Hon. H. S. BELAND (Minister of Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment):

I desire to lay on the Table the third return to an order of the House, dated 19th March 1924, showing the number of appeal cases heard and the number of decisions rendered by the appeal board.

Mr. McMASTER (Translation):

Mr. Speaker, I rise to a point of order, on the very same point of order that I rose yesterday: That the Ministers do not speak loud enough.

Some hon. MEMBERS (translation): Hear, hear.

Mr. SPEAKER (translation):

I shall request the hon. minister to speak louder.

Hon. H. S. BELAND (Minister of Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment) (Translation):

I desire to lay on the Table a return to an Order of the House dated 19th March, 1924, prepared at the request of the hon. member for Durham (Mr. Bowen).

Mr. HERBERT MARLER (St. Lawrence-St. George):

I desire to present the petition of the Montreal Branch of the Presbyterian Women's League, protesting against the bill to incorporate the United Church of Canada.

Mr. McQUARRIE:

Mr. Speaker, I desire to comply as far as possible with the wishes of the Prime Minister in regard to these inquiries, and I am going to suggest that questions 1 and 2 be confined to the Departments of Customs and Agriculture. These two departments are chosen because in the case of the former the staff is largely clerical and in the case of the latter, technical. So I have redrawn these questions and would submit them to the House, if it is agreeable to the Prime Minister, in amended form. I have added another question, No. 5, as follows:

5. Is it not true that the salaries fixed in the reclassifications were based on normal living costs?

I can read the question as amended if you so desire.

Mr. SPEAKER:

I think the hon member would be more in order if he allowed this question to be dropped and put his amended question on the order paper.

Question dropped.

EXPORT OF PULPWOOD Right Hon. Mr. MEIGHEN:

Under what authority of what statute did the government pass Order in Council P.C. 1563 of August 14, 1923, guaranteeing to permit for a period of ten years the shipping out of pulpwood from Canada under existing contracts?

Right Hon. Mr. MACKENZIE KING:

Under authority of chapter 46, Statutes of Canada, 1923, 13-14 George V.

QUEBEC HARBOUR COMMISSION Mr. HANSON: '

1. When was the Quebec Harbour Commission created ?

2. Under what statutory authority?

3. What loans or advances have been made to said commission since its creation, and under what authority?

4. Is it not a fact that loans or advances over and above those authorized by statute have been made by the government to this commission?

5. If so, when were such loans or advances made; in what amounts and under what authority?

6. Has the Governor in Council authority to order advances or loans to this commission over and above those specifically authorized by statute?

7. If so, where is such authority to be found?

Questions

1. Ovila Gariepy.

2. Employed at Montreal, July 23, 1917; transferred to L'Epiphanie, January 1, 1919 at a salary of $900; permanent appointment, April 1, 1921; present salary, $1,440.

3. J. T. Brick.

4. $900.

Mr. EVANS:

How much of the vote of $350,000, Hudson Bay Railway, passed at last session, has since been expended on this work?

Hon. Mr. STEWART (Argenteuil), (for the Postmaster General):

1.

Per Annum cost as on 1st January, 1924

St. John postal district $156,886.60

Quebec postal district 185,265.98

Ottawa postal district 413,004.79

Winnipeg postal district 69,557.83

Saskatoon postal district 33,518.73

Calgary postal district 72,654.94

Vancouver postal district 53,487.21

2.

As on 1st January, 1924 St. John postal district 276

Quebec postal district 292

Ottawa postal district 534

Winnipeg postal district 98

Saskatoon postal district 54

Calgary postal district 95

Vancouver postal district 67

3.

Average cost per mile as on 1st January, 1924, on the basis of 6 trips per week.

St. John postal district $41.47

Quebec postal district 37.94

Ottawa postal district 39.35

Winnipeg postal district 54.56

Saskatoon postal district 53.04

Calgary postal district 51.35

Vancouver postal district 52.54

Hon Mr. GRAHAM:

$112,96327