September 15, 1917 (12th Parliament, 7th Session)

Mr. HAZEN:

No. All they get is this amount for a period of thirty-five years, and the amount is barely sufficient, if it is sufficient, to pay the interest on the full amount. Thus they must desire a considerable revenue from the operations of the dock. It is very desirable that, at Halifax on the east coast, and at some point on the

west coast, Esquimalt or Vancouver, there should be first-class docks, in the interest of the defence and of the
trade of Canada, and also ' of the
larger interests of the Empire. The matter has been considered by the Government, and no doubt by previous governments, and when the hon. member for Winnipeg (Mr. Rogers) then Minister of Public Works was in England in March and April last, the matter was taken up with the Imperial authorities. He had many interviews with officials of the Admiralty, the Foreign Office and the Colonial Office, and urged the necessity, from the standpoint of the Empire itself, of constructing docks on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, of a size that fwould make them available for the accommodation of the largest war vessels and commercial vessels now afloat. The hon. member for Winnipeg has just informed me that he has some interesting correspondence on that subject which he had with members of the British Government, but that it is impossible for him to lay his hand on it this afternoon; and he has suggested that the matter be allowed to stand until the next sitting so that he may have an opportunity of giving that information to the House in more detail than he can do to-day. Under those circumstances, I suggest that we pass the second reading, with the understanding that we go into committee on the Bill at the next sitting.
Motion agreed to and Bill read the second time.