Mr. E. J. GOTT (South Essex):

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I apprised the Minister

Soldier Settlement

of Finance (Mr. Robb) that to-day I proposed to make an inquiry of the Minister of Marine and Fisheries (Mr. Cardin). In his absence I should like to get some information from the acting minister as to the contract for lights and buoys in the lower Detroit river for 1929. Has the contract been made? If not, will the minister instruct that this be done as formerly by calling for tenders?

Hon. J. A. ROBB (Minister of Finance):

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Minister of Marine and Fisheries and in his absence, I beg to give the house the following memorandum which I have received from his department:

The contract for the maintenance of the lights and buoys in the lower Detroit river entered into in March, 1926, for a period of three years, expires at the end of March, 1929. The said contract was a renewal of a previous contract concluded in 1923. Having regard to the importance of the service and to the satisfactory manner in which the work has been carried out by the present contractor since 1920. and also to the reasonableness of the price which was established by public tender, the Department of Marine and Fisheries has recommended a renewal of the present contract at the rate established by tender. The contract, however, has not yet been renewed.

Hon. P. J. VENIOT (Postmaster General):

I have no papers, Mr. Speaker, in connection with the dismissal of the postmaster at Kitchener.

Mr. GUTHRIE:

Might I ask if he has

been dismissed?

Mr. VENIOT:

He has not. His case is

being considered. Perhaps that is enough for the present. .

Mr. E. J. GARLAND (Bow River):

Mr. Speaker, could the Minister of Trade and Commerce (Mr. Malcolm) give the house any idea when the return asked for on the 20th of last month with regard to correspondence between the board of grain commissioners and his department will be laid on the table?

Hon. JAMES MALCOLM (Minister of Trade and- Commerce):

I may advise my

hon. friend from Bow River (Mr. Garland) that this correspondence was laid on the table to-day.

Mr. GARLAND (Bow River):

Thank you.

Hon. P. J. VENIOT (Postmaster General):

My attention has been called to such a sheet, but before coming to any decision as to barring it from the mails, I should like the legal officials of the department to have an opportunity to examine it and see whether it should come under the ban or not. The matter will be looked into.

Hon. ROBERT FORKE (Minister of Immigration):

Mr. Speaker, on Monday last

the hon. member for Eraser Valley (Mr. Barber) drew my attention to what he termed a serious state of affairs which appears to exist among the soldier settlers in a certain section of British Columbia. He read an extract from one of the leading Vancouver papers, headed:

Say soldier settlers are starving here.

Instead of repeating the article perhaps it will serve the purpose if I read to the house the following statement. I immediately wired the superintendent at Vancouver in regard1 to this matter and I shall now read his wire in reply:

Reference your wire date extract from newspaper apparently refers question of milk assignments brought up at annual meeting Fraser Vallejo Milk Producers Association held last week (Stop) Some settlers wish set aside assignments and press report indicates committee to be appointed interview board regarding matter (Stop) Interview not yet requested (Stop) Statement that settlers are starving gross exaggeration (Stop) Have always followed policy of refunding monthly milk payments where settlers circumstances appeared demand it (Stop) Agitation originated from few settlers evidently anxious sidestep obligations to board (Stop) Possibly also result of dissatisfaction because some settlers evading

The Budget-Mr. Bothwell

assignments by shipping in wifes name (Stop) Same question raised at meeting of association last year and explanations to president apparently satisfactory as matter dropped.