Legislative Assembly

Though earth be filled with waters dark,

My cup is filled with wine.

Tell to the trembling priests,

Under the deluge robbed,

That here one nameless, tattered, broken man, Stood up and drank to God.

Thomas A. Curran (Third Kings): Mr. Speaker, before I deal with the usual com- pliments to yourself and the Mover and Seconder, I think I am forced to extend my congratulations to the man who has just sat down, my colleague here, the junior Member from Second Kings. I think he did a marvelous job. (Applause) Mr. Speaker, it wasn’t my intention at first to participate in this Debate but on second thought I decided I might as well make a few remarks. As you are well aware, Mr. Speaker, when thirty or more Members rise to participate in the same subject mat- ter it very often is quite a test of your endurance to Sit through it but possibly that is one of the prices you, as Speaker, must pay for the position of dignity you now hold, However, with thought in mind, I feel it my duty but also my pleasure to extend to you, Sir, my congratulations on the manner in which you continue to exercise your duties as Chairman of this Assembly. Perhaps I might mention the little pep talk you gave to us on the second day the House sat. It apparently has had its effect and I know the results must be gratifying to you as well as the other Members. Again I say to you, Sir, my hearty congratulations it is also my pleas- ure at this time to extend congratulations to the mover and seeonder, the sen- ior Member from Third Queens, I believe it is, and the junior Member for Fourth Prince. Both men did a marvellous job and they too deserve our congratulations. Both Members in their talks dwelt to a great extent on the present financial position of the farmers in this Province and I guess they were justified in do- ing so. As you are aware, Mr. Speaker, when the farmers in this Province are under financial pressure few are not affected but let us not hesitate in stating that the farmers in this Province today are possibly facing one of the greatest challenges of a lifetime. At one time, as I say when we were boys. the cost of putting in a crop was never a very big problem but today the situation is completely changed. It takes money, large amounts of money to operate a farm as we so now operate. I feel that I am not exaggerating when I state that what it costs the average farmer to finance the putting in of a crop this spring, for ex- ample, would have provided for his family for a year or possibly more. The other day I spoke with a potato shipper and fertilizer dealer and we were, like so many are today, talking of the present financial position of the farmers and he told me that last year he sold in the vicinity of $30,000 worth of fertilizer and as of today there is about 70% of that paper which hasn’t been anything done on it. No pay- ments made so farmers today are facing quite a serious problem and the answer is not yet known. Speaking of agriculture the Speech from the Throne made more or less token reference to agriculture. Paragraph 33 of the Throne Speech on agri- culture reads something like this. Sub-section A — “Inaugurate program to im- prove promotional capabilities of the poultry industry.” You heard the Opposition Leader when he spoke on the draft address. He said they were going to buy some body a new rooster. Now, Mr. Speaker, it’ll take a lot of promoting before the poultry industry is on a sound financial basis. Just recently I happened to listen in on a radio broadcast market broadcast, and it quoted live fowl at 3c a lb. Well, at that rate, you could buy about five old hens and a bag of potatoes for $1.50. It’s pretty cheap eating but it’s not much profit for the potato grower or the poultry producer. The same paragraph goes on to say, “encourage improvement of veterin- ary services.” A good thing too. “Provide assistance to the swine breeders.” Now, at the present prices they want possibly more than assistance. Increased assistance to agricultural students as well as field workers, for Women’s Institutes and 4H Clubs. All very good things as far as they go but as far as solving some of the financial problems facing the farmers today, to my mind, it doesn’t amount to a row of beans. You will notice, Mr. Speaker, of the 56 paragraphs in the Throne Speech there are only three of them devoted to agriculture. Is that a fair a1- location to this agricultural Province? Is that some of the solutions to help the farmers in their present crisis? I think it is. Then. this is the worst of them all. In an effort to use up the inch or so space, they broke one paragraph into several sub-sections and they even double spaced it in a vain effort to cover up a small area on the bottom of Page 3. There is another matter I wish to draw to the at-

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