Iaegialative_Asaembly

mind, is rather unfair and the fluid milk producer, in my mind one of the hardest workers 2:: the dairy industry, to maintain his quota or standard must produce, at times, a large volume of what is known as surplus. On this surplus, I under- stand, this is a provincial matter and I hope that he will be taken care of in some manner.

Honourable Daniel J. MacDonald: Mr. Speaker, I wonder if the honourable member would permit a question?

Thomas A. Curran: Sure.

Honourable Daniel J. MacDonald: With reference you made about the 50,000 pounds, Sir. I don’t know whether I got it quite clear or not. Was it your information if you produced beyond that you would . . . .

Thomas A. Curran: Yes, my understanding was that if he only produced 50,000 pounds last year and this year produced, for example, 100,000 pounds the subsidy would only be paid on what he produced last year. Am I right?

Honourable Daniel J. MacDonald: Yes you are right, Sir.

Thomas A. Cullen: Very often in the dairy business you can run into a disease problem or a breeding problem, and various problems and where you were normally producing a couple of hundred pounds you could be down to fifty pounds in one particular year. So that would put a fellow on a spot which he doesn’t deserve to be on. We must not lose sight of the fact that the man who delivers our daily quart or quarts of milk to our door is a very, very necessary farmer, and it would be disappointing some day to discover that that fellow decided that there was just as much, near as much money, and a lot less trouble by shipping to a manufacturing plant. We would be in a position then of, “You don’t miss the water until the well goes dry.” And that is what can happen if some of the fluid milk producers are in the position. They are just between two minds whether they should continue to produce fluid milk or let it all go on to manufacturing. I don’t know, Mr. Speaker, if I have shed any light on this subject, but. being a farmer myself, I feel quite concerned for the future. It has problems, many of them, whether it be feeding, breeding or otherwise. I might mention that here on the Island We have been fortunate down through the years in the various Ministers of Agriculture. I could mention quite a few of them, but in case I might slight some- one deserving of mention, I will not mention any of them, and I might add too that the present Minister of Agriculture is no exception to the standard this province has set down through the years. (Applause) I hope, in making that statement, that I don't incur the wrath of the Semor Member from Crapaud, but I think he will take that all right. However, Mr. Minister, you have a lot of work ahead of you. In other words, your work is cut out for you and you have my blessings to go with it.

Now, Mr. Speaker, I didn’t intend to speak at any length, the Debate has pretty well been taken care of, and this is probably the fifth or sixth week we have been here. You, like every other member, would be happy to see the day when the House prorogues. Though the Opposition members have been charged on more than one occasion with delaying the progress of the House, Mr. Speaker, I don’t think there is one member on the Opposition benches here who, with any malice of forethought is trying to delay the progress of the «House. (Applause) We have asked for certain papers and documents and so far there has been a very, very small trickle of them come in. If that request was answered, I don’t believe there would be much trouble in finalizing the work of this Legislature.

Keith S. Harrington: I hope the members of the government are listening to that now.

Thomas A. Curran: I say that with all sincerity. It is as obvious as the nose on your face that questions have been asked here, documents to be placed on the table, and there have been equivoeations and what have you, and we are still waiting for them. I sincerely ask the Government to put those papers on the table and then we will get on about our business and get home about our work.

( Applause ) —267-—