Mr. Argue:

Is that because other countries might be operating on what you would call a free market or free exchange and we would have to consider doing the same thing?

Mr. Howe:

I make no suggestion as to what the method will be, I simply say that it seems appropriate that parliament should have a look at the provisions of the act before July 31, 1953.

Mr. Wrighl:

Parliament would be in the same position in any event and it could look at the act if the termination date were not there.

Mr. Howe:

It might look at it but it might not deal with it unless there was a provision requiring it to do so.

Mr. Fair:

Just before one o'clock and before I had an opportunity to reply the minister stated that the pools had been wrecked because unsound initial payments had been made. The minister knows that the pools are not wrecked, that they are all sound organizations, financially and otherwise.

Mr. Howe:

My hon. friend did not interpret my words in the manner I intended them to be interpreted. I said that the pooling of wheat put the operators of the pools in debt. That was the case in 1930 when the provinces came to the rescue of the three pool organizations. In 1931 the situation was so serious that the federal government relieved the pool organizations of their liabilities and took over the marketing of wheat.

Mr. Fair:

In 1929 when an initial price of 90 cents, I believe it was, was set, I remember

hauling grain and getting $1.46 at the elevator, Very shortly after that the man-made depression of 1929 started and world prices of wheat fell until it was necessary to bring the initial price down to 70 cents per bushel. The pools were operating on sound business methods but this planned depression threw a monkey wrench in the works and as a result there _ were losses by the pools. I am glad to say ' that they have all been honoured and some have already been paid off.

Mr. Argue:

The farmers are anxious to know roughly when they might expect the final payment, and I wonder if the minister could indicate whether it might be before Christmas, next spring or at about what time?

Mr. Howe:

Every effort will be made to make that payment before the end of the calendar year 1950. The wheat board and the government believe that that can be done.

Mr. Green:

Can the minister tell us whether the imperials who were made eligible for the war veterans allowance under the statute passed within the last few days will be paid as from the first of April of this year if they now apply for that allowance? I would suggest that quite a period be set within which they may apply and have the allowance dated back to the first of April. Will the minister tell us what the position is in that regard?

Mr. Gregg:

It would perhaps answer my hon. friend's question more directly if I were to read to him the brief directive that has been sent out quite recently to our district offices. It reads:

Re war veterans allowance applications, veterans of British or allied forces.

Reference is made to confidential letter dated January 11, 1950, concerning the possible applications by ex-imperial (or allied or associated powers) veterans not domiciled in Canada at the time at which they joined the forces for purpose of war service in world war I and world war II. As at that time, the proposed legislation had not yet been drafted, district offices were requested to answer inquiries and to give prospective applicants any information relevant to the preparation of their applications but not to accept applications until further advised.

55046-204^

Supply-Veterans Affairs

The bill to amend the War Veterans Allowance Act to render eligible ex-imperial and allied forces veterans to its benefits is now before parliament. The amendment sets the effective date of this proposed change at April 1, 1950.

Therefore it will now be in order to accept applications for war veterans allowance from these ex-members of the imperial, allied or associated forces who appear to qualify.

It will be realized that no action can be taken to adjudicate upon these applications until after royal assent is given to the amending act; but, meanwhile, for the guidance of district offices, the following procedure will be adopted; (a) in the case of those who may have applied or endeavoured to apply on or before April 1, 1950, and would appear to be eligible, their formal applications may be considered to have been submitted and received in the district office as at April 1, 1950.

In other words, I may interpolate, if the bill passes the other place and these applications are accepted then their payments will go into effect as at the first of April, 1950.

(b) As regards those who may have inquired with a view to apply, or applied subsequent to April 1, 1950, their application will be considered as having been received as at the date of the receipt of their inquiry or application in the district office.

That is whether or not the bill has passed all stages at the time the inquiry is received by the district office.

(c) All such applications should therefore be dated accordingly and may now be processed in the usual way.

That is with regard to investigations and so on.

You will be further advised with respect to adjudications upon these applications by the board in Ottawa, or by the district authorities when the proposed changes in procedure, now before parliament, have been authorized.

That is the end of the directive.

In further answer to my hon. friend's question, even in the case of telephone calls or verbal inquiries our district offices have been asked-and I know they will comply- to register those at the time they are received. When the applications are finally checked, if they are approved they will go into effect as from the time of those inquiries.

Mr. Green:

I suggest to the minister it would seem only fair to set a date up to which applications may be made and be dated back to the first of April. Many eligible veterans will not have made their applications yet because the act has not been passed. Some of them live in remote districts where it is impossible for them to keep informed of what the position may be. Why not set a date, say the first of October, and say that any application made by that date will be considered to have been made as of the first of April? We actually had hoped that the allowances would be dated back to the 10th of December of last year when the statement

Supply-Veterans Affairs was made by the parliamentary assistant. I suggest, however, that these men be given until the first of October to make application, ^nd that if they apply before that time their allowances will run from the first of April. Is it not possible to do that even yet?

Mr. Gregg:

I do not believe there will be

any necessity. A good deal of publicity has been given to this matter. A great many applications-I am not speaking in the formal sense but rather of inquiries-were made before the first of April. Others inquired from our representatives here and there, and we are taking these inquiries, verbal or otherwise, as being tantamount to applications. I will be glad to keep my hon. friend's suggestion in mind and give it further consideration if it appears necessary.

Mr. Fulion:

I have had inquiries from men jn the remote areas to which the hon. member for Vancouver-Quadra refers. Inquiries have been made directly to me as to what was being done about it, in some cases saying that contradictory rumours or reports had reached them, and that they did not know where the matter stood or when to go about making application. I have generally answered by telling them that the legislation was introduced and we expected it to be passed fairly soon. I have suggested that they get in touch with their local legion branch in order to keep themselves informed, and so that they could make their applications as soon as the act was passed and it became certain that the allowances would be granted.

I would certainly assume that in those cases these men have not yet even got to the stage to which the minister has referred, of making an inquiry of a representative of the department, because there is no war veterans allowance representative in that area. They may have made an inquiry of their local legion branch. Again I should imagine records would have been kept at the legion branches Which are probably collecting files; but I do pot know of any recommendations issued to the legion branches by either the British Columbia command or any other command to forward such applications or inquiries to the Department of Veterans Affairs district office in order that they may qualify under the arrangement the minister has just outlined. In the case of individual inquiries directed to myself and other members, of which we have received quite a number, and again in the case of inquiries directed to legion branches in centres where there is no departmental representative, it is almost certain that such inquiries will not yet be on file with the department. Therefore these men-who are just as interested in this matter as those living in Vancouver or Victoria

who have made their inquiries to the department-will be precluded from getting the advantage of the backdating of their applications which the others will get. For that reason I would strongly urge that favourable consideration be given the suggestion of the hon. member for Vancouver-Quadra, even if the minister does not feel that he can put the date as far ahead as October 1. Let him make it July 31, or any date which will give these men a reasonable opportunity to get their applications in so they can be treated the same as the others. I hope the minister will do that.

Mr. Gregg:

I can assure my hon. friend

that we shall take into consideration the representations that have been made here this evening, and will undertake to put this into operation in a way that will not bring about any unavoidable hardship.