Mr. ROWE (Dufferin-Simcoe):

My hon.

friends laugh. Let me say to the hon. member who has interrupted me that I have listened to his group talking wheat morning, noon and night.

Mr. BLACKMORE:

That is what we came here for.

Mr. ROWE (Dufferin-Simcoe):

Then you represent only one-fifth of Canadian agriculture. I have every regard for the wheat grower of western Canada-

Oh, oh.

Mr. ROWE (Dufferin-Simcoe):

-and perhaps I have grown as much wheat as some of these hon. gentlemen who are laughing and who talk so much about it. But let me tell them that this country cannot survive by wheat alone. No country in the world which has had success in agriculture has depended upon wheat alone.

.

Mr. COLD WELL:

It is Canada's greatest source of new wealth.

Mr. ROWE (Dufferin-Simcoe):

It may be Canada's greatest source of new wealth for a few years, but I am reminded of those countries that have survived for 1,200 years in the production of agricultural commodities, countries that have maintained the fertility of their soil. I well recall a friend of mine who was here long before the hon. member for Rosetown-Biggar (Mr. Coldwell) became a member of parliament, and one night he said to me, "Earl, you don't know anything about western Canada-"

Hear, hear.

Mr. ROWE (Dufferin-Simcoe):

My hon. friends are laughing. I have been through western Canada and perhaps I know more about the west than some of them. This man said to me, "The day will never come when we will take less than a dollar for our wheat, nor will the day come when we shall be producing less than thirty-five bushels to the acre." Well, what has time proved? A few years ago he told me that his farm had been practically blown from under his feet.

Mr. MITCHELL:

It must have been a

pre-election year.

Mr. ROWE (Dufferin-Simcoe):

Time will test the accuracy of the statements of these prophets from the prairies. I am truly amazed to find my hon. friends still clinging to the old and dusty doctrines of the free trade school. If ever a country stood in dire need of an economic council which would ascertain what was wrong with it internally, that country is the Dominion of Canada.

That is true.

Mr. ROWE (Dufferin-Simcoe):

Well, I

am glad we are agreed on one thing at any rate. I suggest that the day has come when we should make an independent survey of this sort. That survey should be made not by the Liberals, not by the Social Credit party to my left, not by the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation, but by the greatest party this country has ever had, the Conservative party. An economic council should survey conditions in Canada to find out whether it is wise to carry out a sectional policy for wheat for three or four provinces and a seasonal policy with regard to other products, whether it is wise to give a bonus for this or that product-

Or tariff protection?

Agricultural Products-Marketing

Mr. ROWE (Dufferin-Simcoe):

What

Canada needs is more courage in relation to the tariff.

Mr. WARD:

Are you opposed to the

tariff policy?

Mr. ROWE (Dufferin-Simcoe):

I certainly am not. I have heard you bark from different corners of the house under that old and dusty banner of free trade. I say to my hon. friends, if there is a man in this house who is prepared to stand up now and say that he advocates free trade I will pause and wait until he identifies himself. But there is not an hon. member who does not know that the most antiquated thing politically in this country is free trade. Who is there in Canada who will say that he is a free trader? Will any member of the government rise and declare for free trade? Will the Minister of Trade and Commerce rise in his place and say that he stands for free trade?

Mr. EULER:

No.

Mr. ROWE (Dufferin-Simcoe):

Will the

Minister of Justice rise and say he stands for free trade? No; he says no.

Mr. LAPOINTE (Quebec East):

Oh, no;

he said nothing.