Mr. Argue:

During the present session?

Mr. Chevrier:

I hope so.

Mr. J. A. Ross (Souris):

I should like to

direct a question to the Minister of Transport, with respect to the present shortage of box cars for the movement of grain in the prairie provinces. I should like to be permitted to quote one of several telegrams received today, and this one is from Reeve R. A. Patterson, of Boissevain, Manitoba. It is very significant. It says:

Cars for grain urgently needed in this municipality; this covers station of Boissevain, Ninga, Croll and Regent. Approximately, by estimate of elevator agents at Boissevain alone, 145,000 bushels on farms to come to Boissevain, besides approximately 200,000 in elevators. Grain must be moved to make room for new crop and to help farmers to finance this year's operations. Considerable of this grain is tough; need over fifteen cars a week to clear Boissevain alone by July 31.

An answer to a question in my name which appears on page 2607 of Hansard for May 2 sets forth the problem facing the three prairie provinces by estimating the amount of grain still held in country elevators. This is a very serious matter.

Hon. Lionel Chevrier (Minisier of Transport):

The hon. member sent me a copy of

a telegram which he had received from Mr. Patterson, the reeve of a municipality in western Canada. The copy was in his own handwriting, and I am sorry to say it was rather difficult to read. I believe I should add that many other members in the house are receiving similar telegrams, and if I were required to answer them on the orders of the day I suppose we would have to deal with any number of questions. I know that the position is urgent. I can tell the hon. member that it is the responsibility of the wheat board to direct the movement of box cars to the municipalities. The best I can tell the hon. member is that I shall be glad to bring to the attention of the wheat board the representations made by the reeve of this municipality.

The general position concerning box cars is exceedingly better than it was when I made a statement some ten days ago. In fact, the unfavourable balance is now down to 3,176, which is a decrease of 4,300 cars in less than three weeks. At the time I made my statement in the house on April 25, I

indicated that it was hoped that 27 million bushels of grain would be shipped from the lakehead during the month of April. As a matter of fact, 30 million bushels have been shipped, which is 3 million over the estimated April requirement..

Mr. Ross (Souris):

From the lakehead, or to the lakehead?

Mr. Chevrier:

From the lakehead, and down the river. Then I stated that the delivery of grain cars to Vancouver was not as satisfactory as the chairman of the Canadian wheat board hoped. I made that statement in April. Since then a considerable improvement has taken place. During the period April 23 tp May 8 inclusive, the requirement of the wheat board for deliveries to Vancouver was approximately 2,800 cars, and the railways were able to deliver to Vancouver some 3,150 cars. At the same time, the over-all position during the same period-that is, April 23 to May 8-was well in keeping with the requirements indicated by the wheat board. Total loadings were 17,489 cars as against a requirement of 17,808 cars. The house can therefore see that the position is far better now than it has been at any other time since the inception of the difficulty.

Mr. Ross (Souris):

It is still bad, though.

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

I too have a question for the Minister of Transport; this seems to be one of his days. Apparently an agreement was reached yesterday between Canada and the United States concerning the regulation of the use of the radiotelephone on ships on the great lakes. Can the minister make a statement about that agreement, either today or in the near future; and also can he tell us whether it will mean legislation?

Hon. Lionel Chevrier (Minister of Transport):

A Canadian delegation and a United States delegation have been discussing for the last four days matters concerning the safety of life at sea with reference to the use of radio on the great lakes. They have reached agreement, but unfortunately it has not been possible for me to discuss this agreement with my colleagues in the cabinet. That will be done in the near future. Whether or not legislation will be required I am not able to say. I think it may, but certainly not at this session.

Inquiries of the Ministry

Mr. William Bryce (Selkirk):

I wish to direct a question to the Minister of Agriculture. Has his attention been drawn to a dispatch announcing the arrival of hundreds of cases of eggs from Holland, and has he any comment to make on it?

Right Hon. J. G. Gardiner (Minister of Agriculture):

The hon. member was kind enough to give notice of his question, and I have therefore had an opportunity of reading the article to which he refers.

I am advised that 1,300 cases of eggs, or

39.000 dozen, arrived in Montreal from Holland on May 4, and are now being regraded for distribution in Canada. This shipment brings the total importations of eggs since January 1, 1951, to 2,964 cases, or 88,920 dozen, of which 500 cases, or 15,000 dozen, were imported from Ireland, and 1,164 cases, or 34,920 dozen, were imported from the United States.

Storage stocks in Canada are low at the present time, due to a slight falling off in marketings and to heavy exports during the present season, which to date have totalled

172.000 cases, or 5,160,000 dozen; and further imports may be expected.

The position there, I think, is clear, namely, that we are exporting many more eggs than we are importing. There are certain reasons why eggs are being brought into certain communities.