Mr. Howe:

Mr. Mclvor is chairman, Mr. McNamara is vice-chairman, and Mr. Grindley is the third member.

Mr. Harkness:

Is that the Mr. MacNamara of the Department of Labour?

Mr. Howe:

No.

Mr. Argue:

Since we are going to be selling a large part of our wheat this fall under the international wheat agreement, I should like to know if an importing nation under that agreement has the privilege of buying more than its quota within a given price range? My reason for asking is that I have a return of May 22 which shows that very few countries-but there is the odd one-purchase more than their quota. Is it the right of a country to purchase more than its quota within the price range?

Mr. Howe:

No, it is prohibited from doing so. It is allowed to purchase its quota within the price; above that it must pay the class II price for the balance. It is the privilege of any country to apply for an increase in quota, which may or may not be granted by the administration. But if it applies for an increase in quota, that increase must apply for the full four years of the agreement.

Mr. Argue:

Can the minister tell us, from his own knowledge, how the international

Canadian Wheat Board Act wheat agreement has been working out so far? I mentioned the other day that a number of countries seemed to have purchased very little wheat, even though three-quarters of the crop year has gone by.

Mr. Howe:

It seems to have worked very well to date. I would point out to my hon. friend that no country is compelled to take its quota under the agreement unless it is put at the minimum price, and no wheat has been put at the minimum price'as yet.

Mr. Quelch:

Assume we work out an agreement between the floor and ceiling limit; assume we agree upon a certain price; do we then allow all countries to have wheat at that price or do we work out an agreement with each country?

Mr. Howe:

All international wheat agreement countries are quoted the same price on the same day.

Mr. Argue:

The importing country can take its quota at the maximum price?

Mr. Howe:

Yes.

Mr. Argue:

How is it that Italy has purchased only 7 million bushels out of a quota of some 40 million bushels in the first three-quarters of the crop year? Is the reason that she is not demanding the wheat?

Mr. Howe:

Apparently she does not require wheat and nobody had put it to her at the floor price.

Mr. Macdonnell (Greenwood):

The agreement to which the minister refers was mentioned first in this house last Tuesday. The minister has referred to his expectations of purchases by Great Britain. Is that made possible by some special arrangement under the Marshall plan and its subsidiary organizations?

Mr. Howe:

No. I have explained that Canada is not a Marshall plan country. I might go further and say that Great Britain has advised that she does not intend to ask for Marshall plan help in connection with her purchases of wheat during the next year. There is an undertaking by Great Britain that her requirements of wheat from North America will be purchased from Canada.

Mr. Macdonnell (Greenwood):

In the narrow sense there may be some force in the minister's statement that Canada is not a Marshall plan country, but I think he will admit that Canada has been getting great benefits from the Marshall plan for years. There is no doubt about that.

Mr. Wright:

I suppose the reason why 1953 is fixed as the termination date is that the world wheat agreement will be concluded in that year? I should like to see the government go further and not place any termination date in the act. I think the growers of western Canada are interested in having the wheat board maintained and orderly marketing continued and I do not think the act should be limited to 1953.

Mr. Howe:

We know the world method of marketing wheat up to 1953 but beyond that we are not sure what method will be used. It seems reasonable to ask parliament to pass on the appropriate character of this act when we do know what the method after 1953 will be.