Mr. G. A. Cruickshank (Fraser Valley):

the supplementary estimates are not passed today will the temporary civil servants have to wait for their cheques, or what is going to happen to them?

Hon. Douglas Abboit (Minister of Finance):

I have every expectation, Mr. Speaker, that the supplementary estimates will be dealt with this afternoon. Of course if it is not possible for them to be dealt with today by both houses it will not be possible to pay those items which contain salary provisions, and which are reasonably numerous. It does not affect all departments, of course.

Mr. R. M. Warren (Renfrew Norih):

I want to ask a question of the Minister of Public Works. I just had a telegram put in my hand coming from Pembroke, dealing with a matter with which I was already acquainted. A citizen of Pembroke went through the ice Friday night and was drowned. Several others

have been drowned there this year, and the people are asking seriously if we cannot have that bridge built at once.

Hon. Alphonse Fournier (Minister of Public Works):

I would not commit myself to the immediate construction of that bridge. However, the government has introduced an estimate of $50,000 for the preparation of the plans, and as soon as the steel situation eases we will go ahead with those plans and undertake that project in co-operation with the two provinces, which have agreed to make some contribution to the cost.

Mr. W. R. Aylesworth (Fronlenac-Adding-ton):

I would like to ask a question of the Minister of Agriculture, which arises from his latest action in increasing by ten pounds the weight of grade hogs. Does he realize that by doing so he is taking away the premium from the best weight hog that has been produced, namely, from 140 to 150 pounds, and will the premium be restored in the near future?

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

As was stated in the house at the time, and as was stated to the country by radio, for two or three weeks we hoped farmers would hold their hogs on the farm rather than send them to packing houses, where we were not able to find storage space for them. I would like to repeat that the farmers did follow the suggestion in spite of the fact that they did not have much encouragement from some sources. During the first week they retained about one-third of the number they had been delivering. The second week they retained almost one-third. The third week they got back perhaps about half way to their original deliveries. The present position is that we have adjusted the arrangements with packing plants and others-as a matter of fact 1 think we just succeeded in doing so about an hour ago-and we hope to be able to announce tonight that in about three weeks we shall be back on the old basis of grading. In the meantime we hope the heavier hogs will be delivered and payment made accordingly.

Mr. Speaker:

I understand it was agreed that today, notwithstanding the standing orders with respect to committee of supply and committee of ways and means, I should leave the chair without question put.

Agreed.

Supply-Veterans Affairs SUPPLY

The house in committee of supply, Mr. Dion in the chair.

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Pensions and other benefits-

649. Pensions for disability and death, including pensions granted under the authority of the civilian government employees (war) compensation order. P.C. 45/8848 of 22nd November. 1944, which shall be subject to the Pension Act-further amount required, $5,100,000.

Mr. Macdonnell (Greenwood):

Mr. Chairman, I wish to make a statement which I believe affects the rights and privileges of all members of the house. It is related to the incident which happened as the house was rising on Friday evening. I wish to make certain comments on that incident. I can only regard it-I hope I am choosing my words moderately-as an outrageous attempt by ministers of the crown to deter members of parliament from doing their plain duty. I certainly can remember nothing like it in the few years which I have had the privilege of serving in this house.

Do your duty.

Mr. Macdonnell (Greenwood):

It might be a good thing if that were more widespread.

During Friday's debate we had granted interim supply of over $525 million, and also passed items covering some $200 million of supplementary estimates. In other words, we had passed over $700 million. By eleven o'clock, there still remained other items. Among them there was the important item, the first on the list, to provide $665,000 under the act for the control and extirpation of foot-and-mouth disease. The government had shied away from this important item-

Order.

Mr. Macdonnell (Greenwood):

-during both the afternoon and evening, and at eleven o'clock the leader of the opposition was asked to agree to continue the debate. He replied:

... we are certainly not willing to foreclose the discussion on a subject that is of the utmost importance not only to hon. members but to the whole of Canada, and therefore we do not intend to agree to the extension of time. This can be proceeded with on Monday and dealt with in a proper way.

To this the Minister of Finance replied:

I am quite prepared to accept that, Mr. Chairman, of course, but I want to make it perfectly clear to several thousand civil servants, whose cheques would normally have gone out today, that the responsibility for the failure to get them out belongs to the House of Commons.

I would call your attention in passing, Mr. Chairman, to the implication of this

Supply-Veterans Affairs statement. The house sat at three o'clock and the discussion of the estimates began somewhat later. In order that the cheques which had not already been sent out might go out on Friday by the close of business on the basis of what was done in the house that day, the supplementary estimates of over $200 million would have had to be passed at machine-gun speed, with virtually no consideration of any kind, as well as the supplementary legislation.

I leave it to the members of this house-

Mr. Abbott:

Will the hon. member allow me to interrupt? He quoted me quite correctly, and I said that the cheques would normally have gone out on Friday. It was quite obvious that they could not have gone out on Friday, but had we been able to complete the estimates they would have gone out one day late, the following morning.