Mr. COLDWELL:

Suppose an original

soldier settler sells his land; it passes to someone else, and he has no further interest in it; is the title to the minerals vested in the original soldier settler?

Mr. CRERAR:

I would say that as a matter of common sense if a soldier settler acquired land that carried mineral rights, if he paid for his land and got title to it and then resold his land, he could either reserve the minerals or convey them to the purchaser.

Mr. HANSON (York-Sunbury):

That is not quite the question.

Mr. COLDWELL:

An original soldier settler meets all his obligations and obtains title to his land. He sells it to another party. Are the minerals conveyed to the original settler?

Mr. CRERAR:

That is the answer I gave.

Mr. COLDWELL:

The minister said he could either reserve or convey. Supposing there is no arrangement between the two parties; who will hold the mineral rights as time goes on?

Mr. CRERAR:

He has acquired title to the mineral rights with the land. That is his property and he can make any disposition of it he wishes. If he wants to sell it to my hon. friend, he can say the minerals go with the land, or he can say the minerals do not go with the land. I would say that this would be a matter of choice for the soldier settler.

Mr. HANSON (York-Sunbury):

This is intended to grant to the original soldier settler the mines and minerals acquired with the land. Is this intended to cover a case where he did not receive the mineral rights in the original grant? Is the soldier settler to be granted the mineral rights acquired with that land? I must confess it is beyond me.

Resolution reported, read the second time and concurred in. Mr. Crerar thereupon moved for leave to introduce Bill No. 31, to amend the Soldier Settlement Act.

Motion agreed to and bill read the first time.

The house in committee of supply, Mr. Vien in the chair.

Mr. HANSON (York-Sunbury):

Is this item to provide under the act for aid to Canadian coal for the manufacture of iron and steel?

Hon. JAMES A. MacKINNON (Minister of Trade and Commerce): The next item deals with that. The item before the committee is for departmental administration.

Mr. HANSON (York-Sunbury):

Under the item it says:

An act to place Canadian coal used in the manufacture of iron or steel on a basis of equality with imported coal.

That is part of the next item, is it?

Mr. MacKINNON (Edmonton West):

Yes.

Mr. HANSON (York-Sunbury):

Then I would say that that paragraph is misplaced in these estimates. Would the minister explain the item before the committee, which shows a salary increase?

Mr. MARSHALL:

There are two sets of figures I should like to get from the minister, the amount appropriated for the fiscal year ending March 31, 1939, and the amount spent, and the same figures for the fiscal year ended March 31, 1940.

Mr. CHURCH:

What has the minister done with the findings of the Tory commission on coal? I should also like to know what the government is doing about a national coal supply for Canada. The report of the Tory commission never mentioned the consumer of coal at all.

Mr. CR"ERAR: This item, No. 377, deals only with departmental administration. My hon. friend's remarks would come under the next item.

Mr. HANSON (York-Sunbury):

The hon. member for Broadview (Mr. Church) has evidently fallen into the same error that I did. We must blame it on the printer because certainly the reference to coal should be placed under item 378.

I observe from the details on page 194 of the main estimates that the amount asked for this year for departmental administration is slightly less than last year's vote, and the number of employees is one more. Perhaps the minister would give the necessary explanation for the difference in each case. I should like to say to him that in my experience I found this a very well run department. He has a fine staff. I am sure they will be loyal

Supply-Trade-Administration

to the present minister, and he will be well advised to be guided to a great degree by the heads of the different branches, because from my experience I am sure they will not lead him astray. During the term I presided over this department I saw in it less of political interference and that sort of thing than in any other department with which I had anything to do, although I never administered any other department. The Department of Trade and Commerce was remarkably free from partisanship, and I want to give that certificate of character to the officers in that department.

Before the minister explains the slight differences from last year's vote, might I suggest to him what I suggested to his colleagues this afternoon, that having regard to conditions in Europe and the consequent restriction of our commercial intelligence service, when vacancies occur they be not filled for the duration of the war unless they are for absolutely key men who must be taken on. Let us in that way save a dollar and earn our own salaries.

Mr. MacKINNON (Edmonton West) :

I was glad to hear the leader of the opposition (Mr. Hanson) make such complimentary remarks about the officials of the department over which I have the honour to preside at the moment. In my own very short experience I have found the officials living up to the reputation which the hon. gentleman has given them.

To come to the item itself, the salaries for departmental administration last year amounted to $67,170, and this year, $68,520.

Mr. HANSON (York-Sunbury):

There is

one additional stenographer. Does that account for the increase?

Mr. MacKINNON (Edmonton West):

Yes, there has been an increase of one in the number of stenographers.