Mr. WOODSWORTH:

Surely there is some arrangement between this government and the various agencies that are placing children in this country.

Mr. ROBB:

I do not quite understand what the hon. gentleman is driving at but if he will let me know I will give him any information that I have on the subject when the estimates are under consideration.

Mr. WOODSWORTH:

I understand that

two years ago there was an arrangement by which the Canadian government paid $40 per head and the Imperial government a like sum for certain selected children to be brought to this country. My question is has the Canadian government any definite arrangement with certain homes or agencies in the Old Country or in this country in regard to this class of immigration?

Mr. STEWART (Argenteuil):

The arrangement which we had a year ago was for a period of one year. There was no central home but there was an understanding that the children were to be acceptable to the Canadian authorities. Any legitimate organization might apply, but we reserved the right of inspection and also of investigation as to where the children should be placed and the kind of homes they were going to. Many such organizations have established homes in this country and some of them have been bringing children in for the last fifteen years. There was no necessity for establishing homes of the kind my hon. friend refers to so long as the children were physically and mentally fit and we knew that there was an opening for them in Canada before their arrival. That, of course, was also required by the British government before they were prepared to advance their share of

the money. The Canadian government was made responsible for the accepting and the placing of the children, and half a dozen different organizations took advantage of this opportunity to place the children.

Motion withdrawn.

Mr. A. W. NEILL (Comox-Alberni) moved:

That, in the opinion of this House, reform is needed in the regulations for obtaining passports.

He said: It is no use my attempting

at this late hour to elaborate a debate on this subject, and I have allowed the motion to be called simply because, as I understand, it gives me some strategical advantage when next the subject comes up: the motion will

be on the order paper in a more favourable position. I suggest therefore, Mr. Speaker, that, as it is almost the hour, you call it six o'clock.

Mr. SPEAKER:

I understand that the

Acting Minister of Finance (Mr. Robb) desires to have the House revert to the order, Motions.

Mr. NEILL:

I wish it understood, Mr. Speaker, that I am not moving the adjournment of the debate. I wish to retain my strategic right in regard to this motion.

Mr. SPEAKER:

On Wednesdays the

House adjourns without question being put and the Speaker does not call six o'clock. The Acting Minister of Finance would like to have the House revert to "Motions" in order to move that the report of Dr. H. M. Tory on Agricultural Credit be printed.

Mr. MEIGHEN:

Then I suppose it is

assumed that motion No. 39, which the hon. member (Mr. Neill) has just moved, has not yet been reached, technically. If it is six o'clock we cannot proceed.

Mr. ROBB:

I do not wish to press the

motion that would allow me to move that the report in question be printed.

At six o'clock the House adjourned, without question being put, pursuant to rule.

Thursday, April 24, 1924