Mr. H. R. Argue (Assiniboia):

May I ask a

supplementary question. Is the Prime Minister prepared to reconsider the government's decision as far as the building of penstocks is concerned?

Mr. St. Laurent (Quebec East):

That would be a matter which would be dealt with subsequently to the decision that we could recommend this to parliament as a project that would return more to the national economy than it would require in interest and amortization costs. After that undoubtedly both governments would wish to have the best kind of dam provided under the most economical conditions possible.

Mr. Argue:

Has the Prime Minister replied to Premier Douglas' most recent letter?

Mr. St. Laurent (Quebec East):

Pardon?

Mr. Argue:

Has the Prime Minister replied to the letter received by him a few days ago from Premier Douglas?

Mr. St. Laurent (Quebec East):

I dictated an answer this morning which is now being prepared. I will wish to discuss it with some of my colleagues before it is dispatched, but it is being prepared.

Mr. Carl O. Nickle (Calgary South):

I should like to direct a question to the Minister of National Health and Welfare, of which I have given notice. It is based upon an article in the Calgary Albertan reporting a serious shortage of Salk anti-polio vaccine in the Calgary area.

In view of the shortage of Salk vaccine in southern Alberta for use by private practitioners, caused by curtailment of exports of vaccine by the United States, will the government now make available a portion of the Canadian-produced vaccine currently earmarked for public health in order that the medical profession may resume service with this vaccine to Canadians not covered by the public health program?

Hon. Paul Marlin (Minister of National Health and Welfare):

My hon. friend was kind enough to give me notice of his intention to ask this question. In reply I would say that the current supply and anticipated production of the Salk vaccine in Canada at the Connaught laboratories,

[Mr. St. Laurent (Quebec East) .1

which at the present time is the sole Canadian source, is such as to allow a broadening of the use of the vaccine on a country-wide basis.

On March 22 the Canadian Pharmaceutical Association, the Canadian Medical Association and the deputy ministers of health of all the provinces were notified that under the arrangements we had made with the director of the Connaught laboratories the vaccine would be supplied on request through normal channels to medical practitioners. This will be done without any modification in the delivery schedules by the Connaught laboratories to provincial health departments, in accordance with their respective requirements. All orders thus far received have been filled, and up to April 2 some 50,000 doses of the vaccine have been sent out to all parts of Canada. There is no reason, therefore, why any practising physician should be denied vaccine for his patients.

The distributors for the Connaught laboratories are located in Winnipeg and Vancouver, and vaccine may be procured by retail pharmacists in the usual manner or on direct order by doctors and pharmacists to the Connaught laboratories. In the case of the province of Alberta I have learned this morning that three deliveries of vaccine have been made in Edmonton and one in Calgary.

Mr. H. W. Herridge (Koolenay Wesl):

I wish to direct a question to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. Has the minister's department received an application from the notorious Mr. Hoffa of the teamsters' union of the United States for entry into Canada as a landed immigrant? If the minister did receive an application, would he permit this man to enter this country?

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

I have no knowledge of any such application having been received, and I doubt if it would be within the rules for me to answer the hon. gentleman's hypothetical question.

Mr. T. S. Barnett (Comox-Alberni):

Mr. Speaker, I should like to direct a question to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. Has the minister had sufficient time to think

it over since his reported meeting with Mr. Foon Sien, national president of the Chinese benevolent association? If so, is he in a position to announce any change in the present policy of excluding the adopted sons of Canadians of Chinese origin?

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

Mr. Speaker, since there is probably a good deal of interest all over the country in any change that might be made in the policy with respect to the admission of Chinese immigrants to Canada, I might say that when Mr. Foon Sien and the Minister of National Defence called on me the other day I did say that, not as a change in the regulations but as an experiment, since the previous experiment seems to have been working very well, we would be prepared to recommend the admission of the female fiancees of Chinese and also of Japanese residents of Canada after they have been here two years, so they no longer will have to wait until they become citizens.

About the other points that were raised, including the one mentioned by the hon. gentleman, I said that consideration would be given to some of them but that, at the present time, in view of the rather large volume of immigration and the difficulties in dealing with existing applications, I doubted the wisdom of enlarging the categories of persons who would have to be dealt with by the Hong Kong office, when it would simply mean making longer queues. In view of the great burden of immigration in other parts of the world where we are actively recruiting immigrants it would be quite impossible to increase the staff at Hong Kong at the present time with competent people, and there is no use sending people who are not trained to a difficult post like that.