Proceedings of the House of Assembly During the Third Session of the Thirtieth General Assembly of Newfoundland 1 953 PRINTED IN CANADA BY GUARDIAN LIMITED. ST. JOHN'S, Ntr'LO.

PROCEEDINGS of the THIRD SESSION of the THIRTIETH GENERAt ASSEMBLY OF NEWFOUNDLAND WEDNESDAY, March 11, 1953. SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: Mr. Speak­ er, His Honour the Lieutenant-Gov­ ernor has arrived to open the third session of the thirtieth General As­ sembly. His Honour the Lieutenant-Gover­ nor reads the Speech from the Throne. MR.

SPEAKER AND MEMBERS OF THE HONOURABLE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY: In common with British subjects throughout the world, our people are looking forward with keen and plea­ surable anticipation to the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II which takes place in "\.Yestminister Abbey on Tuesday, June the Second. In response to an official invitation extended to Newfoundland to be xepresented at that solemn and his­ toric ceremony, I, accompanied by my Prime Minister and my Minister of Education, am arranging to attend.

A detachment of Newfoundland war veterans will form part of a contin­ gent of the Canadian Legion invited .to be present. This day has been proclaimed a Public Holiday through­ out the Province. Preparations for suitable celebrations are well ad­ vanced. Particular care is being taken to ensure that our children are im­ pressed with the significance of the event and are afforded every oppor ­ tunity of partidpating in the rejoic- ings which the occ,1sion will evoke in Her Majesty's loyal subjects in New­ foundland. I am sure that we all reJ01ce over the continuing, and indeed expanding prosperity of the Province.

New­ foundland has never before experi­ enced such prosperity, and the prayer of all is that this condition will be maintained. It is generally known that the prin­ cipal feature of my Minist ers' policy is economic development. This has taken the form, for the most part, of encouraging the establishment of new mills and factories. My Minis­ ters consider that the time has come, and that they are now ready, to pro­ ceed with other features of their policy, namely the development of the natural resources of the Province. These are the fisheries, minerals, water-power, forests and soil.

Foremost amongst these are of course the fisheries, and their develop­ ment must inevitab1y be the princi­ pal objective in such a policy. Nearly two years ago my Government and the Government of Canada agreed upon the need for a far-re aching in­ vestigation into the fisheries of New­ foundland for the purpose of deter­ mining the full nature of the problem and especially of recommending a specific programme designed to effect a successful solution. A Fishery De­ velopment Committee was acco·rdingly

4 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS created by the -two Governments and intensive research and investigation in to the fisheries has since been carried out by that Committee. Their re-port and recommendations are ex­ pected very soon to be laid before my Government and the Government of Canada.

My Ministers earnestly hope that the report and recommendations will constitute the chart and compass of a great new fishery development programme for this Province, and are determined, if this hope is realized, to seek the active participation of the Government of Canada, and to under­ take jointly and energetically such development. My Ministers are con­ vinced that it should be ·practicable so to develop the fisheries as to make them yield to the fishermen a much higher standard of living than they have ever known iil i..he past.

Tht:y hope in the present Session to Jay the report and recommendations of the Committee before you and to afford you an opportunity to give them the careful consideration which their im­ portance warrants. Since their assumption of office my Ministers have given close study to the possibility of the development of our mineral and water-power re­ sources. You will recall the various surveys and investigations carr.ied out at considerable cost in these fields during the past several years.

These expensive field surveys were instituted with a view to gather.ing certain gen­ eral basic information without which it would have been merely a waste of time to approach important electrical and mining companies with proposals for more intensive prospecting and surveying activities leading to develop­ ment. As foreseen, and has now proven to be the case, this view was the correct one, for the investigations undertaken led to negotiations with interested investors which should have the effect of bringing about develop­ ment in these particular fields.

Legislation will be laid before you designed• to broaden the character and scope of Newfoundland and La-brador Corporation Limited, the ·better to enable it to perform the great task entrusted to it when it was created by legislative enactment two years ago.

I am sure that our people were deeply pleased to learn -that my Prime Minister had succeeded in arousing the interest of British concerns of world-wide repute in the natural re­ sources of Newfoundland and Labra­ dor, and that negotiations have been proceeding for some months past with a view to bringing a combination of these interests into the Province to conduct a vast programme of explor­ ation and prospecting leading to de­ velopment of these natural resources. My Ministers hope to lay legislation on these matters before you in the present Session.

My Government are actutely con­ scious of the immense importance of forest development, and particularly aware of the urgent need for a close and careful investigation of the forest resources remaining in the Province with a view to ascertaining whether the most economic use is made of them. My Ministers propose creating a Forest Development Committee to investigate and to recommend plans for conservation and development. This Committee would have the assis­ tance of an outstanding Forestry ex­ pert.

We have long heard anrl read of the importance of agriculture in this Province, but it is the simple truth to say that Government policy in agricul-

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS 5 ture , down through the years, has been somewhat erratic and more than a little inconsistent and inconstant. Here again my Ministers feel the need of a consistent and practical pro­ gramme, and they propose to create a Farm Development Committee charged with the responsibility of in­ vestigating and recommending a pro­ gramme which, if approved, would be implemented with energy and resolu• tion. In general, my Government are determined to pursue energetically a policy of economic development in the field of natural resources .

They are convinced that by such develop­ ment on a broad and comprehensive scale the standard of our people's liv­ ing can be raised to new and endur­ ing heights. The need for a new Election Act has long been felt, and the relevant legislation will be laid before you in due course. There will also be presented for your approval a Bill relating -to im­ proved correctional treatment for ju­ veniles and adults committed to train­ ing schools and penal institutions re­ spectively . My Ministers believe that this legisla.tion represents a distinctly forward step particularly in the field of penal reform.

When tidings of the appalling loss of life and property caused by storms which ravaged the coasts of Britain, Belgium, and Holland last month were received in Canada, His Excellency the Governor General immediately formed a Committee, on which my Prime Min­ ister was appointed the representative of Newfoundland, charged with the responsibility of raising funds to en­ able the Red Cross Society to come to the immediate relief of the suf- ferers.

Although unable to attend a meeting of the Commi.ttee in Ottawa, my Prime Minister nominated a rep­ resentative thereon, and took prompt steps to form a local committee to launch an appeal for aid. The re­ sponse to this appeal was immediate and phenomenal. Within ,the space of three weeks over $100,000 was sub­ scribed by our people and this amount is being augmented daily. I avail my­ self of this opportunity of thanking the subscribers and expressing appre­ ciation of their prompt and generous response to the appeal. May Divine Providence bless and guide your deliberations. HON. J. R .

SMALLWOOD (Prime Minister): Your Honour, I have the pleasure ,to introduce two newly elect­ ed members of the House in the per­ sons of the Honourable Doctor Freder­ ick W. Rowe the member for Lab­ rador and Mr. Myles P. Murray, Mem­ ber for Ferryland. MR. SPEAKER : Honourable mem­ bers may take their seats. HON. L. R. CURTIS (Attorney Gen­ eral) : Mr. Speaker, I beg leave that a Bill "An Act to Amend

Chapter III of the Consolidated Statutes, (Third Series), entitled 'Of Registry of Deeds and other Documents'," be now read a first time. Bill read a first time, ordered read a second time on tomorrow. MR. SPEAKER: I have to inform the Honourable House that at three o'clock this afternoon His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor was pleased to open the Third Session of the Thir­ tieth General Assembly of the Prov­ ince of Newfoundland. For the pur­ pose of accuracy I have obtained a copy of the Speech from the Throne-

6 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS If it is the pleasure of the House to hear this Speech from the Throne. Speech from the Throne read by the Clerk . MR. MORGAN: Mr. Speaker, I rise at this time for the purpose of mov­ ing that a Committee be appointed to draft an Address in Reply to the Speech with which His Honour ·has so graciously opened ,this session of t.ht> Legislature, In doing- so, how­ ever, I would be sadly remiss in my duty were I not to make reference to the Coronation of our beloved Queen in June next.

In no part of the Com­ monwealth are there more loyal sub­ jects of Her Majesty, and none who more sincerely sing "God Save the Queen" . In the few months during which Her Majesty has been our sov- PrP•lgn ch P h~c. pnrfP.~TPrl' lu•Y"c,,.lf f"n. tho hearts o f her people, and indeed of thf" whnle frP.e world. Great will be the rejoicing -throughout her realm , great the celebr ating and banqu e ting in Newfoundland; from the smallest settlement to ,the Capital City cele­ brations will be raking place in one form or another.

Our official dele­ gates will carry with them the prayers and good wishes of Her Joyal subjects to their Queen. I should like also at this time to congra-tulate the Honourable Minister of Mines and Resources and the Hon­ ourable Mini9ter of Provincial Affairs on their election to this- House, and to wish them both many happy returns. Newfoundland and Newfoundland­ ers- at this time have many causes for re101cmg. Never in our history , have we been blessed with such prosperity. A few short years ago such prosperity was undreamed of.

True, in the past, a small segment of our people was prosperous and even wealthy, but too few in comparison to those who were practically destitute. This new· pros­ perity has reached out to every· cove and hamlet in our land. Whilst this prosperity; admittedly, is pai,t of the general world prosperity, yet our abil­ ity to capture some of that prosperity­ for our people is in no small measure due to the drive and energy of this Government. Today the words "Inrlmtrial De­ velopment" are on ,the lips of all our people.

Already a large number are enjoying the fruits of that great drive launched by the Premier to bring in new industries to our Province-The keynote has· been development. Indus-, trial Development came · first for a variety of reasons, it was- now or never. But for the drive and daring of our Premier we wo11l<l h~vP hP .. n J,.n ', the wayside in the great westward movement of industry.

The indmtries which have been established are for the most part basic and will lead to expansion into further new industries as for example the ,tannery- at Carbon­ ear which has already branched out into leather g.oods manufacture- and will no doubt play a: great

part in the supplying of materials to the pro,. posed glove and shoe factory. The phase of our economic devel­ opment programme as outlined in the Speech from the Throne is one which will expend and we hope eradicate the remammg economic sore spots. I re­ fer to the expected report of the Fisheries Developmen.t Committee. I am rure honourable members will agree with me that the fishery prob­ lem is. one which has baffled and puzzled Governments of the past and it has been the football of unscrupulc ous politicians. Not until this Gov­ ernment decided to take the problem in hand has there been an.y intelli,

HOUSE OF ASSE'MBL Y PROCEEDINGS gent approach to the whole problem of the fisheries-. The setting up of a committee with terms of reference permitting, them to get at the basic weakness in, our fisherie, and asking them to recomm~d a Fisheries De­ "elopment P'rogramme is one- which cannot be too highly commencted. The problem of the fishery is not one which cannot be solved by· half meas,. ures but a-II- phases of the industry must be considered·.

It seems obvious to a layman that roughly our fisher­ ies are divided into tw:o gtogr.aphical areas, the S-outh and East Coast from roughly Bonavista around to the Straits of Bell ~sle, Flower's Cove area. The latter area although unsuited for fresh fish. production on a large scale is very well suited becawe of the great variety Q{ fish in its inland waters to become one of the rlchest fishing areas ill the world. With prop­ er means. of curing_ and marketing l feel sure this prosperity can be brought to the North East Coast within a very few years.

Any such Fishery Develop­ ment programme must of necessity. take into account soda] as well as e<;0nomic problems. Jus.t as on the South and East Coast new fish pl,anta tend to concentrate p.opulation so in any scheme of rehabilitation oj our North East Coast fishermen the mat­ ter of. conc:entratiort of pcpolatiQQ is very, important. At the ·preunt tirae our people are scattered in innumer­ able coves arut · inlets. That was no doubt doe in eadier clap. to the. neces-, si.ty of the fishermf• living- as nmr the frsbing grounds as possibbe.

With a more mobile fleet and better ruring facilities: ,there reasoru will be removed and concentration o[ poptdation in gooo harbours will make it pcmible for mu• people to. en jo,r tlu: facilities of good medical serv.ices, roads; eioo- tricity, wale\" and st:werage faciUrie~ and schools, etc. I feel sure any· fish­ eries- programme will receive the f:'ttll suppoFt and ro-0peratio1t of the fish­ ermen themselves who are anxious to better their conditions and ID make rt pes~ible for themtti'ves and tor thei't' families to enjoy- more of rhe goad thin~ of Ii£~.

