Mr. ROBERT FORKE (Brandon):

I

should like ,to point out to the government that it will be three weeks to-morrow since the by-election in Moose Jaw was held. I made inquiries of the Chief Electoral Officer to-day, and no notification has come to him of what happened at that by-election. In the case of the North Essex by-election the member was in his seat within two weeks of his election. I wonder if the government can give us any information as to why this delay has taken place. The House is now in session but Moose Jaw is not represented, and it seems an injustice to that constituency that the member should be kept so long from his seat.

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

I agree with my hon.

friend that there does seem to be an injustice in the delay, but the government has no information as to the cause of it. I imagine that the returning officer has had some difficulty in getting full returns from the outlying parts and has been a little late in sending in his return. I have no doubt that my hon. friend's question will come to his attention and probably hasten the return.

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

I might mention, in anticipation of a question by my right hon. friend (Mr. Meighen) and in confirmation of a report which is in the morning paper, that Hon. Mr. Graham has been appointed Minister of Railways and Canals, and Hon. Mr. Macdonald Acting Minister of National Defence.

Sir HENRY DRAYTON (West York):

I just want to call the governm'nt's attention to the fact that Supply is not called to-day. Doubtless the government will be wanting to go into Supply on Thursdays and Fridays, and I desire to point out that the usual practice is that Supply should be called on Mondays and Tuesdays so that members having different matters which they have a right to bring to the attention of the House shall have an opportunity of doing so upon thos'e days. Of course, if Supply is not called they cannot do so. I spoke about this matter in the House on Friday night and I just wish to call the government's attention to it now. I do not suppose that this course is intended to be adopted as a practice.

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

I understood that the hon. gentleman and the Minister of Justice (Sir Lomer Gouin) had come to an understanding that Supply was not to be moved to-day, and we desire to confirm that arrangement.

Sir HENRY DRAYTON:

Oh, no, it was to the contrary. The position was this: I was intending to bring to the attention of the House the disallowance of certain statutes of the province of Nova Scotia and to discuss a constitutional question of prime importance. The Minister of Justice could not be here last

Hudson Bay Railway

Monday, nor last Tuesday. Therefore I did not take advantage of the motion, I was expecting to go on to-day. As the matter now stands, if Supply is called to-morrow I shall be perfectly satisfied.

Mr. FIELDING:

On reading the Hansard containing the proceedings of last Friday night I saw that there was some reference to the business to be taken up to-day and the ex-Minister of .Finance referred to an understanding, or conversation, he had with the Minister of Finance.

Sir HENRY DRAYTON:

That is a mistake.

Mr. FIELDING:

I did not understand what was meant by that so I telephoned to my hon. friend and he said it was the Minister of Justice to whom he referred, that the reference to the Minister of Finance was a mistake. My hon. friend, I understood, had had a conversation with the Minister of Justice with the object of bringing forward his motion to-day but hearing that the Minister of Justice was not likely to be here to-day he decided not to do so. It was in that sense that I spoke of there being an understanding.

Sir HENRY DRAYTON:

That is quite fair. There is no real understanding. I certainly would not go on with the matter in the absence of the Minister of Justice.

Mr. GRAHAM:

Perhaps my recollection is wrong, but when, on the announcement on Friday night of the business for to-day, this question came up, I understood the sugges-ion to be that we take Supply on Tuesday f'Ut that my hon. friend rather demurred to it.