1. Have any lending institutions indicated their intention to the government of participating in the National Housing Act which went into effect on January 18, 1945, with respect to the province of Saskatchewan?

2. If so, how many of such institutions have so indicated?

3. Have any lending institutions indicated that they were not prepared to participate in the said National Housing Act with respect to the province of Saskatchewan?

4. If so, how many of such institutions have so indicated that they are not prepared to participate in the said National Housing Act with respect to the province of Saskatchewan?

Mr. ILSLEY:

Answer, 1 to 4:

On January 26, 1945, the Minister of Finance announced the coming into effect of the

"Mr. Blackmore-l

National Housing Act, 19-44, and in the course of his announcement made the following statement commenting upon various inquiries received as to whether the act would operate in Saskatchewan and Alberta:

"The government is most anxious that all parts of Canada and all Canadians, whether living in cities, towns or villages or on farms, should be in a position to enjoy the benefits of the National Housing Act. The Canadian parliament in last summer's revision of the act went as far as it could to assure this result. However, if there should be provincial legislation of such a character as seriously to affect the rights of mortgagees, this may prevent prospective home builders from getting loans under the housing act. It must be remembered that these are joint loans, private companies putting up seventy-five per cent and sharing in the ultimate risk of loss. I intend shortly to invite representatives of the Saskatchewan and Alberta governments to come to Ottawa to discuss what steps these governments might take to enable the act to operate within their borders."

This statement was made following a conference during which the representatives of a number of lending institutions had expressed grave concern as to whether, in view of legislation that was already on the statute books or was threatened in one or both of these two provinces, the institutions would be justified in making National Housing Act loans, which are very high percentage loans, in these two provinces, and had pointed out the necessity of action being taken to remedy the situation if the National Housing Act was to operate freely and satisfactorily in these provinces.

Some time later the Minister of Finance had discussions first with representatives of the government of Alberta and later with the government of Saskatchewan for the purpose of discussing the legislation and other factors that were retarding lending under the National Housing Act within each province. Following these conferences, the Alberta government introduced and secured the enactment of legislation at the session of the legislature which has just closed, and lending operations under the act are being actively resumed in that province by a considerable number of approved lending institutions. It is understood that a bill was also introduced and passed at the recent session of the Saskatchewan legislature which was apparently intended by the Saskatchewan government to remove at least certain of the difficulties and the Saskatchewan government was asked to send a copy of the legislation which was enacted to the Minister of Finance, but no copies of the

statute have as yet been received and it is therefore impossible to say if it is likely to result in active lending under the National Housing Act in the province.

There are three approved lending institutions which have never ceased to make National Housing Act loans in the province of Saskatchewan, although operations have been on a limited scale. No lending institution has made any definite statement to the Minister of Finance that it will not be willing to make loans under the National Housing Act in the province of Saskatchewan.

Mr. S. H. KNOWLES (Winnipeg North Centre):

I should like to direct a question to the Minister of Finance. I regret that I was unable to send him notice, as my question is based on a letter that I received just as I was coming into the house. The letter is from the clerk of the Winnipeg city council. It relates to the fact that because the wartime prices and trade board has thus far found it impossible to bring Winnipeg under the emergency shelter administration, the city council has set up its own emergency shelter organization, but feels that the administration of this set-up would be more satistory if the wartime prices and trade board would bring the city under the government's emergency shelter regulations. They are anxious to know if the board will consider again the question of declaring Winnipeg a congested area. The city council offers the full cooperation of its own set-up. Will the minister bring this matter to the attention of the board?

Hon. J. L. ILSLEY (Minister of Finance):

Yes.

Mr. G. H. CASTLEDEN (Yorkton):

I should like to ask a question of the Minister of Agriculture. In view of the fact we are not likely at this stage to have a detailed statement from him in committee, may I ask what steps are being taken to restore hog production in Canada to meet the serious shortage of meat which is threatening the allied countries, in the face of drastic reduction in hog production in Canada.

Mr. J. G. GARDINER (Minister of Agriculture) :

I think this is the same question which was asked earlier in the session, and which I agreed to answer when my estimates 32283-54i

Hog Production

were before the committee. But as I understand they are not now to come up, I shall answer at this time.

