D. G. Mackenzie, Winnipeg, members; and Hector B. McKinnon, Secretary, was created. The Order-in-Council prescribed that: “(1) The duties of the Board shall be to inquire into and hear representations on all matters pertaining to the tariff and other forms of taxation, as may be directed by the Minister of Finance, and to advise the Minister in regard thereto. (2) The said Board shall be under the jurisdiction of the Minister of Finance, who may make such regulations and give such instructions as he deems expedient or necessary to carry out the purpose and intention thereof. (3) The Board shall hold meetings whenever it appears to the Board to be necessary or desirable and also whenever required by the Minister of Finance to hold meetings. (4) The Board shall avail themselves of information and advice from such officers of the Department of Agriculture, Customs and Excise, External Affairs, Finance, Labour, Trade and Commerce, or other departments of public service, as may be able to be of assistance to the Board. (5) The Minister of Finance, on the recommendation of the Chairman of the Board, may engage competent persons possessing special knowledge to assist the Board and may similarly engage such clerical assistants as may be necessary and such persons and clerical assistants may be paid for their services at a rate to be determined by the Minister of Finance."

The Board met for the first time for organization purposes on Apr. 22, 1926, and held its first public sitting on May 26 in the West Block of the Parliament Buildings. At this time the Algoma Steel Corporation and the British Empire Steel Corporation made submissions in support of an application for increased protection on steel products. The Board sat again on May 27 and for a third time on June 22, hearing a number of other applications. During the summer Commissioners Lambert and Mackenzie spent nearly three weeks investigating conditions surrounding the manufacture of iron and steel in Canada, while by Aug. 27 some 24 applications for tariff adjustments had been submitted to the Board. During the 1926-27 season a considerable number of cases were heard, those of importance being an application by the Canadian Horticultural Council for a seasonal tariff on fruit and vegetables, heard Dec. 16-17, and again on Feb. 22; an application of the magazine publishers for a duty on foreign magazines, heard Feb. 1st; an application of the Shoe Manufacturers' Association for increases in the tariff against British-made boots and shoes, heard Feb. 3 and Mar. 8, and an application of the Canadian Woollen and Knit Goods manufacturers for increased protection, heard Mar. 9-10, June 15, 16, 17, 27, 28, and 29. In the case of boots and shoes and woollens the manufacturers of Great Britain presented briefs and had witnesses attend the public inquiry.

The Chairman of the Board, Rt. Hon. George P. Graham, was called to the Senate on Dec. 20, 1926, but continued in office, pending the selection of a successor. On Jan. 27, 1927, the appointment of W. H. Moore, effective Feb. 5, was announced by Hon. J. A. Robb, Minister of Finance. At this time Mr. Robb said, "To-day we accepted the 50th application for a hearing before the Advisory Board on Tariff and Taxation. This shows that the Board is filling a national need and the large number attending the various hearings shows that its deliberations are attracting general interest." At the conclusion of the sitting on Feb. 4, a warm tribute was paid to the retiring chairman by his colleagues on the Board, who presented him with a handsome wall barometer suitably inscribed. The following day Mr. Moore was sworn in as Chairman and on Feb. 22 he presided for the first time at a hearing of the Board.

During the early sittings of the Board, opposition to applications for increases in tariff was voiced by R. J. Deachman, who represented nominally George Spence, M.P. for Maple Creek, Sask. On Mar. 23, 1927, however, at a meeting of certain members of the House of Commons, steps were taken to provide that counsel representing consumers should be permanently before the Board. This culminated on Apr. 8 in the organization of the Consumers' League of Canada, with Charles Bothwell, M.P. for Swift Current, as Chairman, and Fred Totzke, M.P. for Vonda, and George Spence, M. P. for Maple Creek, as members of a committee of organization. The Consumers' League not only opposed applications for tariff increases but instituted applications for tariff reductions, the first a request for a cut in the duty on enamelware and nickel and aluminum hollow-ware, and later, a request for a decrease in the duty on

Other

all raw materials entering into the manufacture of boots and shoes. organizations, whose interests were being watched at Tariff Board sittings, were the National Council of Women, represented by Mrs. John Bryson, Ottawa, and the Canadian Council of Agriculture, by A. E. Darby, Winnipeg.

