Mr. SPEAKER:

I have the honour to inform the house that the clerk of the house has received from the chief electoral officer certificate of the election and return of the following member, viz.:

Of Hon. Humphrey Mitchell, for the electoral district of Welland.

1. What decision has the government reached

regarding the recognition of our present ally the U.S.S.R.? . .

2. If recognition has been decided upon, will the government exchange representatives with the Soviet Union?

Mr. MACKENZIE KING:

Answered by a special statement of Prime Minister in House of Commons, February 5, 1942.

1. How much steel was used in the construction of the new Canadian National Railway station project in the city of Montreal during the years 1940 and 1941?

2. How many man-hours of skilled labour were used on this project during the years 1940 and 1941?

3. What has been the cost of this project to date?

4. What is the estimated cost of continuing this work for 1942?

1. 1940, 1,903 tons; 1941, 1,614 tons.

2. Information not available as most of the work was performed under contract.

3. As required by the Canadian National Montreal Terminals Act, 1929, the railway authorities report to the Minister of Transport annually upon the nature and extent of the work on the said project. This report is tabled each session, and is expected shortly. It will contain the information called for by Questions 3 and 4.

4. See answer to question 3.

Mr. PERLEY:

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1. What amount of rental was paid to the government by McCabe Brothers Grain Company, Limited, for the rental of the government's terminal grain elevator at Port Arthur, during the years, 1939, 1940 and 1941?

2. What amount of storage fees were paid to the said McCabe Bros. Grain Company, Limited, for grain stored in the said elevator during the years, 1939, 1940 and 1941, and by whom was this amount paid?

1. Crop year Rent

August 1, 1938 to July 31, 1939.. 66,876.37 August 1, 1939 to July 31, 1940.. 72,230.98 August 1, 1940 to July 31, 1941.. 67,900.25

2. No information.

1. What cost of living bonus is being paid to employees in city post offices?

2. Is this bonus limited to 5 per cent on postage commission in the case of revenue postmasters? If so, for what reason?

3. Why was payment deferred until the 1st of October, 1941?

1. Eleven per cent of compensation earned, or $11.91 per month, according to conditions as outlined in the Order in Council of the 26th August, 1941, P.C. 6702, as amended and interpreted by the Treasury Board.

2. Yes. Revenue postmasters are not paid a fixed salary as in the case of employees of city post offices. Instead they receive a commission, the amount of which increases in ratio to the amount of postal business transacted at their post offices. Under present day conditions there has been a general increase in postal business throughout the country, which has resulted in increased commissions to revenue postmasters.

3. The decision to grant revenue postmasters a cost of living bonus was not reached until some time in September, 1941, and the bonus was, therefore, made effective from the next month, 1st October, 1941.

1. Has the government acquired a leasehold or any other interest in the whole or any part of a building situated on Eleventh avenue, Regina, being lots 1, 2 and 3 in block 308?

2. If so, from whom was such interest acquired ?

3. What were the terms of payment for such interest?

Questions

4. What amount, if any, has been or is to be spent by the government to make the building suitable for its purposes? .

5. What was the assessed value of the said building and lot?

6. What valuation was placed on the building by the government officials, (a) before; (b) after the completion of the building?