Right Hon. C. D. Howe (Minister of Trade and Commerce):

Mr. Speaker, on February 19 I answered several questions on the subject of stock options for senior officials of Trans-Canada Pipe Lines. I now find that my memory was at fault, and that in fact, when the government entered into the agreement on May 8, 1956, copy of which was tabled in the house on May 9, I was aware of the fact that there were options outstanding.

I apologize for having inadvertently misled the house, but in fact hon. members have had the document referring to the options available to them since May 9, 1956. However, I should add that I am still of the view that there is nothing improper in the directors of Trans-Canada having granted stock options to certain of the corporation's employees and officers, upon whom in large measure the success of the enterprise has depended and will depend.

Mr. Howard C. Green (Vancouver-Quadra):

May I ask the Minister of Trade and Commerce when the options were exercised by Mr. Tanner and Mr. Coates?

Mr. Howe (Pori Arthur):

I cannot say, Mr. Speaker. All I know is that when the prospectus was issued on the sale of the shares, the prospectus indicated that the options had been exercised. I have no knowledge of when they were exercised.

Mr. Green:

Can the minister get that information and give it to the house?

Mr. Howe (Port Arthur):

It is private information of the company. I can ask for it. Whether or not I get it will depend on whether or not the company wants to give it. It is not information in the possession of the government.

Hon. J. W. Pickersgill (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration):

I wonder if I could make a very brief statement on Hungarian student refugees in Canada. Hon.

members may have noted in the press this morning that the board of governors of McGill University, acting in co-operation with the government of Canada and the national conference of Canadian universities, have made available a hostel for Hungarian student refugees until August 15, 1957, at which time these buildings will be required for academic use.

Details of the scheme, worked out by a small committee under the chairmanship of Senator Hartland Molson, were announced by Principal James on Saturday and, as I say, appeared in the morning papers. The hostel will provide accommodation for about 140 Hungarian students during the early part of their stay in Canada. The government has co-operated by helping with a loan of furnishings through the Department of National Defence and by providing for the subsistence of the students until May 31 or any earlier date on which they may accept employment. Dr. E. Clifford Knowles, chaplain and student counsellor at McGill University, is in direct charge of the project, and Mrs. Frederick Smith, who has been appointed by the national conference of Canadian universities as its liaison officer with newly arrived Hungarian refugee students, is working in collaboration with him.

Most of the Hungarian students, when they arrive in Canada, do not speak either English or French and are unfamiliar with Canadian measurements and standards. They are ignorant also of Canadian education practices. The principal of McGill indicated that while these students are in residence at Petofi house, which is the name McGill has given to this hostel, they will be given the opportunity to take intensive courses in English and French. As soon as they have acquired some knowledge of one or the other of the official languages, the Hungarian students will be provided with information regarding the various Canadian universities, so that they can make their choice and may apply for admission at the beginning of the next regular session in the autumn of 1957. Meanwhile, residence on the campus of McGill University will offer them an introduction to Canadian university life and an opportunity to establish contact with Canadian students.

As the hostel at McGill will accommodate 140 students and it is anticipated that in the very near future there will be approximately an additional 200 Hungarian students in Canada for whom accommodation has not yet been arranged, I am very hopeful-I should

Proposed Legislation

like all hon. members who represent university towns to note this-that other universities will be able to follow the example of McGill and, I might add, the examples of Toronto and the University of British Columbia and improvise temporary accommodation so these students may have an opportunity between now and the end of May of learning enough English or French to enable them to take employment of a character which should give them a real chance to continue their studies in our universities next autumn

Hon. W. E. Harris (for ihe Minister of Labour) moved

for leave to introduce Bill No. 178, to amend the Merchant Seamen Compensation Act.

Mr. Green:

Could we have an explanation?

Mr. Harris:

As I think the house knows, the Minister of Labour has for some time been contemplating changes in the benefits and administrative provisions of this act, and this is a bill for that purpose.

Motion agreed to and bill read the first time.

Right Hon. C. D. Howe (Minister of Trade and Commerce) moved

that the house go into committee at the next sitting to consider the following resolution, which has been recommended to the house by His Excellency:

That it is expedient to introduce a measure to amend the Prairie Grain Producers Interim Financing Act, 1956, to enable the governor in council to extend the application of the act to authorize and govern guaranteed loans that may be made by banks in the period October 1, 1957 to June 1, 1958; to provide that the rate of interest charged by the banks on a loan shall not exceed a rate prescribed by the governor in council; and to increase the maximum amount of a loan from fifteen hundred dollars to three thousand dollars.