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

Yesterday the hon. member for Winnipeg North Centre (Mr. Woodsworth) asked a question with regard to the agenda of the monetary and economic conference. I told the hon. member that I had received no official copy of the agenda, but a draft annotated agenda has been issued by the League of Nations, and I fancy it is now available to hon. members here. So far as I have been able to ascertain I have not received any extra copies as yet, but a draft has been received.

Mr. PETER McGIBBON (Muskoka-Ontario):

I should like to ask the Minister

of Pensions and National Health (Mr. Mao-

Laren) whether it has been decided as yet to introduce legislation based upon the report of the committee which investigated the wmrking of the Pension Act?

Hon. MURRAY MacLAREN (Minister of Pensions and National Health):

It has not

been decided, but I think it quite likely that legislation will be introduced. I cannot make a definite statement to-day.

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

I consulted with the registrar under the Combines Act some weeks ago, and he has been assembling the material touching upon the question. He will proceed with his investigation, and in due course-and I hope it will not be too long delayed-his report will be made.

Mr. VINCENT DUPUIS (Laprairie-Napier-ville) (Translation):

Mr. Speaker, I wish to

inquire from the hon. Minister of Marine (Mr. Duranleau), whether he has been informed that certain seditious speeches were delivered under the patronage of the "Federation des clubs ouvriers" at the broadcasting station CHLP, "La Patrie," Montreal, and, if so, whether measures have been taken to prohibit such speeches.

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

Mr. Speaker,

the Department of Marine, so far as I know, has received no official information that seditious speeches were made at any broadcasting station.

Mr. MACKENZIE (Vancouver):

When the committee adjourned I understand the specific question under consideration was that asked by my hon. friend the member for Shelburne-Yarmouth (Mr. Ralston) whether the Minister of Justice would consider specifying individual members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to be migratory bird officers, instead of a blanket authority conferred upon the whole force.

Mr. GUTHRIE:

I remember the discussion that took place. I think the hon. member for Shelburne-Yarmouth urged two points; one in regard to clothing members of the police with magisterial powers. I am inclined to agree with the objection which he took in that respect. I do not think that members of the police who are designated as officers under the Migratory Birds Convention Act should be clothed with the powers of magistrates. And as I read the act now carefully I do not think the act gives them such powers, though 53719-131

that power was conferred upon those who were appointed under the present act.

On the other point that the hon. member for Shelburne-Yarmouth urged, that certain members of the mounted police force should be designated in each province as inspectors under the Migratory Birds Convention Act, I have discussed this with the commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and he is utterly opposed to the suggestion. He says that if such a proposal were adopted the tendency would be for members of the force to imagine that was their particular work, and they would disregard other services which they were called upon to perform. He says it is one of the cardinal rules of the force that its members shall enforce in general all the laws of the country or the province, and shall not be designated for any specific branch of the service. We have the preventive service, for instance; in certain provinces they do work under the liquor laws. He is utterly opposed to segregating any part of the service for any special law enforcement, and he objects for that reason to the proposal made by my hon. friend from Shelburne-Yarmouth. He says it will be far more satisfactory to allow the whole force to become inspectors under the Migratory Birds Convention Act, so that it will become the duty of every member to enforce that as well as other laws.

Mr. MACKENZIE (Vancouver):

When

this act is passed, will the enforcement of the provisions rest with the Department of Justice or with the Department of the Interior as heretofore?

Mr. GUTHRIE:

If it rests with any department I would fancy it would rest with the Department of Justice, because the Migratory Birds Convention Act enforcement has now been transferred by order in council to the Department of Justice, being the department, in control of the mounted police. I assume that all prosecutions would be under that department in the future.