Mr. GRAYDON:

I think the hon. member is right, but this is the bill that was given to me, and it is not the same as the bill we are

now being asked to pass. Now I have been given a copy of bill No. 53, which appears to be the same, and I am quite satisfied.

Motion agreed to and bill passed.

Mr. NEILL:

Mr. Chairman, I would like the minister to give us some information on this vote and tell us why it has been so greatly reduced. This is a very valuable form of assistance that can be given to mineral development. I recall that, in the district I represent, some years ago a prospector found ore in the Zeballos valley so rich he could make wages packing it out on his back over the mountains and along the beds of rivers. Then this government aided by the provincial government gave a considerable sum to make a road up that valley, which not only affected this man's holdings but meant that a' number of others were developed. Inside of a year or more four stamp mills were running in that district. The stamp mills crush the rock. The ore was very rich and the development was very successful. I remember that one mine was turning out $160,000 of gold a month, and as I say four stamp mills were running there in that small area-a situation that hardly could have been found in Canada before. The money that was granted by the dominion government, aided by the provincial government, helped that enormous development to take place. I would like to see that form of assistance continued, but I see that the vote is cut down from $200,000 last year to $75,000 this year. That will not go far in making roads through mountains. Mineral is almost always found in rock, not in a potato field, and rock is generally associated with mountains. To make a road with bridges through the mountains is very expensive. The sum of $75,000 would not make much more than eight or ten miles of mountain road.

3262 COMMONS

War Appropriation-Mines and Resources

That would be of very little assistance in promoting any substantial development. Would the minister say why this vote has been cut down so much?

Hon. T. A. CRERAR (Minister of Mines and Resources):

I think the point raised by the hon. member for Comox-Alberni is a pertinent one. The amount provided last year was $200,000, and the actual expenditure was $143,000 odd. This vote is to meet requests that may possibly come in from the metals controller for assistance in getting roads built into places where strategic minerals are found. It is not to assist in the ordinary mining development of the country at all. This is a war vote. It may be that this amount will not be required this year; on the other hand, over $75,000 may be required, in which event we would have to find ways and means of getting it somewhere out of the war appropriation. I wish to impress on the committee that while these are estimates they are really very little more than shrewd guesses as to what may be required.

Mr. HANSON (York-Sunbury):

They are something more than tokens, are they not? You are going to spend some money, are you not? And where?

Mr. CRERAR:

We may not spend any of the money. I explained to the committee yesterday on another vote that these items are included in the estimates to meet possible requests from the metals controller for assistance in developing certain strategic metal mines.

Mr. NEILL:

What is a strategic metal?

Mr. CRERAR:

They are the ones we discussed yesterday, such as tungsten, chromite, molybdenite, manganese if it were found, fluorspar, mercury, and others. It may be that in the course of this year some prospector who has staked a claim in one of the provinces or some company that has a claim staked may come to the metals controller and say, "We have a property that may be valuable in producing tungsten,"-or it may be some other metal required in the war effort-"but we need assistance. We think it is worthy of your examination." The metals^ controller makes an investigation, and if he thinks the property warrants further exploration; we have made provisions for that.

Mr. NEILL:

In that case gold would not be a strategic metal?

Mr. CRERAR:

No.

Mr. NEILL:

Will there be a similar vote

in the ordinary estimates?

[M. Neill. 1

Mr. CRERAR:

I think not this year.

Mr. NEILL:

Why not?

Mr. CRERAR:

I will come to that in a

moment. I was giving an illustration. Suppose the metals controller finds that the property is worth developing but that transportation facilities are required; the amount could be provided out of this vote.

Mr .HANSON (York-Sunbury): Have there been any requests for assistance this year under this vote?

Mr. CRERAR:

Not up to the present time.

Mr. HANSON (York-Sunbury):

Then of

course this is just an enabling vote which may or may not be used?