Manitoba Hansard — Sitting 8A (26th Legislature, 2nd Session)

26-2-8a

Manitoba — Debates (Hansard)

------------------- Legislative Assembly Of Manitoba DEBATES and PROCEEDINGS Speaker The Honourable A. W. Harrison Volume IV No. SA January 28, 1960 2nd Session, 26th Legislature Printed by R. S. Evans, Queen's Printer for the Provhice of Manitoba, Winnipeg

ARTHUR ASSINIBOIA BIRTLE-RUSSELL BRANDON BROKENI:IEAD BURROWS CARILLON CHURCHILL CYPRESS DAUPHIN DUFFERIN ELMWOOD EMERSON ETHELBERT PLAINS FISHER FLIN FLON FORT CARRY FORT ROUGE G!MLI GLADSTONE HAMIOTA INKSTER KILDONAN LAC DU BONNET LAKE SIDE LA VERENDRYE LOGAN. MINNEDOSA MORRIS OSBORNE PEMBINA PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE RADISSON �ELAND RIVER HEIGHTS ROBLIN ROCK LAKE ROCKWOOD-IBERVILLE RUPERTSLAND ST. BONIF ACE ST. GEORGE ST. JAMES ST. JOHN'S ST. MATTHEWS ST. VITAL STE. ROSE SELKIRK SEVEN OAKS SOURIS- LANSDOWNE SPRING FIELD SWAN RIVER THE PAS TURTLE MOUNTAIN VIRDEN WELLINGTON WIN NIPEG CENTRE. WOLSELEY NAME J. D.

Watt Geo. Wm. Johnson Robert Cordon Smellie R. 0. Lissaman E. R. Schteyer J. M. l-Iawryluk Edmond Prefontaine J. E. Ingebrigtson Mrs. Thelma Forbes Hon. Stewart E. McLean William Homer Hamilton S. Peters John P. Tanchak M. N. Hryhorczuk, Q.C. Peter Wagner Hon. Charles H. Witney Hon. Sterling R. Lyon Hon. Gurney Evans Hon. George Johnson Nelson Shoemaker B. P. Strickland Morris A. Gray A. J. Reid Oscar F. Bjomson D. L. Campbell Stan Roberts Lemuel Harris Waiter Weir Harry P. Shewman Obie Baizley Hon. Maurice E. Rldley John Aaron Christi_anson ADDRESS Reston, Man . 212 Oakdean Blvd., St.

Jarnes, Wpg. 12 Russell, Man. 832 Eleventh St., Brandon, Man. Beausejour, Man. 84 Furby St. , Winnipeg 1 St. Pierre, Man. Churchill, Man . Rathwell, Man. Legislative Bldg., Winnipeg 1 Sperling, Man. 225 Melrose Ave., Winnipeg 5 Ridgeville, Man. Ethelbet1:, Man. Fisher Branch, Man. Legislative ffidg., Winnipeg 1 Legislative ffidg., Winnipeg 1 Legislative ffidg. , Winnipeg 1 Legislative ffidg., Winnipeg 1 Neepawa, Man. Hamiota, Man. 141 Cathedral Ave., Winnipeg 4 561 Trent Ave., E.

Kild., Winnipeg 5 Lac du Bonnet, Box 2, Group 517, R.R. 5 326 Kelvin ffivd., Winnipeg 9 Niverville, Man. 1109 Alexander Ave., Winnipeg 3 Minnedosa, Man. Morris, Man . 185 Maplewood Ave., Winnipeg _13 Legislative Bldg. , Winnipeg 1 15 Dufferin W. Ptge la Prairie, Man. 435 Yale Ave. W., Transcona, Man . Russell Paulley J •. M. Froese , , Winkler, Man. ·w. B. Scarth, Q. c. Keith Alexander Hon. Abram W. Harrison Hon. George Hutton J. E. Jeannotte Laurent Desjardins Elman Guttormson D. M. Stanes David Orlikow W. G. Martin Fred Groves Gildas Molgat T. P. Hillhouse, Q.C. Arthur E. Wright · M. E. McKellar Fred T. Klym A.

H. Corbett Hon. J. B. Carroll E. I. Dow Hon. John Thompson, Q. �. Richard Seabom James Cowan Hon. Duff Roblin 407 Queenston St., Winnipeg 9 Roblin, Man. Holmfield, Man . Legislative ffidg., Winnipeg 1 Meadow Portage, Man. 138 Dollard ffivd., St. Boniface, Man. Lundar, Man . 381 Guildford St., St. James, Wpg. 12 206 Ethelbert St., Winnipeg 10 924 Palmerston Ave., Winnipeg 10 3 Kingston Row, St. Vital, Wpg. 8 Ste. Rose du Lac, Man. Selkirk, Man. Lot 87 River Road, Lockport, Man. Nesbitt, Man. Beausejour, Man. Swan River, Man. Legislative ffidg. , Winnipeg 1 Boissevain, Man.

Legislative ffidg., Winnipeg 1 594 Arlirigton St. , Winnipeg 10 512A, Avenue .Bldg., Winnipeg 2 -Legislative ffidg., Wirtnipeg I

THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF MANITOBA 8:00 o'clock, Thursday, January 28th, 1960 MB. SPEAKER: The question before the House is the amendment to the Throne Speech· debate. Are you ready for the question? l.VIR. WALTER WEffi (Minnedosa): Mr. Speaker, this being the first time that I have taken

part in the Throne Speech debate since taking my seat in the House, I would Sir, like to congratulate you on the fair and tactful manner in which you supervise this Assembly, which can, to say the least, be a little bit difficult at times, as I think was fairly well illustrated this afternoon. While I was not fortunate enough to be in the Chamber I have enjoyed reading the comments of the mover and seconder of the address in reply to the Throne Speech. I am looking forward to hearing them on another occasion.

I am not now going to take you on a tour of that wonderful piece of land in western Man itoba that is known as Minnedosa constituency. I withhold it on this occasion because I feel that after another two or three years of this good Conservative administration, I will have a much better story to tell. I had not, Sir, planned on taking

part in this particular debate at this Session; however, following some of the things that have been said by members opposite I feel that I should make a few comments. First, let me say that I sympathize very much with the members of the Opposition. I am a new member in the House but already I can see how difficult it must be to constructively criticize the actions of our present administration. Frustrating it must be not to have any more real criticism than there has been so far this Session.

Criticism of the Agricultural Credit Act and the Manitoba Development Fund Act at this stage of their development, and in view of their record, it would seem to me is sheer folly. These Acts are two of the most important pieces of legislation, particularly to rural Manitoba, that have been passed by this Assembly in recent years, if not in history. The Social Assistance Act will shortly come into effect and will be felt by deserving persons all over Manitoba.

The main criticism of this Act to date would appear to be the time element involved in bringing it into effect, and as well, the fact that municipalities will be the only ones to benefit from the sections that are expected to be proclaimed this week or next. I fail to see the criticism of the time element.

We are all, I believe, anxious to see this legis lation at work, even I believe the Honourable the Minister of Health and Welfare, as there must be deserving people even in that wealthy district surrounding Gimli, What is just as important though is the certainty that the machinery is in order to process these applications. I am sure that this legislation is being proclaimed as early as it possibly could. The charge that only municipalities would benefit, if it is true, which I doubt, I think is very weak.

If a municipality benefits then every individual within the boundaries of that municipality benefits to a degree. I submit that there are now many who are not receiving assistance who will qualify under this portion of the Act. I hope that this legislation will eliminate many inequit ies that are being imposed in many parts of Manitoba. I have heard no criticism whatsoever of the Elderly Persons' Housing Act. It must be all right, either that or not worth mentioning.

This project for which more funds are being requested this year will ensure a happy life for many of our senior citizens, but for whose hardships, foresight, real energy and enthusiasm in years gone by, the later generations in Manitoba might not now be enjoying the standard of living that we know. Then, Mr. Speaker, I would like to mention the highway program- that 1959 highway program- the biggest so-called bungle that even this government has made.

I may say, Sir, that if it was a bungle which I certainly don't agree, then I am pleased that this government began to bungle as early in the season as it did, Tenders were called and many contracts were awarded early enough that heavy equipment was moved to the worksi.te before road restrictions were put on in the spring. The work never let up all through the construction season. With the fall coming early as it did, it is gratifying to me that the good people of Manitoba saw fit to elect an administration that would see to it that the work was done when it should be done.

Had the former administration been in office, it might even have be.en able to bungle that tenders open before winter set in. Public works appeared to be starting later every year during their tenure of office. January 28th, 1960. Page 123

(Mr. Weir, cont'd). There has been little good said about edilciltion. The fact that rural enrollment in creased by 30% in secondary schools would appear to be an achievement of nothing, or noth ing out of the regular according to the Opposition observations. All concern appears to be in the cost of education. A good education does cost money. It costs a lot of money, but the results are worth it. It seems that before this government took office, provincial government didn't realize that education was expensive.

