Mr. MEIGHEN:

I think the minister spoke rather hurriedly, or he would not have given utterance to the expression he used, that the matter of cost should intervene as between correcting or not correcting a statement made by the official representative of this Dominion.

Mr. MOTHERWELL:

That is not what I said.

Mr. MEIGHEN:

That is not what my hon. friend said? Then why was the matter of cost introduced if it has no relevancy to the question? Why was it brought in at all?

Mr. MOTHERWELL:

If you will permit me I will state again what I said.

Mr. MEIGHEN:

My hon. friend will have an opportunity to explain himself, but the matter of cost was introduced by him-

Mr. MOTHERWELL:

Yes.

Mr. MEIGHEN:

-in connection with the request that he seek to find out whether or not a representative of this country made certain statements attributed to him. It may be that there are false press reports which the Government does not see fit to correct or to pay any attention to. That is quite true. But Mr. Larkin represents this Dominion in Great Britain, and if there are attributed to him statements which he certainly should not make in that capacity, then it is the duty of the Government, undoubtedly, to ascertain whether or' not he did make those statements. If they were uttered they were uttered on behalf of this country. Suppose it turns out that he did not make them. Is it not well that this country should know that its representative did not so misunderstand his duty as to give utterance to such sentiments? The country is entitled to know, yes or no. Consequently the minister should say definitely and at once that he will ascertain

whether those statements were or were not made by Mr. Larkin and let the House know accordingly at the first moment.

Mr. MOTHERWELL:

I have not yet seen the report. When I see it, if it appears serious enough I will carry out the suggestion made by my hon. friend and by the member for Swift Current (Mr. Lewis). But until I know the source of the report, and the value to be attributed to that source, 1 do not propose to send cablegrams on information of that kind.

Mr. HOCKEN:

Do you want to appoint a royal commission to find out.

Mr. MOTHERW'ELL: The remark I made was that if the Government paid heed to every press report, whether correct or incorrect, a very substantial expense would be incurred for cablegrams. I had not caught the word "annexationist." I do not wonder at the hon. member for Swift Current being exercised over it, inasmuch as the term has been often used against the prairie provinces much nearer home. I will reconsider my decision, Mr. Chairman, and when this estimate is passed I shall take such steps as may be necessary to meet the situation. Yes, it is a very offensive term, and until I get further evidence I shall not be satisfied that it was used by the High Commissioner. But, as I said before, it is often used much nearer home.

Mr. CALDWELL:

Mr. Chairman, I was much interested in the hon. minister's statement that he understood the railways carried both natural and artificial fertilizers at reduced rates. I sincerely hope his understanding is correct, but I am afraid it is not.

Mr. MOTHERWELL:

They carry natural fertilizers at reduced rates.

Mr. CALDWELL:

Did you not include artificial fertilizers?

Mr. MOTHERWELL:

Possibly not.

Mr. CALDWELL:

When the Board of Railway Commissioners ruled that gravel and crushed stone for roadmaking purposes would not be subject to the increased rates,

I inquired of them whether ground limestone for agricultural purposes and artificial fertilizers might not come under the same ruling, as I thought it was of more interest to the country at large to have cheap transportation of fertilizers than even of road-making materials. I would urge upon the minister to take up with the

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Railway Commission the desirability of low rates on fertilizers.

I asked the minister yesterday afternoon, but did not get any reply, what was his attitude towards establishing an abattoir and cold storage plant for the maritime provinces.

Mr. MOTHERWELL:

I answered that question, but my hon. friend was out at the time.

Mr. CALDWELL:

Pardon me. I did not have time to read Hansard this morning. Mr. Chairman, I crave indulgence to refer to an item that I believe was passed yesterday afternoon while I was absent attending a meeting of the Pensions Committee. -Item 52, Administration of the Agricultural Instruction Act. Have I your permission, Mr. Chairman?

Agreed.

Mr. CALDWELL:

This, I imagine, applies largely to the expense of furnishing lecturers to instruct farmers how to farm. If that is so, I would impress upon the minister that it is not necessary to instruct farmers as they have been instructed in the past-

Mr. MOTHERWELL:

I might correct my hon. friend. It might be assumed that this item covers the activities of lecturers, but it does not.

Mr. CALDWELL:

I think the matter might well be discussed also under the item now before the committee. In times past we have had lecturers advising the farmers in New Brunswick, not to improve their methods, but to adopt different methods of farming. I am not referring to any particular lecturers, but, generally their policy has been to tell us that we have been absolutely wrong in the lines we have been following, and to advise us to adopt other lines which, according to their view, would be much to our advantage. I think money expended on such lectures is thrown away, because a farming community cannot discard their methods and embark on other methods at a moment's notice. If these lecturers are to instruct us in future, I would suggest that natives of the province whose farmers they are to instruct should be employed, in fact men who know the local conditions, because those conditions vary very much. I think it would he money well spent to provide instructors whose policy should be to instruct the farmers to improve the methods of the branch of farming which they are already carrying

on. For instance, it is waste of time for lecturers to tell the farmers of New Brunswick to go into wheat growing; and it is possible that advice to embark in dairying would be just as useless, due to the fact that we are too far removed from local markets and have no cheese factories to utilize dairy products. If those lecturers can show us how to carry on our present farming activities to better advantage by improved methods, the money would be well spent. I think the minister gave a reply to my question regarding the establishment of abattoir and cold storage facilities.