Our foi;ests. hav.e alwa.,s, b.l:en. rlos­ ly. associated with oau fisbesia~ 1n the eaFlY, days. and. cvw:11 lOd.11, 9'11"· hoaLs. fishing _ premmes aed dw.llionp c~ from -the foIYSts, Since the- ad, ven.t. and expansion Qi ~ paptt in~ du.uty. pnlp woocl e11tt.iac 1--- QIGIC M plaJ! a large

part in the- ec~ of our fislumna. A plan. ef cwmirr,... tion and reforestation and scientific development is- long 011erdue, aad thoae. of us who have the welfare of New­ foundland at heart are glad to aee the reference. to the forest devewpmcnt committee.

Nelrt to our fisfteffllfti, I' ,u~. our farmers haw «oae- u,nder l'fl'9R' schentes and plans tlllan- any 9111-' people in the coantry; Jive ,tock im­ provement, land tntpl'fflll!!Bfttt, lanll dea:ring, land sefl!Iem.e11ts ha'lle at YM'­ ious, rimes and in variowt d~ re­ ceived the support and bl~ ef Governrnents. . lht.t to date no 11111!11 rounded pi'Og.r.amme ~ bcN:a d.eviM4 aud 1 am sw;e t.!Nt o..-r farl'nftll will look forward indeed to t.b.e inves.tfr gatio11 .-ml trputt of tile arm dt:11elop• llll!.11.t comilii.l.tee. for many deradn - N'ewfOftnd­ landers h.nce- ftaken gn!lle pridi!- in. o.ar suppoSl!'l!Ryr ridt minenl 1'!'90uffl!9.

Bell lsiand, Buchan,, St. LaW'ft!l!lce have played a grea~

part irr tl'le eom­ omy of oor- PTov,inee. A few yean · bacl:, even befvre rille discol<ery of the iron ere on Bell Island, Green Bar was lhe home- er mining- in New­ foundland, Tilt Core, Betts Ce>11tP, :Ut-

B: HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS tie Bay and Pilley's Island were well known names in the mining world. At the present time we are more than hopeful of the outcome of surveys and pi:ospecting undertakings by Falcon• bridge and Frobisher on the North East Coast, and I am looking forward to the day when a great mining boom will revitalize the Green Bay area . Alf this activity in the mineral field ha~ been undertaken because of the energy and drive of the present Gov­ e'riiment.

Now with the coming on the " scene of NALCO and BRIN CO a great effort will be made to sur• vey and measure our mineral poten­ tiality and I feel sure that active min­ ing- operations will be the outcome. !':fr. Speaker, the Speech from the Thrn11e i~ one which inspires hope in the i1e~rts of us all, and from knowl­ edge of n-:hat has already been done in the field of industrial development we feel 6ure with the 011mc drive and interest unleashed • in the fields of ag• rieulture, mining and fishery, devel­ opment will follow.

It gives me ~rcat pleasure to move that a committee be appoin terl to elm ft. a reply to the Speech from the Throne with which His Honour opened this session of the Legislature. MR. BROWN : Mr.

Speaker, hon• ourable members of the House of Asse:inbly: It is with great pleasure this · afternoon that I rise to second the . ni"otion so ably proposed by my friend, the honourable member fo1 Green Bay, but before I comment on the _various matters outlined in the Speecll from the Throne I should like to congratulate the two new honour ­ able • members who have, since the last session of the Legislature, been duly elected. I refer to the honour­ able members for the districts of Lab­ rador and Ferryland, both of whom holi;l ·Cabinet portfolios.

As I have had a similar honour, that of proposing the motion for ap­ pointment of a committee to draft an Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne last year, I wish to state that it is through the illness of the honourable member for Port de Grave that I second this year's motion . I am sure that all honourable members regret the illness of the honourable member for Port de Grave and we trust that he will soon be sufficiently recovered to resume his seat .

I endorse wholeheartedly, Sir, the sentiments expressed by the mover with respect to the forthcoming Cor­ onation ceremonies of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. Just as we mourned the death of her late and revered father so shall we rejoice at her ascension to the British Throne. We in this country in common with the peoples of Great Britain and the British ·commonwealth of Nations are unanimous in our loyalty and devotion toward the Royal Family and to the mighty British Empire and Common­ wealth over which Her Majesty reigns.

May she live long to carry out the duties entrusted to her care and may the British Empire always remain a symbol of democracy, freedom and fair play. The Speech from the Throne, Sir, informs us that our minerals and water powers, our forests and our soil are to be developed.

Thus the wheels of Newfoundland enterprise have be­ gun to move and I feel sure that all in this Province will be very happy to learn that great companies such as those who constitute NALCO and BRINCO have decided to assist in that development of the minerals, the waler power and mineral resources that are lying dormant in this province It will be a great encouragement

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS 9 to the prospectors and the investors, those men who displayed such confi­ dence in the future possibilities of this Province. A subject which has given me a great deal of thought and which I am glad to see is being given consideration is the question of the fisheries de­ velopment. The general public, and I am sure, the fishermen particularly will be greatly pleased to learn that a great new fishery programme is jointly planned for the coming year by the Federal and Provincial Govern­ ments.

The fishing industry has for years towered high above all others though within recent years many of our younger men have forsaken the fishing boats in favour of easier and perhaps more gainful employment on shore. The older generation who know the certainty of the diversified economy of fishing and farming will be given a shot in the arm, so to speak, and will encourage the younger generation to pursue the industry which is and which for many years will remain so vital to the economy of Newfoundland.

As a fishing country we have been content to pursue the same methods adopted by earlier pioneers in the fishing industry which whilst good enough in their day need the additional light tha-t scientific re­ search has provided during the past few years which can revolutionize the entire fishing industry, an industry on which so many of our people de­ pend today. They look to us for a solution of their problems and at long last we hope to succeed where many Governments have tried and failed in the past.

The immediate results of this fishery policy may not be appar­ ent for some little time, but I see no reason for doubt nor skepticism with respect to the success of this great venture. I feel sure, S'ir, that the en- tire problem of catching, curing and marketing will not only be eliminated but we will be able to compete suc­ cessfully with other fish producing countries of the world. Mr. Speaker, Newfoundland at this period of our time is en joying a greater period of prosperity than it has ever seen in its entire history, thanks to the energy and drive of Premier Smallwood and his hard­ working Cabinet.

We possess untold natural resources, resources which can be developed and utilized to the very limit provided we have sufficient co~­ fidence in ourselves to develop our own natural wealth. The country, Sir, is no longer demoralized, the people are optimistic, they know that miracles cannot be performed in the space of two or three years, but they are con­ vinced, and rightly so, that the future holds many good things in store for the present and future generations .

I would just like to make one other brief reference, Sir: I feel sure that my honourable friends of Her Majes­ ty's Loyal Opposition will probably appreciate the many important meas­ ures carefully conceived for the best interest of the Province that will be introduced by the Government dur­ ing this session of the Legislature and that as true Newfoundlanders gen­ uinely interested in the welfare and prosperity of their native land they will recognize the wisdom and sincerity of the future plans which the Govern­ ment has adopted for the development of our natural resources.

Needless to say any reasonable suggestions and/or constructiv~ criticism from any hon­ ourable member will be welcomed by the Government. There are items re­ ferred to in the Speech from the Throne with which I have not dealt for the simple reason that most if not

10 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS all of them have · been covered by the moveF or will be referred to in later sittings by the honourable gentlemen who will speak to this debate. I have pleasure, Sir, in seconding the motion for the appointment of a committee to draft an Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne. MR. M. M.

HOLLETT (Leader of the Opposition): In rising to support the motion which has been so ably proposed · by the honourable member for Green Bay, and likewise ably sec­ onded by the honourable member for Bonavista South, I would like to join also, Sir-and when I say "I," I mean we of the Opposition-in extending congratulations to the two new mem­ bers who were presented this afternoon. I refer to Honourable Dr. Rowe, mem- be:- ~nd Hcncu.rable Myles Murray, member for Ferryland.

I have known both these gentlemen for a number of years and I am proud, being much older than they, to rec­ ommend them-if any recommendation were needed-as two honourable men who will devote their time and energy to the welfare of the country which gave them birth. In the field of Educa­ tion and in the field of Law, we have in these two gentlemen very useful ad­ juncts to this Legislative Assembly. In addressing the House this after­ noon, Mr.

Speaker, I may say I find myself possibly in somewhat of an awkward position; but then, I believe, as the poet said, that some men have greatness thrust upon them, and some were born to greatness. w ·hether be­ ing- the actual Leader of the Opposi­ tion in this House of Assembly at the moment is greatness or an adjunct of greatness will be a matter which other people will decide; but I am proud to be able to address, briefly, this Assem­ bly on this auspicious occasion.

We, of the Opposition side of' the House, would like to join with the mover and the seconder in their loyal remarks they have made to our be­ loved Queen, whose Coronation will take place in June and where this House will be ably represented by Honourable the Premier and two other members of the House.

New0 foundland has always been loyal to the Kng and Queen-long even before our Old Queen Bess, Elizabeth I; and T am sure we in this House and all the people of Newfoundland will con­ tinue to remain loyal to the great British Nation which discovered this-, at that time a lonely isle in the North Atlantic, and not as we are today, the corner stone of the Empire. May we continue to be the connecting link of that Empire.

Yes, we all join in the sentiments expressed by the and Seconder of the Motion. ,, ____ _ .LY.lUYCI Some reference was made to the­ Flood Relief Fund and I am quite sure that I, at any rate, can join in the sentiments which were expressed; because I have knowledge of flood­ way back in 1929 on the Burin Penin­ sula where I was a Magistrate at that time, we had a great tidal wave and twenty-eight lives were snuffed out in one instance.

At that time the people of this country and the people in the whole western world came to the aid. of the Burin Peninsula where twenty­ eight lives were lost and hundreds- of thousands of dollars damage done. Money was raised then and presented for the rehabilitation of the area. When we think in this great flood which swept the East Coast of Eng-­ land and Holland and Belgium; when we think of two thousand lives snuff­ ed out, we realize just how the appeal must hav.e struck the older of our people when the Honourable the Pre­ mier made that appeal. We are proud

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS 11 of the result of that appeal and $100;000.00 came from these people of ours who for ages and ages have known desolation, flood disaster and loss of life in many other ways in this country of ours. It is, I believe, customary-as the Premier -pointed out to the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Higgins in the First Assembly-it is customary to sta,te that the Speech from the Throne is noteworthy for what it did NOT contain, rnther than what it did con­ tain.

I am going to say that the Speech from the Throne today is note­ worthy in that it DOES contain some­ thing which commends itself to us, and that "something" is the Fisheries. The Fisheries of Newfoundland have been the livelihood of our people for generation after generation and today some fifteen or twenty thousand fishermen prosecute the codfishery, the herring fisheries and other .fish­ eries which we enjoy . But you and I know that these fisheries are at the present time on the verge of an ab­ solute breakdown, if not total extinc­ tion.

I am glad to be able to con­ gratulate the Government in that they have one thing in that Speech that commends itself to the people of the country -. There were some expressions used by the Mover and Seconder-the 'now or never' attitude; the 'do or die' atti­ tude with regard to Economic Devel­ opment. We do not subs-cribe to those statements.

There should be no such polfcy as "now or never;" "do or die;" "develop or perish." The matter of economic development and all such other development are matters which have to be proceeded with day after day- and continually and we do not subscribe to the· fact that economic development is in any way finished or final. These movements started by the Premier will have to continue. We do not blame the Government for any mistake which they have made-at the moment anyway. We are proud that economic development has at last­ when it should have been first-ex­ tended to the fisheries in this. ancient Island of ours .

There was one statement made, I think it was that "the country is no longer demoralized." That must have been a typographical error, because l do not beli eve that this country was ever demoralized. I admit it must have been a typographical error., We are proud that something it be­ ing done in regard to the fisheries.

We are cognizant of the fact that it is not easy to do something for the fish­ eries; but we believe that with the same drive applied to the fisheries, coupled with the energy of our fish­ ermen, then we are content that some­ thing will be done to resurrect what appears to be a fast dying industry. Apart from the reference to the fisheries, I do not wish to refer to any­ thing else at the moment. I foresee that we 011 this side of the House will have to say many things with regard to matters mentioned in the Speech from the Throne.

We of the Opposi­ tion side believe in Economic Devel­ opment; we believe in resurrecting the fisheries and we will lend our assist­ ance to any constructive scheme which will be brought in by the Government on the other side. I wish once again to support the Mover and Seconder of this Motion to appoint a Committee to draft rhe Address in Reply. Also, again, I congratulate the two new members elected to this· House. I •'

12 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS MR. SMALL WOOD I would like to say a word of congratulations to the two honourable gentlemen who moved and seconded the Motion be­ fore the House. Each of them has done so before; and that is because some members on this side of the House are absent through illness or inability to reach the city and these two honourable gentlemen undertook, at the last moment, to do this neces­ sary duty today.