Combines Investigation Act. There was organized in Canada in 1926, through the agency of Sir William Glyn-Jones, officer of a similar organization in England, the Proprietary Articles Trade Association, embracing a large number of manufacturing and retail druggists in Canada. The avowed purpose of the Association was to put a stop to price cutting. A complaint having been made to the Government that the Association was raising prices, F. A. McGregor, Registrar under the Combines Investigation Act, instituted an inquiry and reported in October, 1926, that the Association was a combine and illegal. The Association at once protested that the Report had been made without adequate investigation, and that they had not had sufficient opportunity to present their side of the case. On Nov. 8, 1926, Hon. Peter Heenan, Minister of Labour, stated that he had decided to arrange for the appointment of a commissioner and "for the completion of the inquiry." The Minister subsequently appointed L. V. O'Connor, Lindsay, Ontario, Commissioner for the purpose. The inquiry, which was opened in Montreal on Jan. 7, 1927, was conducted behind closed doors, only those having an official interest being admitted. Between this date and May 5, 43 sessions were held in Montreal, Toronto and Winnipeg, for the taking of evidence, after which, argument was heard and the case was concluded on June 13. At this time it was stated that the report of the Commissioner would be made in July.

Prices and Price Indexes in 1926. Wholesale prices in Canada in 1926 averaged somewhat lower than in 1925. The index number of the Dominion Bureau of Statistics (weighted according to the commercial importance of the 236 commodities included in its computation) was 156.2 for the year, as compared with 160.3 in 1925 (1913-100). Four groups of commodities: (1) fibres, textiles and textile products; (2) wood, wood products and paper; (3) iron and its products, and (4) non-ferrous metals and their products, were chiefly instrumental in bringing about the lower price level. There were slight declines in vegetables and vegetable products; animals and their products and non-metallic minerals and their products. Only chemicals and allied products were higher. Opening the year at 163.8, the general index number declined almost steadily to 150.5 in December, this having been the lowest level since September and October, 1922. The Bureau's weighted index number of retail prices, rents and costs of services (1913=100) opened the year at 154, dropped to 150 in September and rose to 151 in December.

Commercial Failures in 1926. The cumulative total of failures in 1926 as reported to the Dominion Bureau of Statistics under the provisions of the Bankruptcy and Winding Up Acts was 1,771, as compared with 1,996 in 1925. The defaulted liabilities, however, were slightly greater being $32,291,125, as compared with $32,153,697. Failures in trade fell from 1,026 to 805; in manufactures from 403 to 389; in agriculture from 158 to 135; and in finance from 5 to 1. On the other hand, failures in logging and fishing increased from 14 to 26; in mining from 15 to 20; in construction from 50 to 52; in transportation and public utilities from 21 to 34; and in service from 220 to 225. Failures, not classified, were unchanged at 84. R. G. Dun and Co's report of Canadian failures showed 2,196, with liabilities of $37,082,882 in 1926, as compared with 2,371, with liabilities of $45,767,825 in 1925.

Trade Organizations. The Northwest Commercial Travellers' Association held its General Annual Meeting in Winnipeg on Dec. 18, 1926. Reports showed close to 8,000 members enrolled and assets of nearly $1,000,000. Officers for 1927 were: President, Adam Mitchell, Campbell Bros. and Wilson, Winnipeg; Vice-Presidents, Geo. Laing, Winnipeg; F. H. Macdonald, Saskatoon; James Maxey, Calgary; George H. Hewitt, Vancouver; Treasurer, Charles Holden, Winnipeg.

The Dominion Council of the Associated Canadian Travellers met in Moose Jaw, Dec. 28, 1926, and elected W. E. Weston, Moose Jaw, President; J. A. Eoll, Calgary, 1st Vice-President; W. Harris, Regina, 2nd Vice-President; W. G. Cochrane, Regina, Treasurer; and Ernest R. Ford, Calgary, Secretary.

The 54th Annual Meeting of the Commercial Traveller's Association of Canada took place in Toronto on Dec. 30, 1926. Membership was reported to be nearly 16,000; receipts, $324,633; disbursements, $317,724; investments, $2,385,805. H. L. Wilmot was elected President; C. A. E. Colwell, 1st VicePresident; B. E. Miller, 2nd Vice-President; and John Rutherford, Secretary.

The Dominion Retail Merchant's Association held its Annual Meeting in Fort William, July 12-16, 1926. J. A. Banfield, Winnipeg, was elected President. A resolution was passed urging cancellation of the income tax. The Association sent a large delegation to Ottawa on Feb. 1st, 1927, to wait on Hon. J. A. Robb, Minister of Finance, and lay before him a large number of suggestions and recommendations for the improvement of business.

