Mr. MARLER:

I accept my hon. friend's rebuke and, no doubt, the House does, in the same spirit.

Mr. GARLAND (Bow River) :

I wish to go on record as most heartily supporting the hon. member for Brome (Mr. Me-Master) in opposing this $10,000 increase.

Mr. FIELDING:

The speech of the hon. member for Brome is so much in line with my thought on other questions that I have difficulty in dissenting from it. I am not going to break my heart if the committee does not want to increase this grant. It is for the committee to decide. There are

exceptions to all rules and if there is anything in which we are willing to make an exception, it would be in regard to the boys of the country who are going to be the men of to-morrow, the men who will be our successors at no distant date. I think this Boy Scout movement is a very commendable one; but I am not going to urge this inceased grant on the committee. If any hon. gentleman thinks this a grave departure from our sound policy of economy, he can divide the committee on the question; but I am not going to support him; I am going to have the liberty of voting against striking it out. I am not, however, going to urge this upon the committee at this late hour.

Mr. FORKE:

I am just as anxious for economy as any one in this House and will cut down the estimates wherever possible; but I have had some experience of the Boy Scout movement, and as I have no boys of my own, I am not speaking for myself in this case at least. There is no greater or more important work being carried on in Canada to-day than the Boy Scout movement. I have great respect for the hon. member for Brome (Mr. McMaster) but I do not think he has looked at this matter in all its bearings and in every phase in which we might Consider it. As has already been remarked to-night, the boys will be the men of to-morrow; they will take up the burden, and I hope they will carry the flag a great deal better than their fathers have done. No dollar that is spent is lost when it is spent in bettering the conditions of these same boys. I have much pleasure in supporting this appropriation at this particular time.

Mr. BEAUBIEN:

I have much pleasure in endorsing what the hon. member for Brandon (Mr. Forke) has just said regarding the Boy Scouts. I have a boy who is a Scout, and I do not think this money is thrown away. I think it is one of the best expenditures the country can make.

Mr. WARD:

I wish to concur in all

that the hon. member for Brandon has said; but I can go back to my constituency and find a whole army of boys who have not clothes enough to go to school with, and it is a crime for us to spend money in this way while there are boys who have not clothes to go to school with and whose parents have not money with which to buy them proper clothes.

Mr. FIELDING:

It was originally provided that $25,000,000 might be devoted to this purpose. Some money has been spent from year to year, and this is the balance of the $25,000,000. It takes the shape of a loan to the provinces that avail themselves of the arrangement, and as they pay interest it is not an unprofitable expenditure.

Sir HENRY DRAYTON:

While the

original appropriation was $25,000,000, my recollection is that last year, owing to representations by the Committee on Soldiers' Re-establishment, the Dominion held itself open to increase the appropriation to $31,000,000 in order to make further advances to the provinces in proportion to population. Have any provinces taken advantage of that offer?

Mr. FIELDING:

The amounts paid

to date are:

Nova Scotia $1,100,000

Manitoba 1,975,000

Ontario 8,750,000

New Brunswick 1,525,000

British Columbia 1,701,600

Quebec 2,056,620

Sir HENRY DRAYTON:

Have any

provinces received their full quota?

Mr. FIELDING:

Manitoba and New

Brunswick, I understand, have taken their full proportion. The original appropriation was increased in order to allow an additional grant to be made to Ontario, but it is based on population.

Sir HENRY DRAYTON:

As I understand it, this is merely a revote of what was unspent last year.

Mr. FIELDING:

Yes.

Mr. McBRIDE:

Is this money spent by the provinces in organized or unorganized districts?

Mr. FIELDING:

The provinces determine on their own responsibility how the money shall be expended. They deal with the details. We advance the money and they are free to apply it subject to the general regulations.

Mr. McBRIDE:

There should be an understanding that the unorganized districts should have the same privilege as the organized districts. I know a great many farmers in our district who would like to take advantage of the loan, but they cannot participate in it because they are not in

an organized district. It is not right for us to advance money that serves the purpose of increasing the population of the cities. The cities are top heavy, and we should give more consideration to the country.

Mr. FIELDING:

My hon. friend's district will have to look to the provincial government. I have no dou'bt that, in any case, the provincial government would be desirous to meet al'l demands. It is not, however, for us here to say how they shall spend the money. We loan the money and they must take the responsibility for its application.

Sir HENRY DRAYTON:

I think that we have already advanced British Columbia its full quota.