Hon. Brooke Claxton (Minister of National Defence):

Mr. Speaker, with the consent of the house I should like to read what I think hon. members will regard as a very fine message received from General MacArthur by the commanding officer of the squadron. General MacArthur said:

I cannot praise too highly the splendid efficiency of your command. Not only professionally but upon the broader basis of smooth co-operation with naval forces of other countries, your squadron has demonstrated the highest efficiency. I wish you would convey to your chief of the naval staff the pride I have in being associated with such a splendid command. I hope that before too long a time elapses the higher Canadian naval command can visit this area and by personal observation confirm my opinion of your forces.

Mr. G. K. Fraser (Peterborough West):

Reports coming from the United States indicate that that country has experienced difficulty in delivering mail, air mail, parcels and so on to Korea. Is the Post Office Department

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Inquiries of the Ministry preparing some method by which parcels and mail will be delivered to our men when they get there? Has anything been done?

Hon. Edouard Rinfret (Postmaster General):

Arrangements have been made in conjunction with the Department of National Defence to the end that this service will be rendered when it becomes necessary.

Mr. Fraser:

If I may ask a further question, will there be a special rate on parcels?

Mr. Rinfret:

That has not been decided yet.

Mr. Stanley Knowles (Winnipeg North Centre):

I should like to ask the appropriate authorities whether consideration will be given to some special compensation for members of the sessional staff, who have been called upon to work particularly long hours during this special session.

Mr. Speaker:

Probably I might answer that question now. This matter has been brought to my attention by a number of hon. members.

I have had an opportunity of discussing it with the officials of the house. I was in conference with them yesterday, and we were of the opinion that, in view of the fact that a number of sessional employees have had to come to Ottawa from a distance, others have given up positions in order to be here, and generally on account of the unusual circumstances associated with the present session, the services of sessional employees of the house should not be terminated abruptly the day parliament closes but that they should be given one week's pay. I trust that will meet with the approval of the house.

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

should like to direct a question to the Minister of Trade and Commerce having to do with the spread between the different grades of wheat. Having regard to the complaints the minister must be receiving, would he say whether consideration is being given to narrowing the present rather wide spreads between the prices of the various grades of wheat?

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

No consideration is being

given to narrowing the spreads so far as initial payments are concerned. I would point out to my hon. friend, however, that if in fact it is found that the lower grades can be sold at prices higher than the spreads would indicate, the final payments on the wheat of each grade will reflect that higher sale price, so the farmers will lose nothing in the long run.

Mr. Diefenbaker:

They are complaining bitterly at the present time.