The school boards in the province working with the Department of Education have done a good job at this point. The change was a big one and it will take some time, but I am confident that these complex problems will be resolved. These are only a few items, Mr. Speaker. Each department could be examined and many improve ments pointed out. I would like to take a minute though, for the benefit of the people in Minnedosa constitu ency, to mention the efforts of the men that we have sitting around here in our Cabinet seats.

I will take every opportunity to reveal my feelings to iny people :;o_t home, and I hope that at the next election as was mentioned by the Honourable Leader of the CCF Party, or before if they have an opportunity, the members opposite will pick up today's Hansard and tell my people that I am proud to be a government member, that I think the men who occupy the Cabin et seats in this government are capable men. They are ambitious, sincere, honest and dedic ated to the jobs that they now hold.

Each of these men could venture out into the business world and shortly be in some of the wage brackets that were quoted to us by the Honourable Member from Brokenhead yesterday. I hope and trust however, that they will remain with us to carry out their programs and their promises, which cannot, as we would be led to believe by the Opposition, be completed in one or two years.

For our friends opposite I might add that as long as our front benches are occupied by these men, by men of their calibre, and Opposition criticism as weak as it now appears at this session, they are destined to remain on that side of the House for a considerable number of years. MR. McLEAN: Mr. Speaker, in rising to take

part in this debate I acknowledge two circumstances for which I am indeed pleased. First that of being a member of this House under your Chairmanship, and say to you how much we appreciate the fair and impartial manner in which you discharge the duties which are yours. And to acknowledge as well, Sir, the privilege which I have of sitting as the member for that great constituency of Dauphin which, while I am surrounded by members who represent the Liberal party who represent constitu encies next to mine, we still enjoy, indeed, a very happy place in the life of the Province of Manitoba. Now, Mr.

Speaker, I am going to speak this evening almost wholly with reference to the subject of education, but before doing so I do wish to refer to a remark made by the Honourable the Member for Ethelbert Plains this afternoon -- I'm sorry that he is not in his seat at this time -- with respect to the subject of television, and when he suggested that the Minister of PUblic Utilities with whom he associated the Minister of Mines and Resources were probably being influenced by the fact that they represent the constituencies of The Pas and Flin Flon with respect to this matter of television.

Now, Sir, I wish to place it squarely on the record that the Minister of Utilities, the Minister of Mines and Resources have been as interested as any of the others of us with respect to the provision of television service for the people of that important part of the Province of Manitoba, and they have at no time let their private views with respect to the constituencies which they represent interfere with their judgment of what is in the best interests of the people of Manitoba with respect to this import ant matter. Now, Mr.

Speaker, a great deal has been said about the promises which were made during election c�paigns and I want to say something-- to relate my remarks as I have al ready indicated, to the subject of education. Reading now the literature which we issued in 1958 provincial election and in the 1959 provincial election respecting the subject of education, Mr. Speaker, is like reading a record of the accomplished events of the past 18 months, and if anyone is wanting to know what we have done, then I direct them to that very important literat- • ure.

There is one matter with respect to promises, and here I hope that I choose my words carefully, because I trust that it will be unnecessary to refer to the matter again, is the a.Ilegation in the address of the Honourable the Leader of the Opposition respecting the broken Page124 January 28th� 1960

(Mr. McLean, cont'd.) .• promise whichhestated thatlmade wi.th regard to a decrease in local taxes, and which he repeated some day or two later during the time of a radio interview over the CBC network. '"'· Now, Mr. Speaker, in order that I might be able to deal with this matter, I have read over again all of the speeches which I made durtng the special session of the legislature held in the months of October and November, 1958--and by the way, Mr. Speaker, it's bad enough to have to make a speech--it's even worse to have to read it after you've made it.

I want to say, and I say thi.s categorically, that I made at no time in this House or elsewhere, any promise with respect to a decrease in local taxes. On page 20 of the Hansard on October 27th, 1958, I had something to say about the financial implications of this plan and I would like to read a para graph from my speech on that occasion and I quote: "Now that, Mr. Speaker, in brief is an outline of the provisions of the bill in which we, as I understand it, will be discussing the de tailed sections in committee.

I should like to say this though that what the bill is designed to do and what I believe the interim report of the Royal Commission has intended that we should try to do, is to achieve a degree of equalization of _the cost of education. That ts, that part of the cost of education which bears upon real property, a degree of equalization across the Pro vince of Manitoba." On the same occasion I detailed the anticipated provisions, the amount of money it was expected would be paid by the Province of Manitoba towards the support of educa tion and did not mention, Mr.

Speaker, anything regarding the local costs that would be involv ed in this matter. Later, on second reading and on the olily other occasion on which I spoke of the matter, I again repeated much the same and would like to read one particular paragraph from the debates which .took place on October 30th, 1958, when on that occasion I said this, and I quote: "With respect to the matter of the financial aspect of the plan, some comment was made as to whether or not this plan was carrying out the commitment of our party during the election campaign.

" The Honourable Member for Rockwood-Ibervi.lle said--and I really don't think he intended to say this--that we were going--we had promised to give a 50% increase to every school district. Of course that was not what was said. The reference was to an overall increase in the Province of Manitoba, which increase we are more than satisfied is provided for in this legislation." And so, Mr.

Speaker, I wish to say as plailily as I can, that on the oc casion of our discussion concerning the legislation in the plan I made no claim or promise, in deed no reference, to the local taxation that would be required for the purpose of supporting education. Now, of course, it is true that I made in the course of some months after that, a num ber of speeches--it was actually the same speech all the time--! made it 60 times--in which we detailed the provisions of the plan, and I had vvith me for the information of those who were at the meetings, particulars of the estimated amount.

I had said in the debate the amount that was expected would come from the Province of Manitoba and I had wit.h. me on those occasions details of the expected amounts that would be available within each proposed school division- and of course the amounts were as we an know, quite substantial--and I pointed out, Mr. Speak er, that that extra money would be paid into education by the Province of Manitoba.

As to whe ther or not it would result in a lower ta..'l: levy on the ratepayers I made it perfectly plain, and stated so two or three times in each address, that that would be dependent upon the local trust ees and the way i.n which they conducted the business of their local school or their divisional school as the case might be. And at no time, at· no time, did I give any,_undertaking or promise, or even suggested that this would necessarily result in lower local taxation for school purposes.

Ob viously it would have been quite improper for me to have done so because the plan itself ack nowledged the fact that the local people were going to run their own school affairs and make up their budgets and arrange their expenditures in accordance with their judgment of what was best. And so I place on record, Sir, a complete refutation that I indeed, or any other member of the government of this province at that time, made any such statement or undertaking concern ing the plan. MR. CAMPBELL: ...•.

Honourable the Minister, I hesitate to interrupt him but may I ask him if he has completed the references that he intends to make from Hansard? MR. McLEAN: Yes I have. MR. CAMPBELL: Then I want to ask him Mr. Speaker, if he is not aware that there is another Hansard where he does make that statement? Because I am not in the habit of making January 28th, 1960 Page 125

(Mr. Campbell, cont'd.) .. statements. in this House or elsewhere that I can't back up, and I say to my honourable friend he has not read all the Hansards, and I will produce it. I'll be glad to produce it. I haven't it here with me now but as soon as my honourable friend--if he has read them all--I want to give him the opportunity of reading the others if he has them. MR. McLEAN: Now, Mr. Speaker, we might direct our attention to the facts--What are the facts relating to this matter of local taxation? The fact of the matter is, Mr.

Speaker, that in relation to the total cost of education, that's the cost of all of the educational services pro vided, the amount of money paid by the municipal taxpayers for education expressed on a per centage basis was 6. 6 percent less in 1959 than it was in 1958, and I would point out that the grant system--the new grant system--was only in operation for a period of nine months in the year 1959.

May I further point out that text books to the value of one and a half million dollars were purchased by the Province of Manitoba and distributed to the students of Manitoba and that resulted in an equivalent saving to the parents of the children of that amount of money during the year 1959.

And further, that in addition to these matters, some 60 school buses were pur chased for the transportation of students, 60% of the cost of which in each case was paid by the Province of Manitoba, and that these buses and the transportation that they were able to provide reduced the cost of transporting pupils by their parents by a very substantial amount. So that the facts of the matter are that there have been substantial reductions in the cost of providing the educational services on the local level. Not only that, Mr.

Speaker, but it may be of inter est to this House to know that in the Province of Manitoba in 20 municipalities, 20 rural muni cipalities, 13 villages, nine towns and four local government districts, no cities, but in that total number of 46 municipal units in the Province of Manitoba, the local taxation for school purposes was less in 1959 than it was in 1958. So that the fact of the matter is that there has been, --there has been a reduction in the requirements of local taxpayers for school purposes in 1959. · MR. MOLGAT: Would the honourable member permit a question?