They have done so well indeed; and I felt, as I have done before, that this Government, and in­ deed this Legislature are quite for­ tunate in having young Newfound­ landers of that type as members of the House. Newfoundland herself is fortunate to have enter into public life young, intelligent, and I might say idealistic Newfoundlanders; so that ! have great pride as I !eek about, and even as I cast my eyes across the floor and see the fine types produced by Newfoundland public life in recent years.

I would like to offer particularly my congratulations to the two new mem­ bers, the honourable member for Labrador and the honourable member for Ferryland. It was for me a great joy when that ancient and historic district of Ferryland, so well known in political history for its long loyalties, should have turned Liberal in the re­ cent election, with a view, I believe, of putting the Government on test.

I do not delude myself for a moment that Ferryland will long remain in the ranks of Liberalism in Newfoundland if the Government do not treat that great district and those very fine people with full justice and fair play. It is the Government's ambition to do precisely that; so that Ferryland along with other ancient and honourable districts of this Province will long continue to keep the banner of Lib- eralism flying high and proudly in this most ancient of British Colonies in Canada's newest Province.

I would like to offer congratulations to the new Leader of the Opposition; although, as I think of it, I wonder if commiseration would not be a better word. The events to come, as I fore­ see them, may be such as to make him wish the devil had the job rather than he. If I read aright my able and gallant friend across the way, I do not know that I would care to be Leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Op­ position at the present time.

But at all events he has this consolation-that his school for the next few weeks will be a harsh one and if he can survive the present session of the House, it may prove of some value to him in fitting him for anything that fa-:es him ahead.

But, these pleasantries aside, I think we Newfoundlanders, regardless of the attitudes we took in that great battle on the subject of the future form of Government; and regardless whether we be Liberals or Tories; rich or poor, high or low, whether we live East, North, South or West, all of us unite in this, we unite ardently and wholeheartedly in this-that we are devoted subjects of the Queen, that we love the British Nation_ We love it because of the freedom and democracy born in Britain and spread to many parts of the world.

We love it because, under the British Flag we here in Newfoundland can practise our respective religions, we can prac• tise free speech, practise freedom of the press and all the great fundamen­ tal simple liberties on the grandest and broadest scale in the world today. The British Crown, the British Con­ stitution are not only symbolic but synonymous with freedom, democracy,

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS 13 liberty and independence. We hon­ our the Crown because the wearer, in our time at least, has been an exemplary e1t1zen. Where in the world would you find a nobler man as Head of any State than was King George V? Where would you find a finer citizen, a finer man, a finer Ruler, a finer father than the late King? Where would you find a more, gracious, charming, self-sacrificing and altogether appealing and gracious lady as our present Queen? New­ foundland looks forward with joy to the Coronation of the young Queen.

No part of the Commonwealth or Empire, I imagine, has deeper feel­ ings of loyalty and devotion to the Crown than have the people of New­ foundland. Mr. Speaker, I am particularly proud of the Speech from the Throne with which His Honour opened this present new session of the House, be­ cause in it is foreshadowed a fine new programme of economic development. I was particularly struck by one re­ mark by the Leader of the Opposi­ tion. "At last" he said-"at last economic development was to extend to the fisheries." His meaning, I in­ ferred, was that that is what we should have done long ago.

Instead of going in heavily for industrial de­ velopment in the field of factories, we ought, instead, from the beginning, have devoted our time and energy and resources to the development of the fisheries. Now what a·re the facts? The facts are these, that when this Government took office they were confronted by a terrible ignorance on the part of all of us. I mean, on the part of all of us in Newfoundland. A terrible ignorance with regard to the extent and nature of our natural re­ sources.

Although we had all long ago heard-I can speak for myself and say that since I was a boy I had heard and read statements by editors, states­ men, writers referring in the most glowing terms to the inexhaustible natural resources of Newfoundland and Labrador. Not always., but some­ times, they would even add Labrador. I think the late Sir P. McGrath was possibly the first public man to in­ clude Labrador. The surface had barely been scratched; all the wealth of the Indies was here, if only some­ one would come and develop them.

And when this Government took office, one of the first things we did was to clean out the pigeon holes and filing cabinets in the Department of Natural Resources and add them up to see what we did have. We were appalled and dismayed by the petty amount of actual knowledge we had in Newfoundland about our natural resources. I may also add that only a year or perhaps two years before we took office the first Hydro-electric Engineer had been brought into New­ foundland-Commander Desbarats. He was brought in by the Commission of Government to make some water­ power surveys.

They had been lam­ pooned by the well-known columnist, Wayfarer, into buying their first diamond drill. It was appalling; and for us to have gone out with a pro­ gramme of mineral development­ why, it would have been just silly. You do not go into the offices of Rio Tinto, Frobisher, American Metal, New Jersey Zinc or any great mining company with wild and woolly talk which might go all right with the Huskies, about the inexhaustible re­ sources of Newfoundland. You do not do it. You bring to them some­ thing that is pretty convincing.

You bring them Geological Reports, you bring maps, you bring special magno­ thermometrical detail, you bring at

14 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS least .geolo'1;ical detail to convince 'Such a company that you may well indeed have something ther e which would warrant their spending money to either prove or disprove it. We could not do that; so we proceeded to do it. Now, it is still short of four -years since we took office, although there have been two general elections . We have spent hundr eds of thomands of dollars of the public money on these special snrv<"ys. ·we have done likewise with regard to the hydro­ electrical potentialities in Newfound­ land .

We have spent, in all, about one million dollars from the surplus in three years, to try to blueprint to some extent these things about which we had all spoken of so loosely and so .grandly ·down through the years; so that at last, now when we go to laTge and important mining companies, we have some thing concr ete, some­ thing definite to show them, so that the Directors can turn this data over to their geological and mining depart­ ments for closer examination to en­ able them to decide whether this is something they could trnly take a deeper look at. With what result?

The result is that we have now associ­ ated with us Newfoundlanders in this Province some of the great est mining and financial concerns in the whole world . I am very happy indeed to say that more than half of them are firms domiciled in the United King­ dom. The fisheries! Ought we to have done something about th e fisheries more than we have done before this? We did take a great fling at the her­ ring fishery and it cost the Treasury the best part of half a million dollars and nary a herring, not a herring, not even a RED herring. Surely that was an object lesson to any govern­ ment.

There was energy; .there was enthusiasm; lats of driv.e .and lots of money too. The boats came back; none of the Icelanders caught any her­ ring last year . Not one. And it cost half a million dollars. We did right, we insisted from the beginning that the fishery problem of Newfoundland was one which was too big, now that we were a Province of Canada, too big for the Newfoundland Govern­ ment alone to solve. There was :some­ thing about the fishcrics which made it a matter of Federal responsibility. We took that stand and we did have considerable responsibility.

We took that stand and ·we did have consider­ able success in that we did convince -the Government of Canada that it was truly, in part at least, a Federal responsibility. From th at moment the two governments agreed to set up a joint Fisheries Committee, which was done two years ago and they have worked hard. They have engaged some twenty or twenty-five thorough­ ly exp ert fishery technicians and specialists and in the matter of days, I hope, you will have the Report and recommendations of that Committee, What could we have done usefully be­ fore, other than what we did? What were the words used?

"Baffled and puzzled." Magnificent words, a mag­ nificent description of the position of every government in the past. It has smashed more governments and brok­ en more hearts in this Chamber, here in this room, it has broken more hearts, broken more spirits- MR. CASHIN : It broke a lot of people too. MR. SMALLWOOD: It put tens of thousands of our people on the dole . We could have gone on patch­ ing, a subsidy here, a bounty there, trying to hide the sores . We preferred to get to the bottom and find out what is the nature and character nf

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS 15 lihe fisheries, what aTe the possibilities, what l[l'e the techniques. Thank God that is about done. We will soon have the Teport. We will soon have the recommendations. Then with a good heart and with the same enthusi­ asm, the same drive we put into get­ ting these new factories; the same zeal, same energy we will go to it on a Vll~t fishery programme for New­ foundland. If you want to see action, you will see action. We are all young. You give us the programme. We are in ·good health.

We know it is non­ ·sense to talk of prosperity if there are .20,000 :fishermen and their families who are not prosperous. The same thing applied to agriculture. The history of government policy toward .agriculture in Newfoundland 'is pathe­ tic ar tragic, depending on your tem­ perament. Lord Morris was going to :make the South Side Hills white with ~heep way back in 1860 and 1870. Then in Squires' time, there was a time in Newfoundland when every bit of .bog with a house near it had ·an Agricultural Society.

The Govern­ ment paid out large sums to keep these Societies going, Experimental Farms, Land Clearing Societies. The Commission of Government spent two million dollars of public funds in land settlements, Markland and all the others. So we are here today. Does anyone in this House, any of the Op­ position, possess the arrived know­ ledge, not the guess, to say exactly what an agricultural policy will be?

I personally, just as an individual, be­ lieve that Newfoundland very well could, certain things being done first, could very well become important not equally with Alberta and the Prairie Provinces, but fairly import- ant in live stock. I believe that beef caule, sheep, hogs, poultry-personally I have very little faith in Newfound- land as a root crop farming Provin~ . That is a personal feeling . Am i[ go­ ing to ask my colleagues to back a policy based only on my personal views?

Is my colleague in this cabinet going to ask the Government to launch out on an .agricultural policy based upon no more than his personal view or prejudice or whim OT cap­ rice? Let us get the facts, let us get a committee to do for agriculture what the "Walsh" committee has just completed .for the fisheries, then .go to it, then use your energies, your drive, •then spend money if you must and · lots of it if you need to. The same thing applies in forests.

The Minister of Mines and Resources has been in the department a few months and already he has amassed a vast amount of information about .forests, and one day in this session he wm open the eyes of the members hen: and the eyes of the Newfoundland people on the seriousness of that situ­ ation and the magnitude of that problem.

So when my honourable friend, the Leader of the Opposition said; "At last, a•t last, no more non­ :sense about factories, cement, leather, plywood flooring, pressboard, mach­ inery and the rest of it, no more of that nonsense, let us get action now at last, some aotion in agriculture, in fisheries, and the rest." I say, yes, truly at last, but for a very good rea­ son-any money or time spent up to now, not knowing the facts, would have been money and time wasted. Now finally, 'Mr.

Speak.er, I haYe great pleasure-sometimes the realiz­ ation of a thing is not as exciting .all the anticipation, and today when I signed, on behalf of my colleagues and on behalf of Newfoundland, a certain agreement there was a certain distinct sense of let down. For mont-hs we had been negotiating the

16 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS details of an agreement with a great combination of British companies and there have been anxious moments, there have been trips back and forth across the Atlantic , messages back and forth, ,trans-Atlantic telephone calls, and it was all very exciting and great fun.

At last when the final detail was agreed between the parties, the British people and ourselves, and the agree­ ment was brought in this morning for signatures, I don't know how the people from Britain who were here negotiating felt about it but I felt that something was gone, the s·tirring, the exciting adventure of negotiating a great contract, a great agreement was over. All we hav e to do now, and I say "all" with quotation marks around the word, is to bring it in, examine it, have the Opposition tear it apart as is their rlnty to do. and have the Royal Assent.

That British Newfoundland Cor­ poration will bring twenty great and famous companies into Newfound­ land to spend real mon ey, to spend millions of dollars of their own money from Britain here in this Province in a great drive to find minerals, •timber, water-powers, leading, we firmly be­ lieve, to great and lasting develop­ ment of our natural resources. Tomorrow the full details, or at least tomorrow a joint statement will be released in London and St.

John's, and I know that when the people of Newfoundland see who have thrown in their lot with them, when they see the greM concerns in Britain who have thrown in their lot with the people of Newfoundland they will be proud of the twenty companies eleven of whom have a combined capital re­ sources of three billion dollars. How much the other nine have, they being banks, great and famous banks with names that are world wide in fame, I don't know but I suspect many bil­ lions more. These are great names in British Industrial and Financial circles and indeed throughout the world. Mr.

Speaker, I have held the House much longer than I had expected to do, but these are truly great affairs. This year, I hope, will go down in Newfoundland's history as the most significant in all our history in the field of economic development. Econ­ omic Development brought us into existence as a Government and we will stand or fall on it, We have no other policy but to develop Newfoundland or die, develop Newfoundland or perish, develop Newfoundland or burst.

