Mr. Fournier (Hull):
Yes. Three of the pictures are of the Vollard collection. They are Portrait de Paysan, by Cezanne; Foret, by Cezanne; and Chevaux de Courses, by Degas.
Mr. Ferguson:
Where are those great works of art?
Mr. Abbott:
I might explain that these are paid for out of the blocked funds which were discussed in the house. They are most valuable and splendid works of art, and a great .acquisition to our gallery.
Mr. Ferguson:
Serious consideration should be given to these matters before such expenditures are made. Again it is the old taxpayer who is suffering.
Item agreed to. DEPARTMENT OF RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT Engineering and water resources branch- 615. Notwithstanding the Trans-Canada Highway Act, to authorize and provide for a payment to the provinces of Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and Newfoundland, which have entered into an agreement with Canada for construction of a part of the trans-Canada highway, in respect of construction of the highway carried out between December 10, 1949 and the day on which these provinces respectively signed the agreement with Canada, in accordance with the regulations of the governor in council; the amount paid to each province, however, not to exceed fifty per centum of the cost to the province of the said construction as determined by the governor in council; the maximum amount authorized to be expended by section 7 of the Trans-Canada Highway Act to be decreased to the extent of any amount paid pursuant to this vote-further amount required, $1,100,000.
Mr. Nowlan:
I would ask the minister to make a brief statement on this item. I notice that Nov.a Sootia is not included among those provinces entering into the agreement. The minister, I believe, made .a statement a while ago which signified that he was waiting for further instructions and further consultation with the Nova Scotia government. I believe the government of that province has been in touch with him with respect to the matter. Perhaps he would take a
minute or two to explain the situation in Nova Scotia as applied to this transaction.
Hon. Robert H. Winters (Minister of Resources and Development):
Mr. Chairman, Nova Scotia has not indicated to us that they intend to sign the trans-Canada highway agreement. I know that at the present time they are surveying a route which they have designated and made public. I presume that depending upon whether that route will qualify for the co-operative approach under the agreement, the government of Nova Scotia will consider further whether or not it should enter into the agreement, the same as the other eight provinces have done.
Mr. Nowlan:
Then, the Nova Scotia government is not waiting for word from this government. If anything, the situation is reversed. The statement has been made that they were waiting.
Mr. Winters:
The Nova Scotia government is not waiting for anything from this department.
Item agreed to. DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND COMMERCE General administration- 619. Commodities branch, including assistance in the development of markets and the procurement of supplies, and contributions as detailed in the estimates-further amount required, $75,250.
Mr. Macdonnell (Greenwood):
Is the
development of markets general, or are there special efforts in any one direction?
Right Hon. C. D. Howe (Minister of Trade and Commerce):
It is a general program of
trade development. Occasionally special situations arise which call for unexpected expenditures. But generally speaking, the vote covers the deficit in the appropriation for the trade commissioner service.
Item agreed to. 622. To reimburse the Canadian wheat board for final balance of the deficit incurred from the operation of the 1948 crop flax account for the period August 1, 1948 to July 31, 1950, authority P.C. 3376, dated July 28, 1948, $2,536,775.
Mr. Charlfon:
Does this include flax grown in eastern Canada?
Mr. Howe:
No.
Mr. Charlton:
Not at all?
Mr. Howe:
No, it arises out of a price support policy applying to the flax crop of 1948. At that time the government placed a floor of $4 under flax grown in the designated area which, as my hon. friend knows, is western Canada. Under that floor price policy the government had to buy about 10 million
Supply-Trade and Commerce bushels of flax, which we have been liquidating over a period. It is all liquidated now. There was a total loss of about $6 million, of which this is the last instalment.
Mr. Charlton:
There is a considerable amount of flax grown in eastern Canada. How does the price compare?
Mr. Howe:
They seem to sell theirs without help from us.
Mr. Charlton:
Perhaps they do not kick up so much fuss.