Mr. ALISTAIR STEWART (Winnipeg North):

I rise to a question of privilege. An article on page 10 of today's Globe and Mail is, in part, completely wrong. The part of which I complain reads as follows:

When Mr. Stewart originally presented the petition, he said he did agree with the religious views of the Witnesses, but had undertaken to see that the petition sponsored by them reached parliament.

What I actually said was that although I presented the petition I did not agree with the religious views of those who sponsored it.

Hon. DOUGLAS ABBOTT (Minister of Finance):

Mr. Speaker, I wish to announce that the government does not intend to ask parliament for authority to retain rental and eviction control on commercial accommodation after the expiration of the Continuation of the Transitional Measures Act, March 31, 1948.

The house will recall that on March 1 last, as part of the programme of orderly decontrol, certain items of commercial space, chiefly new commercial buildings, commercial buildings rented for the first time or for a term of three or more years, as well as commercial space which had been sublet, were removed from control.

At the same time a provision was made which would enable the landlord of any com-

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mercial space to obtain a 25 per cent increase of the maximum rental by offering to his tenant a two-year renewal lease on certain terms and conditions. These measures provided a free bargaining opportunity with respect to a substantial proportion of commercial space, and experience has indicated that many landlords and tenants have taken advantage of it. It is now felt that it will be possible to effect complete decontrol of commercial accommodation next spring.

Amendments being made to wartime prices and trade board rental regulations to take effect immediately will remove from control vacant lots used for motor car parking or sales, as well as gas stations owned by oil companies.

In the field of housing accommodation the only change made provides for the removal of rental and eviction control from all new houses, apartments, duplexes and other self-contained buildings completed after January 1, 1947. This is felt to be desirable as an encouragement for the construction of housing accommodation for rent at a time when it is so urgently needed.

Mr. TUST'IN: Mr. Speaker, may I ask the minister a question on the statement he ha^ just made? Is there to be no relief until next-spring for returned veterans to secure their own properties?

Mr. ABBOTT:

As I said a little while ago, the whole question of any possible relaxation of rental control with respect to necessitous cases has been under consideration for some time and is still under consideration. I am not yet in a position to make any statement as to what the result may be.

Mr. CHEVRIER:

The Canadian National Railways advise as follows:-

1. Approximately 80, assuming three shifts operated.

2. (a) Two captains; (b) 78 of other ranks; working in shifts.

3. Yes.

4. Two masters, one first officer, one second officer, two third officers, one junior second engineer, one third engineer, three fourth engineers, one electrical engineer and one chief steward.

5. Six.

6. No, but will be stand-by ship and manned without delay when required.

7. Deck officers, engineering officers and chief stew'ard now being trained. Chief engineer and chief electrician have been on ship since construction started.

8. Until ship goes into service.

In so far as the Department of Transport is concerned:-

9. None, by law. However, under contract No. 35497 between the Department of Transport and Marine Industries Limited, one guarantee engineer is to be appointed by the contractor to serve on board. In addition under an agreement between Dominion Engineering Works Limited and Canadian General Electric Company Limited a guarantee engineer, with respect to electrical installation, is also to be appointed.

10. Not longer than twelve months from date of delivery.

11. None.

1. Has the war assets corporation sold any property, real or person, to Robert Cauchon, mayor of the city of Salaberry de Valleyfield, or city of Valleyfield?

2. If so (a) what property; (b) what quantity of each kind, in each year; (c) what was the selling price in each case; (d) when and where did each delivery take place; (e) when was such property paid for?

1. Yes.

2. (a) The wharf in the parish of St. Timo-thee, county of Beauharnois with the land leading to the wharf was sold to Mr. Robert

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Cauchon on or about October 24, 1946, but later the federal government department reporting the wharf and land leading thereto as surplus was not able to provide title deeds to the land. On this becoming apparent the sale of land only was cancelled on April 22, 1947, with no change in sales price.

(b) Only as in (a), in 1946.

(c) $150.

(d) Delivery was made on or about October 24, 1946.

(e) The property was paid for on October 21, 1946.

1. Has the wharf in the parish of St. Timothee, county of Beauharnois, together with the land leading to such wharf, 'been sold?

2. If so (a) to whom; (b) at what price; (c) when was the payment made?

1. The wharf in the parish of St. Timothee, county of Beauharnoig, with the land leading to the wharf was sold on or about October 24, 1946, but later the federal government department reporting the wharf and land leading thereto as surplus was not able to provide title deeds to the land. On this becoming apparent, the sale of t'he land only was cancelled on April 22, 1947, with no change in sales price.

2. (a) To Mr. Robert Cauchon.

(b) S150.

(c) October 21, 1946.

1. Has Canada been invited to an empire conference at Australia regarding the Pacific question and the proposed peace treaty with Japan?

2. When is it to be held and where?

3. Has the government received a copy of the proposals of last February from General Jlac-Arthur and Dr. Evatt, or from the countries they represent, on this matter?

Mr. ST. LAURENT:

1. In replying to a question by the hon. member for Vancouver South (Mr. Green) on June 16, page 4176, I informed the house that there is under consideration a proposal for a conference of representatives of the commonwealth nations at Canberra toward the end of August to discuss the Japanese peace settlement. I added that if that is arranged I have no doubt that Canada will be represented at the conference.

2. Answered by No. 1.

3. So far as I am aware the only proposal with regard to the Japanese peace settlement made by General MacArthur in February last, was in an informal interview with a party of American editors and publishers reported in the press on March 1. General MacArthur made another and more widely publicized statement on this subject in a brief and informal talk at the Tokyo Correspondents club on March 17. The government has received copies of various press reports on these statements. The government has also received a copy of the speech on external affairs delivered in the Australian House of Representatives on February 26 last, by Dr. H. V. Evatt, in which, among other matters discussed, he made a strong case for an early peace settlement in the Pacific.