Mr. COCKERAM:

I think I brought this question up before: Will the minister consider the payment of gallantry awards to the

men of the first war who won the military medal? There is an allowance for personnel who won the military medal in the last war.

Mr. MACKENZIE:

Was that for Canadians or for imperials?

Mr. COCKERAM:

For Canadians, who are getting it now.

Mr. TUCKER:

As the hon. member knows, the imperial government paid these awards in regard to the first great war, and when we assumed the obligation to pay it to Canadians who participated in this war, of course immediately the question arose, should we not pay holders of the military medal in respect of the first war the same as we are paying those who won it in the last war. Of course we never assumed any obligation to pay any of the gallantry awards of the first great war; so the question arises whether we should make this principle retroactive to the first great war. That is of course a new principle. We have done some other things: for example, clothing allowance has been increased very considerably; the claim is that it should be made retroactive, and that arises in all these things. Representations have come in, but our committee did not make any recommendation on the matter. Of course if very strong representations are made the matter will, I suppose, receive consideration.

Mr. ADAMSON:

Do I understand that the United Kingdom pays a gallantry award to winners of the military medal whereas the Canadian government did not in the last war?

Mr. MACKENZIE:

Oh, no.

Mr. TUCKER:

As a matter of fact the situation is that there was no gallantry award paid in respect of military medal awards in the first great war. Now a policy has been adopted in England and here to pay it in regard to this war. But as soon as we said we would pay it in regard to this war and assumed it as a Canadian obligation, some people suggested that if we recognized that there should be some monetary award in respect of the military medal in this war we should pay it in regard to the last war. That obligation has not been recognized in other parts of the empire, and if we paid it here there would probably be certain pressure in other parts of the empire to do the same thing. I think it would be a matter for some kind of common agreement.

Mr. ADAMSON:

On what basis are these paid?

Supply-Veterans Affairs

Mr. MACKENZIE:

They were all placed on the record about ten days ago, when the main estimates of the Department of Veterans Affairs were under consideration by the house. I have not before me the page number of Hansard.

Mr. HERRIDGE:

This item provides for payment of grants to veterans settled on provincial lands, $1. That would indicate a somewhat limited programme. I should like an explanation.

Mr. COCKERAM:

That is a Scotch dollar, too.

Mr. MACKENZIE:

I can assure my hon. friend that it is only a change in the wording of the vote to make it possible for us to go ahead with a development with which he himself is very' familiar.

Mr. McKAY:

With what provinces have agreements been arranged?

Mr. MACKENZIE:

With Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia.

Mr. CASTLEDEN:

There seems to be a change here. The total amount in the main estimates was $13,000,000, and now we have supplementaries for $10,000,000. For 1945-46 it was $5,000,000; in the main estimates it is increased to $13,000,000-one would imagine the department would have a fairly good idea of its requirements-and then there is a request for $10,000,000 in the supplementaries. What is the reason for this eighty per cent increase?

Mr. TUCKER:

There is $72,000,000 in the main estimates, and this work is proceeding more expeditiously, a greater number of applications being put through

Mr. CASTLEDEN:

What is the total amount?

Mr. MACKENZIE:

It is $82,000,000, including the main and the supplementaries.