Mr. PERLEY:

I am pleased to hear the statement of the minister, but he might give us a little more information. He said that 2,360 have made prepayments. How are they distributed throughout the dominion? I have associated myself with the hon. member for Battle River in his request since he first made it, but I should like to point out this further fact. In 1937 when the minister's estimates were before the committee I suggested that the debt be written off and that these settlers be given clear title to their land. At that time I gave figures to show that the cost of administering the act and collecting the money and so on was almost as great as the amount the government would eventually receive. I just wish to make clear that that was the position I took as early as 1937. Since that time we have had the hon. member for Battle River take up the case, and I have been pleased to support him. I think the minister's statement was an interesting one, but I should like to point out that in the last couple of years we have had two good crops in western Canada and that they have resulted in a lot of these prepayments being made. I should also like to say that many of these old veterans have been working under difficult circumstances. I know some in my district who have two sons in this war. They have carried on under great difficulties and made the payments. I am pleased, however, to know that the situation is clearing up and I certainly wish to associate myself with the hon. member for Battle River.

Mr. PERLEY:

I am sure we all listened last night with a great deal of interest to the report and review that the minister gave of his department and the different phases of its work. I know we all agree that this department is possibly one of the most important departments that has anything to do with the war. If it had not been for the equipment and supplies provided for our men overseas they could never have made the progress and the success they are making to-day. Therefore we must give credit to the department that has been responsible for supplying the munitions and other materials necessary for these men to do that job.

I am not going to go into the minister's remarks in any great detail. He spoke about questions pertaining to reconstruction since he is the minister responsible for that department. He spoke about coal supplies, gas supplies and the like. I think the hon. member for Davenport covered that phase of the minister's remarks very well this afternoon and made a request for consideration of developing western Canada w'hich would mean a great deal in providing jobs for the men when they come back and go a long way toward solving the question of employment when the war is over. The hon. member dealt with such matters as water conservation, power projects and other developments of one kind and another, and showed what it would mean by way of creating employment if we had a proper development of the resources of the three prairie provinces, and particularly Saskatchewan. I trust the minister will give serious consideration to the suggestions put forth by the hon. member for Davenport who,

I am glad to note, in the last few years has become interested in western Canada. When he goes out there now he can draw a grand crowd any time he wishes to speak. I heard him address a crowd who filled the hall because they felt here was a man from eastern Canada who was taking a real interest in the west. That is why I hope the minister will give consideration to some of the measures outlined by the hon. member to help create jobs after the war is over.

Last evening, just before the house adjourned, the minister stated that to-day he would make a statement with respect to farm implements. He had dealt with the question of industrial implements, machines and things of that kind, and in reply to a question by the hon. member for Haldimand said that to-day he would make a statement outlining the position with regard to farm machinery. The supply of implements for the farmers is an important matter in Canada at the present time. Many of our farmers have been working under very difficult conditions, and their old machinery is pretty well worn out. Many of them have sons overseas; they have been working by themselves, and they need new equipment, not only tractors which come from the United States but machinery that is produced in Canada. In addition, many of the boys who come back will go on farms under the Veterans' Land Act, and it is important that consideration be given to supplying the implements that are required to replace the worn-out machinery, and the implements that will be necessary to get these young men started. I hope the minister will give us a statement outlining the farm implement situation as it affects western Canada.

Mr. PERLEY:

How many bushels of oats and barley have been exported to the United States since 1943, by growers permit or direct by the wheat board or any other source, and what was the price paid by the United States per bushel?

Mr. PERLEY:

Since there is a little boasting going on by the maritimers about enlistments I should like to put something on the record which the public of Canada ought to know. I think we all agree that the Canadian navy is doing a wonderful job and too much praise cannot be showered on the achievements of our men. According to the minister's statement appearing on page 404 of Hansard, of the

90.000 naval ratings over twenty-five per cent came from the prairie provinces and nearly

7.000 of them from Saskatchewan. A great many of these men who enlisted from our province hardly knew how to step into a rowboat, certainly not into a canoe, and had never seen as much water as would cover a ten acre surface until they joined the navy. But these men from the prairies have made a wonderful record for themselves. They seem to take to the sea kindly. They have done a wonderful job. Many of them have won promotion purely on their meritorious service in the navy. It is worthy of record that the three prairie provinces have contributed twenty-five per cent of the ratings in the Canadian navy. I just wanted to say a word of praise for the men wdio have enlisted from Saskatchewan and the other prairie provinces in the Canadian navy.

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Mr. E. E. PERLEY (Qu'Appelle):

Is the minister aware that there will be a very coip-siderable decrease in the production, of hogs in western Canada? Only to-day I had a letter from one farmer who raised two hundred and fifty hogs last year and who will not raise more than one hundred this year. The farmers are concerned about the bonus paid on A-l and B-l grades of hogs. Will the minister say whether he is considering increasing the bonus to what it was before it was reduced last year, and making it uniform throughout Canada, in order to encourage the production of hogs this year?