Mr. McKENZIE:

Perhaps at a later

stage I shall ask the minister about this matter that I wish to speak about. I know of my own knowledge that in my constituency two preventive officers in the Inland Revenue Department have been dismissed. I have not been able to ascertain why they have been dismissed, but I was told by a very reputable gentleman from a part of the country where one of the officials was dismissed that since the dismissal illicit stills have sprung up in that place and a very undesirable condition has arisen.

Mr. CARVELL:

In Cape Breton?

Mr. McKENZIE:

I did not mention any place.

Mr. CARVELL:

I should hope not.

Mr. McKENZIE:

On the general principle that everything of a live nature is going on in Cape Breton, perhaps the hon. gentleman is right. I wish most seriously to call the attention of the minister to the matter. This officer was keeping down this sort of thing. The place is in an out-of-the-way part of the country, and I am told by this gentleman, who is the parish priest in this place, that the moment this man was dismissed, old troubles began, old stills were started up in the woods, and a condition of things brought about that is highly undesirable. I would ask the minister to inquire from his deputy in that department why those men were dismissed, and if it is his intention to keep some supervision over those districts by making other appointments.

Mr. SIFTON:

Will the hon. gentleman tell me the names of those men?

Mr. McKENZIE:

The man who was dismissed from the locality to which I referred was Donald McLellan. The name of the other man was John J. McKinnon, who was preventive officer in a part of the country quite distant from where Mr. McLellan is officiating. The part of the country where the trouble has arisen is where Mr. McLellan was officiating.

Mr. CANNON:

The other day I asked the Prime Minister whether the two departments of Customs and Inland Revenue were to be merged, and the Prime Minister replied that in a few days he would give out a statement in regard to the matter. If such is the case, I do not think it is fair for the Government to ask the Opposition to vote this special item before the statement is given. Who is to administer this money? Who is to be responsible to the people? Who is to be responsible to the members of Parliament? We do not know. I do not think -there is any haste or hurry. Why not delay the item until the statement is given? Then we shall be in a better position to judge if the money is put into proper hands.

Civil Government-Department of Agriculture-

Salaries and contingencies....? 633,850 00

Mr. CRERAR:

The increase in salaries is due to the usual statutory increases. The other itern-s remain the same as they were last year.

Mr. CANNON:

Would the minister say if there is a gentleman whose occupation is that of distributing bulls throughout the Dominion? Maybe the minister is not aware of this special niatter, but last year there was quite a discussion in this House on a most interesting subject, that of cattle distributed freely throughout the county of Dorchester, then represented by a minister in Sir Robert Borden's Cabinet. I would be very much interested, as being the successor of this hon. minister and also as residing in the same county, to know the name of the gentleman who made the distribution last year, what was his salary and how many bulls he distributed.

Mr. CRERAR:

I regret that I cannot give the hon. gentleman the information he desires. I can assure him, however, that the item, if there is such an item, is not included in this list.

Department of Marine and Fisheries-

Salaries, including transfer of F. A. Willsher at $2,200, and of G. la. MacLaren and T. F.

Murdook at $1,450 each ....$224,500 00

Contingencies 31,000 00

Mr. BUREAU. May I ask for an explanation about the transfer of Mr. Willsher and Mr. Murdock? Are they transferred from one branch to another?

Mr. BALLANTYNE:

These three employees have been transferred from the Marine and Fisheries Department at Prescott to Ottawa, and we particularly need the services of these men now in connection with our shipping programme. They are expert draftsmen.

Mr. LEMIEUX:

Does the principle apply to the department as regards the outside service, that all appointments will be made under the Civil Service Commission? I understand that the Harbour Commission of Montreal and the Harbour Commission of Quebec have certain appointments to make. Are these appointments subject to the Civil Service Commission?

Mr. BALLANTYNE:

No. The Harbour Commissioners of Montreal and Quebei: have full jurisdiction in these matters.

Mr. LEMIEUX:

They retain their own standing?

Mr. BALLANTYNE:

Just as in the past.

Mr. LEMIEUX:

I understand the position of Harbour Master of Quebec is vacant. I do not know if any recommendation has been made to the department through the Commission in Quebec, but, if none has been made, I would be pleased to recommend to my hon. friend the name of Capt. Bernier, the gentleman who has done so much for Canada, who has discovered new lands and planted the British flag in the northern regions of Baffin's Bay. I simply throw out the suggestion to my hon. friend.

Mr. BALLANTYNE:

No representation

or recommendation has been made by the Harbour Commission of Quebec, but when it is made I shall be most happy to take into consideration what the hon. member has said with regard to Capt. Bernier.

Sir SAM HUGHES:

I will not take the matter up to-night, but I suggest to the hon. minister that, on some .future occasion, he should take the House into his confidence in regard to the shipbuilding industry in Canada, and also in regard to the question of transhipping of fish in frozen compartments overseas.

Mr. McKENZIE:

I wish to bring to the notice of the minister that he has two deputies in his department, one in the Department otf Naval Affairs and the other in the Department of Marine and Fisheries. I observe that one of those deputies receives

$5,000 and the other $6,000. I observe in the estimates the items of the .Department of Agriculture appear on page 26 and items of the Department of Marine and Fisheries on page 27. The Deputy Minister of Agriculture gets $6,000, and the able and efficient Deputy of Marine and Fisheries receives $5,000. I should like to know from the 'minister why there is such a striking difference between those two men. I venture to think there is not a more efficient deputy in the whole outfit than the Deputy Minister of Marine and Fisheries-, and I cannot -see why he should not 'be -getting $6,000 as well as any other deputy in- the department.