Sir GEORGE PERLEY (For the Prime Minister) moved:

That standing order 63 of the House of Commons relating to the appointment of

Railways and Shipping

standing committees of the house be amended by adding to the standing committees of the house for the present session a standing committee on railways and shipping owned, operated and controlled by the government, to which will be referred the accounts and estimates of the Canadian National Railways and the Canadian Government Merchant Marine for the present session, for consideration and report to the house; provided, however, that nothing in the resolution shall be construed to curtail in any way the full right of discussion in committee of supply; and that said committee consist of: Messrs. Beaubien, Beaubier, Bell (St. Antoine), Bothwell, Cantley, Chaplin, Duff, Euler, Fiset (Sir Eugene), Fraser (Cariboo), Geary, Gray, Gobeil, Hanbury, Heaps, MacMillan (Saskatoon), Manion, Power, Price, Speakman, Stewart (Lethbridge) and Tummon.

Right Hon. W. L. MACKENZIE KING (Leader of the Opposition):

May I ask my right hon. friend if that resolution is the same in all essential particulars as the resolutions that have been passed in previous years?

Sir GEORGE PERLEY:

Yes, I think it is; I am informed that it is.

Mr. JEAN FRANCOIS POULIOT (Temis-couata):

Before the motion is adopted, Mr. Speaker, I regret to have to complain about an answer I received from the Minister of Railways (Mr. Manion) not long ago, with regard to Mr. Laforce, an employee of the Canadian National Railways. I asked in what capacity this man was employed, his salary and so on, and I was told that it was not in the public interest that this information should be made public. I cannot blame the minister for that answer but I do blame the management of the Canadian National for answering my question in that way. When members of the House of Commons ask questions this is the answer they get, but when they come to us to borrow money-

Order.

Mr. SPEAKER:

I must tell my hon. friend that this discussion is not in order on this motion, which is to appoint a committee.

Mr. POULIOT:

But this is my point. That committee will investigate the business of the Canadian National Railways and the merchant marine, but only a privileged number of members of this house are entitled to secure information from the officials of the system. When a member, from his seat or through a question on the order paper, asks for some information such as this, he is denied the information he requires.

Order.

Mr. SPEAKER:

The hon. member must realize that he has the privilege of going

before the committee and asking any questions he may desire to ask. This discussion does not come up on this motion.

Mr. POULIOT:

I thank you.

Hon. R. J. MANION (Minister of Railways and Canals):

May I add, Mr. Speaker, that the evidence taken before the committee is printed in any case, and the hon. member can have some member of the committee ask any questions he wishes asked about Mr. Laforce. He will be able to get the evidence printed, if he wishes to do so.

Mr. POULIOT:

If the house will allow me-

Order.

Mr. SPEAKER:

I do not think the hon. member should carry the matter any further.