Mr. SPEAKER:

I have the honour to inform the house that I have received the following communication:

Ottawa, May 28, 1942.

Sir:-I have the honour to inform you that the Hon. Thibaudeau Rinfret, acting as deputy of His Excellency the Governor General, will proceed to the Senate chamber on Thursday, May 28, at 5.45 p.m. for the purpose of giving the royal assent to certain bills.

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your obedient servant,

F. L. C. Pereira, Assistant Secretary to the Governor General.

Hon. J. L. ILSLEY (Minister of Finance):

I wish to lay on the table copies of the tax agreements between the dominion and the provinces. The agreement between the dominion and the province of Quebec has now been signed and I am in a position to table complete copies of all the agreements. This is really in compliance with a motion for a return made by the hon. member for Hastings South (Mr. Stokes) on April 22.

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

If it is in order may I ask the Minister of Mines and Resources if he will see that the correspondence with respect to the Alberta bill be tabled as soon as possible.

Hon. T.' A. CRERAR (Minister of Mines and Resources): Yes. I directed this morning that inquiries be made of one or two other departments that may have correspondence relating to it. As soon as I have that information I see no reason why I should not bring it down.

Mr. JOHNSTON (Bow River):

What were the freight rates on scrap metal from Calgary and/or Edmonton, Alberta, to (a) eastern Canada, (b) Vancouver, during the years 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941 and to date in 1942, by ^1) Canadian Pacific Railway, (2) Canadian National Railways?

Mr. HOWE:

From Calgary to Vancouver,

45 cents per 100 pounds; from Edmonton to Vancouver, 50 cents per 100 pounds. Rates to eastern Canada vary according to destination. Using Hamilton as typical point of destination, rates from Calgary during the years 1938, 1939, 1940 and prior to August 11, 1941, 814 cents, and subsequently 75 cents. From Edmonton during the years mentioned prior to June 9, 1941, 804 cents, and subsequently 75 cents.

Mr. MITCHELL:

With respect to both

the.se questions, the regulation of conditions of employment in industrial establishments is a matter for the provincial authorities except in respect to wages. I should say however that the Dominion Department of Labour continually supplies the respective provincial governments with the latest information from other countries and also our own with respect to the subject matter raised in these questions.

Questions as Orders for Returns

Mr. HANSON (York-Sunbury):

That is hardly a correct statement. If it is in government-owned factories or federal public works we have jurisdiction over everything. Make no mistake about that.

1. Have scientific investigations been carried on by the Department of Agriculture or otherwise as to the possibility of utilizing Canadian grown cereals to produce butadiene which is used in manufacturing synthetic rubber?

2. Has the Department of Agriculture made scientific research into the possibility of producing alcohol, rubber, starch and other commodities from certain farm products?

3. If such research has been carried out, was a report made to the Department of Munitions and Supply thereof?

4. Has the attention of the Department of Agriculture been called to the possibility of converting certain Canadian grown cereals into products necessary in our Avar effort by (a) companies engaged in distributing petroleum and rubber in Canada, (b) the Department of Munitions and Supply, (c) the national research council?

Mr. GARDINER:

May I suggest to the hon. member that this question in its present form be dropped and that the information be asked for from the Department of Trade and Commerce? The national research council would have any information that is available, and I think it would be better if it came direct from that department.

Question dropped.