Mr. HOWE:

I have an interesting statement here on the subject of the settlement of claims arising out of terminated contracts, which I shall be very glad to put on Hansard or read.

Mr. JACKMAN:

Put it on Hansard.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN (Mr. Golding) :

That will require unanimous consent.

Mr. MacINNIS:

I have sat here for the whole of this evening listening to what has been said by the minister and by the members of the committee, and I have come to the conclusion that so far as having any clear idea of what it is all about, we would have been just as far ahead if we had just passed the items as they were called. That is not to say that this matter should not be looked into, but I submit that it is of such magnitude that it camnot be investigated by a committee of this size under the rules of discussion that govern us. The minister said that he could go over these figures with the hon. member for Yorkton for two days and then he would not be any further ahead. I do not think either the minister or the hon. member for Yorkton is as dumb as that, although they may be lacking in some respects. But for the committee to have any real check on the figures we should need experts to explain every item as we went along. This is near the end of the war appropriations, and I hope that we shall never have another war appropriation. We can possibly go into the civil estimates, but even they are becoming of such magnitude that we cannot very well do that, and I submit that we shall have to find some way of dealing with these matters in a more efficient and realistic way if we are to have any understanding of what they are all about.

Mr. MACDONNELL:

I understand that the minister is to give us a break-down and that we can deal with this item at the opening to-morrow. Was the minister not going to put a statement on Hansard?

Mr. HOWE:

I think I will read it

to-morrow.

Item stands. .

Progress reported.