Mr. SPEAKER:

I have the honour to lay on the table of the house a report of the civil service commission recommending the appointment of Miss Gladys Northcott as clerk, grade 4, in the law branch of the House of Commons.

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

That the report of the civil service commission laid on the table of the house on the 26th instant, recommending the appointment of Miss Gladys Northcott as clerk, grade 4, law branch of the House of Commons, be approved.

Hon. R. B. HANSON (Leader of the Opposition):

Mr. Speaker, I should like to have some little explanation from the Prime Minister. In all the years I have been a member of this house I never heard of such p, motion before. It may be a new departure. I think the house ought to be informed of what is really going on, and why.

Mr. MACKENZIE KING:

The house has to approve appointments of its clerks where recommended by the civil service commission. The civil service commission has recommended this particular appointment of Miss Northcott as clerk, grade 4, in the law branch of the house. In making the motion I am simply taking the necessary step to have the commission's recommendation approved by the house.

It is the usual formal way of proceeding with respect to appointments of officials of the house.

Mr. HANSON (York-Sunbury):

I thought it was always done through the estimates.

Mr. MACKENZIE KING:

No, the house approves the recommendation of the civil service commission with respect to its own staffs. A day or two ago the civil service commission also recommended that three longterm temporary employees of the House of Commons be made permanent. In a moment I should like to make a similar motion regarding that particular recommendation.

Mr. HANSON (York-Sunbury):

I am not opposing this at all, but with respect to the first case I would ask if ever this procedure was adopted before.

Hon. PIERRE F. CASGRAIN (Secretary of State): Yes, Mr. Speaker. It was done on many occasions in the last parliament, when, for instance, certain long-term temporaries on the staff of the House of Commons were recommended for permanency, a competition was held under the auspices of the commission and the commission recommended permanency. It is the custom to introduce a resolution in the house and have it adopted confirming the appointment recommended by the commission.

Mr. MACKENZIE KING moved:

That the recommendation from the civil service commission regarding the permanency of three long-term temporary employees of the House of Commons, namely, Miss L. A. Kearns, Miss I. A. Boyce and Mr. L. C. Hill, be approved.

Mr. GREEN:

May I ask the Prime Minister a question on this motion? Does making these officials permanent instead of temporary involve any reduction in salary?

Mr. MACKENZIE KING:

Not necessarily. I should think it would leave the salary scale about where it has always been.

1. What is the salary of the governor of the Bank of Canada?

2. What are the salaries of each of the other officials of the Bank of Canada at Ottawa, excepting secretarial and office staff?

3. What are the salaries of each of the directors of the Bank of Canada, what other remunerations do they receive, and how much is allowed per day for travel and living expenses?

4. How many times, and on what dates did the directorate of the Bank of Canada meet since January 1, 1936?

5. Does any member of the dominion government sit on or with the directorate of the bank? If so, what powers does such member have?

6. Are the minutes of the meetings of the directorate available to the members of the House of Commons?

7. Is any or all correspondence exchanged between the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England available to the members of the House of Commons?