Mr. JOHNSTON (Bow River):

What

amount of assistance is given to Imperial Oil for testing the structures around the country?

Mr. CRERAR:

We are not giving them any assistance.

Mr. JOHNSTON (Bow River):

None at all?

Mr. CRERAR:

No.

Mr. BENCE:

What is the extent of the collaboration between the minister's depart-

4900 COMMONS

War Appropriation-Mines and Resources

ment and the minister of natural resources of Saskatchewan? Is there any unity of purpose in the work of the minister's department and the work of that particular provincial department in connection with the explorations for which this money is being provided?

Mr. CRERAR:

As far as the officials of

the Department of Mines and Resources are concerned, they are carrying on discussions from time to time with their opposites in the provincial field. Let me repeat that these parties are sent into certain areas on the recommendation of the experienced geologists of the department.

Mr. BENCE:

Of the minister's department.

Mr. CRERAR:

Of our department. Doubtless they have obtained all the information that might be available in the provincial department; it would be their business to have all the information they could possibly get.

Mr. BENCE:

Does the province of Saskatchewan contribute in any way to the sort of work the minister's department is doing in this regard?

Mr. CRERAR:

No; we bear the entire expense of the geological parties.

Mr. EDWARDS:

Do I understand that

this is the first time the federal government have resorted to the use of the seismograph in testing the oil potentialities of the various areas? I believe that for years past they have examined potential structures from a purely geological point of view, but now I understand that as a result of the present need the activities of this particular branch are being enlarged, and it is actually testing by the use of the most recent and best recognized system of seismographic test. Is that correct?

Mr. CRERAR:

Yes; this is the first time

the seismograph has been used at federal government expense; I think I am correct in that. Our own officers do not do this work; we make agreements with experienced seismograph companies who do certain work under contract, in certain areas that we designate.

Mr. COLD WELL:

What has Doctor

Hume been using for the last several years in some of these surveys? Has he not been using this method?

Mr. CRERAR:

He has been examining

structures, but not by seismographic methods. It may be that the seismographic methods will attain a higher state of perfection than has , been the case in the past. After all, these j methods are tried out and tested thoroughly,! and improvements made, and it may well bej

that the federal government, this government or some other government in the future, will consider it a wise expenditure to get the necessary equipment to carry on this seismographic work at government expense, but we do not have the experienced operators at this time. We recognized that there were possibilities in this method, and arrangements were made with experienced seismograph companies who, I understand, have been largely employed in the United States.

Mr. COLD WELL:

The arrangements were made with seismograph companies, does the minister say?

Mr. CRERAR:

Yes.

Mr. COLDWELL:

Are these instruments

costly? I do not think they are very expensive, relatively, considering the use one gets out of them. In fact I think our own department has been experimenting with them for a number of years, and I find it difficult to understand-

Mr. CRERAR:

I do not think my hon. friend is correctly informed there. I understand there are seismographic companies, principally in the United States, though no doubt they operate in other parts of the world as well, who have the instruments and trained personnel necessary for carrying on the work. At any rate our work is being carried on under an agreement with an experienced operator.

Mr. COLDWELL:

Wiiat is the agreement? Do you pay them so much per month or so much per year or so much per day?

Mr. CRERAR:

We pay them so much a

week or so much a day; at the moment I do not know the precise terms of the agreement.