Mr. CALDER:

Would the hon. gentleman maintain, in the case of the Department of Soldier Settlement and the Department of Soldiers* Civil Re-establishment, that it was "impracticable" for the Civil Service Commission to appoint stenographer's, clerks, accountants, and other members of their staff at Ottawa?

Mr. CALDER:

In so far as these very special technical, scientific appointments are concerned, the weight of evidence, is that you will never get the men you really want for those positions to submit themselves to competition.

Mr. CALDER:

We have had a fairly lengthy discussion on this Bill, and when it was before the House the other day a suggestion was made to the effect that an amendment should be made providing that an annual report should be submitted to Parliament by the Civil Service Commission.

Mr. CALDER:

Taking the case of our chief astronomer in Canada, there is only one man in the entire service that holds that position; would the hon. gentleman say that it is either " impracticable " or " impossible " for the Civil Service Commission to make that appointment? I claim that it may not be in the public interest that the Civil Service Commission

should undertake that appointment, but it is both practicable and possible that they might make the appointment. Thera is the distinction I tried to draw. Take the illustration we had before the committee, where the Department of Public Health now is looking for a research man to carry on medical research work. There will be only one man appointed. I claim that it is in the public interest that the department itself should make that appointment, and that it is neither impracticable or impossible for them to make that appointment.

Mr. CALDER:

We are trying to put

them in a position where the law would not be broken.