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

I have no advice to that effect, nor

had I heard of it until the hon. gentleman raised the question. Both the Canadian Pacific and the Canadian National were shareholders in Canadian Airways, each having subscribed-and this was I think before we came into office-for $250,000 worth of stock in that enterprise. It is possibly that to which the hon. gentleman refers.

Mr. EULER:

It may be.

Mr. BENNETT:

That is some time ago.

Mr. A. W. NEILL (Comox-Alberni) :

Might I ask the Secretary of State when he expects to receive the report of Judge Parker who

Weights and Measures Act

was appointed to investigate charges against the Canadian Performing Right Society? When he does get it, will he make it available to the house?

Hon. C. H. CAHAN (Secretary of State):

I have no knowledge of when the proceedings will be terminated. They are being carried on as rapidly as possible and, as I understand, are approaching a conclusion, but so soon as I ascertain that the investigation is closed and I receive a report, I shall announce that fact to the house.

Mr. A. E. MUNN (Vancouver North):

On behalf of the promoters of the First Narrows bridge at Vancouver I wish to ask the Prime Minister a question. This application has been before the government for several months and in the meantime the promoters have spent upwards of a million dollars working on a townsite in West Vancouver. My question is: If as suggested, the south pier of the proposed First Narrows bridge, as shown on the plan, be moved fifty feet north, giving full 1,500 distance between piers, will the government consent and give authority for the promoters to proceed with the construction?

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

The hon. gentleman sent a note to

my office this morning stating that he proposed to ask this question. I have not had an opportunity to look at the map, so I shall endeavour to give him a detailed answer tomorrow. The sole question is whether the north pier is sufficiently far north to prevent the possibility of its being said during the seventy-five years that will elapse in the lifetime of the bridge, that the widest possible channel is not available for navigation in the narrows fairway of the harbour of Vancouver, whether it cannot be moved to a sufficient distance to prevent further dredging to widen the channel. The question from time to time has been whether the pier would be moved so far north that it could not be moved further north, so as to make it impossible to contend that the channel has been unduly narrowed. That is the whole story. At any time the promoters satisfy the government that the pier cannot be moved further north so that the narrows fairway cannot be enlarged in the future, the matter is ended. I tried to make that clear to the hon. gentleman some months ago.

Mr. A. W. NEILL (Comox-Albemi):

Might I ask the Prime Minister a question? Last week a motion to concur in the report of the committee dealing with' old age pensions for the blind was stood over at his request. Does he intend to let it proceed or to make some statement in connection with it?

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

The matter has been engaging the attention of the government. If the report is adopted in the terms in which it now stands, this involves a radical departure from parliamentary procedure, and no decision has been reached as to just what action should be taken.

Mr. F. G. SANDERSON (South Perth):

I have a question to direct to the Minister of National Defence. Major General Ashton has been appointed chief of staff of the minister's department. What salary will he receive, and if he is on a 'contract for a number of years, will the minister kindly state the terms?

Hon. GROTE STIRLING (Minister of National Defence):

The salary of General Ashton on assuming the duties of chief of general staff is $7,500. It is not under contract.