Hon. PETER HEENAN (Kenora-Rainy River):

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask

the hon. Minister of Mines (Mr. Gordon) if the government has knowledge of the reported discovery of radium in the Northwest Territories, at Great Bear lake, if it is proceeding to investigate the value of those deposits and if it intends to take steps to secure the control of them for Canada.

[Mr. Duranleau.1 p; .1

Hon. W. A. GORDON (Minister of Mines):

Mr. Speaker, the question of the control of radioactive ores in Canada has not been considered very seriously by any government. As hon. members likely know, the main source of radium to-day is in the Belgian Congo. ' An attempt was made some years ago to extract radium from ores in the southwestern United States, but that was discontinued. A number of discoveries of radioactive ores have been made in Canada, some having been made recently in Ontario and others in the Northwest Territories at Echo bay. The department of Mines has lent some assistance by way of investigation and laboratory tests to those who are engaged in this work in order to determine the value of the deposits. It is not the duty of the department to certify as to the extent or possible value of these deposits, but the department is interested in assisting in the identification of these ores. As to the government taking over the properties which have been located and staked by prospectors, that matter has not been seriously considered by any government although it is one to which some attention might be given.

Mr. MICHAEL LUCHKOVICH (Vegre-ville):

Mr. Speaker, I have received a petition signed by fifty-five petitioners in the village of Ranfurly, protesting against a ruling by the Post Office Department ordering that the post office lobby be closed on Sundays. I would like to ask the Postmaster General (Mr. Sauve) whether that ruling is in accordance with some recent regulation of the Post Office Department to be applied generally in Canada, or whether it is to apply only in the case of Ranfurly post office.

Hon. ARTHUR SAUVE (Postmaster General) :

Will the hon. member be good enough to put that question on the order paper and I will then give an answer.

Mr. Speaker, I wish to put a question to the hon. Minister of Marine (Mr. Duranleau). About a month and a half ago, on March 23, to be exact, the hon. Minister of Marine laid on the table the 63rd annual report of the Department of Marine, for the fiscal year

Ocean Rates on Cattle

1929-1930. On many occasions since that date, and to-day also, I inquired at the Distribution office for the French version of that report and the answer has always been that they only had the English version. May I inquire from the minister how long must we wait for this French version to which we are entitled?

Mr. SPEAKER:

If the hon. member for Beauharnois (Mr. Raymond) chooses to direct a question to a minister or to the government, he has a right to do so, but he should not make a speech at this period.

Mr. RAYMOND (Translation):

I think,

sir, if what I have just said had been well understood, it would have been noticed that I made no speech but that I had simply asked a question. To justify my question, I first had to state the facts to the house.

Hon. ALFRED DURANLEAU (Minister of Marine) (Translation):

Mr. Speaker, the

question asked equally concerns the hon. Secretary of State (Mr. Cahan), as regards the printing of the report. As to the translation, I shall see that it is completed without further delay, if it has not already been done; for we want all reports in both languages, to be at the disposal of the house in the shortest delay possible.

Hon. R. J. MANION (Minister of Railways and Canals):

The matter is under consideration.

Mr. J. A. BRADETTE (North Timiskam-ing):

Mr. Speaker, a Canadian Press despatch of the 6th instant reports that Mr. Ralph Webb, mayor of the city of Winnipeg, has strongly urged the present government to construct the trans-Canada highway as a federal undertaking rather than a provincial one. Mr. Webb states that such an undertaking would relieve

the present unemployment situation as it would give employment to 25,000 or 30,000 workmen for three years. Would the Prime Minister (Mr. Bennett) inform the house as to the attitude of the government in this regard?

Right Hon. R. B. BENNETT (Prime Minister) :

I am glad one hon. member realizes

that. The question will be answered in due course.