Mr. Speaker:

I have the honour to inform the house that I have received the following communication:

Ottawa, September 15, 1950

Sir:

I have the honour to inform you that the Honourable Robert Taschereau, judge of the Supreme Court of Canada, acting as Deputy of His Excellency the Governor General, will proceed to the Senate chamber on Friday, the 15th September, at eleven a.m. for the purpose of giving the royal assent to certain bills.

I have the honour to be, sir.

Your obedient servant,

J. F. Delaute,

Assistant Secretary to the Governor General

Mr. M. J. Coldwell (Roselown-Biggar):

Mr. Speaker, I have a question which I had intended to direct to the Prime Minister (Mr. St. Laurent), but in his absence perhaps I might direct it to the government. Early this year the Prime Minister announced that a dominion-provincial conference would be held "in the fall, either during September or October". I understand that some provinces wish to deal with certain matters of great importance both to the dominion and to themselves, including the taxation agreements, the recommendations of the parliamentary committee on social security, and such other matters of importance as the provinces or the dominion might desire to discuss. There is great anxiety also among many municipalities with regard to pressing economic and social problems which would be involved in these discussions. Can the government inform the house whether the conference is to be called, and approximately when it will assemble?

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

Mr. Speaker, it is the intention of the government that the conference will be called this autumn. No date has been fixed. I presume that on account of the

session of parliament and the conference on constitutional matters that will meet later this month, the holding of the conference referred to by the hon. member will be somewhat delayed, but I think I can assure my hon. friend that it will be held before Christmas of this year.

Hon. Brooke Claxton (Minister of National Defence):

Mr. Speaker, on September 12 the hon. member for Nanaimo (Mr. Pearkes) asked the following question:

Are residents of Canada who are neither Canadian citizens nor British subjects entitled to enlist in the reserve army?

The answer is no.

Mr. Auguste Maltais (Charlevoix):

Mr. Speaker, I should like to direct a question to the Acting Secretary of State for External Affairs. It follows a question I asked a few days ago with respect to the presence in Russia of certain young Canadians. There is a press dispatch this morning stating that six young Canadians, including Guy Caron of Montreal, addressed a gathering which was held in Prague from August 14 to August 24 for the purpose of trying to demonstrate that Canada is carrying on a policy leading to war and is led by a fascist government. I should like to ask whether the government has considered this matter.

Hon. Brooke Claxton (Acting Secretary of State for External Affairs):

I must say it was

rather hard to hear the hon. member. I shall be glad to look into the matter and give him an answer privately.

Right Hon. L. S. St. Laurent (Prime Minister):

Perhaps, Mr. Speaker, I might be permitted to refer to the fact that the validity and vigour of our parliamentary institutions is being made evident in this city today in the memorial service that is being held for the late Field Marshal Jan Christiaan Smuts. I believe his great career is a symbol of the vigour of the political institutions derived from those British roots, and proof that they are suited not only to one nation but to men of good will all over the world. This gives some reason for the hope that ultimately similar systems will prevail in the world, allowing peoples everywhere to live, under benign Providence, the kind of lives we all hope to provide for those who will come after us.