Copy of agreement between His Majesty the King and Sir Henry Worth Thornton, K.B.E., to act as directing head of the railways, steamships and other undertakings, comprised in the Canadian National railway system.-Hon. Mr. Graham.
Hon. ERNEST LAPOINTE (Minister of Marine and Fisheries) moved that the House on Monday next go into committee on the following proposed resolution: Resolved, that it ia expedient to amend the Canada Shipping Act, chapter one hundred and thirteen of the Revised Statutes of Canada, 1906, and to provide that the minister may pay, out of moneys applicable to the relief of distressed seamen and appropriated by parliament for that purpose, such sums as are deemed necessary for the relief of shipwrecked or destitute seamen who are not entitled to relief under any of the provisions of the Merchant Shipping Acts; also pay any reasonable expenses incurred in any British possession or any foreign country on account of subsistence or transport of. such seamen who have been domiciled twelve months in Canada; and to provide further that in the case of passenger steamships registered in Canada, the Governor in Council shall have power to authorize the acceptance of passenger steamboat certificates issued by the Imperial government or by the government of a British possession; and further to provide that, in the case of seagoing ships, the Governor in Council shall have power to authorize the acceptance of survey or inspection made by an exclusive surveyor to an approved society or association for the classification and registry of shipping, in lieu of Canadian government inspection. He said: His Excellency the Governor General, having been made acquainted with the subject matter of this resolution, recommends it to the favourable consideration of the House.
Mr. CALDWELL:
Does the government propose to take for government business, Monday next, which is Private Members' day?
Mr. LAPOINTE:
This is the usual expression-Monday next. It means Wednesday or Thursday as well.
Motion agreed to.
Hon. D. D. McKENZIE (Solicitor General) moved that the House go into committee on the following proposed resoluton: Resolved, that it is expedient to amend the Canada Temperance Act, chapter one hundred and fifty-two of the Revised Statutes of Canada, 1906, by addition thereto of part V, and to provide for the prohibition of importing, sending, taking or transporting into any province in which the prohibitions hereunder are in force, any intoxicating liquor; to further provide penalties for the violation of this act; and to provide for the revocations when such have been declared revoked by an Order in Council of the Lieutenant-Governor of a province affected. Motion agreed to.
On the Orders of the Day:
Mr. R. B. HANSON (York-Sunburv):
I
desire to put a question to the Acting Minister of Railways (Mr. Graham) with respect
Supply-Health oj Animals
to a notice which, I am informed, was posted in the office of the Canadian Government Railways at Moncton yesterday in these terms:
To audit office staff. I have been instructed to notify you that the revenue accounts of the entire Canadian National railway system are to be handled at Montreal, commencing May 1st. It is intended that the auditing of the Canadian Government Railways revenue accounts for April will be completed at Moncton and that as soon as practicable after May 1st our staff will be moved to Montreal. Any clerk who does not desire to go to Montreal but prefers to sever his or her connection with railways will please advise the chief clerk accordingly.
W. H. Estano,
Auditor of Traffic.
I am instructed that this affects 180 employees at the very outset, of whom 110 are married men, for the most part owning their homes at Moncton. Is this notification correct?
Hon. G. P. GRAHAM (Acting Minister of Railways and Canals):
The organization and
distribution of the staff is entirely in the hands of the Canadian National Railway Board. I have no knowledge whatever of that notice.
Right Hon. ARTHUR MEIGHEN (Leader of the Opposition):
Will the minister find
out and let parliament know? I know how earnest a devotee he is of the principle that parliament should know all the details of operation.
Mr. JACOBS:
I thought we were taking the railways out of politics.
At the same time, I would like to ask the minister if he would also advise us whether all the staff which has been looking after the auditing of the Canadian National Railways will be moved from Toronto.
Mr. GRAHAM:
The Canadian National Railway Board and its offices are open to my hon. friend just as they are to me. A few days ago he moved for a copy of all letters that had been sent by any member of the government to the Canadian National Railway Board. This would add to that one or two letters, and it might be brought up in the House that we were trying to influence the railway board. The board have a difficult task to perform. Any information that is required, for which hon. gentlemen will ask in the regular way, I will endeavour to get through the board.
Mr. MEIGHEN:
This is asked for in the regular way. If the minister takes the ground that he will not disclose such information in parliament, I can understand that position.
If he does take that ground, of course, he will have to reverse himself. We want the information, if he says as he said two years ago that it should be given.
Mr. GRAHAM:
I am, of course, out of order just as my right hon. friend was. But I did not take any such ground; I did not hint at any such ground, rather the contrary. I said that the information could be secured from the board by any member; I also informed him that they could communicate with that board. But I added that if it was so desired, I would try to secure the information.