Right Hon. W. L. MACKENZIE KING (Prime Minister):

I beg to move that the organization of the staff of the House of Commons laid on the Table of the House this day, be approved. I may say, Mr. Speaker, that this does not involve any change in expenditure but is simply a redesignation.

Mr. C. A. GAUVREAU (Temiscouata):

Mr. Speaker, I rise to a question of privilege, and at this stage of the session I shall be very brief. My attention was called, by a man of high position, to a certain part of a speech delivered by a member of this House at a public meeting on Saturday. I will quote from The Citizen of Monday last the following sentence from that speech:

Miss Macphail again emphasized that her whole heart was with the people of the farm whose battle, she said, she was trying to fight

in the House of Commons or rather the House of Anesthetics where principles and honour and justice were lulled to sleep, she averred.

Mr. Speaker, in my humble judgment these words are a direct attack on the honour of Parliament, on the honour of every member of this House, nay on the honour of the three parties in this House, and as I am one of the oldest members I think it is my duty to resent these words and to protest most strongly against them. I hope, Mr. Speaker, that the member for Southeast Grey will avail herself of the first opportunity to tell this House if she has been fairly or accurately reported by the newspapers. If not, so much the better for herself and those who are concerned. If it is true that she did make the statement attributed to her by this newspaper, the least she could do would be to apologize or explain.

Miss AGNES C. MACPHAIL (Southeast Grey) : Mr. Speaker, there were two other members of this House present at the meeting at which I am alleged to have uttered the words complained of-the hon. member for West Edmonton (Mr. Kennedy) and the hon. member for Humboldt (Mr. Stewart). The only thing of the kind referred to that I can recall in connection with that speech was that I had been referring to the much-talked-of "House of Temptation", and I said I thought a mistake had been made in that; I said I did not think that was proper, but that possibly "The room in which they administered anesthetics" would have been a more correct interpretation. The words which the hon. member has quoted I did not use at all, as I am sure both the hon. members who were with me on the occasion referred to will confirm. I will be very glad if both these hon. gentlemen will corroborate what I have said. I repeat that I never used the words with which I am credited at all.

Mr. STEWART (Humboldt):

At the request of the hon. member for Southeast Grey I can state that I heard her address on Saturday evening. I know that she referred to the quoted statement that has been attributed to her and did qualify it as she has stated; but I do not recall, and I do not think, that she used any such terms as are reported in the statement ascribed to her by the press.

Hon. W. S. FIELDING (Minister of Finance) :

Before I proceed to take up the resolutions, may I make a word or two of introductory observation? I shall have several amendments to propose, not making any material change, but designed to facilitate the carrying out of the resolutions. Various suggestions have been offered by hon. members on both sides with regard to the rates of duties imposed on some of the items to which their attention has been drawn. I desire to say that, after giving full consideration to these suggestions, I am of the opinion that it would be wise to make no change in the rates we have proposed. I do not imagine that the resolutions, as I have presented them to the House, are perfect; I have no doubt, in the light of experience, we shall find room for some changes, and, perhaps, improvement. But in every case where the reductions have been made in the rates of duty, they have been made with due regard to the embarrassments that might be created if a more radical change were proposed. My hon. friends who proposed these amendments may consider it their duty to move at a later stage, but I thought it better to say at once that, to make any change in the various matters in the budget resolutions will be difficult, and, at this stage, very embarrassing. Of course, hon. members must act according to their own views, but I am going to ask members on all sides to accept the resolutions, as far as may be possible, as the settled policy for the present session; and if experience shows that there is room for improvement, no one will be more ready to accept suggestions in that direction than. I. Hon. members who have been making these suggestions may feel it necessary, from their own viewpoint, to deal with them further, and, possibly, to move amendments. I regret that I cannot accept these suggestions, but I consider it reasonable, having considered the proposed changes, to say that we do not think it-wise that they should be adopted.

Mr. MACLEAN (York) :

Does the statement the minister now gives apply to items like the stamp duty?

Mr. FIELDING:

Yes.

Mr. MACLEAN (York):

Because we are receiving telegrams about that duty.

Mr. FIELDING:

My hon. friend will receive telegrams no matter what rates are affected-the most flourishing industry in the country, during the last two or three

weeks, is the telegraph office. Of course, what I have said is a suggestion from my own viewpoint, and is only a request. I cannot prevent any hon. member commenting upon these resolutions, and, if he feels it his duty, moving against them.

Mr. MEIGHEN:

I understood the hon. Minister of Finance in his statement of policy to refer to the resolutions which we have gone over, as to which some amendments have been suggested. I do not understand him to refer to those we have not yet touched in committee.

Mr. FIELDING:

Even as respects

those, what I said would apply, from my own viewpoint. I admit there is room for criticism on those points, and hon. members can make their own comments, and, if they find it necessary, can move against them, but I am expressing the hope that, with a view to facilitate the business, the committee may come to the conclusion that they might do worse than accept the resolutions as they stand, with a protest or with discussion if they desire; hut I want to discourage change in so far ias I have the power to do so.

Mr. MEIGHEN:

I hope the statement is not regarded by the hon. minister as final, as relates to matters that have not yet been under discussion in committee.

Mr. FIELDING:

We will see how matters develop. I am always ready to receive suggestions, hut I. think we have reached a stage in the session when we should be patient-to "rather bear those ills we have than fly to others that we know not of." I desire to move the first resolution of the Customs Act, which reads:

1. Resolved, That it is expedient to amend The Customs Act and Amending Acts, including The Department of Customs and Excise Act (chapter twenty-six of the Statutes of 1921), as follows:-

1. By repealing section six of The Department of Customs and Excise Act, heing chapter twenty-six of the Statutes of 1921. and amending section thirty-one of the said Customs Act accordingly.

The clause referred to was enacted last year, and contemplated the appointment of a number of officers in various parts of the country-shall I say, of the world?

who would give certificates on every invoice of export for more than $100. The act was passed a year ago, and the Government provided that it should only go into operation by Order in Council. The Government, apparently for their own reasons, did not bring it into operation, and we thought it better to repeal it.

Customs Tariff