Mr. BALLANTYNE:

Closing them all.

Mr. BALLANTYNE:

I shall be very glad to give the hon. gentleman the information he asks for. The commission have not yet finished- their sittings, and in the course of a week or two will be going out to British Columbia. As hon. gentlemen know, this is an international commission, the American representatives being Hon. Wm. C. Red-field, Hon. E. C. Sweet, and Dr. H. M. Smith; and the Canadian representatives Chief Justice Hon. J. D. Hazen, Mr. G. J. Desbarats, and Mr. W. A. Found, Superintendent of Canadian Fisheries. Without going into detail, what this commission have accomplished with regard to eastern Canada is simply this: In the past Canadian vessels were not allowed to land or dispose of their catch at American ports, nor were American vessels allowed to land and dispose of their catch at Canadian ports, but arrangements have recently been ar-

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rived at whereby this will be possible in future for the fishermen- of both countries. This agreement was readily agreed to by the American representatives, and it is highly appreciated not only by the Government of Canada but by the people as well. In addition to that, in the past we have had a close season for lobster fishing, and during ouf close season, American smacks used to fish for Canadian lobsters outside the three-mile limit; but now an agreement has been reached wheTeby the American Government will not allow American smacks to fish outside the three-mile limit during our close season for lobster fishing. I am sure hon. members will agree that these concessions are of the greatest importance not only to the fishermen of Canada but to the country itself. Of course I cannot foretell what decisions will be arrived at when the commission hold their sittings in British Columbia. There are many important- problems for them to solve, particularly the question of the conservation of salmon.

Mr. BALLANTYNE:

I am sorry to inform my fhon. friend that the Stanley was damaged by ice when she went to the rescue of the Russian steamer. She is being repaired in Halifax now and I hope to receive definite information by to-morrow. I am fully seized of the necessity of sending the steamer Stanley to the Magdalen islands as I understand the fishermen are badly in need of gasolene and coal oil. I hope to be in a position to let my hon. friend know definitely to-morrow.

Mr. BALLANTYNE:

I am sorry that 1

cannot agree with the hon. members who have spoken. As hon. gentlemen are quite aware, lake Champlain, which is owned by the United States, is fifty miles long and seven miles wide. I am sure that hon.

gentlemen are also aware that for many years the United States Government have not permitted any nets to be used in lake Champlain. Our great ally is standing shoulder to shoulder with Canada to-day, not only with her men at the front but also giving us freely of her money. Our American friends also have granted to Canada the vast privileges that I mentioned a moment ago by allowing our fishing vessels to clear for American ports and to dispose of their catches there. They own lake Champlain, fifty miles long and

11 p.m. seven miles wide, and we own Missisquoi Bay, which is only from three to five miles wide: They are

anxious to preserve the fish of lake Champlain and have been pressing upon us, a friendly nation, for years, to prohibit net fishing for perch at the time of the year when the fish are spawning. What attitude should we have taken? It has been clearly proved that this is the time of the year when the perch spawn. It also has been clearly proved that Missisquoi bay is the spawning ground of the perch. Hon. gentlemen have said that probably this action was taken very hurriedly. I wish tc assure them that it was not done hurriedly at all. We have on the international commission,, men who understand thoroughly the fisheries of Canada and the Ignited States. When representations were made from the 'States of Vermont and New York before this international commission when it was sitting in the city of Boston as to the effect of this net fishing, when it was asked to prohibit net fishing of perch in this small Missisquoi bay, was it not the logical, the businesslike course for Canada to say to her cousins, that Canada would agree to the fair proposition that our allies made? I think the House will take this broad view of the question. We cannot take a local view of a question like this, and even if we did, I do not see any ground that would cause the commission to refuse to give to our American friends the very fair concession that the Canadian Government has just granted.

Mr. BALLANTYNE:

No, what I said was that the term of office of the wardens, who are also known as guardians, did expire on the 31st of March, hut not so with the overseers or the fishery inspectors, who are permanent.