Mr. Charlton:

I should like to direct the attention of the minister to a matter which was first brought to his attention in a letter dated June 29, 1953. This has to do with a road into No. 6 repair depot at Dunnville, Ontario, which is a mile and nine-tenths

long. Because of the heavy truck traffic into the repair depot the township has been put to considerable expense for many years in keeping this road in repair.

This letter was written to the department by the clerk of the township on June 29, 1953, pointing out that over the preceding eight years the expense of maintaining this road had been some $16,000 and indicating that during 1954 it would be necessary for them to spend an estimated $6,200 to bring this road back to a reasonable condition. They were pleading with the government for a grant to help them under the circumstances.

This is merely a township road, and if it were not for No. 6 repair depot and this heavy truck traffic over the road the cost to the township of maintaining the road would not be great. The township did not hear anything from the department for a considerable length of time, although a representative of the department visited the officials of the township and offered them what I consider to be the paltry sum of $1,500 as a grant toward the upkeep of the road. This was in relation to an expenditure of well over $22,000. From that point until the present time the matter has been receiving the attention of the department.

I think I have been more than fair, due to the fact that I have not had an answer. No decision has been arrived at over a two-year period, and I think the department should be able to come up with some kind of an answer, either saying they are not going to give them anything or they are going to grant a reasonable amount for the upkeep of this road. The last letter I wrote to the minister was dated April 21 of this year. Previous to that I had written on January 18 and had a reply. As of today I have had no reply, though I have had several telephone conversations with the departmental officials. Surely it does not take this long to make a decision of this kind.

For sometime the story was going around Dunnville that this repair depot was going to be turned over to war assets and disposed of, but later we found out that was not true. We understand from correspondence that it is not going to be turned over to war assets but will be maintained by the air force. If that is the case surely it should not require this length of time to arrive at a decision on this matter.

Mr. Charllon:

I do not think the minister is quite fair when he says the department is considered fair game.

Mr. Charlton:

I think they have been more than patient in this particular case. It has been necessary for them to spend a considerable amount of money for the upkeep of this road, almost purely because of this repair depot.

Mr. CHARLTON.

Will to-morrow ever

come?

To-morrow never did come. The Bill died a natural death. It was an abortion when introduced, and it never came into being.

I wish to say a few words with regard to the report of 1892. I have alluded to some of the recommendations of the commission of that day and to some of their statements regarding what they found in the service. I find here an interesting letter from Mr. Le Sueur, one of the best known and oldest civil servants in Ottawa who has since left the service. In this these words lie characterizes the service at that time :

Politics I need not define. We have it with us always, and we know what it means. The present question is, how does the intrusion of politics affect the public service? It affects it in many wavs: '

1. By crowding it with unnecessary hands.

2. By introducing into it, at times, inefficient or other unsuitable persons.

3. Bv interfering with the due course of promotion.

4. Bv interfering with the exercise of necessary discipline.

Mr. CHARLTON.

The same protection that exists at present. The election law of 1900 is not superseded.