Legislative Assembly

these plants. Why did he not explain that the Dominion Government was involved to outstanding publicity of the little accounts Gulf Garden owed? Why was this put into the press through the instrumentality, apparently, of his policy-maker? Why was it broadcast that a Court Order had been secured to compel the plant at Georgetown to surrender its books when the manager of Georgetown states that these books were available to any recognized representative of the Government? Why was it necessary to bring action for an account owing the Workmen’s Compensation Board when there was money in the office of the Board here owing to Gulf Garden Foods from which that account was being paid? Why were not these matters brought up at the Special Session of the Legislature? The whole program from first to last is one that is contemptible and could not do other than be injurious to industrial development. But he closed this utility with juvenile thoughtlessness, he locked the doors and fired almost three hundred people out of employment, he cast these doubts and suspicions on those who promoted the plant. He later closed the door of Bathurst Marine and placed a policeman at the entrance and refused entry to the administrative personnel. It is unfortunate that many men of very high qualifications and efficiency have left this province. Some of them are down now with Joey Smallwood, working in the plants down there, and working at double the salary they were getting here. Can you understand closing the plant here while the ships were coming in from the sea loaded with the fish? Why was that plant not left open and these fish processed there in one of the best fishing seasons we have had on this coast for years? But they un- loaded the fish in trucks, transported them down to Souris. Surely that was a money- saving operation! He hauled ice up from Souris to ice some of these trawlers after a great measure of delay while by pressing a button at Georgetown he could have manufactured sixty tons of ice in one day. These are things that it is very difficult to understand. He took those ships that should have been bringing in fish to that wonderful new plant and he sent them over to the coast of Nova Scotia, and they went out to the fishing grounds and they loaded up with fish and they came into the Nova Scotia plants to make money for the plants over there, to give employment to Nova Scotia people while three or four hundred people in Georgetown and the vicinity were home without a job. Can you defend a system of that kind? If you can, Mr. Speaker, or anyone else can defend it, they have a very peculiar idea of what industrial development means in the province of Prince Edward Island. Who in the world ever advised them on this ridiculous kind of a plan anyway?

They find it difficult to extricate themselves now from the mess they have made for themselves. Surely a slight knowledge of what is taking place in Nova Scotia and the other provinces should have directed the Premier and the Government. Mr. Smallwood informed me that millions of dollars had been invested in fisheries projects in that province and I have his letters to that effect, and in other projects in Newfoundland. I wonder how much money was put into the motel business within recent times? All that operators of motels had to do was to come in and start up business. The government provided the facilities without any question. Has he studied thp situation in New Brunswick where large amounts of money have been used for that purpose? Does he know that up near Fredericton a pulp plant costing $68,000,000 or more has been established and that plant only employs about four hundred people on the inside service? Our plant at Georgetown had a potential of seven or eight hundred and it was turned out because of the expenditure of a few dollars. Examine the situation in Quebec or in Western Canada where millions and millions have been allocated by government to develop industry. Has he gone over to the neighbouring province of Nova Scotia? He would find that the lands and the buildings are given and built by the province of Nova Scotia along with up to fifty or sixty percent of the equipment in these buildings. All provinces had difficulties, you have to take your chances on that; but this does not hold the hand of progressive people in endeavour- ing to establish industries there. The Oppositions in any of these provinces are right in line with the Government in carrying on this work. Has the Premier of this prov- ince examined those particular projects in Nova Scotia? There is one little town that I can mention in Nova Scotia, somewhat similar to Georgetown, and I can mention the town if necessary. It was dying on the vines, it was fading out, but the people there became interested and the government of Nova Scotia became interested and ne— gotiations were carried out with a company who put up, I believe, only around 8100,- 000.00 in that plant. The total establishment required was over $5,000,000, and it will have an official opening before long. A long term loan was granted by the gov-

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