Right Hon. ARTHUR MEIGHEN (Prime Minister) :

Mr. Speaker, this being Private Members' day, it seems improbable that the Orders of the Day will be reached, and consequently I shall not be able to take the usual opportunity of fulfilling two or three promises I made to the House yesterday. I would, therefore, crave the privilege of making a statement.

Mr. SPEAKER:

Is it the pleasure of the House that the right hon. gentleman should have unanimous consent to make his statement?

Carried.

Mr. MEIGHEN:

I undertook to reply to-day to a question of the hon. member for Three Rivers and St. Maurice (Mr. Bureau) as to whether communications had come from the International Joint Commission with reference to control of the waters of the Lake of the Woods, either since or prior to November last, or from any Branch, American or Canadian. The answer is, No. The last communication was some time in March 1916. I know that that is outside the period that the hon. member had in mind.

Right Hon. ARTHUR MEIGHEN (Prime Minister) :

The hon. member for Matane (Mr. Pelletier) asked as to communications which I should have received, but which he complained were unanswered. The first one referred to, dated March 10, was received and acknowledged. The second one, dated March 15, was also received and acknowledged. I will hand the answer to the hon. member. I only mention it now because I promised to do so.

Right Hon. ARTHUR MEIGHEN (Prime Minister) :

I also promised to

make a statement to-day with regard to the bonus granted to the Civil Service. The House, of course, knows that this bonus has been given to meet the abnormal increase in living costs. This addition to civil service salaries amounted, for the fiscal year just closing, to some $12,500,000, running the total appropriation for remuneration of the Civil Service for the year to something over $66,000,000. The Government has decided, in view of the increases following re-classification, and of the diminishing cost of living, and having regard also to the imperative necessity of retrenchment wherever possible, to reduce this bonus, commencing with the ensuing year, by 25 per cent.

Mr. GERVAIS:

Is the telephone line between Berthierville and He St-Ignace and lie du Pas the property of the Government?

Hon. Mr. McCURDY:

Yes, and it is operated under agreement by the Bell Telephone Company.

1. At what date did the Government make a contract with the Dominion Iron and Steel Company to supply steel plates for ships?

2. What was the total quantity contained in that contract and which were to be delivered by the said company to the Government?

3. What was the price per ton agreed upon?

4. How many tons have been delivered so far and where delivered?

5. Has the contract since been cancelled?

6. If so, what damages did the Government have to pay the said Dominion Iron and Steel Company?

7. If not, has the Dominion Iron and Steel Company made any claim against the Government? If so, how much?

Hon. Mr. REID:

1, 2 and 3. The original contract with the Dominion Iron and Steel Company, Ltd., was authorized by Order in Council dated March 26, 1918, and was dated April 2,

1918. That contract provided for the erection of a modern 110 inch steel plate mill by the Dominion Iron and Steel Company, Ltd., the Government undertaking on its part to purchase 50,000 gross tons of plates per annum for a period of five years at a price of $4.15 per 100 lbs. base f.o.b. cars Sydney or f.o.b. steamed Sydney or Louis-burg. A modification of this contract was authorized by Order in Council of July 26,

1919, and the modified agreement under the terms of that Order in Council is dated December 10, 1919. This agreement provided for a reduction of the price to be paid the Dominion Iron & Steel Company, Ltd., from $4.15 per 100 lbs. to $3.65 per 100 lbs

4. 40,400 gross tons delivered f.o.b. Sydney.

5. Yes. *

6. The Government has paid no damages.

7. No. [DOT]