Mr. Boulanger:

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Each time I have the floor, I realize that I hurt the feelings of Conservative members. That is why I seem to be out of order more often than I should. I sincerely believe I am defending the opinion of eastern farmers, and I shall continue to do so.

(Text):

Mr. Boulanger:

Mr. Chairman, I would ask the Acting Minister of Agriculture to carefully note our remarks, because they express the views of our eastern farmers.

I know that tomorrow night there will be a meeting of eastern mill owners, and I know that their recommendations will be similar to those I just made.

I would like to hear other hon. members from that area expressing their views with respect to the treatment meted out to eastern farmers. Some people of course, rise to praise the government and its farm policy. I hope that, during the next election, they will go on praising the policy of a Conservative government that has brought about an agricultural depression.

Mr. Boulanger:

Mr. Chairman, for the information of the hon. member for Pro-vencher (Mr. Jorgenson), I should like to comment on the statement he made this afternoon when he suggested that farmers would not be against the opening up of the Canadian grain market.

In this respect, I should like to put forward the views of eastern farmers who have repeatedly made representations to the government in order to receive the same treatment as the millers in western Canada.

Eastern feed mills are subject to the regulations enacted by the Canadian wheat board, while western feed mills are not. As a matter of fact, this is what eastern farmers have asked of the government since the Canadian wheat board regulations have been changed. The association for the development and protection of agriculture in eastern Canada pressed the government for:

The removal of all trade restrictions on the sale of barley, oats and other feed grains to restore equal prices across the country so as to ensure the orderly production and marketing of cattle, poultry, dairy products, etc.

We made criticisms last year, especially in the committee on agriculture and colonization, and we showed that grains sell for less in the west than in the east, that is at approximately half the price. On the other hand, we have shown that the situation is somewhat different today because grain supplies are at a minimum, and if the 1962 crop is a failure, we will probably be short of feed grains.

Moreover, certain western organizations have protested against changes in the regulations. Both the government of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan wheat pool made representations in that connection, the latter through its chairman, Mr. Gibbings.

As you can see, Mr. Chairman, it is not only the eastern farmers who have protested against these changes but certain western organizations as well. Last year, we said that the changes in the regulations would bring about a certain integration for the western feed mills.

I am able to say tonight that on June 1st, 1961-when looking back to the last ten years-hogs produced in eastern Canada and British Columbia numbered 3,149,000, which represents an increase of 87,000 over 1951. On the other hand, production in the prairie provinces went up from 1,800,000 to

2.700.000, which is an increase of almost one million hogs in the west, to the detriment of eastern farmers.

Today, we, in the east, have to import from the west. We import a considerable quantity of beef, which is only normal. But when we have to import pork, there is something wrong; and that situation can be attributed to the short view policy, the day-to-day policy of the Conservative administration. We have told the government that there is still time to remedy that state of affairs so that our eastern farmers may enjoy a better standard of living.

The number of farmers in eastern Canada has decreased by 32,000 in the last ten years, whereas in the west it has decreased by only

16.000. The reason for it is that eastern farmers do not have sufficient income to provide for the needs of their families. Last year, we passed an act for the development of submarginal farms, and it is time that the government put that legislation into force.

At this stage, I would like to make a correction-

Mr. Boulanger:

Mr. Chairman, I did not stray from the subject. I was on the point of making a correction, as my remarks with regard to the Canadian wheat board have been misinterpreted. I know that the Canadian wheat board was established by a Conservative government.

Mr. Boulanger:

I will put the question in English, if the minister does not mind. I wish to ask the minister whether it is his intention to organize a transport commission in order to take care of the storage of grain in the eastern elevators of the country and to control the delivery of these grains. I am asking this question because a few years ago we had this commission and in the east the supply of feed grain was more adequate than it is now.