Would he tell us at the time what is the total number of these districts that there are? He has mentioned that there are 46 with reductions. What is the total number in the province? MR. McLEAN: Well, I regret, Mr. Speaker, I didn't total up all of them. There are quite a number. I can't--It would be interesting--it is interesting for example for the Honour able Member for Gladstone to know that he has a municipality in his constituency in which there was a substantial reduction. The Honourable Member for Turtle Mountain--there were reducti ons in his constituency.

The Honourable Member for Ethelbert Plains--! am not surprised that the only complaint he had this afternoon was about merit rating. He has no less than four muni cipal units in his constituency where there has been a most substantial reduction in taxation and I put them on the record--the Rural Municipality of Ethelbert, the Rural Municipality of Mossey River, the Village of Ethelbert and the Village of Winnip·egosis, comprising a very large portion of hi.s constituency. And indeed, Mr.

Speaker, the constituency represented by the Honour- able the Leader of the Opposition was the beneficiary of this same matter and I suggest that he would not likely make his speech in either the Rural Municipality of North Norfolk or the VU lage of McGregor, both of which had substantial reductions in the local cost of taxation.

Now it is true, of course, that there were places; indeed others, where the local taxation either re mained the same or increased, but, of course, that was involved in the equalization principle, a principle which was made entirely clear to all concerned both in this House and elsewhere, that that was involved in the whole principle of equalizing the cost of education on the local le vel and indeed, as between the local taxation and the Province of Manitoba. Let us consider one case just to illustrate the savings that can accrue to--that have ac crued to many of the people of the Province of Manitoba.

A farmer living nine miles from a town in western Manitoba estimates that it was costing him not less than $300. per year to get his children to the high school. When the weather permitted, he or his wife were driving the children. It meant four trips--to school then back home and then to pick them up at four, and in the winter time it was often necessary for them to arrange a place of room and'board in the town itself. And he estimates that on a conservative basis--and that's a good word--that it was costing him not less than $300. per year to see that his children got to their local high school.

Now with the school division plan in effect, the children are transported by the school division and i.n the school division bus. And it's true, perfectly true that there's been an Page 126 January 28th, 1960

(Mr. McLean, cont1d.) .. increase i.n his land tax. He owns a substantial amount of land and the increase of his school taxes i.n the year 1959 amounted to $50. And so while he is saving $300. i.n costs which he had had previously, it is costing him $50. in increased taxation to his school division. And that illustration could be multiplied a thousand times in the Province of Manitoba, and I suggest to you, Sir, that it is an indication of a substantial saving to the people of the province in that important respect.- Now, Mr.

Speaker, I suggest that the Honourable the Leader of the Opposition is out of touch with public opinion on this matter of our school plan.

I would just like to read from a memorandum of proposed legislation submitted to the Government of Manitoba by the Manitoba Legislative Committee International Railway Brotherhood, just a matter of some short time a go, in which and I quote, they had this to say: "The railway workers are keenly interested in improving the educational opportunities of our youthful citizens and recognize the need for con tinued expansion of educational facilities with the attendant costs, and we lend our support there to. There is no better investment than the investment in youth". End of quotation.

And from the brief of the Manitoba Federation ()f Agriculture,. this paragraph and I quote: "We think that your government is to be highly commanded for the bold leadership which you have shown in promoting larger units of administration and providing increased financial aid. At the same time we �ecognize many problems have yet to be overcome and that experience will point the way to many improvements yet to be made". Mr.

Speaker, in considering this whole problem of education and the costs which we have incurred, we must not overlook the heritage of the past which we have from previous ad ministrations in this province. Pupils in basements, pupils in community halls, in legion halls, in rinks, in old houSes, in every conceivable kind of ramshackle accommodation that you could imagine. And, Sir, if anybody in this House thinks that this problem can be overcome without the expenditure of money, then they're sadly out of touch with the needs and with the situation as it existed when.thi.s government came into office.

It's going to cost us a lot of money to make up for the neglect that was so plainly evident by the previous administration and even though i.t does cost a great deal of money and will cost a great deal of money, we have no inten tion of allowing that same situation to continue. Indeed we're hopeful that the steps we are tak ing \vill remedy it within a very short time. And, Sir, the Honourable Leader of the Opposition speaks of their--the plans that they had and, of course, claims that all we have done is to adopt what they themselves had original ly set up. But, Mr. Speaker, they did nothing about it.

What is the good of having a new car i.f you just simply leave it in the garage and look at it every now and again. No action--no lea dership--no direction, and as a result, 1\iianitoba has done a poorer job than either the Province of Saskatchewan or the Province of Alberta in holding our students in our high schools.

And that, Si.r, is the main point of impact -of this new plan and it is the reason why there is so much to be done to recover the lost years and the lost time and the lost initiative that we inherited when we came into office. · May I just point out something that has already been referred to on a number of occasi ons? That we have an increase in our secondary schools in the fall of 1959 of 3, 660. Most of that increase being in the rural parts of the Province of Manitoba.

Something was said about teacherS, and I want to say this, that I yield no place to any person in my regard for members of the teaching profession. Indeed, I was one myself for a while, and it is true that the whole foundation of our educational system depends upon a trained and dedicated group of school teachers. And our plan and our approach has been predicated upon the basis of making teaching a worthwhile profession, of retaining our teachers in teaching, and of encouraging others to come into that important work.

And as an illustration of the early success of what we have been doing, I point out the fact that

whereas there were 63 teachers in training in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba in the year 1958, there are this year 109, or an increase of 73 percent. This program is attracting to the teaching profes sion the men and women that we need in order to carry out the job that is so important in the field of education. And I think, Sir, that if the only criticism that the Honourable Member for Ethelbert Plains has that we haven't instituted merit rating, then it is indeed a very small criticism in deed. January 28th, 1960. Page 127

(Mr. McLean, cont' d.) •. But, Mr. Speaker, I am not satisfied to discuss this matter solely on a financial basis. I will not accept the view of the Liberal Party in this province that the sub ject of education has to be on the basis of a balance sheet or with a dollar sign or that one must take an entirely materialistic view of education. We're dealing with human beings. We're deal ing with boys and girls. We're dealing with the men and women who will be the citizens of this province, indeed the members of this legislature.

And it is in my opinion it's not right to look upon this matter from a purely financial point of view, and I refuse to do so, and we in this gov ernment refuse to do so, and say that irrespective of the cost we have a duty and an obligation which we intend to discharge to the credit of this province and for the benefit of the boys and girls. Let me tell you something about some of the human side--the human side of this matter of education. I visited a school at Wabowden in northern Manitoba.

I believe some of the mem bers in the opposition--they're farmers and no doubt cattle and livestock--and I venture to say, Mr. Speaker, that the Honourable Member for Carillon has better accommodation for his cows on his farm than the school children had in the school where I saw them at Wabowden, --an old, run-down building, two small windows, no light, gloomy, dirty, unhealthy. My colleague, the Minister of Health and Welfare was already to condemn it. The new approach in education made it possible for those people there to provide proper school accommodation for the children in that community. Now, Mr.

Speaker, I don't know how you measure in terms of dollars, perhaps, saving the eyesight of 30 or 40 boys and girls. I don't know how you measure in terms·of dollars and cents, avoiding the possibility of illness which could arise as a result of unhealthy conditions.

I don'tknow how you measure these things in dollars and cents, or how you could say, "yes, that's worth so much money--yes, we'ra entitled to spend this amount of money for that pur pose", --but I do know--I do know that when we do it, and we did it, we have carried out our ob ligation in recognition of the fact that we are dealing with human personalities who are entitled to a fair show and a fair start in life.

Let me tell you about the chap, not too long in this country, a farmer, an immlgi-ant farmer from the constituency of my friend and neighbour the Honourable Member for Ethelbert Plains, who came to me and took me by the shoulder and called me by name and said, "thank you so much for what you have done for my family". And I said, "well, now I appreciate your thanks--a lot of others helped me. What is it that you are so appreciative of?" And he said, "Well, I live so many miles from Fork River and my two boys go to the local school in their district". "But, he said, "I didn't know what I was going to do.

I haven't been very long in this country. I wanted him to get an education. I couldn't afford to have him board in town. I couldn't afford the time and expense of taking him back and forth to school and· he said "you came along and provided us with a school division who sen:l a bus down by my farm each day and take my boy to grade nine at Fork River". And he said, "Not only that but, He said, ''I have another boy in grade eight and he is going to go to high school too". Now I say, I don't know.how you measure that sort of thing in terms of dollars and cents. It's a difficult thing.

But we have given two people a chance--two boys who desperately wanted an education, whose parents wanted them to have an education, and provided them with that opportunity. And then, and I particularly like this one because, well, it really made the whole thing worth while--of the widow lady who lives on a farm in the constituency of my friend and neigh bour the Member for Ste. Rose, and she has a crippled girl--a girl with a crippled leg. And this girl was going to the local school--grade nine.- She couldn't afford to have her go any place else. She took her grade nine by correspondence.

But that's a fairly difficult thing. The only chance for this girl was that she could get an education that would perhaps enable her to be a stenographer or some other useful work. And with the school division plan providing her with a place, a high school to go to, transportation to the school from the gate of her farm, her op portunity came. Now I say again, how do you measure that sort of thing in terms of dollars and cents?

