Mr. GEORGE BLACK (Yukon):

Mr. Speaker, I present to the house the petition of upwards of 400 Canadian and British subjects residing in the district of Mackenzie in the Northwest Territories, and in Yukon Territory. The petition reads:

To the Honourable the House of Commons in parliament assembled-

Mr. SPEAKER:

Order. I would call the attention of the house to citation 713 of Beau-chesne, 2nd edition:

Whilst a member has clearly a right to ask that a petition be read, it is a privilege, like many others, subject to the approval of the house itself. In case of opposition, the Speaker will put a motion formally to the house.

Is it the pleasure of the house that the hon. gentlemen shall have leave to read the petition?

Agreed.

Mr. BLACK (Yukon):

The petition reads: To the Honourable the House of Commons

in parliament assembled

The petition of the undersigned Canadians and British subjects residing in Yukon Territory humbly sheweth

That parliament is now considering Bill No. 18, which if enacted, will be The Representation Act 1947.

That it is proposed by said legislation to include with Yukon electoral district the district of Mackenzie and the electoral district so created shall elect one member of the House of Commons.

That in the opinion of your petitioners it is not desirable to include the district of Mackenzie with the electoral district of Yukon for the reason that it will create a constituency of the enormous area of over seven hundred thousand square miles in extent, unwieldy and impracticable in every respect.

That Yukon territory and Mackenzie district have nothing in common, no community interest of any sort. They are separated by ranges of high mountains. They have no direct intercommunication and are entirely foreign to each other.

Your petitioners therefore pray that the Mackenzie district be not included in or with the electoral district of Yukon and that the words in section 2 of Bill 18 "including the Mackenzie district of the Northwest Territories" be struck out; and your petitioners will ever pray.

I have a similar petition from residents of the Yukon, the signatures to date running upwards of 400. I should like to inform the

Inquiries of the Ministry

house through you, Mr. Speaker, that many more similar petitions to the same effect are on their way to Ottawa.

Mr. Speaker, is the Minister of Labour in a position to give the house any information with regard to the Malartic mine disaster? Will an investigation be made, with particular reference to the effectiveness of the safety devices in use in that mine and other mines of the area? I regret I did not send notice to the minister.

Hon. HUMPHREY MITCHELL (Minister of Labour):

Much as I am personally

interested in the disaster at the Malartic mine, the hon. member probably knows that the question of safety measures in mines is under provincial jurisdiction. I have no doubt the provincial government concerned will make the necessary investigation.

Mr. CLARENCE GILLIS (Cape Breton South):

Mr. Speaker, may I ask the Minister of Transport two questions arising out of numerous inquiries I am receiving? Is he in a position to make a statement to the house as to when his department may be expected to proceed with the project of bridging the strait of Canso?

Mr. FRASER:

After the budget.

Mr. GILLIS:

You fellows have been

laughing at that since 1906; it is becoming serious. My second question is this: Have

any companies or firms in Canada or the United States made proposals with regard to the bridging of the strait?

Mr. SPEAKER:

Order. I really believe

that is a question-

Mr. GILLIS:

I have completed the question.

Mr. SPEAKER:

-which should be put

on the order paper.