Mr. G. G. COOTE (Macleod):

I wish to direct to the Minister of Finance (Mr. Rhodes) a question based on a telegram which I have received from Cowley, Alberta, protesting against the closing of a branch of the Royal Bank of Canada at that point. A great number of branches are being closed and I understand that this is a matter of policy on the part of the banks at the present time. Would the Minister of Finance be good enough to take the matter up with the different banks concerned to see whether some arrangement might not be made to keep these branches open in order to give service to the people in the different localities.

Hon. E. N. RHODES (Minister of Finance):

I have received a number of communications arising out of the closing of branches of banks. The hon. member will appreciate the fact that the question of location of or the closing of branches is not a matter within the purview of the Department of Finance; it is solely a question of administration for the banks themselves. In each instance, however, I have forwarded the communication direct to the bank concerned.

Mr. J. A. BRADETTE (North Timis-kaming):

I wish to ask the Minister of Trade and Commerce (Mr. Stevens) a question with reference to certain prese despatches that appeared last week to the effect that the British government had given an order to the Russian government for $25,000,000 worth of lumber of a kind and quality that can be produced in Canada. Has the Canadian High Commissioner in London ever notified the government here or any of the trade commissioners in Europe that such an order had been given to Russia in preference to Canada?

Unemployment Continuance Act

Hon. H. H. STEVENS (Minister of Trade and Commerce):

The matter to which the hon. gentleman refers is merely gossip. We have no official information on the subject.

Mr. J. F. FAFARD (L'lslet):

Mr. Speaker, let me extend my congratulations to the ex-Minister of Trade and Commerce (Mr. Malcolm), who has been away owing to illness. We all rejoice to see him in his seat once more and trust he will have a complete recovery.

When the house adjourned at eleven o'clock on Friday night I was discussing the resolution now under consideration, and I was opposing it on various grounds. In the first place, as I pointed out, it is unconstitutional inasmuch as it is an abuse of power, and because the money expended under the provision of the statute last year was spent lavishly and without consideration for the farmers of the country. When the measure was brought before the house last year it was strongly opposed, but it was understood then that the blank cheque, so-called, was to be used to relieve unemployment, to aid agriculture, and to assist the country generally. We find now, however, that under that blank cheque the government has seen fit to pass orders in council to amend the Bank Act, to lend money to the provinces-which money will likely be given away at the next election -to increase the force of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, to buy riot machines, guns and so on, and to spend $20,000 for the secret service, which secret service, if I am rightly informed, is used to have men follow the Liberal speakers throughout Canada in case they say anything against the Prime Minister (Mr. Bennett).

Certainly, Mr. Speaker, a member of this house who respects the mandate given to him by his constituents will not vote to give such power to one man, whatever his ability may be. In the second place, the money was spent in such a way that only one-third went

Unemployment Continuance Act

to the unemployed, the balance having been used to buy material to build camps, and for expropriations, creating new rich at the expense of the unemployed. The narrow politics of this government has stopped our trade with other countries, has depreciated our money, and has created all sorts of suffering throughout Canada.

No matter what the mistakes of the government may be, we are ready to help them. We are ready to help our sister province of Saskatchewan in her need and we thank God that a similar disaster has not fallen upon the other provinces. However, I consider I would be a traitor to mj' country, if, while doing that, I should forego my rights in parliament. That I will not do.

(Translation):

Mr. Speaker, the present government has spent to ill purpose the money voted for the unemployed. In order to cure an ailment, the diseased or affected organ or member is first treated. The agricultural industry is the really sick individual at this stage. So long as that industry does not receive the treatment which will restore its economic health, prosperity will never exist in Canada.

What has the government accomplished for agriculture? It cannot be credited with helping the agricultural population of this country by a reduction of three million dollars in the estimates of the Department of Agriculture.

I wonder what has become of those orators taking part in the last federal election campaign who then evinced such affection for the agricultural classes. The government has done nothing and the ministers who represent our province in the cabinet have done nothing either. Surely it is not by the dismissal of hundreds of postmasters in the province of Quebec that the powers that be have helped agriculture.

Shame!

Mr. FAFARD (Translation):

And they certainly did not help the agricultural classes by the construction of a fire engine boat to meet the situation should the St. Lawrence catch fire.

Mr. Speaker, some have complained, though very wrongly, that the members sitting to the left failed to submit constructive proposals. Last Friday I asked the government to help agriculture. For instance, it would have been quite an easy matter to utilize some of the millions expended in the past two years for land drainage in our province. Many farms require drainage and it is a well-known fact that the returns from farms of drained land are rMr. Fafard.]

200 per cent greater. Why did the government not help the settlers improve their farms? The government could quite easily have appointed in each parish committees comprised of the parish priest, the agronomist, the mayor and four or five leading citizens, and the unemployed could have applied to these committees for work. The government could have placed an unemployed at the service of the farmer who wants to drain his land on condition that he also engages in that work. It would have been equally easy for the government to place a man at the disposal of the settler who wished to clear his land of stumps. Through the application of these various measures, the government would not only have given work to those who needed it but would also have shared in the improvement of farm lands in our province.

