Mr. BRYCE:

Am I correct in my understanding that this does not apply to blind Indians?

Mr. MARTIN:

It applies to Indians who are not under the Indian Act.

Mr. BRYCE:

Not to the Indian who is blind just the same?

Mr. MARTIN:

It will apply if he becomes enfranchised.

Mr. BRYCE:

Has that question been given any consideration?

Mr. MARTIN:

I made a statement the other night on that whole subject.

Mr. BRYCE:

In a word, is the minister in favour of including the Indians for pension?

Mr. MARTIN:

I am very anxious to help them.

Mr. BLACKMORE:

Will the minister give us some evidence of that?

Mr. MARTIN:

The other night I made a statement on the subject.

Mr. BLACKMORE:

It won't hurt to repeat it.

Mr. MARTIN:

No one has been more attentive and receptive to suggestions than I have been in this debate. I stated the other night that the government was giving consideration not only to that aspect but to the much wider aspect of the Indian problem. We are following with great interest and care the work of the Indian affairs committee and when that is done we may have something further to state.

Mr. CASTLEDEN:

Health conditions

among the Indians in Canada are not good. Granting of the blind pension and lowering the age is a move in the right direction. If this particular pension could be extended to

Old Age Pensions

the blind Indian it would be an immediate step which would be appreciated. I understand that the minister is waiting for the Indian affairs committee to make its report and then work out the whole situation and provide more care and new services for the Indians. But the minister knows that the work of that committee is not completed, and its recommendations with regard to changing the act will probably be a year late. I would ask the minister if he would consider making this particular pension applicable to the Indians, because so far as the old age pension is concerned that is administered by the provinces, which recognize no responsibility for Indians, whose care is entirely a federal matter. It would be a very fine step to make this blind pension applicable to the Indians at once.

Mr. FRASER:

The other night I mentioned Indians in connection with the old age pension. I know that in my riding the Indians are receiving help from the blind institute, which helps them with food and clothing and fuel and supplies some of them with glasses. I do believe it would be a wise step on the part of this government to include the Indians in this act.

Mr. BLACKMORE:

I want to associate myself with those who have already advocated that pensions be given to the blind Indians. I am not at all satisfied with the progress of the Indian affairs committee. I have been on that committee a couple of years and it seems to me it does not intend to do anything other than just hear evidence and prepare reports. Meanwhile the blind Indians are suffering, and it is the duty of this country to do something about it. I suggest that until the Indian affairs committee does bring in its conclusions a temporary measure at least to provide for the blind Indians would be a most fitting gesture on the part of this government.

Mr. CRUICKSHANK:

The Minister of Veterans Affairs and I took a trip to Toronto to the convention of the blind last week-end, and we got results because we convinced the government for once that we were right.

Mr. ZAPLITNY:

In paragraph 3 of this clause there is a qualification which requires that the person concerned must have resided in Canada for twenty years or more. Further down there is a qualification in respect of those who have resided in Canada and then have left the country for a period and later returned. That latter part of course would not be applicable to persons who come to Canada as immigrants and who have not lived here twenty years. I realize that the same qualifies-

tion is in force in respect to the old age pension, and it may be said that the qualification is necessary in respect to the old age pension so that people will not come to Canada just to get the old age pension. That same argument does not hold good in the matter of the blind pension, because no one knows when blindness is going to come. I should think we could safely do away with that qualification for pensions for the blind, and I would ask the minister to consider deleting it in order that all persons suffering from blindness, regardless of how long they have lived in Canada, provided they have lived long enough to become Canadian citizens, may secure the blind pension.

Mr. BROWN:

The hon. member for Lethbridge made a statement which I think should not go unchallenged. I am sure when he thinks over what he said that he will regret having made the assertion that the Indian affairs committee had been meeting for two years and had accomplished nothing, or words to that effect. I stand corrected if that is not right. Would the hon. member like to repeat what he said there?

Mr. BLACKMORE:

I would like to have Hansard give back what I said, but I will repeat that I am not satisfied.

The CHAIRMAN:

Order. I would remind hon. members that the clause under consideration is clause 5 relating to pensions for blind persons.