Mr. RINFRET:

I may tell my hon. friend that the bill which I desire to bring before the house will very likely meet the very class of cases that he has just referred to. My motive to-night was merely to be allowed to put through the resolution without any commitment, which would permit me to present my bill to-morrow for first reading, when every hon. member would know exactly the intention of the government. I do not see that there could be much objection to that, but I will not press the point unless there is unanimous consent.

Mr. STEVENS:

If the minister will permit me; he may say that we should not take too seriously statements that appear in the press.

Mr. RINFRET:

I may say at once that none of the statements made in the press were accurate.

Mr. STEVENS:

Very good. But all the information we have is contained in the statements which have appeared in the press, plus this resolution.

Mr. RINFRET:

That is the very point. I want to give my hon. friend full information by bringing down the bill.

Mr. STEVENS:

Why when the Speaker read the motion did not my hon. friend give the house the information which he is now [DOT]aying he has up his sleeve? Let me tell the

'-A'r. Stevens.]

minister that from the information I have in my possession I am opposed to the resolution as it now stands. This information may be wrong, but it is the best that I can get.

Mr. ROBB:

Is my hon. friend opposed to this widow he has mentioned?

Mr. STEVENS:

No. The Minister of

Finance knows perfectly well that I am not. What I am opposed to is partial payment of these claims; this $2,500,000 is an altogether inadequate sum. My submission is that the full amount of the awards, with the possible exception of some reserved claims that the government may have good reason to reserve, should be included in this resolution. Because this money in the government's hands is not money that should be in the consolidated fund at all; it is money paid over out of reparations. I think this very year the minister received two or three million dollars. I have the public accounts here. He will pardon me if I cannot place my finger right on the item, but I remember seeing it the other day. He will correct me if I am wrong, but I would say that approximately two million dollars was received this year in regard to this fund, and altogether-the Minister of Railways (Mr. Dunning) shakes his head. I say now the government have in their possession upwards of eleven million dollars.

Mr. RINFRET:

That is true.

Mr. STEVENS:

I ask the Minister of Railways to take the word of the Secretary of State.

Mr. DUNNING:

You know better than that. '

Mr. STEVENS:

I say the government has in its possession to-day some eleven or twelve or thirteen million dollars of reparations money, and that out of that sum every dollar of reparations claims can and ought to be paid. Furthermore, I say that they should have been paid a year or two years ago- many of them. I cannot understand why the government comes before the house with this proposal of only two and a half million dollars. It may be said that certain classes of claims will be paid in full. As I recall the statements made, the classes of claims that are to be paid in full are very small. Many of these claims are by business concerns, and they have been kept out of their money wrongfully for years. They should have been paid long ago. A certain class of claims was paid totalling a million and a half or two million dollars; but those I have referred to and others I think have been wrongfully kept out of their money. I suggest to the minister

Rules of the House

that before this resolution is proceeded with further he give to the house, with the Speaker in the chair, and before the principle of this resolution is adopted at all, a very full statement and a very full explanation. I appeal to the Prime Minister and to the Minister of Finance to amend this resolution so as to include the total amount of the awards made by the reparations commission appointed by this government, which commission adjudicated these claims and reported some two years ago.

Mr. ROBB:

Is my hon. friend taking the position that unless we pay all the large claims this poor widow will not be paid?

Mr. STEVENS:

No. I am taking the position that two years ago all these claims ought to have been paid.

Mr. ROBB:

All of them?

Mr. STEVENS:

All of them, with the

exception perhaps of a certain small group. _

Mr. ROBB:

What group?

Mr. STEVENS:

I might-

Mr. RINFRET:

Does my hon. friend

realize that I received the report from Commissioner Friel only last year? Therefore how could the claims he dealt with have been paid two years ago?

Mr. STEVENS:

The Secretary of State received the report of Commissioner Friel that he had adjudicated hundreds and thousands of claims. Not only had the minister that report in his hand two years ago, but he came to parliament and stated at that session that he would bring in legislation to provide for the payment of those claims already adjudicated upon, and in fact he had a resolution on the order paper. Now then, I contend that this major group of claims, long since adjudicated upon-not a change in them in any way, shape or form during the last two years -should be paid in full. If there are any claims which are still held in abeyance, all right; but let the others be paid. The money is in the hands of the government, and these claims ought to be paid in full. I appeal to the Minister of Finance particularly because the question of money comes more directly under his care, and I ask him to agree to increase this to the full amount of the reparations.

Motion stands.

On motion of Mr. Mackenzie King the house adjourned at 11 p.m.

Friday, February 15, 1929