I said it three years ago and was scorned and reproached; I re­ peat it now~ Thi .~ <:nvPrnmPnt ~rP in offic e to develop Newfou11dland and we believe it is that urgent if we are going to hold our people here and not lose them to Quebec and On­ tario who are developing-never for­ get that they are developing. We are going to hold them, we will develop or we will perish. That is still our policy , make the most of it. I have given my friends at least several days' debate in the present session. MR.

S'PEAKER: Moved and Sec­ onded that a Committee be appointed to draft an Address in Reply to the Speech from the Throne. Carried . MR. SPEAKER : the Committee will lowing honourable The personnel of consist of the fol­ members: The Mover and Seconder of the Motion and the honourable the junior mem­ ber for St. John's East, Mr. Higgins.

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS 17 MR. S1MALLWOOD: Mr. Speaker, as I am required to do constitution­ ally, I wish to announce some changes in the Ministry: The honourable member for Burin has ceased to be Minister of Municipal Affairs and Supply and has become Minister of Health; the honourable member for Trinity North has ceased to be Min­ ister of Education and has become Minister of Municipal Affairs and Supply; the honourable member . for Harbour Grace has ceased to be Min­ ister of Health and has become Min­ ister of Education.

The Honourable the Attorney General reminds me that the honourable member for Lab­ rador has become Minister of Mines and Resources, but my feeling is that he was that when we last met and I therefore don't need to make •that an­ nouncement. MR, CASHIN: Mr. Speaker, is it in order to table questions at this time? MR. SPEAKER: You will have to get the sanction of the House since we hav·e no Order Paper. The hon­ ourable member may proceed. Mr. Cashin gives notice of questions.

(1) MR. CASHIN-To ask the Hon­ ourable the Minister of P ·,cial Af­ fairs to table the follo _5 1forma­ tion: I. A complete statement ile amount due the Government uy the S't. John's Housing Corporation as well as amounts due the Government by any other Housing Corporations outside the City of St. John's.

A brief statement showing the or­ iginal amounts advanced the various Housing Corporations when first or­ ganized and inform the House if these Corporations are fulfilling their repay- ment obligations with the Government each year, Inform the House what investments have been made by the Provincial Government in the Federal Housing Schemes now under construction and under the management of the Central Housing and Mortgage Corporation. ,-vhat arrangements have been made for repayment of such advances?

(2) MR. CASHIN-To ask the Hon­ ourable the Attorney General to table the following information : I. The Report or a Copy of the Re­ port made to the Government by Mr. C. E. Hunt, Q.C., covering the inquiry into the administration of the Hospi­ tal for Mental Diseases. 2. What was the cost of this inquiry -give a statement showing how the amount of such cost was dispersed, showing the amounts paid each in­ dividual for services in connection with the inquiry. 3.

Is it the intention of the Govern­ ment to take any legal proceedings in connection with the Report made by the R .C.M.P. covering the administra­ tion of the Mental Hospital? Table a copy of the Report made by the R.C.M.P,, and advise the House why it was necessary to have a further inquiry following the report made by the R.C.M.P. Give full particulars of this entire matter. 4. Give a statement showing the amount of legal fees paid out by the Government since April 1st, 1952, to date-to whom such amounts were paid and give details of services per­ formed for such fees. 5.

Have any steps been taken by the Government to proceed against the Canadian National Railway for exces­ sive freight cha~ges paid by our people

18 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS for two years after Union with Can­ ada became effective? This question refers to certain legislation passed by this House during its Session a year ago. If no steps have been taken as outlined in that legislation, why not? Also, if any legal retainer fees have been paid to solicitors to prepare the Newfoundland Case-what amount was paid and to whom paid. Give full particulars of the policy of the Gov­ ernment in this connection.

(3) MR. CASHIN-To ask the Hon­ ourable the Minister of Public Works to table the following information : 1. The total number of miles of Trans-Canada Highway completed in Newfoundland-the total cost to the Province of Newfoundland for such mileage completed. The total of miles paved . 2. The number of Bridges completed on this new Trans-Island Highway and the cost of each bridge. 3. The number of miles of Trans­ Island Highway remaining to be con­ structed and an estim~ted cost of such construction to Newfoundland. 4.

The total amount of money ex­ pended in the construction of Trans­ Island Highway by the Province of Newfoundland-the total amount ex· pended by the Federal Government to date. Finally the estimated amount which the Province will be called upon to be spent to complete the road as well as the estimated amount which the Federal Government will have to expend. These amounts to include Paving and the completion of the Road and Bridges on a standard re­ quired. 5. Is it the intention of the Govern­ ment to expend any money this pres­ ent year on the improvement of the St. John's to St. Phillips Road-the St.

John's to Portugal Cove Road as well as the roads leading east from St. John's to Pouch Cove-the Marine Drive as well as the road leading from the Goulds to Petty Harbour. Give full particulars of any proposed work to be performed in the districts of St. John's West and St. John's East,

(4) MR. CASHIN-To ask the Hon­ ourable the Minister of Health to table the following information : I. Who is presently employed in charge of the Transport of the De­ partment? On whose recommendation was such appointment made? What salary is the person so employed re­ ceiving? If the person is not a native Newfoundlander, was it impossible to obtain the services of a Newfound-, __ _,] __ ... .1.auuc.1r 2. Table copies of all correspondence between the former Minister of Health and Dr. C. J. O'Brien from the time of Dr.

O'Brien's appointment as S'u­ perintendent of the Mental Hospital to the date of his removal from that position. 3. Give the names of the persons occupying the positions of Secretary of the Sanatorium and General Hospital -the salaries they are receiving and on whose recommendation were such appointments made? Are the present occupants of these positions native Newfoundlanders and if not, was it impossible to obtain the services of Newfoundlanders to fill the posttions?

(5) MR. CASHIN-To ask the Hon­ ourable Minister of Municipal Affairs and Supply to table the following in­ formation: 1. Give a statement showing the amount of furnishings and equipment purchased for use in the New Wing

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS 19 of the Mental Hospital for the years 1951-52 and 1952-53. 2. Give a statement showing the number of Blankets purchased for use in the Mental and other Hospitals for the years 1951-52, 1952-53-the prices paid-the names of the firm or firms supplying such goods and whether tenders were called for the supplying of these goods. 3. Also in answering

Section 1 of this question, give the names of the firm or firms from whom the goods were purchased and whether or not tenders were called for the supplying of the goods. 4. Were the goods referred to be­ ing purchased from the manufactur­ ers direct, from other agents, jobbers or other intermediaries? 5. Give the number of Motor Ve­ hicles purchased during the year 1952· 53-from whom purchased and what prices were paid for such vehicles. 6. How many used Motor Vehicles were sold-to whom sold and what prices were received for them? 7.

Give a statement showing the number of Machines, Bulldozers, etc., purchased by the Highroads Depart­ ment during the year 1951-52, 1952-53 -from whom purchased and prices paid for each machine.

(6) MR. CASHIN-To ask the Hon­ ourable Minister of Finance or appro­ priate Ministers to table the following information: 1. The total amount expended by each Minister of the Crown for Tra­ velling Expenses to either the Main­ land or other countries since April 1st, 1952 to date. 2. Give particulars of expenditures and for what purposes such expendi­ tures were made. 3. What were the travelling ex­ penses for Dr. Valdmanis for the same period? Give particulars of such ex­ penditure. 4. Give a statement of the Contin­ gent Liabilities• of the Government as well as particulars of such Liabilities. 5.

Table the last available Finan­ cial Statement of the Bowater Paper Company for which the Government are Guarantors of a substantial amount.

(7) MR. CASHIN-To ask the Hon­ ourable the Minister of Finance to table: 1. A statement showing the amount received for the ten million dollars loan raised last year, as well as any expenses incurred in the raising of such loan. Also give a statement as to the disposition of this and any bal­ ance that may be left to its credit at the present time. 2. A statement showing any out­ standing obligations of the Govern­ ment in respect to the financing of certain industrial developments under­ taken through legislation, which have not been fulfilled. Also advise whether or not some of these undertakings may be cancelled.

(8) MR. CASHIN-To ask the Hon­ ourable the Minister of Finance to table the following information : 1. The total amount of cash to the credit of the Treasury in the Bank at St. John's, as at February 28th, 1953. 2. The total amount of cash to the credit of the Treasury on deposit with the Federal Government at the pres­ ent time. 3. The total Ordinary Revenues re­ ceived or collected under the various Departmental Headings from April 1st, 1952, to February 28th, 1953.

20 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS 4. The total amount of subsidies as well as Transitional Grants collected from the Federal Government since 1st April, 1952 to date. 5. What amounts of grants or Tran­ sitional Grants are due our Govern­ ment from the Federal Government at the present time? Give particulars of such amounts. 6. The total Ordinary Expenditures on current account under the various Departmental Headings from April 1st, 1952 to February 28th, 1953. 7. The total Capital Expenditures under the various Departmental Head­ ings from April 1st, 1952 to February 28th, 1953. 8.

Give a statement showing the exact position of Surplus Account at the present time-give details of any amounts liquidated and placed to the credit of this account. This state­ ment, not to include the Ten Million Dollar Loan raised last year, but which is specifically related to the surplus taken over from the Commission Gov­ ernment on April 1st, 1949.

(9) MR. CASHIN-To ask the Hon­ ourable the Minister of Finance to table a copy of the Report of Auditor­ General for the fiscal year 1951-52. 2. To table a statement showing the total profits made by the Board of Liquor Control for the year 1951-52 and what amount was transferred to the Treasury from that Department for the fiscal year 1951-52 as well as what amount has been transferred to the Treasury from that source for the fiscal year 1951-52. 2.

To table a statement showing the various amount of Subsidies and Grants received by the Treasury from the Federal Government at Ottawa from April 1st, 1952 to date-give this information under the various head­ ings. Also inform the House what amounts are outstanding and due our Treasury from the Federal Govern­ ment for the present fiscal year, giv­ ing details of such amounts.

(10) MR. CAISHIN-To ask the Hon­ ourable the Minister of Finance to lay on the table of the House the following information: 1. A complete statement of outstand­ ing amounts due the Government by the various Corporations or individ­ uals; which amounts were advanced by the Commission Government prior to April 1st, 1949. Give the names of the Companies or individuals owing such amounts and advise whether or not these various Companies or indiv­ iduals have been keeping up repay­ ments as originally agreed when such ~:nnnnnh 'f,VPrP gr~n~Prl. 2.

A complete statement showing the amounts due the Government by var­ ious Companies or individuals, which amounts were advanced by the Gov­ ernment since April 1st, 1949, to date. Give the terms and conditions under which such loans were made; and ad­ vise whether or not these various Com­ panies have carried out the agree­ ments as to repayment when first these advances were made. 3. Give a statement showing the various amounts guaranteed by the Government to Banks since April 1st, 1949-the names of the Companies or individuals for whom such guarantees were made-the amount of each guar­ antee.

Also inform the House whether or not agreements made for repay­ ment of such guarantee have been carried out. 4. Give special statement showing the amounts advanced or guaranteed to certain European Companies under

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS 21 the Economic Development Plant of the Government to date. Give the names of each company and the amount advanced or guaranteed each company. 5. Give a special statement showing the names of Companies or individuals which have been given financial un­ dertakings by the Government; and which have not exercised such conces­ sions. Give the names and amounts of such obligations. 6. Table a statement showing the total cost of the Birch Plant to the Government for construction as well as information showing what amount the Machinery and Plant involved.

In­ form the House what amount has been advanced the Newfoundland Hard• woods Company for Operating Capi­ tal. Give a complete audited state­ ment of this particular company show­ ing the total amount produced-the value of such production-the cost of such production and advise the House the amount of actual orders for Birch products that are now outstanding. (II) MR. CASHIN-To ask the Hon­ ourable the Minister of Finance or appropriate Minister to table a State­ ment showing the total cost of the Cement Plant constructed at Corner Brook. 2.

What was the total cost of the Machinery used in the construction of this particular plant? 3. From what Company was the Machinery purchased? Give the name of such company and if such company were not the manufacturers of the machinery, why was such purchase made from a middle party. 4. Has the Cement Plant been sold to the Canadian Machinery Company operating at the Octagon-what were the terms of such sale-what amount has been paid the Government if any on the sale of this plant? 5. What was the total cost of the Gypsum Plant at Corner Brook?

