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

Mr. Speaker, I desire to lay on the table the following documents:

Two copies in English and in French of:

(A) On general agreement on tariffs and trade-

1. Speech of the Prime Minister in London, England, on November 17, 1947.

2. Final Act of the second session of the preparatory committee of the united nations conference on trade and employment, held at Geneva from April 10 to October 30, 1947, and related documents. (Treaty series 1947, No. 27).

3. Schedule V to the general agreement on tariffs and trade.

4. Press release of November 17, 1947, with respect to the general agreement on trade and tariffs.

5. Schedules of tariff concessions to the general agreement on tariffs and trade.

(B) On emergency economic measures- -

1. Speech of the Minister of Finance in Ottawa on November 17, 1947.

2. Order in council P.C. 4678 of November 12, 1947, with respect to import restrictions.

3. Order in council P.C. 4858 of November 20, 1947, amendments to the foreign exchange control regulations.

4. Explanatory notes on import restrictions.

5. Foreign exchange control regulations with respect to travel by Canadian residents.

6. Notes on travel restrictions.

7. Summary of proposed tax measures.

Order in council P.C. 3573, September 2,

1947, appointment of the Hon. Milton Fowler Gregg, a member of the King's Privy Council for Canada, to be Minister of Fisheries, vice the Hon. H. F. G. Bridges, deceased.

Order in council P.C. 4443, October 30, 1947, appointment of Ralph Maybanlc, Esquire, M.P.. K.C., to be parliamentary assistant to the Minister of National Health and Welfare.

Order in council P.C. 4444, October 30, 1947, appointment of Walter E. Harris, Esquire, M.P., to be parliamentary assistant to the Secretary of State for External Affairs.

Order in council P.C. 4445, October 30, 1947, appointment of Paul Emile Cote, Esquire, M.P., to be parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Labour.

Order in council P.C. 4446, October 30, 1947, appointment of Robert McCubbin, Esquire, M.P., to be parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Agriculture.

Order in council P.C. 4447, October 30, 1947, appointment of Gleason Belzile, Esquire, M.P., to be parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Finance.

Order in council P.C. 4448, October 30, 1947, appointment of Robert H. Winters, Esquire, M.P., to be parliamentary assistant to the Minister of National Revenue.

Copies in English of the report of meetings between delegates from the national convention of Newfoundland and representatives of the government of Canada.

Copies in English and in French of terms believed to constitute a fair and equitable basis for union of Newfoundland with Canada should the people of Newfoundland desire to enter into confederation.

Copies in English and in French of the "Letters patent constituting the office of the Governor General of Canada, effective October 1, 1947, with appendices reproducing documents relating to the office of the Governor General of Canada in effect prior to October 1, 1947" and an explanatory press release issued by the Prime Minister on October 1, 1947.

Report in English on the audit of the accounts of the federal district commission for the fiscal year ended March 31, 1947.

Right Hon. L. S. ST. LAURENT (Secretary of State for External Affairs): Mr. Speaker, in compliance with section 2, subsection 3 of the Bretton Woods Agreements Act, 1945, I wish to table order in council of September 5, 1947, whereby Robert Broughton Bryce was appointed alternate governor of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Hon. J. J. McCANN (Minister of National Revenue):

In accordance with standing order 84 I desire to lay on the table the annual report of the Department of National Revenue for the year ended March 31, 1946, in English and French. I wish to report further, with

Reports and Papers

reference to the export of petroleum and pulp-wood, that no orders or regulations have been issued under the export of petroleum and pulpwood regulations established under chapter 63 of the Revised Statutes of Canada, 1927 since the last return made to parliament.

With reference to the Canada-United Kingdom income tax agreement, no orders or regulations have been issued under chapter 38 of the statutes of 1946.

With reference to the Canada-United Kingdom succession duty agreement, no regulations or orders have been issued under chapter 39 of the statutes of 1946, being the Canada-United Kingdom succession duty agreement section.

With reference to the Canada-United States tax convention, no orders or regulations have been issued under the convention relating to succession duties, enacted as chapter 31 of the statutes of 1944 since these were tabled in the house on March 20, 1946.

(For complete list of reports and papers tabled, see Votes and Proceedings, No. 2, December 8, 1947.)

FOREIGN EXCHANGE Canada's holdings of gold and united

Hon. DOUGLAS ABBOTT (Minister of Finance):

On Friday last the leader of the opposition (Mr. Bracken) asked me to table a statement showing the month by month holdings of gold in United States dollars as of the end of each month since December 31, 1945. I beg leave to do so now.

Hon. DOUGLAS ABBOTT (Minister of Finance):

Since it may be a day or two before we reach the emergency measures, I should like to make a brief statement regarding certain excise taxes which I announced on November 17 I would ask parliament to enact. As members will appreciate, this was a very broad and comprehensive programme, and since announcing it I have received many representations from business concerns and consumers affected.

