Mr. BROOKS:

I should like to ask the

minister a question with reference to a matter which was brought to my attention the other day. It has to do with a veteran of two wars who had two sons also serving, but who had served only, we will say, a year and a half or two years, not giving them time enough to complete a full university course. The representation which was made to me was that, where the father of these boys had served, they felt that the department should allow the time which he had earned for university training, and which, of course, he was not able to take on account of his age, to be passed along to his sons who had not earned sufficient time. I should like to have the minister's comment on that and see what he thinks of that proposition.

Mr. GREGG:

The proposition is not new. It has been suggested in other connections. But it has been decided, and I cannot see any other way around it, that the benefits under this act must be tied to the individual veteran and not transferred even to members of the family.

Mr. BROOKS:

That is a final decision, is it?

Mr. GREGG:

Yes.

Resolution reported, read the second time and concurred in. Mr. Gregg thereupon moved for leave to introduce Bill No. 200, to amend the Veterans Rehabilitation Act.

Motion agreed to and bill read the first time.

The ACTING SPEAKER (Mr. Golding):

When shall the bill be read the second time?

Now.

Mr. BROOKS:

Next sitting of the house.

The ACTING SPEAKER (Mr. Golding):

Next sitting of the house.

Canadian National Railways-Auditors

Mr. A. M. NICHOLSON (Mackenzie):

I should like to draw the attention of the house to the debate that took place a year ago when a similar resolution was under consideration, during which the hon. member for Vancouver North (Mr. Sinclair) made what I considered a very reasonable argument with a view to having this important work done under the direction of the auditor general rather than by this particular firm of chartered accountants. I have had some contact with this firm since I have been a member of the committee that has examined the operations of the Canadian National Railways, and I have no criticism whatever to offer with respect to the auditing that has been done by the George A. Touche Company. But, as the hon. member for Vancouver North argued a year ago, there is no good reason why this work might not be undertaken and completed by the auditor general. Last year the minister gave the reasons he thought were important, but I do not think the defence made by the minister was very reasonable.

Mr. CHEVRIER:

The house agreed with it.

Mr. NICHOLSON:

Yes, the house did agree with it; but I think no great problem presents itself in asking the auditor general to take over the job. The book-keeping of the Canadian National Railways has been done very carefully over a period of years, and there is no

reason under the sun why the staff of the auditor general could not perform this service. I feel that the views we expressed a year ago apply with equal force this year. I draw Your Honour's attention to the amendment I moved a year ago, which is found at page 1910 of Hansard for March 31, 1947. At that time I referred you to page 228 of Beauchesne, third edition, citation 657, which was my authority for moving the amendment. So this evening I would move an amendment in exactly the same terms, seconded by the hon. member for Melfort (Mr. Wright):

That all the words after "that" be struck out and the following substituted therefor:

"this bill be not now read a second time but that it be resolved that in the opinion of this house the government should give consideration to the making of provision for the auditing of the accounts of the Canadian National Railways to be done by the auditor general of Canada."

Mir. CHEVRIER:

Perhaps I should say a word im reply to the remarks of the hon. member for Mackenzie (Mr. Nicholson). I need mot amplify what was said on the subject last year, but I am surprised that the hon. member should move the same, amendment, giving the same reasons, w'hen the amendment was defeated last year.

The reasons that it would not be in the public interest to have the auditor general audit the accounts of the Canadian National Railways are, first of all, that the auditing should be a continuing process. If the auditor general were to do the work he would have to set up a specific and separate staff to look after the special work of the railway. Again, the Canadian National Railways have offices in the United States. George A. Touche and Company have offices in various centres of the United States where the Canadian National Railways operate, and by means of these representatives are able to do the work far more efficiently than the auditor general could. I understand that a staff of some thirty or forty are assigned to the Canadian National Railways, of whom many attend exclusively to this particular job of auditing. The auditor general would be in exactly the same position and would have to employ a separate staff.

For these reasons and many others I gave during the debate last year, I think it would be against the public interest to have auditors other than the present firm, who have given entire satisfaction to the railways and, I think, to parliament as a whole.

Amendment (Mr. Nicholson) negatived on division.

Railway Grade Crossing Fund

Mr. KNOWLES:

Will the minister at some stage of debate give us information respecting prospective grade crossings which might be carried out?