Are we satisfied to discuss education when it touches the lives of human beings like that, as we might discuss some matters pertaining to the utilities or other material affairs of the Province of Manitoba? And finally, Mr. Speaker, I understand that it has been a time-honoured custom of some ministers of education to read the letters that they received--just an excerpt from a lady in Pa ge 128 JanuarJ 28th, 19j30.

(Mr. McLean, cont'd) ••• rural district in the Province of Manitoba, and I quote from the letter "it is districts like ours", she was referring of course to this plan and so on. "It is districts like ours that need the best possible in education and who, too often, get the worst. Your department and government are certainly to be commanded in realizing the need." Well I say to you, Mr. Speaker, that it is on this basis that we must consider, it is in this light that we must view the work that we are endeavouring to do in the education of our boys and girls.

And I think it suggests a rather peculiar sense of values when it's all right to spend $140. million on hyc!_ro-electric power but go slow on education. Don't get these people into a pickle on education. It's all right to have rural electrification. What about rural education? We live in the space age, and we can't get along with a horse and buggy system of education. It has been well said that the future belongs to the nation that has the schools. We claim no perfection for this plan. There are many respects in which it can be improved.

Indeed it's quite possible that in the future years better plans will be devised for doiag the job, but this is the job that we have to do and, Sir, this is the job that we're going to do. Our colors are nailed to the mast, we intend to spend the necessary amount of money to see that the job is well done, and we invite the confidence of this House in that task, and we reject any suggest ion that because this plan is costing the people of Manitoba money that it is not good.

It is the basis and the foundation upon which we must build in this province a better system of education, one of which, not alone we may be proud, but of which the boys and girls who will benefit from it will be proud in the years that lie ahead. MR . CAMPJ3ELL: Mr. Speaker, I asked the Honourable Minister a question while he was speaking, and I now raise the question of privilege, because the Honourable Minister said, as I understood him , that I had made statements in this House and over the radio which were incorrect.

The basis for his challenge of my veracity was that he had checked the records and that he had made no such statement. I gave him � opportunity to check further, because I asked him a question. But now, Mr. Speaker, I raise the question of privilege, because my truthfulness has been challenged by the Honourable the Minister, and I want to read to the House as I have a right to go when I raise the question of privilege, the basis for my state ment.

In March Hansard Volume II, 5th issue, March lStli, 1959, page 95, Ireadthis , and its the Honourable Minister of Education speaking. ''Now this plan will provide equal edu cation" -- I'm reading a little bit so as to be sure that I don't take it out of context. To begin again "now this plan will provide equal educational opportunities for children through out the Province of Manitoba, particularly with respect to high school education.

It will relieve in large measure the real property from the burden of school finance, transferring a larger share to the tax base which we have as a Province of Manitoba." I ask anybody Mr. Speaker, anybody, to say that that is not holding out the promise of tax relief, tax decrease. As I said earlier, Mr. Speaker, I'm not in the habit of making statements in this House, or elsewhere, for which I do not have suff icient authority and I give this as the basis and I'm amazed at my honourable friend, who says that he checked the record, neglected to find this statement. MR. A.J. REID (Kildonan): Mr.

Speaker, I beg to move, seconded by the Honourable Member from Elmwood that the debate be adjourned. MR . HUTTON: Mr. Speaker ....... MR. SPEAKER: Do you wish to speak on the debate? MR . PAULLEY: Mr. Speaker, a motion has been made that the debate be adjourned. There is no debate on that particular question but if it is the opinion of the House that the debate should con:tmue, the only way it could be done is voting do'wn the motion or by asking the Honourable Member with the permission of the House if he would withdraw it. MR .

SPEAKER: The Honourable Leader of the CCF Party is correct and I will accept the motion of the Honourable Member for Kildonan. I didn't get his seconder. MR . REID: Seconded by the Honourable Member for Elm wood. MR . SPEA:i\:ER: It has been moved by the Honourable Member for Kildonan, seconded by theHonourable Member for Elmwood that the debate be adjourned. Are you ready for the question? Those in favour please say Aye. Those opposed please say Nay. In my.opinion theN ayes have it and I declare the motion ••••••• Call in the members. ·MR. CAMPBELL: The Ayes and Nays, Mr. Speaker. January 28th; 1960. Page 129

MR . SPEAKER: The question before the House is the adjou=ent of the debate on the amendment to the Throne Speech. A standing vote was taken, the result being as follows: YEAS: Messrs. Campbell, Desjardins, Gray, Guttormson, Harris, Hillhouse, Molgat, Orlikow, Paulley, Peters, Reid, Roberts, Shoemaker, Wagner. NAYS: Messrs. Alexander, Baizley, Bjornson, Carron, Corbett, Cowan, Evans, Forbes, Hamilton, Hutton, Jeannotte, Johnson (Assiniboia), Johnson (Gimli), Klym, Lissaman, Lyon, McKellar, McLean, Martin, Ridley, Roblin, Scarth, Smellie, Stanes, Strickland, Watt, Weir, Witney . MR . CLERK: Yeas -14. Nays - 28. MR. SPEAKER: I declare the motion lost. MR. HUTTON: Mr. Speaker, in rising to take

part in this debate, I would first like to congratulate you and to wish you a long and happy tenure in office. I would also like to con gratulate the mover and seconder of the reply to the Speech from the Throne. I would also congratulate those new members and welcome them here. I believe they will all make a notable contribution to the debate in this House. I am sorry, Mr. Speaker, that my rising to speak on this occasion has been the cause of a vote and a little dissension, because I didn't intend to speak for very long.

In fact, if it were not for some remarks made by the Honourable Member for Ethelbert Plains, I shouldn't have risen to speak at all on this debate, but the remarks that he made today I thought were ill-conceived and ill-timed in respect to crop insurance. Earlier in the day this government was charged with the prostitution of the province and for personal interest, and I couldn't help but feel that the remarks that were made during the member for Ethelbert Plains' speech on crop insurance would characterize this charge to more of a degree than anything that was raised by them today in the House.

Because here we are, years and years after crop insur ance has been discussed and promoted by the farmers of this province -- here we are finally with the opportunity to see if it will work, and we have the members of the Liberal Opposition prepared to scuttle it before we can get it launched. I feel very strongly on this point. I wish the honourable member who had spoken on crop insurance this afternoon were here this evening. Yes, as he said, we. have high hopes for crop insurance.

But everybody must recog nize that Manitoba is pioneering in this field, as we have pioneered in the last few years in other fields. And it is going to take co-operation, co-operation of the farmers, co-operation of the government, and I would have hoped, the co-operation of the Opposition, to give this program a fair opportunity to succeed. What did the honourable member do this afternoon? -He deliberately went to the area of high risk, an area where the premiums are, I will acknow ledge, higher than in other parts of the province.

He quoted not the lowest permium in that area; he quoted the highest premium in that area. He, whether he did it inadvertently or no, I do not know, but his description of a meeting that took place in the south western crop insurance area )¥as entirely different to the description that I received from those who were in the area carrying out these meetings. Let me point out to you, Mr. Speaker, and to the House, that we had teams of men, men who have put in days .and hours and weeks and months of work to devise a scheme that was workable and that had a fair chance of success.

We had these men out in the field trying to inform the farmers of the facts of the situation. We weren't trying to sell it, to stuff it down their necks, It's a voluntary plan. One of the factors in its success, of course, is the· factor that the farmer must accept it, We aren't trying to fool them. These men and the calibre of men who are sitting on the board of the Crop Insurance Agency are not the type of men who will try and oversell crop insurance in this province.

They will try and sell it on its merit, and they will endeavour to give the farmers in these areas all the facts concerned, so they, having the facts, can make the decision as to whether they want to participate in this program or not.

And here are these men, coming in from a tour on the road, trying to give the farmers the real facts of the situation, and a member of the Opposition rises in the House -- and I have been charged as a publicity hound -- and gives a set of figures that couldn't help but distort the true facts, the real facts of crop insurance as it is being carried out and carried to the farmer in the province at this time. Our meetings aren't over. We hope that Page 130 January 28th, IH60.

(Mr. Hutton, cont'd.) ••• the farmers following these meetings will go home and make the decision; that they will weigh the consequences, the cost of it, the amount of protection involved, and decide whether they want it or not. But we want them to do it on the basis of the facts, and certainly not on emotion and the distortion of facts that must take place when men who are leaders in the community of Manitoba insist upon giving a one-sided story of the program.

Now the fact is that in -I'll deal with this one area in particular, the southwest area -the fact is that 900 farmers, just a little under 900 farmers, turned up to the meetings in that area. They were interested, vitally interested in crop insurance. There is a problem in that area. The amount of coverage is 9 bushels to the acre of wheat. We have no alternative, because the amount of coverage that we can give under crop insurance is 60 percent of the long-term average, and the long-term average is 15 bushels to the acre. It does pose a ··problem.