I would point out that that part of the hon. member's observations which form the question is as follows: "What steps are being taken to restore hog production in Canada?" And then he goes on to add, "in the face of drastic reduction in hog production in Canada." It all depends upon what one is referring to, whether that last statement is or is not correct. Hog production in Canada has been doubled during the period of the war. That is, we are marketing twice as many hogs now as we were in the last year before the war. In so far as the present is concerned, it is scarcely correct to say that there has been a "drastic reduction" in hog production in Canada. Inspected slaughterings for the first three months in the last three years were as follows:

1944

Hogs

1.624.000

2.824.000

1.918.000

In other words, the slaughterings in the first three months of 1945 were 300,000 higher than the slaughterings in the first three months of 1943. However, if you compare the slaughterings in the first three months-of this year with the exceptionally high slaughterings in the first three months of 1944, it will probably be correct to say that there has been a considerable reduction. Apart from that there has been a great increase in hog production in Canada as compared with any other period at any time in its history.

Then comes the question: what is being: done? First, there is the ceiling on grain purchased to feed hogs. No matter in what part of Canada hogs are being fed, there is a ceiling price on the grain with which those hogs are fed. Second, freight is paid on grain to feed hogs in that part of Canada east of Fort William and in all that part of Canada located in the province of British Columbia. Third, there is a premium of $3 on grade A hogs produced anywhere in Canada and a premium of $2 on grade B 1 hogs produced anywhere in Canada. Fourth, there is a contract guaranteeing minimum prices until December 31, 1946 with Great Britain for all surplus hogs that can be produced and processed in Canada and sent to Great Britain. Fifth, there is the question of farm labour. An order has gone out from the Department of Labour to the man-power mobilization boards or the selective service boards throughout Canada to the effect that postponements should be granted, if asked for, to those who are engaged in the feeding of hogs on farms in Canada. In addition to

Family Allowances

that, there are the special instructions, which were read to the house the other day by the parliamentary assistant to the Minister of National Defence, which have gone out to the armed forces to provide for the release of certain persons to assist in the feeding of hogs.

In other words, there is the regulation of feed; there is the payment of freight on mill feeds and other feeds; there is the payment *of premiums from the treasury of Canada amounting to millions; there are the signed *contracts guaranteeing a minimum price down to the end of 1946, and then there are the provisions being made of labour for this purpose to the greatest possible numbers.

Hon. H. A. BRUCE (Parkdale):

Mr. Speaker, in view of the answer given a moment ago by the Minister of Agriculture that [DOT]contracts had been made with Great Britain to take all the hogs that Canada can produce, and in view of what the minister said a few *days ago that the food administrator in Great Britain had sent a cable stating last autumn that they would take all the meat we could send, is the minister prepared to state whether the government is ready to announce its policy on meat rationing?

Hon. J. G. GARDINER (Minister of Agriculture):

I can only give the same answer I gave the other day, that this is a matter of government policy. If it were to be decided, it would not be the responsibility of the Minister of Agriculture to announce it.

Mr. S. H. KNOWLES (Winnipeg North Centre):

Mr. Speaker, I should like to direct a question to the Minister of National Health and Welfare, notice of which I sent him earlier to-day. I realize that if it were not so late in the session Your Honour might take exception to this question, but in view of the circumstances that exist I trust that you will permit me to ask it.

When section 8, subsection 2 of the Family Allowances Act was under discussion last year, the minister, at that time parliamentary assistant to the President of the Privy Council, assured me that consideration would be given to my request for an amendment to this subsection so that the allowance would not be

denied in respect of children of those receiving war veterans' allowance or the special allowance to veterans' widows. My point was that these children should be treated the same as the children of those in receipt of pensions under the Pension Act. The minister's assurance that my representations would be considered will be found on page 6876 of Hansard for August 1, 1944. Can the minister indicate whether this consideration has been given and whether the proposed change has been made? If not, will it be considered further?

Hon. BROOKE CLAXTON (Minister of National Health and Welfare):

Mr. Speaker, consideration has been given to the point, but in view of the very considerable number of classes of people already in receipt of allowances and changes that have recently been made with regard to veterans and others, a decision has not been reached as yet. It is hoped that an announcement can be made within the next few weeks.