Mr. Green:

These are Newfoundland items?

Mr. Chevrier:

Yes.

The Deputy Chairman:

The explanations have been given previously, but these sup-plementaries and further supplementaries were not called at the time.

Mr. Chevrier:

Yes.

911. Departmental administration-further amount required, $20,000.

Mr. Knowles:

Can the minister tell us what :s the status, or make any comment on the iituation which now obtains in view of the emarks made by certain justices of the

Supply-Transport

supreme court with respect to the actions of the board of transport commissioners concerning freight rates? Where do we go from here?

Mr. Chevrier:

My hon. friend is very kind to invite me into a discussion of a case now pending before the Supreme Court of Canada. I think I would be extremely ill-advised to make any comment on that matter. I read the report which appeared in this morning's press, but I have no intention of discussing, either directly or indirectly, any case which is before the Supreme Court of Canada. It is sub judice and should not be discussed, certainly not by the minister and, I say respectfully, not by the house.

Mr. Knowles:

Surely the minister has as much freedom as the press.

Mr. Green:

Will the minister explain how this item is made up?

Mr. Chevrier:

These expenses are for the royal commission on transportation, which is sitting at the moment. It is made up as follows: temporary assistance, $12,000; professional services, $241,000; travelling expenses, $12,000; telegraph, telephones and postage, $2,000, and various other small items.

Mr. Green:

I do not want to take more than a minute, but I suggest this is an example of the costliness of royal commissions. I have no doubt this commission is doing good work; I know it is composed of splendid men. They rolled into Vancouver in a special train of six cars, I think, for twenty-three or twenty-four individuals. Expenses of this kind are pretty high, and I wonder what check is kept on the expenditures of these various royal commissions.

Mr. Chevrier:

I can assure the hon. gentleman that no part of the money covered by this item went to provide that train.

Mr. Green:

What vote does that come under?

Mr. Chevrier:

No vote. The cars were provided by the Canadian National and the Canadian Pacific at their own expense.

Mr. Black (Cumberland):

May I ask who

were the solicitors who received this $241,000 for professional services?

Mr. Chevrier:

There are no solicitors.

Mr. Black (Cumberland):

This is for professional services.

Mr. Chevrier:

I should not have said there are no solicitors. I should have said there

Supply-Transport

are both solicitors and technical men, economists and the like. The chairman gets $10 per day plus living allowance. One of the commissioners gets $50 per day plus living allowance, and another commissioner gets the same. One counsel gets $200 a day and another gets $150 a day.

Mr. Black (Cumberland):

Would the minister give the names of these counsel?

Mr. Chevrier:

Right Hon. J. L. Ilsley was paid at that rate for a time, and later was succeeded by Mr. Frank H. Covert of Halifax. The assistant counsel was Mr. Pierre Des-marais, who is in receipt of $150 per day. The secretary is in receipt of $40 per day, and the assistant secretary $25 per day.