What has been the total cost of the machin­ ery and equipment used in the con­ struction of the Gypsum Plant? From what company was the machinery pur­ chased? Was the machinery purchased direct from the manufacturers or from a middle party acting on behalf of the manufacturers. 6. When did the Gypsum Plant be­ gin Production Operations? What amount of money has been advanced for the purpose of Working Capital? Give a statement showing the gross amount in dollars of the Production of .this plant-what amount of the Product has actually been sold and what amount has been realized on such sale?

Give a complete financial statement of the operations of this plant since operations commenced.

(12) MR. CASHIN-To ask the Hon­ ourable the Premier to table the Fin­ ancial Statement of the Newfoundland and Labrador Corporation, giving full particulars of all expenditures in con­ nection with any development projects financed by the Corporation. Inform the House particulars as to the over­ head expense of operating this Cor­ poration. Advise the House if the Government has purchased further stock in the Company which would be in addition to the Nine Hundred Thousand Dollars originally used for purchase of 90% of the issued stock.

Inform the House whether or not it is the intention of the Government to dispose of its holdings in the Cor­ poration to private interests as indi­ cated by statements in the Public Press recently.

22 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS

(13) MR. HOLLETT-To ask the Honourable the Minister of Public Works to lay on the table of this House: 1. All correspondence between the Office of said Minister and the Fed­ eral Minister of Public Works rela­ tive to the Ferry Wharf at Portugal Cove. 2. What if any decisions have beeo arrived at by the Government rela­ tive to: (

a) the repair of said wharf; OR (

b) the construction of a new wharf.

(14) MR . HOLLETT-To ask the Honourable the Premier or other ap­ propriate Minister, to lay on the table of the House : 1. A copy of all correspondence with Fec.leral authoi ·ities telallve tu the ap­ plication of the Canada Shipping Act, and its effects on our Coastwise Mas­ ters and Mates. 2. What, if any steps have been taken to protect the rights of said Masters and Mates as· guaranteed by the Prime Minister of Canada in a letter to Sir Albert Walsh, Q.C., on December 11th, 1948?

(15) MR. HOLLETT-To ask the Honourable the Minister of Fisheries to lay on the table of •the House the following information : 1. The total amount of damage caused to the fishermen-owned pro­ perty during the storms of last Fall in the various fishing settlements­ list same under appropriate headings, such as: STORES - ST AGES - FLAKES­ BOA TS - NETS - Etc. 2. Give totals for individual fishing settlements, showing number of fish­ erment affected. 3. What, if any, arrangements have been made by Government ,to assist such fishermen to effect repairs or restore lost property, so that they may engage in next season's fishing?

(16) MR. HOLLETT-To ask the Honourable the Minister of Finance to lay on •the table of the House the following information: (

a) The names of individuals and/ or firms to whom loans have been made by the Government of New­ foundland for the encouragement of the Fishing industry-this to include all loans or guarantees with initial dates of granting or guaranteeing to­ gether with the amount of the loan or guarantee, and the amounts still out­ standing on any such loans, as also the terms of said loans or guarantees.

(17) MR. HOLLETT-To ask the Honourable the Minister of Finance to lay on the table of the House the following information relative to the Agreement with the Newfoundland Asbestos Limited : I. Has •the Government been called upon to pay the interest on any loans or bonds of said Company? 2. If so, on what dates and in what amounts? 3. Has any Minister of the Crown entered into any supplementary agree• ment with the Newfoundland Asbes­ tos Ltd. under

Section 4 of the New­ foundland Asbestos Ltd. (Confirm­ ation of Agreement) (Amendment) Act 1952? If so, what is the text of the supplementary agreement?

(18) MR. HOLLETT-To ask the Honourable the Minister of Finance to lay on the table of this House : (

a) The exact amount to the credit of the Consolidated Revenue Fund on the Books of the Bank of Montreal a1

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS 23 at April 1st, 1952. How much of this amount represented an overdraft, or advance or loan from the said Bank? (

b) The total net receipts from the ten million dollar Bond issue of 1952. (

c) The total revenue receipts up to February 28th, I 953 for the fiscal year '52/53 under the various head­ ings (exclusive of the ten million dollar Loan) and paid into the Con­ solidated Revenue Fund. (

d) The total monies paid out from the Consolidated Revenue Fund for the present fiscal year, under various votes, up to February 28th , 1953. (

e) What amount of money was at the cred it of the Consolidated Revenue Fund on the books of the Bank of Montreal as of February 28th, 1953?

(19) MR. HOLLETT-To ask the Honourable the Minist er of Economic Development to lay on the table of the House the following information : 1. Is the Agreement entered into by the Government of Newfoundland with Dr. Arthur Siegh eim of Staffel­ stein, Bavaria still current, or has said Agreement lapsed? 2. If the Agreement is still current, what is the world market price for timber as determined by the Federal Institute for Forestry and Timber Economy of Reinbek near Hamburg? !l. Has the timber controller of Canada given to Dr.

Seigheim of Staf­ felstein, Bavaria in Germany any per­ mission to expor-t timber pursuant to Agreement between him and Her Majesty the Queen in right of New­ foundland? 4. What proportion of the 200,000 cords allowed to be exported under this Agreement was exported during 1952? 5. Have any monies been paid to the Government by Dr. Seigheim as royalties as per

Section 7, (2) of the Agreement? 6. If not, does the Government con­ sider the Agreement between it and the said Dr. Seigheim null and void? 7. Has any notice been given Dr. Arthur Seigheim under

Section 7, (!

l) of •the Agreement? 8. What address to which all notices may be sent was given the Govern­ ment by Dr. Seigheim? 9. Has the Government yet cancelled the license to cut timber, and the permit to export which was to be procured to Dr. Arthur Seigheim over an area of 1400 sq. miles of Labrador?

(20) MR. HOLLETT-To ask the Honourable the Minister of Economic Development to lay on the table of the House the following information : 1. The total amount of monies loaned to the Canadian Machinery and Industry Construction Ltd. as of the following dates : (

a) December 31st, 1951. (

b) June 30th, 1952. (

c) December 31st, 1952. (

d) February 28th, 1953. 2. The total amount of interest paid into the Newfoundland Consoli­ dated Revenue Fund on account of the said loans by the said Canadian Machinery and Indus~ry Construction Ltd., on the following dates: (

a) December 31st, 1951. (

b) June 30th, 1952. (

c) December 31st, 1952. 3. What advance of the amount of $500,000 as set down in

Section 4 (

c) of the Canadian Machinery and In­ dustry Construction Ltd ., (Confirm­ ation of Agreement) Act, 1951 has been made to the said Company?

24 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS 4. Has the said Company executed a first Mortgage on all its Assets in favour of the Government of New­ foundland? 5. What amount, if any, of the loan to said Company has been paid back to the Newfoundland Govern­ ment? 6. Has the said Company yet suc­ ceeded in negotiating a commercial Bank Loan and / or what amount of monies have been received by said Company on account of the sale of its guaranteed Bonds? 7.

Has said Company established a sinking Fund for liquidation of its Government Loan or its Government Guaranteed Loan and if so, what aqiount of money has thus far been paid into said sinking Fund? ·s. What amount of Insurance ha.s been plac ed by the Canadian Machin­ ery and Industry Construction Ltd. against Joss or damage by fire of all its fixed assets in Newfoundland? With what Insurance Company is said insurance placed? 9. Give the total number of people employed in this plant together with total paid in wages since January 1st, 1953.

(21) MR. HOLLETT-To ask the Honourable the Minister of Economic Development to lay on the table of th~ House the following information : (

a) The names of the various New Industries introduced into Newfound­ land through the efforts of the Gov­ ernment since April 1st, 1949 together with their location. (

b) The amount of financial inter­ est of the Newfoundland Government in ea~h such New Industry. What amount of Joans and/or guarantees in each instance? (

c) The names of the Directors of each New Industry. (

d) The present stage of construc­ tion and / or production of each New Industry. (

e) The number of employees, and where production has started, the wage rates being paid in the diff erent wage categories by each category by each New Industry. (

f) The total amount of advances on account of each New Industry, and / or the total amount of guarantees on account of each such industry. (

g) In the Cement Mill, Gypsum Mill and Birch Plant, give the follow­ ing information :

(1) The total advance paid to each by the Govr.rn1nPnt tn rl::1tP.

(2) Total earnings in each instance to date (not to include advances by Government) .

(3) The total running expenses in­ cluding wages paid to date since con­ slructiun was completed.

(4) Salaries paid or fees paid to each Director and Executive Officer.

(5) The amount of profits, if any, of each of these •three industries.

(22) MR. HOLLETT -To ask the Honourable the Minister of Economic Development to lay on the table of the House th e following information : (

a) What is the present value of all Assets of the Atlantic Hardboard Industries Ltd. in Newfoundland? (

b) From whom did the said Com­ pany acquire the lantl. fur the site of the plant for the Atlantic Hardboard Industries Ltd. in Newfoundland?

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS 25 (

c) How much money was paid as interest on any loans advanced to said Atlantic Hardboard Industries Ltd. on the following dates :

(1) June 30, 1952.

(2) December 31, 1952. and how much money had been ad­ vanced to said Company on said dates? (

d) What items of Machinery list­ ed in

Schedule A of the Atlantic Hardboard Industries Ltd. (Confirm­ ation of Agreement) Act, 1952 have been landed in Newfoundland for said Company, and list cost of Indus­ trial items? (

e) Has the construction of the Building mentioned in

Section 4 (

d) of said Act been completed, and if so, what amount of money was ad­ vanced by Government to said Com­ pany on completion? (

f) Did the Company import pre­ fabricated buildings for the plant, and if so, what was the landed cost of same? (

g) Has the Government obtained in its favour from said Company a first Mortgage on all its Assets? (

h) Has the said Company repaid any portion of its Government loan or Government guaranteed loan? (

i) What amount of Insurance if any, is made payable to the Govern­ ment of Newfoundland on account of any loss or damage by fire and what Insurance Company has underwritten said loss or damage? (

j) How many people are employed in this plant at the present •time? And how much has been paid out in wages since January 1st, 1953?

(23) MR. HOLLETT-To ask the Honourable . the Minister of Economic Development to lay on the table of the House the following information relative to the United Cotton Mills Ltd. and the Government of New­ foundland: I. Has the Government of New­ foundland been called upon to pay any interest of any loans raised by said Company to date, if so, in what amounts? 2: At what stage of construction are : (

a) the Making-up Factory; (

b) the Weaving Mill; (

c) the Spin­ ning Mill-and how many operations are employed in each? 3. How much money has been ad­ vanced by the Government to said Company under the Agreement to date? 4. How much money, by way of in­ terest on loans was paid to the Gov­ ernment as of the following dates : (

a) December 31, 1951. (

b) June 30, 1952. (

c) December 31, 1952? 5. Has all Machinery- (

a) for the Making-up Factory; (

b) for the Weav­ ing Mill and the Spinning Mill-been delivered at St. John's, and a•t what dates were final deliveries made? 6. What security has been given by the said Company to the Government for any loans or guaranetes? 7. What, if any amounts. of said loans have been repaid to the Gov­ ernment?

(24) MR. HOLLETT-To ask the Honourable the Minister of Economic Development to lay on the table of the House the following information : 1. How much money has been ad­ vanced or loaned to the Newfound­ land Tanneries, William Dorn Ltd .?

26 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS 2. Have any guarantees of loans been made to the said Company? 3. What amount, if any has been paid back to the Government by said Company by way of interest on the following dates : (a) <December 31, 1951; (

b) June 30, 1952; (

c) December 31, 1952? 4. How many people are employed by this Company, and how many of these are Newfoundlanders?

(25) MR. HOLLETT-To ask the Honourable the Minister of Economic Development to lay on the table of the House: 1. A complete report of the oper­ ations of the Crown Corporation known as the Newfoundland and Labrador Corpcra.ticn Ltd., covering- (

a) Its financial status as of Febru­ ary 15th, 1953, showing revenues and expenditures including Salaries and Fees paid out. (

b) The rights and leases granted by the said Crown Corporation to­ gether with the parties to whom rights and leases were transferred, and the conditions governing the dis­ posal of said rights and leases. (

c) The complete correspondence relative to the resignation from this Crown Corporation of Sir William Stephenson. (

d) What, if any part of the Gov­ ernment's ninety per cent Shares in the Crown Corporation of NALCO have been the subject of negotiations recently with financial and/or indus­ trial interests? 2. A complete report on the fin­ ances of the Newfoundland Hardwoods Ltd., and the Cement and the Gypsum Plants-to include revenues, earnings and expenditures, the number of men employed and the total amount paid out in wages by each of these three industries. Has either of these plants been sold or leased, if so, on what terms and to whom sold or leased? 3. Give total cost to the Newfound­ land Government to date of: (

a) Cement Plant-(

b) Gypsum Plant -(

c) Newfoundland Hardwoods Ltd. to include advances on op­ erational account. 4. How much money has thus far been advanced by the Government to: (

a) United Cotton Mills Ltd.-(

b) Canadian Machinery and Indus­ tries Ltd. (

c) to each of the other New In­ dustries assisted by Government advances and Loans. 5. List the various amounts of guaranteed loans made by the Gov­ ernment of Newfoundland since April 1st, 1949, and to whom each separate guarantee was given together with the terms of the Loan relative to re­ payment, interest charges, and date of maturity.

