Mr. SPEAKER:

I have the honour to inform the House that I have received the following letter:

Ottawa, March 19, 1925.

Sir,-I have the honour to inform you that the Deputy of His Excellency the Governor General will proceed to the Senate chamber this afternoon at 3.15 o'clock for the purpose of giving the royal assent to certain bills.

A. F. Sladen,

Secretary.

Annual report of Dominion Statistician.- Hon. Mr. Low.

Sir HENRY DRAYTON:

*What were the average receipts and expenses for revenue freight per freight train mile in each of the years 1923 and 1924, in the different regions of the Canadian National Railways and affiliated companies?

What are the monthly percentages of tonnage originating in the different regions of the Canadian National Railways and affiliated companies to the total traffic of the year for each of the years 1923 and 1924?

Hon. Mr. GRAHAM:

Mr. Speaker, there seems to be a little difficulty in getting the information just as my hon. friend (Sir Henry Drayton) wants it in questions 4 and 10.

Sir HENRY DRAYTON:

Are those the questions dealing with regions instead of provinces?

Hon. Mr. GRAHAM:

Yes. If we could change them to provinces the information could be more easily furnished.

Sir HENRY DRAYTON:

I desire to have the questions in the easiest possible form for my hon. friend. I will have them amended to read "provinces" instead of "regions."

Mr. SPEAKER:

Questions stand as amended.

Hon. Mr. ROBB:

Mr. Speaker, I desire to lay on the table the original answer to this question as prepared and signed by the Auditor 83

General, who is the chairman of the audit board:

Matters reported upon to the Finance department

1. Application of the Commissioner of Taxation regarding certain salary increases.

2. Inquiry into system of cancelling redeemed securities in the Finance department.

3. Revision of salaries in the Post Office department.

4. Inquiry into the accounts of the Quebec Harbour

Commission.

Inquiries which have been completed and upon which the Board of Audit will report shortly to the Department of Finance.

1. Inquiry into the acounts of the Vancouver Harbour Commission.

2. Inquiry into the accounts of the Canadian National Railways.

Work under way

1. Inquiry into the accounts of the Montreal Harbour Commission.

2. Study of general conditions in the Auditor General's office and survey of the Consolidated Revenue and Audit Act with a view to recommending amendments thereto, etc.

3. Report on the Civil Service Act as administered by the Civil Service Commission.

Data prepared by the Board of Audit.

Geo. Gonthier,

Chairman.

1. Was the Montreal Board of Haibour Commissioners overdrawn at any period during the past year to the extent of $1,500,000 in a charter bank of Canada? If so, under what authority was such overdraft incurred?

2. Has the said bank requested payment from the Dominion government of the said overdraft?

3. Is the government of Canada responsible for the payment of said overdraft?

4. Is it the practice of the Dominion government to permit the Harbour Commissioners of Montreal or other boards of harbour commissioners to make extensive overdrafts?

Hon. Mr. CARDIN.

1. Yes. Under an arrangement with their bankers, for which no authority exists than the general powers conferred on the commissioners as administrators of the harbour affairs, under the terms of their Act of Incorporation.

2. No.

3. The Corporation of the Harbour Commissioners of Montreal are responsible.

4. It has been the practice of all governments since the Montreal Harbour Commission was organized on present basis, in 1907, to permit overdrafts. The same policy has been followed1 in the cases of Quebec and Vancouver organized in 1913.

In the case of the Toronto Harbour Commission, there has been no advance to that corporation of public moneys. Such public money as has been expended there was expended directly by the Public Works department and no interest is being charged or collected.

Questions

Hon. Mr. LOW: