Mr. RHODES:

My hon. friend may have in mind the officials under the Farmers' Creditors Arrangement Act.

Mr. RHODES:

I have none of that information here but I will make inquiries and endeavour if possible to get it.

Mr. RHODES:

It is not a separate department, ft is a portion of the Department of Finance although that may not be exactly correct. There could be a very marked improvement in the setup of our estimates in general. These things are not very easy to bring about. We have first the civil government estimates and then the estimates of the departments in various subdivisions. It would be much better I think if we could have all the votes of the individual departments kept under departmental headings where they could be shown. It must be remembered, however, that the functions of the comptroller of the treasury have to do with every department of government and possibly that may be the explanation. I will bear in mind what my hon. friend has said.

Mr. RHODES:

I understand that the occasion for passing this appropriation has not arisen, and I therefore move that item 414 be reduced in the sum of $3,000.

Mr. RHODES:

There is no one in the employ of the farm loan board nor under the Farmers' Creditors Arrangement Act who is authorized to give any such undertaking. No person representing either of these boards has any right whatever to say to any farmer what the hon. gentleman has suggested; all they could do would be to say to the farmer, "If you make application under the Farmers' Creditors Arrangement Act you will be entitled to apply for a loan to the farm loan board." No one, however, has any right to make the statement that a farmer would as a matter of right secure a loan. I have endeavoured to make it clear in the past that the question whether the individual shall receive a loan must depend entirely on the merits and circumstances of each individual case. There are no employees of either department working on commission, and if my hon. friend will give me in confidence the names of the individuals I will inquire by wire immediately to see what activity is taking place there, because the course he suggests is entirely foreign to the proper authorization of either act.