(26) MR. HOLLETT-To ask the Honourable the Minister of Economic Development to lay on the table of the House the following information : 1. Give the names and addresses of all persons whom now constitute the body corporate known as the New­ foundland and Labrador Corporation Limited. 2. What is the total number oE common shares now outstanding in the name of said Corporation? 3. Give names and addresses of all holders of such common shares and the amount -0f money paid into the

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS 27 said Corporation for said shares, as also the number of fully paid up shares held by each shareholder. 4. Have any additional shares, be­ yond one million shares, been issued? If so, to whom, at what price, and the number of same to any such person? 5. Has the said Corporation sold, transferred, conveyed, or otherwise dis­ posed of any of the rights granted to it in the Incorporating Act; if so, give particulars with names of transferees. 6. Has the Corporation lent or ad­ vanced a.ny monies to any person, firm, or corporation and if so, to whom and for what purpose? 7.

Has the Corporation promoted any company or companies for the purpose of acquiring any of the rights or property of the Corporation? If so, give names of such companies with particulars. 8. What percentage of the total of outstanding common shares of the Newfoundland and Labrador Corpora­ tion Limited are presently held by the Government of Newfoundland? 9. What percentage of the total of the then outstanding common shares was held by the Government at the time of the last annual meeting? IO.

Did the holders of a majority of the then outstanding common shares by a separate vote at said last annual meeting, elect a Director? If so, give name and address of such Director. 11. Has there been any delegation of the powers which are listed under

Section 17 of this Act to any Officer or Director of the Corporation. If so, to what extent?

(27) MR. FOGWILL-To ask the Honourable the Minister of Education to lay on the table of the House the following information: 1. The total number of classrooms in the schools of Newfoundland. 2. The total number of teachers em­ ployed in these classrooms at the present time. 3. The total number of Certified Teachers, and 4. The number of non-cert.ified Teachers. 5. The number of classrooms re­ maining closed at the present time on account of a shortage of Teachers. 6. Give the total number of pupils attending school in all schools in Newfoundland this year. 7. List salaries to different grades of Teachers.

(28) MR. FOGWILL-To ask the Honourable the Minister of Economic Development to lay on the table of the House the following information: 1. How much money to date has been paid over to Dr. Sennewald un­ der the Agreement entered into with him by the Government for the manu­ facture of eyeglass frames? 2. Have any eyeglasses or eyeglass frames or any other products yet been produced here by Dr. Sennewald. 3. How many men and/or women are in his employ at the present time?

(29) MR. FOGWILL-To ask the Honourable the Minister of Public Works to lay on the table of the House the following information : (

a) What length of road was built from Botwood Highway to the Badger Highway as a diversion to by-pass Grand Falls. (

b) What was the total cost of this road and who were the builders or contractors.

28 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS

(30) MR. FOGWILL-To ask the Honourable the Minister of Finance to lay on the table of the House the following information: 1. How many licenses to sell wine and/or beer are presently at issue? 2. How many hotel licenses to sell spirits have been issued? 3. Give the names of all licensees and the location of premises and re­ gistered owners of said premises. 4. Give the total amount paid to each licensee to procure said license.

(31) MR. FOGWILL-To ask the Honourable the Minister of Finance or other appropriate Minister to lay on the table of -the House the follow­ ing information: 1. What amount of money is owed the Newfoundland Government and/or the Industrial Development Loan Board by the Guardian Press Limited? 2. What is the nature of the security given on any such loan?

(32) MR. FOGWILL-To ask the Honourable the Premier to lay on the table of the House the following in­ formation: (

a) The amount of salary being pres­ ently paid to Dr. Alfred A. Valdmanis, Chairman of the Crown Corporation, Newfoundland and Labrador Corpora­ tion Limited. (

b) What are the terms and condi­ tions governing the employment of Dr. Alfred A. Valdmanis as Chairman of the Board of this Crown Corpora­ tion? MR. SMALLWOOD: Mr. Speaker, I move the following resolution : That this House desires to record the ex­ pression of its deep sorrow at the death of the late Walter Stanley Mon­ roe, D.C., LL.D., one time member of this House as one of the represen­ tatives of the District of Bonavista, member of the Legislative Council, Prime Minister and Minister of Edu­ cation of Newfoundland. Since the last session the Honour­ able Walter Monroe passed away.

Honourable members will remember that at every opening Session since Responsible Government was restored to Newfoundland the late Mr. Mon­ roe was always a visitor to us in this Chamber and occupied a place of hon­ our in the front row of visitors' chairs. Mr. Monroe almost to the day of his death m aintained a keen interest in the Legislature, and I am sure that we all felt it a great pleasure and a great honour that he came here en opening day at each Session. Mr. Mon­ roe was, in my belief, one of the finest men ever produced by the public life of Newfoundland.

He had never sat as a member of the House until he came in here as Premier. He had be­ fore that contested a seat in Bona­ vista Bay only to meet defeat. On the next occasion when he ran, he ran as Leader of his party which was re­ turned in 1924. At that time I was a newspaperman who attended all Sessions of the House. I have, therefore, vivid recollections of Mr. Monroe as a member sitting quite close to where I stand at the present moment, as Premier and Leader of the Government. He was a most elo­ quent speaker with a magnificent voice and choice diction, a fluent and very pleasing speaker.

Those of us who were on the opposite side politically did not of course agree with what he said always nor with his policy, but we all agreed that he was a man of almost childlike simplicity, there wa,

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS 29 no guile in him, he was frank almost to the point of embarrassing his party and his Government. I remember, for example, attending a meeting of the Board of Trade in St. John's at which Mr. Monroe spoke saying that, wi~h a stroke of the pen he could reduce expenditures of the Government by, I think it was, half a million dollars.

Then later after he was elected to the House and served here for a year or more as Premier and knew a lot more about public finance he stood here and very frankly admitted that what he had said on that earlier occa­ sion was nonsense; now that he knew more he knew that he had been wrong. That kind of utter frankness on his part endeared him, I believe, to his followers and compelled sometimes an unwilling respect. But he had always the respect of the people of New­ foundland. I think that it was the verdict of the people of Newfoundland that although Mr.

Monroe as one of the country's finest businessmen, fish merchants of the day, might not have been a conspicuous success as Prime Minister he was sincere in his efforts, he had honestly desired to advance Newfoundland's interests, and if he had less success than he hoped for it was probably because of the limita­ tions imposed upon him by his train­ ing in commerce and his lack of ex­ perience in the public life of this country at that time. All that, of course, is a long time ago. It is now a good many years since Mr.

Monroe sat as a member in this Chamber, and having had that brief excursion of four years or le.ss into public life he retired completely from it and devoted the remaining years of his life to the general trade and commerce of Newfoundland and in that he was an undoubted success. It was therefore as a businessman, as a progressive and rather venturesome merchant that Mr. Monroe came to be even more highly respected than he had ever been as a public man. Mr. Monroe was extremely fortunate in having Mr. Arthur Monroe for his son.

For in Arthur Monroe who is continuing to carry on the business affairs and increasingly more and more in recent years, it was he, as the House will remember, I believe, pioneered in modern development of the frozen fish industry so that today he heads the Fishery Products, a concern which, I believe, absorbed the Monroe Ex­ port Company and is now, I believe, one of the two or three largest fish­ ery concerns in the entire Canadian nation, and that means a lot when we remember the great McMillan fishing empire in British Columbia and the great Canadian fishing companies of that same Province. Mr.

Monroe was a man who gave himself devotedly and very unstint­ ingly to quite a number of good causes in this city and on this island. He was for years Chairman of the Can­ adian Institute for the Blind here in Newfoundland. Mr. Monroe was not, 1 believe, born here on the Island. He was a New­ foundlander by adoption having come here from a family of quite distinct lineage in Ireland, to serve an appren­ ticeship with his uncle, another great and famous Newfoundlander in the person of the Honourable Moses Mon­ roe, I believe the founder of the Col­ onial Cordage Company, popularly known as the Rope Walk.

But as one who became a Newfoundlander by choice he was a great citizen, a great son of Newfoundland and this Prov­ ince, its industry and mercantile in­ terests, the community and the great

30 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS causes of charity have all lost a great man they can ill afford to lose. So I have the honour to move this resolu­ tion today. At the same time, Mr. Speaker, I would like to draw attention to the fact that two other former members of the House have passed to their final reward since we last met. I re­ fer to Harold Mitchell who was mem­ ber for Trinity South, I believe, en­ tering the House at the same time as did Mr. Alderdice in 1932 and served here for a brief space of less than two years.

Harold Mitchell too was a most excellent Newfoundlander, a man of transparent honesty and sincerity, a man of great convictions, a man who would go to almost any length to live out his convictions. Then finally the late Sergeant Frederick P. LeGrow who has died since we bst. met. "Freddie," as most of us knew him, entered politics for the first time, if I recall correctly, as a member of the House in 1919 under the leadership of Sir Richard S'quires when he was one of two Liberals elected for the District of Bay de Verde which at that time was a two man constituency.

I believe his colleague at that time was the late W. H. Cave. I believe Fred­ die LeGrow was a regimental sergeant in the First Royal Newfoundland Regi­ ment. He was an extremely popular figure here in this city, and New­ foundland is the poorer for the Joss of these three great and admirable Newfoundlanders. MR. HOLLETT : Mr. Speaker, in rising to support the resolution all I need to say is that we on this side of the House endorse wholeheartedly the sentiments so ably expressed by the Premier. We join from this side of the House in supporting this resolu­ tion, Mr. Speaker. MR.

SPEAKER: The resolution moved by the Honourable Premier and seconded by the Honourable Leader of the Opposition is adopted unani­ mously by the House. Notice of Motions MR. SMALLWOOD: Mr. Speaker, I give notice I will on tomorrow ask leave to introduce a Bill, "An Act to Approve and Give Statutory Effect to an Agreement between the Govern ment of Newfoundland and Atlantic Gloves Limited." MR. CUR TIS : Mr. Speaker, I give notice I V•r'ill on to1norrow ask leave to introduce a Bill to further amend the Judicature Act. HOtJ. \V. J. KEOUGII (rvfinister of Fisheries and Co-operatives): Mr.

Speaker, I give notice I w1TI on to­ morrow ask leave to introduce a Bill, "An Act Further to Amend the Co­ operatives Societies Act, 1939." HON. DR. F. W. ROWE (Minister of Mines and Resources): Mr. Speak­ er, I give notice I will on tomorrow ask leave to introduce a Bill, "An Act to Approve and Give S'tatutory Effect to an Agreement between the Govern­ ment and International Forest Prod­ ucts." HON. E. S. SPENCER (Minister of Public Works): Mr.

Speaker, I crave your permission and the indulgence of the House for a very brief moment to refer to . a ma,tter which has been entrusted me to bring to this Hon­ ourable House and to the people of Newfoundland. Recently it was my good fortune to be in the City of Tor­ onto at the opening of the Ontario Legislature. On that occasion I was a guest of the Honourable George Doucett, the Minister of Highways for Ontario, and he very kindly in·

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS 31 vited me to be present with him on the occasion of the opening of the House. The Prime Minister, Honourable Leslie Frost, whilst speaking that after­ noon took time out to extend the usual welcome to a visitor from some other Province and conveyed that wel­ come to me in no uncertain terms, and in doing so referred in glowing terms to the Honourable Premier of Newfoundland . He asked that I con­ vey to the Honourable Premier and through him 'lo the people of New­ foundland the continued good will and good wishes of the people of the Prov­ ince and of the Government of On ­ tario.

Honourable members will recall that shortly after the date of union we in this House were the recipients of var­ ious gifts from the various Provinces across the Dominion. I believe the seat in which you sit, Mr. Speaker, was donated to us by the Government of the Province of Ontario. Mr. Frost in his kindly expression of good will toward the people of this Province paid glowing tribute to the -Premier and -to the Province gen­ erally in connection with its progres­ sive policy of industrial development .

