Mr. ANGUS MacINNIS (Vancouver East):

I wish to ask a question of the Minister of Labour. I am informed that representations have been made to the minister by certain engineering firms in Vancouver whose business has been affected by the prolonged moulders strike. May I ask the minister whether he has any statement to make and whether the Department of Labour is able to do anything in the circumstances?

Hon. HUMPHREY MITCHELL (Minister of Labour):

The hon. member was good enough to send me notice of his question. The wartime labour relations regulations, P.C. 1003, are administered in British Columbia by the Minister of Labour for British Columbia. That was the original arrangement when the regulations were drafted. As a consequence, all industrial disputes in that province are dealt with by the conciliation service of the province except those which are ordinarily within the legislative authority of parliament, such as disputes affecting railways, navigation or shipping, and by arrangement disputes affecting the coal mining industry. The foundry dispute is being handled by the provincial department of labour.

Mr. MacINNIS1: May I ask a supplementary question? Has the minister been advised by the premier of British Columbia or by any official, that they consider this a matter that comes under the federal department of labour?

Mr. MITCHELL:

I have no knowledge of that. I believe the statement I have made is a fairly practical one. It is obvious that the federal department of labour cannot get into every dispute in every province. I know that some newspaper editors, with little experience of these things, have expressed opinions to the contrary-

Mr. MacINNIS:

They do on everything.

Mr. MITCHELL:

-but that dispute is being handled by the provincial department, and I have no knowledge of any communication either to my department or to anyone else with respect to it.

Canteen Funds

Mr. CLARENCE GILLIS (Cape Breton South):

I sent the Minister of Veterans Affairs notice of a question, but I see he is not here. Since the question has to do with the three defence departments, I will ask that it be taken as notice. Has the government complied with the recommendations contained in the fourth report of the canteen committee, which was set up in 1942, to arrange machinery for the allocation and disposition of canteen funds accumulated during the war?

Hon. DOUGLAS ABBOTT (Minister of National Defence):

Perhaps I might answer that question now. We are giving careful consideration to the whole question of canteen funds. I have asked the officers of my department to get me certain information in connection with them. Although I will not make any positive statement to this effect, I think I shall wish to suggest that at the next session of parliament we set up another committee on canteen funds, because the question is an important one. Substantial sums of money are involved. My present view is that it would be well to have the question considered by a committee of this house, but I do not think it would be possible to do it at this session. I make that statement in reply to my hon. friend's question in order that he and others interested may know the way we are thinking about it at the moment.

Mr. OOCKERAM:

May I ask the minister a supplementary question? What is to be the disposition of the funds of regimental canteens and clubs? Are they to go into the canteen funds?

Mr. ABBOTT:

That is a complicated question. As my hon. friend knows, some of the funds come from regimental canteens and some from other sources, and the matter would have to be considered as a whole. At the moment I am not in a position to say just what will be done with respect to these funds, any more than any others.