Mr. A. L. Smith (Calgary West):

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a matter of personal privilege. During the debate last evening I made some uncomplimentary references to the hon. member for Springfield (Mr. Sinnott). This morning I do not think that they were either very funny or very clever. Of my own volition, and having regard to my sense of fair play and the dignity of debate in this house, I willingly and sincerely tender him my apology.

Mr. J. S. Sinnott (Springfield):

I accept the apology of the hon. member for Calgary West (Mr. Smith), in the spirit in which it is given. It takes a man with a big heart to make amends to a fellow member in the way he has done by a public apology. But I hope he will be careful in the future. I hope also that the press will give the same publicity to his remarks as was given to what was reported in this morning's papers.

Mr. Speaker:

In the name of all the members of the house I think I should compliment both hon. members and thank them very much.

Mr. R. R. Knight (Saskatoon City):

Yesterday I addressed a question to the Minister of Transport as follows:

What changes in express or freight rates are effective or deferred as of today?

As we did not get to the orders of the day yesterday, perhaps the minister will permit me to broaden the scope of my question and have it read: "as of the last day or two"

rather than "as of today."

Hon. Lionel Chevrier (Minister of Transport):

The board of transport commissioners issued order 71,997 which suspended as of February 14 the proposed increases in express

rates on fish. Those rates cover the movement of fish from the productive areas to various parts of Canada.

Mr. T. L. Church (Broadview):

I should like to direct a question to the Secretary of State for External Affairs. Has the attention of the government been called to the arrest of several Protestant clergymen in Bulgaria by the soviet satellite Bulgarian communist government, fifteen leading Protestant clergymen having been charged with high treason, black marketing, and making what may be described as a satellite type of confession? Will any action be taken by the government in the way of protest? Will the minister also refer in his memorandum of protest to the imprisonment of several other Christian clergymen of Protestant denominations in Roumania?

Hon. L. B. Pearson (Secretary of State for External Affairs):

The hon. member was good enough to give me notice of his question. I would say to him that the only information the government has about this development in Bulgaria is that which it has seen in the newspapers. As the hon. member knows, we have no representative in Bulgaria. Immediately on receipt of this information through the public press we took steps to secure if possible official confirmation of the report by asking friendly governments who were represented in Bulgaria to obtain information as to the validity or otherwise of those reports. We have not yet received replies to those inquiries and when we do we shall be in position to decide what action, if any, will be taken.

Mr. Howard C. Green (Vancouver South):

Press dispatches indicate that the Minister of Mines and Resources made a statement yesterday to a delegation concerning the trans-Canada highway. The dispatch seems

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Inquiries of the Ministry to indicate that the government has reached certain decisions respecting the highway. I should like to ask the minister whether any agreements have been made with the provinces and if so, will he table them in the house? Is he prepared now to make a statement about the highway?

Hon. J. A. MacKinnon (Minister of Mines and Resources):

Mr. Speaker, it is much too early to make any worth-while statement as to the progress being made. The Department of Mines and Resources is in communication with the ministers of highways in the various provinces as to the route of the highway through their particular provinces, and the kind of road to be constructed. I think that is as far as the statement went that I made yesterday to a delegation from Sault Ste. Marie. They were speaking to me principally on the matter of the route through that part of the province of Ontario. No agreements have yet been arrived at between the federal government and any of the provinces, although negotiations are actively under way.

Mr. J. G. Diefenbaker (Lake Centre):

1 wish to ask a question supplementary to the one asked by the member for Vancouver South. Has any determination been made whether the route of the trans-Canada highway shall be by way of the Kicking Horse pass or the Yellowhead pass?