Mr. W. G. Weir (Poriage-Neepawa):

Before we begin today's proceedings there is a matter in which 1 know hon. members will be interested and which I should like to mention at this time. Today we have in our midst an hon. member who is celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of his election to the House of Commons. I am sure that all hon. members would wish that I extend, on their behalf, our congratulations to that hon. gentleman, and our best wishes for the future. He was elected for the first time in December, 1924, and I believe that he is among the three or four who have been continuously members of the House of Commons since that time. On behalf of hon. members I therefore wish to extend warmest congratulations and best wishes to our friend, Jean Frangois Pouliot, member for Temiscouata.

Speech.

Mr. Jean Frangois Pouliot (Temiscouata):

Sir, I thank hon. members most sincerely.

Hon. Stuart S. Garson (Minister of Justice):

Mr. Speaker, when Bill No. 10, to amend the Criminal Code (portrayal of crimes) moved by the hon. member for Kamloops (Mr. Fulton), was before the house, I suggested, as reported at page 1041 of Hansard:

. . . that we approve of the principle of this bill on second reading. Then when it gets to committee we should leave it there until we have secured from the attorneys general of the provinces, who have the responsibility of enforcing this section, the invaluable suggestions of their prosecutors as to the form that this amendment should take in order to prohibit crime comics and also make the whole of section 207 more enforceable than it has been.

In addition I should like to get the views of our committee on the revision and consolidation of the Criminal Code. We have already had a subcommittee of that body working on this section, but I should like to have the views of the whole committee.

We have now received from the attorneys general all the provinces except one some very excellent advice and information. We have also received from our own committee the information required, and but for the fact that the hon. member who introduced the bill has been away for a while we would have brought this matter up before. Unfortunately the bill, which is now in committee, is a private bill, and therefore has no special priority. In view of all the circumstances hon. members might be willing to give unanimous consent that so far as this bill as concerned we should pass a motion to give it that priority which by common consent, when it was last before the house, we agreed it should have. Therefore I should like to move, seconded by the Minister of Mines and Resources (Mr. Gibson:

That on Monday, December 5, 1949, the order for house again in committee of the whole on Bill No. 10, an act to amend the Criminal Code (portrayal of crimes) be the first order of business after the conclusion of the routine proceedings of the house, notwithstanding the provisions of any standing or other order.

1. Has the Department of National Defence adopted a plan to move No. 10 Repair Depot, R.C.A.F., from Calgary?

2. If so, what are the reasons?

3. If not, is such a scheme under consideration?

1. No.

2. Answered by No. 1.

3. Such a proposal is being considered as an element in over-all planning on an interservice basis.

1. What were Canadian earnings of American dollars for each month since January 1, 1947?

2. What were Canadian expenditures of American dollars by months for the same period?

3. What were Canadian reserves of gold and United States dollars for each month of this period?

Mr. Belzile:

The following figures show gross receipts and payments of U.S. dollars

Questions

and gold by the exchange fund and other government of Canada accounts. They do not include receipts and expenditures offset through authorized private bank and intercompany accounts. They include Canadian gold production and transactions in gold and U.S. dollars with countries other than the United States. They also include all receipts and payments of U.S. dollars on capital account except for U.S. dollars borrowed by the government of Canada and used or set aside for retirement of U.S. dollar debt.

Official reserves of gold and U.S. dollars at end

Months Receipts Payments of month

1946 (Millions of U.S. dollars)

December .... 1,244-9

1947

January 176-0 277-8 1,143-1February .... 147-1 332-5 957-7March 170-3 316-7 811-3April 174-4 285-4 700-3May 244-6 234-5 710-4June 209-8 254-3 665-9July 231-2 245-8 651-3August 221-1 204-4 668-0September . . . 190-0 242-6 615-4October 205-5 294-4 526-5November ... 186-6 232-9 480-2December . .. 240-4 218-9 501-71948 January 208-0 198-7 511-0February .... 187-6 171-1 527-5March 286-2 206-2 607-5April 292-7 231-8 668-4May 217-9 192-2 694-1June 281-3 233-5 741-9July 249-3 222-5 768-7August 248-7 203-2 814-2September ... 263-2 222-5 854-9October 283-1 245-8 892-2November . .. 298-5 222-5 968-2December ... 285-6 256-0 997-81949 January 237-8 213-7 1,021-9February .... 204-2 182-2 1,043-9March 240-9 217-6 1,067-2April 202-5 278-5 991-2May 214-6 228-6 977-2June 263-0 263-3 976-9July 230-5 234-3 973-1August 212-9 198-9 987-1September ... 207-0 208-8 985-3

1. Did T. A. Andre and Sons, Kingston. Ontario, receive a contract in 1948 to build houses for the army personnel at Barriefield?

2. If so, how many houses were built?

[Mr. Belzile.l

3. What was the total cost of this contract?

4. What was the average cost per house?

5. How many tenders were received for this project?

6. What was the amount of each tender, and from whom were they received?

1. Yes.

2. 50.

3. $417,800.

4. $8,356 each.

5. Three.

6. T. A. Andre & Sons, Kingston, Ont., $417,800; Schuett Construction Company, Kingston, Ont., $438,800; T. L. Smith & Sons, Kingston, Ont., $500,450.