Mr. BLAIR:

I suggest that there should also be something in the way of a time limit.

I am well aware of the anxiety of the minister to do his best, but I am aware also

that the people of Ontario are heartily sick of this business. I do not agiee with those

Excise Act Amendment

who have said that drinking was worse during prohibition. I spend a good deal of my time among the rougher element, and I have seen more drunks recently than I did in prohibition days. One hon. gentleman suggested that something should be done, but ended up by saying that nothing should be done. We have reached the stage now where action should be taken. We have come to the pass where there should be some curtailment in time, and the matter should be talked over with the provincial governments. Surely we do not think that the ladies' beer parlours are something that we should be proud of. How would any hon. member like to see his daughter or sister coming out of a ladies' beer parlour, swinging along? Spend some of your time there some time, as I do occasionally. I often drop in on my way home from this house, and I see entertaining times there. I read character in faces, and while there are some Scotch among them, they are not all Scotch. Beer has a more degrading element in it than real whisky. If you want to know that, consider the different races that swing to beer and those that swing to whisky.

Mr. BLAIR:

I should like to know something in regard to the evaporating of eggs. Have we any hope of getting an export freight rate for crates going to the evaporating plants? We get an export freight rate from the plant to seaboard, but we pay domestic freight rates from our towns to the evaporating plants. On the American side they have an export freight rate from the towns to the evaporating plants-in some of the states, not all. I thought perhaps we might be able to secure that in Canada. We have our plants a considerable distance from egg centres and it costs 52 cents to ship the crate, 11 cents to return the crate, and a charge of 3 cents for the revamping of the crate. What price is given to the evaporated eggs when they are dried? I should like to know what assistance is given to the evaporating plants, such as Swifts of Toronto.

Mr. BLAIR:

Perhaps at another time.

Mr. J. K. BLAIR (Wellington North):

Mr. Speaker, I would like to lodge a protest against the foolish speaking that is going on in this house day after day.

Mr. BLAIR:

We are wasting a great deal of money here day after day which could be put in the proper channels to aid the war expenditures. When we look at the galleries we see that the people there are disgusted with the house.