7 “M, V ThursdayLMarch 7, 1968

sion of the legislature. This act provides for different levels of protection and should prove more attractive, especially to potato growers. Through the late planting season a small reduction is noted in the total number of applications but the acreage insured was slightly higher. The following table shows the number of applications received and processed in 1967. Applications for potato insurance—120; number of acres of potato.in_sured—2,106; number of claims submitted for payment—49' appli- cations for grain insurance—66; number of acres insured—2,323; number of, claims submitted for payment—52. An increase is noted in the number of applications re- ceived and processed by the Farm Establishment Board during the year. The follow- ing table sets forth the details of the operation during the year. Number of applica— tions rece1ved—-—195; number approved—156. Fifteen applications were reiected and twelve were cancelled or withdrawn and there’s a number of decisions still pending which amount to twelve. Now, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank you for bearing with me. Department reports are a little on the dry side after you get over the hour mark._ but I woulddike to at this time commend and congratulate our Premier. A terrific Job he’s doing! (Applause) I also would like to commend and congratulate my fellow Ministers in the Government for their assistance to me during the past year in this portfolio of Agriculture which you all know has quite a lot of trials and tribulations. But I think that possibly we’re going to be able to solve a lot of them in the very near future. I have great faith in agriculture in the coming years but I do think we have to unite our efforts in the Province, in organizations and farm organizations and in Canada and probably in the U.S. With that, I thank you.

(Applause)

Henry W. Wedge (Third Prince): Mr. Speaker, I want also to join with the other members who have taken part in this Draft Address to extend congratulations to the mover and the seconder in the reply to the Speech from the Throne. 0f the WWW conferred on them and their constituants by the invitation given them on this important duty and also because of the way they have discharged it. As other speakers. I am not going to deal with the Speech from the Throne as I also find that there is nothing new or exciting in it. When we look over the promises made by the Government and the statement was made over T.V. by the Premier in May of 1966, and I would like to read this. “When we developed our program, we found out that what could be done, what was within the reach of the Province, we found out how much the items would cost and we learned precisely what portion of this would be provided by Ottawa. We found the extent of the co-operation given by the Federal Government and we then told you, the voters, what could be done.” We’ve been waiting ever since May of 1966 and we wonder, sometimes, whether the Premier was sincere in these statements which were made during that campaign. I want to deal briefly with education and firstly I want to, at this time, to thank the Minister of Education for his co-operation in carrying out the project of the consolidated school in the Egmont Bay area of the Third District of Prince. This fine building, one of the most modern I have seen and the first consolidated unit in Prince County is a credit to the hard work and the planning of the thirteen school districts in the area. We started some three years ago and we all realized that getting some thir- teen school districts to agree on a consolidated program was not an easy task but the proven benefits derived from the regional high school for that area has gone a long way in helping to arrive at a final decision on constructing these important facilities for the primary grades the Third District. I know that a satisfactory solu- tion will be arrived at to take care of the three schools who have not yet taken part in this consolidation. We were disappointed that up-grading in the carpentry courses in the Egmont Bay area were not made available this year as they were during the winter of 1966. At least they haven’t as yet. We found they were well attended and they proved to be a great benefit to the unemployed to up—grade their skills. We all realize that education is becoming the Number 1 item in our budget. Approximately 28%, I understand, of our revenue is now being spent on education. Some provinces, such as- Ontario, are running as high as 40% of their revenue. I note in 1952 it was estimated that less than half of the fourteen to seventeen age group stayed in school and it is expected, with the improved facilities by 1970. to be close to 90%, almost double and this is caused by the heavy demand for skilled personnel. Our better schools, the increased income and greater loan aSSistance have put higher education within the reach of more of our students. In 1952. only 5% of the eighteen to twenty-four age group were engaged in further studies and it_is estimated that by 1972 it is expected that 20% will be taking post-secondary train-

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