Mr. LENNARD:

On a point of order, when I rise in this house, which is not very often, I speak from my appointed place in this chamber, and I feel that if backbenchers in other parts of the house did the same we should make more progress.

Mr. HARTT:

Speaking again to the point of order, Mr. Chairman, I have a right to repeat, and I think the committee will grant it to me-

Mr. POULIOT:

I submit, Mr. Chairman, that no one has the right to speak twice on the same point of order.

Mr. HARTT:

I accept the hon. member's point.

Sit down.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN (Mr. Bradette):

In committee of the whole a certain amount of latitude is allowed on the first clause. I hope that that privilege will not be abused. I will ask the hon. member for Kingston City to proceed.

Mr. KIDD:

I think the Minister of Finance should make a statement in advance of any such order in council as P.C. 2045 going into effect. It was passed on Thursday, May 22, 1947. Nothing was said about it on Friday, May 23, nothing on Monday, May 26, nothing on Tuesday, May 27, until a reply was made to a question asked by the hon. member for Rosetown-Biggar. That is the only time the Minister of Finance made a statement about the order in council. I bring this up because one of my constituents was directly affected. Three girls were journeying by bus from Kingston to the United States, over the international bridge, as they do once or twice a year. They were picked up by the customs officials. I want to pay a compliment to the customs officials, nearly all of whom are veterans of world war I. They are very courteous and gentlemanly, but they have to carry out their instructions under the foreign exchange control order. This girl was asked how much United States currency she had. She told them $40 U.S., plus $5 Canadian. They said that was $30 too much. She had to leave $30 with them. They gave her a form which she signed, and it came back to Ottawa. She then proceeded to Watertowr with her friends. The officials said that the girl should have had form H with her, but this girl did not know it was necessary. She had collected her United States currency at various stores. When she came back across the border she expected that the $30 would be refunded, but the officials intimated that she had broken the law. Probably she had, but the point is that if she broke the law it was the fault of the Minister of Finance for not publicizing the order in council. He said nothing about it on the floor of the house, or on the radio, and no advertisements about it were published in the press.

Mr. ABBOTT:

I must interrupt the hon. member. First, on a point of order, Mr. Chairman, this has nothing to do with the present bill. The matter to which he refers took place last May, and I cannot recall whether I made an announcement in the house.

Mr. KIDD:

No, the minister did not.

Mr. ABBOTT:

I will accept the hon. gentleman's word, but I do know that the details of the order were widely publicized. I raise the point of order, Mr. Chairman, that we cannot discuss the administration of the foreign exchange control board on clause 1 of this bill. If we attempt to do that we open up a discussion that will keep us here until the heat of summer. I did not interrupt my hon. friend when he was stating his case, but I

Foreign Exchange Conservation

would ask the members of the committee to keep within the scope of the bill we are now considering.

Mr. KIDD:

I am not going to say any more, but the minister did make a statement the other night on the $10 restriction.

Mr. ABBOTT:

That was in reply to a question.

Mr. KIDD:

An hon. member asked me whether the girl got her money back. She did not.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN (Mr. Bradette):

Standing order 58(2), reads:

Speeches in committee of the whole house must be strictly relevant to the item or clause under consideration.

We are on clause 1, and I would ask the committee to keep within the orbit of that clause.

Mr. CASE:

I hope to keep within the rules, Mr. Chairman, in discussing the short title of the bill, which reads:

This Act may be cited as the Emergency Exchange Conservation Act.

That indicates the purpose of the bill. By this bill we are delegating to a minister of the crown, to one person, tremendous authority. There is such a thing as the law and the spirit of the law. I know this act is to be administered by the Minister of Trade and Commerce.

Mr. ABBOTT:

No; schedules I and II will be administered by your humble servant and schedule III by the Minister of Trade and Commerce.

Mr. CASE:

When we come to the other schedule we shall hear from the minister responsible for administering it.

Mr. ABBOTT:

That is the intention. On the point raised by my hon. friend I think I mentioned the other night that in matters relating particularly to schedule III, that is the permit system for so-called capital goods, I would expect my colleague the Minister of Trade and Commerce to deal with that schedule, and I shall handle the questions as to schedule I, relating to prohibitions, and schedule II, the quota item.

The ACTING CHAIRMAN (Mr. Bradette) :

Is the committee ready for the amendment?

Mr. SMITH (Calgary West):

I have a question to ask; I hope I am in order. I want to assure the minister that there is no catch in it; I am really looking for information. I was wondering under what authority we are acting now. Is it the War Measures Act?