Mr. M. J. COLDWELL (Rosetown-Biggar):

I have received a telegram from Mr. John

Vershagen, reeve of the municipality of Blaine Lake, Saskatchewan, stating that farmers in that municipality are unable to purchase seed with which to cany on their operations because they have not received their bonus payments. Will the minister endeavour to have these payments expedited?

Hon. J. G. GARDINER (Minister of Agriculture) :

Yes, Mr. Speaker. Of course it

will be necessary for us to have the names of the persons involved. There must be very few who have not received their payments to date, unless a township is in dispute.

Hon. R. B. HANSON (Leader of the Opposition):

I should like to ask the Prime Minister whether any report has been received with respect to the Hong Kong commission.

Hon. J. L. RALSTON (Minister of National Defence):

I understand that on

account of the illness of the gentleman who wa3 nominated by my hon. friend, briefs were not filed, and further time has been allowed. A date has been fixed within which the briefs are to be filed, I think within one week from now; and I presume that immediately afterward the matter will be dealt with.

Mr. HANSON (York-Sunbury):

I thank

the minister for the information. Personally I have made no inquiry as to the matter, but I understood that briefs had been filed. I did not know there had been any delay.

Air. ANGUS MacINNIS (Vancouver East):

I should like to direct a question to the Minister of Labour, through the Secretary of State. I am informed by the Montreal local of the office and professional workers organizing committee that in December last they made application for a hearing before the Quebec regional war labour board on behalf of the employees of the Banque Canadienne Nationale. Their brief was presented on January 13, 1942, but as yet they have received no award, nor have they had a reply. I wonder if the minister could make a statement on the matter.

Hon. N. A. McLARTY (Secretary of State):

My colleague the Minister of. Labour (Mr. Mitchell) is unavoidably absent from the house

Labour Conditions

this afternoon on official business. I regret that the hon. member for Vancouver East did not give notice of this question, and I am afraid I shall have to ask him to allow me to treat it as notice of his intention to ask it. I shall direct the question to the attention of the Minister of Labour immediately upon his return.

Mr. MacINNIS:

I did send notice to the office of the Minister of Labour, though it was rather short notice.

Mr. McLARTY:

Then I regret that my hon. friend's notice was not brought to my attention. However, I think it is a matter i hat may well be allowed to stand until to-morrow, in view of the general nature of the question.

Mr. CLARENCE GILLIS (Cape Breton South):

I too should like to direct a question to the Department of Labour, through the Secretary of State, based upon a telephone conversation this morning with one of the union representatives from Kitchener, Ontario, where a lockout is in progress at the Dumart packing plant. Is the Department of Labour aware of this situation and, if so, what steps are to be taken to compel the operators to reopen the plant?