I received the telegram only just now.

Mr. ANGUS MacINNIS (Vancouver East):

Is the Minister of Labour in a position to state whether both parties to the dispute in the lumber industry of British Columbia have accepted the report of Chief Justice Sloan?

Hon. HUMPHREY MITCHELL (Minister of Labour):

The operators have accepted it, and the union have turned it down.

Mr. G. A. CRUICKSHANK (Fraser Valley) :

I should like to direct a question to the government. I do not know which department it comes under so I have given notice to three ministers. My first question is, what steps are being taken to save thousands of tons of berries worth over a million dollars now under contract to the United Kingdom from being lost, owing to the lack of barrels and containers? The second question-and these are straight questions-is, will the government grant an immediate export permit for five hundred tons of raspberries to the United States-

Mr. SPEAKER:

Order. I would suggest that the hon. gentleman put his question on the order paper.

Mr. CRUICKSHANK:

I am sorry, Mr. Speaker; I could not hear what you said.

Mr. SPEAKER:

I suggested that the hon. gentleman put his question on the order paper, as it appears to be quite lengthy.

Mr. CRUICKSHANK:

These berries are rotting on the ground to-day. If that is not urgent I do not know what is. May I ask my question?

Mr. SPEAKER:

If the hon. gentleman insists on asking his question I suggest that he be brief and to the point, as required by the rules of the house.

Fruit Wastage-Containers

Mr. CRUICKSHANK:

I am getting advice from all around here, but I am asking a question which is very important to British Columbia. The second part of the question is, will the government grant an immediate export permit for five hundred tons of raspberries to the United States, barrels and containers for which will be supplied by the United States purchasers, thus permitting raspberry barrels on hand to be used for the present emergency in the marketing of strawberries? That is a straight question, and it is a vital one for the people of Canada.

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

The first part of the question has to do with a contract which has been negotiated by the special products board of the Department of Agriculture with the United Kingdom. On two or three occasions we have made inquiries when these matters were under discussion.

The information we have is that if the harvesting of the berries proceeds in an ordinary manner, and if other conditions exist which do not result in great quantities being available for shipment at an unusual time, there are sufficient barrels and containers to take care of the situation. We cannot go very far beyond that at the present time, not knowing exactly what the crop is going to be, and not knowing exactly how berries are going to be marketed. If they are marketed according to the usual practice, then there are containers to take care of them so far as these contracts are concerned. But the other question has to do, indirectly, with the same matter, namely whether berries can be marketed somewhere else.

Mr. MacINNIS:

That is not a very fruitful answer.

Mr. G. A. CRUICKSHANK (Fraser Valley):

Mr. Speaker, I ask leave to move the adjournment of the house under standing order 31 for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent public importance, namely, the immediate threat of wastage of the current crop of small fruits, tree fruits, vegetables, butter and egg production and the fish pack in the province of British Columbia, because of the lack of necessary wooden or wood product containers.

Mr. SPEAKER:

The hon. member's motion is out of order. He should have put his motion

IMr. Speaker.] .

before the house before the orders of the day were entered upon. If he will read standing order 31 he will see the following:

31. (1) Leave to make a motion for the adjournment of the house (when made for the purpose of discussing a definite matter of urgent public importance) must be asked after the ordinary daily routine of business (standing order 15) has been concluded and before notices of motions or orders of the day are entered upon.

Mr. CRUICKSHANK:

Are the orders of the day called?

Some hon. MEMBERS- Yes.