He went so far as to say that if New­ foundland continues the trend of pro­ gress they have already shown since the date of union •that we in this Province of Newfoundland bade fair to become one of Canada's greatest Provinces. I think, Mr. Speaker, that it is unnecessary for me to modify that. Everyone very well knows the Honourable Premier did not mean by way of population, but he felt this Province was really making great strides and ·that the people generally were enjoying much prosperity. As I have already said he paid glowing tribute to the Premier and the Gov­ ernment generally.

I feel, Sir, that •this is the first opportunity I have had to convey this message to you and the Premier and the people of this Province. I refrained from do­ ing so through the press following my return, as I felt it was my duty to convey that message first ,through the people's House. I was very happy to be the guest of the Government of Ontario · on that occasion in their great House where they have such a very bountiful seating capacity cater­ ing to some fifteen hundred or more guests. The Premier, Mr.

Frost, did pay a very glowing tribute to us in this Province, and I feel I perform a very humble duty in passing that on to the Premier and the people of -this Province through you, Sir, in this House. MR. SMALLWOOD: Mr. Speaker, not being one who follows the calen­ dar very closely and therefore not realizing what day Tuesday next is, I was going to move the adjournment until Monday. But my honourable friend on my right has reminded me that Tuesday is St. Patricks Day, what would be the point therefore of meet­ ing on Monday only to adjourn for Tuesday, why not therefore meet on Wednesday instead?

The practice is, of course, the House opens on Wed­ nesday and adjourns until Monday of the following week, but as Tuesday is St. Patrick's Day my motion is that we adjourn until tomorrow Wednes­ day at ll:00 of the clock. That will give my honourable friends of the Opposition ample time, I believe, in which to study the Speech from the Throne and be prepared to go for­ ward on that day with the debate. ), I

32 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS Now, if the House will be indulgent and allow me to do so I will say this : The Coronation, (as everyone knows) is on the 2nd, of June. His Honour the Lieutenant Governor and two of His Ministers are going. The two Ministers are going by boat, but that was not my doing I may say, the ,boat sails on the 21st of May. Give us a day before the boat sails, if you like to keep the House open until two days before ,the boat"l:\i!s, give us a day to get packed and ready. If the House desires it can remain open until two days before we leave for the Coronation.

By that I am trying to convey that there is no thought nor desire on my part, no desire in the world to rush anything nor deny the House all the opportunity it wants for debate of anything it may properly debate, and there fa no desire Vlhatso- ever to supress any information that we may properly give. There may be information we cannot properly give and that we won't give. Anything else we have we will give and as rapidly as the various departments concerned can assemble the answers.

There has been quite a number of questions ,tabled here today, it must run up to a hundred or more, a couple of hundred perhaps, however there are a large number and the various departments must assemble Lhe answers. The Ministers hardly ever receive them until the day they are handed to them for presentation to the House, they are all done by permanent officials of the various de­ partments and they are reasonably busy people. Maybe when the House meets on Wednesday we will have the answers to quite a number.

In fact I did not listen to all of them, but some I did hear I would have answer­ ed off hand by memory but others will require a lot of research. As fast as they can be prepared the an­ swers will be given. MR. SPEAKER : The motion is the House at its rising do adjourn un­ til tomorrow, Wednesday, March 18th at 3:00 of the clock. Motion carried. WEDNES:DAY, March 18th, 1953. The House met at three of the clock in the afternoon, pursuant to adjournment. Presenting Petitions HON. E. S.

SPENCER (Minister of Public Works): I understand there are nn pf'titinn~ ~nil th~t, t.n thP nPp~rt_ 111ent of Public VVorks, is interesting. I have the honour to place on the table of the House copies of Regula­ tions published by the Department of Public Works under the Department of Public Works Act, 1950, dealing with road matters. Copies are avail­ able to members of the House. HON. G. J.

POWER (Minister of Finance): I would like to lay on the table of the House copies of the Pub­ lic Accounts of the Province of New­ foundland for the year ending March 31, 1952; together with the Auditor General's Report thereon. HON. DR. H. L. POTTLE (Minis­ ter of Public ·welfare): Honourable members will find on their desks a copy of Phamplet No. 5 in rhe series published by the Department of Wel­ fare, "Welfare and the Whole Man" the general purpose of which is to give an

interpretation of the work and operation under which this is being carried on.

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS 33 Presenting Reports of Standing and MR. SPEAKER : We will table thr Select Committees Notice of Motion and Notice of Ques- MR. MORGAN : The Report of the Select Committee to draft a reply to the Speech from the Throne is as follows: To His Honour the Lieutenant Governor, Sir Leonard Cecil Outerbridge, Knight Bachelor, C.B.E., D.S'.O. May it please your Honour: We, the Commons of Newfoundland. in legislative Session assembled, beg to thank your Honour for the gracious speech which your Honour has ad­ dressed to this House. (Sgd.) C. S. Brown, James D. Higgins, A. B.

Morgan, Chairman. MR. SPEAKER: The Motion is that this Report be adopted. Is it the pleasure of the House to defer the debate which follows until a later hour of the day? HON. L. R. CURTIS (Attorney Gen­ eral) : I think it should be proceeded with now. I understand there are a number of questions to be tabled. We are hoping that the Premier will be here within an hour . MR. HIGGINS: I have some ques­ tions to table. MR. SPEAKER : I am trying to find out if you wish to proceed with the debate now. MR. M. M.

HOLLETT (Leader of the Opposition): We of the Opposi­ tion are perfectly willing to postpone the debate on the matter. MR. CURTIS: It is immaterial. tions. Giving Notice of Motion and Question MR. CURTIS: I give notice that I will on tomorrow ask leave to intro­ duce a Bill "An Act to Approve and Give Statutory Effect to an Agreement between the Government and the Su­ perior Rubber Co. Ltd ." HON. DR. F. W.

ROWE (Minister of Mines and Resources): I give notice that I will on tomorrow ask leave to in traduce the following Bills : A Bill "An Act to Amend the Wild Life Act, 1951." A Bill "An Act Further to Amend the Forest Fires Act, 1933." HON. MYLES' MURRAY (Minister of Provincial Affairs): I give notice that I will on tomorrow ask leave to introduce a Bill "An Act Further to Amend the ExploiLs Valley (Closing Hours) Shop Act, 1938." Notice of Question MR. HIGGINS-To ask the Honour­ able the Minister of Fisheries and Co­ operatives: (

a) Have all four of the Icelandic Boats been sold, and if so, to whom have they been sold? (

b) On what terms were these Boats sold or transferred, and what amounts have been paid to date by the pur­ chasers for each of these boats? MR. HIGGINS-To ask the Honour­ able the Minister of Fisheries and Co­ operatives to lay on the table of the House the following information : (

a) An itemized list of the realizable assets of the Crown Company Richard Limited.

34 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS (

b) An itemized account of all pay­ ments in the total outlay of $412,000 for this Crown Company, and the names of the parties to whom each payment was made. MR. HIGGINS-To ask the Honour­ able the Minister of Public Works to lay on the table of the Honse the fol­ lowing information : (

I) The total amount of money spent on the Trans-Canada Highway- (

a) Since April 1st, 1949; (

b) in each fiscal year since April 1st, 1949, how much of this amount was expended, (

i) By the Federal Government; (iiJ By the Provincial Government?

(2) Give the total number of men =~ ... 1p1 ... yo,1 1-,"t- YP-:Jr nn thP Tr::1n~-r.::1n- ada Highway, and the total monies spent in wages.

(3) Give the total mileage of new road construction on the Trans-Can­ ada Highway- (

a) since April 1st, 1949; (

b) in each fiscal year since April 1st, 194!:l.

(4) How many miles of road re­ main to be constructed, and the num­ ber of bridges together with approxi­ mate estimates of cost apart from paving?

(5) What is the average cost of paving per mile of road?

(6) How many miles of secondary roads were constructed during the past fiscal year and where located?; to­ gether with the cost of same, and the names of contractors or builders.

(7) How much money was spent on repairs of secondary roads during the past fiscal year?

(8) What amount of money was spent during the past fiscal year on roads in (

a) the Ferryland District; (

b) in each of the other electoral dis­ tricts, (not to include the Trans-Can­ ada Highway)? MR. HIGGINS-To ask the Hon­ ourable the Minister of Finance to lay on the table of the House : (

c) Information showing the exact amount of monies expended by the various Departments of Government to account of Travelling Expenses since March 31st, 1952. (

b) The total amount paid for travelling expenses, hotel accommod­ ation, etc., on account of each separ­ ate Cabinet Minister since March 31st, 1952. (

C) In formation showing the exact number of days since March 31st, 1952, spent outside the Province by each Cabinet Minister, and the exact amount of monies chargeable to and paid out of Treasury Funds on account of each Minister, on each separate period of absence from the Province. MR.

FOGWTT.T.-To ask the Hon­ ourable the Minister of Municipal Af­ fairs and Supply: How many Co-operative Building Groups have made application for loans as provided for under Subhead 131!\-0l of the 19!\2-1953 estimates of expenditure, answer to include the number of applications approved as well as the amount advanced to each group together with a statement show­ ing the regulations and conditions for each loan, also state where these Co­ operative Groups are located and the number of persons in each Group? MR.

FOGWILL-To ask the Hon­ ourable the Minister of Finance : To table a statement showing the total amount collected under the pro-

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS 35 v1s1ons of the Social Security Assess­ ment Act for each month from April 1st, 1952 to February 28th, 1953 in­ clusive, also state at what date the Assessment was imposed upon food stuffs. MR. FOGWILL-To ask the Hon­ ourable the Minister of Finance for the following information: I. What quantity of Liquor, Beer and Wine in bottles and;or gallons was held in the retail stores and in bond by the Board of Liquor Control as at April 1st, 1952 and what was the cost of same? 2.

How many bottles of Liquor, Beer and Wine was sold by the Board during the period April 1st, 1952 to February 28th, 1953 inclusive? 3. How many bottles of Beer was sold by Manufacturers' agents and re­ ported to the Board during the period April 1st, 1952 to February 28th, 1953, how many agents are there and where are these agents located. 4.

Table statement showing total number of bottles and/or gallons of Liquor, Beer and Wine purchased by the Board during the period April 1st, 1952 to February 28th, 1953, the cost of such Liquor, Beer and Wine, from whom purchased, and also the quan­ tity bought from each person or per­ sons or firms concerned. 5. What was the total quantity of Liquor, Beer and Wine held in the retail stores and in bond as at Febru­ ary 28th, 1953, also state the total amount paid into the Exchequer dur­ ing the present fiscal year and the amount of cash on hand as at Febru­ ary 28th, 1953? 6.

What was the total amount of Customs Duties, Excise Duties and Taxes paid by the Board to the Fed- era! Government during the period April 1st, 1952 to February 28th, 1953. MR. HOLLETT-To ask the Hon­ ourable the Minister of Fisheries and Co-operatives to lay on the table of the House the following information : I. In the matter of the four Ice­ landic Boats, give the following par­ ticulars: (

a) How many months was each of said boats in the care of Messrs. Job & Company and tied up to Job's wharf? (

b) How much money was paid said Company on account of the care of each said boat? MR. HOLLETT -To ask the Hon­ ourable the Minister of Fisheries and Co-operativ es or other appropriate Minister to lay on the table of the House the following information : I. How much monies have been paid out of the Treasury to date on account of the Walsh Fisheries Com­ mission? 2. What amounts have been paid to the various Commissioners and other persons employed in carrying out the inquiry of the Walsh Commission into the fishery? 3.

What amount of monies have been paid out on account of travel­ ling expenses of said Commission? 4. Is it the intention of the Gov­ ernment to set up similar Commissions of inquiry in connection with forest development and farm development as intimated in the Speech from the Throne? MR. HOLLETT : With regard to questions asked at the last Session, I beg leave to ask that a correction be made in the printed Question No. 23

36 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS (2) c. the Spinning Mill-how many "operations are employ ed in each?" should read "how many operatives are employed in each?" MR. SPEAKER : The Motion be­ fore the House is the Report of the Committ ee to draft a r eply to the Speech from the Thron e. The Motion is before the H ouse for debate. Orders of the Day MR. HIGGINS: In rising to dis­ cuss the Speech from the Throne, my fir st remarks must, of necessity, be addressed to the honou ra ble member for Gre en Bay and the honourable the m ember for Bona vista South, the Mover and Seconder.

