Legislative Assembly

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Department for the last two or three years, we might not today be in the position

we are with our diseased potato. (Hear, hear). However, the former Government did not seem ready to make this appointment but I am hoping that the Minister of Agriculture will be able to find an expert in this line. The best is none too good Mr. Speaker, and if money has anything to do with holding this man up, I think we should authorize the Minister of Agriculture not to stop for the sake of an extra thousand dollars because what does it mean in an industry of twelve or fifteen million dollars?

Now we also have another segment of our agriculture that I think needs an- other look at, and that is our swine industry. With the increased production in swine today in this rovince, in hog growing, I think we have need for an expert in swine production. bibw I know that Department men are going out, I am not saying a word about those men, they are doing a good job; but I still feel there is room for an ex- pert and I feel the Minister of Agriculture should take this under consideration. While I am on that subject, I must congratulate three young farmers in my own district, not too far from home, who started up one of the biggest iggeries on the Island, and I understand they are doi very well and I wish them al the best in the future. But this is going on all over t e Island, Mr. Speaker, and there is no limit to what we can do with the regard to the production and the increase in our swine industry.

Now I promised that I would not speak too long, Mr. Speaker, and I have spoken too long already. But I would like to say, before I sit down, and I could speak for an hour on this question, Mr. Speaker, but it is time to condense my remarks. I wish to make reference to, just for a moment or two, to the Commonwealth Parlia- mentary Association, Mr. Speaker. Last September I had the honour of attending the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference at Ottawa, along with my honourable friend from the First District of Queens. This organization, Mr. Speaker, as you know, comprises re resentatives of all countries of the Commonwealth, irrespective of party, race or co our. And it is, I feel, one of the greatest forces in the world to- day in helpin to maintain world peace. I believe, Mr. Speaker, if the Commonwealth should ever isintegrate it would be a severe blow to world peace. There were, I believe, some eighty or more parliaments represented at this Conference, from seven- teen countries of the world. I also, Mr. Speaker, had the honour of sitting on the General Council. Now this wasn't because of who I was or anything like that; I don’t want to leave that impression, Mr. Speaker. But the fact is, Mr. Speaker, that one province of Canada each year sits on the General Council and this happened to be Prince Edward Island’s year, so I did not know when I went there that I was appoint» ed to that position. One observation I would like to make, Mr. Speaker, with regard to future conferences. I believe we should have a briefing before we go to conferences because I felt very inadequate to fill the position with which I was entrusted by this province. 1 must not forget to thank the Premier, and his colleagues, and anyone else who had anything to do with the selection. I am sure it was a great honour for me; I did the best I could but I felt very inadequate as a representative at an Inter- national Conference such as this is. But I shall never forget the experience, Mr. Speaker; it really meant a lot to me and my interest in the Commonwealth grew great- er and now, when I talk about certain countries, I can think of some particular person I met at this Conference and will have a better idea after talking with them. And I talked to a lot of the different members from the different countries, and while I found it hard to talk to some of them, nevertheless they were all very interesting, and it would really make you feel sad to hear some of the different stories that come from India and some of the African countries.

Now, I want to congratulate the Leader of the Opposition on bein appointed to to Uganda next year. I saw a preview or a picture of Uganda that t ey showed in ttawa, and I would say it was a very undeveloped country. But nevertheless, you can look forward to a very, very interesting trip to Uganda. Now the President of the Conference was from Uganda. I can’t think of his name right now, but he is a young man, he assisted at the Conference this year in chairing the Conference; a splendid young man. He will have an awful lot of work to do, and here I must con- gratulate Senator John Connolly for the ?>lendid work that he did. There was times when that Conference was at the edge 0 confusion, but that man had a diplomatic way of doing things. I never realized that the man had such a wonderful personality.

Some Member: Is he a Liberal?

Harold P. Smith: It doesn’t matter to me, Mr. Speaker, whether he was a Lib- eral or Conservative. I would have said the same thing about him. The man who sat

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