Proceedings of the House of Assembly During the Fifth Session of the Thirtieth General Assembly of Newfoundland 1 955 Volume 11 PRINTED IN CANADA ev GUARDIAN LIMITED, ST. JOHN'S, NFLO. Proceedings of the House of Assembly ( During the Fifth Session of the Thirtieth General Assembly of Newfoundland WEDNELSDAY, April 20, 1955 Presenting Reports of StandLng and Select Committees The House met at 11:00 of the clock in the forenoon, pursuant to adjourn­ None. ment. Giving Notice of Motion and Presenting Petitions Questions MR. DROVER: Mr. Speaker, I beg None, leave to present a petition from ·the people of Pumbley Cove, Pound Cove, Seal Cove, Westport and Western Answers to Questions Ann. T,hese people are requesting Question No. 46: In course of cheaper hospitalization and more ade­ preparation. quate hospital facilities in the District of White Bay. This is a follow-up of Question No. 40: many .peti-tiions already presented to this House by me. The people pre­ HON. W. J. KEOUGH (Minister of senting them those names are on the F1isheries and Co-operatives) : Mr. petitions are rfishermen and loggers, Speaker, I 'beg leave to tacble the an­ and all are in the low-income bracket. swer to Question No. 40, Order Paper of April 13. I am sending the Hon­ I do know, Mr. Speaker, that this ourable Leader of the Opposi,tion request is not unreasonacble. I have across an a:dd.itiona,1 copy. I would great pleasure in supporting the pray­ appreciate it if he passed it to the er of ·rhe petition and asking that it honourable member for S't. John's be tacbled in vhe House and foriwarded West, because fhat covers a question to ,the department concerned. directed by the honourable member to On motion pebition tabled for ref­ me last night. That is seotion 3 of the erence to the department concerned. question. HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS 909 QUESTION (3)-Ta!ble report show­ than dollars are given prime considera­ ing work performed by rhe Co-opera­ ~ion. Consequently the success of the ~ive Division of Uhe Fisheries Depart­ movement depends by and large upon ment. the enlightenment of the people. How­ ever, maximum enlightenment is not .-~NSWER : The Co-operative Divi­ alway possible through constitutional sion oJ the Department of Fisheries memJbership meetings or ,large group and Co-operatives comprises two sub­ meetings regardless of how often they divisions-the Registry and ,t,he Exten­ may be held. Some other means there­ sion Division. Attached is a Report in fore must be introduced whereby the b11ief of the activity of each for the majority of individual,s can benefit period April 1st, 1954 to March 31st, most by partioipation in study and dis­ 1955. cussion of the co-operative movement in general and then lorn! co-operative Activity of Co-operative Extension problems in particular. The best Division proven means so far devised is the Period Ending March 31st, 1955 study club or small group discussion. Akhough organized from the co-opera­ The work of the Division is being tive membership, ~hese study clubs are carried on by an aotJing Director and not restricted to that any more than ten fieldworkers. co-operative -topics are discussed exclu­ Each year's work begins with a sively. It is a means of airing com­ fieldstaff conference at which matters munity prdblems as well. pertaining to the Co-operative Move­ The extension staff has assisted in ment in Newfoundland are reviewed the org·anization and operation of 150 and discussed and plans made for a such groups as part of the winter pro­ continuing programme. gramme. Material to be used as the At Uhe last such conference held at basis for discussion has been prepared St. John's during the week beginning in book,let form, sixteen hundred cop­ September 6th the following siix point ies of which, have been distributed programme was adopted. throughout the Province. 1. Concentrated effort on educa­ In order Uhat the staff might /be tional activity primarily through better qualified to engage in this type study groups or group discussion. of activity, a short course in the tech­ 2. Regional conference of Co-opera­ niques of group discussion and proper tive Societies. use of film was held in November 3. Management training classes. last, under the joint dfrection of Dr. 4. Credit Union book-keeping in­ Florence O'Neill, Director of Adult struction. Education and Mr. Ben Drew of the 5. Special community and regional National Film Board. projects. 