Mr. SPENCER:

Is not the statement rather low at $2,000,000?

Mr. DOUCET:

My figures are going to

be conservative in the extreme; I do not propose to exaggerate on that or any other point. Then we have an expenditure on the development of a golf course at Jasper park in Alberta of $124,290 and an expenditure on a golf course at Minaki of $94,631. In addition to these sums we find that advertising by the Minister of Trade and Commerce (Mr. Low), to the effect that "Canada is coming through", has cost us practically $3,000 while advertising contracts on the part of the Minister of Agriculture (Mr. Motherwell) amount to $55,000, amongst which I find an item of some $7,000 for insect pests. On that point, the people of this country think they have sufficient pests just now without advertising any more. And when we compare the salaries and contingencies of the civil service for the fiscal year 1921-22, with those of the year 1925-26, we find an increase of $1,236,547; while, comparing the salaries and remuneration paid to deputy ministers and heads of departments between the years 1921 and 1924, we discover a further increase of $51,000. Add to all that the numerous other expenditures entailed in the Scribe hotel deal, the Union club of London, the junketing trip to Wembley, and the completion of the tower of this building, which although a manifest necessity at some time is nevertheless unwarrantable at the present moment, an item that could very well be dispensed with until later on-adding all these things together, I say, we have an expenditure of millions of dollars that could have been avoided. There seems to be no attempt on the part of this administration to curtail expenditures or to retrench and economize in any direction; and in consequence, from every section of Can-

The Budget-Mr. Doucet

ada from the Atlantic to the Pacific, the cry goes up of hard times. It is no wonder that the electorate are anxious that the present government should appeal to them for their judgment.

Speaking on the budget, in the session of 1924, I was told by my hon. friend from Gloucester (Mr. Robichaud) that the amendment proposed to the budget was of such a nature that it would increase the taxation of the farming and fishing population of my section of the country. I thought otherwise, and I stated at the time that the reductions on fertilizers and fanning implements proposed in the budget would not benefit the farmers of the Dominion. I have before me statistics to confirm my contention at that time. These statistics are published by the Department of Agriculture and show the prices of mixed fertilizers for 1924 and 1925. I am quoting from the issues of February 7, 1924, and February 5, 1925, of Seed, Feed and Fertilizers Markets, and I am confident that no hon. member will dispute these figures for mixed fertilizers at New Brunswick points:

1924 1925

Fertilizer, 2-10-2

$34 00 $36 63Fertilizer, 4-8-4

40 70 42 09Fertilizer, 2-8-10

38 80 40 50

And at Quebec points-

Nitrate of Soda

62 50 68 00Sulphate of Ammonia

78 00 80 00Muriate of Potash

39 45 45 00Sulphate of Potash

47 00 62 50

Then again, while the 20 per cent duty was taken off acid phosphate, the price to Nova Scotia points in 1924 was $18.50 as against $20.75 this year, or an increase of $2.25 per ton.

Now, Mr. Speaker, the farmers of this country had been led to believe that the reduction of 5 per cent in the tariff on farming implements would benefit them greatly. I have taken pains to get the price lists of farm implements from manufacturers in Quebec and from the International Harvester Company in Ontario. I will not weary the House by reading a long list, I will content myself with a comparison of 1923 and 1925 prices on six implements which practically every farmer uses. This is the list:

1923 1925

Disc harrow, American manufacture.. $ 51 00 I 60 00Disc harrow, Canadian manufacture.. 45 50 50 50Disc drill, American manufacture.. .. 143 00 150 00Five-foot mower

92 00 93 50Ensilage blower

225 00 250 00Feed cutter

75 00 80 00

Mr. LEADER:

Why does the hon. gentleman skip 1924? I would respectfully ask him to give the prices for that year.

Mr. DOUCET:

If the hon. member for Portage la Prairie (Mr. Leader) had waited half a minute I would have given him a similar comparison on other implements for 1924.

Mr. LEADER:

You will excuse me. I contend that that is not fair. You should give prices on the implements you have included in your 1923 and 1925 comparison.

Sir HENRY DRAYTON:

You get two reductions.

Mr. DOUCET:

The increase over 1923 prices on the list I have given is $52.50, or 8J per cent on the six implements. Now, a comparison as between 1924 and 1925 prices:

1924 1925

Manure spreader, No. 10

$189 50 $174 50Potato planter

169 75 155 00Potato digger, No. 5-B

213 40 195 00Milwaukee gasoline engine, 12 h.p. 659 60 650 00Threshing outfit, No. 5

500 00 490 00Walking plow, No. 27

22 00 22 00Stump puller, No. 40-A

345 00 330 00$2,098 90 $2,016 50

These totals show a reduction of $82.40, or less than 4 per cent, although the 6 per cent war tax was taken off and also customs duty. Why, it is nothing new, each and every farmer who has had to buy farm implements knows perfectly well that there has not been any reduction in price compared with the remission of the war tax and the reduction of 5 per cent in the tariff.

Mr. ARCHAMBAULT:

Does my hon. friend favour a reduction of duty on gasoline engines?

Mr. DOUCET:

Mr. Speaker, my hon.

friend from Restigouche and Madawaska (Mr. Michaud) may be experienced in gasoline engines, but I doubt whether my hon. friend from Chambiy and Vercheres (Mr. Archam-bault) would care to discuss this article of machinery just now.

Mr. MICHAUD:

I beg my hon. friend's

pardon, the question put by my hon. friend from Chambiy and Vercheres did not originate with me, because I was sure my hon. friend-

Sir HENRY DRAYTON:

Order.

Mr. ARCHAMBAULT:

Will my hon.

friend be kind enough to give me an answer?

Mr. SPEAKER:

Order.

Mr. DOUCET:

Mr. Speaker, I understand that there is an arrangement between the

The Budget-Mr. Doucet

whips to hasten this debate, and I have given my promise to make my remarks as short as possible.

Mr. AjRCHAMBAULT : It will not take

long to say yes or no.

Mr. SPEAKER:

Order.