Hon. J. D. CHAPLIN (Lincoln) moved:

That the standing committee on banking and commerce be empowered to sit while the house is sitting.

Mr. JEAN FRANCOIS POULIOT (Temis-couata):

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, and purely as a matter of procedure, may I bring to the attention of the cabinet ministers page 109 of the votes and proceedings for February 8. They will see on that page something to which I shall direct their attention.

Whereas the eight hour day convention appears to have lapsed since 1921 is it the intention of the government to proceed with the bill based on such convention? This is stupendous, but it lapsed fourteen years ago.

In answer to the hon.

member for Temiscouata may I say this matter will be brought to the attention of the Prime Minister, and the question may be asked when the resolution standing in his name is before the house.

SALE OF BUTTER On the orders of the day:

Mr. J. A. MERCIER (Laurier-Outre-mont):

Mr. Speaker, I should like to direct a question to the Minister of Agriculture (Mr. Weir). Yesterday the minister gave a complete answer with regard to charges to the effect that adulterated butter was being put on the Montreal market. Has the minister any further information he could give the house to-day?

Hon. ROBERT WEIR (Minister of Agriculture):

Only this, that our chief inspector has been instructed to get in touch with the organization which made the statement to see if they can give any information which will enable the department to make any more thorough investigation than has already been made.

PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAM On the orders of the day:

Hon. ERNEST LAPOINTE (Quebec East):

Mr. Speaker, I should like to ask a question of the minister of Marine (Mr. Duranleau). In the law passed last year concerning an expenditure of $40,000,000 for public works it is stated that tenders must be asked before works are proceeded with. I should like to ask the minister if tenders for the harbour works of Quebec are being asked publicly, by way of the newspapers, or are they asked only from private firms.

Hon. ALFRED DURANLEAU (Minister of Marine):

Mr. Speaker, in connection with those public works of the Department of Marine, tenders have been asked) from a certain number of private firms. In some cases, as many as ten firms were invited to tender.

Mr. LAPOINTE:

Why not public tenders?

Mr. DURANLEAU:

Because, as the house was told last session, these were relief works, and we thought it was better to have-

League of Nations

Mr. NEILL:

Relief for whom?

Mr. DURANLEAU:

The government and my department thought it was more advisable to have the work done by local contractors so as to relieve unemployment in the locality.

Mr. LAPOINTE:

Is it not a fact that only the friends of my hon. friend's party have been asked to tender?

Mr. DURANLEAU:

My hon. friend from Quebec East is entirely wrong.

Yesterday the hon. member for Temiscouata (Mr. Pouliot) asked a question about the withdrawal of Paraguay from the League of Nations. In reply I would say that the government has been informed that Paraguay has given formal notice to the secretary general of the League of Nations of her intention to withdraw from

the league. ,

The hon. member for Temiscouata inquired what stand had been taken by the Canadian government in the matter. No stand in the matter has been taken by the government of Canada nor by the government of any .other member of the league. Under article 1, section 3 of the covenant "any member of the league may, after two years' notice of its intention so to do, withdraw from the league, provided that all its international obligations and all its obligations under this covenant shall have been fulfilled at the time of its withdrawal."

It will be noted that withdrawal from the league cannot in any case take effect until two years after notice has been given.