2, Regional Conferences G. Routine fieldwork. Groups as well as individuals have I. Educational Activities mutual problems. Also they have di­ The co-operative movement consists vers1fied experiences to share and of associations in which people rather many ideas to exchange. Realizing 910 HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS this and also being conscious of the Another very practical result of the need for Gloser co-operation ,between classes has been that at least fifteen co-opera.ti1ves, regiona•l cornferences of manag·ers, having become conscious of co-operative organizations have been the need for ·fur~her training are included as part of the extension pro­ presently tacking a correspondence gramme. course in co-operative accounting pro­ vided by the British Columbia Depart­ Five such conferences 'have been ment of Education through the New­ held since October ,last al St. Anthony, foundland Co-operative Union. Four Joe Batt's Arm, Merasheen, Little others have enrolled with I.A.S. corres­ Pamdise and Grole. The Divi6ion ac­ pondence school in courses of ad'Va.nced tively promoted these conferences. book-keeping and accountancy. In Members of the staff have assisted ,i-n each case the expenses of these courses the preliminary organization work and are bourne ,by the various societies. in each instance one or more sta,££ personnel have been present to guide the work of such conferences. These 4. Credit Union Book-keeping conferences have been successful in thaJt Instruction consolidation of th Movement on re­ In order that credit unions may gi(l'llal basis through inter-group buy­ have a choice of treasurers and in or­ ing and marketing .has resulted. der that at least some members might become qualified to act on supervisory 3. Management Training Courses or audit committees, the Division felt it was necessary and desirable to in­ The Extens,ion Division sponsored troduce a course of instruction •in two trnining courses for managers of credit union book-keeping. Lesson co-operative societies during the year, plans and outlines ha.ve ·been prepared one at Corner Brook in December and by the Division but each society pro­ another ;it St. John'.~ in Fehrnary. In vides the book-keeping requirements this project Vhe Division had the out of its educational fund. Two assistance of the Newfoundland Co­ classes are 'held each week over an operative Union. eight week period. Members of the These courses were divided into Siix staff assist in the ·organization of these sections namely, Management, Book­ courses but generally do not ,give the keeping and Accounting, Co-operative ins~ru,ctnon. T,his is done by the so­ Legislation, Co-operative Education, ciety's own T1·easurer with some as­ Business Correspondence and General sistance provided 1by the Division. Discussions. Ten such courses involving some Each course lasted eight days and seventy credit union members are was we11 attended. Although not, and presently in progress. not intended to be, the complete an­ swer to the need for management 5. Special Community and Regional Lraining, Lhe classes did fill a long fell Projects need. That they were successful is evidenoed by the many favoura'ble From time to time tbe Division is comments and requests vhat they be called upon to assist in special com­ continued, which are on file at the munity projects pertaining to the co­ Department. operative in the community. This HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS 911 usually involves a series of specially Lhe area .from St. Anthony South to planned meetings and' study groups Englee which includes six marketing lasting from two weeks to a month groups. During the past two years during whi·ch -time a member or mem­ competition in certain parts of the bers of the staff are assigned to the area has been very keen. However, particular job. due to conce~Hrated field work, which culminated in a regional conference, Regional projects are given special the groups concerned are approaching attention where evidence points to­ this season's operation with greater wards the necessity of centralized or evi'Clence of consolidated .effort than amalgamated operations. Such projects ever before. usually call for the preparation of ap­ propriate study material which has 6. Routine Field Assistance local application. This in ·turn calls Apart from any general programme for the organization of series of study which may be adopted and -imple­ dubs and mass meetings. One ex­ mented the Division through the field­ ample of this type of activity may be found along the nor.thwest coast lob­ sta.ff is constantly receiving requests for special and additional assistance. Pro­ ster area. Here five lobster pools, in­ volving some one thousand fishermen v,iding speakers for meetings, assiMing and over one and one-quarter million boards, committees, managers and treasurers all come w,i,thin this category. pounds production are being assisted in a move towards centralization of Assistance in organization and prepara­ marketi.ng operations. Lack of proper tion for registration is also provided co-ordi,nated effort with its subsequent by the field staff and during the )'ear economic disadvantages makes this eighteen societies were so prepared.