Hon. D. M. SUTHERLAND (Minister of Pensions and National Health):

Mr. Speaker, with the consent of the house I would like if possible to get the resolution standing on the order paper in my name advanced into committee to-day. The bill founded on the resolution is very short and it has the single purpose of extending for one year the appointment of a judge as acting chairman of the commission.

Mr. SPEAKER:

with the unanimous consent of the house.

Mr. SUTHERLAND moved that the house go into committee to consider the following proposed resolution:

That it is expedient to extend for one year the provisions of the act to amend the Pension Act, chapter 58 of the statutes of 1934, respecting the appointment of a judge as acting chairman of the commission.

Motion agreed to and the house went into committee, Mr. Morand in the chair.

Hours of Labour

Mr. SUTHERLAND:

Mr. Chairman, as you are aware the Pension Act was amended at the last session of parliament to provide that if the chairmanship of the board of pension commissioners became vacant it would be possible to appoint a judge of the superior court of any province of Canada to occupy that position for a period not exceeding one year. That year is up on August 1 next, and the government would like if possible to have the present holder of that office, Mr. Justice Taylor, continue for another year if it can be arranged without trouble to the court to which he belongs in Manitoba. That is the sole intent of the resolution.

Mr. MACKENZIE (Vancouver):

Mr. Chairman, I would like to support the resolution of the minister and I would take this opportunity of saying that I think Mr. Justice Taylor has rendered very wonderful service during the past year.

Resolution reported, read the second time and concurred in. -Mr. Sutherland thereupon moved for leave to introduce Bill No. 119, to amend the Pension Act.

Hon. ERNEST LAPOINTE (Quebec East):

Mr. Speaker, I see a dispatch from Geneva in the American press to the effect that the forty-hour week principle has been voted by the international labour conference by a majority of six, and that the delegates of the governments of Great Britain and the British dominions, with the exception of the Irish Free State, abstained from voting. I should like to ask the Prime Minister whether or not this is so, and if so whether they have taken that stand under the instructions of the government.

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

Mr. Speaker, I explained a few days ago in answer, I believe, to a question of the hon. member himself that we did instruct our delegates that we had now proceeded to give effect to the convention ratified some time ago, registration of which ratification had taken place at the time, and that we thought it undesirable at the moment to take any part in the further discussion of lessening hours of labour in view of the position that had been

taken with respect to the existing convention. That is, if the position which we took is sound in connection with the convention itself and it is intended, as was suggested during the progress of the debate, that it might be determined judicially, it was desirable that we should abstain from voting until such time as an opportunity had been afforded to enable that matter to be determined.

Mr. LAPOINTE:

It is an admission that we are not sure.

Mr. BENNETT:

No, that is hardly correct. The hon. member is a lawyer; it is hardly to be said that because a case is litigated both sides are certain.

Mr. LAPOINTE:

Very well.

Mr. HEAPS:

Mr. Chairman, last night just prior to adjournment the right hon. gentleman in charge of the bill, at least to my way of thinking, was unable to give a satisfactory answer to certain questions I put to him in connection with what is looked upon in the bill as a lending institution. I have certain objections to this clause. I object to it because it puts elected bodies, provincial and municipal, in a position inferior to that held by financial institutions. According to this bill if they wish to take advantage of the funds the government is providing and which, in my estimation are very meagre, then these publicly elected bodies will ultimately be compelled to go to lending institutions before proceeding with a housing scheme.

Last night the right hon. gentleman could not satisfy my questions in this connection. I feel that our city councils and municipal and provincial governments under the terms of the bill before us will be compelled to go to these lending institutions before they will be able to receive the funds provided by the federal government. I wonder if the minister has considered that aspect of the matter, and if he is prepared to modify the attitude of the government concerning that particular clause of the bill?