I think that both these honourable gentlemen have acquitted them selves m anfully. In­ deed it was no surprise; having heard last vear the m ember for Ronavi.sta South; bu t it i-V as the first time that I, at least, heard the honourable m ember for Green Bay . I think it is not over stating the case to say both these hon ourable gentl emen did cred­ it to themselves and to this House. I shoultl like Lo join in the expres­ sion of congratulations to the two newly elected members of the House, the Honourabl e Minist er for Provin­ cial Affairs and the Honourable Min­ ister of Mines and Resources .

It has been my privil ege to know both these gentlemen outside this Chamber and if they measure up even half as well to the standards they have set and achieved in othe r fields, I think this House will be the better for their presence. The Speech itself, Mr. Speaker, does not lend itself to very lengthy discus ­ sion.

I am very happy to see that in connection with the Coronation of Her Gracious Majesty, the Queen, this Province is going to be represented by the Lieutenant Governor, by the Pre­ mier and by the Minister of Education who, I think, might well be called the Minist er of Protocol as it seems he is the one member whom the Govern­ ment has elect ed to handle all Affairs of Stat e-anything involving the Big Brass. And I think, apart from con­ siderations of party politics, we all agree that the official representation of this Province is a very capable one.

I am sorry that the Premier is not here this aftern oon; because it is not too oft en that we on this side have a chance to have anything nice to say about him. But I am sincere when I say that on certain occasions when it was a question of representing this country, the Premier has got a knack of rising to the occasion. I do not th;nk any of us is small minded enough to forget the Royal Visit in 19!Jl whe11 her present Majesty. at that time Princess Elizabeth, came here; and I think we were all proud of the reception and of the Premier's speech on behalf of Newfoundland.

As I say, we of the Opposition are well sati sfied that the representatives of this newest Provinc e and oldest Colony will certainly acquit them­ selves in a manner that will do credit to this country. I understand the Honourable the Minister for Provincial Affairs is go­ ing to form one of the detachment of Newfoundland War Veterans, who will form part of a larg er contingent of Canadian servicemen to attend the Coronation and he tells me that there will be nothing to distinguish the Newfoundland detachment from the rest of the Canadian crowd who will be there . That is a matter of some regret.

Whilst it is true that we have been absorbed into the Canadian pattern, it must not be forgotten that Newfoundlanders had their own Regi- •

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS 37 ment during the War, had their own distinguishing markings; and if it is not too late, and if it is not an im­ pertinence, I would make bold to sug­ gest that some consideration be given to having some distinct markings for the Newfoundland War Veterans who will be attending.

The other thing that stands out in the Throne Speech was the reference to the campaign undertaken for funds to relieve the sufferers in the floods which ravaged the coast of Britain, Belgium and Holland in February; and there is no question about it but that the Government acted (and when I say 'the Government,' I mean the Premier as head of the Government) promptly in the matter and the re­ sponse of the public was nothing short of magnificent. Indeed, I under­ stand, subject to correction, we stand somewhere about fifth in all of Can­ ada in our response. These are the general features of the Throne Speech.

As I understand it, Mr. Speaker, I have been told by some of my col­ leagues who have been in this House long enough to know what one can and should say in a debate on the Throne Speech, one can discuss al­ most anything. I propose to advert now to a matter that is of consider­ able importance to a very great num­ ber of people in my own district of St. John's East. I refer to the situ­ ation that exists insofar as one of our public utilities is concerned.

Very early in the life of the present Gov­ ernment in 1949, legislation was in­ troduced in connection with the set­ ting up of a Public Utilities Board­ legislation with which I think every­ body concurred as being long overdue and being very sound in its theory. The point is, Sir, I have today to bring before the House concrete evidence of where the Public Utili1ies Board does not seem to be on its toes.

Back in September, 1952, a group of citizens living in the Mount Scio area in the Long Pond vicinity, wrote to the Public Utilities Board complaining of the telephone system or service, or lack of it, being offered to the resi­ dents of that area. At the same time a copy of that communication appear­ ed in the local papers and a copy for­ warded to me. The Hoµse was not in session at the time and this is the first time I have had an opportunity to bring it up. In brief, Sir, the posi­ tion is that some forty odd families are living in the Mount Scio area without any telephone services.

In­ quiry reveals that in 1935 there was a very limited installation put in, and nothing was done then until 1946 when a four-party line was installed. These people applied to the company, and in evidence of their good faith, Mr. Speaker, their names are all ap­ pended to the letter they sent to the Public Utilities Board. They were told by the Avalon Telephone Com­ pany-"Next year we will do some­ thing for you." The convenor of that group with whom I was speaking at two o'clock today tells me that she is now informed that nothing will be done in that area this year because some other area has to be attended to.

Now, Mr. Speaker, I do contend that if we have this Public Utilities Board let it do some investigations of reports like that. The only action taken by · the Public Utilities Com­ mission was to write a very polite acknowledgement of the complaint made by those people, and let it go at that. I do contend that if this Board is working, and it is, we had a very fine report from them last year, beautifully printed by an organization

38 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS now defunct, the Guardian Press. Nevertheless it was a very fine job of printing. I think if we had a little more action and a little less printing, people would be a whole lot better serviced. Another thing, Sir, there is no refer­ ence that I can see in the Speech from the Throne to the question of tourist development. There has been a lot of talk in the papers and over the radio about the tourist development.. Undoubtedly under the management of the new direc tor, Mr. 0. L. Vardy, a lot of work has been done. Indeed we are informed today that Mr.

Vardy is taking off as soon as the ceiling lifts to address certain people and to arrange further consul tations with the Shera ton Hotel Chain to build hotels here and he is also, I think, going to address a 0.1.uuF of ;:)tJUl L::)UlCU iTI Toronto, and discuss this new film that is being made.

All these things are fine, Sir, but one of the things that strikes me is that we are over­ looking certain tourist developments at the moment when we are talking about the fishermen and the sports­ men who are going after the big game by not concerning ourselves with the ordinary small-fry tourist (if you want to call them that) who save up, come down on a cruise ship, and have just a little bit of money to spend and spend it in driving around the city and in the country just out­ side the city.

Now, I know whereof I speak because for some five or six years in the early 30's I worked at the Tourist Bureau which was at that time situated where the hotel barber shop now is. In those days the prin­ cipal cruise ships were the "Narissa" and the "Fort St. George." They would come up (or come down I never could get it straightened out) from New York via way of St. Pierre and arrive on Thursday morning and stay in port until Saturday afternoon. Most of the people who come on those cruises had just enough money for the trip and to buy a few souvenirs and do a little driving .

In those days they had three principal drives; there was the drive around the bay from St. John's to Harbour Grace; the drive from St. John's to Placentia, and the shorter drive, the one which I would say was the most popular, the Marine Drive which went right through St. John's East. Now, thes e people came in those days , and these people still come, Sir, and th ese are the people, with all du e respects to the more glamorous tourists who come here, who will constitute a very large part of our tourist trade. Sir, that Marine Drive, and I say it with knowledge, and can speak for my colleague from St.

Tohn's East as well, that Marine Dri;e has been totally neglected. It has been so long since any real work has been don e i n the District of St. John's East it is a wond er that any roads are there at all. Indeed if it were not for the fact the original road was so well built I doubt if there would be anything there today. Apart altogether from fixing it up for tour­ ists, some heavy work has been going on down on the Logy Bay Road for the past twelve months. Whether it is defence work or what it is I don't know .

But this I do know : The traffic on that road has been heavier than anywhere else in the city of St. John's over a comparable period, and nothing has been done to attend to that road. I would draw the atten­ tion of the responsible Minister to that and ask that something be done for the roads in St. John's East, not only, as I say, from the tourist stand­ point , but from th e standpoint of common decency towards some of the

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS 39 finest people in this country. We have had nothing done in St. John's East. I don't know if it is, Mr. Speak­ er, because the people of St. John's East comprise the only district in the country which has always said; we will elect whom we like. It is the only district, Mr. Speaker, which since 1949 has not submitted to the blandish­ ments of the Liberals (whether spell­ ed with a big "L" or a little "l") . Is it because they have reserved the right to use their intelligence? (and I use the word advisedly) . If so, then we have come to a pretty pass. Now, this Throne Speech, Mr.

Speaker, in the main looks forward. The Government says; ~ve will do such and such; we contemplate this or that. But any discussion, Mr. Speaker, on that speech might also profitably include a little looking backward; looking backward to the days not so long ago when the talk was always of new industries, when there were going to be so many jobs we would be sending up to the States and sending to the Mainland of Can­ ada and inviting Newfoundlanders to come back and fill the jobs that were offering. Mr.

Speaker, I doubt if there is any­ body in this Chamber who does not remember those gaudy utterances, which whether they were made in this Chamber or on the outside, they were said. Not long ago in the columns of the "Evening Telegram" where there is a column known to all of us, I think, written by a gentleman known to all of us, a gentleman who has never been regarded as anti-Government though he might be honestly critical at times. There was an

article dealing with the creation of these Government industries. If my memory serves me right he analyzed the net result of the new industries in terms of jobs creat­ ed. That was some time in December, Mr. Speaker. By simple arithmetic he arrived at the figure that approxi­ mately forty million dollars had been spent and approximately one thou­ sand men had gotten employment, which means that to employ each of these men cost this country forty thousand dollars. Now, if these fig­ ures are even remotely near the mark, then, Mr. Speaker, I suggest to you, Mr.

Speaker, if i\ is going to cost a little country like this forty thousand dollars for every job created we are much better off without creating any jobs. Now, some of these schemes have died aborning. There is the famous one-the Premier himself is not here which, as I have previously said, I re­ gret. I am sorry he was not here to hear something nice about himself and even more sorry now as I don't like to talk about a man behind his back. Be that as it may, the Premier himself said, and quite frankly thal the Icelandic Scheme was a "Cod" a "Flop". Said they went to all that trouble and did not succeed.

It so hap­ pened that particular year there was not a herring anywhere in Newfound­ land. But he has never yet told us, Mr. Speaker, why he did not go back the next year. There was some five hundred thousand dollars involved in those boats. I do hope that we will know when the questions filed today are answered. It will be interesting to find out what did happen, the Lord knows they cost us enough. Then there is the Ilirch Plant: What is the present status of the Birch Plant? Certain it is that numerous questions have been asked about it and no satisfactory information has I I

40 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS as yet been forthcoming. The public press has reported that there has been from time to time labour troubles in there. ,,ve do know that people have come down here and expressed pious hopes about the future of it. But what we do not know and apparently are never going to know is how much this plant is making or losing. Not too long ago in another paper, Mr. Speak­ er, the "Sunday Herald" of St. John's, dated March 22. issued last Saturday (I think it is dated a week ahead) on page 2 of that issue, and I propose to table this, Mr. Speaker, it says : " ... a good question they want to know if one industry is losing eighty thousand dollars a month?" The

article goes on to say: "Premier S'mallwood's op­ ponents are going to ask him point blank shortly if it is true that one of the new iudustries is losing eighty thousand dollars a month as has been reported from several Mainland sources. No verification of the loss has ever been received. On the other hand no financial statement has been made on the new industries and there is little doubt that this will be one of the major questions opposition members will be wa11Ling to hear from the Government, whether they will get it or not is another question.

Sev• era! officials connected with the in­ dustry have admitted quite frankly the industries are at present operating at a loss, but have pointed out that no industry can be expected to make a profit during the first year or two, etc., etc." Now, as to that paper, Mr. Speaker, I don't vouch for its sense of responsibility, but it is significant, Sir, that that same paper has on oc­ casions had an inside track on events that were going to happen, that they knew what decisions were going to be made by the Government, whether it. be by some coincidence or otherwise I don't know, but the inference is, Mr.

Speaker, the "Sunday Herald" is not unkindly disposed toward the Govern­ ment. If a statement like that is made in a paper like that, suggesting that any one of the new industries is losing eighty thousand dollars a month, then, Mr. Speaker, I do say the time has come to at least let this House know whether these industries are paying or whether they are not. Now, we come to the Cement Plant: The Cement Plant has been sold, at least that is the understanding we were given. We were not told in this Chamber, Mr. Speaker, for how much it was sold. I don't know why.

I suppose sometime in the fullness of time we will be told , either that we can't be told-it is not in the public interest to know how the public money is spent-or that there is some other ,easun for it. Ali we do know is that something in the vicinity of three and a half million dollars or more was spent. We don't know the price thal: the Government received for that plant nor indeed if the purchase price has been paid. ,,ve go from the ,