In some of these townships in the southwest area the premium rates are high. I admit they're high. The Crop Insurance Board will admit they're high. They're as high as 16 percent. And why? Because in some of these townships the farmers have collected PF A assistance, 14 years out of 20. Let's take a full look at the southwest test area. The insurance premiums start at 7-1/2 percent. This costs the farmer 79 cents per acre.

Against this 79 cents per acre he can apply his contribution to PF A because he is no longer required to make that payment. 8 percent, 84 cents an acre, 9 percent, 94 cents an acre, and when you get to 16 percent, yes Mr. Speaker, it costs $1.64 per acre. But farmers in that area can also - there are also farmers in that area who can purchase crop insurance for as little as 79 cents an acre, or 7-1/2 percent.

And I think everybody is well aware of the fact that hail insurance premiums in this area are rather high, and when you consider the incidence of PFA awards, and the high hail insurance premiums, I think that the crop insurance agent has done remark ably well in being able to offer insurance at the rate that it has set for that area. Let's look at some of the other areas that he didn't want to talk about. Let's look at the south central test area. I received a report on the meetings that were held down there at lVIorden, Altona and Winkler. Almost 900 people turned out in this area as well.

The premium rates in this area run from 5-1/4 percent, or 68 cents for $13.03 coverage, consider ing 11 bushels per acre and $1.18-1/2 per bushel which is the price being offered for the coming ·year. This is an entirely different picture than was offered in this Chamber today. And this is the picture that we want the farmers to see; that some will get it for 5-1/4 percent, even in the low risk area of south central Manitoba it will cost some as high as 10 percent where the incidence again of PF A has been very high or the hail insurance risk has been high.

The farmers themselves will have to make the decision. . Let's go to another area- the northwest area. Here we have a medium risk area, and the insurance rates, crop insurance rates run from 6-1/2 percent to 10 percent and for $15.15 per acre coverage it will cost them $1.51 if their premium is 10 percent; and it will cost them 98 cents an acre if their premium rate is 6-1/2 percent, and of course, they are scaled down all the way through. And I think we want to always remember when you're talking these rates that you can subtract from that, or apply to that premium, the money that you save in PFA contributions.

Now, maybe the story isn't just as attractive as some of us hoped it might be, but I think everyone wants to remember that in the United States, in North Dakota in particular, 40 percent of the farmers after 20 years are covered by crop insurance. Here we are start ing off with three test areas, and they're already saying the farmers won't buy it. Mr. Speaker, the Conservative Party has given the farmer a sound, fundamental and a useful agricultural credit plan, And we ran into some trouble on that with the Opposition. They have said that it's a phoney and so forth.

I have a feeling that they would hate to see us make a real success of crop insurance. In fact, unless they will at least ·give thefarmer the oppor tunity to decide whether it's good or bad, I don't see how we could draw any other conclusions. ·And so I would appeal to this House that from now until the first of May, at which time the farmer will have made his decision that at least we see to it that he gets facts that are straight, that he gets the wl;tole story, that he knows what he is going in to, and that we don't have this very important issue become a political football in this House. Mr.

Speaker, all of us here know that the arguments, the discussions that are carried on in this Legislature go all over the province, and I think that it terribly important at this January 28th, 1960. ::?age 131

(Mr. Hutton, cont'd.) ••• crucial stage in the initiation of crop insurance in Manitoba, that we all give it a fair chance. And I say this knowing from close association with the men who are working on this, that it is likely full of 'bugs 1, that it is a thing that will have to be perfected over the years, and that we are continually, and they are continually looking for ways and means by which they can offer the farmer better protection for less money. And this will go on!

But I think that in the interests of the farmer if we're really out to help him, that the kind of attack that was waged on crop insurance in Manitoba this afternoon can well be done without. As I said, this is the only subject that I wanted to speak on, because I think it is important that we at least give it a fair chance. I am the first to admit that the farmers in Manitoba have their problems; the farmers in Canada have their problems. This province can't help them by raising prices for them; this province can't help them by going out and developing markets in foreign countries.

But this province can help them by levelling out their income by removing the instability of farm income due to crop loss. It can help them through the extension service, giving them the help that's needed to improve their operation. It can help them through farm credit by putting them in a position to compete with the more fortunate farmers in the farm community. This is just one cog, it's not the whole story, but it's a very important cog in the machinery that we as a province can give to the farmers in doing a good job. Thank you! MR . SPEAKER: Are you ready for tbe question? MR. McLEAN: Mr.

Speaker, on a matter of privilege, since this matter was raised, I now have before me the copy of Hansard to which the Honourable the Leader of the Oppostion referred.

It is of course, correct that I did not have it here before and had not ·read it, I have now had the privilege of reading it and I would just like to make this statement that the state ment which I made on March 18th, 1959 on page 95 of Hansard was a correct statement; the figures that I gave during the course of my address substantiate the correctness of that state ment; and the statemr nts which I made earlier regarding the matter of promises,· are not in any way affected by �s particular report in Hansard. MR . CAMPBELL: I's like to say on the same question of privilege, Mr.

Speaker, that I consider that that statement my honourable friend is referring to justifies completely what I have been saying. Completely! MR. SPEAKER: Order! Order! It's in order for the man to make hisiiDtion. Then we'll deal with it. MR . REID: Mr. Speaker, I beg to move, seconded by the Honourable Member for Elmwood that the debate be adjourned. MR. SPEAKER: I might inform the House that the motion to adjourn the debate is not in order until we pass some intermediate item in the House. MR. PAULLEY: Mr. Speaker, if I may, in all deference to your ruling, suggest that it's incorrect.

A circumstance has happened since the motion was proposed. The Honourable the Minister of Agriculture has spoken. That constitutes, insofar as the rules of the House are concerned , a happening. I think, Mr. Speaker, that you are basing your ruling on the ruling dealing with the passage of the estimates wherein a particular amount must pass before an adjournment is then in order. MR . ROBLIN: Mr. Speaker, if I may just refer to the point of order, I do believe the:re is a confusion here.

I think that if it were a motion to adjourn the House, in other words if we whould rise and go home, that it could not be proposed again without some intervening business. But I think the motion is to adjourn the debate Sir, not to adjourn the House and that as such, it therefore would be in order to move it now. Now I'm not sure that I caught the substance of this correctly, but I trust I have, and I believe there may be a confusion in that resJ;e et. MR . SPEAKER: I might just read from Beauchesne's Parliamentary Practice.

"Restrictions on motions for adjourning the House and the debate when a motion for adjourn ment has been negative, it may not be proposed again without some intermediate proceedings, hence arises the practice of moving alternately that tbe House do now adjourn and the debate be now adjourned." MR . P AULLEY: • . ' •••• Mr. Speaker, but I suggest to you that you should consider the situation as some proceeding has happened between tbe motion to adjourn which was proposed by my honourable colleague some time back, since that time something has happened within the House.

It would have been improper, may I suggest for your consideration Mr. Speaker, Page 132 January 28th, 1960.

11 (Mr. Paulley, con t'd.) •• ,for some other member of the House to have arisen and again proposed a motion of adjournment. That, I believe Sir, is the reason for the rule which you have just _put before the House. MR . SPEAKER: Of course 'if you recognize the speech of the Honourable Minist er of Agriculture as •••••• MR . PAULLEY: If I may, Mr. Speaker, just one more point that I just thought of.

If the ruling which you are quoting was substantiated, it would mean that insofar as we are con cerned or even the government opposite , we would have to stay here until such time as a vote was taken on the amendment to the Throne Speech, and I suggest in all deference, Sir , that the speech of the Minister of Agriculture would constitute iii sofar as the rule of procedure is� concerned, an in tervening happening, MR . CAMPBELL: Mr.

Speaker, if I may speak briefly on this point of order, I would like to suggest that this rule, I think, like the majority of the rules that we have is one that is in tended to facilitate the dispatch of business and what would happen, and it's always the govern ment side that is more concerned about this sort of thing than the opposition naturally because the government side is the one that's anxious to see its busine ss proceed.

We're anxious to see it proceed too and we don't want to hold it up unduly, but the reason, I think, for a rule of this kind is that 1f we did not have a rule such as that, then one member after another, after another could dis rupt the business of the House completely by moving the adjournment of the debate and having votes on it. And therefore the rule has gone in, has been honoured for many, many years, during all the time that I am here , that some intervening busine ss must take place .

I suggest to you that certainly even though perhaps not all of us would think that the Minister of Agriculture needed to deliver the lecture that he did, the fact that he spoke cert ainly constituted some intervening busi ness . So I would suggest that it is now in order. MR . ROBLIN: Mr. Speaker, I think that we might clarify the matter somewhat by referring to Page 89,

Section 99 (2) of the Fourth Edition of Beauchesne where it define s the term "in termediate proceeding s". At the very·top of the Page 89; we find this definiti on: "The term intermediate proceedings used in standing order 25 means a proceeding that can properly be entered in the Journals".

