Mr. ANDREW McMASTER (Brome) moved concurrence of the House in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh reports of the committee charged with the investigation into agricultural conditions in Canada. He said: I would just like to ask the House to grant me permission to postpone any remarks I have to offer until I see whether the reports are open to criticism. I take it that informally moving the concurrence of the House in these reports I do not exhaust my right to speak. Right Hon. ARTHUR MEIGHEN (Leader of the Opposition): I do not know what the object would be of the House adopting now four reports just recently presented, certainly ill-digested, so far as the House is concerned, if digested or read at all. If legislation is contemplated this session, then there would be some object in a discussion now of the merits of the reports. But if no legislation is in view-and we had the intimation yesterday there was not-it seems to me that we are not using very well the short time that remains in discussing these four reports. I do not make these remarks in any spirit of antagonism to the reports, because I am frank to admit I am doubtful whether I have read them all. I know I have read a good deal of them; but I venture to say that a great number, if not the vast majority in this House, have not read any part of them. I would think it would be better to defer consideration of them, until we were in a position to legislate, if legislation was thought desirable. We are not in such a position now. Motion agreed to.
Right Hon. W. L. MACKENZIE KING (Prime Minister, for the Minister of Marine and Fisheries) moved that the House go into committee of the whole to-morrow to consider a certain proposed resolution concerning advances to the Corporation of the Harbour Commissioners of Montreal. Motion agreed to.
On the Notice of Motion: The Minister of Finance-In Committee of the Whole on Bill No. 230 entitled " An Act to amend The Special War Revenue Act, 1915," the Minister of Finance will move:- That in section one of this Bill there be inserted aftei clause (iii) of subsection two the following:- " and every adhesive stamp affixed to such cheque shall be cancelled by the bank at which the cheque is payable at or before the time of payment." And he will move:- 4.i 64 War Revenue Act
That in section six of said Bill, the third paragraph of subsection one of section nineteen BBB be struck out and the following substituted therefor:- " Provided that the consumption or sales tax specified in this section shall not be payable on goods exported; oi on goods sold by a licensed manufacturer or producer to another licensed manufacturer or producer if the goods are to be used in, wrought Into, or attached to articles to be manufactured or produced for sale and which are articles subject to the consumption or sales tax, or on goods imported by a licensed manufacturer or producer if the goods are to be used in, wrought into, or attached to articles to be manufactured or produced for sale and which are articles subject to the consumption or sales tax; or on goods imported by a licensed wholesaler or jobber whose sales are to be accounted for under the provisions of subsection (7); or on goods sold by a licensed manufacturer or producer to a licensed wholesaler or jobber whose sales are to be accounted for under the provisions of subsection seven of this section."
Mr. FIELDING:
This is a motion for consideration in committee. It does not call for action at this moment.
Mr. MEIGHEN:
Has the usual notice been given of a motion to go into committee on this resolution?
Mr. FIELDING:
It will be considered in Committee of Ways and Means. This is a proposed amendment that could be moved in Committee of Ways and Means without notice, but I thought it better to put it on the Order Paper.
Mr. MEIGHEN:
It should be moved in committee on the bill.
Mr. FIELDING:
I think my right hon. friend is right. It will be taken up in committee after the second reading of the bill, and not in Committee of Ways and Means.
Mr. MEIGHEN:
It will be pretty hard to keep up with all these amendments to the budget.
Mr. FIELDING:
Yes.
Mr. MEIGHEN:
We shall have to take some schooling in arithmetic.
Mr. FIELDING:
My right hon. friend will recollect that at an earlier stage he asked me how many amendments there would be, and I said as many as were found necessary to make things right.
Mr. MEIGHEN:
There is no budget to which so many amendments have been necessary as the budget of the present Minister of Finance. It seems to be a matter of continuous amendment throughout the session.
Mr. FIELDING:
Every budget which has to deal with such a variety of things will be open to the same comment
[Mr Mackenzie King,!
Mr. MEIGHEN:
There has been the same variety of things covered by budgets for the last twenty years.
Notice of motion stands.