Legislatiye Assembly

time there were temporary total disabilities of 1,167 as compared with 1,182 in 1966. So the value in claims is increasing and greater emphasis and awareness of safety has to be carried out. The Industrial Safety program of the Workmen’s Compensa— tion Board has been given a big push forward with the approval of Industrial Safety Regulations which will have the effect of making job sites safer and safety habits more adhered to on the job. A milestone was passed in Workmen’s Compensation in this Province when all hospital workers were brought under the scope of Workmen’s Compensation on the lst of January, 1968. This time I would like to thank the Chairman and members of the Hospital Commission for their co—operation with the Board in providing this compensation coverage to the hospital workers. During the year the board met at 21 regular and 5 special meetings. The special meetings were held to consult with industrial groups and special claims hearings. The Sixth Annual Conference on Industrial Safety was held in April, 1967. Formerly it had been held in the fall but the time was changed to co-incide with the beginning of the heavy seasonal work schedule. It was the biggest and best conference held to date.

Two Federal-Provincial Conferences were held on Winter Works this past year. The program which formerly included maintenance work as well as capital program was changed to include capital projects for those of a lasting benefit only. At the same time the Winter Work Project Act was proclaimed and regulations passed to allow greater control over community participation and administration. Sixty-six projects were forwarded to the Federal authorities and sixty were approved. Forty- one communities participated in the program involving $505,000 of which $151,500 will be contributed by the Province. The Federal Government contributes 60% and the communities 10%. Nine hundred and ninety-three men are working on the pro- jects. This year also the term of the project is from Nov. lst, 1967, to March Slst, 1968, a period of five months as compared to six months in former years. Con- ciliation officers were provided for in four cases and one Conciliation Board was authorized. One special mediation case was successfully handled and one Industrial Inquiry Commission was appointed where the public interest was involved. The Department has knowledge of four work stoppages in unorganized industries in the Province in the past year with wages being the issue in all cases. One work stoppage occurred in an organized industry and settled in three days. I’m referring here to the Island Telephone Company Ltd. and its union. While I’m on the point, Mr. Speaker, I wish to correct some misconceptions concerning this work stoppage my Honorable friend from O’Leary, the Senior Member from Second Prince, may have left with the Assembly. I believe he left the general impression that the ap- pointment of the Industrial Inquiry Commission was some bright idea that I thought of on the spur of the moment. He further implied the press conference was called in the midst of Christmas spirits, something similar to the atmosphere of the cock- tail contracts we used to know so well. Finally he implied that I had no one in mind to handle the Commission but when a newspaper man showed up I was prompted to appoint Mr. Daley to handle the job.

L. George Dewar: Good idea.

Hon. J. Elmer Blanchard: All in all, he tried to make the whole picture look as though it was some comic farce.

L. George Dewar: Oh, no! Hon. J. Elmer Blanchard: First of all I want to assure you, Sir. . .. L. George Dewar: I was congratulating you, Sir.

Hon. J. Elmer Blanchard: I realize that. I’ll have something to say about that too. First of all I want to assure you, Sir, that there was no comedy to the situation at all. I and my Department officials were constantly in touch with the situation as it developed and negotiations were still going on. As late as the night of Dec. 23rd I held a long two hour consultation close to midnight with company officials and Saturday morning I was advised by the company that they would go on emer- gency service which could create a public emergency. I then decided to invoke the provisions of the Industrial Inquiry Commission section of the Act and obtain a swift solution to the situation. Mr. Hartwell Daley was the Conciliation Officer in the original negotiation and I knew he had been close to the situation for several days. I asked him to take on the job which he accepted. I then called a press conference

~14e—