Mr. Speaker:
I have the honour to inform the house that the Clerk of the House has received from the chief electoral officer certificate of the election and return of the following member, viz.:
Of James Alexander Smith, Esquire, for the electoral district of Battle River-Cam-rose.
Mr. St. Laurent:
I should like to lay on the table return, reference No. 161, mover Mr. Diefenbaker, correspondence since January 1, 1954, containing complaints of alleged unfairness and discrimination by federal government to the province of Newfoundland. As I expected when the order was made, there is no such correspondence.
Mr. Diefenbaker:
He does not complain openly.
On the orders of the day:
Mr. H. R. Argue (Assiniboia):
Mr. Speaker, I should like to direct a question to the Minister of Finance. Would the minister care to comment on the suggestion in last night's Citizen that at the next session of parliament a parliamentary committee would inquire into the operations of the Small Loans Act?
Hon. W. E. Harris (Minisler of Finance):
Mr. Speaker, I was not aware of the suggestion in the newspaper. Of course we shall take everything into account. Does the hon. member himself speak in the same sense?
Mr. Argue:
What does the minister mean? If the minister wishes to know whether I would like such an inquiry to be made, the answer is yes.
Mr. Harris:
I may tell the house that I have been consulting with many people who
are interested in the Small Loans Act and it is hoped that during the summer we will have a look at it to see if it should be revised.
On the orders of the day:
Mr. M. J. Coldwell (Roseiown-Biggar):
Mr. Speaker, just to clear up the matter of motions, I believe that there is outstanding a motion asking for the production of correspondence between the provincial and federal governments in relation to the federal-provincial conference. The Prime Minister said that a letter had been written to the premier of Ontario, I believe on April 1. Has a reply been received and, if so, can that correspondence be tabled to clear up the order paper?
Righi Hon. L. S. St. Laurent (Prime Minister):
Unless a reply came in this morning, a reply has not been received. A letter was written on April 1 and then some time in June another letter was written calling attention to the fact that the April letter had not yet been answered. The return is ready and we are just waiting for word from the Ontario government that it does not object to the correspondence being produced.
Mr. Coldwell:
I think the Prime Minister has extended quite prolonged courtesy to the premier of Ontario. I think if a reply is not forthcoming the correspondence should be tabled, as courtesy should work both ways.
Mr. St. Laurenl:
There have been many matters engaging the attention of the premier of Ontario since April 1.