HOUSE OF COMMONS
INQUIRY AS TO SETTING UP OF RADIO COMMITTEE
On the orders of the day:
Mr. J. G. DIEFENBAKER (Lake Centre): Mr. Speaker, I
wish to direct a question to the Prime Minister, in the absence of the
appropriate minister. In view of the fact that the house
has decided today to sit from eleven o'clock in the morning, beginning
shortly, is the Prime Minister in a position to advise whether, having
regard to recent changes in policy by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the
radio committee will be set up during the rest of
the present session?
Right Hon. W. L. MACKENZIE KING
(Prime Minister) : I am sorry I cannot give my hon. friend an answer
offhand, but I shall hope to be prepared to give an answer on Monday.
NEWFOUNDLAND
REFERENDUM ON FUTURE FORM OF GOVERNMENT
On the orders of the day:
Right Hon. W. L. MACKENZIE KING
(Prime Minister): The house may be interested in having the
latest word in regard to the referendum taken in Newfoundland a day or
two ago on the future form of government in that colony. Only nine out of
twenty-five districts have complete returns. While incomplete
the latest returns for the whole. up to 12.30 today's Newfoundland
time, indicate the vote: for responsible government, 65.991; for confederation,
60,147; for commission government, 20,805.
Apparently no form of government will have a majority, and another
referendum will therefore have to be held, probably some weeks hence,
to decide between the two forms, responsible government or confederation.
SUPPLY
The house in committee of supply. Mr.
Macdonald (Brantford City) in the chair.
POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT
309. Departmental administration, $1,096,287.
Mr. DIEFENBAKER: There are one or two matters, Mr.
Chairman, which I should like to "bring to the attention of the minister
with a view to securing some information from him. The first has to do
with representations that have been made to me by postmasters in
revenue offices.
For these men and women there are no such
things as minimum salaries or hours of employment, holidays or promotion. They render
a
great service to the people of the country as a
whole; they receive their payment on a commission basis, and since they are not classified
as civil servants, they receive no pension.
According to representations made to me, during the war they worked for a number of
government departments without any remuneration, giving assistance in reporting enemy
aliens, national registration, the foreign
exchange control board, and generally making
themselves useful in connection with various
activities furthering the war effort. Having
regard to the increase in the cost of living, and
the surplus enjoyed by the post office department, what consideration has the government
given to providing for a 25 per cent increase
in rates as requested by these postmasters?
Also, what if anything, is being done toward
the establishment of a pension plan for them?
Under the present deputy postmaster general, in common with hon. members in all parts
of this house I have observed an attitude that
I desire to commend. When matters are
brought to the attention of the deputy postmaster general, he has been most diligent
in
his endeavour to remove any cause of inconvenience. I think it only fair to say that;
for
after all, many of these officials are doing
responsible, effective and efficient work. Too
often we take for granted what they are doing,
and fail to pass on to them and to those who
work with them the commendation of the constituents whom we represent in parliament.
What consideration, if any, has been given
during the year to the reduction of the postage
rate from four cents to three cents, which was
indicated last year as a possibility? The matter is one that I think deserves the
consideration of the minister, and I feel that the committee should have an explanation
with
regard to it.
I want to join with the hon. member for
Wentworth in the representations he made
last evening on a matter to which he has
made frequent reference. He asked that something be done to relieve the people from
the
present high postage rates on parcels sent to
Britain to help the people over there. I know
of two or three persons in my own constituency
who during the last year have sent parcels, to
the limit now allowed, to the parents of young
men who served in the armed forces of this
country and whose acquaintance they made
during the war. The minister has had this
matter brought to his attention on previous
occasions. I know he would have the support
of Canadians everywhere were he to make
provision to remove, as far as possible, the
postage rates on parcels being sent to Great
Britain by patriotic Canadians with a view
to assisting the people over there to get
additional nutritional value in their diet.
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