Mr. Dufresne:

If the hon. minister will allow me, I shall quote from a report of La Presse of Saturday last-

Mr. Dufresne:

Mr. Chairman, I thank the minister for being a little more precise than he had been and I conclude that from now on post office employees in Montreal will be permitted to take the time necessary to attend religious services provided at the end of their day's work they put in the time taken for religious services.

Mr. Dufresne:

Mr. Chairman, the hon. member for St. Henry (Mr. Bonnier), whom I have seen rise for the first time since I have sat in this house, just made a discovery. He imformed us that masses were being said in Montreal beginning at five o'clock in the morning and also in the evening. It is the same in other cities of the province of Quebec and there is nothing new in that.

Just now, we are considering the position of post office employees in Montreal. We are here to represent those who work in the various departments of the federal government and what I said about the post office employees of Montreal applies also to the electors I have the honour to represent and all those who work for the federal government.

I am quite willing to concern myself with the business of my electors. I have been doing that for the past four years. The hon. member for St. Henry could have risen more often. It might have been his best opportunity to prove that he was looking after the interests of the electors of Montreal.

Mr. Dufresne:

Then, judging from the statement the hon. minister made in answer to my own, from now on the postal employees of Montreal, on Sundays and days of obligation, will be permitted to disregard the orders of the postmaster, Mr. Rene Boileau, and take, from their eight working hours, the said three quarters of an hour to attend religious services. Is it what the hon. minister has just said?

Mr. Dufresne:

Does not the hon. minister recognize that there previously was a well

Supply-Post Office

established regulation or tradition in the Post Office Department, particularly in Montreal, tp the effect that, on the eight hour day's work of those employees, they were allowed three quarters of an hour to attend mass on Sunday?

I am referring to Sunday mass as it concerns Roman Catholic employees. However, I should not like to discriminate against anyone, and would be in favour of allowing other employees to attend religious services whatever their religious denomination.

Judging from the information published by La Presse on March 9, last I come to the conclusion that such time was taken from the eight hour day's work of postal employees.