Mr. Knowles:

In the allocation of houses to veterans in the Greater Winnipeg area, how many exceptions have there been, since January 1, 1947, to the rule that to qualify for such a house a veteran must have had overseas service, be married and have two children?

Mr. Winters:

The rules governing the allocation of veterans' rental houses do not require that a veteran have overseas service and two or more children. Houses are allocated to suitable applicants in accordance with a point score. The grid rating by which applications are scored recognizes such factors as: Length of service in world war II both in Canada and overseas, a heavier weighting being given to service overseas, war service disability, number and age of children, other dependents, dispersed families, pending or actual eviction, condition and suitability of present accommodation, suitability as a tenant.

There is an overriding rule that houses will not be allocated to veterans with only one child while there are outstanding applications from qualified veterans with two or more children. In cases where the circumstances are very exceptional, however, as in the case of a disabled veteran with only one dependent, exceptions have been made to this two-children rule. Nineteen such exceptions were made in the greater Winnipeg area in the course of making 2,392 allocations since January 1, 1947.

1. What staff is now employed by the architectural branch of the Department of Public Works in Newfoundland?

2. What are the names of those employed?

3. What salary is paid to each?

Mr. Fournier (Hull):

1, 2 and 3.

Name-Position-Salary per annum.

Hopkins, L. W., district architect, grade 2, $4,740; Brown, D. R., typist, grade 1, $1,500; Lawlor, T., caretaker, grade 6, $2,400; King, S., caretaker, grade 3, $1,920; Martin, T., caretaker, grade 3, $1,920; Redmond, M. F., caretaker, grade 3, $1,920; Fowlow, W. T., caretaker, grade 3, $1,920; Clarke, H., caretaker, grade 2, $1,580; Poole, A., caretaker, grade 1, $1,500; Hiscock, G., caretaker, grade 1, $1,260; Boland, J., caretaker, grade 1, part-time, $680; Burke, A., caretaker, parttime, $480.

1. How much money was collected for radio licences in 1946, 1947 and 1948?

2. What was the cost of collecting same?

3. What were the inspectors' salaries, including expenses?

4. What were law and court costs for delinquent radio taxpayers?

1.

1946- 47 $4,099,795.141947- 48 $4,398,495.861948- 49 $4,670,342.65

2.

1946- 47 $ 544,673.17

(including $307,169.20 commissions)

1947- 48 $ 570,505.55

(including $326,695.25 commissions)

1948- 49 $ 611,918.76

(including $341,982.00 commissions)

3. It is pointed out that inspectors are not private receiving station licence issuers. Commissions were paid to issuers as above indicated.

4.

Legal fees payable by the department

1946- 47

$ 796.661947- 48

$1,815.171948- 49

$1,538.49

Fines and court costs, payable by delinquents Fines Court costs

1946- 47

$40,478.25 $36,730.901947- 48

$33,882.35 $39,595.501948- 49

$35,677.90 $38,472.73

Questions

1. When was the annuities branch of the Department of Labour established?

2. Have the rates of interest paid on deposits, in respect of annuity contracts, and the maximum amount of annuities purchasable, been changed since that date?

3. If so, in what years and to what extent?

4. What profit or loss was shown by the annuities branch (a) for the year previous to the last date of change of rate; (b) for the year following?

5. Do these profits or losses take into consideration office and administrative expenses?

6. What is the estimated total of office and administrative expenses annually?

7. Are government annuities considered to be a part of Canada's social security program?

8. How many government annuity contracts were in effect at the end of (a) 1938; (b) 1948?

1. The Government Annuities Act was passed in 1908, and came under the administration of the Department of Trade and Commerce. In 1912 it was transferred to the Post Office Department, and in 1922 to the Department of Labour.

2. Yes, there have been changes since 1908.

3. Interest rate for new contracts changed from 4 per cent to 3 per cent in April, 1948. Maximum annuity purchasable originally was $600. Increased to $1,000 in 1913; increased to $5,000 in 1920; reduced to $1,200 in 1931.

4. *(a) Loss, fiscal year 1947-48, $331,857. (b) Loss, fiscal year 1948-49, $609,541.**

Note: *The loss in 1947-48 resulted from the number of deaths during the year being less than anticipated under the rate structure. In 1948-49 the death rate was considerably lighter than in the previous year. Consequently, the loss was greater. It might be added that the losses shown apply to vested contracts under old rates.

* Calculated on same basis as previous year. The actual amount transferred to maintain annuities reserve was $11,408,468, in order to value old business on same mortality basis as 1948 premiums.

5. No.

6.

Fiscal year

1944- 45

1945- 46

1946- 47

1947- 48

1948- 49

7. Yes.

8. (a) 33,685; (b) 210,935.f

Note: flncludes 92,063 certificates under group plans.

Mr. Higgins:

Has Canada assumed responsibility for the operation known as northern Labrador trading operations?

Mr. Maybank:

No.