Hon. HUMPHREY MITCHELL (Minister of Labour):

For the information of hon.

members I table copies in English and French of an exchange of notes between Canada and the United States as to an agreement respecting Unemployment Insurance. The object of the agreement is to ensure that application of Canada's unemployment insurance law and similar laws in the various states of the United States shall be coordinated so that duplication of contributions in respect to the same services and duplication of insurance payments with respect to the same period of unemployment may be avoided. The agreement became effective on April 12 last.

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

I should like to ask the Minister of Justice whether the letter appearing in to-day's press and reported to have been written by the minister to M. Harvey, secretary of the Quebec East Liberal Association, was in fact written by him. If so, may I ask him if he was reflecting government policy when he stated:

There is no intention for the time being to bring in conscription for overseas service.

Wheat Purchases

May I also ask him to explain what he meant by the statement that he-"would be true to Mr. King as long as he was true to himself and to his record."

Hon. L. S. ST. LAURENT (Minister of Justice): I did not write any letter to Mr. Harvey, but I did write to one Mr. Hawey, secretary of the Liberal club in the constituency of Quebec East. I have not seen it in the press. However, the phrases read by the hon. leader of the opposition sound like a correct translation of what I wrote. I expressed to the secretary of this club my own opinion as to what the situation was.

Mr. HANSON (York-Sunbury):

That is not an answer to the question. I asked, was that a reflection of government policy, and what did the minister mean by the second statement?

Mr. ST. LAURENT: I stated to the secretary of this club my opinion of the situation and of the purport of the bill before this house.

Mr. G. T. FULFORD (Leeds):

I should like to inquire whether the government has considered the advisability of converting the entire distilling industry from liquor to alcohol for the production of butadiene rubber or other essential war materials?

Hon. J. A. MacKINNON (Minister of Trade and Commerce):

I wish to make a brief announcement. The Ministry of Food of the United Kingdom has entered into another agreement with the Canadian wheat board to purchase Canadian wheat. The new contract, like the last one in November 1941, is for 120,000,000 bushels. A similar announcement is being made at this time in the British parliament.

Mr. HANSON (York-Sunbury):

What is the price?

Mr. MacKINNON (Edmonton West):

I wish to add a brief comment. This purchase is on the basis of futures, October and December. We have renewed our request to the British Ministry of Food that we be authorized to make the actual price figure available to

the house. To this request we have had a cable to the effect that consideration is being given to the matter, and we will be advised.

I should like to add that the outward movement of Canadian wheat and flour from August 1, 1941, to April 30, 1942, was 168,500,000 bushels, which is 28,250,000 bushels, or 20 per cent, above the 1940-41 figures for the same period. With a continuation of the present rate of disposition for the remainder of the crop year, there is every likelihood of a reduction of about 100,000,000 bushels in the Canadian wheat carryover at July 31, 1942, as compared with July 31, 1941.

Mr. COLDWELL:

Now that the former contract has been completed and a new one negotiated, could the minister tell the house what was the price under the former contract?