Mr. BALLANTYNE:

The purpose of the Bill is to amend the Montreal Harbour Advances Act-of 1914 to enable the Commissioners to retire, out of moneys to be advanced by the Government, debentures issued to the public and maturing during the year 1918, to the amount of $300,000. My hon. friend from Maisonneuve will

understand that this is the usual way of handling tihe matter. When this money was advanced under the Act of 1914, the Harbour Commissioners thought they would have fully expended the money by the end of 191/, but that not being so, it was necessary to amend the Act as I have just stated.

Resolution reported, read the first and second time and agreed to.

Mr. BALLANTYNE thereupon moved for leave to introduce Bill No. 15, to aitiend the Montreal Harbour Advances Act, 1914.

Mr. LEMIEUX:

Will the Minister be in a position to state, at the next sitting of the House when this Bill is brought up. the programme of work on the Montreal Harbour?

Mr. BALLANTYNE:

Do I understand

the hon. member to mean the programme of work we contemplate carrying on at Montreal during tihe coming year?

Mr. LEMIEUX:

Yes.

Mr. BALLANTYNE:

I shall be glad to give that information at the next sitting.

Is the Bill printed?

Sir ROBERT BORDEN:

I have a printed copy in my hand. Bills are not printed and distributed until they are introduced. This Bill has not been introduced. If the resolution passes, I shall introduce it immediately, and then it will be printed and distributed.

Mr. SINCLAIR:

It seems to me to be

a very large order for the Government to ask Parliament to give them this power until three years after the termination of the war. There may, of course, he some good reason for it. I can quite understand that during the war it may be necessary for the Government to have this power as to imports and exports, but why we should go so far as to give control of our import and export trade into the hands of the Government independently of Parliament for a period of three years after the war is over, it is difficult to understand. I trust some good reason will be forthcoming with regard to this p^onsal.

Sir ROBERT BORDEN:

I entirely agree that there should be a full explanation of the grounds upon which the Bill is founded, and my hon. friend may rest assured that the Minister of Trade and Commerce will give his reasons very fully when he moves the second reading of the Bill.

Mr. LEMIEUX:

Is it in virtue of this principle that the War Trade Board has been created?

Resolved, Thtt It is expedient to provide thal the Governor in Council may, until the expiration of a pe-iod of three years after the termination of tl* present war, make regulations prohibiting the importation or exportation of goods of any class, description or origin or produced or manufactured in whole or in part m any country or place specified in the regulation, cither generally or from or to any country or place named in the regulation, subject to such, exceptions (if any) as may be specified in the regulation, and to any licenses the grant of which may be authorized by the regulation.

Sir ROBERT RORBEN:

I am moving

this resolution in the absence of the Minister of Trade and' Commerce (Sir George Foster) who cannot be here this evening. It is merely for the purpose of founding thereon a Bill which is in precisely the same terms. If the hon. gentlemen will be good enough to permit the resolution to be passed pro forma, I shall not attempt any explanation of it in the absence of the minister who will give a full explanation of it upon the second reading.

Sir ROBERT BORDEN:

No, it has no connection whatever with the constitution of the War Trade Board.

Mr. LEMIEUX:

What makes me suggest that there should be a full explanation of the proposed resolution and the creation of the War Trade Board is that I find that an Order in Council was passed about eight or ten days ago prohibiting the export of enumerated articles. I am interested in one-mechanical pulp, sulphite pulp. I went before the War Trade Board the other day in order to obtain a license for a company- On reading this resolution, I thought it was the same principle.

Sir ROBERT BORDEN:

It may be the

same principle in one sense, but the Bill has no connection with the establishment of the War Trade Board.

Mr. ELKIN:

Might I ask the Prime Minister, in the absence of the Minister of Trade and Commerce, by what means he proposes to carry out the provisions em-

bodied in this resolution? It is rather a broad resolution, and from many standpoints it might be dangerous for its powers to be carried out by what might be considered a War Trade Board. If the work is to be carried out by officials of the Government, the matter might have an entirely different standing from what it would have if they were carried out by the War Trade Board as at present constituted. It is very important from many points of view that we should know something further about the resolution. The members of the War Trade Board, as I understand, give their services voluntarily -and without remuneration, but the board is not without influence. As we are at the present time importing many articles that are rather dangerous, this control should be exercised by officials of the Department of Trade and Commerce. As the resolution is a broad one and confers a great deal of power, it should be carefully considered by this House.

Sir ROBERT BORDEN:

There will be the most ample opportunity for discussion of the Bill upon its second reading, and afterwards in Committee of the Whole, where the greatest possible scope is afforded for any discussion of that kind. I am merely asking that the resolution may be passed pro forma in order that the Bill founded upon it may be introduced. The resolution itself provides that the regulations are to be made by the Governor in Council.

Resolution reported, read the first and second time, and concurred in.

Sir ROBERT BORDEN thereupon moved for leave to introduce Bill No. 16 to amend the Customs Act and to provide for the temporary control of exports and imports.