Mr. SPEAKER:

I wish to lay before the house a list showing the organization and establishment of the permanent positions on the staff of the House of Commons.

Mr. JOHN BRACKEN (Leader of the Opposition):

Mr. Speaker, with your permission I rise to speak on behalf of my associates; indeed, on this occasion I trust I speak for the whole house when I express to the Prime Minister (Mr. Mackenzie King) a warm welcome upon his return. I am sure we are all pleased to see him looking so well, and we trust that he is as well as he looks. If either now or in the future he should require any further rest, I am sure also that it will be readily given by every section of the house. Judging from his appearance, I gather he does not need one. His ruddy complexion would indicate that the sunshine of Virginia has done him more good than the storms in the House of Commons have done the rest of us.

I am happy to be able to assure him that in his absence the house was most competently led by the Secretary of State for External Affairs (Mr. St. Laurent). Sometimes he and his associates were right in their attitude toward the public questions which came before us; always, when they were right they had the support of those of us on this side of the house. But sometimes both he and his associates were wrong, and on those occasions we did our best to get them back on the right trail.

I am sure I speak for all hon. members when I say we are glad to see the Prime Minister back, and we trust his condition is such that he may carry on his duties here without any danger of further impairment of his health.

Mr. ANGUS MacINNIS (Vancouver East):

Mr. Speaker, I rise not because the leader of the opposition (Mr. Bracken) is not speaking in this matter for this group as well as for his own, but to add my expression of personal pleasure at seeing the Prime Minister back in his place, and to express the hope

The Prime Minister

that he may long be spared to fill that position, or, if not, some other position in the house.

I would also associate myself with tire leader of the opposition in his reference to the acting leader of the house during the Prime Minister's absence. I think I am not speaking too strongly when I say that during that time he has endeared himself to hon. members in all parts of the house.

Mr. SOLON E. LOW (Peace River): Mr. Speaker, I am sure we share the sentiments expressed by the leader of the opposition and the hon. member for Vancouver East (Mr. Maclnnis). We are happy to see the Prime Minister (Mr. Mackenzie King) back in his place.

During his absence I believe we did a pretty good job; the amount of business transacted was, I should think, quite satisfactory. Of course we are not hoping that the Prime Minister may have to go again soon, so that.we can do more; but I am suggesting that we took his advice and carried on quite well in his absence. We hope his health will continue to be good, so that he may not be forced to go away again.

Right Hon. W. L. MACKENZIE KING (Prime Minister):

Mr. Speaker, may I thank most warmly my hon. friend the leader of the opposition and the hon. gentlemen who have spoken for other parties on the opposite side of the house and the members of their parties, for the kind welcome they have extended to me; and may I also extend to all my fellow members on this side of the house my warmest thanks also for the manner in which they received the words of hon. members opposite.

I need not say how delighted I am to be back in the House of Commons. My little trip to the south has done me a lot of good. I felt considerably in need of a rest before going away; but I have come back feeling greatly benefited by it, and I hope from now on in the proceedings of the house I shall be able to pull my full weight in the boat.

While the weather in the south was a bit inclement, I gather it was not quite as bad as it was here. However that is all more than compensated for by what hon. gentlemen opposite have been saying about the progress that has been made in the business of the house in the last few weeks.

May I join with those who have spoken of my colleague, the Secretary of State for External Affairs, in expressing to him my warmest thanks for the manner in which he

has led the house during my absence and for the example which he has set to all its members, including myself.

I should like also to express a word of warm appreciation to the members of the press gallery and other friends who greeted me so cordially on my arrival back in the city on Saturday afternoon, and a word of very sincere appreciation of the many courtesies extended to me while I was in the United States, particularly by the government of the United States.

I am happy to be able to inform the house that the President, Mr. Truman, has definitely accepted the invitation of the Governor General and the government to visit our capital, probably in June, and that Mrs. Truman will also accompany him. The President expressed to me the hope and expectation that he and Mrs. Truman would be accompanied by their daughter. I gave to the President the assurance, which was unnecessary, that he and the members of his family would receive a very warm welcome from the citizens of Canada.

Mr. G. H. STOKES (Hastings South):

On a question of privilege, Mr. Speaker, I desire to call your attention and that of hon. members of this house to a report recently issued by the Ontario department of agriculture to the effect that in 1946 the county of Hastings produced 8,148,S21 pounds of cheese, which surpasses the record of any other county in the province of Ontario.

Right Hon. C. D. HOWE (Minister of Reconstruction and Supply):

I desire to table the annual report of Trans-Canada Air Lines for the year ended December 31, 1946, in English and French. The report is being distributed this afternoon.

By leave of the house I move:

That the annual report of Trans-Canada Air Lines for the year ended December 31, 1946, tabled this day, be referred to the sessional committee on railways and shipping owned, operated and controlled by the government.

Right Hon. C. D. HOWE (Minister of Reconstruction and Supply):

I desire to lay on the table the report of the air transport board, being a review of licences respecting commercial air services pursuant to section 13 of the Aeronautics Act,

I desire also to table a copy of P.C. 1337, being an implementation in part of the recommendations of the air transport board.