The Hudson's Bay Company. The Report of the Governor and Committee of the Hudson's Bay Company presented at the General Court held in London, England, on June 28, 1927, was for the year ended May 31, 1927. It was at this time stated that the Company's collection of furs had been about the same in quantity as in the previous year; that keen competition in the trapping areas had increased costs but that this had been off-set by better prices realized at the Company's sales. Trade in the saleshops had continued to increase but results had been adversely affected by the dislocation inseparable from building operations, removal of departments, and organization of much larger staffs in Vancouver and Winnipeg. Farm land sales for 12 months ended Jan 31, 1927, comprised 271,281 acres for £669,826 8s. 9d. At Jan. 31 unsold lands amounted to 2,781,940 acres and at the same date instalments outstanding on sales were £2,529,249. Net profit from trading for year ended May 31, 1927, was £151,909 10s. 10d. The Governor of the Company was Charles Vincent Sale, and the Deputy Governor, Frederick Henry Richmond.

Conditions

of

Employment

LABOUR CONDITIONS IN CANADA

By

R. H. Coats, F.S.S. (Hon.) F.R.S.C.

The activity of general employment in Canada, which is the condition perhaps of chief importance to labour, was greater during 1926 than in any year since 1920. The chart reproduced in the statistical section of the present volume illustrates this at a glance. From January until October the trend was continuously upward, and on a level higher than in any of the preceding five years. During the rest of the year likewise, though as is usual at this season the total volume of employment decreased, a marked improvement was shown over previous years, notwithstanding the effect of an early winter upon construction operations. During the first eight months of the year, approximately 125,000 persons were added to the staffs of the firms reporting their number on their pay-rolls monthly to the Dominion Bureau of Statistics, on which the official record of employment is based. This was a greater addition than recorded in any other year except 1922 when the extreme depression of 1921 was followed by a strong though temporary reaction. These favourable conditions continued during the first six months of 1927, when still further increases in the general level were recorded.

An outstanding feature in the situation in 1926 was the expansion in construction operations, employment in which more than doubled during the summer months. Manufactures also showed consistent gains, the general level being higher than at any time since 1920. Transportation, mining and trade employment were all more active, though logging operations were somewhat quieter. Among the provinces, British Columbia and Quebec showed the largest increases in general employment. By leading cities considerably more active conditions prevailed in Montreal, Toronto, Hamilton, the Border Cities, Winnipeg and Vancouver; there were moderate gains in Quebec, while in Ottawa conditions were fairly stationary. The index numbers in the Tables I and II herewith-afford a more detailed measurement of the features above summarized.

The reverse or unemployment side of the picture is revealed in the out-of-work returns received monthly by the Department of Labour from the leading trade unions. It confirms the above in every particular (see Table III.). In every month of 1926 and subsequently, the number of unemployed thus recorded was lower than in 1925. Still another labour index is the volume

of business transacted by the Employment Service of Canada operated under the Department of Labour. The Service reported 456,932 vacancies in 1926 compared with 447,043 in 1925, whilst there were 542,469 applications compared with 557,045. The number of placements totalled 410,155, compared with 412,825 in the preceding year.

It was above pointed out that building showed a pronounced increase in 1926. This is well illustrated in the records of building permits issued in the sixty-odd leading cities of Canada. The total value of building thus approved was $156,386,607 in 1926 compared with $125,029,367 in 1925, and the record continues to mount in 1927. The value of contracts awarded throughout Canada in 1926 was $372,947,900 according to The MacLean Building Review, compared with $297,973,000 in 1925, an increase of 25 per cent.

The International Association of Public Employment Services, including the main official organizations of the continent engaged in the study and practical treatment of labour supply and demand, held its Annual Meeting at Montreal, September 16-18, 1926. The United States and Dominion Departments of Labour and many of the State and Provincial Employment Services sent delegates, whilst the Canadian Manufacturers' Association and the Trades and Labour Congress of Canada also were represented. R. A. Rigg, Director of the Employment Service Branch, Department of Labour, Canada, was elected President for the ensuing year, with Miss Mary Stewart, Washington, D.C., Secretary-treasurer.

TABLE I.—Index Numbers of Employment by Districts. (Jan. 1920-100)