The CHAIRMAN:

We are still on item

546.

Mr. STIRLING:

I beg your pardon.

Mr. STIRLING:

Would the minister give the details, please?

Mr. MACKENZIE (Vancouver):

There

is a revote of $394,300, making a total vote of $530,000. The revotes were partly for clothing ordered but not delivered within the fiscal year 1937-38; there is an amount for miscellaneous stores ordered but not delivered within the fiscal year 1937-38; an additional amount for new uniforms, clothing for the non-permanent militia, amounting to $50,000. That is not a revote; it is in the supplementary estimates. There is a revote of $59,000 for armament stores ordered but not delivered in the fiscal year 1937-38. For technical equipment required for repairs to mountings and for miscellaneous accessories for armament generally, west coast and east coast, there is an additional amount required for 1938-39, $20,000. There are a few small amounts in connection with search-light equipment, to provide for possible arrangements for purchase. Then, partly to com-

Supply-Defence-Stores

plete the purchase of trucks, G.S. 15 hundredweight, an amount is required to meet increased cost of fifty-one vehicles included in last year's appropriations. For these purposes there is an amount of $50,000. There is also a small amount for coastal defence ammunition, and there is a revote of $30,300 for telephone, signal and wireless equipment.

If I may recapitulate, the table would be as follows:

Recapitulation of Stores and Equipment

Revote Additional 1937-38 1938-39

Clothing and miscellaneous

. stores $ 75,000 $ 50,000Armament stores

59,000 70,500

Ammunition procurement,

progress 200

telephone, signal and wireless equipment 30,300 _____

$164,300 $120,700

Mr. STIRLING:

Is the contract for the Bren gun complete?

Mr. MACKENZIE (Vancouver):

That was dealt with in the main estimates.

Mr. STIRLING:

Yes, and the minister announced that 7,000 of them would be for Canadian use.

Mr. MACKENZIE (Vancouver):

Correct.

Mr. STIRLING:

Has construction actually started on them?

Mr. MACKENZIE (Vancouver):

The

assembling of the plant and the preliminary processes necessary in the obtaining of equipment I suppose the technical terms are jigs and dies-was commenced about two or three weeks ago. They are assembling some of the plant that we had in Quebec. It is being assembled at the plant in Toronto.

Mr. STIRLING:

That is one of the pieces of work undertaken for purposes of defence as a result, I take it, of the work of the committee of inquiry into industrial possibilities?

Mr. MACKENZIE (Vancouver):

Yes.

Mr. STIRLING:

Are any further purchases actually in hand or contemplated for other things? In one of his speeches the minister referred to search-lights, and I believe there was some reference to gas masks. There may be other requirements for defence, generally speaking. Can he give any information with regard to the developments we may expect shortly as a result of the committee's work in investigating industrial possibilities?

Mr. MACKENZIE (Vancouver):

In regard to search-lights we have called for tenders and hope to have them produced in Canada. In

regard to gas masks, may I say that we have been making the main portion of them in Canada. The experiments, which were of a difficult nature have been successful. We trust to have a production of so many a month, from this day forward.

Mr. HARTIGAN:

Probably the observations I am about to make may refer more particularly to public works. But I must point out that Sydney is the centre of an important mining area, and from it a large number of recruits went to the last war and fought for their country. Apparently, from the standpoint of the defence department Nova Scotia begins and ends at Halifax. I think it is high time this aspect of the question was gone into by the authorities in the department, and that Sydney was given at least an armoury in which to train the units that exist down there.

Both Sydney and Glace Bay have first-class units. The men have given of their time gratuitously, and are doing good work. Stili there is an armoury, so-called, in Victoria park which the minister knows full well is a disgrace to any military district of Canada. We cannot expect those people to do the work, such as we see done around Ottawa, and expected of them by the department, if we do not provide facilities for them.

So far as the militarization of Canada is concerned, whether it be for internal or externa] defence matters not to me, if the shows put on around Ottawa, which we witness every other day in close proximity to this building, give an indication of how the money is spent, then I say that that is not a fair expenditure of the taxpayers money. If we want the whole-hearted effort of all Canada, the east as well as the west, moneys for militarization purposes should be distributed across Canada and not centered wholly in one place with the idea of putting on a show on certain state occasions. While they are all very well in their place, still I say that is not giving other sections of Canada a square deal. I do not believe Cape Breton has received a square deal from the defence department this year, because it has not been given proper facilities to train the units.

Mr. MacNEIL:

I notice in the press mention is made of several public statements by the minister with regard to the survey of plants in Canada in connection with the manufacture of munitions. Did he in that survey include workshops and machine shops of the Canadian National Railways and those under the jurisdiction of the various federal departments?

Mr. MACKENZIE (Vancouver):

I believe directions were given to the committee to survey those facilities.

Mr. BENNETT:

Who had the contract for the Bren gun?

Mr. MACKENZIE (Vancouver):

John

Inglis and Company in Toronto. They have two contracts, one from the Department oi National Defence at Ottawa for 7,000 guns, and a similar contract from the British War Office for 5,000 guns.