Mr. LEMIEUX:

I hope my hon. friend will repeat that at the bank.

Mr. CARVELL:

As to the right of a member of Parliament to travel on freight trains, or on any except regular passenger trains,

I wish to say a word.

I have no fault to find with anything. I have never been refused transportation, and have received every courtesy from the railways. Sometimes they do not ask me to sign the release, but I always insist on signing it. I have taken the view of the hon. gentleman from Renfrew (Mr. Graham), that I have not the legal right to travel on a freight train, but I thought I would like to raise the discussion. The Railway Department may know something about the view the railway companies take of this question.

Mr. COCHRANE:

I do not think the hon. member is entitled to ride on freight trains, and I do not think he should be allowed to do it.

At six o'clock the committee took recess.

After Recess.

The committee resumed at eight o'clock.

On section 302-regularity in train time.

Mr. COCHRANE:

I move that the following be added to this section:

All railway employees on local passenger trains running in the province of Quebec, having to deal with the travelling public, shall be conversant with the English and French languages from and after January 1, 1919.

Amendment agreed to; section as amended agreed to.

On section 346-members of Parliament and board, etc., free:

Mr. LEVI THOMSON:

If the minister

does not adopt the suggestion of the member for Saskatoon (Mr. McCraney), this section ought to stand. If a member loses his pass or it is taken away from him, I do not think that he should have to pay for his transportation.

Mr. COCHRANE:

I think we get enough privileges without asking fo'r any more.

Mr. LEVI THOMSON:

That Is not a

privilege. If in ordinary cases a man pays when he should not pay, he may recover from the railway company. If a member mislays his certificate or leaves it behind him-, the railway company is nothing out, even if it does- make a refund. In any case, I do not see why they should not be compelled to make refund in such cases.

Mr. COCHRANE:

I do not think so.

Mr. J. E. ARMSTRONG:

Sections 348

and 349 refer to the carrying of dangerous commodities. They have been amended to provide that when carrying dynamite, etc., railway companies must conform with the regulations made by the board. The board has issued exhaustive regulations in this matter.

Mr. LEMIEUX:

I was shocked some

months ago when travelling from Montreal to Ste. Agathe to find that dangerous- explosives were being carried on the train.

I hope that the Railway Commissioners have adopted very stringent regulations respecting the carrying of such dangerous commodities.

Section -agreed to. .

On section 350-carriage of mails, troops, equipment, etc.:

Mr. J, E. ARMSTRONG: The commission struck out after the word "Canada," on the sixth line, the words- "the Commander of the Forces" and inserted the words "the Minister of Militia or the Deputy Minister of Militia."

Mt. GRAHAM:

We have two Ministers

of Militia now. Does that apply to -both?

Mr. ROGERS:

This Act only applies to Canada. -

Mr. REID:

There is only one Minister

of Militia. The other is the Overseas Minister of Militia.

Mr. GRAHAM:

That is a rather fine

distinction to draw in a statute. The Overseas Minister of Militia has all the powers of a minister.

Mr. J. E. ARMSTRONG:

This section

deals with a matter in which I have taken a deep personal interest-water-borne traffic. I hope that at no distant date we shall be able to place the boat-s on our inland waters under the control of the Railway Commission.

Mr. NESBITT:

I think the Toronto Board of Trade wanted section 358 amended.

Mr. J. E. ARMSTRONG:

Possibly the hon. gentleman refers to the amendment which I attempted to have the committee accept. It has been struck out.

Mr. GRAHAM:

The Boards of Trade were against it.