Mr. Stuart (Charlotte):

Has any assistance been given to the province of New Brunswick under the national health grants program to provide for expanded laboratory services for the testing of public supplies of milk and water?

Mr. Robertson:

Yes. As a part of the over-all program for the support of expanded laboratory services in New Brunswick, federal assistance has been given under the national health grants program for public health laboratory services in the established laboratories of the province where the testing of public supplies of milk and water is being carried out.

The latest project approved was in January, 1955, when $4,471 was approved to assist in the further extension of laboratory services for the testing of public supplies of milk and water.

1. How many licences or permits have been issued during 1954 and 1955, to (a) residents living between Donald station and Wasa station; (b) non-residents living between Donald station and Wasa station, of the Columbia river valley in British Columbia, and others, for the purpose of transporting lumber over highways in Banff national park?

2. To whom were such licences or permits issued?

1. (a) Approximately 225; (b) nil.

2. No record available.

Note: Under order in council P.C. 1953-

1612 of October 21, 1953, authority was granted for the issuance of transient motor licences for trucks owned by residents of the Columbia river valley between Donald station and Wasa station, B.C., for the purpose of carrying lumber and other produce from the said area across the trans-Canada highway in Banff and Yoho national parks and the Banff-Windermere highway in Kootenay national park during the months of November and December 1953 and January, February and March 1954. Similar authority for November and December 1954 and January, February and March 1955 was granted by P.C. 1954-1591 of October 19, 1954.

National parks records have not separated the trucks carrying lumber from those carrying other produce and the figures for licences given in answer to question 1 (a) is therefore an estimate. Almost all of these licences covered single return trips and it is probable that not more than about 25 different persons or firms were involved. The total number of licences issued under authority of the two orders in council during January, February and March, November and December of 1954, and up to January 24, 1955 was 362 which covered both lumber and other produce. During the period in question no records were kept of the names of those persons to whom licences were issued. They were issued to drivers of trucks by park authorities on production of satisfactory evidence that the trucks were owned by residents or established firms in the area.

Mr. Hahn:

What were the totals of all defence contracts let in each province in Canada, during each of the years 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953 and 1954?

Mr. Dickey:

Mr. Speaker, I should like to deal with this question orally, if I may. At various times in the past questions such as this have been placed on the order paper by hon. members, and the minister, the former parliamentary assistant, and I have explained to the house why it is not feasible to table an answer. The most recent statement of this position was made on January 28, 1953, and appears at page 1397 of Hansard when I quoted from a previous statement of the minister as follows:

A question has been raised as to why we do not publish figures showing the value of projects placed in the various provinces. The simple answer, which I have given on several occasions, is that we see no value in giving such figures inasmuch as they in no way reflect the impact of the defence program on the various sectors of the country. They do not take into account the large proportion of subcontracting which is inherent in this type of work. They make no allowance for the source of raw materials going into the contracts, and in many cases they are misleading because contracts placed at head offices in Ottawa or Montreal are often carried out in company plants which may be located as far away as the east coast or the west coast.

This explanation applies directly to the present question. I should also point out that full information regarding the letting of unclassified contracts over $10,000 is made public by the publication every two weeks

Questions

of complete lists of contracts awarded. This information is, of course, available to all hon. members.

1. What was the total cost of meat and meat products contracted for by the Department of Defence Production, during the fiscal years 1953-54 and 1954-55 to date?

2. What are the names of the firms to whom these contracts were let, and the total value of the purchases from each, in these years?

He said: Mr. Speaker, may I ask that this question be dropped without prejudice to the right to replace it at a later date in a somewhat different form?

Mr. Speaker:

Question dropped.

Mr. Pommer:

What were the amounts paid out by the federal treasury on freight assistance on western feed grains shipped to (a) British Columbia; (b) Ontario; (c) Quebec; (d) maritime provinces, for each of the years from October 1, 1941 to 1954 inclusive?

Mr. McCubbin:

Amounts paid out in freight assistance on western feed grains for each year from October

1941 to December 31, 1954.

Year British Columbia Ontario1941 $ 135,096.06 $ 764,302.501942

996,218.08 3,319,231.501943

1,432,696.28 6,518,142.001944

1,722,957.08 5,862,208.501945

1,758,328.51 6,191,145.001946

2,017,065.28 6,738,853.501947

2,182,894.98 7,446,339.001948

1,806,918.91 6,445,528.151949

1,503,139.89 5,419,655.161950

1,296,189.28 4,785,376.521951

1,567,955.83 4.374,333.271952

1,724,466.33 5,151,750.931953

2,226,071.39 4,693,236.871954

2,092,941.62 4,481,621.99

Quebec

Maritime Provinces $ 289,413.10 1,824,159.00 2,767,969.70 2,667,629.80

2.758.782.30 3,223,229.50

3.096.645.30 3,019,535.90 2,734,637.04 2,986,867.68 3,107,528.25 3,570,197.11 3,291,679.56 3,008,815.95

Mrs. Shipley:

Aside from the assistance given under the national health grants program, is the Department of National Health and Welfare engaged at the present time or is it planning to engage in any aspects of cancer research?

Mr. Roberison:

Yes. Two years ago the Department of National Health and Welfare established at its laboratory of hygiene a tissue culture section, with the objective of studying the growth of normal and cancer cells outside the body. It was felt that such a program would help to fill the need, expressed by many investigators, for more specific knowledge on the growth and behaviour of body cells. Cancer is considered to be some form of abnormal cell growth and so it was felt that by undertaking these studies new facts might be discovered and thus provide new clues for other investigators in the cancer field. Since this type of research is of a long-term nature it can well be undertaken in the laboratories of the Department of National Health and Welfare in order to provide stability and continuity to the study. This program is now proceeding satisfactorily, and it is expected that

it will prove to be a useful contribution on the part of the department to the conquering of this disease.