In these discussions with the industries affected constructive suggestions have been put forward, and in cases where these proposals have not been in serious conflict with our over-all objectives they have been adopted. Needless to say, a minister of finance, cannot discuss these matters with

those who may be affected by them prior to their announcement.

I shall not take the time of the house now to explain in detail the various considerations which in each case led me to modify certain of these taxes. Members will appreciate, however, how important it is to industry to know of any changes in the government's intentions just as soon as possible after decisions have been made, and for that reason I am announcing now the following changes in the excise tax programme which I will ask parliament later to make effective as from November 18.

The tax on electric or gas refrigerators, refrigerating components, oil burners and oil burning equipment generally, will apply only when these items are adapted to household use or for use in apartment houses, places of entertainment, amusement or recreation such as, for example, rinks, halls, clubs and audiforia. At the same time the tax will be extended to cover air-conditioning, cooling or filtering equipment for the same uses. In the case of electric and gas stoves, ranges and heaters, the tax will be withdrawn. Organs for churches will be exempt from the tax on musical instruments. Tooth brushes will not be included in the toilet articles subject to tax. On pleasure boats the tax will apply only to the engines for use in such boats.

Mr. JOHN BRACKEN (Leader of the Opposition):

With the consent of the house, Mr. Speaker, may I be permitted to direct one question to the Minister of Finance (Mr. Abbott). A moment ago he answered a question with respect to the official holdings of gold and United States dollars at the end of each month from December 31, 1945. I want to thank the minister for that information. In view of the debate that is now pending will the minister give us an answer to this question at his early convenience? How much has been drawn by Britain to date, by months, on the Canadian loan granted in 1946?

Hon. DOUGLAS ABBOTT (Minister of Finance):

I should be able to give that information tomorrow.

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

I have in my hand the motion which I placed before the house on

Business of the House

Friday last and which I asked for unanimous consent to introduce. Had that consent been given it would not have been necessary to introduce this motion at this time. However, consent was not given. Here I wish to correct at once a false impression that has arisen. The press in some quarters has indicated that I withdrew the motion. I never withdrew the motion because the motion was never before the house. All I asked for was the unanimous consent of the house to be allowed to introduce the motion which I thought would save time; but hon. gentlemen opposite refused to give that unanimous consent. Therefore the motion could not be put at the time it was introduced.

Mr. GRAYDON:

There was a retreat somewhere.

Mr. MACKENZIE KING:

Yes, on my hon. friend's side.

Oh, oh.

Mr. MACKENZIE KING:

The other false impression I should like to correct at once, because I think it is advisable that it should not become too current, is that the motion was intended in any way to deprive anyone of his right to speak in the debate on the address in reply. There is no intention of the kind. The government intends to give the fullest opportunity to every hon. member in the house, under the rules, to debate the address in accordance with his full rights. All that the motion had in its intent was that the debate should be begun by the leaders of the parties opposite, myself and another member on this side, and then be adjourned until later in the session when it would be resumed, so that in the meantime the house might have before it the important measures, for the purpose of dealing with which the house had been called at this particular time, and might know exactly what was to be expected of it in the way of procedure between now and the Christmas recess.

The motion reads:

That the debate on the address in reply to the speech of His Excellency 'the Governor General to both houses of parliament be the first order of business on Monday, December 8th instant, and that this order be followed by government notices of motion and government orders notwithstanding anything in standing order 15.

I have on the order paper immediately following that a motion to this effect:

Thait on and after Tuesday the 9th December, 1947, and every sitting day thereafter until Tuesday, the 30th December, government notices of motions and government orders shall have precedence over all other business except introduction of bills, questions by members and notices of motions for the production of papers.

As that motion will be coming forward immediately after this one, I think that part of the present motion which relates to precedence for government business is superfluous; if the house will give me its permission I will ask to be allowed to strike out the concluding words, "and that this order be followed by government notices of motion and government orders notwithstanding anything in standing order 15" so that the motion would simply read:

That the debate on the address in reply to the speech of His Excellency the Governor General to both houses of parliament be the first order of business on Monday, December 8th instant.

I think that will accord with the wishes of the house. It goes the length of simply indicating that today will be the date to begin the debate on the address in reply to the speech from the throne. Perhaps the house will allow me to amend the motion in the way I have indicated.

Mr. Speaker, does it not require the consent of the house for this motion to be moved at this particular time and in this particular place? I am not going to object to it. I think it is the right place to move it, but as I see it the procedure really should be that the Prime Minister ask the consent of the house to make that motion at this stage. I do not think it is in the proper order. We have not reached government orders. Am I right?

Mr. MACKENZIE KING:

No; I gave notice of this motion last week. It appeared on the order paper and it is on the order paper now. It had forty-eight hours' notice. Therefore it is quite in order at this moment, and it comes up under motions.