Hon. Lionel Chevrier (Minister of Transport):

On a question of privilege, Mr. Speaker, I should like to correct a statement I made yesterday, appearing on page 85 of Hansard, where I said:

At the moment, and last year and the year before, the Canadian National Railways are purchasing as much coal as they can get from mines at both extremities of Canada.

I find that statement is only partially accurate, and I have also learned that the manner in which it was made might be unfair to the Dominion Steel and Coal Corporation. So far as 1950 is concerned, the statement as made was wholly accurate. So far as 1949 is concerned, I am informed that Dosco offered the Canadian National Railways

998.000 tons of coal, but the railways were able to place orders for only 646,000 tons. For the year 1948 I have no information.

Mr. Gillis:

I should like to direct a question to the Minister of Transport, arising out of the statement he has just made. Can he tell the house why the Canadian National Railways could not stock the additional coal that was offered by Dosco?

Mr. Chevrier:

The information that I have is that the reason is one concerning price. I believe that negotiations had been going on between the company and the railway as to the question of price, and because of that consideration it was not possible to take the full amount. Perhaps I did not say this, but in any event Dosco was not able to deliver the amount which the Canadian National Railways finally decided to take. They were some 90,000 tons short of the 646,000 tons. In fairness to Dosco I think I should say that, as the house knows, the output of a mine must be contracted for some time in advance, and if negotiations had been carried on earlier it might have been possible for Dosco to fulfil the total amount of the offer, namely,

998.000 tons.

Mr. Brooks:

May I ask the minister a question arising out of his remarks? He used the words "in fairness to Dosco". Dosco produces

perhaps eighty per cent of the coal produced in the maritimes. Are there contracts with any companies other than Dosco?

Mr. Chevrier:

Yes, there are contracts with independent mines down there; I am not familiar with the position in that regard. By that I mean that I do not know the number of tons of coal they were able to furnish. It was drawn to my attention, however, that the statement which I made yesterday might be misleading with regard to Dosco, and I thought in fairness to them that I should make the correction.

Mr. Gordon Graydon (Peel):

In view of the International News Service dispatch from London carried in yesterday's Toronto Daily Star, which stated that the United States has suspended an agreement for the exchange of atomic information with Britain and that the ban might also apply to the exchange of such information with Canada, I would ask the Prime Minister whether the Canadian government has been advised officially or unofficially by the government of the United States of any intention or desire to suspend the existing agreement dealing with the exchange of atomic information.

Right Hon. L. S. St. Laurent (Prime

Minister): I have not seen the dispatch to which the question refers, but there has been no intimation whatever from the government of the United States to the government of Canada that would have any bearing on the statements made in the International News Service dispatch.

Mr. Graydon:

If I may ask a supplementary question, has there been any discussion between this government and the United States government with a view to having the restrictions under the McMahon Act partly lifted so far as we are concerned?

Mr. St. Laurent:

I would not like to give a concrete answer to the question as put. There have been discussions, and there are constant negotiations between those who represent Canada and their opposite numbers in the United States about the most effective way of taking advantage in both countries of all information available.

Inquiries of the Ministry WHEAT

Mr. P. E. Wright (Melfort):

In the absence of the Minister of Trade and Commerce, I should like to direct a question to the Minister of Agriculture. Yesterday the report of the Canadian wheat board for the crop year 194849 was tabled in this house. In exhibit IV it is shown that there is a deficit on the 194549 pool account of $5,235,621.37. In view of this deficit, and of the borrowings which apparently the board has had to make from the banks to meet the last twenty-cent payment made to the farmers, will the Minister of Agriculture or the cabinet have this report placed before the agriculture committee as soon as it is set up, so that the report can be thoroughly studied and the reasons for [DOT] this deficit ascertained?

Right Hon. J. G. Gardiner (Minister of Agriculture):

There is nothing new in the statement which has just been made. The matter was discussed at the time the announcement was made that it would be necessary to borrow some of the money that would have to be paid out at that time. The payment was made on the estimate of what the position would be at the end of the year in order to meet the situation when the farmers required the money before they went into seeding. The same request was made yesterday with regard to this matter as was made last year. In order to meet that situation the money had to be borrowed in advance. There is nothing new about it. It is a condition that has existed in the past.

Mr. Wrighi:

The minister has not answered my question as to whether this report would be placed before the agriculture committee when it was set up. The former minister of trade and commerce had promised that.

Mr. Speaker:

Order.

Mr. Gardiner:

My understanding is that the Minister of Trade and Commerce in previous years agreed to the submission of the report to the committee, but I think the matter can wait until he comes back and makes his own decision.