Well now the Minis ter's speech will be entered in the Journals insofar as it will record the fact that he spoke, and if you would interpret that, Sir, as being a proper intermediate proceeding, then I think the rule which is an important one would be satisfied and we could now perhaps, accept the motion for the adjournment of the debate. , ••••••••••• •• Contin ued on next page. January 28th, 1960 Page 133.

MR. SPEAKER: I might say that my interest in it is only to do the right thing and if the House agrees that the· speech of the Honourable Minister for Agriculture is an item that's on the agenda and will be recorded, we will be back on the ball again. I favour free speech as far as we can go and maybe this is one way where I can indicate my desire to have free sp eech in this Legislature. It has been moved by the Honourable Member for Kildonan, seconded by the Honourable Member for Elmwood that the debate be adjourned. Are you ready for the question? Mr.

Speaker put the question, and following a voice vote declared the motion carried. MR. SPEAKER: Adjourned debate on the proposed res olution of the Honourable Member for Gladstone. The Honourable Member for Birtle-Russell. MR. R. G. SMELL IE (Birtle-Russel l) : Mr. Speaker, I would Uke to thank the honour able members of this House for the applause they gave to me both this evening and yesterday afternoon and I hope that if anyone suffered disapp ointment when I asked that the matter be adjourned yesterday, the disap pointment was not so great that they will not recover .

Sir, I am not one of those, i.f any there be, who believe that the members on this side of the House have a monopoly on the ideas pres ented in this House, and I was very, very inter ested to see , on the Order Paper, the resolution of the Hono'.lrable Member for Gladstone, because any idea regardless of its origin, which will make the Manitoba Agricultural Gredit Plan work better for the people of Manitoba, should be listened to with interest in this Hous e. However, I was somewhat surprised to hear the arguments that he used and also shocked at some of the statements he made in support of his idea.

Now I would like to take· a few moments of this House to examine some of those arguments and some of the statements that he made. In the first instance he suggested that he really hadn't seen the need for agricultural credit in this province and that he had felt that if the Canadian Farm Loan Board was "liberal ized" I believe was the word he used, that it could have served the purposes of the agricultur- al community in this province.

And he went on to tell this House that in the year ending on March 31st, 1959 , the Canadian Farm Loan Board had processe d 454 loans in Manitoba. \Vhat he didn't tell this House was that the total amount loaned under those 454 loans was $2, 505, 600. or an average of app roximately $5, 500. per loan. In the ten months , or a little better, that the Manitoba Agricultural Credit Corporation has been in operation, they have approved loans in this province of $4 million or a little over.

In that same ten-m onth period the Canadian Farm Loan Board has approved loans to the farmers of Manitoba of less than one-half million dollars. And I would suggest, Sir, if this is the case that the liberalization program of the Canadian Farm ·Loan Board would have to be quite extensive. Then the honourable member sent on to suggest that although loans had been approved for approximately $4 million by the Manitoba Agricultural Credit Corporation, that he did not believe that anywhere near this amount had been paid out to the farmers of this province.

And, Sir, that is quite correct, and I make no apology for the fact. Over half of the amount approved has been paid out. But I would like to explain to this Hous e why the balance of the money has not been paid out, and in order to understand it we have to understand something of the procedure which is followed by any lending institution.

When the institution approves a loan, notice is given to the prospective borrower that his loan is approved and he is advised to contact the solicitor who will be in charge of the loan, and deliver to him, his title documents , if land is involved, and to make the necess ary arrangements for the real property mortgage and/or the chattel mortgages which must be registered to give security to the lending institu tion.

And as soon as the lending institution receives a report from the solicitor that the nec es sary security has been obtained, then the money is paid out in accordance with the payment instructions received from the borrower.

And I would sugge st, Sir, that as soon as the lend ing institution has given approval of the loan they have made a commitment to pay out that money as soon as the legal requirem ents have been complete, and that so far as the Manitoba Agri cultural Credit Corporation is concerned, in this instance, they have spent that $4 million or they are committed to spend it just so soon as the ordinary legal requirements of the lending business have been complied with.

And Sir, as a solicitor, I can appreciate some of the many difficulties which may artse between the date of th.e approval of a loan and the date of payment out of that very same loan. In many cases, the prospective borrower either has no title at all to the land which he is offering as security, or he has not got a clear title for that security. Page 134. January 28th, 1960

(Mr. Smellie, cont'd) ..... And I would draw to the attention of this House just one example from the files of the Manitoba Agricultural Credit Corporation. This is File No. 136, in case any of the honourable members would like to check. This applicant made application to the Credit Corporation in May of 1959 for a loan of over $47 hundred, Owing to the large number of applications received to that date no appraisal was made before August of 1959.

But on August 6th, -- oh, pardon me, the appraisal was made in May in this particular loan, I'm sorry -- but on August 6th, after much correspondence between the corporation and the prospective borrower, he was advised that his loan was approved and he was instructed to deliver his title documents to the solicitor for the corporation.

Very shortly after that the solicitor for the co rporation wrote to the corporation ad vising them that this man did not yet have title to the .l and which he had offered as security, but that their searches indicated that title to this partic ular piece of property was in the names of the executors of an estate and that every effort was being made to contact those executors and the matter would be cleaned up as soon as convenient ly possible.

The latest word the corporation have received in this particular loan was a letter from the same solicitor in November of 1959 advising that at least one of the executors of this particular estate had left the Province of Manitoba and could not be found although they had made diligent efforts to find him. Now would the Honourable Member for Gladstone suggest that we should pay out this loan in any event, without the taking of the security? I don't think that he would. Or does he then suggest that there is some sinister import in including the amount of this loa n in the amount of loans approved .for payment?

If he does , then I would suggest that he find out the amount that this loan was approved for. It was only $34 hundred. The original application was $47 hundred, and if the corporation had no notion of paying it out in any event, why did they reduce it by some $13 hundred before including it in the list? Next he went on to suggest that perhaps some applicants received special consideration for political reasons. And he told us a story about one applicant, whom he left nameless, and for whom he could not tell us the number because he alleges that the man told him that this number was some deep and dark secret.

If he knows the man's name, I'm quite certain he can find out his number, and if he's particularly interested in the case, he can look up the case to see if there were any special circumstances in connection with this application. And th-en he went on to make a statement, Sir, that aroused my Scottish temper, and I would quote from Page 71 of Hansard.

And the statement that the Honourable Member made at that time is as f.olbws and I quote: "Now, it leads me to believe that there is a possibility if you are a suffic iently progressive enough Conservative, that you might get special consideration." That statement, Sir, gave me seri ous doubts as to the information of the Honourable Member and his logic in presenting his case.

For by that statement he implies one of two things; either the manager of the Agricultural Credit Corporation is a Cons ervative of such strong conviction that he will do almost anything to enhance the position of this government, or that same manager is under considerable political pressure in the conduct of his duties. And I would suggest to this House, Sir, that neither of these implicat ions is true in any respect. I have known Robert Cam eron McLennan, the present manager ofthe AgriculturalCredit Corporation foras long as I have known anyone.

I lived in the same block, in the same town during most of my boyhood. His sonRobertwas the same age as I am; we started school on the same day and in the same class and we attended the same classes throughout the whole of our elementary and high school careers , and I was a frequent visitor in the McLennan home. I couldn't help but know that · Mr, McLennan was known in our community as a Liberal with a capital "L ".

And at the close of the Second WorldWar, this gentleman wentintothe service oftbe Veteran'sL andA ct, andas is appro priate since that time I know nothing of his political activiti es and I do not know how the gentleman votes at this time, but Iw ould assure you, Sir, that he does notholdhis presentpositionthroughany debt owed to him by the Progressive Conservative Party of the Province of Manitoba. He was app ointed to this position, Sir, because of all ofthe men available for this particular position, he was the man best suited for the job and therefore the choice of this government.

Well then is he subject to political pressure from this government to give special consideration to particular applic ants ? There is only one way that I knew of that I could find out, and I went to Mr. Mc Lennan and I asked him to give me an honest answer. And in the presence of a witness he told me that he had never been subject to any pressure from this government or from any Minister in this government to give special consideration to any applicant for a loan, and that if he ever did January 28, 1960 Page 135

(Mr. Smellie, cont'd) ......... receive such pressure, he would not be employed by this corpor- ation longer than the end of the week. I am satisfied wi.th that explanation, Sir, and I believe Mr. McLennan. I would assure this House that Mr. McLennan is a servant, not of this govern ment, but of the Province of Manitoba, and he is a devoted servant of this provinc e. I would call upon the Honourable Member for Gladstone either to explain to this House that be did not mean what I think be meant by that statement, or to make public apology to Mr. McLennan.

Now then let us look for a moment at the main idea behind this resolution. It is suggest ed that we could streamline the operation of the Agricultural Credit Corporation by eltruinating personal appraisals of the farm properties involved and accepting instead the assessme nt done by the provincial assessors of this province. During our consider ation of this particular question, I think there are three things that we must keep in mind. In the first place the Agri cultural Credit Act is designed as a system of supervised farm credit.

