Mr. STEWART (Leeds):

Here is a man employed by the Dominion who to all practical intents and purposes is a permanent employee. In the course of that employment and as a result of information which he obtained from inspection and examination of the machines in the department he gets a patent in some way. I am not going to question how he got it. Under ordinary circumstances if he were with a private corporation that patent, I submit, would belong to the corporation, and he would not be, entitled to any extra compensation. However, the minister has decided to give him this amount. I am glad to know that it is not for more than one year. While I think it is irregular .and contrary to the spirit of the act, that is all I desire to say about it.

Mr. HANSON:

Mr. VENIOT:

I do not want to get into an argument-

Mr. HANSON:

I do not either, but I want to place that on record.

Mr. VENIOT:

-but my hon. friend is dealing with rural mail routes, and he should distinguish between the rural mail route and the ordinary route, rural it is true, from office to office. Some of the routes mentioned by the hon. gentleman are round trips and are not what we call rural mail delivery routes, for there are only ten of those routes in the whole province of New Brunswick. I think he is referring also to the transportation from one office to another, and not to delivery along the line.

Mr. HANSON:

No, I am talking about rural routes proper.

Mr. VENIOT:

Until the end of last year there were only ten rural routes in the province of New Brunswick.

Mr. HANSON:

There are seven rural free deliveries, and the average rate is away below $45 a month.

Mr. VENIOT:

I never made the statement that the average rate was $45 a month.

Mr. HANSON:

There is a misunderstanding about it, then; as a matter of fact the rate is altogether too low.

Mr. VENIOT:

My hon. friend may be quite correct.

Mr. HANSON:

However, I do not wish to get into discussion at this stage of the session.

Mr. KENNEDY:

I would like to call the attention of the minister to the condition which exists in mail deliveries to settlers in my constituency of Peace River. I suppose

it is difficult for anyone who has not been living in a new district to visualize what happens. I have no doubt however that some of the officials in the office of the minister have had communications regarding the need for post office service and mail routes in some of the new settlements.

Mr. VENIOT:

What is the name of the district?

Mr. KENNEDY:

There are three or four of them in the Peace River district. In connection with those districts there may be twenty-five or fifty families living from twenty to thirty miles from a post office. One applicant received. the reply that it would be too expensive to supply mail routes for those localities. I will admit the roads are not paved highways, but it seems to me that when there are about fifty settlers living twenty-five miles from a post office there should be some sort, of mail service. I think they have the right to expect this country to undertake development in their districts.

Mr. VENIOT:

Is that in the Peace River, North Vermilion section?

Mr. KENNEDY:

No, it is northwest of Fairview.

Mr. VENIOT:

In the Peace River section we are considering a flying service, so that delivery may be made by air mail. Owing to the lack of roads required to reach these people the air mail is now under consideration, and I can assure my hon. friend everything within our power will be done to give service. In connection with the expenditures of this department during the last two years our object has been to give as much service as possible; I am not attempting to keep down expenditure where I find service is necessary for the welfare of the people. I can assure my hon. friend the matter will be investigated.

Supply-Post Office

Mr. GEARY:

Will the minister tell us if we have had the last word in regard to salaries of letter carriers? I understand there is to be a general reference to the Beatty commission in regard to all civil servants' salaries. The minister has stated that he will be willing to have the money recommended in order to make the increases. In that connection I wish to ask him if any amount has been set aside in the estimates for the projected increases in this branch.

Mr. YENIOT:

No.