Hon. Douglas Abbott (Minister of Finance):

Mr. Speaker, in my financial statement last evening I announced that the excise tax of ten per cent would be increased to fifteen per cent on a list of items, which included furs. I find that through a clerical error no mention was made of furs in the resolution I subsequently tabled. Therefore I wish to give formal notice that the proposed amendments to the Excise Tax Act will include an increase from ten per cent to fifteen per cent in the excise tax on furs, effective as from this morning.

Mr. Macdonnell (Greenwood):

Retroactive legislation.

Hon. Douglas Abbotl (Minister of Finance) moved

for leave to introduce Bill No. 4, to make temporary provision for the regulation of consumer credit.

Mr. Knowles:

Explain.

Mr. Abbott:

Mr. Speaker, as the title of the proposed bill implies, its purpose is to give the government authority to restrain spending by limiting the amount of credit available to consumers for the purchase of goods. The implementation of this measure would substantially follow the practice adopted during the war under the wartime prices and trade board regulations.

Motion agreed to and bill read the first time.

Mr. E. D. Fulton (Kamloops):

I should like to direct a question to the Minister of National Defence. At the session last spring the minister was kind enough to say that he would investigate the request that the names of the units be placed on the headstones of graves of members of our forces buried overseas, and that he would let us know as soon as he had had the matter investigated. Is the minister in a position to indicate the results of his investigation, and whether a decision has been arrived at?

Hon. Brooke Claxton (Minister of National Defence):

Yes, indeed. We found that the present practice had been followed in consequence of directions issued in 1946 before I became Minister of National Defence. I must say that it was possibly due to a misunderstanding, curious though that may seem. When I looked into it I found that some four thousand headstones had been erected already without the names of the regiments which those who served in them consider to count above all others-that is, the armoured and infantry regiments. The artillery do not seem to have that kind of appellation, being ubiquitous. I have given instructions that all headstones to be erected will bear the appellations of the historic armoured and infantry regiments whose members lie buried in those cemeteries, and as soon as that is done we will change or replace the headstones already erected that do not bear the names of the historic regiments in which they served as they and their families and comrades would want. That is being done.

Further, this caused me to look into the situation regarding the Book of Remembrance for the second world war, which is in course of preparation; and the same action is being taken there. It also led to an investigation of the possibility of putting the particulars of each French-speaking serviceman and the name of his unit in the French language. That is difficult; it is not always possible to tell from the name of the man when that should be done, but where there is a clear indication that the fallen comrade was French-speaking, all the particulars that can be put on in French will be put on in that language.

Mr. H. R. Argue (Assiniboia):

I should like to direct a question to the Minister of Trade and Commerce arising out of press reports concerning the spread between the prices for different grades of wheat. I notice that these spreads are substantial, and since much of the wheat being harvested this fall in western

Inquiries of the Ministry Canada no doubt will be of low grade, I wonder if the minister, should we continue to sell at or near the ceiling price under the international wheat agreement, would consider at an early day increasing the initial payment so as to cushion the loss sustained from frost damage?

Right Hon. C. D. Howe (Minister of Trade and Commerce):

I stated that under the pooling arrangement interim payments would be made from time to time as the progress of sales from the pool made possible, and I can assure my hon. friend that will be attended to.

Mr. Coldwell:

Did I understand the minister to say an initial payment would be made? Does he mean interim payments?

Mr. Howe:

That is correct; interim payments will be made.