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

I think my hon. friend must have mistaken the High Commissioner to whom reference is made. The communication, as I understand, was sent to His Majesty through the High Commissioner for Canada in Great Britain, Mr. Massey, and not through the High Commissioner for the United Kingdom in Canada. That is a method of communication which has been followed at times in the past and will be followed in the future.

There are two methods of communicating with His Majesty the King. One method I have just mentioned, through our High Commissioner in Great Britain. That was the method which as a matter of fact was adopted at the time His Majesty was asked to proclaim a state of war existing between Canada and Germany. The communication from the government of Canada was sent to the High Commissioner to be communicated to His Majesty the King. There are other occasions on which communications are sent through His Excellency the Governor General to His Majesty the King. They may be replied to by the king through his excellency. I assume that His Majesty, in having a communication transmitted direct to the Speaker of the House of . Commons, felt that it would be an additional compliment to the house and adopted that method.

Mr. POULIOT:

If I may be permitted, the High Commissioner for Canada represents the government, not parliament.

Hon. C. D. HOWE (Minister of Munitions and Supply):

A few days ago I promised to make a statement with regard to the payment of subsidies on wood fuel. In view of the continuing seriousness of the shortage of firewood the government has decided that the period during which a subsidy will be paid on cordwood production shall be extended t'' December 31, 1943.

The original plan for meeting the wood fuel emergency, announced on March 4, called for the payment of $1 subsidy to dealers only on commercial cordwood contracted for and cut on or before June 30, 1943, and delivered to a dealer or held to his account after March 5. Under the extension, the subsidy will be paid on the same basis for cordwood cut on or before December 31.

If they have not already done so dealers in wood fuel should arrange immediately to have wood cut for their account. In addition wherever possible they should make arrangements to purchase slab wood from the sawmills. On such purchases the transportation subsidy, which was also announced on March 4, will be paid if the dealer can show that otherwise he could not obtain wood for his customers.

The transportation subsidy can also apply to cordwood cut on or before December 31, the wood fuel controller having been authorized to pay whatever proportion of the transportation costs he may deem proper. To receive the subsidy the dealer must obtain a permit from the controller before he contracts for the supplies. Both the cutting and transportation subsidies will be made available only to wood fuel dealers registered as such with the wartime prices and trade board.

Mr. TUSTIN:

Mr. HOWE:

No; it is paid only to registered dealers.

Mr. HANSON (York-Sunbury):

Are steps being taken to see that the subsidy of $1 is passed on by the dealer to the producer of the

Fuel Wood

wood, the man who handles the axe? In my country they are not getting it. I am told by those who are producing in the woods that the $1 per cord is being snapped up by the dealer or the middleman, and the producer is not getting it. That, of course, is wrong.

Mr. HOWE:

The man cutting wood and selling direct to the consumer gets the ceiling price for the wood. The dealer must live as *well, and the dealer also can get only the ceiling price for the wood. The purpose of the subsidy is to interest dealers in organizing cutting, and to make it possible for dealers to take part in the solution of this problem. Much of the difficulty last year arose from the fact that the dealers did not operate, because there was no margin left permitting them to do so.

Mr. COLD WELL:

I understand that when the men who have trucks apply for permits to sell wood, after they have cut it, they are compelled to deliver to a dealer, and are not able to collect the $1 subsidy. I think only a few days ago I sent the minister a letter which I had received from Prince George, British Columbia, containing a statement to that effect.

Mr. HOWE:

The men cannot receive the subsidy unless they are registered dealers.

Mr. COLD WELL:

They cannot get registered.

Mr. HOWE:

That is a matter between them and the wartime prices and trade board. If they are cutters of wood, selling direct to the trade, they are not entitled to the subsidy.

Mr. COLD WELL:

But they are compelled to sell direct to the trade because they cannot get permits. I think that is the point the hon. member for York^Sunbury (Mr. Hanson) has in mind.

Mr. MAYHEW:

What about groups who have organized as self-help organizations in communities in British Columbia where they are cutting wood? Are they entitled to this $1 per cord)?

Mr. HOWE:

No, they are not. They are cutting wood for themselves; therefore they are not entitled to the subsidy.