This is not an ordinary lending agency; it is not there solely for the purpose of collecting inter est on the money loaned. It is an assis tance to the agricultural com munity of this provinc e, not only for the lending of money but for the assi stance of the borrowers involv ed. In the second place, we must remember that the loans authorized to be granted by this credit corporation are more extensive than the loans that can be obtained from any other lending ins titution operating in the Provinc e of Manit oba. And in the third place we must remember that this Agricul tural Credit Corporation is a trustee.

The funds they are dealing wi.th are funds which belong properly to the people of Mani toba and they are not the property solely of the corporati on. Now then, if we look at the rela tionship of the assess ment of real property in this provinc e to the real value of that same prop erty, there is a surpri sing correlation.

It is quite accurate, when we deal with the values throughout the whole of the province on average, Sir, but if you wi.ll take it to individual cases- there are many, it is true, where the correlation still exists -- but there are also many, many cases Sir, where there is no relationship whatsoever. And I would suggest to you Sir, that it is in those individual cases where we would do wrong, not only to the applicant for a loan, but to the rest of the Province of Manitoba. I contacted three men who I thought could give rue some information on this particular problem.

The fir st was a mem ber of the Appraisal Institute of Canada, em ployed by one of the private lending insti tutions of this province; the second was an appraiser employed by the Agricultural Credit Corporation, and the third was one of our provincial assessors, and all three of these men agreed that the most important consideration in making any appraisa l of real property is the purpose for which that appraisa l is made.

And they all told me the same thing, that if you make an appraisa l for some specific purpose , that appraisa l may be an entire ly different thing than the appraisa l that you would make if you had made it for an entirely different purpose. And they suggested to me three examples that we might us e. An appraisa l for estate tax purposes, an assessme nt for real property taxes or an apprais al for a lending institution.

The appraiser for the estate tax has to consider not only the market value of that particular pie ce of land on the date of death of the deceased, but he must take into consideration in making that appraisal the value of any crops which have been seeded and not harvested on that particular piece of property. The assessor for real property taxation couldn't care less whether a crop has been sown or not in making his appraisal. He is concerned only with the ability of that land to pay taxes.

The appraiser for a lending institution must have other consid erations but his prime considera tion is the ability of that particular individual coupled wi.th the ability of the land to produce inco me. I would refer this House to the statutes which have estab lished public lending institutio ns not only here in Manitoba but in the Domi nion of Canada and some of our neighbouring provinc es.

Section 19, subsection 1 of the Farm Credit Act 1959, the federal statutes, reads as follows: "E stablishing the basis and method of determining the appraised value of property for the purpose of this Act but the appraised value of the property shall be based on the value of the land for agricultural purpose s. "

Section 12 , subsection 2 of the Family Farm Credit Act 1959 of Sas katchewan reads as follows: "Land shall be valued on the· basis of its value for farming purposes and as far as possible on the productive value as shown by experience. "

Section 14 of the Junior Farm Es tablishment Act 1952 of Ontario reads as follows: "Before . making a loan under this Act the corporation shall secure a report from a com petent evaluator as to the value of the. security offered by the applicant. The land and build tugs shall be valued on the basis of their value for agricultural purposes. " And

Section ·s, Page 136 January 28th, 1960

.. (Mr. Smellie, cont'd) .. •... subsection 4 of our own Act reads as follows: "The land including the buildings thereof constituting the security or part thereof shall be valued on the basis of its value for the purposes of this Act. " And I would suggest to you, Sir, that the value of real property for the purposes of the Agricultural Credit Act and the value of that land for the pay ment of real taxes are not always the same value.

Every lending institution presently lending money in the Province of Manitoba requires that there be a personal inspection of the real property before they will grant a farm loan to any borrower. As I have told you, Sir, the Manitoba Agricultural Credit Corporation is pre pared to loan, in certain cases, more money than any other lending institution operating in this· province. Surely then, Sir, when we are dealing with public funds , it is the duty of this corpor ation to exercise at least the same degree of care as these other lending institutions.

The appraisal of properties under this Act is custom made; the loan in each case is custom made to suit the particular needs of the particular borrower. When an assessor goes out or the apprais er goes out to make an appraisal, one of the things that he is particularly concerned about is to find out just what kind of an operator this applicant for a loan is .

He is going to be concerned among other things as to the condition of that farm, and if he finds that the farm is infested with weeds it doesn't take much of a deduction for him to determine that the farmer is not the prudent and careful operator that we would like to have, particularly if he is looking for a very sizeable loan. He can ask the farmer himself what kind of a farmer he is -- and I know what kind of an answer he'll get, because I have never heard any farmer frankly admit that his own agricultural practices left anything to be desired.

But we all know of instances where a farmer operating on good soil has been out-yielded by another farmer on poorer soil but who had better agricultural practices . When an appraiser for a lending institution makes an appraisal there are five very important considerations that he must make. First of all, what is the location of that farm? First with regard to the central market -he must ship his livestock to the market at Winnipeg or Brandon; he must ship his grain to the Lakehead, and in every instance the farmer is the one primarily responsible for the shipping charges.

Secondly, what is his relationship to t.he local market, to schools, churches and his ordinary shopping centre? And what is the condi tion of the roads in his particular vicinity -- is he close to a market road? A second consider ation must be the buildings on the property, not just as buildings but in relationship to the rest of the farm and the manner in which they are going to be used in this economic unit. Thirdly, is this land well drained ? It is of little use to have good soil if the drainage ruins the farm. And fourthly, where is this farm situated with regard to special risks such as hail or drought?

And lastly, what is the general impressi on that the appraiser gets of this farm operation? What c�re does this operator take of his bui.ldings? What care does he take of his shelter belt? Is his land free of weeds ? The Manitoba Agricultural Credit Corporation, Mr. Speaker, deals primarily with people. It not only lends money to those people but it assists borrowers to increase the prod uc tivity of their farm, to increase the net income per acre from their farming operations . Thi:s is not just an investment in real property.

The Agricultural Credit Act of this province, Sir, visualizes an investment in people -i n the people of Manitoba. They demand two types of security for these loans . The first type, of course, is the physical asse ts - the land and the buildings or the chattels which are offered as security. But second and every bit as import ant they demand both social and psychological as sets of the borrower. The reputation of that man in his own com munity for the payment of his bills and his ability to get along in harmony with his neighbours. I would suggest to you, Mr. Speaker, that with

an Act as important as this one dealing with the people of Manitoba that second best is not good enough. This Agricultural Credit Corporation is performing a service to the borrowers - to the agricultural people of this province. And I would suggest to you, Sir, that it is important that they have a proper apprais al before any loan is made, and I said before, second best is not good enough. I would ask every thinking member of this House to join with me to vote against this resolution and to defeat it in this House. Thank you. MR. WAGNER: Mr.

Speaker, I will be very brief because I'm watching most of the members and they are looking at that clock on the wall, so I'll be very brief. But I can't help January 28th, 1960 Page 137

• (Mr. Wagner, cont'd) .••.•. sitting here in my seat as a farm member and not take

part in the discussion on the agricultural credit. I just want to stress one point or two to the honourable members of this House -- my views and the views that other people have given to me regarding this bill of Agricultural Credit Corporation. To my understanding, Mr. Speaker, when this bill was introduced, it was intended not only to assist the farmer to set him up as an efficient farmer, for possibly better operation, but also to enable him to carry on his ... •.•.. regardless of agricultural pric es .

We were told that this credit was the only cure for the farmers - (Interjection - who told you that?) In this election cam paign when you were out in the hustings. And, Mr. Speaker, if you will recollect when I questioned the Honourable Minister now the Minister of Agriculture -- then he was the member for Rockwood-Iberville -- whether he thinks in his mind that the credit will bring back their prices he felt that by giving credit the farmers will be able to carry on. And I can quote that from Hansard if it is so desirable. The answer was that an individual would be investigated. And just for example, Mr.

Speaker, I asked in this House a question of that time the Minister: "Would a young farmer qualify when he wouldn't own a farm or any industry of no kind such as cattle or equipment?" And I was told that the individual young farmer would be investigated on his honesty, on his sincerity, and if he was ambitious he would get a loan without security. MR. KEITH ALEXANDER (Roblin) : Without security. MR. WAGNER: Yes. I wonder just how many young farmers rece ived such a loan? do not believe -- not one of them. I've had farmers come from other constituencies than mine. They came from St.

George cons tituency because it was so much easier to come to see Wagner than go to see their own member due to the road conditions and crossi ng the "no man's land" of 24 miles. So they came to me for help. And I don't want to take the job from the Honourable'c Member for St. George, but to help those people I maintain that I will do my best and I believe that the Honourable Member for St. Geor!?J3 wouldn't hold nothing against me. I just want to analyze one situation what took plac e, Mr. Speaker. Due to not the farmer's fault -- he's aging, due to the sickness of his family with leukemia -- he has a half

section of land, naturally debts too, due to the leukemia -- thanks to the cancer free treatment. He signed his half

section of land to the both sons, also the debts went with it. The sons thought that this Agricultural Credit Corporation Bill is going to take them out from this rut; it's going to establish them because it was a great thing. They went and made an application, but the application was turned down. Why? Beca use their taxes were in arrears, first. And if I remember correctly, Mr.

