Mr. A. J. Brooks (Royal):

Mr. Speaker, I should like to direct a question to the Minister of Public Works. It is based on a complaint from certain New Brunswick coal producers that, according to reports, all tenders for supplying coal to public buildings in New Brunswick stipulate Nova Scotia coal. Is the report correct, and if so, will the minister reconsider the desirability of allowing New Brunswick coal to have the preference in these tenders, particularly since it was used last year in practically all New Brunswick buildings without complaint?

Hon. Alphonse Fournier (Minister of Public Works):

Mr. Speaker, before I came in the house I was handed a copy of this question.

Mr. Brooks:

I sent it on Saturday.

Mr. Fournier (Hull):

I missed it on Saturday and I caught it .today. I have been handed all the details as to procedure in the tenders. I see there is a notice for tenders for coal for the maritime provinces. One paragraph reads:

Tenders should be made on the forms supplied by the department and in accordance with departmental specifications and conditions attached thereto.

I have tried to read the general specifications, and I cannot see any limitation in that part of the tender. Further on there is a sheet annexed which is sent to those who wish to tender. It gives a list of all the areas where coal is needed in the rnari-times. It is headed by this note:

Do not write your quotations on the present list. It is not a tender form but merely a guide to help you select the name(s) of the town(s) where you may wish to supply coal.

These things are always complicated in my department, however, and I see further on that in New Brunswick they give the names of the towns and the quantities, and I think they even mention mines, but 1 do not see any mention of the Minto mine. If that is what is implied by this document, I shall give instructions today that tenders may be received from the New Brunswick mines. I cannot say that they will get any preference of course, because they would have to supply the best quality, and so forth, in order to get the contract; but I can have those instructions sent out in half an hour or so.

Mr. Howard C. Green (Vancouver-Quadra):

Can the Minister of Transport say when the

Inquiries of the Ministry annual report of the Canadian maritime commission will be tabled?

Hon. Lionel Chevrier (Minister of Transport):

I am not sure when the Canadian maritime commission will be presenting their annual report. An extensive report was prepared and tabled last November or December, toward the end of last session.

Mr. Green:

I believe they have three months from March 31 within which to make a report to the minister, so I should think they would have to file it with him before the end of the present month. I am wondering if we shall be able to get it before the end of June.

Mr. Chevrier:

I shall have to make inquiries and let my hon. friend know.

Mr. Daniel Mclvor (Fort William):

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the treasurer of the Manitoba flood relief fund for this building I should like to announce that we hope to increase our donation as the result of a softball game to be played in front of the centre block at 6.45 on Thursday evening. The two teams will be composed of the youths of the House of Commons and the experienced team from the press gallery. The honorary battery will be our two Victoria Cross men, and the first batter will be the Speaker of the house. We hope the collection will be taken up by a lady from the Senate and a lady from the House of Commons, though we are not sure of that yet; and we trust that we shall have a silent but heavy donation to the fund. The teams will be led to the field by an hon. senator playing your-I will say our-beloved bagpipes. We ask your hearty- co-operation.

Mr. J. G. Diefenbaker (Lake Centre):

again bring to the attention of the Secretary of State the fact that some six weeks have gone by since this house passed, as orders for returns, two questions standing in my name relating to travelling expenses of members of the public service for 1949. Is the minister in a position to give me any hope at all that this return will be brought down?