Mr. Speaker:

I have the honour to inform the house that I have received a message from His Excellency the Governor General signed toy his own hand, reading as follows:

Government House, Ottawa 15 January, 1953

Members of the House of Commons:

1 have received with great pleasure the address that you have voted in reply to my speech at the opening of parliament. I thank you sincerely for this address.

Vincent Massey

Hon. Brooke Claxton (Minister of National Defence):

Mr. Speaker, the date asked for by the hon. member for Assiniboia (Mr. Argue) yesterday afternoon was June 12, 1952.

Hon. Lionel Chevrier (Minister of Transport):

I should like to make an announcement pertaining to the automobile ferry service between Wood island, Prince Edward Island, and Caribou, Nova Scotia. At the present time the service is operated by the Northumberland Ferries Limited, which receives an annual subsidy of $158,000. The operation of this service is most important to the economy of Prince Edward Island, and the use made thereof in recent years has been increasing continuously.

While the economy of Prince Edward Island is well looked after by the Borden-Tormentine service in so far as railway communications are concerned and for highway traffic originating or terminating in the western section of the island, it has become increasingly important for the agricultural products of Prince Edward Island to be provided with an efficient automobile ferry service from the eastern part of the island to Nova Scotia. The present operator of this service finds it impossible to raise the necessary capital to acquire a new and more efficient vessel, in order to cope with the traffic offered.

I am pleased to announce to the house that the government has decided to construct a new automobile ferry vessel, which should be ready for operation in 1955. A decision has not yet been reached as to which agency will operate the service when the new vessel is ready to go into operation.

1. Was a contract for the design and/or production of an automatic aero roll film printer awarded to P.S.C. Applied Research Limited?

2. If so, when was the contract let?

3. What was to be the basis of the remuneration to the company?

4. Has anything been paid under or on account of the contract to date?

5. If so, how much, and what was the basis of the payments?

6. Has a satisfactory design been produced yet?

7. If so, when is production to start?

1. Yes.

2. August 25, 1949.

3. As per Canadian Commercial Corporation form 80, cost, plus 10 per cent basis.

4. Yes.

5. $70,632.87, by way of progress payments, on design and development.

6. No. A mock-up for test purposes is due at the R.C.A.F. station, Rockcliffe, about July, 1953.

7. Production will be started on completion of satisfactory trials.

Orders for Returns QUESTIONS PASSED AS ORDERS FOR RETURNS

1. In dollars, what is the carry-over inventory of the 1950 canned salmon pack?

2. What quantities are in storage in Canada of 1950 pack (a) sockeye; (b) cohoe; (c) spring; (d) other varieties?

3. In dollars, what is the unsold value of 1951 pack of Canadian salmon?

4. Is Canadian sockeye salmon being undersold on the British market by (a) Russian pack; (b) Norwegian pack? If so, in dollars, how much per case?

5. In dollars, how much Canadian canned salmon was sold to Britain in (a) 1950; (b) 1051; (c) 1952?

Mr. Bradley:

Return tabled.

1. How many prefabricated huts or houses has the government purchased from the Eastern Wood Workers Limited, New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, and set up at Debert military camp and Debert airport?

2. What is the total finished cost of each hut or house?

3. How many such huts or houses did the government agree to purchase from Eastern Wood Workers Limited?

4. For what purpose does the government intend to use these prefabricated huts or houses?