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

Mr. Speaker, I should like to ask the Prime Minister whether the government has taken into consideration the interim report made by the committee on radio broadcasting on the 7th of July, in which the establishment at the earliest possible moment of a high-power short-wave station was recommended. If so, what decision, if any, has been reached?

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

The matter is under consideration at the present time, but a decision has not yet been reached.

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

I should like to direct a question to the Prime Minister arising out of the announcement he made on the 5th of February last that an exchange of consular representatives with the U.S.S.R. was planned. On June 12 the Prime Minister announced that an agreement for the establishment of direct diplomatic relations and the exchange of ministers had been concluded. I now desire to ask the Prime Minister whether he has any further information to communicate to the house in this regard, and particularly as to when an appointment may be expected. If he is not in a position to give any further information to-day will he make an announcement before the house adjourns?

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

Mr. Speaker, I hope before the end of the session to be able to announce an appointment. I may not be successful, but I hope to be able to.

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

I should like to say a word

Labour Conditions

to hon. members with respect to the conference which I had this morning with the Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Hanson), the leader of the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation group (Mr. Coldwell), and the leader of the Social Credit group (Mr. Blackmore) with respect to the proceedings for the remainder of the session. We were discussing the possibility of so arranging matters as to have the house adjourn by the end of next week, and it was felt that, if hon. members would lend their cooperation towards that end, it should be possible, particularly if the house were to agree to morning sittings very soon.

I gave notice of a motion which appears on the Votes and Proceedings of yesterday to sit Wednesday evening of this week. I assume the house will be agreeable to that motion carrying. The leaders of the different parties are. It should also be understood that the house will sit as well on Friday night of this week. To ensure getting through by next week it was felt that we should begin morning sittings, if possible, on Saturday of this week, * and that the house should sit Saturday morning and afternoon. Then next week we would if necessary sit morning, afternoon and night throughout the week. That is the proposal that has been agreed to by the different leaders in the house, and unless there is some very decided objection to it on the part of hon. members I will have notice of a motion placed on the Votes and. Proceedings to-day to give effect to that procedure. In the meantime perhaps the house would be agreeable to passing the motion to sit on the evening of Wednesday the fifteenth, and I accordingly move:

That on Wednesday, the 15th of July, 1942, and all subsequent Wednesdays until the end of the session, the sittings shall in every respect be under the same rules as provided for other days.

Mr. THOMAS REID (New Westminster):

I should like to direct a question to the Minister of Labour. Many members of parliament, I presume, have been receiving, as I have, many protests and letters in connection with the Japanese situation in British Columbia. My question is based on an article appearing in the Vancouver Sun, which reached Ottawa this morning, in which it is stated that the British Columbia security commission have issued a statement that the Japanese will not be removed until the middle

of September. A further statement was made that the Minister of Public Works for British Columbia had asked for 600 Japanese to work on various projects, and that only 200 could be supplied. Would the Minister of Labour care to make a statement on that?

Hon. HUMPHREY MITCHELL (Minister of Labour):

Mr. Speaker, I would not like the impression to go out that the back is not broken of the movement of Japanese from British Columbia, because that problem is already under the bridge, in a big way. I have no knowledge of the announcement to* which my hon. friend has just referred. The British Columbia security commission has been instructed to remove all the Japanese from those areas as speedily as possible, and they have acknowledged these instructions from the Department of Labour. .