June 26, 1925

CON

Henry Lumley Drayton

Conservative (1867-1942)

Sir HENRY DRAYTON:

The item we have here, as I understand, is item 288. My hon. friend is addressin-g his remarks more to one phase of the activities in the cities, where you have these committees of employers who are co-operating, -and very properly so, with each other, for the purpose of doing what everybody ought to be pleased to do, and th-a-t is to see that the returned -man gets the first chance of employment and of rehabilitating himself if at all possible. My hon. friend mentioned three cities where that arrangement has been made. I hope that during the present year we shall no longer be left in that position, but that these activities will be extended to every place in the -country where -there is considerable employment. We should n-ot have the three cities my hon. friend refers to standing ou-t by themselves. At the same time, this work of organization and of getting employers interested in this most necessary movement is going along very slowly, if we

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have it started in only three cities. But that, after all, is only one branch of the work. I said I thought the vote was too small, and my hon. friend agreed with me. What amount does my hon. friend think would be fair to take charge of soldier unemployment for the year?

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LIB

Henri Sévérin Béland (Minister of Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment; Minister presiding over the Department of Health)

Liberal

Mr. BELAND:

We have provided $150,000 in the supplementaries. We thought we would require more money especially on account of the strike in Nova Scotia. As a rule this unemployment among pensioners ceases almost entirely during the month of May, but this year in the strike area we have been spending a large amount each week, maintaining all the pensioners there.

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CON

Henry Lumley Drayton

Conservative (1867-1942)

Sir HENRY DRAYTON:

I am sure the country will not begrudge, and certainly the opposition will not withhold any support, in looking properly after unemployment among the soldiers.

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Item agreed to. Pensions-European war and active militia, $34,000,000.


LIB

Henri Sévérin Béland (Minister of Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment; Minister presiding over the Department of Health)

Liberal

Mr. BELAND:

This is always a big item It is to provide for pensions in connection with the European war and the active militia. There is an increase of $1,000,000 over last year, but it must be remembered that the time within which claims had to be presented for pensions expired on the 1st of September, 1924, and naturaily a large number of claims were filed before that date with the pension board, and as a consequence, more awards have been made than in the usual course. In addition to that, the appeal board has also reversed a certain number of decisions, 190, I think, up to the 1st of April, and arrears have had to be adjusted, and still are being adjusted.

Mr. ROS8 (Kingston): Has the minister considered making any change in the regulations in regard to a pensioner in the active militia who, having secured his pension, deserts his wife and family? According to the regulations the pensioner is entitled to keep all his pension and leave his wife and children behind without support. Several have deserted their *wives and families in Canada and are now over in the Old Country, retaining their full pension, and leaving the wife and family to be supported by public charity.

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LIB

Henri Sévérin Béland (Minister of Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment; Minister presiding over the Department of Health)

Liberal

Mr. BELAND:

Does my hon. friend refer to the active militia or to the expeditionary force?

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CON

Arthur Edward Ross

Conservative (1867-1942)

Mr. ROSS (Kingston):

The permanent

force. There "was some suggestion that the law

should be changed. Has anything been done in that regard?

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LIB

Henri Sévérin Béland (Minister of Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment; Minister presiding over the Department of Health)

Liberal

Mr. BELAND:

As my hon. friend is aware, the Militia Act is not in my department. I do not know that any change has taken place.

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CON

Arthur Edward Ross

Conservative (1867-1942)

Mr. ROSS (Kingston):

The payment of the pension is in your department.

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LIB

Henri Sévérin Béland (Minister of Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment; Minister presiding over the Department of Health)

Liberal

Mr. BELAND:

Yes.

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CON

Arthur Edward Ross

Conservative (1867-1942)

Mr. ROSS (Kingston):

And the minister still has to continue paying that pension, while the man's wife and family are supported by public charity.

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LIB

Henri Sévérin Béland (Minister of Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment; Minister presiding over the Department of Health)

Liberal

Mr. BELAND:

All that is at the discretion of the board, which examines into each individual case.

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CON

Arthur Edward Ross

Conservative (1867-1942)

Mr. ROSS (Kingston):

Several cases of this kind have been brought to the attention of the board, and they have ruled that they cannot interfere.

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LIB

Henri Sévérin Béland (Minister of Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment; Minister presiding over the Department of Health)

Liberal

Mr. BELAND:

They refuse to pay any part of the pension to the wife and children?

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CON
LIB

Edward Mortimer Macdonald (Minister of National Defence)

Liberal

Mr. MACDONALD (Pictou):

The question of militia pensions has been dealt with by the Department of National Defence. The point my hon. (friend mentions has been brought to our attention, and we were considering introducing an amendment to the pension law this session to deal with that and some other points, but it has been decided not to do so until next year. I hope we shall be able to deal with the matter next session.

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Item agreed to. European war and active militia-further amount to meet the requirements of Bill No. 70, George V 15-10, 1925, sections 6, 8 and 10, $1,276,000. Mr. BELAND. In view of certain amendments to the bill which have not passed parliament the Minister of Justice (Mr. Lapointe) moves that this item be reduced by the sum of $276,000. Amendment agreed to. Item as amended agreed to. To meet the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Pensions and Re-establishment, George V. A. 1924. Sessional papers 203a, pages 74 and 75; to provide for the purchase of lands and the cost of erection of houses at Kamloops, B.C., for tuberculous exmembers of the forces, $15,000.


LIB

Henri Sévérin Béland (Minister of Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment; Minister presiding over the Department of Health)

Liberal

Mr. BELAND:

This amount is for the

purchase of land and the cost of the erection of houses at Kamloops, British Columbia, for tuberculous ex-members of the forces. This is in pursuance of a recommendation of the

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parliamentary committee. It is more or less an experiment and is recommended by the royal commission and by several parliamentary committees. It is a very small amount and provides for 5,000 men who will be afforded the opportunity of living in these houses. The amount will be placed at the disposal of the Red Cross at Kamloops. They are going to supervise the building of the houses and they will also administer the rent and insurance. The amount that will be paid as rent will be sufficient to cover the interest on capital expenditure, the insurance and the depreciation, the total amount being met in twenty-five years. .

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Item agreed to. Amount required to provide for expenses in connection with a trial shipment of Alberta coal to Ontario, with the object of deteirmining the actual cost of carriage by rail, by payments to be made to the Canadian National Railways at the rate of $1 per ton, $25,000.


LAB

June 26, 1925