Mr. John Merriam:

Further to my wire to you August 8, Trans-Canada has executed a contract which meets its requirements.

N. E. Tanner.

That telegram is signed "N. E. Tanner". What happened between those dates? What

17, 1956 4039

Northern Ontario Pipe Line Corporation things transpired? What changed the "Eldon" relationship to a business relationship? Why the alteration in course? The minister tried to give an explanation today to the effect that they could not get together or something of the sort. Actually, it is interesting that it was at this point that this master salesman Symonds entered the picture.

Those are things we want to find out about. Those are questions that must be asked. If we ask them of the government and if we get the kind of answers that we received in reference to the McMahon letters, the replies will not be as valuable as the facts might warrant. Yes; what about Mr. McMahon? He made an offer. He set it out in detail. He showed what he would do. That statement is contained in his letter of April 24, 1956, to the Minister of Trade and Commerce, detailing every possible eventuality, giving the particulars that only a definite offer would possibly include. It was naturally marked "private and confidential". It is to be communicated to the government. The letter is addressed to the Minister of Trade and Commerce.

1. Has the Department of National Defence purchased a vessel known as the Snowbird II, and if so, from whom, at what price, and to what vote was the purchase price charged?

2. To what use will the vessel be put?

3. Who is, or will be, the operator of the vessel during the 1949 season of arctic navigation?

4. What are the terms of the contract of operation, and to what vote will the operating costs be charged?

Questions

5. Was Snowbird II used in government service during the 1948 season of navigation?

6. If so, who was the owner at that time, and what were the terms of any contract between the then owner and the government, with respect to the use of said vessel?

7. What was the total cost to the government of the operation of the Snowbird II in the 1948 season, and to what vote were such costs charged?

Mr. Merrill:

The minister said seventy-seven.

Mr. Merritt:

How many civilian committees for the support of each of the reserve forces have been set up, and in what areas are they located?

Mr. Merritt:

I should like to ask the Minister of Labour a question on this item. Early in the session, during the speech from the throne and in questions on the orders of the day, the unemployment situation which develops in Vancouver each winter was brought to the attention of the minister. On the 14th of March he made a statement in which he indicated that that situation was clearing up because logging camps were opening, and so on. He indicated everything would be well. In that statement he did say that 6,000 of the 25,000 unemployed in Vancouver early in March had come from outside the city and that two-thirds of those came from outside the province.

Other members of the house as well as I have called the minister's attention to the fact that the burden of the unemployed who do not qualify for unemployment insurance and who are in distress falls entirely upon the city or upon private agencies in the city who raise their money for other social service work. On March 14 the minister gave us no comfort at all in our suggestion that the dominion government should carry out its proposals put forward in the green book and should supply unemployment assistance to take care of the class of employable unemployed who, for one reason or another, are not in receipt of unemployment insurance. The minister made some sensible statements about people being responsible for themselves, and said that he had not taken

a cent in all his years in the country. I congratulate him on his statements and on his own condition. But the point that I am bringing to his attention is that when men get into distress somebody must look after them; and the city of Vancouver, year after year, is finding it too great a strain upon its private social service agencies to meet the situation.

Once more I want to refer the minister to the green book, where the dominion government offered to the provinces that they would take over responsibility for the employable unemployed by way of unemployment assistance up to eighty-five per cent of the unemployment insurance rates; and I want to ask him if he will assure the house that before the next seasonal unemployment sets in in Vancouver we shall have that offer implemented and shall have the dominion government, not the city of Vancouver, taking care of the people who do not normally live in Vancouver.