Mr. J. W. Burton (Humboldt):

Will the Minister of Trade and Commerce indicate to the house what provision his department has made to ensure to the small flour mills a fair share of the export trade in flour?

Right Hon. C. D. Howe (Minister of Trade and Commerce):

The Minister of Trade and Commerce, Mr. Speaker, has no control over the distribution of the export trade in wheat flour. Each flour mill sells its product in the domestic market or the foreign market as it sees fit. It is a matter of individual enterprise. .

Mr. J. H. Blackmore (Lethbridge):

Will the Minister of Trade and Commerce at an early date make a statement to the house setting

Inquiries of the Ministry forth the Canadian products that are now in surplus supply, adequate supply and short supply in Canada?

Right Hon. C. D. Howe (Minister of Trade and Commerce):

I shall endeavour to do so.

Mr. Stanley Knowles (Winnipeg North Centre):

I want to direct a question to the Minister of Public Works with regard to a wage increase for women cleaners in federal public buildings. Is it not possible for a change to be made, in the case of these employees, from prevailing rates to a status which will make it possible for them to receive increases at the same time as other government employees, instead of always being a year or two behind?

Hon. Alphonse Fournier (Minister of Public Works):

At the outset I may say that many hon. members have brought this question to the attention of the Minister of Public Works. The last one was the senior member for Halifax (Mr. Isnor), and not long ago it was raised by the two hon. members for Ottawa. The first question is whether consideration is being given to a wage increase for women cleaners. Last April their wages were increased to a rate of 64 cents per hour.

Mr. Knowles:

In Winnipeg their rate is 50 cents per hour.

Mr. Fournier (Hull):

That may be; I am

speaking of the rates paid in Ottawa. There is pending before the Department of Labour another application for revision. I understand the procedure is for the Department of Public Works to submit to the Department of Labour a request for the revision of these salaries, to come into effect April 1. The rate is not the same all over the country; they are paid according to the prevailing rates in their localities. Actually we have made an application to the Department of Labour for revision.

As to the second question, that is a matter of government policy which has not been considered. If it is considered and a decision reached, I shall inform the house.

Mr. Stanley Knowles (Winnipeg North Centre):

Before the orders of the day are proceeded with, I rise on a question of privilege. May I express the hope that the announcement made to this house on March 24, 1948, concerning wage and pay increases for

906 HOUSE OF

Inquiries of the Ministry employees of this House of Commons, may yet be implemented in full with respect to the daily rate employees.

Mr. Speaker:

Order. The hon. member knows that this is not a question of privilege. The purpose of a question of privilege is to protect the privileges of the members of the House of Commons.

Mr. Knowles:

But, Mr. Speaker-

Order.