season the revenues on the same basis will meet the expenditure and probably leave something to the good. The aim is, as far as possible, to make the service pay its way. During the several years that the Grain Act has been in operation there have been years when there was a deficit, but since 1911 I have tried so to arrange it that whilst the charges shall not be so high as to bring in a great surplus, they shall be sufficient to meet the expenditure for the year, and leave a little surplus to go upon in case the returns for the following year are not so large.