Mr. SAUVE (Translation):
The hon. member is now laying a charge against the former Postmaster General.
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Mr. DUPUIS (Translation):
I beg your pardon, I did not catch what was said.
Mr. SAUVE (Translation):
The hon. mem-is laying a charge-
An hon. MEMBER (Translation): I am no more there.
Mr. DUPUIS (Translation):
I wish to find out what the Postmaster General said.
Mr. SAUVE (Translation):
The hon. mem-is laying a charge against the former Postmaster General.
Mr. DUPUIS (Translation):
He will soon again be the Postmaster General. Is that what the hon. Postmaster General wishes to know?
Mr. SAUVE (Translation):
What beautiful language 1
An hon. MEMBER (Translation): It is prophetic.
Mr. DUPUIS (Translation):
I may say to the hon. Postmaster General that should he not be reelected at the next election, it will be no misfortune for the country which does not seem greatly satisfied with him.
I therefore beg the hon. Postmaster General to abandon this petty policy, I beg of him not to continue making shabby dismissals which have 'been far too numerous to date, and this, on behalf of my province. I further beg of him to follow the example set by Quebec members and be sufficiently broad-minded to take an interest in questions which concern the whole country, and as I stated, especially those relating to the farming class, in fact to all classes of society, and this, not simply by speeches on hustings, at election time. As the Postmaster General holds an important post in the Cabinet I trust that he may use his influence and that of his province, one of the oldest of confederation, to obtain for it the same advantages which are granted to the other provinces.
Mr. RHEAUME (Translation):
Mr. Chairman, on February 18, last, the hon. member for Megantic put a number of questions to the Postmaster General with reference to a Mr. MacKinnon who travels all over Quebec and Canada, for the purpose, I think, of obtaining $5 subscriptions. According to Hansard of April 14, 1932, I find that there was sent to mail contractors on July 19, 1927, a notice which ends as follows:
Mr. MacKinnon obtains money under false pretences when he threatens the mail carriers to have their contracts cancelled, while at the same time making promises to them.
S. Tanner,
Administrator of the District of Quebec.
[Mr. SauvSJ
I wish to inquire from the hon. Postmaster General what steps he intends to take in this matter. When I read in Hansard of February, 1932, the questions put by the hon. member for Megantic (Mr. Roberge), as well as the answers to these questions, I wrote personally to the 42 mail contractors of the county of St. Johns-Iberville, to inquire whether they had had the visit of a person named Garfield MacKinnon, requesting them to subscribe $5 to form part of a mail carriers' association. I received their answers and, out of 42, I find that 38 have paid the sum of 85 to Garfield MacKinnon. I have in my possession about thirty receipts given to mail contractors of my county.
May I ask the hon. Postmaster General what steps he intends to take with reference to Mr. Garfield MacKinnon, who for the last ten years has been travelling throughout the country exploiting mail carriers. This same question has already been put by the hon. member for Megantic. The latter's speech on April 14, last, showed that the defeated Conservative candidate in Megantic, at the last dominion election, had approved of the' mail carrier's meeting held by MacKinnon for the purpose of obtaining subscriptions. I think that, after all the information gathered, the Post Office Department should act. The hon. Postmaster has always been a champion of the farming class; he is also aware that most, if not all, of those who hold mail contracts are farmers. I have here a letter from a widow residing in my county who paid 85 to this person. He has been living at the country's expense for the last 12 years, by soliciting $5 subscriptions. He went through the county of St. Johns-Iber-ville, during the first days of December and I think, he visited the county of Megantic in the month of January. It would only be fair and reasonable that instead of dismissing employees, the Post Office Department and particularly the Postmaster General should look into the case of Garfield MacKinnon who obtains money under false representations. I heard that his case had been investigated. I wish to state that more haste was shown in holding inquiries against public officials charged with political partisanship, especially in my county. A public employee was charged with having taken an active part at a political meeting, in August last. Two days after a commissioner called on him; a mockery inquiry was held and as the commission had instructions to find him guilty, he was dismissed.
Previous to resuming my seat I wish to inquire whether the government intends to
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have MacKinnon arrested; the latter has been roaming over the country for more than twelve years robbing mail contractors.
Some Answer! hon. MEMBERS (Translation)Some Carried. hon. MEMBERS (Translation)Some No. hon. MEMBERS (Translation)
Mr. SAUVE (Translation):
Mr. Chairman, I wonder to whom I should first reply.
Mr. DUPUIS (Translation):
Laprairie is quite close to Two Mountains.
Mr. SAUVE (Translation):
Will you allow me to answer? The hon. member for Winnipeg North Centre asked some questions a short while ago. He made a few remarks and intended to make others. The hon. member for Laprairie-Napierville made a long plea-
An hon. MEMBER (Translation): Which
impressed me strongly.
Mr. SAUVE (Translation):
-in connection with a number of dismissals. The hon. member for St. Johns-Iberville (Mr. Rheaume), without giving me an opportunity to reply the hon. member for Napierville, puts to me a series of questions.
Mr. CASGRAIN (Translation):
That is unfair.
Mr. SAUVE (Translation):
Since I have but five minutes left to reply, I shall begin by answering the last speaker and I shall reply to the hon. member for Napierville tomorrow. The hon. member for St. Johns-Iberville contends that this man MacKinnon has been operating in Quebec, for the last ten years.
Mr. RHEAUME (Translation):
Twelve
years, since 1920.
Mr. SAUVE (Translation):
He was then at work when our hon. friends opposite were in power. The hon. member for Gloucester (Mr. Veniot) who was Postmaster General then, is also a friend of the farming class, he however, allowed this MacKinnon to carry on as he is doing to-day. I take it for granted that the hon. member for St. Johns did not wish to charge the member for Gloucester, then Postmaster General, with sacrificing the farmers' interests or illtreating them. Why did the former Postmaster General not act then? I shall inform the hon. member: it is because he had no legal right to do so. I
cannot blame the former Postmaster General; he was right. This man MacKinnon is a former employee of the Post Office Department. He wants to organize a mail contractors' association. He is entitled to do so. He is free to carry out his plans and the Postmaster General has no right to interfere by having him arrested. If there is ground to take proceedings, it behooves the Justice department to do so, but even the latter department-such is the information I have gathered from the department's legal adviser -cannot interfere.
An hon. MEMBER (Translation): What is his name?
Mr. SAUVE (Translation):
Mr. Mac-
Kinnon calls on mail carriers, invites them to join the association, promising them protection and requests a contribution of $5 to found and maintain the association.
Mr. CASGRAIN (Translation):
This is rather high in these hard times.
Mr. DUPUIS (Translation):
Will the hon. Postmaster General allow me to ask him a question? Is it not a fact that this Mr. MacKinnon contends that he is acting under the authority of the Post Office department.