Mr. SPEAKER:

I have the honour to inform the house that I have received the following message:

Ottawa, 7th May, 1936.

Sir,-I have the honour to inform you that the Right Honourable Sir Lyman P. Duff, Chief Justice of Canada, acting as deputy of His Excellency the Governor General, will proceed to the Senate chamber to-day, 7th May, at 5.45 p.m. for the purpose of giving the royal assent to certain bills.

F. L. C. Pereira, Assistant Secretary to the Governor General.

Mr. G. W. McPHEE (Yorkton):

Mr. Speaker, I rise to a question of privilege in connection with a matter that concerns the dignity of the members of the House of Commons and

Questions

contravenes the House of Commons Act, being chapter 145 of the revised statutes of Canada. I refer to an article which appears in this morning's Citizen, written by Miss McGee of the Canadian Press. This is headed "Women MJP.'s Give Verdict on Best Looking Men in House." Perhaps I should read just a few short paragraphs of this article in order to lay a foundation for what I am about to say. The article reads:

While the members of the House of Commons have been debating legislation in long hours of argument, the two women members have had ample opportunity to consider their masculine confreres from the standpoint of pulchritude. Yesterday they disclosed their preferences.

They then give their reasons.

Mr. SPEAKER:

May I ask the hon. member kindly to state his question of privilege?

Mr. McPHEE:

That will be seen from the next paragraph of the article which reads:

The reasons she gave for not listing any members as "handsome" are that "too many have eyes too close together, ears that stick out. crooked noses, weak chins, avoirdupois and bad carriage."

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

I do not like to interrupt my hon. friend, and I hope he will not think I do so because I have not been mentioned in the list to which he is referring, but I do submit that this is hardly a question of privilege and he should not continue.

Mr. McPHEE:

It affects the dignity of the house.

Mr. SPEAKER:

This is not a question of privilege. The hon. member is out of order.

1. On what date was the grant to the 1936 Olympic games paid, to whom and on what

terms ?

Date

incurred Amount

April, 1936 69

March, 1936

147 52March, 1936

1 53April, 1936

20 67April, 1936

131 02Total $301 432. Will the government lay on the table all correspondence as to the 1936 Olympic games?3. Will further consideration be given to cancel further participation by Canada for 1936 at these games owing to European conditions?

1. Cheque for $5,000, being one-half of amount voted in supplementary estimates (item No. 386) in favour of the Canadian Olympic committee, for their use in connection with the winter games, was handed to Mr. P. J. Mulqueen, chairman of the committee, on October 31, 1935. There was no stipulation as to the use to be made of this money. Balance of $5,000 not yet paid.

2. Yes.

3. Should such consideration be deemed necessary, it will be given.

1. Does the Canada and Gulf Terminal Railway Company, which operates the railway between Mont Joli and Matane, province of Quebec, owe any moneys to the government of Canada, or to the Canadian National Railways; if so (a) what are the dates upon which these debts respectively were incurred; (b) what are the amounts; (c) what rate of interest is charged; (d) when do these debts mature, and what are the conditions of payment?

2. Are there arrears of both capital and interest with reference to these debts, and what are the amounts respectively?

3. Has the government of Canada or the Canadian National Railways provided for these deficits of the Canada and Gulf Terminal Railway; if so (a) on what dates; (b) for what amounts; (c) upon what conditions; (d) at what rate of interest?

4. What is the total amount actually owing on capital and interest by this company to the government or to the Canadian National Railways?

1. Due to government-Nil.

Due to Canadian National Railways:

Interest rate Particulars

Nil Telegraph tolls

Nil Joint facility rent

Nil Overcharge claim

Nil Overcharge claim

Nil Express interchange

All due for current settlement

Privilege-Mr. Bennett

2. No arrears due to Canadian National Railways.

3. No deficits of the Canada and Gulf Terminal Railway have been provided for by the Canadian National Railways, or the government.

4. 8301.48 due to the Canadian National Railways.

1. Were Rosaire Blouin and Georges Premont, of St. Jean, He d'Orleans, Montmorency county, named or appointed to their positions by the civil service commission after passing the examinations of said commission?

2. If so, were their successors appointed in like manner?

3. If not, why?

4. If they were appointed by the civil service commission, could they be dismissed without intervention of the said commission?