A representative from Prince Edward Island, I believe, recently demanded that his province be supplied with fertilizers. We who come from the province of Quebec would also like to receive fertilizers from the government. But this is only a temporary expedient. Once the benefits to be derived from fertilizers on our farms had disappeared, we would be back at the starting point. However, if the hon. minister of Agriculture (Mr. Weir) who will address us shortly made a grant of S75 to the farmers to enable them to build manure sheds, he would help the cause of agriculture to a much greater extent than he would by distributing fertilizers, for the same buildings would still be of use to the farmers fifty years hence. The provincial government makes a grant of S25 for this purpose.

Mr. DORION (Translation):

One would

have to construct them of cement (ciment).

Mr. FAFARD (Translation):

They are such liars (si menteurs, eimenteurs). We have to keep in mind that the province of Quebec is the premier province in the Dominion and that many, many farms have been under cultivation two or three hundred years. I do not intend to enlarge on the advantages of fertilizers for agricultural purposes. Agronomists and technicians have already stressed these advantages. However, it is well to remember that nitrogen, phosphoric acid, potash and vegetable matter constitute the principal elements absolutely requisite for plant life and no substitute can perform the function of potash in vegetable economy.

I have observed, Mr. Speaker, that the money was spent without any regard for the agricultural class. If the few suggestions I submit to the government were acted upon,

Unemployment Continuance Act

the unemployed and the agricultural class would both be helped at the same time, and any help given to the agricultural population is a contribution to the country's assets.

I am told the Minister of Immigration (Mr. Gordon) has inaugurated a return to the land policy. I must congratulate him.

Unfortuately, 1 cannot see eye to eye with many economists on this point. I have always observed that a farmer who abandoned his farm, lived in the city five or six years, enjoyed the benefits of modern improvements and the somewhat artificial amusements he may find therein, finds it somewhat difficult to once more get in touch with the land. I believe the Minister of Immigration by inaugurating now a return to the land policy puts the cart before the horse, as we say in my part of the country. Before urging the return to the land, they should apply a policy that will enable the farmers to earn a decent living.

We have heard many complaints from other provinces. Coming as I do from the province of Quebec, I can tell my friends from those provinces that Quebec in common with other sections of the country has suffered and is still suffering.

Mr. DORION (Translation):

That is not

what Mr. Taschereau maintains.

Mr. FAFARD (Translation):

Potatoes,

butter, eggs, in fact everything the farmers produce at the present time-

Mr. DORION (Translation):

Are going up

in price.

Mr. FAFARD (Translation):

[DOT]-are selling below cost. I recently met a member from the west and he asked me how the farmers were getting along in the province of Quebec. I told him the old parishes in the province would come through the crisis for three reasons: in the first

place, our early settlements in the province of Quebec instead of taking advantage of prosperity to run into debt, availed themselves of the good times to wipe off their indebtedness. In the second place, they would come through the crisis by reason of their industry and sense of thrift which are things unknown in many other provinces. Thirdly, their spirit of charity and Christianity, a subject which was so ably treated in the past few days by the hon. member for Nicolet (Mr. Dubois) and the hon. member for Hochelaga (Mr. St-Pere), the workingmen's *'Saint Pere," would see them through their difficulties.

We have poor people in our parishes. We have always had some. I will avail myself of what little time is at my disposal to outline to my colleagues in this chamber the manner in which the problem of the poor is handled in our old parishes of the province of Quebec. As a rule, at the end of December, during the Sunday service, the parish priest addresses his flock thus: "My dear friends, the harvest has been poor this year. Your returns have not been as good as in former years. However, we must not forget that there are poor people in our midst. Monday, Tuesday, such and such a one will go through the parish and collect for the poor. And you would be surprised, Mr. Speaker, if you were to see the quantity of provisions, farm produce, and the sums of money they collect. And these provisions and money are distributed without anybody having any knowledge as to their destination, this being done in order not to hurt the feelings of the poor. We are happy to have these poor people with us in the province of Quebec, for we are indebted to them for the development of a charitable feeling and Christian spirit which possibly* do not exist everywhere.

Canadians living in the province of Quebec are aware that sixteen million dollars have been loaned or given to Saskatchewan. They are also well aware that the province of Saskatchewan is under the premiership of Mr. Anderson who persecuted French-Canadians and who still persecutes them by means of his school laws. Well, Mr. Speaker, because of the spirit of charity we have developed amongst our citizens it is possible to make them understand the necessity cf helping Saskatchewan notwithstanding the wrongs committed by the premier of that province.

The spirit of charity! Let us compare the methods of the federal government with those of the provincial government. Upon our arrival here for the parliamentary session, the Prime Minister rose in the house and without consulting anybody recommended a 10 per cent salary cut for all government employees. For many years, a very large number of these civil servants made generous contributions to the Salvation Army, the St. Vincent de Paul Society. They practised what we call " charity " in our part of the country*. In the province of Quebec, the Prime Minister told the government employees: "You need not worry, there will be no salary reduction. On the other hand, we have in the city* of Quebec many people who used to work in offices or stores and who

Unemployment Continuance Act

are now idle. They are what we call the " white-collared needy." He asked the civil servants to be charitable and they were. They were true to the spirit of charity which we have developed as I mentioned a moment ago. They contributed hundreds, thousands of dollars in donations for the relief of the needy. I believe the members who sit to the right, including the Prime Minister, do not understand the mentality of the province of Quebec very well. Were I so bold as to offer him a word of advice, I would say to the prime minister: If you wish to win the goodwill of the province of Quebec, appeal to her heart. You will not secure her cooperation with blank cheques such as you are now demanding.