Hon. Robert H. Winters (Minister of Resources and Development):

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, as recorded at page 2803 of Hansard, the hon. member for Eglinton asked if items 267 and 268 in the estimates for the fiscal year ending March 31, 1951, and relating to the international shortwave broadcasting station, would be referred to the special committee on radio broadcasting for study and report. This case is strictly comparable to that wherein certain votes for the Department of Transport were referred by the Minister of Transport to the sessional committee on railways and shipping owned, operated and controlled by the government.

By leave of the house I therefore move:

That votes 267 and 268 of the main estimates for the year 1950-51 be withdrawn from the committee of supply and referred to the special committee on radio broadcasting, saving always the powers of the committee of supply in relation to the voting of public moneys.

Mr. Speaker:

I have the honour to inform the house that the Clerk of the House has received from the chief electoral officer certificates of the election and return of the following members, viz.:

Of Mrs. Ellen L. Fairclough, for the electoral district of Hamilton West.

Of George H. Hees, Esquire, for the electoral district of Broadview.

Mr. W. G. Weir (Porlage-Neepawa) moved:

That the name of Mr. Noseworthy be substituted for that of Mr. Maclnnis on the special joint committee on old age security.

Hon. Brooke Claxton (Acting Secretary of State for External Affairs):

On Tuesday the hon. member for Souris (Mr. Ross) asked me about the appointment of the engineering board by the international joint commission. The board was appointed by the commission on April 7, 1948, with the following membership:

Canadian section:

Norman Marr, chief, water resources division, development services branch, Department of Resources and Development, Ottawa.

T. M. Patterson, engineer, water resources division, development services branch, Department of Resources and Development, Ottawa.

G. L. MacKenzie, chief engineer of the prairie farm rehabilitation administration, Regina.

United States section:

J. W. Dixon, of the United States bureau of reclamation, Washington.

Brigadier General J. S. Bragdon, assistant chief of engineers, corps of engineers, department of the army, Washington.

C. G. Paulsen, chief hydraulic engineer, United States geological survey, department of the interior, Washington.

The engineering board appointed the following to conduct field operations and assist the board in its study and investigations: Canadian section:

G. N. Munro, assistant chief engineer, prairie farm rehabilitation administration, Regina.

D. B. Gow, district engineer, water resources division, development services branch, department of resources and development, Regina.

D. M. Stephens, deputy minister, department of mines and natural resources, Winnipeg.

E. J. Scammell, chief engineer, water rights division, department of agriculture, Regina.

United States section:

K. F. Vernon, United States bureau of reclamation, Billings, Montana.

Lieutenant Colonel E. J. Gallagher, district engineer, corps of engineers, department of the army, Fort Peck, Montana.

W. V. Taylor, United States representative, fish and wildlife service, Washington.

Henry H. C. Beckman, United States geological survey, Rolla, Missouri.

Mr. Ross (Souris):

I understood the minister to say that there were some interim reports. I should like to know if they will be tabled.

Mr. Claxion:

There have been four progress reports. As hon. members know, the practice of the international joint commission is to make only one final report containing recommendations to the two governments. That is their function, and then it is the responsibility

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of the two governments to decide whether or not they shall act on the report. So far it has always been possible for the two sections of the international joint commission to make the same report, and I think it is correct to say that the reports have always been acted upon by the two governments.

It is not the practice of the international joint commission to make available, either to the governments or to the public, working papers and material upon which the commission arrives at its decision and recommendations; therefore it has never been the practice to table reports of this kind, and I understand that that will not be done in this case.

Perhaps at this time I might also deal with the motion standing in the name of the hon. member for Lake Centre (Mr. Diefenbaker) for the production of papers. The reference in this case was made by letter dated January 12, 1948. It is not usual for the governments to communicate with the commission, which is the instrument of both governments, after a reference has been made. But in this case the course was adopted, as has been reported already to the house, of communicating with the commission, and a letter was sent to the chairman of the Canadian section by myself as Acting Secretary of State for External Affairs under date of May 18, 1950. The commission has no objection to tabling this correspondence in response to the hon. member's motion as it appears on the order paper.

Mr. Graydon:

I take it from what the Acting Minister of External Affairs has said about tabling this information that there will be no objection to one or more members of the international joint commission appearing before the special committee on external affairs?

Mr. Claxton:

I can assure my hon. friend that his assumption is certainly not correct. In the view of those with whom I have had an opportunity of discussing the matter, it would be quite improper for any member of the international joint commission or one of its officials to appear before a committee of parliament to discuss a matter which is still in process of consideration. After the international joint commission has arrived at a decision and made its recommendations to the governments, the situation might be different; but until the commission, which is representative of both countries, has had an opportunity to consider all the information before it and arrive at a decision, it would not be proper for a member of the commission to appear before a committee of this house for the purpose of stating views and expressing opinions before even his col-

leagues on the other section, or perhaps on the Canadian section itself, had had an opportunity of considering the position.

I suggest that that would end the usefulness of the commission as an international organization which has been remarkably successful and which has presented an example to the whole world of the way in which two countries can co-operate. One of the secrets of its success has been the fact that it has been objectively representative of both countries, and that its recommendations have always been carried out.