Mr. J. H. HARRIS (Danforth):

Mr. Speaker, I beg leave to present a petition to the honourable the House of Commons in parliament assembled, signed by members of organizations called to a general meeting consisting of the aldermen of the city of Toronto, the local members of the legislature, public school trustees, separate school trustees, the Liberal association, the Conservative association, Beaches Lion's club, East Toronto Lion's club, Beaches Business Men's association, Danforth Business Men's association, Gerrard Business Men's association. Kingston Road Business Men's association, ward 8 central council, ward 8 ratepayers, ward 8 community and ratepayers, East Danforth ratepayers, the Orange association and the Masonic order, Salvation Army, Oddfellows,

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Knights of Columbus, Beaches Presbyterian church, Glenmount United, Hope United, St. Aidan's Anglican Church, St. John's church, Norway church, and Beaches Olympic club.

The petition reads as follows:

To the honourable the House of Commons of Canada in parliament assembled.

Your petitioners, the undersigned members of the Auxiliary Defence Unit No. 1 (Toronto),- Humbly Sheweth:

Whereas the present world conflict has developed on a stupendous and unprecedented scale into a life and death struggle between Christianity and paganism, which can only end in a victory for the British empire and her beloved ally, France, or else result in the collapse of our civilization and the putting out of the light of freedom as we, of the British empire, have known it since the days of Runnymede, and

Whereas this vast multitude of loyal citizens of the city of Toronto, publicly assembled for the purpose, are of one mind that Canada has not exerted her full strength in man power or material resources, in a supreme effort to meet the challenge of the nazi totalitarian state:

Therefore your petitioners humbly pray that your honourable house urge the government to put forth every possible effort, even to the utmost of Canada's man power and the resources of this vast dominion, to come to the aid of our beloved empire in this titanic struggle for the preservation of Christian democracy:

And further, before it is too late, to require the registration of all aliens in Canada, and to intern for the duration of the war, all enemy aliens or persons known to hold subversive opinions respecting the welfare of Canada, and also that the federal government take steps immediately to register the man power of Canada and to correlate the material resources of this dominion along the general plan as adopted and now in force in the British Isles.

And, as in duty bound, your petitioners will ever pray.

At this meeting there were present upwards of eleven thousand persons, who by standing vote endorsed the petition.

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

Mr. Speaker, I did not like to interrupt my hon. friend when he was speaking, but as there are a number of new members of the house I think perhaps I ought to draw their attention to the fact that the method which my hon. friend has taken to present this petition is not the correct one. Any petition is usually presented to the clerk first, and then later it is read to the house by the clerk. I mention it because I think it is advisable that we should keep as strictly as we can within the rules of procedure.

1. In the dominion-provincial youth training school at Medicine Hat, in the year 1939-40, how many male students from outside Medicine Hat were in attendance?

2. For which of these was a return fare paid at the end of the school term?

3. For which of these was the return fare not paid?

1. 77.

2 and 3. The youth training agreement provides that travelling expenses of trainees from their homes to a training project and return, or from a project to certified employment, are shareable costs between, the dominion and the province except that no return fare is shareable for those who are discharged or who leave voluntarily. The number of individuals who had such expenses paid is not a matter of record with the dominion.

1. Was one James Duffin employed as herdsman at the Melfort experimental farm?

2. If so, for how long?

3. Has he been dismissed, and, if so, what was the reason for his dismissal?

1. Yes.

2. October 17, 1938, to May 31, 1940, inclusive.

3. Yes. Services unsatisfactory.

1. Have any other training schools for officers of the Canadian navy similar to the one at Kingston been established?

2. If so, where, when were they opened, and how many have been graduated from each of them ?

3. How many of such graduates have received app o in tments ?

4. To what rank are they appointed on graduation ?

1. No.

2, 3, and 4. Answered by No. 1.

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1. Did any agreement exist between the Department of National Defence and any of the Canadian meat packing firms as to the prices for foodstuffs to be delivered to the Department of National Defence, for the six months period beginning April 1, 1939?

2. Did this agreement remain in effect after Canada's entry into the war?

3. Has any claim for increased prices been made by anyone for goods furnished to the Department of National Defence from the date of Canada's entry into the war until the expiration of the six months period above mentioned?

4. If so, to what amount?

5. Have such claims, if any, been paid?

1. How many aero clubs in Canada offered their facilities to the government for training airmen since war started and what are (a) their names, and (b) location?

2. With what clubs were contracts made and quotas assigned, and what are (al quota of each, and (b) number of pilots trained?