James Layton Ralston
Liberal
Mr. RALSTON:
I thought I made myself absolutely clear; I do not know why the right hon. gentleman should interject that remark. The very fact that I said that this bill is to be in force until another parliament repeals it is evidence that I dio not think for a single instant that one parliament binds another and that a subsequent parliament cannot repeal this act. But I am saying that it seems to me that we should not in the dying days of this particular parliament decide on a permanent policy for Canada when the policy we are adopting is being dictated to a large extent by the emergent situation in which we find ourselves having regard to that accumulation. Other emergency bills, as I am reminded, have been limited to a year. For instance, -the relief acts were passed year after year, made to expire, and unless renewed, expiring entirely. Those are emergent measures. I submit that this is an emergent measure due to the situation in which we find ourselves, and to some extent perhaps an experiment, one which will have to be tried out in order that we may find out whether it is the best for all' concerned.
There are three classes of people who are concerned in connection w-ith this legislation: first, the customers, who fear a monopoly.
If we indicate to the world now that we are labeling this bill as a permanent policy for Canada as far as wheat is concerned, we do not improve our situation- with our customers in the world market. They wil at least be reassured if we put some limitation on this bill to indicate that it will expire at a certain time unless it is further extended. Second, the taxpayers will accept in the name of an- emergency many things that they -will hesitate about if they are regarded and imposed as a matter of permanent policy. Third, last and .most important, it seems to me that the producers themselves might well wish to reconsider this matter at the end of one or two years. It may be that a fixed price will prove a deterrent to -the commercial -trade and at the same time may not give the producer a fair return. In other words, with the government seeking to back this legislation and with the board making a fixed price, the trade may feel they are out of the situation; and if the minimum price should not be regarded as sufficient, the result will- be that the producer loses entirely the benefit of the trade competition, the advantage o-f the marketing connections which the trade has in- the markets of the world and the benefit which an active, vibrant, self-reliant trade could bring about in the way of increasing prices.
Before this bill comes out of the committee, I think the Prime Minister (Mr, Bennett) who is in charge of the measure, should reconsider the proposal made to him in the committee and insert some clause in the bill to indicate its nature, namely, that it is an emergency measure; that it is for the purpose of dealing with the situation in which we find ourselves; that it is to bridge the gap; to provide, as suggested in the committee, that the bill should be in force for one year, giving the governor in council power to extend it for a second year and providing at the end of that second year that it should automatically lapse unless it is further extended by parliament. That is the feeling which I have with regard to this matter.
There are one or two other points to which I should like to refer when we come to the particular clauses of the bill. I believe if the government could insert an amendment of that kind, it would be possible for us to present an absolutely united front in connection with this measure to deal with the situation in which we find ourselves and after all to attempt to help to make western Canadg, what we all want it to be, the habitation of a prosperous and contented people, the place where -men and women who have endured a good deal during the past
Grain Board
three or four years may be given hope and an opportunity to play the part which they are destined and qualified to play in the development of this dominion, because we all realize-and this cannot be repeated too often-the importance of the great west, and of t
Subtopic: CANADIAN GRAIN BOARD
Sub-subtopic: PURCHASE, STORAGE AND MARKETING OF WHEAT AND OTHER GRAINS