Right Hon. R. B. BENNETT (Leader of the Opposition):

Perhaps the Minister of

Trade and Commerce (Mr. Euler) would acquaint the house with the terms and provisions of the supplementary agreement made between France and Canada in connection with trading. If it cannot be done now perhaps the hon. gentleman will take this as a notice and make a statement to-morrow.

Hon. W. D. EULER (Minister of Trade and Commerce):

I shall be glad to make that statement to-morrow.

Mr. L. A. MUTCH (Winnipeg South):

Before the orders of the day are called I should like to address a question to the Minister of Railways. Is it true that acceptance of the proposed amalgamation of roundhouse facilities in the city of Ottawa will lead to the virtual closing of the Canadian National railway roundhouse and the unemployment of seventy or more men?

Hon. C. D. HOWE (Minister of Railways):

I should perhaps make the position of the

government clear with reference to this matter. It is entirely between the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Canadian National Railways, and this government has no more control over the Canadian National Railways than it has over the Canadian Pacific. That is made quite clear in the 1933 Canadian Na-tional-Canadian Pacific Railway Act. We have received no communication whatever on this subject prior to the public announcement, but inasmuch as the matter is of public interest I dropped a line to the chairman of the board of trustees of the Canadian National and asking him whether he would care to give me the facts. The facts are these. The Canadian Pacific Railway has at Ottawa a modern roundhouse built recently and very well equipped with heavy machinery. The Canadian National has a roundhouse that is somewhat out of date; it is not at all modern. The two railways have made an arrangement whereby the light equipment, that is, the engines that run from Montreal and turn round and go back, the yard engines and so on, are to be repaired in the Canadian National roundhouse, but the heavy engines which make the through run, the engines of larger size requiring heavier repairs, are to be handled in the modern Canadian Pacific railway shop. Certain men will be transferred from one shop to the other and I understand that twenty-three men less will be required in the total operations. These men are being taken care of in their order of seniority and absorbed back into other railway services. The management are meeting a committee of the men in the ordinary way to work out the human element involved. I want to make it clear that the Minister of Railways is not in a position either to consent or to refuse consent. No consent whatever is required, and the matter was not referred to the government in any shape or form.

Mr. A. J. BROOKS (Royal):

Mr. Speaker, I should like to ask the Minister of Mines if he has been advised of the great falling off of employment in the coal mines in the Minto coal district of New Brunswick. I should also like to know if it is the intention of the government to extend the same proportionate assistance to the New Brunswick coal industry in the matter of subventions and bonuses as is granted to the coal industry in Nova Scotia.

Hon. T. A. CRERAR (Minister of Mines):

So far as the first question is concerned, I believe there has been some falling off in the number of men employed in coal mines in certain areas. That is due to the fact that there has been a very considerable decrease

Wheat Board-Mr. Bennett

in the consumption of coal in the last few years as compared, say, with five or six years ago. So far as the second question is concerned, it is not intended that the subvention principle shall operate this year any differently from last year.

Mr. H. E. WILTON (Hamilton West):

On March 25 I asked the Minister of Justice (Mr. Lapointe) whether he had received any requests or communications from United States interests asking for a change in the criminal code to legalize dog racing in Canada. His answer at that time was that he would look into the matter and give me a reply later. This he did, and in his answer yesterday he said:

I find that there has not been of recent date any such communication wTith regard to dog racing.

He emphasizes the words "recent date." What I am particularly anxious to know is this: Has he, not merely of recent date but at any date, received any such communication? -because there are many business interests that may be interested in this matter.

Order.

Mr. WILTON:

I should like a reply to

that question, whether the minister has at any time received a request or such request from United States interests.

Right Hon. W. L. MACKENZIE KING (Prime Minister):

The Minister of Justice

is not in his seat at the moment. I assume that my hon. friend will be satisfied if the reply dates back to the time when the present government took office. Or does he wish to go back to the time when we were in office before?

Mr. WILTON:

I should be quite satisfied with the period that the present government has been in office.