Speaker, it was said in this House that this Agricultural Credit Bill will help all farmers to pay all debts; to bring them out of the hole, that they would have to meet different kinds of payments, and they would have to pay only into one department, with three years without paying on the principal exc ept the interest, for· thirty years. Now, Mr. Speaker, one of the sons came down to see me and asked me whether I wouldn't go to the Board and discuss this matter over. I did. I had a very good rec eption with one of the Board memb ers and I asked him why these people were turned down.

The very first thing he said, as I said before - the taxes are in arrears. The father signed the farm on to the sons, it requires further investigation. They're down at the thirteenth hundred list. And mind you, Mr. Sp·eaker, these boys had to meet their mortgage payment on the equipment on October 1st. And I begged leniency with one of the board members that they have to meet the deadline. Why their taxes were in arrears?

I believe that next year's farm taxes will again be in the arrears in the Interlake area, as I spoke the other day with the Honourable Minister about the seed - whether the farmers will be able to get a loan for spring seeding as they had it in the past. Well what happens with that loan? It goes on your taxes, and then in the fall time you have to meet those taxes. And when you have a crop failure you don't meet those taxes and they come j.n arrears, and you cannot get a loan in the Credit Corporation of Manitoba.

The Honourable Minister said just a while ago while he was speaking, and I was trying to copy his speech, but I can't write in the shorthand, he stated that it will help to bring the farmer in good position -- the Agricult ural Credit. I asked the honourable member if they are going to give such a close sc rutiny to farmers whether it's going to help any farmer in Manitoba. Now the Honourable Member for Birtle-Russell, he states the appraiser has to analyze whether the weeds are on the farm May I remind the honourable member that there are weeds there were a lot of weeds in 1959, on a lot of farms.

Not due to the farmer's fault, due to the Page 138 January 28�. 1960

(Mr. Wagner, cont'd) .• •.... weather bonditions. He asked whether he is looking after his shelterbelt; whether he has a drainag� to his farm ; whether the roads are good. Is it the farmer's fault that he hasn't got the drainage or the roads? It's not the farmer's fault. Who is building the roads? Therefore, Mx.

Speaker, I said that I am not going to speak long but I just want to ask the House that this Agricultural Corporation - Credit Corporation - was meant to help the farmers alleviate their situation, to bring all their debts into one bulk, and that they are going to pay to one department such as Manitoba Agricultural Credit Corporation. And today we hear entirely different. Could it be so because it's three years away to the election? Could that be the answer? Thank you. MR. STAN ROBERTS (La Verendrye): Mr. Speaker, I beg to move seconded by the Honourable Member for Gladstone that the debate be adjourned. Mr.

Speaker presented the motion and following a voice vote declared the motion carried. I MR. SPEAKER: Adjourned debate on the proposed resolution standing in the name of the Honourable Member for Turtle Mduntain. The .Honourable Member for Dufferin. Stand. The proposed motion of the Honourabl� Member for Inkster : "That this House request the Government to petition the Federal advernment for an increase for old age and blind pensioners in the province from $55 .0 0 to $75. ool per month. The Honourable Member for Inkster. • I MR. GRAY: Mr .

Speaker, I "'las ready to proceed this afternoon but other matters of more importanc e have taken plac e. I1m not yet acclim atized to a night session, therefore I would like to ask that the matter stand. MR. SPEAKER: I take it the �rder stands. MR. ROB LIN: Yes , Sir, I think we'll all agree with you on that. We've come to the point, Sir, where I have the honour to move, seco nded by the Honourable Minister of Industry and Commerce that the House do now adjourn. Mr. Speaker put the question and after a voice vote declared the motion carried and the House adjourned until 2: 30 Friday afternoon.

ADDRESSES IN FRENCH, JANUARY 28th, 19 60, M, LAURENT DESJARDIN� (St. Boniface): Monsieur l'orateur il me fait un reel plaisir de pou�ir vous feliciter pour [a seconde fois •. J'espere que je pourrai le faire encore trois ou quatre fois et apres cela quarid le parti liberal sera retourner au pouvoir je n'aurais aucune objection a vous feliciter encot e comme le premier orateur permanent de cette Chambre. J'aimerais profiter de cette occa sion �our feliciter aussi mon compatriote canadien-francais , le· depute de Rupertsland qui s'est si J:hen acquit de sa tache.

Je n'ai aucun doute qu'un homme si sincere saura toujours faire honnedr a ses compatriote s c:madiens-francais ainsi qu'atout les Manitobains. L'an passe j'a i par�e de la belle ville de St-Boniface et je n'ai nullement !'idee de me repeter ici ce soir. M� s a cette occa sion j'a i dit que je m' efforcerais toujours de servir les citoyens de la ville de St-Boniface et aussi de les defendre meme si le temps en etait propice. Bien je crois qu'il est ice rtainnement temps de defendre ces citoyens.

On par le I d'un metro, d'un systeme de Metro, lil'etablir un conseil superieur et apres avoir ecoute le depute de St-Vital on nous laisse auc$ doute que le gouvernment a !'intention petit a petit de laisser la ville, la belle ville de St-Boniface disparaitre ••••••• M. ROBLIN: Pas du tout, pas du tout.

M, DESJARDINS: Je repete monsieur l'orateur qu' apres avoir ecoute le depute de St-Vital qui etait le parte-parole, il me semble , de son gouvemement nous n'avions aucune raison de droire que petit, ••• pas pour le moment non, prenons notre temps il a dit, mais plus tard on verra probablement la ville de Winnipeg avaler le bercea u des Canadiens-francais , le centre canadien-francais de l'ouest. lA present, comme ci il n'en etait pas ass ez , la riviere rouge s'en mele. La riviere rouge s�mble avoir avale physiquement cette fois une

partie de mon comte . Je said que le federal pclurrait l' empecher, le gouvemement federal, et c'est I pourquoi je m'a ddresse a mes amis di'en face pour leur demander de se joindre a moi, de se joindre aussi au maire et aux consenliers de la ville de St-Boniface pour demandex: au gouvemement federal d'eriger un m ut sur le cote est de la riviere rouge entre le pont Provencher et le pont Norwood pour donserver l'hopital la plus importante de l'ouest et aussi January 28th, 1960 Page 139

(Address in French, cont1d. ) ...•..... pour conserver cette

partie de mon comte si riche en histoire . OUi, car c'est a !'embouchure de l'Ass:!n.iboine que La Verendrye, le decouvreur de l'ouest a :tnis le pied a terre. English translation of above: Mr. Laurent Desjardins (st. Boniface): Mr. Speaker, it is a real pleasure for me to be able to congratulate you for the second time . I hope I will be able to e.o this another three or four times and after that when the Liberal Party is returned to power I would have no objec tion to congratu late you again as the first permanent Speaker of this House.

I sould also like to take this opportunity to congratulate my compatriot, the Member for Rupertsland who per formed his duty so well. I have no doubt that a man as sincere as he is will always do honour to his compatriots as well as to all Manitobans. Last year I spoke of the beautiful city of st. Boniface and I have no intentions of repeating myself here tonight. But on that occasion I said I would always do my best to serve the citizens of the City of St. Boniface and also even to defend them when the time came. Well I think it is ce rtainly time to defend these citizens.

There is talk of Metro, a system of Metro, of establishing a superior Council and after having listened to the member for St. Vital, we are left no doubts that the government intends little by little to abandon the city, to let the beautiful City of St. Boniface disappear •• •••••• MR. ROBLIN: Not at all, not at all . MR. DESJARDINS: I repeat, Mr. Speaker that after having listened to the member for St.

Vital who was the spokesman, it seems , of his government we had no reason to believe that little ••• not for the moment, no, let's take our time he said, but later we will probably see the City of Winnipeg swallow the cradle of French Canadians, the French Canadian centre of the west. Now, as if it was not enough, the Red River joins in. The Red River seems to have physically swallowed this time a part of my constituency. I know that the Federal could stop it, the federal government, and that is why I am asking my friends facing me to join me , to also join with the Mayor and Councillors of the City of st.

Boniface to ask the federal government to build a wall on, the east side of the Red River between Provencher bridge and Norwood bridge to protect the most important hospital in the west and also to preserve that part of my constit uency so rich in history. Yes , as it is at the mouth of the Assiniboine River that La Verendrye, the discoverer of the west, landed, Page 140 January 28th, 1960.

Document details

Collection	Manitoba — Debates (Hansard)
Citation	26-2-8a
Type	hansard
Volume / chapter	26th 2nd hansardpdf 8a.pdf
Language	en
Format	pdf
Source	PROVINCIAL
Identifier	2e1acd0ab3d0961556f58cc1af3e91a79da4d470

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