Mr. SPEAKER:

When this motion was

called previously I pointed out that there was no date mentioned.

Mr. REID:

With the consent of the house I will amend the motion by inserting the words "from March 1, 1931, to March 1, 1932."

Mr. SPEAKER:

With the amendment,

shall the motion carry?

Motion as amended agreed to.

Mr. C. G. POWER (Quebec South) moved:

For a return showing list of all works carried on in the province of Quebec during the calendar year 1931 under the Unemployment Relief Act by the government of the Dominion of Canada out of its own moneys, and to which no contribution has been made either by the municipalities or by the government of the province of Quebec, together with copies of letters and correspondence indicating on whose recommendation said works were undertaken.

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

Mr. Speaker, the return tabled today covers the major part, if not all, of the information asked for in this motion. There may be letters and correspondence that do not appear in the return as tabled, but undoubtedly the rest of the information will be found in the return.

Mr. MACKENZIE KING:

Is it understood that the minister will bring down what is not in the report?

Mr. GORDON:

Yes.

Mr. MACKENZIE KING:

That is satisfactory.

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

I promised the right hon. gentleman

(Mr. Mackenzie King) that I would inform him to-day with respect to the Easter recess. If it is acceptable, as I understand it is from what was said yesterday, it will be proposed to adjourn on the Wednesday evening preceding Good Friday and convene again on the succeeding Tuesday. I said Thursday, yesterday, but Thursday will be a holy day. This arrangement will allow us to sit on Wednesday, and, if the house thinks desirable, we might sit until eleven o'clock. At any rate, I will give notice in the ordinary way on the order paper.

Canada Shipping Act

Mr. MACKENZIE KING:

That would be wholly acceptable to the members on this side

Mr. BENNETT:

We spoke to Mr. Gardiner and I understand he is satisfied.

DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE On the orders of the day:

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

The house will be interested in the

information which I have just received that our colleague the Hon. Maurice Dupre, Solicitor General, was to-day unanimously elected vice-president of the Naval Committee of the Disarmament Conference. The proposal was made by the Italian representatives, and in view of the unanimity with which it was received the ordinary rule of secret balloting was dispensed with.

CANADA SHIPPING ACT On the orders of the day:

Mr. ANGUS MacINN-IS (Vancouver South): I would direct a question to the

Minister of Marine (Mr. Duranleau). In the speech from the throne it was announced that there would be amendments to the Canada Shipping Act, and I would ask the minister whether we may expect these amendments shortly.

Hon. ALFRED DURANLEAU (Minister of Marine):

I regret to say that I fear it will not be possible to lay before parliament at this session a bill to revise and consolidate the Canada Shipping Act. While the work of the officers of my department in this connection is well in hand, it is not yet sufficiently advanced to permit a bill being brought down. Anyone who has made a study of the present act will realize that the work of revising it is one of great magnitude and of no small importance. The present act contains eighteen separate parts, each dealing with a different subject, the whole comprising 950 sections. It was only last fall that the statute of Westminster was passed by the Imperial parliament, and the British Commonwealth Merchant Shipping Agreement was signed at London only on December 10, 1931. By this agreement the governments of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the Irish Free State and Newfoundland undertook to propose any necessary legislation and to take such other steps as may be necessary for the purpose of giving full effect to the agreement. The revision of the Canada Shipping Act, when it is complete, will have to conform to the agreement, and after full and lengthy consideration the officers fMr. Bennett.]

of my department have proposed that the most desirable way to secure the legislative uniformity contemplated by the agreement is to have model sections of the law set up which would be embodied in the statutes of all those parts of the commonwealth which are signatories to the agreement. This matter is now engaging the attention of my department, but I may add that I intend to bring before the house this session such amendments to our coastal laws as are most urgent at the present time.

Mr. J. S. WOODSWORTH (Winnipeg North Centre):

Will opportunity be given

for all interested parties to present their points of view-shipping masters, the various labour unions, and others who are very keenly interested, such as the marine engineers?

Mr. DURANLEAU:

I understand that

representations were made some time ago by the different associations interested. At any rate, the bill will be referred to the standing committee on marine and fisheries and any interested party will have an opportunity to present objections or offer suggestions.

Mr. THOMAS REID (New Westminster):

Does the minister intend to bring down at this session legislation with respect to the inspection and enforcement of safety appliances on board ship while in dock?