1. Have Albert Curtis, John Allen, James Cruikshank and Arthur Pritchard, all ex-service men, been recently dismissed from the Trent canal staff?

2. If so, why were they dismissed?

3. How long have they been members of the Trent canal staff?

[Mr. Bennett.!

4. Upon whose recommendation were such dismissals made?

5. Were these men replaced by men w'ho have seen no war service?

1. Three of the men in question-Curtis, Allen and Cruikshank-have not been reengaged as labourers for the current season of navigation. Pritchard has been reengaged as foreman on two months' probation.

2. For continued unsatisfactory services.

3. Curtis, April, 1926; Allen, June, 1921; Cruikshank, July, 1914.

4. The superintending engineer of the Trent canal.

5. No.

Mr. HEENAN:

.

1. Has the number of employees of Canadian oil refineries been increased or decreased since last September?

2. If so, at what points?

Mr. BENNETT:

I explained yesterday

what the position was with regard to this question. I think it should be dropped.

Mr. HEENAN:

There was a little noise

in this corner of the house when the Prime Minister made his statement yesterday, and I could not hear all that he had to say. Since that time I have had an opportunity of looking up his remarks in Hansard, and I do not think the Prime Minister gave a very satisfactory explanation. He went on to say that I might as well have asked the distance to Mars, or something like that, but the question is very simple. When the Prime Minister brought down legislation during the special session with regard to the oil refineries he was able to ascertain all. the information he required within twelve or at the most twenty-four hours in connection with these concerns. Since there are only four companies involved, and since there is a branch of the government whose function it is to ascertain the amount of employment and unemployment throughout the country, I think the Prime Minister could very easily answer that question.

Mr. BENNETT:

I will answer the question; the government has no information.

1. How many trade or commercial treaties *were in existence between Canada and other nations on July 28, 1930?

2. How many such treaties now exist?

3. How many such treaties have been denounced, abandoned or abrogated since August 7, 1930?

Questions

1. Seventeen.

2. Seventeen.

3. None. The benefits of the Australian Trade Agreement Act, which had been extended to New Zealand as from October 1, 1-925, were withdrawn as from October 12, 1930, in accordance with notice given April 12, 1930.

Commercial Treaties and Agreements between Canada and other Nations-

The treaties and agreements referred to above fall in three divisions:

Commercial treaties and agreements negotiated by Canada-

Convention of Commerce between Canada and France, signed December 15, 1922.

Convention of Commerce between Canada and Italy, signed January 4, 1923.

Convention of Commerce between Canada and the Economic Union of Belgium and

Luxemburg, signed July 3, 1924.

Convention of Commerce between Canada and the Netherlands, signed July 11, 1924.

Trade Agreements beitween Canada and

British West Indies, Bermuda, British Guiana, and British Honduras, signed July 6, 1925.

Trade Agreement between 'Canada and

Australia (concurrent legislation effective October 1, 1925).

Convention of Commerce between Canada and Czechoslovakia, signed March 16, 1928.

Trade Agreement between Canada and

Cuba (modus vivendi regulating tariff arrangements effective November, 19129).

Commercial treaties negotiated by the United Kingdom to which Canada has acceded-:

Treaty of Commerce and Navigation between Great Britain and Japan, signed April 3, 19.1il. Acceded to by Canada May 1, 1913.

Treaty of Commerce between the United Kingdom and Spain, signed October 31, 1922, as modified by the Commercial Convention, signed April 5, 1927, and agreement regulating the treatment of companies, signed June 27, 1924. Acceded to by Canada August 1, 1928.

Commercial treaties negotiated by the United Kingdom and which are applicable to Canada-

Treaty of Amity, Commerce, and Navigation between Great Britain and the United provinces of Rio de la Plata (Argentina), signed February 2, 1925.

Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Navigation, between Great Britain and Colombia, signed February 16, 1866.

Treaty of Peace and Commerce between Great Britain and Denmark, signed February 13, 1660.

Convention of Commerce and Navigation between Great Britain and Norway, signed March 18, 11826.

Treaty of Peace and Commerce between Great Britain and Sweden, signed April 11, 1654.

Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Reciprocal Establishment between Great Britain and Switzerland, signed September 6, 1856.

Treaty of Amity, Commerce, and Navigation between Great Britain and Venezuela, signed April 18, 1825.

The Commercial treaties negotiated by the United Kingdom with Finland, Estonia, Hungary, Jugo-Slavia, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal and Roumania contain provisions under which the dominions and colonies may enjoy mostfavoured-nation treatment in respect of tariff rates, on the basis of reciprocity. Canada has exchanged most-favoured-nation treatment in respect of tariff rates with Finland since 1925, and with the other countries mentioned since 1928.

Mr. GUTHRIE:

1, 2 and 3. The government has recently learned that taxes and fees of the kind mentioned have been or are to be imposed, but has not received a copy of the measure in question. The matter will receive consideration by the government in due course.

Mr. CHEVRIER:

Of the Interior employees who have been retired or notified of retirement, in each branch,-

1. How many are permanent: (a) at Ottawa; (b) outside Ottawa?

2. How- many temporary: (a) at Ottawa; (b) outside Ottawa?

Questions

Mr. MURPHY:

1 and 2.

Ottawa Outside Ottawa

Permanent,

Permanent

Administrative 65

Accounts 33

Dominion Lands Administration. 07

Dominion Observatorj 5

Dominion Water Power and

Hydrometric Bureau 12

Forestry 28

National Development Bureau. 76

National Parks 25

North West Territories and

Yukon Branch 10

Surveys Bureau 91

Temporary Full time and seasonal Temporary9 - -. 7 - -49 216 900 - -3 12 3S 360 4016 o O 22 _25 - 1- - -126 591 136