Right Hon. W. L. MACKENZIE KING (Leader of the Opposition):

On the motion of my right hon. friend (Mr. Bennett), I believe it has been customary in the past to have estimates which relate to the Canadian National Railways referred to a special committee of the house which deals with the national railway estimates. Has my hon. friend considered that point?

Mr. BENNETT:

It has not been the practice in the past to refer all supplementary estimates in that way. This is an estimate to take care of situations which have arisen 22110-23J

during the past year and with respect to which the provision made by parliament was not found ample. The railway company asked that this provision be supplemented by the sums mentioned, as will be observed in the estimates themselves. I did not look it up myself, but my information is that with respect to the supplementary estimates it has not been customary to refer them to the select committee, because frequently the committee has not been set up by the time the estimate is required to be passed in order to make it available during the current year. Perhaps my right hon. friend will observe that there is a provision making this estimate available until the end of May, although practically all sums have been expended already or the liabilities have been incurred for which the money is required. Particularly is that so with regard to the largest item, which arises from the shortage of traffic as compared with last year, and the resulting increase in the deficit^

Mr. DUFF:

These items can be discussed when the committee meets.

Mr. BENNETT:

Certainly.

Hon. CHARLES STEWART (West Edmonton) :

But surely my hon. friend is not asking for supply by way of supplementary estimates to go beyond March 31.

Mr. BENNETT:

No, only with respect to the railways. My hon. friend will observe these words in the estimates:

Further amount required, in addition to the sum of $51,600,000 already appropriated, due to increase in the amount of deficit arising from operations in the year 1930, $11,410,400.85.

There are these further words also:

Notwithstanding the provisions of the Consolidated Revenue and Audit Act, this appropriation shall not lapse before May 31, 1931.

Mr. STEWART (Edmonton):

But that is not a supplementary.

Mr. BENNETT:

That has been done before, and the reason is that the obligations have been created. The bills are not all in and will not be in by Tuesday next, and therefore it is desired to have until May 31 to audit the accounts and make the payments. When the bill comes before the house, if the house thinks such a provision-which is purely a matter of bookkeeping to facilitate the operations of the company-should not be there, it can be dealt with later. The estimate does not bind the house.

Supplementary Estimates

Sir EUGENE FISET:

Will these estimates be distributed?

Mr. BENNETT:

They are in the distribution office now.

Mr. MACKENZIE KING:

May I point

out to my right hon. friend that the estimates now being presented always will be taken as relating to the fiscal year ending March 31. For that reason it is desirable in every way that if moneys are to apply to the next fiscal year or to another year they should be voted from estimates presented to the house as relating to that fiscal year. I hope my right hon. friend will consider that point between now and Monday next

Mr. BENNETT:

I do not desire to trespass upon the time of the house but I think perhaps my right hon. friend did not follow what I was saying a moment ago. The amounts covered by these estimates have been spent, or the deficits have arisen, but all the bills have not come in as yet. The accounts must 'be audited before payment is made, and unless some provisions of this sort were made, after Tuesday next they would have accounts which they could not pay but which had been incurred during the year that is past. I assure my right hon. friend that the matter will 'be discussed again in the select committee as usual, and my information from the railway company is very explicit that this does not cover a single dollar chargeable to any year except 1930 I think I might add that the year of the railway is the calendar year, and not our fiscal year.

Mr. STEWART (Edmonton):

I just want to remark that this is unusual, owing to the fact that the railway accounting, while not presented with the general accounting of the government, carried the same restriction, if my memory serves me right. You are asking for thirty days longer for the railway than is allowed in the government.

Right Hon. R. B. BENNETT (Minister of Finance) moved:

That this house will at the next sitting resolve itself into a committee to consider the ways and means for raising the supply to be granted to His Majesty.