Mr. COCHRANE:

There is no question in the minds of members of the Committee who know anything about this railway that the line is absolutely necessary. I admit that this is a very inopportune time to take notion in the matter, but I point out that the railway was pretty well constructed before the commencement of the war and the action of the waves along the shore has been gradually destroying the roadbed. Last year the Government, in its wisdom, made an agreement with Sir Rodolphe Forget and his company for the taking over of these three roads, leaving to the Exchequer Court the determination of the value. The member fox Carleton has made a great deal of capital out of the findings of the Exchequer Court. I find no fault with the decisions that have been arrived at. I have several times made the statement that we do not propose to pay anything except what the Exchequer Court awards. If I had my way I would buy the Saguenay road only, and complete it. We did do some riprap work this year along where the contractors had built before; they had rip-rapped with earth and it was being washed away. The only fault I have to find with the Exchequer Court's decision is this: the judge might have allowed arreasonable amount of interest for construction time. The member for Carleton will admit, I think, that that is railway practice. If he

reads the evidence taken before the judge, he will agree that this interest should have been allowed. More than three years' interest, however, could not be allowed, because three years is a reasonable time within which the company could complete the road. We do not propose to pay Sir Rodolphe Forget one dollar of this money until the new Parliament meets and a Bill is submitted for the taking over of the Quebec and Saguenay road, the value to be left to the decision of the Exchequer

*Court. I would not allow any discounts on bonds, or things like that, but I think it is bnly fair and reasonable that some reasonable amount, say 5 per cent for three years, should be paid by way of interest during construction.

Mr. COCHRANE:

You call it a policy, nobody else did.

Mr. COCHRANE:

In August.

Mr. COCHRANE:

They were to be employed on a route from Vancouver and Victoria through the Panama canal to St. John and Halifax and also to the West Indies.

Mr. COCHRANE:

Two ships.