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

That the recommendation of the Honourable the Speaker with respect to the resignation of Hector Benoit, Esquire, Parliamentary Reporter, French, House of Commons, laid on the table of the house on Monday, January 31, 1944, be concurred in.

Mr. LIGUORI LACOMBE (Laval-Two-Mountains):

(Translation) Mr. Speaker, I

rise to a question of privilege. L'Action Catholique, of Quebec, in its issue of February 2, 1944, makes the following statement:

Mr. Lacombe's Surprising Remarks

The member of parliament complained of the fact that the liquor commissions cheat the public by selling watered liquor.

That newspaper's correspondent does not select from Hansard even one sentence of the speech I made in the house on February 1. In short he distorts my words. By using such a procedure, which is disloyal, to put it mildly, he also distorts the meaning of my remarks. Therefore, I ask that the correspondent publish a textual report of my speech and of this sentence in particular, which is found in the House of Commons debates, on page 91:

It was not worth while imposing rationing when one knows that families which did not purchase ten ounces of alcohol a year have obtained their ration books, and now buy all the quantity authorized by the regulations. Can this be called healthy social legislation?

Hon. H. A. BRUCE (Parkdale):

Press reports would' appear to indicate that Mr. Norman Robertson, Under-Secretary of State for External Affairs, has recently been in Washington discussing current matters with

Wheat-Delivery Quotas

United States authorities. Will the Prime Minister indicate to the house the nature and extent of these discussions, and also whether or not similar discussions are taking place between Canada and the United Kingdom and other parts of the British commonwealth?

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

I would say to my hon. friend that officials of the government of Canada and the government of the United States frequently exchange visits and discuss matters of general interest, among them some of the questions which will come up in relation to post-war policy. A few months ago I tabled in the house an exchange of notes between the United States and Canada with regard to an agreed point of view which the two countries entertain as to the trend of developments in the post-war period. There have been informal discussions between officials from time to time in relation to these matters.

I might say in answer to the second part of my hon. friend's question that similar exploratory discussions or talks have taken place between officials of the Canadian government and of the British government. They are part of a general plan of seeking to ascertain in advance of the moment when it comes to settle them, how far different governments may be in agreement on some of the allimportant matters connected with post-war settlement.

Mr. E. E. PERLEY (Qu'Appelle):

Mr. Speaker, I should like to ask a question of the Minister of Trade and Commerce based on a report appearing in the Winnipeg Tribune of recent date, to the effect that the wheat delivery quota, which at present stands at fourteen bushels to the acre, is likely to be increased to a maximum of twenty bushels in that section of western Canada. This would be a great help to the farm storage situation. Will the minister tell the house if that procedure is likely to take place?

Hon. J. A. MacKINNON (Minister of Trade and Commerce):

Mr. Speaker, I had not intended making this statement to-day-it was my intention, rather, to make it to-morrow; nor had I any knowledge of the hon. member's intention to ask the question. Since it has been asked, however, I believe I can make a statement now.

The Canadian wheat board regulations are being amended to permit the delivery of eigh-

IMr. Bruce.]

teen bushels of wheat per authorized acre during the present crop year. This will represent an increase of four bushels over the fourteen bushel limit in effect to date, but will not become effective until established in the regular way by Canadian wheat board instruction.

The raising of quotas at country points already at the fourteen bushel limit will be deferred until the wheat board has been able to raise all country points to at least a ten-bushel quota, and steps have been taken to supply cars to the points which have been 'below that level. Before the end of the crop year it is intended to raise all stations to the eighteen-bushel quota, as a result of the heavier export movement than was envisaged a year ago when the 1943-44 delivery policy was first announced.

Hon. H. A. BRUCE (Parkdale):

Mr. Speaker, I should like to ask a question of the Postmaster General. In view of an announcement made by him a few weeks ago that direct aeroplane service had been established to carry mail to our troops serving in the Mediterranean area will the minister say whether let-_ers bearing surface mail stamps are carried both ways by this service?

Hon. W. P. MULOCK (Postmaster General) :

Mr. Speaker, as to the first part of

the hon. member's question, in which he intimates that I made a statement a few weeks ago, I may say that he is in error; I did not make a statement. In fact I gave instructions to the officials of the department not to make any statement, or to hand any statement to the press, because I did not wish one made by the Post Office Department until such time as a regularly established service was in operation.

In regard to the second part of the hon. member's question, my reply would be that when the service is in full effect, and established, airgraph and armed forces air letters will be carried first; secondly, surface mail on which are affixed air stamps and, thirdly-if there is additional space-we will carry as large an amount as possible of the surface mail.

In regard to mail coming from our troops I would point out there is no Charge on such mail, if posted in an army post office. I believe I have covered all the points about which the hon, member asked.