Mr. SPEAKER:

The amendment is that the words "Wednesday the 10th" be struck out and the words "Monday the 15th" substituted therefor, and that in the third line the word "Wednesdays" be struck out and the word "Mondays" substituted therefor.

Mr. JOHN BRACKEN (Leader of the Opposition):

The rules of the house provide that certain days of the week be allowed for the business of private members. All the private members hav6 done has been to utilize the time thus placed at their disposal. If now the government wishes to take more of that time for its own business, I am sure we shall all look at the request with an open mind. However, I would offer two suggestions to the government. If Monday, a private members' day with afternoon and evening sittings, is 63260-44i

taken for government business, as I expect it will be, I would respectfully suggest that Wednesday with only an afternoon sitting be continued as a private members' day rather longer in the session than otherwise would be done. My second suggestion is that the government might expedite its own business by allowing us to get to a vote on some of these private measures before eleven o'clock at night.

Mr. M. J. COLDWELL (Rosetown-Biggar); I think the request is reasonable, but I agree with the leader of the opposition (Mr. Bracken) that if Monday is taken away we should continue for a while at least to have Wednesday for private members. I think the matter should be adjusted in that way.

Mr. J. H. BLACKMORE (Lethbridge):

I too believe the request is quite reasonable. After all, the house wants to finish its business some time before August.

Mr. MACKENZIE KING:

I may tell my hon. friend that his suggestion will meet with the approval of the government. I think after a little while the house itself will be only too ready to take Wednesday, so we may well leave the question of Wednesday to be taken up a little later on. I thank hon. members for their cooperation in this matter.

Mr. BRACKEN:

What about my second proposal? .

Mr. MACKENZIE KING:

The second proposal refers to the capacity of the government to stop anyone from speaking when he gets a chance. I am afraid that is a power which cannot be exercised on any side of the house.

Hon. DOUGLAS ABBOTT (Minister of National Defence):

As my hon. friend knows, my colleague the Minister of National Defence for Air (Mr. Gibson) and I announced last October the approximate size of the three

o unaaian r utggs

armed forces. Ia January, following a conference with district officers commanding, and .senior officers at national defence headquarters at Ottawa I gave the press a statement in which I indicated that so far as the army is concerned the active force will comprise a field unit, composed of a brigade group, which will be representative of all arms, and the remainder of the force will consist of headquarters staff; personnel to ^ssist in the training and administration of the reserve force, research and development, and the units required for the maintenance of the Alaska highway, and the like.

I had not contemplated making any further detailed announcement as to the establishments in the immediate future. As the house knows, committees have been sitting to consider the question of pay and allowances and pension provision for post-war services, and I expect to make an announcement concerning this within the course of the next few days.

SERVICEMAN HELD UNDER P.C. 6577 On the orders of the day:

Mr. J. G. DIEFENBAKER (Lake Centre):

I should like to ask a question of the Minister of Justice. Have any instructions been given that Mr. McCloy in Winnipeg is to be released from custody under which he is held under P.C. 6577, and has the order in council in question been set aside?

Hon. L. S. ST. LAURENT (Minister of Justice): I shall have to take the hon.

member's question as a notice, and make inquiries. As soon as I have ascertained the. facts I shall give an answer.

Mr. F. E. LENNARD (Wentworth):

Mr. Speaker, I should like to ask a question of the Minister of Reconstruction. Has the government considered lifting the embargo on timber exports to the United States, as hinted in a recent press dispatch?

Hon. C. D. HOWE (Minister of Reconstruction) :

Mr. Speaker, there is no embargo on timber exports to the United States. A certain proportion of the cut is exported by agreement between the timber authorities of the two countries. From removal of the control two results would follow: there would be an immediate increase in the price of lumber to the Canadian user by from $20 to $30 a thousand, or alternately there would be no

lumber for Canadian users. The present control will be continued. There is no change contemplated.

Mr. ALISTAIR STEWART (Winnipeg North):

I should like to ask a question of the Minister of Labour. What additional steps are being taken by the Department of Labour to settle the dispute between the Winnipeg newspapers and members of the typographical union?