Mr. GREGG:

One of the amendments put forward in the insurance bill tonight was partly for that purpose as well as for veterans who were in hospital or in training.

Mr. MUTCH:

The original rehabilitation grants were for a period of ten years from the cessation of hostilities or the discharge of the veteran or the transfer to the other service. Is not that correct?

Mr. GREGG:

Yes.

Mr. MUTCH:

If I understood the hon. member for Nanaimo correctly I want to know, if the man leaves the service any time before that ten-year period has expired, whether all these rehabilitation credits which he has not used will be applied on application?

Mr. BROOKS:

I do not think you can wait ten years to apply for a university course. That is what the hon. member for Nanaimo was speaking about particularly. I think it was eighteen months, was it not? You cannot wait ten years for an educational course.

Mr. GREGG:

Not the educational course; but his re-establishment credit and his gratuity would be available to such a man as the hon. member for Nanaimo suggests.

Mr. MUTCH:

If he applies within ten years.

Mr. GREGG:

Up to the period of ten years, which is now laid down. A plan is being worked out, for instance, in the engineers where university officers in the engineers can complete their university training within the service. Furthermore, classes are being worked out for education of other ranks.

Mr. PEARKES:

That is an entirely different matter.

Mr. ROSS (St. Paul's):

I suppose I am going to be quite out of order. I have listened to some of the debate which has gone on, and I think this might be a constructive suggestion. We have quite a lot of difficulty at the present time in getting volunteers for the navy, army and air force. We are below strength. Under the circumstances today, Canada should do something to see that she is able to defend herself. My suggestion is that in Canada at the present time we should have universal volunteer training. I do not know what I should suggest as the length of time that we should have it. I suggest perhaps a year or a year and a half. During that year or a year and.a half we should have universal volunteer training. This is not conscription or anything like that. We should take into the navy, army and air force men who have finished their high school courses or perhaps those who have finished their first year course at the

Veterans Rehabilitation Act

university. I suggest to the minister, who knows something about education, that perhaps it is a wise thing to have a boy go to university for one year and then go out and earn his living and come back to university. That system would give him a better understanding of what earning a dollar means.

My suggestion is that we formulate some plan for the defence of Canada and that we give these boys, during the period of their voluntary training, schooling which will be equivalent to whatever year they are in in high school or matriculation or something like that. If they are in arts they could carry on the first year of arts or the first year of science. Give them something that will carry them along that year and make it worthwhile. It will take a lot of money, but if we do that we shall get the voluntary force which will be needed to defend Canada in case of necessity. I want to repeat that this is voluntary.

One of the main reasons I have for speaking about this matter tonight is this. We have the threat of communism on us in Canada today. What we must have in Canada as soon as we can get it, to combat any subservient activity which may come along, is loyal subjects. We must have people who voluntarily are willing to defend their country in time of trouble. I am not talking about having them voluntarily defend their country in time of war outside Canada. That goes without saying, because we know that every man, woman and child in this country, in the case of war, outside, would jump into the fray and defend Canada.

The DEPUTY CHAIRMAN:

Order. The hon. member was quite correct in the statement that he would be out of order. What is before the committee at the present time is the following resolution:

That it is expedient to present a bill to amend the Veterans Rehabilitation Act by extending the allowance of provisions in respect to persons coming under the provisions of the act.

I hope the hon. member will confine his remarks to the resolution.

Mr. ROSS (St. Paul's):

I am making this suggestion-

The DEPUTY CHAIRMAN:

The hon. member is not in order in discussing matters that are not before the committee at the moment. He admitted himself that he would be out of order. That is not the proper thing for the hon. member to do, to continue speaking when he knows he is out of order. I hope he will deal with the resolution.

Mr. ROSS (St. Paul's):

The resolution is to extend vocational training. I think that is what it is.

The DEPUTY CHAIRMAN:

Has the hon. member the resolution before him?

Mr. ROSS (St. Paul's):

No.

The DEPUTY CHAIRMAN:

I have read the resolution to the hon. member and I hope he will confine his remarks to it.

Mr. GREEN:

Could the minister deal with some of the matters raised while the Speaker was in the chair?

Mr. ROSS (St. Paul's):

I have just a few more words to say. I think I have made myself clear. I suggest that the act will probably need to be so framed as to take care of the points I have suggested. I think my idea is a good one, that in time of trouble we should have loyal people in the country. If, therefore, we have many of these men attracted into what I call voluntary universal training for one year-

The DEPUTY CHAIRMAN:

Order.