Mr. Drew:

I would point out that the minister is abandoning the long-established practice with regard to supply motions; and I submit that unless he is prepared to admit he is trying to juggle the business of the house in an unsatisfactory way, he should change his opinion.

Mr. St. Laurent:

Mr. Speaker, do you not think that language is rather unparliamentary, under the circumstances? Juggling is something it is not our custom to do.

Mr. Drew:

You have been juggling the business of the house all session.

Mr. Harris:

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a question of privilege. I heard the Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Drew) say that, presumably I, had been juggling the business of parliament all session. Mr. Speaker, I assure you I can call plenty of witnesses in this house to show that I have accommodated the opposition more this session than they have ever been accommodated before.

Mr. Drew:

What?

Mr. E. G. McCullough (Moose Mountain):

Mr. Speaker, I should like to direct a question to the Minister of Transport. Has the minister received any requests for drainage or dredging assistance or other representations in respect to flood damage to farm land in Kipling district, resulting from the Canadian National Railways line preventing normal drainage? If so, what has been the nature

of those requests, and what action does the government intend to take in assuming responsibility?

Hon. George C. Marler (Minister of Transport):

Mr. Speaker, in reply to the question of the hon. member for Moose Mountain I should say that the minister has received no requests for drainage or dredging assistance, or other representations in respect of flood damage in the Kipling district. Not having received any such representations, I am unable to state the nature of the requests that may be made or the action that will be taken when they are received.

Mr. McCullough (Moose Mountain):

Mr. Speaker, I should like to direct the question to the Minister of Agriculture, to whom I sent notice. Has his department received any requests in connection with the matter that I just referred to the Minister of Transport?

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

Mr. Speaker, I wish to thank the hon. member for having given me a copy of his question. In reply I would state that we would naturally not receive any requests in connection with drainage. All requests in connection with drainage in the provinces go to the provincial governments, and they are referred to the provincial government in Saskatchewan just as they are in any other province. The responsibility for drainage is with the provinces.

The provincial government representatives who were here called our attention to the fact that there are flood conditions in the Kipling area. They are included in the representations that were made to this government; but that is in accordance with the fact that it is a provincial responsibility.

Mr. Ambrose Holowach (Edmonton East):

I should like to direct a question to the Minister of Transport. Can the minister give any information to the house respecting the airplane tragedy which occurred at the municipal airport in Edmonton yesterday?

Hon. George C. Marler (Minister of Transport):

The only information I can give is that an inquiry has been instituted in order to determine what were the causes of the accident.

Hon. George C. Marler (Minister of Transport):

Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday last the hon. member for Vancouver East (Mr. Winch) asked a question regarding the Port Mann shops, and at an earlier date the hon. member for New Westminster (Mr. Hahn) asked similar questions in connection with the same matter. I regret the delay in answering both of them.

The management of Canadian National Railways now advises as follows. Reduction in the personnel employed by the railway for repair and servicing of rolling stock is explained by the dieselization of motive power, the cumulative effect of improvement in design and construction, increased capacity of freight cars, improvement in repair methods and practices, and the acquisition of much new equipment. As a point for repair and servicing of locomotives and cars Port Mann has been affected by the efforts of the management to maintain a proper balance between rolling stock and repair expenses and the volume of traffic. In effecting this reduction in personnel the legitimate interest of each employee affected has been properly protected in accordance with the governing wage agreement, and discussions have been held with the representatives of the appropriate labour organizations.