Mr. J. L. BOWMAN (Dauphin) presented the fourth report of the select special committee on the Civil Service Act, as follows: House of Commons, Monday, June 25, 1934. Fourth Report: The select special committee appointed to inquire into and report upon the administration and operation of the Civil Service Act as amended, with instructions to inquire into and report concerning the repeal or amendment of any of the provisions of the said act or the substitution therefor or addition thereto of other provisions as the committee may deem advisable, begs leave to present the following as its fourth report: (1) Representations have been made to your committee urging that certain temporary employees who have for long periods been occupying positions of a permanent nature should now be accorded permanent status. Your committee find that by orders in council, P.C. 2958, dated the 16th day of December, 1920, and P.C. 3895, dated October 22, 1921, passed pursuant to the Civil Service Amendment Act, October, 1919, 4060 temporary employees who had been continuously employed in positions of a permanent character since November 10, 1919 (the date on which the Civil Service Act became law) were, during the period 1920-27, given permanent status. In 1927, however, the enabling orders in council were rescinded. The representations which have been made to your committee urge that any other temporary employees (approximately 300 in number) who were eligible to benefit under this section of the act and the said orders in council but whose permanency was not at the time effected should now be granted permanent status, in order that they may enjoy the benefits attached thereto. These benefits include the right to contribute to the Civil Service Superannuation Act, the right to receive statutory increases when these are again allowed, the right to compete for promotions when promotions are again authorized, and the right to receive retiring leave on separation from the service. A large number of the employees in question have already been permitted to contribute to the Civil Service Superannuation Act, so that the additional burden on that fund will be small, and as all statutory increases and the great majority of promotions are at present prohibited, there will be little, if any, additional^ cost in this connection nor in connection with the question of compensation, as employees will continue to receive the salaries which they are now paid. Your committee believes that there is justification for the granting of permanent status to the employees in question, and recommends that the civil service commission be instructed to prepare the necessary regulations for submission to the governor in council to give effect thereto. (2) Representations have also been made to your committee that permanent status should be conferred upon the staff of the soldier settlement board, which has since 1918 been operating almost entirely on a temporary basis. It is represented that as a result 01 reorganization the staff has now reached a permanent basis, having been reduced from a peak figure of 1,595 to a present figure of 343. The great majority of the members of the staff are returned soldiers and have been employed continuously for long periods of service-in many cases up to fifteen years. Your committee finds that in 1928 action in this respect was taken in connection with the staff of the Department of Soldiers Civil Reestablishment. # Your committee is of opinion that the action requested is in the public interest, and recommends that the Soldier Settlement Act be amended to provide that:

Civil Service Committee Report "Such members of the staff of the soldier settlement board as may be designated by the governor in council shall, notwithstanding anything contained in the Civil Service Act, be regarded as permanent employees, provided that their positions are certified' by the civil service commission, upon the recommendation of the minister based upon the report, in writing of the deputy minister, to be of indeterminate duration, and shall thereafter become subject in all respects to the Civil Service Act." (3) Representations have been made to your committee on behalf of employees receiving prevailing rates of pay, urging that they be allowed' to contribute to the civil service superannuation fund. Section 2 of The Civil Service Superannuation Act limits the benefits of that act to permanent full time employees "who are in receipt of a stated annual salary of at least $600." The employees on whose behalf representations have been made could accordingly secure the benefits of the superannuation act only by having their salary r ate changed from a prevailing rate basis to a state annual salary, or by amending the provisions of the Civil Service Superannuation Act in this regard. With respect to this and other matters relative to the application of the superannuation act the factors involved are of so complicated a nature that your committee was unable to obtain sufficiently definite or comprehensive information to warrant a recommendation. Moreover the committee is of opinion that the question is one that does not properly come _ within its terms of reference. In any case it is understood that these matters are under consideration by the advisory committee on the superannuation act to which body your committee suggests the representations above specified be referred. (4) Your committee has been pleased to note that since the reorganization of the civil service commission substantial progress has been made in carrying out the recommendations of the special committee of 1932, and that action is being taken in connection with overlapping^and the reorganization of certain services. Your committee particularly urges that the progress which has already been made in absorbing surplus personnel and thus obviating the necessity of filling vacancies with new personnel, be extended to the greatest degree possible. (5) Attention has been drawn to recommendation No. 21 contained in the report of the civil service committee of 1932, recommending the setting up of a board to adjudicate upon complaints of civil servants. It has been alleged that this board has not functioned due to the fact that no person has been designated to convere the board. Your committee finds that the civil service commission has been dealing with complaints of civil servants by means of conferences with representatives of civil servant organizations and with representatives of the departments concerned. Your committee recommends that the civil servant organization, of which the complainant is a member, should notify the civil service commission of its desire to have a complaint considered and that the commission then take the necessary steps to have such board convened. (6) hour committee has had placed before it numerous other representations containing much useful information regarding conditions in the public service in connection with all of which careful consideration has been given. It has not, however, been practicable to deal definitely with all the matters submitted and it is accordingly recommended that such matters appearing on the record not dealt with specifically by this report be investigated by the civil service commission so that where possible the necessary action may be taken, [DOT]"-hd rur^ermore that the commission submit a full report upon the matters involved to such select committee on civil service matters as may be set up at a subsequent session. (7) Your committee finds itself in sympathy with the representations made to it that the full restoration of promotions and increases and compensations in the service would be in the public interest and recommends that such steps be taken as soon as financial conditions warrant. (8) Your committee has been greatly assisted by the evidence and information placed before it by the several civil servants' associations, and has been impressed *with the high efficiency and morale of the public service as indicated thereby. A copy of the printed proceedings and evidence is submitted herewith. All of which is respectfully submitted. J. L. Bowman, Acting Chairman.

Hon. HUGH GUTHRIE (Minister of Justice) presented the first report of the special committee to which was referred Bill No. 101, respecting the franchise of electors at elections of members of the House of Commons and Bill No. 115, respecting the election of members of the House of Commons as follows * The special committee of the house to -which ^as referred Bill No. 101, an act respecting the franchise of electors at elections of members of the House of Commons, and Bill No. au act respecting the election of members ot the House of Commons, recommends that it .p;ive? leave to sit while the house is sitting. All of which is respectfully submitted. H. Guthrie, Chairman. Mr. GUTHRIE moved that the report be concurred in. Motion agreed to.

On the order for the introduction of bills to incorporate Canadian Railway Express Company and Canadian Communications Company!

Right Hon. R. B. BENNETT (Prime Minister, for the Minister of Finance) moved for leave to introduce Bill No. 123, to amend the Loan Companies Act.